Five Years Ago

[Tnerb]

Or My First Journal times 643

 

It has been five years since I started writing journals on the registry. Over that time I have submitted my own books for grading, I have cracked "9.8's" for signatures, and I have purchased junk simply because they were the worst. I have learned so much these past five years not only because of CGC but because of the friends I met here. To try listing those that I have formed a bond with would be next to impossible, because when I think of one, I think of another, and if I miss one, I would be upset that I did.

 

I have accomplished a lot in these five years, including going to sixteen major conventions throughout the states. If you have ever tried living off of a server's wage of $2.83 an hour then you might understand. To give you an idea of what that means, in 2012 I had to work 911 hours to pay for the invoices I sent to CGC at the NYCC, and only the NYCC. By the way, all but one of those came back a 9.8. Of course it was the only one I desperately wanted in a 9.8 that came back other than a 9.8.

 

For anyone and everyone reading this, I thank you. Thank you for putting up with the ramblings I have had. I hope as many times as you have read absolute drivel that you also read some informative entries as well. I also would like to thank those that write journals. I get to see things I normally don't see and I get to see reminders of things I've loved.

 

And I would like to thank CGC as well, even when your late, or you do something wrong, or when you add frivolous charges. Thank you for making me interested in comic books again. Not necessarily the reading part, but the nostalgic part. You have also helped me pick up comics I never would have, so once again, thank you.

 

Thank you for Reading

 

 

Tnerb

 

See more journals by Tnerb

[Brandon Shepherd]

Congratulations on the milestone! I have enjoyed your writing over the years and I really admire your passion. Keep writing and taking great pictures!

 

To another five years and beyond!

 

Brandon

[Ogami]

You don't live on 2.83 an hour and to suggest otherwise is offensive to me and everyone who tips you at 15-20% on average.

[Lee K]

To be fair, Ogami, T didn't say he made $2.83/hr - he said is wage was $2.83 hour. That is what his employer is obligated to pay him.

 

Everything else he makes is dependent or people eating out, how much they order, how much - if any - they tip, how many tables he gets, and even factors beyond his control that impact his tip: was the food prepared properly? is the temp in the dining area comfortable? was it too loud to enjoy the meal? and so on...an entire package of little things that add up to: did I enjoy my experience enough to tip? to recommend this place on Yelp!? to come back myself?

 

But I digress - and I do not want to derail this post with a bunch of spoon-ola about wages and earning - it is about comic books & journals.

 

Tnerb, I love reading your journals and it is hard for me to believe it has been five years already...but like Brandon, I too look forward to five more.

 

write well, my friend.

 

and

Happy Hunting!

[Ogami]

To be fair, Lee, this is exactly what he said:

 

If you have ever tried living off of a server's wage of $2.83 an hour then you might understand. To give you an idea of what that means, in 2012 I had to work 911 hours to pay for the invoices I sent to CGC at the NYCC, and only the NYCC.

 

And if he had to work 911 hours at what his ACTUAL wage was, (what he "tried living off of") or the average of 10.00-20.00 an hour, he spent $9,110.00-$18,220.00 on the NY show alone.

 

But what I suspect happened, is that he took his poor little measly base wage and divided his entire costs and came up with that absurd 911 hours.

 

I don't want to hear it. Tnerb makes a good wage. A sustainable wage. An honorable wage. It's work I've done in the past, and to act like it's the grand sum total of 2.83 an hour, or his "living wage", is offensive. It's offensive to me as a tipping patron, and it's offensive to me as a past server.

[surfer99]

Ogami...seriously? Tnerb was making an insightful observation...that if you looked at just the base pay, it would take 911 hours to pay for his invoices. It's implied that whatever he made over and above the base pay during that time went to living expenses and the like. The $2.83 in essence then becomes his play money and it took him 911 hours to save it up. To Lee's point, if the tips aren't there then he would have to dip into his "play money" to get by. I know, I know, "but that's not what he said". Sometimes you gotta apply some common sense into what people say to reach the point they were trying to make.

 

Tnerb...keep em comin my friend!

 

 

[Tnerb]

To Ogami,

 

I'll make this short...I hope, but if you wish to discuss we can discuss this in direct messages, especially since these journals are for comic books pertaining to CGC. I do indeed make $2.83 an hour and yes I do make tips too, but isn't it so much more dramatic to say $2.83 an hour. As far as tips are concerned, they are not guaranteed. Between 3-5 when we get our early bird specials going the average check is $17.26 and at a whopping 20%, if they tip the full percent is only $3.45. Now if I had checks $100 all day long I indeed would be making some serious coin.

 

You said you were offended that I would write such a thing, but I am sure, since you being a previous server, were more offended by someone under tipping. Did you ever wait on squatters, or someone you knew was a lousy tip. Did you get the senior citizens that would give you a $1 and reminisce stories of how when they took a date out for the very same amount back in the day.

 

Now the 2.83 an hour multiplied by the 911 hours comes out to a little over $2550 dollars, which is about the money I spent on CGC. This was easier than figuring out what tips I made and add that to my hours. I do well in my profession and it is a lot easier than running a car wash, or warehouse, or video stores. It is also stress free. I only have to worry about one table at one time, even if I am waiting on seven tables at once and that table is the table that I am at.

 

Plus waiting tables allows me to take off to go to these conventions. To be able to hang out with the people I met through this very registry. Now if you really want to talk about people that get underpaid, I should tell you how much a CGC employee gets paid.

 

Thanks for Reading

 

To Brandon, Lee, and Surfer. I will indeed keep writing. Thank you for the support, but thank you more for your friendship.

 

 

[bagofleas]

I worked a tips-garnering job for 24 years, and I managed to be able to get everything I needed and wanted off of it for the most part. I absolutely respect how hard Tnerb and others who live on tips work for their living.

 

As far as this post goes, there is no reason to be so exacting on his wording and extrapolating from it things he wasn't even trying to say. He was just trying to give a monetary correlation to his collecting habits. To suggest that he is being offensive to others who have or are working server wage jobs is ludicrous. Sheesh! Really? Good grief!

 

Look here big bro, you keep on keepin on. That goes for your work, your collecting and your writing.

 

I've done your type of work.

I collect just the same as you.

And I love to read whatever you write.

 

So for what it's worth, I got your back!!

 

Ok, over.

 

[seanfingh]

If you have ever tried living off of a server's wage of $2.83 an hour then you might understand. To give you an idea of what that means, in 2012 I had to work 911 hours to pay for the invoices I sent to CGC

 

 

To Tnerb and the rest of his Journal krew,

 

This is the statement being discussed. It says what it says. If you don't want comments, don't journal about it. It most definitely misrepresents the reality of working as a server. The reason tipped positions get a special tipped hourly minimum wage is because there is and will be tips on top of the wage. Tnerb never worked for $2.83 an hour ever, let alone for 900+ hours.

 

It's hilarious that you guys ignore on point responses to these soliloquy journal posts, but then jump in when a spurious claim is challenged. shine on, crazy diamonds.

 

[Tnerb]

Sean, could you please explain your statement. In Pa. A servers wage is indeed $2.83 an hour plus tips. I insinuated that at that $2.83 an hour it would take 911 of those hours to pay what I spent. My check, every two weeks is calculated based off if that hourly wage and the tips claimed. As far as what those tips are, that is between me, my girlfriend, and unfortunately the IRS. If all my tips go to my health care, numerous insurance bills, utilities, and rent, that leaves me with my hourly wage to spend on frivolous things, CGC included, hence the 911 hours it would take for me to work off this invoices, or 18 weeks, or the same time it takes to get one returned.

 

 

On a side note, I like the Pink Floyd reference.

[Jeffro.]

Ogami...seriously? Tnerb was making an insightful observation...that if you looked at just the base pay, it would take 911 hours to pay for his invoices. It's implied that whatever he made over and above the base pay during that time went to living expenses and the like. The $2.83 in essence then becomes his play money and it took him 911 hours to save it up. To Lee's point, if the tips aren't there then he would have to dip into his "play money" to get by. I know, I know, "but that's not what he said". Sometimes you gotta apply some common sense into what people say to reach the point they were trying to make.

 

On the other hand, maybe they should phrase things differently (as Tnerb did in his post above this one) if they want to avoid such disagreements. Common sense works both ways

[Jeffro.]

It's hilarious that you guys ignore on point responses to these soliloquy journal posts, but then jump in when a spurious claim is challenged. shine on, crazy diamonds.

 

The beauty of message boards is the opportunity to interact with other like-minded people. It always seems odd to me to post journal stuff and then just let it lie fallow. I've read some journal entries that are cryptic at best (and that's being kind) and the author never comes back to explain. Honestly, what's the point of that?

 

Respond, connect, socialize!

 

It seems like people just want to hear themselves talk. That's what blogs are for

 

[seanfingh]

Sean, could you please explain your statement. In Pa. A servers wage is indeed $2.83 an hour plus tips. I insinuated that at that $2.83 an hour it would take 911 of those hours to pay what I spent. My check, every two weeks is calculated based off if that hourly wage and the tips claimed. As far as what those tips are, that is between me, my girlfriend, and unfortunately the IRS. If all my tips go to my health care, numerous insurance bills, utilities, and rent, that leaves me with my hourly wage to spend on frivolous things, CGC included, hence the 911 hours it would take for me to work off this invoices, or 18 weeks, or the same time it takes to get one returned.

 

 

On a side note, I like the Pink Floyd reference.

 

 

Sure. If a punch press operator, shipping clerk or secretary works for $14 an hour and spends a little over eleven dollars of that per hour on food, rent and ôther essentials, then they are in exactly the same boat. There is nothing special or different about serving. It is good, honest work, like most of the otherwise shrinking middle class. It is getting tougher and tougher to sustain a family on middle class wages, and still scrape up funds for hobbies.

 

I felt like you were trying to make a special case for serving (based on trying to make it seem like the $2.83 was "all there was." You are not "living off " $2.83 an hour. That was the part that overreached. Not a big deal until the Tnerbpack jumped in, jaws slavering. There is nothing wrong with that either. It's good to have friends. With a lot of middle class kids growing up to be middle class comic collectors - teachers, nurses, office clerks - there are a lot of folks trying to stretch to stay in the comic game. Good luck to everyone.