Should the Boards name be changed to 'Dealers Society Message Boards'?

[porcupine48]

The butthurt is real.

Did I miss some dorkbutting?

[porcupine48]

Threadcrappers Society

The House of Jeffro International.

[jcjames]

My 2 cents as a frequent (daily) reader, rare poster, and very rare buyer or seller:

 

I'm a private collector. There are a lot of dealers here. We both are looking to buy the same thing -- comics, at the lowest price we can get. In that sense, I have no problem with what comes up for sale on the boards.

 

I do have a very tough time selling anything, because what I have to sell is undercopies of common comics in mid-grade condition. Nobody's looking for those.

 

But I will occasionally run across a good deal (for me) and, if I manage to get lucky and "win," have been very happy with those purchases.

 

Yeah, 90% of what is for sale doesn't interest me -- slabbed comics, $1000+ price tags, DC, GA, BA. So? 90% of what's in my grocery store doesn't interest me. 90% of what's in the department store doesn't interest me. Eventually I'll spend my money on something in the 10% that does.

 

And the sale forums are interesting to browse just to get an idea of what's hot and not, what current prices are, and to see images of really cool comics that I won't see anywhere else (much less own). Also, to see the same comic trade hands four or five times.

 

And there's more to the message boards than the sales forum -- I've spent many hours reading about restoration, collecting, trivia, scams, any number of intriguing stories about this hobby I've been passionate about for 40 years.

 

Finally, you don't need to be a dealer or big spender to enjoy the banter, snarkiness, wisecracks, and -- in the occasional charity thread -- the outpouring of real affection that warms the *spoon*les of my heart.

Very well said.

 

 

 

[ChrisInBaltimore]

The fact is that if you collect long enough, you'll become a dealer by default. Now people may not set up at shows or have their own websites, but is that truly the definition of a dealer?

 

Seems rather limited in scope IMO

 

This coming from a dealer that is barely a collector...

[jcjames]

 

 

I buy & sell (i.e. flip) books that I don't want but can make money on to help pay for the books I that collect and keep.

 

What's wrong with that?

 

 

[lizards2]

The fact is that if you collect long enough, you'll become a dealer by default. Now people may not set up at shows or have their own websites, but is that truly the definition of a dealer?

 

Seems rather limited in scope IMO

 

This coming from a dealer that is barely a collector...

I will at some time become a full time dealer, no time collector. When I finally dump my keepers, instead of just undercopies, you guys will be in for a treat.

[scooter99]

The fact is that if you collect long enough, you'll become a dealer by default. Now people may not set up at shows or have their own websites, but is that truly the definition of a dealer?

 

Seems rather limited in scope IMO

 

This coming from a dealer that is barely a collector...

I will at some time become a full time dealer, no time collector. When I finally dump my keepers, instead of just undercopies, you guys will be in for a treat.

 

 

When are you retiring?

[eastriver]

I think it's great there are so many dealers here. Lots of knowledge on these boards and great to hear such varying opinions. As I newcomer, what impresses me the most is how the boardies, including dealers, come together to out the shifty dealers on ebay,, elsewhere, and even on the sales threads here.

 

 

[lizards2]

The fact is that if you collect long enough, you'll become a dealer by default. Now people may not set up at shows or have their own websites, but is that truly the definition of a dealer?

 

Seems rather limited in scope IMO

 

This coming from a dealer that is barely a collector...

I will at some time become a full time dealer, no time collector. When I finally dump my keepers, instead of just undercopies, you guys will be in for a treat.

 

 

When are you retiring?

From work? one year, five months. I don't know when I'll be retiring from the hobby, but I can't really take them to Valhalla with me - the gods frown on candy-@ss comic collectors.

[porcupine48]

The fact is that if you collect long enough, you'll become a dealer by default. Now people may not set up at shows or have their own websites, but is that truly the definition of a dealer?

 

Seems rather limited in scope IMO

 

This coming from a dealer that is barely a collector...

I will at some time become a full time dealer, no time collector. When I finally dump my keepers, instead of just undercopies, you guys will be in for a treat.

 

 

When are you retiring?

From work? one year, five months. I don't know when I'll be retiring from the hobby, but I can't really take them to Valhalla with me - the gods frown on candy-@ss comic collectors.

But if you could drive up to the feast table with the dateless nerd wagon full,would they not raise warhammer and battle axe alike in delight?

This flaggon of mead to Mike!!!

[Phantalien]

My 2 cents as a frequent (daily) reader, rare poster, and very rare buyer or seller:

 

I'm a private collector. There are a lot of dealers here. We both are looking to buy the same thing -- comics, at the lowest price we can get. In that sense, I have no problem with what comes up for sale on the boards.

 

I do have a very tough time selling anything, because what I have to sell is undercopies of common comics in mid-grade condition. Nobody's looking for those.

 

But I will occasionally run across a good deal (for me) and, if I manage to get lucky and "win," have been very happy with those purchases.

 

Yeah, 90% of what is for sale doesn't interest me -- slabbed comics, $1000+ price tags, DC, GA, BA. So? 90% of what's in my grocery store doesn't interest me. 90% of what's in the department store doesn't interest me. Eventually I'll spend my money on something in the 10% that does.

 

And the sale forums are interesting to browse just to get an idea of what's hot and not, what current prices are, and to see images of really cool comics that I won't see anywhere else (much less own). Also, to see the same comic trade hands four or five times.

 

And there's more to the message boards than the sales forum -- I've spent many hours reading about restoration, collecting, trivia, scams, any number of intriguing stories about this hobby I've been passionate about for 40 years.

 

Finally, you don't need to be a dealer or big spender to enjoy the banter, snarkiness, wisecracks, and -- in the occasional charity thread -- the outpouring of real affection that warms the *spoon*les of my heart.

 

I I am more of a reader. I don't collect comics anymore and when I did collect comics I was too young to pick up anything special because I didn't have a job. All the comics I read when I was younger was around the Death of Superman/Valiant/Image bubble, which burst a while ago.

 

I do have an extensive MAD magazine collection but I have bought out everything I can afford. Since I am a bigger reader than collector, condition didn't matter for comics and MADs as long as I had the money for it and it seemed like a good deal.

 

The only reason why I stumbled on this site was because of a comic I found in the wild. I wanted info about slabbing as the process was foreign to me.

 

I do enjoy many parts of the site and learning about different things that I just didn't know about. My favorite part of going to conventions was seeing all of those cool old comic covers of "obscure" or non-mainstream comics. Now I get it here and usually get an interesting history lesson at the same time. It is awesome!

[marvelmaniac]

I have been "re-collecting" since 1979 and have NEVER sold or traded a book since I was 13 years old (1968, when comics were comics, not collectibles) and would trade with my friends that collected.

I have lots of books I am not interested in but need them to complete the runs, that's what OCD...

UH, UMM...I mean collecting is all about.

 

I also like to be able to actually hold, feel, smell, read my books should I choose to.

 

"OOOH, the cute little comic books, just what I always wanted, I will name them George and pet them and hug them and squeeze them and pat them and pet them and rub them and caress them and stroke their bill and rub their pretty feathers...

Hey, Wait a minute...Comics don't have bills and feathers...!!!"

[namisgr]

I think it's great there are so many dealers here. Lots of knowledge on these boards and great to hear such varying opinions. As I newcomer, what impresses me the most is how the boardies, including dealers, come together to out the shifty dealers on ebay,, elsewhere, and even on the sales threads here.

 

 

Dealers have always been a valuable part of the boards. It's the nature of the discussions and focus of the threads that's changed over time. Many of the old time dealers can be found in the GA Forum, involved in discussions on the love and history of comic genres, the quality of the stories and art, and the nature of the comic creative process and publishing.

 

Alternatively, how many times has this scenario unfolded in the past couple of years?

 

Thread starter: which of these (2 or 3) comics should I buy? Which is the most likely to increase in value?

 

Some responses: 'movie hype talk, recent sales price talk, love of character in the popular culture talk, etc'

 

Lone collector: which of the comics do you like the best?

 

Some more responses about movies, tv, recent sales, and what 20 somethings might collect in the future.

 

It's comics as commodities - pork bellies made of paper. The focus of the boards on dealing comics has to a degree taken over from the focus on collecting them. Here's to hoping that the discussions on the history of comics and of comic collecting, their creation and contributions to popular culture, stories about comic finds, and the personalities involved with creation, dealing, and collecting stay prominent. They're a core of the hobby.

[TupennyConan]

Here's to hoping that the discussions on the history of comics and of comic collecting, their creation and contributions to popular culture, and the personalities involved with creation, dealing, and collecting stay prominent.

 

& that we all have nice margins on our comic sales.

[namisgr]

Troublemaker.

[TupennyConan]

[Peter G]

COFFEE IS FOR CLOSERS!

 

Agreed

[Mark 1]

If you want it to be accurate...

 

A handful of real dealers and many wannabe's dealers collectors society.

 

?

 

In all seriousness, I see nothing wrong if dealers want to buy and sell here.

 

I've bought from many dealers and non-dealers on the boards and all have been great.

 

[Mark 1]

The fact is that if you collect long enough, you'll become a dealer by default. Now people may not set up at shows or have their own websites, but is that truly the definition of a dealer?

 

Seems rather limited in scope IMO

 

The definition of a comic dealer is someone who claims that they are making a portion of their income by selling and buying comics.

 

I'm a collector. I buy for my own enjoyment and only sell things here and there.

 

If you have a website, company name, hopefully file taxes, and set up at shows (or even just sell on here), you are a dealer.

 

 

[Buzzetta]

The fact is that if you collect long enough, you'll become a dealer by default. Now people may not set up at shows or have their own websites, but is that truly the definition of a dealer?

 

Seems rather limited in scope IMO

 

This coming from a dealer that is barely a collector...