Blow Hards of the Comics Industry.....

[Prophet78]

I am pretty new to the "serious" comic collector area. As I have stated before, I just recently starting getting back into collecting and more into the serious arena. These past few weeks, like many of my other hobbies, I have been doing a lot of research. This week I found Mile High's site. I found it a great source of Entertainment and almost as much knowledge.

 

Anyhow, after reading though much of Chuck's "editorials" I came to four realizations: 1. Chuck is a great story teller. 2. Chuck has a lot of experience in this arena 3. Chuck does his own thing. 4. Chuck is a blow hard.

 

I got the idea from his editorials, that Chuck likes to hear himself speak. Don't get me wrong, the guy can be very eloquent and in my (short research time) opinion, is a highly intelligent person. He speaks his mind and he is not afraid of the backlash or critism it is sure to entail.

 

After reading the post from Lighthouse about what MH's core business really is, it is just what he said. Chuck is not in the grading biz, he is in the easily accessable back issue biz. I don't want my thread to be high jacked so lets stay the course.

 

Who else is a blow hard in the biz and why?

 

-Jeremy-

[drbanner]

Well, the CBM was used as a platform for many, many months for certain individuals to criticize the concept of 3rd party grading, the implementation of the 3rd party grading service, and CGC. I think the blowhards have pretty much given up now, but unfortunately, since Gary Carter left it's focus has turned far from traditional Comic Books to other, somewhat related areas.

 

Do you get the CBG? Chuck has been running a recent series of articles on the Mile High 2 collection, which was around half a million books(?) he purchased at like $0.15 each!!

[OldGuy]

I think any dealer that only cares about making money qualifies as a "blow hard". The dealers I've purchased from on this board (Dr. B, Donut and Darth to name a few) care about making money, but they also seem to have a genuine concern about making their buyers happy. I think that's what separates them from the "anything to make a buck" dealers.

 

The definition of a good deal is both parties feeling like they got the better end of it. In many cases you have one guy feeling like he got taken for a ride.

[aardvark88]

On one's OWN website, they can self-promote themselves as much as they want. Monthly hyperbole updates are fine. Try www.pgcmint.com for his recent opinion on cgc scarcity & update on Stv Geppi posted about 10 days ago.

[chrisco37]

Do you get the CBG? Chuck has been running a recent series of articles on the Mile High 2 collection, which was around half a million books(?) he purchased at like $0.15 each!!

 

Chuck has all his CBG articles posted on his website under "Tales from the Database"...they run a few weeks after they appear in CBG. I think he's on Part 2 on his website now.

 

Chris

[aardvark88]

Surprised Chuck paid so much for Mile High 2. Most dealers would have offered 10 cents/bk max. for warehouse stock.

[Prophet78]

I don't get CBG, but I am considering a subscription. Just so I can see what trends people "think" are going to take place and what actually does happen.

 

I did look at PGC Mint's site and boy, I tell you what, I think they were more of a blow hard than Chuck. They both give me the feeling as if they can wield a weapon that can change the history (or the future) of the comic book industry. More so PGC than MH.

 

I got the total idea that PGC is a snobby cousin (w/ a big bust) who puts up their nose at anyone other than the highest of high collectors. But they will take your money from you just the same, but treat you like garbage. That is just a feeling, I haven't dealt with them yet.

 

I have also read most of the tfdb.

 

-Jeremy-

[fantastic_four]

I think you're referring to Michael Naiman as the ex-blowhard of CBM.

 

So who's the biggest blowhard on these boards? I think it's pretty obvious that it's a certain Comic Invest(or)ing individual who doesn't post anymore and has a web site named after his forum user ID. I really enjoyed reading his posts, except when he would post 5,343,231,123 replies on a post to save face whenever somebody demonstrated to him that whatever point he was making about comic investing at the time had some logical flaws. And it didn't matter how trivial his logical flaw may have been, he'd argue endlessly about ANY point that made him less than 99.9% correct. In any kind of discussion there is truth and there is ego; it's really frustrating to be involved in discussions where one of the people involved never shuts up and is overly concerned about whether they're right or not.

[drbanner]

Thanks for the link...his Showcase 4 9.2 (@$90k) looks an awful lot like the one Heritage is auctioning this weekend (currently @$44k). Could it be??

[fantastic_four]

Just because somebody has money doesn't mean they're necessarily a braggart/blowhard. I find Mark Wilson's articles to be very objective and not at all boastful. Just because the guy specializes in selling exclusively rare comics doesn't necessarily make him a snob; I'm curious as to what in the presentation of his web site made you say that about him.

[OldGuy]

"I don't get CBG, but I am considering a subscription. Just so I can see what trends people "think" are going to take place and what actually does happen."

 

Don't get it if you're interested in trends. If trends are what you're looking for get Wizard. CBG isn't very trendy and seems to cater to a more mature crowd. I enjoy CBG and read it almost cover to cover every week.

[drbanner]

doesn't post anymore

 

Don't be so sure!

 

he would post 5,343,231,123 replies on a post

 

Certainly some posters get so worked up that they have to resort to double posts, sometimes even triple posts in response to an alternative point-of-view. Even worse, reinforcing opinions from other board members often bring the response level to a downright frenzy, with entirely new threads being started to make the same point. Witness the recent flurry of threads on the DD movie and the Heritage bump as evidence of such traits...

[dam60]

A couple of quick things:

 

1 - Chuck is a loser. I feel that the Edgar Church collection was handled incredibly poorly and for his lack of integrity I will never purchase from Mile High

 

2 - PGC Mint has some interesting articles about the state of CGC books. I don't think he is a blow hard in the same respect as Chuck at all

 

3 - Comic Buyer's Guide is a fantastic read and I too read it almost cover to cover - I usually skip or at least skim many of the ads but always read the articles. Wizard is definitely more trendy. I particularly really like the letters section of CBG, and the "Ask Mr. Silverage". Fun stuff

 

 

DAM

 

[Prophet78]

I would guess that my idea of trend's (not trendy) differ from your idea of trends. Trendy, yes wizard is. They cater to the younger reader who likes all the contests and have articles that are geared towards the younger reader.

 

On the other hand, what I am looking for is more insight to the comic comunity. Not who's the hot artist this month. More like, what direction DC is taking with its universe, or what Marvel is going to do about the cheap printing, or more editorials on why Mile High seems to over grade their books, or how Heritage loves to say one thing, while behind the curtain are doing dubious other things.

 

I am looking more for insight by the big guys. Big guys being the pro collectors, people who have galleries, things like that. The people who aren't checking price guides everymonth wondering if their Spawn #1 has dropped any within the last month. Something Wizard could never/won't do. If this is something CBG doesn't do, then as far as publications go, point me in the right direction.

 

 

No, back on topic, blow hards of this industry.

-Jeremy-

[Prophet78]

Please go into detail why you believe that the Edger Church Collection was handled so poorly. Reading Chucks side of the story, while sounding very altruistic, I think he did what he could.

 

-Jeremy-

[OldGuy]

Ok, now I understand what you're talking about when you say "trends". Based on what you've said I think you'll enjoy CBG.

[drbanner]

Please go into detail why you believe that the Edger Church Collection was handled so poorly.

 

Uh oh...either this is going to become a "Popcorn Thread!" , or you can read all about on these existing threads:

 

chuck rozanski and his articles on the mile high collection

 

Moral dilemma…should I say something?

[dam60]

I think I have a post on one of those two threads, but for the sake of others I won't get into except to say that to find a windfall valued even at the time at at least 500K and to pay 2K for it is highway robbery and immoral. I recognize and appreciate that comic dealers have to make a living, but Chuck's actions are simply outrageous.

 

DAM

[diablo508]

maybe I'm just morally devoid...but I say Chuck Rozanski mind numbing purchase of Edgar Church's estate of comics is AWESOME! I Thank Edgar Church for collecting and hording such a collection for so many years (especially at a time where comics weren't much of a collectible item). His kids were just going to throw it away....That's like throwing away a musem of valuable paintings. I'm thrillled that Mr. Rozanski got a hold of that collection for what you consider peanuts. It took everything he had at the time...and he turned it into a Incredible Business (be it with some high prices) and in turn raised a family with it. I think Edgar Chruch would be proud. I just wish a realtor would call me with the same offer....and God knows, you do too!

[fantastic_four]

Got no problem with him buying the Mile Highs, except he always forgets to mention how pissed the Church heirs were once it made national headlines that he sold their comics for a ton. How come them suing him never got a mention in his "Tales from the Database" writeup on his discovery of the collection? We're all just as curious about that part of the deal as we are about the comics he found!!!