Jon Berk interviewed at forbes.com

[markseifert]

I hadn't seen this posted here yet. Nice little interview.

 

http://www.forbes.com/newsletter/2005/04/22/cz_ms_0422soapbox_inl.html

[shrunkenhead]

Very cool! Thanks for posting the link.

[jbcomicbox]

Very cool! Thanks for posting the link.

 

Geez, I gave that interview about two years ago. Forbes really pushed on the monetary aspect of it all, while I tried to get back on track of the wonder of "comicbooks"...However, I was impressed how Missy summarized such a disparate subject in a short article.

 

Finally, note since that interview, Heritage has changed its practices so you know if the reserve has been met a couple of days before the auction ends....

[Dr_Neff]

JB -

 

many props for you, forwarding the comic hobby as you have, interesting and informative!

 

[tth2]

Good article, Jon. I guess this only appeared on the online version, as I`m positive I would have noticed a comic-related article in the magazine.

 

Relatively balanced, and not as fixated on value as I would`ve expected a business-oriented magazine to be. Jon, one thing that was particularly interesting to me was from the article it would appear you`re a firm supporter of CGC, but from these boards my impression sometimes is that you`re ambivalent at best. Care to comment?

 

My two favorite quotes:

 

(talking about Lou Fine) "He could draw saliva and drool better than anyone." Nice, Jon, that oughtta really generate some interest!

 

"Don't have feet of clay. A lot of this stuff comes around just once. You've got to be ready to go for it." So true! There are so many posts on these boards where people whine about how they lowballed, waffled or just didn`t pull the trigger and as a result lost the book. If you want a book, sometimes, you just gotta take a deep breath, grab your cojones and go for it.

[Harvey Dude]

Excellent article and some good suggestons on how the auction houses can improve. I would disagree on not buying anything restored. There should be a caveat that restored books do no command a premium but I love restored key books since that is the only way, that I can procure a copy. Of course, I am a collector and I think the article may have been tailored to the investor.

[Silver Surfer]

18,000 books. Jon has the number grown since a few years ago?

[jbcomicbox]

Good article, Jon. I guess this only appeared on the online version, as I`m positive I would have noticed a comic-related article in the magazine.

 

Relatively balanced, and not as fixated on value as I would`ve expected a business-oriented magazine to be. Jon, one thing that was particularly interesting to me was from the article it would appear you`re a firm supporter of CGC, but from these boards my impression sometimes is that you`re ambivalent at best. Care to comment?

 

My two favorite quotes:

 

(talking about Lou Fine) "He could draw saliva and drool better than anyone." Nice, Jon, that oughtta really generate some interest!

 

"Don't have feet of clay. A lot of this stuff comes around just once. You've got to be ready to go for it." So true! There are so many posts on these boards where people whine about how they lowballed, waffled or just didn`t pull the trigger and as a result lost the book. If you want a book, sometimes, you just gotta take a deep breath, grab your cojones and go for it.

 

 

In response to the two comments, remember why she had called. This was an investing article for non-comicbook audience. I have restored books. But in good conscious could not recommend purchase FOR INVESTING PURPOSES of restored books. This is the GA boards. Would you recommend someone to buy restored Silver Age where much of the action is???

 

Certainly for post GA it is the kiss of death for value.

 

I try, whenever given the opportunity, in these mainstream pubs to push my own esoteria (not many articles for forbes speak to drool)

 

The interview - Q & A came out in the Forbes Collector Sept. 2003

 

As to CGC, I have no problem with the concept of a restoration detection service and grading service if done well. But on the other hand, I do not like the 'tail wagging the dog" (for example, elimination of letter nomenclature on title). Overstreet has it and it is the standard for the hobby.)...Small thing

 

I have tremendous respect for Steve B. However, as a old fogey, the dawn of the "Plastic Age" has impersonalized these four color wonders rendering them to commodity stature ("Hi how is your 9.4 collection coming?" Give me a break) Some collect condition and not books.....So be it.....Am I concerned with certain trends in the hobby? Sure am. But the hobby participants must decide if they are going to lead or be lead....

 

 

....oh and as to 18,000 books much of that is crappola (but first edition crappola) accumulated while i was still buying all new stuff up until about 1995....

 

Finally....the book population does shrink, from time to time, to finance the purchase of arts.....

 

I think that covers it.....jb

[nearmint]

Maybe I'm nutty, but just recently I've come to believe that slight(p) books are undervalued(especially Golden Age), and just might be a pretty darn good investment.

[143ksk]

I agree completely

 

About restored GA being undervalued, not about your being nutty

[FFB]

Maybe I'm nutty, but just recently I've come to believe that slight(p) books are undervalued(especially Golden Age), and just might be a pretty darn good investment.

 

No they aren't. Slightly restored books are the work of the devil, so don't you dare buy any. At least not for another couple of years. By then, the evil should have worn off and it'll be safe for you and everyone else to buy them all. They'll be more expensive by then, but at least they won't infect your other comics with their sinister "restored-ness."

[Silver Surfer]

Hey FFB, Metro has a AF#15 in 1.5 grade for $1,200.

[jkrk]

No they aren't. Slightly restored books are the work of the devil, so don't you dare buy any. At least not for another couple of years. By then, the evil should have worn off and it'll be safe for you and everyone else to buy them all. They'll be more expensive by then, but at least they won't infect your other comics with their sinister "restored-ness."

 

 

Can restored books placed next to my computer lead to a virus?

[jbcomicbox]

Maybe I'm nutty, but just recently I've come to believe that slight(p) books are undervalued(especially Golden Age), and just might be a pretty darn good investment.

 

that may well be for the sohisticated collector (knowing degree of restoration and all that), but for this mass distributed missive, I believe it appropriate for the neophyte to steer away from restored books if this neophyte is looking for immediate investment return. COLLECTORS are a whole different animal. But remember the audience I was asked to address in a couple of generalized questions i assumed were investment types that know NOTHING about comics....(By the way I think this PLOD thing is way out of whack in the land of GA. So you and I agree to that extent. Hopefully some sanity may return one day for what has gone on in the world of GA and restoration)

 

jon

[PovertyRow]

Maybe I'm nutty, but just recently I've come to believe that slight(p) books are undervalued(especially Golden Age), and just might be a pretty darn good investment.

 

that may well be for the sohisticated collector (knowing degree of restoration and all that), but for this mass distributed missive, I believe it appropriate for the neophyte to steer away from restored books if this neophyte is looking for immediate investment return. COLLECTORS are a whole different animal. But remember the audience I was asked to address in a couple of generalized questions i assumed were investment types that know NOTHING about comics....(By the way I think this PLOD thing is way out of whack in the land of GA. So you and I agree to that extent. Hopefully some sanity may return one day for what has gone on in the world of GA and restoration)

 

jon

 

Hey Jon! Even if you had assumed these are novice collectors I don't see what difference it would make. Now a Forbes interview is not the place to get into granular concepts, especailly in a comic book interview. But to just say for National publicatin "Don't get anything restored."? All that does is continue the stereotype.

 

I will not go further than that in this post but will link you to posts I made today (or maybe technically last night as we are in the wee hours) regarding this.

 

Now you don't know me nor I you. Let's just say I tend to be a long-time crusader for folks to understand restoration. I mean really try to unerstand it and the varying degrees and processes under which it manifests.

 

So here is a link to today's (or last night's) Comics General thread with my replies (scoot down a bit).

 

Pov's Resto/Jon Links

[jbcomicbox]

Maybe I'm nutty, but just recently I've come to believe that slight(p) books are undervalued(especially Golden Age), and just might be a pretty darn good investment.

 

that may well be for the sohisticated collector (knowing degree of restoration and all that), but for this mass distributed missive, I believe it appropriate for the neophyte to steer away from restored books if this neophyte is looking for immediate investment return. COLLECTORS are a whole different animal. But remember the audience I was asked to address in a couple of generalized questions i assumed were investment types that know NOTHING about comics....(By the way I think this PLOD thing is way out of whack in the land of GA. So you and I agree to that extent. Hopefully some sanity may return one day for what has gone on in the world of GA and restoration)

 

jon

 

Hey Jon! Even if you had assumed these are novice collectors I don't see what difference it would make. Now a Forbes interview is not the place to get into granular concepts, especailly in a comic book interview. But to just say for National publicatin "Don't get anything restored."? All that does is continue the stereotype.

 

I will not go further than that in this post but will link you to posts I made today (or maybe technically last night as we are in the wee hours) regarding this.

 

Now you don't know me nor I you. Let's just say I tend to be a long-time crusader for folks to understand restoration. I mean really try to unerstand it and the varying degrees and processes under which it manifests.

 

So here is a link to today's (or last night's) Comics General thread with my replies (scoot down a bit).

 

Pov

.....and thru my years of collecting i have several 'restored books'..Saying a book is 'restored' is sort of saying one has a 'knee problem'- it means little especially for GA books...Again, she asked me MANY questions.....you are seeing the distallation of an hour conversation taken TWO years ago....

 

....on the other hand, how many interviewee's mention Lou Fine and the way he could draw 'ghoul drool'...... Jon

 

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[action1kid]

from what ive seen slight[p] restoration with a blue label is not being discounted..[action 1 cgc 7.5 blue label slight restoration sold for 194k 2 years ago...no bargin there..more fun 52 cgc 9.2 slight resto blue label 155k to the dentist.....

so i dont see these books as undervaluled[if talking about keys]

the only time there undervalued[maybe] is when theres slight restoration and a purple label[like the mile high adventure 40] now that book was picked up at a great price! the value i believe is in the books with a plod and slight resto,i see possible value there, and a resub or resto reversal may even get you that blue label too