General discussion thread - keep the other threads clean 29 29

[AndyBoBo]

He's at least honest when dealing with direct questions, but I think his marketing attempts are at best misguided. I think his heart is in the right place, but he needs donations to get up and running and can't fund it himself.

 

Unfortunately, I disagree about the comment you made about the OP (to you, I do not as I have nothing but love (thumbs u ). He was dishonest about the fact that he was even a nonprofit and to where the funds were going. He could have simply said that the money was going to support his trip to the Con to acquire more books for this charity (or whatever elaborate scheme he could come up with) - that, at least, would have been up front.

 

As far as the IRS application, it requires firstly, an incorporated, active state not for profit entity AND requires a 3 to 5 year (depending on how old the entity is) breakdown of actual or projected costs. This is required in an effort to determine viability of the organization to authorize its tax exempt status. Additionally, the costs listed remain tax deductable for a grace period (around a year of application, I believe). So, to me, who is currently working on a LEGIT nonprofit's Form 1023, this is absolutley dispicable and the mods should not let this continue*!

 

* I don't know, nor honestly care, how the "mods" tie-in, but they got involved when they deleted the original post.

[comix4fun]

Personally, I think C4K is a good idea, but I think the OP has gotten in over his head. I tried to help years ago, but couldn't volunteer all of my time to push the 501©(3) application through the IRS. At the time, I gave him my advice and personal experience of the process, and tried to get him to be up front and clear to all potential donors that their donations would NOT be tax deductible.

 

That's why my post in the thread was regarding whether or not they had officially been recognized by the IRS. He's at least honest when dealing with direct questions, but I think his marketing attempts are at best misguided. I think his heart is in the right place, but he needs donations to get up and running and can't fund it himself.

 

 

He may be the greatest guy in the world. I don't know him from Adam. All I can go by are his actions and his completely unprofessional, defensive and illogical responses in the now deleted thread.

 

He may have answered questions honestly to you, but to us he avoided all the questions I had about why it's been almost 16 years without the registration of 501©(3) and why his corporation is showing inactive and expired and has been so since July of 2010.

 

Instead of noting, upfront that none of the donations are tax deductible, he said (in the now deleted thread) that "none of his donors have had any problems with the IRS". That's not really the same thing, now is it?

 

If he can't handle it (after 16 years of trying I wonder when that designation is made) perhaps he should consider working with an already established charity so he can concentrate on gathering the books and providing them to those charities.

 

Good intentions are great. Without follow through, transparency, full disclosure and complete organization it will discourage people willing to help and give the entity he started to help kids an aura of unreliability.

 

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." - Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

[AndyBoBo]

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." - Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

 

I don't know you apart from a hole in the wall, but I like you

[seanfingh]

 

A reminder for everyone thinking of donating comics to organizations for kids - please remember to take a look at what you are donating and remove all of the inappropriate stuff, not just talking about Horny Biker Sluts and Preacher, but anything that is inappropriate for little kids.

[comix4fun]

A reminder for everyone thinking of donating comics to organizations for kids - please remember to take a look at what you are donating and remove all of the inappropriate stuff, not just talking about Horny Biker Sluts and Preacher, but anything that is inappropriate for little kids.

 

 

That's true..it's in my other post in general.

 

Children's memorial reports about 10-15% of the kids they treat are teens, so it's a good idea to bundle the books as grammar school level, and teenage level and remove anything inappropriate for them from the pile entirely.

[Park]

A reminder for everyone thinking of donating comics to organizations for kids - please remember to take a look at what you are donating and remove all of the inappropriate stuff, not just talking about Horny Biker Sluts and Preacher, but anything that is inappropriate for little kids.

 

 

That's true..it's in my other post in general.

 

Children's memorial reports about 10-15% of the kids they treat are teens, so it's a good idea to bundle the books as grammar school level, and teenage level and remove anything inappropriate for them from the pile entirely.

 

My 15 year old self says you two are a couple of party poopers.

 

My 40 28 year old self says you are absolutely correct. Good job. still party poopers.

[Dr_Neff]

Personally, I think C4K is a good idea, but I think the OP has gotten in over his head. I tried to help years ago, but couldn't volunteer all of my time to push the 501©(3) application through the IRS. At the time, I gave him my advice and personal experience of the process, and tried to get him to be up front and clear to all potential donors that their donations would NOT be tax deductible.

 

That's why my post in the thread was regarding whether or not they had officially been recognized by the IRS. He's at least honest when dealing with direct questions, but I think his marketing attempts are at best misguided. I think his heart is in the right place, but he needs donations to get up and running and can't fund it himself.

 

(thumbs u

 

Comics4Kids invites all questions, comments, thoughts to be addressed to me directly. I have an email comics4kids@aim.com.

 

Yes we need to get organized that is why I have appealed to the collecting community for assistance.

[skypinkblu]

OK, I have some questions after reading your eBay page, are you a Dr, or a Police officer? and if you are promoting comics for kids (which is a lovely idea)...wouldn't it be more appropriate to remove the racy pictures from your eBay page?

 

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=heidi.spidey

[scooter99]

A shrine to Traci Lords? Someone is still living in the 80's.

[Jeffreykli]

Personally, I think C4K is a good idea, but I think the OP has gotten in over his head. I tried to help years ago, but couldn't volunteer all of my time to push the 501©(3) application through the IRS. At the time, I gave him my advice and personal experience of the process, and tried to get him to be up front and clear to all potential donors that their donations would NOT be tax deductible.

 

That's why my post in the thread was regarding whether or not they had officially been recognized by the IRS. He's at least honest when dealing with direct questions, but I think his marketing attempts are at best misguided. I think his heart is in the right place, but he needs donations to get up and running and can't fund it himself.

 

 

He may be the greatest guy in the world. I don't know him from Adam. All I can go by are his actions and his completely unprofessional, defensive and illogical responses in the now deleted thread.

 

He may have answered questions honestly to you, but to us he avoided all the questions I had about why it's been almost 16 years without the registration of 501©(3) and why his corporation is showing inactive and expired and has been so since July of 2010.

 

Instead of noting, upfront that none of the donations are tax deductible, he said (in the now deleted thread) that "none of his donors have had any problems with the IRS". That's not really the same thing, now is it?

 

If he can't handle it (after 16 years of trying I wonder when that designation is made) perhaps he should consider working with an already established charity so he can concentrate on gathering the books and providing them to those charities.

 

Good intentions are great. Without follow through, transparency, full disclosure and complete organization it will discourage people willing to help and give the entity he started to help kids an aura of unreliability.

 

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." - Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

 

Agree that he needs to follow through and be more transparent. If what he is now doing is trying to raise funds (cash donations) and comics (to sell to raise cash) so that C4K can get organized and file the Form 1023, then that's one thing. If he's just trying to raise money for some "charitable" purpose, then that's another thing. BUT, he should be very upfront and clear that at this point, donations to his organization are NOT tax deductible and what his intentions for the cash/books actually are. Also, a description of who is involved with C4K and their roles and duties would be helpful.

 

With the long history and the recent gaffs, I'm afraid that it may be best for C4K to cease and drift off into the mist. At this point, with the history of attempted starts and stops, I'd hate to think what the IRS would think of the non-profit application (if it even gets filed).

 

I told Neff in a PM that I like the idea of C4K, but that I personally won't support his organization until and unless he formally gets IRS recognition of non-profit status. With the recent blowup, I wonder if even that will be enough to support his organization. If the public perception is that the organization is shady, why would anyone support it?

 

 

[Pitboss]

If the public perception is that the organization is shady, why would anyone support it?

 

(thumbs u

 

[comix4fun]

OK, I have some questions after reading your eBay page, are you a Dr, or a Police officer? and if you are promoting comics for kids (which is a lovely idea)...wouldn't it be more appropriate to remove the racy pictures from your eBay page?

 

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=heidi.spidey

 

 

 

We went through that in the, now deleted, thread.

 

People asked real, concrete, cogent, and reasonable questions and they were responded to with snarky, insolent, and defensive responses that were VERY short on answers and long on pot shots, cross accusations, and foggy logic.

 

When I specifically pointed out that he was using the "Comics4Kids" banner in his auctions and right next to them he was selling Traci Lords Porno Movie posters from films where she was a minor (yes that's child porn) and that the movies that were the subject of those posters were seized by the FBI as child pornography he decided to call them "art" like the Maplethorpe images that caused a ruckus decades ago, and defended the movie posters as artwork.

 

He blew right past how auctions run under the auspices of helping children might be hindered by selling, at the same time, posters from films that turned out to be child pornography.

 

Runs auctions for kids, runs auctions for this stuff, side by side, no qualms, not a second thought.

 

He actually thanked the thread, for all the hits those posters were getting. Classy, mature, and utterly and devastatingly unaware of how his words were torpedoing any shot he had at being taken seriously.

 

 

 

The thread has been since deleted, to the benefit of Mr. Moore. Anyone who saw it probably had their jaws drop with the same "thud" that mine did.

 

Now he wants all questions and correspondence to be completed by email only.

 

If I were him, I would too...publicly he's taken a wrecking ball to himself, might as well do it in private too.

[mikenyc]

OK, I have some questions after reading your eBay page, are you a Dr, or a Police officer? and if you are promoting comics for kids (which is a lovely idea)...wouldn't it be more appropriate to remove the racy pictures from your eBay page?

 

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=heidi.spidey

 

 

 

We went through that in the, now deleted, thread.

 

People asked real, concrete, cogent, and reasonable questions and they were responded to with snarky, insolent, and defensive responses that were VERY short on answers and long on pot shots, cross accusations, and foggy logic.

 

When I specifically pointed out that he was using the "Comics4Kids" banner in his auctions and right next to them he was selling Traci Lords Porno Movie posters from films where she was a minor (yes that's child porn) and that the movies that were the subject of those posters were seized by the FBI as child pornography he decided to call them "art" like the Maplethorpe images that caused a ruckus decades ago, and defended the movie posters as artwork.

 

He blew right past how auctions run under the auspices of helping children might be hindered by selling, at the same time, posters from films that turned out to be child pornography.

 

Runs auctions for kids, runs auctions for this stuff, side by side, no qualms, not a second thought.

 

He actually thanked the thread, for all the hits those posters were getting. Classy, mature, and utterly and devastatingly unaware of how his words were torpedoing any shot he had at being taken seriously.

 

 

 

The thread has been since deleted, to the benefit of Mr. Moore. Anyone who saw it probably had their jaws drop with the same "thud" that mine did.

 

Now he wants all questions and correspondence to be completed by email only.

 

If I were him, I would too...publicly he's taken a wrecking ball to himself, might as well do it in private too.

 

 

 

[asteroid-comix]

OK, I have some questions after reading your eBay page, are you a Dr, or a Police officer? and if you are promoting comics for kids (which is a lovely idea)...wouldn't it be more appropriate to remove the racy pictures from your eBay page?

 

http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=heidi.spidey

 

 

 

We went through that in the, now deleted, thread.

 

People asked real, concrete, cogent, and reasonable questions and they were responded to with snarky, insolent, and defensive responses that were VERY short on answers and long on pot shots, cross accusations, and foggy logic.

 

When I specifically pointed out that he was using the "Comics4Kids" banner in his auctions and right next to them he was selling Traci Lords Porno Movie posters from films where she was a minor (yes that's child porn) and that the movies that were the subject of those posters were seized by the FBI as child pornography he decided to call them "art" like the Maplethorpe images that caused a ruckus decades ago, and defended the movie posters as artwork.

 

He blew right past how auctions run under the auspices of helping children might be hindered by selling, at the same time, posters from films that turned out to be child pornography.

 

Runs auctions for kids, runs auctions for this stuff, side by side, no qualms, not a second thought.

 

He actually thanked the thread, for all the hits those posters were getting. Classy, mature, and utterly and devastatingly unaware of how his words were torpedoing any shot he had at being taken seriously.

 

 

 

The thread has been since deleted, to the benefit of Mr. Moore. Anyone who saw it probably had their jaws drop with the same "thud" that mine did.

 

Now he wants all questions and correspondence to be completed by email only.

 

If I were him, I would too...publicly he's taken a wrecking ball to himself, might as well do it in private too.

 

 

 

:cloud9:

[miraclemet]

Is there a general consensus about the best time to run a sale here? ebay has the Sunday night furror, but is it the same here? I know the setting is a little more different (sales thread vs auction coming to an end, time to see threads in off hours), but generally are evenings better than daytmie, weekends better than week days?

 

Just curious....

[Snake Eyes]

Is there a general consensus about the best time to run a sale here? ebay has the Sunday night furror, but is it the same here? I know the setting is a little more different (sales thread vs auction coming to an end, time to see threads in off hours), but generally are evenings better than daytmie, weekends better than week days?

 

Just curious....

 

Weekends and evenings see more thread postings in my opinion (especially seems to be a good number of threads started on Saturday). The thing about here is that the eBay Sunday thing represents numerous auctions ending. Your thread can run here as long as you like (thumbs u

 

About the only advice I have about thread success/start times is a bit tangential (since I think starting at any point in time really offers little in the way of harm). First, if possible avoid listing on days that any attention you get would be steam rolled by a big thread put up by a popular seller (sucks up people's funds and attention). Secondly, I have never ceased to be surprised by folks that list for eight hours, twelve hours, etc. and subsequently start griping before pulling their threads within the same day as listing. Be patient It is okay to let a thread run more than twelve hours. Also, we know it is a pain to scan and list, but PLEASE do not insult the buyers, call us cheap, or generally on the boards as a whole (believe it or not you see this in little snide comments or complaints by the poster on a not infrequent basis after they appear to get frustrated by not generating as many sales as they would like).

 

Make the thread a welcoming place...sit back and enjoy the company (thumbs u

[miraclemet]

Weekends and evenings see more thread postings in my opinion (especially seems to be a good number of threads started on Saturday). The thing about here is that the eBay Sunday thing represents numerous auctions ending. Your thread can run here as long as you like (thumbs u

 

About the only advice I have about thread success/start times is a bit tangential (since I think starting at any point in time really offers little in the way of harm). First, if possible avoid listing on days that any attention you get would be steam rolled by a big thread put up by a popular seller (sucks up people's funds and attention). Secondly, I have never ceased to be surprised by folks that list for eight hours, twelve hours, etc. and subsequently start griping before pulling their threads within the same day as listing. Be patient It is okay to let a thread run more than twelve hours. Also, we know it is a pain to scan and list, but PLEASE do not insult the buyers, call us cheap, or generally on the boards as a whole (believe it or not you see this in little snide comments or complaints by the poster on a not infrequent basis after they appear to get frustrated by not generating as many sales as they would like).

 

Make the thread a welcoming place...sit back and enjoy the company (thumbs u

 

all good points snake... would have mistaken you for a Gainesville man if not for that horrendous picture in your sig line

 

no really. If you start a sales thread, and then caught in the tsunami of one of the big budget sucking threads like Foolkiller's its best to just take what you get and plan on reposting the leftovers in a few weeks once everyone's budget has recovered/recuperated.

 

And yes being crass in your own sales thread doesn't make for a lot of sales...

[seanfingh]

 

Pictures of your feet and being openly mocked by the denizens of the thread works awesome as well.

[Annihilus]

I actually have good luck listing Mon-Thurs during the day (people at work perusing, I would guess).

 

And if Foolkiller or cd4ever have a shindig happening, forget about it.

[Snake Eyes]

Pictures of your feet and being openly mocked by the denizens of the thread works awesome as well.

 

Silence Ginger Hobbit!!!!