TRACEY HEFT does it again. The Consummate Conservator

[FFB]

Why does Susan charge $50? Because she can based on her status in the hobby whether you like it or not.

 

Whether I like WHAT or not? The charge? Don't like it. Her status in the hobby? Makes no difference to me one way or the other. Even if she is the best, I won't send her a book if she is going to charge me $50 for the privilege of telling me what the real work is going to cost. No one else in the industry does.

 

Also, to me it seems a whole lot more credible to give a comprehensive estimate with a comic in hand than a guess on a scan. That seems a tad unprofessional and amateurish...

 

 

Of course it's better to give a comprehensive estimate after a full examination with the book in hand.

 

The problem I have with Susan is that she won't even give you a ballpark, non-binding estimate to let you know generally whether it's even worth your time and money to consider having work done on a book. (This, despite the fact that she said before that she would give ballpark estimates at no charge.)

 

You've said numerous times on this forum that basing grades on scans is foolish...seems to me trying to get someone to estimate a potential resto job based on a scan is stupid and something I'd expect people working out of their garage to supply...

 

Jim

 

Then how come Tracey Heft and Matt Nelson are able to give rough, nonbinding estimates based on a scan (and how come Susan USED to do it)? Are they all working out of their garages?

[FFB]

This thread was started by you whining over $50-. Susan obviously does it to keep people like you away and I don't blame her.

 

As for the hobby....I have never said I was miserable....as a matter of fact I love my production art, I love my ducks and looney tunes books and I love the political art that I have bought from the Gill Fox collection.

 

What bends me out of shape is questionable business practices, movement of goalposts and to be perfectly honest people like you who bend with the prevailing wind, who put forward their own myopic views as fact, who claim to be specialists because they have read a book or spoken to another specialist and whose only response to a view contrary to their own is to take the conversation to the gutter.

 

At this time of the year you sir would make a great scrooge......

 

I guess I remember your FDQ exit a little differently than you do.

 

And although I do know more about restoration than the average collector, I don't pretend to be a "restoration expert" any more than you're an expert on production art. By your "logic," unless you were a comic artist, you don't know jack about production art simply by virtue of having collected it, read about it, whatever. So shouldn't you be shutting the hell up about the things that interest you too?

 

As for "bending with the prevailing wind," what are you talking about?

 

As for taking the conversation to the gutter, didn't you pick this fight with me? I wasn't even talking to you, but you had to jump in with your two cents. And now I'm the bad guy because I didn't sit back and take it. You are a complete hypocrite.

[FFB]

I wasn't the one who started the fight. I was just having a conversation with SS when Mushroom decided to rekindle his longstanding and ridiculous grudge out of nowhere.

 

So what's your excuse for butting in? And does this make you the nosy aunt who can't stay out of other people's business?

 

Well, but wouldn't this make you like the belligerent uncle at the dinner table? Anyway, we are like a disfunctional family... I still love (most) everyone here.

 

It wouldn't be the holiday season without some boards hostility. The place isn't the same without it.

 

 

We are like one big disfunctional family.

 

And that makes Mushroom like the prodigal son who disappears all year, only to turn up at the holidays, eat all the turkey, drink all the booze, and then barf on the front lawn with his pants around his ankles. And a Santa hat on his head. Just because he loves Christmas.

[Mushroom]

You weren't even part of the thread discussing production art that made me spit the dummy, so I don't know what you are recollecting (Alzheimer's will do that to you).

 

Not having claimed to be a Production art expert I don't understand your point here either.

 

Did you or did you not question the quality of Cicconi's work as you perceived it from a web site scan? Did you or did you not make a judgement call on Cicconi's business practices? If so, why can't others give alternative views to yours without being slagged off?

 

Are you a trial lawyer? or do you just make money out of opinions?

[Foolkiller]

Yes it does. But it doesn't change the fact that you are still the belligerent uncle. I wouldn't say I'm butting in, just running with your analogy because I'm not commenting on the merits or taking a side. I would note, however, that a few posts ago you just went off about how you can say whatever you, whenever you want, and now you're intimating that I'm butting in (which I am) which is sort of paradoxical.

 

Now that said, it doesn't mean I dislike the belligerent uncle.

[kiltman]

I wasn't the one who started the fight. I was just having a conversation with SS when Mushroom decided to rekindle his longstanding and ridiculous grudge out of nowhere.

 

So what's your excuse for butting in? And does this make you the nosy aunt who can't stay out of other people's business?

 

Well, but wouldn't this make you like the belligerent uncle at the dinner table? Anyway, we are like a disfunctional family... I still love (most) everyone here.

 

It wouldn't be the holiday season without some boards hostility. The place isn't the same without it.

 

 

We are like one big disfunctional family.

 

And that makes Mushroom like the prodigal son who disappears all year, only to turn up at the holidays, eat all the turkey, drink all the booze, and then barf on the front lawn with his pants around his ankles. And a Santa hat on his head. Just because he loves Christmas.

I'm the drunk guy in the corner

[FFB]

You weren't even part of the thread discussing production art that made me spit the dummy, so I don't know what you are recollecting (Alzheimer's will do that to you).

 

I was referring to your post when you were shill-posting as Batfiend when you said that all the joy of the hobby had been sucked out of your soul. Maybe I misinterpreted that statement?

 

Not having claimed to be a Production art expert I don't understand your point here either.

 

Coincidentally, I don't think I've ever called myself a restoration expert either. But according to you, I'm not allowed to talk about restoration because I'm not a restoration professional, regardless of the fact that I may know what I'm talking about anyway.

 

Did you or did you not question the quality of Cicconi's work as you perceived it from a web site scan?

 

Yes. The color touch on the Batman #29 looks badly matched. Look at the scan on her website. Can you not see that? It is obvious and jumps right out at you.

 

My point isn't that Susan isn't any good. Of course she's good. She wouldn't have the reputation she does if she weren't good. My point is that people who have never hired her or seen one of her books up close proclaim her to be the best, and I'm not sure she still deserves that status. Maybe she does, maybe she doesn't.

 

Did you or did you not make a judgement call on Cicconi's business practices?

 

I mentioned that I did not agree with her policy of charging $50 to give an estimate. How this is different from a million complaints we've seen from people who are upset about shipping profiteering or other business policies by other dealers, I am not sure. In any event, it seemed like a policy that I had a right to discuss. What's your problem with that?

 

If so, why can't others give alternative views to yours without being slagged off?

 

I don't mind you or anyone else disagreeing with me, and I really enjoy engaging in discussions with people who have alternate viewpoints. It was the way you did it with the personal attacks that got me to respond in kind. If you want to have a civil discussion with me, then be civil. I'm not sure exactly what I ever did to you personally in the first place that would justify your taking personal shots at me, but the fact is, you do that in every post you direct my way and you've been doing that for months. Don't play the victim when you're the one who starts with the personal attacks.

 

Are you a trial lawyer? or do you just make money out of opinions?

 

Yes and yes. What is your point? What does this have to do with the topic we're discussing?

[FFB]

Yes it does. But it doesn't change the fact that you are still the belligerent uncle. I wouldn't say I'm butting in, just running with your analogy because I'm not commenting on the merits or taking a side. I would note, however, that a few posts ago you just went off about how you can say whatever you, whenever you want, and now you're intimating that I'm butting in (which I am) which is sort of paradoxical.

 

Nah, I was just making sure you felt like part of the family!

 

Now that said, it doesn't mean I dislike the belligerent uncle.

 

[Mushroom]

Batfiend was a little bit of misguided fun......

 

The passion for slabs had already well and truly gone by the time I invented him. If I had my time over then that would be one episode I wouldn't revisit. Hey we all make mistakes ...............oops sorry, that is except for you.

 

As for being civil....you are truly amazing. The worst thing I said to you was build a bridge and then you dragged it to the gutter.......now I understand that I could get a strike for that vicious attack on you.....are you serious?????

 

I could care less about you....I certainly do not troll you. In most cases I do not even read your posts but this whole debacle about $50- I just couldn't ignore.

 

I'll say it again.......build a bridge.

[FFB]

Leaving aside your selective reading of your original post in the thread, since we can agree that we each don't care what the other thinks, maybe we should just ignore one another? I certainly don't get any enjoyment out of our discussions, so no big loss, eh?

[B-Smooth]

I hurts me to say this as a woman, but you boys are a bunch of whiney biches. My girlfriends and i dont even cackle on and on about mundane shlt like you do.

[B-Smooth]

Oh, and Merry Christmas!

[Timulty]

Merry Christmas to you!!!

[FFB]

I hurts me to say this as a woman

 

Do your nuts hurt when you sit down on them? Mine do too.

[B-Smooth]

youre so silly.

[Silver Surfer]

It wouldn't be the holiday season without some boards hostility. The place isn't the same without it.

 

This thread has taken a hilarious turn and this is where I take a step back from the conversation. Is it just me or does anyone else find a good flame war to be refreshing change of pace.

[tth2]

Considering that there are exactly four people in the industry who have any kind of name recognition (with one of them being Matt Wilson, who I think pretty much everyone will agree is the least of them in terms of skill), I don't view being on "everyone's top three" as being much of a compliment.

Isn't it five? Now that Friesen is back in the biz?

[FFB]

Considering that there are exactly four people in the industry who have any kind of name recognition (with one of them being Matt Wilson, who I think pretty much everyone will agree is the least of them in terms of skill), I don't view being on "everyone's top three" as being much of a compliment.

Isn't it five? Now that Friesen is back in the biz?

 

Good question. Didn't CGC say he was only going to be doing "conservation" (presumably meaning dry cleaning, pressing, and non-aesthetic support) and not actual "restoration" (which could include all of the above, plus recreation of missing pieces and things)?

[tth2]

You weren't even part of the thread discussing production art that made me spit the dummy, so I don't know what you are recollecting (Alzheimer's will do that to you).

 

I was referring to your post when you were shill-posting as Batfiend when you said that all the joy of the hobby had been sucked out of your soul. Maybe I misinterpreted that statement?

Ah, there's nothing like hoisting someone on their petard!

 

But Scott, if you come back and read this thread in a few months' time in the cool light of day, it's going to remind you of a certain thread regarding some Sgt Furys, except this time you were Murph.

[tth2]

Now that Friesen is back in the biz?

 

Good question. Didn't CGC say he was only going to be doing "conservation" (presumably meaning dry cleaning, pressing, and non-aesthetic support) and not actual "restoration" (which could include all of the above, plus recreation of missing pieces and things)?

You're right, but I've been wondering about this. It'd be amazing (and quite frankly disappointing) if the "artist" in Chris would be willing to just become a press and clean factory and no longer take on more challenging restoration jobs. It'd be like a great torts lawyer deciding to just handle workmen's comp cases.