You paid what for that? 1 1

[KCOComics]

On 10/31/2023 at 1:46 AM, lou_fine said:

 

Don't you absolutely hate it when the cost to get a book graded and slabbed is infinite times more than it had cost you to buy it in the first place, and the reason why most of the longer time collectors still keeps them raw until it comes time to sell them.    

Then again, I guess it's not really such a bad thing since it's an indication you got yourself a steal of a deal compared to the current market prices, which you clearly did with all of your books by keeping them in such fantastic condition after all these long years.    

@lou_fine I would love to hear some of your "I paid what for that" stories. 

Even if you just shared sales you know of or witnessed. I know you've seen some of the biggest books in this hobby trade hands for prices that feel like peanuts by today's standards. 

[Robot Man]

On 10/31/2023 at 8:31 AM, VintageComics said:

I've been in the best place of my life since Jan 1st 2020 when I decided never to have a bad day again. 

As a NYE promise to myself, I made a vow to take every negative and spin it to a positive. That meant turning obstacles into lessons and it made all the difference in the world. 

I was taught the phrase "Amor Fati" by a friend of almost 30 years. The phrase means "love fate" in Latin.

It basically means that no matter WHAT life throws at you, you choose to learn from it and move on rather than wrestle with it, and once this because the guiding pattern in your life you learn to love everything fate throws at you, even the adversity because it's teaching you something and making you better. 

That means you don't get emotionally invested in things you can't control and you take charge of the things you can to raise your baseline to the best place it can be. 

I genuinely haven't had a bad day in 4 years now. That doesn't mean bad things didn't happen. I've lost many friends to suicide and overdose, I have a history of mental illness in my immediate family, we had the "thing we can't speak about" which was difficult for everyone for years, I've had all sorts of road blocks show up in my life (this place included) and while it sounds implausible, and many may not even believe it I have never had a bad day since. 

I've been genuinely happy, peaceful and content every day.

And I've been sharing that message openly to everyone in my circles because there was a time I didn't believe it was possible and now I want to share it with others to enrich their lives. 

I'm not sure why you think I wasn't in a better place. I've been in the same place for 4 years and I love it. 

 

Probably because that is how you started this thread. Based on the title, I took it differently.

As I get older, I have lost many people important to me. But, I accept it as their time. Nothing I can do about it or change it. Same thing with politics or the crazy world we all live in.

I emerse myself in things that make me happy. My family, music, and my hobbies. Life is good if you welcome the good things in. 

[VintageComics]

On 10/30/2023 at 12:55 PM, namisgr said:

 

     On 10/30/2023 at 3:34 AM,  VintageComics said: 

Can you guys please stop talking about video games?

I'm worried that my stalkers are going to have this thread moved to the WC too. 

 

Stalkers?  You make more posts on the boards and have written an order of magnitude more words than any other forumite.  Even those like me who've put you on ignore can't escape from the plethora of posts and their frequent showing up anyway as quotations in other posts, often dealing with topics either forbidden all across the boards, or those appropriate only for the Water Cooler.  

You also have no idea how infrequently many of us call for moderation by reporting your posts, particularly since those of us using the ignore feature are spared from at least 9 out of every 10 of them, and have given up bothering to pay attention.

 

Finally, since I don't have access to the first 6 posts in the thread, I took the thread title at face value and posted on it in regards to comic book buys.  It seems like a good topic and I'm interested in the experiences of others related to it, so I most certainly have no gripe with the title topic of the thread.  The Golden Age forum has one like it, but with focus on Gold, and it makes for a very entertaining read.

 

Do I understand this correctly? You're saying you don't like my posts, can't ignore me as much as you'd like to but came into my thread to make a post ANYWAY? 

I'm getting messages from random boardies asking me what's going on and they've commented unsolicited on how every time you appear, moderation appears and then threads get moved to the Watercooler. It's not just me. Everyone sees it. 

For gosh's sake, you've even OPENLY STATED IN GENERAL THAT MY POSTS ARE OFF TOPIC AND THAT THE THREAD SHOULD BE MOVED TO THE WC. 

If you don't enjoy participating, why do you? 

This is a great thread and people are obviously loving it. Can we not get it locked?

Thanks.

[VintageComics]

On 10/31/2023 at 11:48 AM, Robot Man said:

Probably because that is how you started this thread. Based on the title, I took it differently.

The thread title was just meant to be fun and to engage people. 

I was visiting a friend and we were geeking out on his collection. Nothing more. 

[shadroch]

On 10/31/2023 at 8:14 AM, Robot Man said:

When I was about 12 my dad took me down to Hollywood while he had some business. He gave me $5. And dropped me off at Cherokee Bookstore. I was kind of collecting comics but really looking to get every MAD magazine. I had never paid any more than cover price for any of them.

While walking up the staircase in the back where the comics were, I saw a MAD #9 tacked up on the wall in a plastic bag. I was floored as I had never seen one that old and had no idea MAD started out as a comic book. It was priced at $3. I was shocked. But I HAD to have it. I went up and spent the other $2. On basically cover priced MADs and comics.

When my dad picked me up, he asked what I bought and I showed him. He blew a gasket on the MAD 9. I thought he was going to go up and demand the money back. All the way home is grumbled and said “you paid that much for that?”.

This was a turning point for me. From that point on, I was no longer just a reader but a collector and realized if I wanted vintage comics, I would have to pay up for them.

And, Roy, hope you are in a much better place in life now…

In 1964, I was playing ball and found a five-dollar bill.   I'm pretty sure I'd never had that much money.  I treated my whole neighborhood to five-cent Italian Ices and bought a massive bag of chips for a quarter.  One of the older kids had a shiny new JFK half-dollar, which he traded to me for a dollar.  My older sister stuck her nose in and made us reverse the trade. 

[VintageComics]

Having trouble with photos...

[VintageComics]

Dave loves to be organized.

[VintageComics]

[VintageComics]

[VintageComics]

Dave loves his esoteric stuff and it makes up the majority of his collection, but some of the stuff is extremely rare and much of it I'd never seen before. 

He came across an Original Owner collection in a book store a few years ago. 

Many of the books that came out of that find were incredible. There were pre code horror, Timelys and lots of Westerns. 

I'll let @davidpg post pics of the books that he's gotten rid of since as some were pretty incredible.

I'll be posting the remnants and all the "odds and sods" he's picked up over the last 35 years. 

[VintageComics]

[VintageComics]

[VintageComics]

Some people just love these particular books. Always impossible in grade.

[VintageComics]

One of the earliest Werewolf covers, in time for Hallowe'en!

[VintageComics]

People love these flame thrower covers.

[VintageComics]

Not quite an esoteric book but one of my faves. 

I'm a HUGE Fawcett fan. For those that aren't aware, I've heard that Fawcett outsold Superman 2:1 during the Golden Age.

The creation of Captain Marvel was meant to capitalize on Superman's success as the 1st true Superhero. 

Marvel came out with Human Torch and Sub-Mariner (the "fire and ice" concept) in Marvel Comics #1 and while looking back, I have to admit that they were weak characters in comparison, they still managed to propel Timely into the next decade.

Fawcett crushed it. 

They came up with Captain Marvel in Whiz comics. 

Like, how can it get ANY cooler than a kid wandering into a subway, gaining magical powers and then having and entire FAMILY OF SUPERHEROES.

Superman had no chance. 

And THAT is why DC crushed Fawcett with a law suit a decade later and put them out of business. 

That law suit would NEVER have flown today, but back then DC managed to crush their competition in this manner. 

Kind of ridiculous if you ask me as there is almost NO similarity between the characters but some can't win fair and square.

[VintageComics]

Sorry, but despite my best efforts I can't make that pic sit straight.

I've tried resaving it, changing properties, dumping my cache. I'm done trying. 

[KCOComics]

On 10/31/2023 at 12:42 PM, VintageComics said:

People love these flame thrower covers.

I walked into my local shop not long ago and he had a huge run on Battle Cry. I'm not a big 50s war collector,  but the art was captivating and the colors are so vibrant.  You don't see these types of books locally all that often, so I bought 6 or 7 of them. 

I know some of the 50s War Books are very valuable,  but Battle Cry seems to be an underappreciated title. 

[VintageComics]

On 10/31/2023 at 1:14 PM, KCOComics said:

I walked into my local shop not long ago and he had a huge run on Battle Cry. I'm not a big 50s war collector,  but the art was captivating and the colors are so vibrant.  You don't see these types of books locally all that often, so I bought 6 or 7 of them. 

I know some of the 50s War Books are very valuable,  but Battle Cry seems to be an underappreciated title. 

I've never been a huge war / esoteric fan but I do appreciate the time capsule feel of the books of those war covers. 

It's like stepping into a time machine and I love it. 

Edited October 31, 2023 by VintageComics

[VintageComics]

This is a really cool book. 

Back in the day when print runs were done and they had remains, they'd assemble a bunch of comics and put a new cover on them to squeeze every bit of revenue they could out of their product and then they'd sell them like this:

This is basically the same size and thickness as a comic sized graphic novel.