What do you guys think of Dynamic Forces stuff

[highlite23]

I'm just curious what you guys think about mostly the Autographed stuff.

[Amazing_Bag_man]

In my opinion I believe that the comicbook comes first which mean the artwork, story telling etc, etc..... and the autograph are last. Even though the orginial artist has his written signature on it, I go for the book itself.

[aardvark88]

They are very good at getting signatures & promotion. Making lots of ca$h from mediocre new hot books sold to fanboyz.

[highlite23]

I understand both comments, although i don't know about the "Mediocre?Fanboys" comment.

 

I don't think a Matched Numbered set of Batman #608 Signed by Loeb & Lee is a "Mediocre" book, or something only "Fanboys" would want.

 

Yeah, there are lots of "Gimick" books, but i'm talking about the key Issues, or something that really got everyones attention.

[drbanner]

I think you're going to run into some resistance on these boards discussing the virtue of any limited edition, signed/numbered, matching set, etc.,. "manufactured" collectible.

 

In my best Mike Myers does the Scotchman accent:

 

"It's Vintage me friend, or it's Cr@p!"

[highlite23]

DOC, I think you may have a point.

[Kevin Boyd]

I have mixed feelings about DF.

 

On one side, I think they are doing some interesting things with the Marvel statues and mini-busts. I have a number of their limited edition prints and lithographs.

 

On the other, I see limited edition covers, signed editions, et al. as a holdover from the early 1990's when the hobby was ruined by speculators, and that those limited edition "comic book collectibles" continue to fan the flames of speculation.

 

When it comes to CGC graded comics, I think the prices that they are asking for graded modern books is outrageous - downright criminal, in fact. I actually sent them an angry e-mail the week that they advertised selling 9.6 Origin 1s for $80 and 9.8s for $140 (I think those were the prices) when the book had been released that very same week! How could they arbitrarily set a price for such an item? Putting such a thing up on e-bay and letting the customers decide what they want to pay is one thing, but setting a price is another thing altogether.

 

Their reply was to offer me a 9.6 for $50 and a 9.8 for $100. They didn't see anything inherently wrong with what they were doing, that they mostly supplied product to dealers and that the dealers don't actually pay the prices they advertize them for since the dealers get substantial discounts through Diamond. If that was the case, then why don't they pass on the savings to their non-dealer customers when they buy the products directly from them thru the DF website since they were cutting out the middle man (Diamond)? The answer was basically, because if they did that then the dealers would want the goods for that price too and/or the dealer's customers would just order from DF instead of thru the dealer who ordered from Diamond.

 

Kev

[murph0]

I think it's just another way for them to make a buck. Most of it'll end up being junk. The term manufactured collectible comes to mind..

 

Brian

[Mushroom]

I buy some DF autographed books off of ebay because they don't cost much and they are great to display.

 

When you live where I live there isn't much opportunity to see artists and writers in person.

[Darthdiesel]

DF stuff - love selling it, wouldn't really buy most of it. Better to buy them off eBay or register to be a dF dealer and get up to 45% using their tiered discount system ( don't know if this has changed since I bought last); ie if you spend more than $750 on product, apply 45% to total..it all comes down to whther you want to spend that much just to save that much. Best thing to do is bring a couple of people in with you on ordering who are not dealers and then fiancial investment is not shouldered by you alone. But then there are also problems. Just because you can come up with the money, doesn't mean the product is guaranteed to be yours. Sometimes they put other dealers orders ahaead of yours and you don't get yours filled. I know of two particular dealers who had it worked out that they get the early runs of every DF released comic because they always released them on eBay every time, earning much more than others selling the same book, but a later issue sequentially. My experiences: I always got the crappy dented dinged books of then big money books : USM 1 DF, and Origin 1 sketcheds and always short ordered. I'd always get multiple orders of crappy books like Cyclops 1 signed by "I forget because he is not one of the most popular creatorsout there" - what the f* am I gonna do with 20 signed copies of this cyclops book??? and not all were in NM mind you...

[vic6string]

Mushroom writes:

 

"When you live where I live there isn't much opportunity to see artists and writers in person"

 

Well, the way I see it, the whole point to an autograph is the joy of meeting the person. It is proof that you spoke to the person. I have an autograph of Carl Lewis the track star (I grew up idolizing him as I was a track runner) that I got from him at an airport (pure luck). I love that piece of paper because everytime I see it, it reminds me of how excited I was to meet one of my heroes. If I had just bought a signed card or picture, it would just be another collectible. I have never bought an autograph, and never plan to. In the case of comics, if I can't meet the creators I enjoy so much like Frank Miller or John Byrne, I will just keep enjoying the work. I don't need to spend big bucks just to get something they signed personally for someone else.

[Aman619]

how the heck does a guy with 18 posts get three stars already??

Ar you ARCHitecht's little bother?

 

or bugaboo's love slave?

[Bugaboo-migration]

[Lockjaw]

Your experience is why I tend to pick and choose what I want to buy (at full retail, but then I avoid surprises like your 20 signed Cyclops 1 scenario, and I rarely purchase new merchandise from DF), and stick to occasional runs at their daily specials (and it seems that the ones I go after tend to sell out FAST...like less than 10 minutes after they start fast, and these things theoretically are supposed to run for 24 hours, thank goodness I have DSL).

 

I wonder if you and I have occasionally made runs at the same Daily Specials

 

To the poster who mentioned that buying signed books takes away from the enjoyment of meeting your favorite creators in person...fair enough. If you are like me though, you do not have the means or patience to go to crowded cons/store signings. With the exception of Chuck Austen, who comes into my local LCS on a fairly regular basis (usually when one of the books he writes comes out, and it seems at least once a month), and occasional appearances by Geoff Johns at store signings...I just do not have easy access, nor the time to accumulate signings in person.

 

The one thing I loathe about DF is how they usually just throw your comics into a padded envelope/hard mailer, and then let UPS ship for them (it seems that almost one book in every order I get has a ding that was only put there because of very ungentle handling by UPS folks). Sometimes I luck out and am able to get something sent in a box (and even then, they just throw some peanuts in the box, and your items---sometimes with no bag or board on the comics, and send the box on it's way to you).

 

I wish they did what HSN does when they ship, always use a box, and place all your merchandise in a big plastic sleeve taped shut to keep everything from moving all over the place. That way there is a greatly reduced chance of receiving damaged goods (although, I suspect DF has had dinged books signed by creators, I had to send back a very modern Stan Lee signed Uncanny X-Men comic that was in good/vg shape at best, yikes!).

 

 

[hammer-migration]

Very prophetic words! An autograph is a momento of something shared between a fan and the person idolized. Whether it's a handshake, a few words, or just being in close proximity for a moment's time. A rememberance. Unless the demand and market value of an artist's signature bears speculating upon, it seems pointless to "pay" for someone else's captured moment.

The most impotant factor in determining value on a particular signature is rarity. In Baseball related material, Hall of Fame player signatures are the Gold-Standard and most sought after of all autographs with rare exception (Joe Jackson, most notably).

The ones that are the MOST valuable exist in unimagineably small numbers, and signed BASEBALLS are the most valuable medium, followed by pictures, miscellaneous baseball related items, and of least value and desireability, signature "cuts" (blank pieces of paper or file cards bearing the player's sig.). Of course, a signed game used uniform would be worth far more than a signed baseball but the uniform itself would account for 99% of the piece's value. Some early Hall of Fame players, particularly those born between 1835 and 1875 or so, are SO rare, that there are NO KNOWN VERIFIED examples of a baseball or picture signed by them! Players like Dan "old Hoss" Radbourne and Mike "King" Kelly, who all have been deceased for over 100 years!! Where a Babe Ruth baseball in avg. condition sells for $2500, a signed ball by either of them, with impeccable provenance, would bring well over $100K at auction.

On the other side of the "coin" (ugh.... that word! ), a signature of a player, even a GREAT HOFer, like Bob Feller, who signed over and over at hundreds of shows over the last 20 years (a prolific signer) really doesn't HAVE much of a value to his signature.

In my estimation, if a related sub-collecting faction like "Comic Artist's signatures" DID evolve, where collectors were actively seeking artist's signatures, the items that would hold the greatest value, aside from the extraneous INHERENT value of what the signature is written on (comic, artwork, etc.) would be the signatures of fairly reclusive artists that were NOT prolific signers and have been deceased or unavailable for autographing for already a long period of time.

[Joanna]

vic,

 

I understand your point, but I can't agree fully for the reasons stated before. Sometimes, it simply isn't possible to meet the 'hero' in person. For example, what if he has passed away?

 

Now for those who like autographs, it can be as little as owning something that person has touched/interacted with. It's a link, even if the signer never knew you would eventually have it.

 

For some people it's about monetary value -- and that's fine, too, if that's what matters to the person.

 

And sometimes autographs are obtained through another source, but they're still for you specifically. For example, I have a sketch that Curt Swan drew for me. He signed it and personalized it for me. I never got to meet Curt Swan, but I grew up reading his Superman comics and it was a major thrill for me to get that sketch. I did get to talk to him on the phone once and I was instantly transformed into a tongue-tied fangirl for a couple of minutes while I tried to compose myself (it wasn't expected. Someone I knew was a friend of his, and they called me out of the blue to say hi). But his autograph was not a one on one, "I got to meet him" thing. I still treasure that sketch though (it's a sketch of Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Saturn Girl).

 

My point is that there can be a lot of reasons for someone wanting/liking an autograph. It isn't the same for everyone.

 

-- Joanna

[Darthdiesel]

The one thing I loathe about DF is how they usually just throw your comics into a padded envelope/hard mailer, and then let UPS ship for them (it seems that almost one book in every order I get has a ding that was only put there because of very ungentle handling by UPS folks). Sometimes I luck out and am able to get something sent in a box (and even then, they just throw some peanuts in the box, and your items---sometimes with no bag or board on the comics, and send the box on it's way to you).

 

AMEN here, tofer...I can't stand that too. I've had to b*** and moan to get them to protect it better. Picture 8 of those USM 1 resketcheds at $85.99 each at the time all come to you with a heavy ding in each one (lowering it to around CGC 8.0 condition) all because it was placed in those stupid envelopes.

 

DF probably does have dinged books in stock already. I thought that is what they use for their HSN deals, but I've gottem some NM+ items that way too.

 

We probably have gone at it with the Daily Specials before ! I haven't in a while but I used to buy up all the USM/Origin and top Cow deals they had...