comicwiz Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 If you like Bordeaux, then you owe it to yourself to get some Quilceda Creek. Or at the very least, get on their mailing list, which you can sign up for at www.quilcedacreek.com. Pierre Rovani (who reviews Washington wines for Robert Parker's Wine Advocate) suggested a little over a year ago that Quilceda Creek might be the best producer of cabernet sauvignon in the world over the last decade. Whether you ultimately agree with him or not, you won't be sorry you got some. Its remarkable that a winery out of Washington is able to deliver a cabernet sauvignon as well, if not better, than a Bordeaux winery. I imagine that it comes from a combination of cross-polinating knowledge and resources, and experimenting with recipes. I also have a feeling that its quite the exact science, and have heard that winerys like Quilceda Creek actually import wood from places like Bordeaux for their barrels, so as to achieve the flavour and aroma of an authentic French caberenet sauvignon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comicwiz Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 i collect the bowen mini busts and some of the full size statues. I recently picked up the STORM mini bust (one of the earlier bowen busts). I also have the BATMAN jim lee full size statue (thanks to house) and a few others....I occasionally look for sports cards but sold the majority of my collection a few years ago but still have my Michael Jordan rookie. Those busts are awesome! I especially like the set-up and display fantastic_four showed a little while back on these boards. Another example of a great showpiece collectible. Is your MJ rookie graded? I've given thought about grading mine, and my Gretzky. Not sure about it though. I'm no interested in selling either, but a part of me would also like to see how they grade out. Its also worth mentioning that you seem to collect very distracting avatars... not that there's anything wrong with them!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantastic_four Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 I especially like the set-up and display fantastic_four showed a little while back on these boards. Another example of a great showpiece collectible.Crappy webcam pic of that re-posted below...they're display cases from a statuary store with three lights built into the top of each cabinet. Both are glass on all sides and each shelf level is glass; they're exactly my height at around 6'2" and they're light enough to pick up and move by myself if I take the shelves out, although they're so large and therefore unwieldy that it's easier to move them with two people. You can find them on the web for about $1000 or so, although I got mine for about $350 apiece because the store had downsized from a warehouse-type building to a smaller shop in the mall.Only thing I collect besides comics is full-size statues (why do people keep cutting the arms and legs off of superheroes with those stupid BUSTS?!??! ). I don't really "collect" them in the sense that there's any kind of completionism to the ones I buy; if they look cool, I buy them. I'm so glad Bowen regained the Marvel license!!! Diamond was really squandering it compared to what Bowen is able to produce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantastic_four Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Oh yea, and this is slightly off-topic since it's hard to "collect" items like this, but this is my favorite item besides my comics...a Medieval armorer's metal rendition of Magneto's helmet! I bought this from ebay a few years ago for only $200, which was less than the guy who had it made paid the blacksmith. I want to get it glossed (like the gloss finish all cars have these days) and it needs the little "horn" piece mounted on the front center (the guy who had it made never quite finished that part of it), but it's still an EXTREMELY cool piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mitol Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Do you have any vintage street car models? I think my oldest cars are mid-90's Ferraris and some Ayrton Senna McLarens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyBop Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Besides Comics I collect, Classic Cars, Music, Crosley Radios, Coins, 50s xmas Ornaments, Movies from the 50s, DVD's, Pez dispensers, Betty Boop Items, TV guides from the 50s, Franklin mint models, 1950s Saddle shoes, Orange/Grape Nehi soda, Diamonds, Photos of 1950s groups, autographs, sports cards, animals, stuffed animals..... Just to name a few things..... I'm gonna start collecting men! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FFB Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Yes, a lot of thought, actually. I have a few friends who have their own vineyards and wineries, so I think it's just a matter of time. I have another friend who buys juice and/or grapes from producers with excess and makes his own wine from that. Both are good options, though the latter requires less start up capital. I collect wine in addition to comics. I have about 350 bottles at present. My focus tends to be on California and Washington cabs and Bordeaux-style blends from those regions, but I also dabble a bit in wines from Bordeaux, northern and southern Rhone, and Australian Shiraz. California had a phenomenal string of great vintages in the 1990s (with the uneven quality of the 1998 vintage being the only exception during the decade), and the 2001 cabernet sauvignon vintage (which is the current release for most of the major wineries) is also a classic. Washington has had an unbroken streak of amazing vintages going back to 1996, when they had a severe frost that destroyed much of the vineyard plantings. My favorite producer is a little-known winery in Washington called Quilceda Creek that produces amazing cabernet sauvignon and some merlot. In California, I tend to like most of the major cabernet producers, although in the last few years I have become a big fan of the Spring Mountain District, with wineries such as Pride Mountain Vineyards, Barnett, Paloma, and Sherwin being high on my list. AMAZING!! Have you ever given any thought to owning your own winery/vineyard someday? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COI Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 I wouldn't say I'm "collecting" at this point, but I am looking into buying certain un-used pairs of "vintage" Nike Air shoes, especially Air Jordans, particularly the ones that came out in the early 90's. I wouldn't be buying them to wear, just to have. When I was a kid, I always wanted Air Jordans but my mother couldn't afford them. Just looking at them brings back memories. Apparently, I'm not alone. Since then, they have become highly collectible, and certain pairs are bringing in up to 1K+ at auction. I don't even know if I will end up starting, but I'm tempted to. It's the whole "childhood fullfillment" thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantastic_four Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Wonder if those old Converse All-Star cloth sneakers that NBA players used to wear in the 60s and 70s are worth money now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comicwiz Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 I wouldn't say I'm "collecting" at this point, but I am looking into buying certain un-used pairs of "vintage" Nike Air shoes, especially Air Jordans, particularly the ones that came out in the early 90's. I wouldn't be buying them to wear, just to have. When I was a kid, I always wanted Air Jordans but my mother couldn't afford them. Just looking at them brings back memories. Apparently, I'm not alone. Since then, they have become highly collectible, and certain pairs are bringing in up to 1K+ at auction. I don't even know if I will end up starting, but I'm tempted to. It's the whole "childhood fullfillment" thing. Hey Andrew The first I ever heard of this was an interview with one (or maybe even a few members) of the Beastie Boys who was fevereshly collecting old Nike and Adidas shoes. They were dropping some serious coin on vintage shoes. If I remember correctly, of the most valuable are these old Michael Jordan game worn "Roo shoes. Story has it that when MJ first broke into the NBA, he was wearing Roo shoes, and was so comfortable wearing them, that despite an endorsement contract with NIke, he still wore the Roo shoes, with the Nike name covering the Roo logo (a picture of a Kangaroo). I think the Beastie Boys now own it, but I'm not 100% sure. Below is a photo of one member wearing a pair of old Adidas shoes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comicwiz Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Are those price guides stacked on the stereo unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comicwiz Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Besides Comics I collect, Classic Cars, Music, Crosley Radios, Coins, 50s xmas Ornaments, Movies from the 50s, DVD's, Pez dispensers, Betty Boop Items, TV guides from the 50s, Franklin mint models, 1950s Saddle shoes, Orange/Grape Nehi soda, Diamonds, Photos of 1950s groups, autographs, sports cards, animals, stuffed animals..... Just to name a few things..... I'm gonna start collecting men! Are those some of your own cars seen in the photo in your signature? That black car with the flaming treatment is just awesome!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantastic_four Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 Are those price guides stacked on the stereo unit? Yep! All of 'em except for four or five; I guess I collect those, then, don't I? I had forgotten...which reminds me, I need to get the ones I still don't have. They're interesting reading which yield a useful historical perspective on where the back issue market has been headed the last few decades. I'm skeptical as to how useful the pricing is since he didn't have a way to chart the top and bottom of the market and the top was often multiples of his listed prices, but I understand his dilemma. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FFB Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 They say that 80% of what makes a great wine is what happens in the vineyard. Eastern Washington has perhaps the most perfect climate in the world for growing Bordeaux varietals such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cab franc. They are at the same latitude as Bordeaux so the extra sunlight in the summer time growing season helps ripen the fruit, while the cool nights (down into the 50s during the summer) help the fruit to rest and lead to wonderful acid balance. Because the entire wine region is in the rain shadow of the Cascade mountain range, the average annual rainfall is about 6-8 inches (unlike Seattle, which has a maritime climate that would be disastrous for grape growing). On top of the climate, Eastern Washington also has two other things going for it -- soil with good drainage (important for keeping grapes from becoming waterlogged -- you want grapes that are small and intensely flavored) and access to an excellent irrigation network, which exists because eastern Washington has been agricultural for so long and because of the proximity to the Columbia River. One other important aspect of Washington's vineyards is the relative absense of the phylloxera louse that ravaged France and destroyed almost all of its vineyards in the 1800s. (All of the vineyards of Bordeaux are planted on American rootstock, because the American rootstock is more resistant to phylloxera). There are a few theories about why the insect isn't widespread in Washington, and the prevailing theory is that the louse doesn't like Washington's sandy, loamy soils because they are well-drained. (It is just an added benefit that the well-draining soils also happen to be the ideal conditions for growing premium wine grapes.) In any event, some people think that grapes grown on their own rootstock can achieve higher quality than those planted on grafted rootstock. Whether this is true or not, I am not really sure. As far as the use of French oak barrels, that is commonplace in Washington and everywhere else where wine is made. Although there is some debate over whether French oak or American oak is better, the fact is that most super-premium cabernet sauvignon is aged in the highest quality new French oak barrels (which run about $900 each). There are a few top cabernets aged in American oak, but French is the far more popular choice. For other varietals, however, such as syrah/shiraz or Zinfandel, American oak is the more popular choice because the flavors imparted to the wine marry better with those particular varietals. If you like Bordeaux, then you owe it to yourself to get some Quilceda Creek. Or at the very least, get on their mailing list, which you can sign up for at www.quilcedacreek.com. Pierre Rovani (who reviews Washington wines for Robert Parker's Wine Advocate) suggested a little over a year ago that Quilceda Creek might be the best producer of cabernet sauvignon in the world over the last decade. Whether you ultimately agree with him or not, you won't be sorry you got some. Its remarkable that a winery out of Washington is able to deliver a cabernet sauvignon as well, if not better, than a Bordeaux winery. I imagine that it comes from a combination of cross-polinating knowledge and resources, and experimenting with recipes. I also have a feeling that its quite the exact science, and have heard that winerys like Quilceda Creek actually import wood from places like Bordeaux for their barrels, so as to achieve the flavour and aroma of an authentic French caberenet sauvignon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FFB Posted February 22, 2004 Share Posted February 22, 2004 (edited) That is a sweet looking case, especially given the contents of it (comics and statues). I have several of the Bowen full size, mini, and bust statues in my office. I love them. You are right about Diamond's quality of statues being nowhere near Bowen's. His are just beautiful. His statues look like actual pieces of art, whereas the Diamond statues look more like expensive toys. I especially like the set-up and display fantastic_four showed a little while back on these boards. Another example of a great showpiece collectible. Crappy webcam pic of that re-posted below...they're display cases from a statuary store with three lights built into the top of each cabinet. Both are glass on all sides and each shelf level is glass; they're exactly my height at around 6'2" and they're light enough to pick up and move by myself if I take the shelves out, although they're so large and therefore unwieldy that it's easier to move them with two people. You can find them on the web for about $1000 or so, although I got mine for about $350 apiece because the store had downsized from a warehouse-type building to a smaller shop in the mall. Only thing I collect besides comics is full-size statues (why do people keep cutting the arms and legs off of superheroes with those stupid BUSTS?!??! ). I don't really "collect" them in the sense that there's any kind of completionism to the ones I buy; if they look cool, I buy them. I'm so glad Bowen regained the Marvel license!!! Diamond was really squandering it compared to what Bowen is able to produce. Edited February 22, 2004 by fantasyfootballbono Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicmeta Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 I collect old science fiction movies. Stuff like "The Time Travelers", "Earth vs the Flying Saucers" and of course "Forbidden Planet". Bought the "Day the Earth Stood Still" when it came out, but that is really a good movie. The only other items I collect are monthly bills, which can stop finding me anytime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atakra-migration Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 I collect obscure 1st pressings of underground vinyl records. I posted a list of what I had on my listening table a year or so ago and I think three people recognized 10% of the bands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warlord Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 My largest collection beyond comics is vintage paperbacks. All of you cover art lovers should look into this market. Many inexpensive deals to be had, lots of fun hunting for scarce older books, and there are some great cover illustrations. Not a lot of competition for these either. My favorites are from the science fiction genre! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghoulaid Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 (edited) There are roughly 2,000 Bazooka comics to be had vfrom 1954-1980. Here's one of my favorites from the 1955 series - #31. Edited February 23, 2004 by ghoulaid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghoulaid Posted February 23, 2004 Share Posted February 23, 2004 "Do you know if that's a first print? One way to find out is to check on page 2 to see if it makes any mention of Rhuta Comix #0 as being Election Day Funnies, and Rhuta Comix #1 as being Mother Country Comix (also 0.05 cents). " Hi, Comicwiz! Yes, my copy says all the above on the inside front cover. Does that make it a first print? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
