It's That Time Again..

[Norrin_Radd]

The high rollers fall into 3 categories, IMO. From the largest population to the smallest, they are:

 

1 - ...using retirement money on funnybooks

 

Isn't this kind of an ambiguous statement? Any and all money could be going towards retirement savings. Where do you draw the line?

 

Did you spend more that $0.45 for lunch today (ramen noodles)? Yes?! That's money that could be going towards retirement!

 

 

 

Personally speaking, I have no idea on exactly what issues I have, how many I own, or what they're worth.

 

So you're just mindlessly accumulating funnybooks?

[Jayman]

So you're just mindlessly accumulating funnybooks?

 

[lizards2]

So you're just mindlessly accumulating funnybooks?

 

 

Me too - if I thought too much about value, I'd get scared and sell them all.

 

I get frightened every time I look in one of my early Marvel short boxes, because I know what October could get out of them from watching these boards....,

[the blob]

I've never understood this. Good for you. You've managed to not have sixty day flexibility on your money, plus you will get no "perks" for your spending.

 

If you're going to pay your bills on time, why not put the book on credit? You can pay the dealer now or you can write a check to Visa in 45 days and get 400 miles on an airline and still pay no interest. Seems like a no brainer to me.

 

------------------------------------

 

Not that I buy many comics with a CC (other than through paypal), but I do so on my debit/CC, so I get miles. I'm not spending money I don't have, I don't pay interest/forget to pay my CC bill AND I get miles.

 

Of course, the more miles I get, the more restrictions and higher mile "cost" American Airlines puts on using those frigging miles, but one of these days I'm going to use the 150K+ miles I've accumulated (hey, it was particularly good when I had to front big money for business trips (which I would almost immediately get reimbursed for) and get miles for the CC and miles from the airlines.... now I have an employer CC, so no double dipping, plus I rarely fly for business (thank goodness, because it would be to Buffalo/Syracuse/Rochester if I ever did!).

[joe_collector]

So you're just mindlessly accumulating funnybooks?

 

Learn to read Jethro.

 

I know what books I NEED to complete sets/runs, so I do have a specific goal, but I don't have an itemized list of every single book and it's current value.

 

Plus, I don't agree with this stupid "collector vs. accumulator" BS, as it's just another way for insecure nerds to try and marginalize anyone who doesn't buy CGC 9.8 copies.

 

"Oooh, you have too many comics so you must be an accumulator, while I'm a pure collector with my box of CGC 9.8 Copper."

 

Everyone is a collector - the difference is some are ORGANIZED and others DISORGANIZED.

[the blob]

Isn't this kind of an ambiguous statement? Any and all money could be going towards retirement savings. Where do you draw the line?

 

Did you spend more that $0.45 for lunch today (ramen noodles)? Yes?! That's money that could be going towards retirement!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Unless you're not paying into your 401K/equivalent as much as you can, which you should probably be doing if you can, you will probably spend this extra "retirement" money on something else (unless you really have a lot of spare cash), particularly if you haven't already bought the home you plan on living in for the next 10-25 years and particularly if you're married and have kids. the wife will figure out many non-comic/non-retirement ways to spend money. and kids are like money vacuum cleaners. so it's either another thing for the house you don't need or baby blob's 15th outfit he'll wear twice or a cool comic.... good luck putting much more than your 401K contribution away unless you're making $250-$300K+ ($500K+ if you live somewhere like Manhattan) if any of the above applies to you.

[Norrin_Radd]

I know what books I NEED to complete sets/runs, so I do have a specific goal, but I don't have an itemized list of every single book and it's current value.

 

Actually, you said "I know roughly what issues I NEED". Your comments seemed to indicate that you didn't know what you had because you rarely look at your collection.

 

 

Plus, I don't agree with this stupid "collector vs. accumulator" BS, as it's just another way for insecure nerds to try and marginalize anyone who doesn't buy CGC 9.8 copies.

 

That's beside the point. I don't think grade has anything to do with whether you are a focused collector or just mindlessly accumulating. I'm focused and I collect mid-grade.

[joe_collector]

I don't think grade has anything to do with whether you are a focused collector or just mindlessly accumulating.

 

Where do you dredge up this stuff?

 

I am very focused on collecting (ask greggy, as I'm constantly bugging him for his cast-offs), but I simply don't give a rat's hass how much my current collection is worth or how many copies of Micronauts #1 I got when buying collections.

[nik]

or just mindlessly accumulating

 

 

The only way to collect

[OldGuy]

I just have a hard time spending more then $100 on a comic book, not financially, but psychologically. I treat myself once or twice a year with a $200-$400 comic, but for the most part I'm usually in the $5-$20 range. I have never bought a comic book on credit in my life and currently have $0 in dept. A 30 day payment agreement from time to time with a dealer that's willing to work with me, but never on credit.

 

I've never understood this. Good for you. You've managed to not have sixty day flexibility on your money, plus you will get no "perks" for your spending.

 

If you're going to pay your bills on time, why not put the book on credit? You can pay the dealer now or you can write a check to Visa in 45 days and get 400 miles on an airline and still pay no interest. Seems like a no brainer to me.

 

I never said I didn't use a credit card, it's the only way to do business on-line IMO, but it's always paid when I get the bill. I also use a gas card so I can save on my per gallon price, but that gets paid every month. I use a Smiths card to buy my groceries, but that gets paid every month also.

 

It would have been more accurate for me to say I don't pay credit card interest. I don't buy on credit (carry a balance), but I do buy with credit.

[drice6900]

I don't think grade has anything to do with whether you are a focused collector or just mindlessly accumulating.

 

Where do you dredge up this stuff?

 

I am very focused on collecting (ask greggy, as I'm constantly bugging him for his cast-offs), but I simply don't give a rat's hass how much my current collection is worth or how many copies of Micronauts #1 I got when buying collections.

 

You bug Greggy for cast-offs, buy collections, and have multiples of Micronauts #1? You sir, are a nerd of the highest order.

[FlyingDonut]

I just have a hard time spending more then $100 on a comic book, not financially, but psychologically. I treat myself once or twice a year with a $200-$400 comic, but for the most part I'm usually in the $5-$20 range. I have never bought a comic book on credit in my life and currently have $0 in dept. A 30 day payment agreement from time to time with a dealer that's willing to work with me, but never on credit.

 

I've never understood this. Good for you. You've managed to not have sixty day flexibility on your money, plus you will get no "perks" for your spending.

 

If you're going to pay your bills on time, why not put the book on credit? You can pay the dealer now or you can write a check to Visa in 45 days and get 400 miles on an airline and still pay no interest. Seems like a no brainer to me.

 

I never said I didn't use a credit card, it's the only way to do business on-line IMO, but it's always paid when I get the bill. I also use a gas card so I can save on my per gallon price, but that gets paid every month. I use a Smiths card to buy my groceries, but that gets paid every month also.

 

It would have been more accurate for me to say I don't pay credit card interest. I don't buy on credit (carry a balance), but I do buy with credit.

 

That's different then - never pay credit card interest, because that's silly. Use credit to your advantage.

[october]

I get frightened every time I look in one of my early Marvel short boxes, because I know what October could get out of them from watching these boards....,

 

[BlowUpTheMoon]

plus I rarely fly for business (thank goodness, because it would be to Buffalo/Syracuse/Rochester if I ever did!).

 

What do you have against Western NY?

[Norrin_Radd]

I don't think grade has anything to do with whether you are a focused collector or just mindlessly accumulating.

 

Where do you dredge up this stuff?

 

I am very focused on collecting (ask greggy, as I'm constantly bugging him for his cast-offs), but I simply don't give a rat's hass how much my current collection is worth or how many copies of Micronauts #1 I got when buying collections.

 

Just trying to figure out how you collect. I thought you were into reading your childhood favorites, not just buying comics as things and throwing them in a box. But your comments about not knowing what you have seemed to contradict that.

 

[mica]

I don't think grade has anything to do with whether you are a focused collector or just mindlessly accumulating.

 

Where do you dredge up this stuff?

 

I am very focused on collecting (ask greggy, as I'm constantly bugging him for his cast-offs), but I simply don't give a rat's hass how much my current collection is worth or how many copies of Micronauts #1 I got when buying collections.

 

Just trying to figure out how you collect. I thought you were into reading your childhood favorites, not just buying comics as things and throwing them in a box. But your comments about not knowing what you have seemed to contradict that.

 

[garthgantu]

Here's a somewhat cautionary tale re: those checks the credit card companies send along with your bill...

 

I get those checks every month like most everyone else...couple of months ago I decided, 'what the heck, I'll use one of these checks to make 7 more advance payments on the car, pay off the $4k from that check when the next Visa bill arrives, get another 4k miles on my airline mileage plus account, and be further ahead on the car payments."

 

Of course, that turned out to be the month when I also charged $10k in airline tix and hotel/apartment reservations for a trip to the UK, and $5k in other charges... I get the bill, pay off all but the $4k from the credit card check, and figure I'm okay 'cause the credit card check stated 2.9% interest 'til Sept. or so. Turns out that the FIRST $4k of my payment for the month went toward the credit card check, so the $4k I didn't pay off was left on the card at 22.9% or whatever usurious rate the cc company charges for 'regular' balance left on the card...!

 

They're sneaky devils, those cc companies... gotta watch 'em all the time!

[Norrin_Radd]

Why are you laughing? I'm just trying to figure JC out. Is he reading his comics or just collecting them as nostalgic items?

[mica]

I'm just trying to figure JC out.

What's to figure out?

 

Some weather we've been having.

[Ze-man]

They're sneaky devils, those cc companies... gotta watch 'em all the time!

 

Reminds me of my neighbor who informed me how smart he was by never paying off his CC balance, he just kept transfering the balance from card to card. And said it was 0% interest for up to a year on the transfer. So he was going to keep going for years and years that way.

 

I then informed him that they charge you a fee or % of the amount you trasfer everytime you move a balance from card to card.

 

 

He was all..

 

Not that it is an excuse, but he is young.