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Post by Slam_Bradley on Jan 28, 2016 17:32:16 GMT -5
Cars are a bad comparison.
A car in Near Mint condition is much more likely to remain running and need less maintenance that a car in good or poor condition. There's a definite cost benefit analysis with an automobile.
With a funnybook...not so much.
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Post by Trevor on Jan 28, 2016 18:04:33 GMT -5
If my comics are in any condition better than G, then I'm doing it wrong.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2016 18:17:41 GMT -5
If my comics are in any condition better than G, then I'm doing it wrong. Do you buy your monthly comics in less than good condition? If so, then I'd say THAT is when you are doing it wrong. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2016 18:57:35 GMT -5
Cars are a bad comparison. A car in Near Mint condition is much more likely to remain running and need less maintenance that a car in good or poor condition. There's a definite cost benefit analysis with an automobile. With a funnybook...not so much. New mylar bag and board ever so often and maybe some insurance premiums for a high-end book while its value increases by 50-100% over a 5-10 year period. Definitely some cost/benefit there with the money in the bank being the winner. |
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Post by Trevor on Jan 28, 2016 20:27:02 GMT -5
If my comics are in any condition better than G, then I'm doing it wrong. Do you buy your monthly comics in less than good condition? If so, then I'd say THAT is when you are doing it wrong. And I'd say buying monthlies is what you're doing wrong.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2016 20:34:28 GMT -5
Do you buy your monthly comics in less than good condition? If so, then I'd say THAT is when you are doing it wrong. And I'd say buying monthlies is what you're doing wrong. Huh. I thought you were the one who just said, in another post, that you get every book by every publisher, every month. Was that someone else? |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2016 20:45:09 GMT -5
And I'd say buying monthlies is what you're doing wrong. I read that you never pay more than a buck per book in another thread...I get the economical 'dollar bin' buying strategy...I've sometimes waited myself and picked up runs of NM copies for a fraction of cover price. I got a whole run of Jennifer Blood (actual comics, not digital) for 25c per copy...compared to the $2.95/$3.95 or so cover price per issue. Or, sometimes I didn't really wait for a title but spotted it cheap, in high-grade and all bagged and boarded and snatched it up anyway...like a large run of New 52 issues for 25% cover price.... But when a pull-list is rather small (5 titles per month or so)...I also get the thrill of going to pick up new issues, with maybe a store discount (my dealer gives 20% to better customers...and cost price to me because I own his ass). Not all books will always end up for cheap in the dollar bin... |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2016 20:51:19 GMT -5
And I'd say buying monthlies is what you're doing wrong. I read that you never pay more than a buck per book in another thread...I get the economical 'dollar bin' buying strategy...I've sometimes waited myself and picked up runs of NM copies for a fraction of cover price. I got a whole run of Jennifer Blood (actual comics, not digital) for 25c per copy...compared to the $2.95/$3.95 or so cover price per issue. Or, sometimes I didn't really wait for a title but spotted it cheap, in high-grade and all bagged and boarded and snatched it up anyway...like a large run of New 52 issues for 25% cover price.... But when a pull-list is rather small (5 titles per month or so)...I also get the thrill of going to pick up new issues, with maybe a store discount (my dealer gives 20% to better customers...and cost price to me because I own his ass). Not all books will always end up for cheap in the dollar bin... I pull the following monthly (or whenever they come out): Rat Queens Inhumans Uncanny Inhumans Daredevil (for my son) Red Robin/Red Hood/whatever this book is (for my son) And even if I pay full price, my LCS guy hooks me up with a discount of SOME kind whether it be on the pulls I am purchasing or a steep discount on something else I am buying from him that day. |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Jan 28, 2016 21:07:50 GMT -5
And I'd say buying monthlies is what you're doing wrong. I read that you never pay more than a buck per book in another thread...I get the economical 'dollar bin' buying strategy...I've sometimes waited myself and picked up runs of NM copies for a fraction of cover price. I got a whole run of Jennifer Blood (actual comics, not digital) for 25c per copy...compared to the $2.95/$3.95 or so cover price per issue. Or, sometimes I didn't really wait for a title but spotted it cheap, in high-grade and all bagged and boarded and snatched it up anyway...like a large run of New 52 issues for 25% cover price.... But when a pull-list is rather small (5 titles per month or so)...I also get the thrill of going to pick up new issues, with maybe a store discount (my dealer gives 20% to better customers...and cost price to me because I own his ass). Not all books will always end up for cheap in the dollar bin... Yeah, I'm cheap but I'm also a fan, and some stuff I want my money to keep supporting. Love and Rockets is coming out next week and I figure at this point that I *owe* Los. Bros. for all the great work they've given me, so I feel like I should publicly support 'em on the front end. And I'll buy Squirrel Girl just to say "More comics like this, please!" |
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Post by Trevor on Jan 28, 2016 21:29:00 GMT -5
And I'd say buying monthlies is what you're doing wrong. Huh. I thought you were the one who just said, in another post, that you get every book by every publisher, every month. Was that someone else? No, that was me. But you missed a few key details of my post. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2016 21:37:13 GMT -5
Huh. I thought you were the one who just said, in another post, that you get every book by every publisher, every month. Was that someone else? No, that was me. But you missed a few key details of my post. Oops. Well, silly me for missing your key points. Do you want to go to war or something?  Because I don't have time. I would seek out the best deals ever, too, if I was pulling that many books. But I'm not. My list of what I pull can be found above, I believe. I'm not pulling that much that I need to find the greatest deals. What I would save on my 5-6 pulls a month, I'll gladly put into my LCS for how awesome they are. |
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Post by Trevor on Jan 28, 2016 22:57:19 GMT -5
No, that was me. But you missed a few key details of my post. Oops. Well, silly me for missing your key points. Do you want to go to war or something? Because I don't have time. I would seek out the best deals ever, too, if I was pulling that many books. But I'm not. My list of what I pull can be found above, I believe. I'm not pulling that much that I need to find the greatest deals. What I would save on my 5-6 pulls a month, I'll gladly put into my LCS for how awesome they are. "Silly me"? "A war"? I hope I just don't know your sense of humor or something. I was simply trying to correct something that made me look like I was dishonest. I'm sorry if I worded it wrong and you somehow took offense. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 29, 2016 6:56:18 GMT -5
Oops. Well, silly me for missing your key points. Do you want to go to war or something? Because I don't have time. I would seek out the best deals ever, too, if I was pulling that many books. But I'm not. My list of what I pull can be found above, I believe. I'm not pulling that much that I need to find the greatest deals. What I would save on my 5-6 pulls a month, I'll gladly put into my LCS for how awesome they are. "Silly me"? "A war"? I hope I just don't know your sense of humor or something. I was simply trying to correct something that made me look like I was dishonest. I'm sorry if I worded it wrong and you somehow took offense. I was joking, which I should not have done because we don't know each other. I would never say that to someone in seriousness. I'm sorry, Trevor. |
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Post by DE Sinclair on Jan 29, 2016 9:10:57 GMT -5
I never mentioned anything about people wanting better cars to impress the neighbors, though, granted, that does happen. My point was that people frequently want better things just because they like having nicer things. Which applies to cars, comics, homes, clothes, etc.
To continue with your point about the neighbors: no, your neighbor in your real-life community isn't likely to be impressed by the condition of your comics. However your fellow comics geeks in a community like this one probably will be.
I've done some reading in this in psych classes, but it was a while ago, and I'm probably oversimplifying. But: People don't want nice things (with no practical value) in a vacuum - This is basically a way of defining class boundaries and acquiring social capital. I suspect you're right, though, about hard core grader types doing the same thing to impress fellow geeks (at least a little bit.) I can't speak for anyone else, especially not for anyone living in a vacuum, but this is not true in my case. I buy the nicest things I can afford because I like to have nice things, not to "define class boundaries and acquire social capital". I want a car that's nicer than a beater, not because I'm trying to impress my neighbors, but because it has less problems associated with it and is more comfortable to drive. When I buy old comics, I buy the ones in the best condition I can afford. I rarely post the comics I buy or show pictures, so it's not to impress anyone here or elsewhere. It's simply because I enjoy them more in better condition if I can manage it. But I also buy worn comics, or even ones with the top of the cover torn off if they didn't sell off the racks, if that's the best I can afford.
So, I'm not a psychiatrist, but I've got to say this doesn't hold water.
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Jan 29, 2016 14:45:00 GMT -5
I've done some reading in this in psych classes, but it was a while ago, and I'm probably oversimplifying. But: People don't want nice things (with no practical value) in a vacuum - This is basically a way of defining class boundaries and acquiring social capital. I suspect you're right, though, about hard core grader types doing the same thing to impress fellow geeks (at least a little bit.) I can't speak for anyone else, especially not for anyone living in a vacuum, but this is not true in my case. I buy the nicest things I can afford because I like to have nice things, not to "define class boundaries and acquire social capital". I want a car that's nicer than a beater, not because I'm trying to impress my neighbors, but because it has less problems associated with it and is more comfortable to drive. When I buy old comics, I buy the ones in the best condition I can afford. I rarely post the comics I buy or show pictures, so it's not to impress anyone here or elsewhere. It's simply because I enjoy them more in better condition if I can manage it. But I also buy worn comics, or even ones with the top of the cover torn off if they didn't sell off the racks, if that's the best I can afford.
So, I'm not a psychiatrist, but I've got to say this doesn't hold water.
I hate to tell you this, but you are a bizarre psychological abnormality. But, like Slam said, buying a better condition car seems like basic cost-benefit analysis. You're assuming that by putting more money down upfront you will avoid having to spend money and time on the back end for repairs. (Conversely, I will virtually always go with the cheaper option upfront. But every aspect of my life indicates that this is usually a bad idea.) Still, I don't understand the psychological basis for "wanting to have nice things," as it pertains to comics. If you're looking at it purely in monetary/financial terms like Jez THAT makes sense. Their is a big dollar economy based around comics, and grading is a huge part of it. But on a practical level, I don't understand why the practice started. But if you can two options that offer exactly the same reading experience, and one of those options is way cheaper, why wouldn't you choose the cheaper one? Although now I am theorizing that it was based on adult embarrassment of reading children's entertainment. If comics can be defined as commodities then you can explain to other adults why it is ok to have them, and grading made them seem more like commodities - It's a way of not losing social capital. |
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