Leaderboard

I started to draw when I was around 3 years old. I was drawing things I saw and experienced. My Mom had a drawing I did of my dog pulling me on a sleigh, stuff like that. We lived on a farm, and one day my Dad told me we were going shopping in the city. In those days, if you wanted to buy Rye bread and lunch meats you had to go to a bakery and a meat shop you couldn't buy it at the super-market type stores. Anyways, once Dad had arrived at the baker to buy his rye bread, he reached into his pocket and handed me a bunch of change. He pointed at the used book store across the street named Paul's Book Store and told me to go buy some comics. He just wanted me out of his hair while he did his thing. Inside Paul's store, he had shelves with piles of comics on them that he sold for 1/2 cover price or you could trade 2 for one. I didn't have a lot of money but I had enough to buy 10 or so. While I don't remember exactly what books I picked I do know one of them was Fantastic Four 112. After reading the comics I became very excited to try to draw these characters I was reading about. Eventually I started creating my own comics, mostly of my own characters. My Dad even bought me a stapler designed to staple extra long paper/ documents so I could staple in the middle and then fold the paper ( just like the way comics were made! Also because the ones I made were falling apart and my Dad said you should never put tape on a comic. ) Some early stuff: Then my own character creations ( as a side note: while Neron Man resembles Nova he was created a few years before Marvel released Nova ) The character fighting Neron Man is called the Mercenary. He came from a Mego creation/mutilation of putting Spiderman's head on a Green Goblin body! The Defender was created in 1980, I was 15 at that time and it was the last comic I made in my youth, high school was approaching and interests were changing. Before I went to High School I had continued to collect comics using money I earned from a paper route and I had a complete Hulk collection. 1-6, all the Tales to Astonish, and 102- whatever the current issue was + everything he appeared in. I really liked the big green guy in the Fantastic Four 112 I had bought and decided to collect his comics. I like comics, because they have truly been a part of who I am.

Finally, my friend and I installed a new entrance to my room. Watch the video, you know, if you want. Secret bookcase

Some nonsense I picked up today... Sorry, had to show this one off. Enjoy!

MULTIPLE POST WARNING Judy and I just got back from a really cool House Party /Swap Meet at my pal Guy's house....... saw some fantastic books...... a Wonder Woman 1 on it's way to CGC .... a very little resto, but the nicest one I've ever seen ......White pages Just blown away by some of the books..... a beautiful Tec 35, the full Phantom Lady run, high grade early Planets, lots of GA # 1's. Poor Judy passed out in the backyard....too many cold ones..... but it was a beautiful day to pass out in a lawn chair. I finally managed to snag a grail from my pal Tyler.... but had to trade heavily to get it.... GOD BLESS... -jimbo(a friend of jesus)

Two for today. The comics do not get displayed as I said above but this gives you an idea.

A great deal of that vitriol is because it ruined the business model of many dealers who relied on overgrading and undisclosed restoration to make money. It was nearly pandemic. There are people who paid good money in the 90's for "high grade" keys like AF #15 who STILL have not, after 20-25 years, recouped their investment because the books had undisclosed restoration. Hell, there are people on this very board...the Comics Guaranty Co. board...people who, in some cases, are "well respected"...who have accused me of defrauding eBay sellers because I wouldn't let them get away with this. I bought ten of thousands of raw comics on eBay from 1998-2007-ish. Fully 50% of them had problems, either undisclosed restoration, or damage because of poor packing, or were just plain badly overgraded, by far the most common reason. I fought these people tooth and nail, and I was mostly right in doing so. The stuff I've gotten, which I've shared about over the years, would make one's hair curl. And yet, on this very board, there have been people accusing me of fraud for not letting these sellers get away with this. On this board. For the very reason CGC exists. Think about that. You would think that people who post here would understand the problem...but, some of them are those very overgrading, restoration-undisclosing dealers, so it makes some sense. CGC greatly mitigated these problems, to a phenomenal degree. Not because CGC is perfect, but simply because the conditions on the street were so appalling. If I buy a CGC graded book, the chances of getting what I expect are very, very high. Sure, there have been books I've gotten that were graded 9.8 that were no better than 9.4, and vice versa...but they were within the ballpark. On the street, you'd be lucky to get a book that would grade 7.5. And, 99.997% of the time, if I buy a universal CGC slab, it won't have any color touch...or missing pages...or cutouts...or glue...or, you get the idea. And, a lot of the vitriol is from people who don't understand that the slab was invented to facilitate transactions. It was never intended to be a "permanent tomb" for anything. The fact that people use it like that isn't CGC's fault. The fact that dopes don't bother to investigate before flapping their mouths isn't CGC's fault. Every single slab can be opened, and with the old slabs, opened fairly easily. The "entombed forever in plastic" is a spurious claim...and yet, again, people who don't know what they're talking about run their mouths. So, when someone badmouths CGC, it's necessary to consider why they are doing so. They may have a legitimate beef...and those certainly exist...or, they may just be angry that they can't screw people over as easily now. Something to consider.

This topic has always been of interest to me, and I've seen three BHC's in my lifetime. I was fortunate to have been involved in some major deals in other hobbies of mine, and two of the three collections were shown to me as a way to pre-qualify these were collectors of significant means and wherewithal. The most impressive of the three happened by way of a mutual friend asking me to check out this guys collection. My friend knew nothing about it, and I was basically called up one night to appear at his place. I had no idea what this was going to be about, but as a collector, I always see these types of situations as a PR opportunity with potential to get my foot in the door to buy stuff I collect. I show up at this guys house. From the outside, it was a modest home, but well taken care of with attention to detail on things you don't notice until you stop to take it in. He asks me to walk into his living room where he has half a dozen items spread out over a table. I looked directly at him and explained that if he wasn't aware, these were very special items. I began to describe each piece, and gave him a fair market value on the pieces. He smiled and just looked at me in a way that left me feeling unsure whether I was seeing someone reacting to winning himself a little lotto, or was preparing to disagree with something I said. He said thank-you, took my arm and asked me to follow him to his basement. As we are walking down the stairs, he tells me I'm only the third person who has ever seen what he's about to show me. Not knowing what was taking place, I wasn't sure if that was my cue to run for the door, or to stick it out and see what he had in mind. He proceeds to turn on the lights in an area of the basement that was starting to look a lot like a vault built into the wall. It took him less than a minute to unlock the mechanism, and when he opened the door and we peered inside, I couldn't believe my eyes. Nothing prepares you for this kind of experience. The room looked like it never ended, and I just couldn't believe this modest little house had this much area in the basement. Shelving lined all the way around the room, and when I looked to my immediate right, I began running numbers through my head on the very first shelf I spotted and counted a quarter of a million dollars sitting on it. The range of this collection was something I probably will never see again even if I spent the rest of my life looking for it, and while the experience felt like a form of sensory overload I'd never be able to replicate in my lifetime, I was overcome with a moment of sadness that this collection was something so few people had been able to see. Before he began taking me through he told me the reason why he took me down to see it is because I was honest with him. He's had "others" come to look at those same half dozen items, and every one of them was trying to hustle him and wildly_fanciful_statement him on what he had. My honesty was the reason why he felt comfortable showing me the collection he amassed. As we walked through this collection room, I quickly began to realize this stuff lived and breathed through him. It was amazing how connected he was to the stuff. Someone walking in and not having heard him do his thing would think this guy just bought his way on the path to great collecting. I also followed some advice he gave me that day, and that was that I should become an appraiser. The only other experience that comes close was an estate I appraised of some incredible paintings, sculptures, weavings, that had been handed down by a top ranking military Colonel. The contents were impressive, but what made this one memorable was seeing how these items were being enjoyed, and passionately curated by the heirs. It's a very rare thing to see. Most of the estates I see are literally dumped into auction or content sales because the heirs want nothing to do with it.

I love this thread. Man there is a lot to go through and its gonna take a while. I just found it this morning and thought I would post up a few to contribute. Not all the pics are updated but it gives u an idea of our den/my comic cave. We don't put our comics up on the wall. Most are locked away. We just hang the original art we have from them.

The Set is Complete.

It's called ComicLink and ComicConnect.

A Tale of two flea market Batman #1's. One that got away, and one that didn't... A mention in the flea market finds over in general and discussions with a few collectors recently convinced me to post this. I haven't wanted to mention it because A) I didn't want to brag, B) I didn't want to get hit by all the "ethics" beaters and C) I figured no one would believe me anyway... About 25 years ago I awoke early on a Sunday morning to go "junking" as I usually do. It was a drizzly, cold January morning. I thought about rolling over and going back to sleep but figured I was up so what the heck. You never know. Pulled into the Rose Bowl parking lot and started walking around. Due to the weather, I didn't expect much (especially paper). I picked up a few minor things (not worth getting up for) and then I saw them... On the end of a dealer's table were two small piles of old GA comics. Made a beeline over to them. There was already a teenage kid looking at one pile so I grabbed the other one. Nice, early stuff and a good mix. My pile consisted mostly of early Dell and Strip Reprints but a few superhero mixed in. I pulled out a Cap in the teens, an early Pep and a couple others. Asked the lady the price and she said $5.00 each "They are old!". OK, worth a second look. As I was looking, I watched what the kid was getting. Most of the superheros were in his pile. Lots of DCs mostly but the occasional Timely, MLJ, Fox ect. Looking back and forth I then heard a quiet gasp. I looked over and there it was...That bright yellow cover with Batman and Robin swinging toward you and that magical single digit number in the upper left corner. Our eyes were both like saucers and he quickly slid it over into his pile. My heart sank. Everything looked like junk after that. We switched piles and I got a few he left Flash, Green Lantern, Marvel Mystery. He counted them up and realized he didn't have enough money for all of them so a couple Actions and Detectives went back. I quickly scooped them up. We paid the nice lady who even offered us a small discount since we bough a few. We walked off on air and proceeded to go under a big tree for cover. He pulled out the Bat #1 and we both thumbed it is disbelief. I told him if he wanted to make a quck profit and I would pay him some more for it and throw in a few he threw back but he was no fool and I didn't blame him. I told him nice find! and we parted. Over the years, I sold off or traded most for EC's which were my real passion anyway. No regrets except for one book. Flea markets, "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" Below is one of those $5.00 beauties. I might still have one or two more but they are buried in the collection in obscurity. Next time, the one that didn't get away!

Back today from CGC:

One post for today and this one comes from my better half. Again the comics are boxed and locked away but u get the idea

No. It's like an ongoing party. All kinds of people show up. The ones who stay and make friends all learn to get along with each other, coexist in the same room by following the same rules we follow in the real world. Be civil, avoid arguments . Listen to what others are saying , even about you. And if lots of people are commenting on your poor behavior and people skills, it's not them, it's you. If this were a real party where we look everyone in the eyes, and feel the shame of being saying things that are not received well, you'd have changed your tack , or left the party. But it's the internet, so you're able to close your laptop, and come back and fire off more tone deaf posts and feel just fine about it. While the rest have to ignore you or implore you to wake up, enjoy the party and the conversations, etc. ive been here since 2003. Seen many many oddballs blast onto the scene relishing in their posting style and bombastic online created persona, and the fuss they stir up and the resistance they seem to crave. At some point they all leave because they realize -- why be "that guy" at the party? and then the next joker shows up. Rinse and repeat. It's tedious, but mostly the embarrassment one feels witnessing the same sorry spectacle over and over again. This is what people here have been trying to get you to understand. But hey, you're having fun right? That's all that counts on the internet.

Here are a few framed pieces on the wall...

I agree. The hunt and satisfaction is every bit as enjoyable to me. I made a similar comment a few years ago about sa vs ga. A boardie said to make it challenging , try to put an asm 1-50 run together in hg (9.0). I accepted the challenge and in 2 hours I had accomplished it. Very little satisfaction in that collect fox or centaurs or lev Gleason or even action and detective or timelys etc , and the challenge adds to the enjoyment immensely

One of the awesome things about COLLECTING GA comics is that having (virtually) all the money in the world wont necessarily get you a book. GA books are harder to find, and once found, harder to pry away from collelctors than any other books. I seriously yawn over various high grade SA/BA books cause I see them all the time, in all sorts of great conditions... there's nothing difficult about collecting them (outside of having the money to buy them). To me that's one of the things that GA has always had over the other eras of collecting...

It's constantly changing but here are some recent pics after we installed the bookcase.

OK, finally tried my hand at this. At first glance my collection doesn't lend itself that well to the top 5 exercise, as I have tons of different niche interests and not many big keys. But I love these early DCs and Fox so much, and the Chamber of Chills gets classic precode and GGA in there so it rounds out the group nicely. A good mix of 'earliest', 'love 'em the most' and 'toughest for me to replace'. Bright colors and big logos abound!

Well here it is in all its encapsulated glory.....pictures do know justice!

I think my list could almost change daily. But I pulled these five today

Today was a pretty amazing mail call so there will be several posts. This is the first batch of books that came in today thanks to @MrBedrock and his fine people. Lower grade books but decent color and solid copies. Works for me. This puts me one book away from completing my Frazetta Famous Funnies

Superboy - Complete! I have collected the silverage Superman titles for over three decades. The first set I competed was Jimmy Olsen. I then completed Lois Lane. I went on to compete Action 250-414, Adventure 260-380. I still have a few Worlds Finest to hit my goal of 85-225 and a small handful of bronze issues of Superman to compete 100-300. Lastly, for years now I only needed Superboy 1 to complete 1-258. As of last weeks Heritage auction, that quest is over. I posted this is the GA forum, but I mostly post here and collect SA, so I thought I would share this here as well. I think over the next week or so I may try to post the entire run. Here is the Superboy 1:

Ten years later I finished my Superboy run 2-258 just about 10 years ago. Been looking for a nice #1 for a long time, but this book is notorious for being miscut, staples on the cover, dull colors, writing on covers, etc. Finally the wait is over.... Superboy 1-258 complete, 1-26 all CGC'd

I've got a start on something, not sure on what yet

Fresh from an attic for 40+ years (hence the PQ) to Basement Comics for pressing to BAM! Much better than I was expecting and $20 worth of pressing well spent!

Very pleased with this one...

Sometimes I get sentimental, and wanted to thank you guys for helping me with my collection, and for learning something new just about every day. I really appreciate you guys.

Had another good score this morning. Garage sale with three long boxes out front marked 6 for $5. After a little chit chat with the owner I spent an hour poking through some more comics in his garage. The guy owned a bookstore that sold comics on the side back in the day. He has cases of the glut books lining one wall in his garage, I counted four cases of Superman 500 white bag version, that's 800 copies! Didn't get any cases myself, but I did by a dozen McFarlane Spiderman #1s, a bunch of Superman 74 and 75, some Vertigo, a sweet looking Punisher mini-series 1 and a few others.

In case anyone wasn't getting my vibe, Jim Starlin is one of my most favorite creators of all time. Here...here's what I managed to put together:

If I could like this post 1,000 times, I would. This is exactly where I'm at. Yes, I sell sig series books. Yes, getting books slabbed is expensive. Yes, I do it myself, along with a select few people who help me, and I help them. Yes, I keep some of the books. Yes, I appreciate Sam, Balent, and the rest of the (old and new) SS crew at CGC. No, the creator had nothing to do with my Warlock #9 9.8 being a 9.8. No, the creator does not deserve, and did not earn, any "profit" I may have made from selling my high grade SS books (and really...unless you're privy to someone's financials, that's an awful ballsy, arrogant thing to presume about others.) Conversely, no, the creator does not owe me anything if I submit "duds." No, the creator does not have to sign anything. Yes, the creator can charge whatever he wants, for any reason. Yes, I have the right to tell them they're hurting themselves by making irrational, uninformed business decisions, and alienating a portion of their fanbase by believing things that aren't true. Yes, I make sure I pay creators, or, at a minimum, donate to Heroes on their behalf. Yes, I've donated quite a bit to Heroes in the last several years. No, what I've donated is none of your business. Yes, I'm happy to abide by any policy No, I don't appreciate people like J. Scott Campbell treating me with contempt and disrespect by telling me to my face that I'm not a fan because I get books slabbed. Who the hell does he think he is? These are people, not gods. And most of them would say the same thing.

Got this at an auction Sat....3-4 other comic guys there....one other guy and I beat each other up on price so no real deal but still glad to have it....

A lot to unpack here. I'll start with the first sentence. Signing something is more work than not signing something. Signed hundreds or thousands of times for each fan will give them hand cramps. It costs energy. It's work Second, let's break down the hard earned cash they've gotten from fans buying a book. Let's say you bought a book back in the 80's for $1. Half of that is publisher profit, so 50c left. Let's say a mere 15c to run the printing press and buy the ink and distribute the book. 35c left. Split with writer/artist/inker/letterer. So the writer for example gets a piece of 35 cents for your purchase. Let's say he/she gets almost half, 17 cents. So for 17 cents you've given him/her, what do you get? You get a physical creation, you get happiness and enjoyment for the time it takes you to read the comic, from the ownership of the comic, repeatable happiness and enjoyment from re-reading it at your leisure, and content/entertainment you could not create yourself for 17cents. You also got the ability to re-sell their creation for 100% of the revenue, sending 0 of it back to them. What does the creator get from you, aside from 17cents? They get the opportunity to create, and the happiness they derive from that. Now, if you think what they get from you means they owe you more than what they've already given you, I ask that you approach your own employment the same way (assuming you don't run your own business). Your employer provides your opportunity to create, what do you owe them in addition to a workday, for your 17cents? Regarding comic sales being down as a motive for signing fans' books free, that's a pretty mercenary way to look at it. If they are in a bind, it seems you're saying that's the time to take advantage of it. Sign my book or I'll quit buying. Whether they are wealthy or not is irrelevant. You are expecting them to give of themselves freely for no other reason than because you like their art. I agree with the spirit of what you're saying. I think we should live in a mutual appreciation society. I don't like the commodification of everything, which we have in our society. I just don't think an expectation that someone owes you free stuff because you derived a lot of pleasure from their work is fair. The fact that their creation means a lot to you doesn't mean that that means the same to them.

Here's a new piece I just finished. Hope you like it.

I wouldn't buy any modern book with the hopes of any long term ( 20 plus years ) gains. I look at current variant prices and think no way, at least at their current prices. I recall selling Ultimate Spider-man #1 regular cover and variants, Ultimate X-men #1 regular cover and variants, New Avengers #1 regalar and ( especially the McNiven ) variants, Sunburst Spider-man. None of these books held the value had within 6 months of release. Remember when the early Transformers and G.I. Joe books came out ? I do. Big sellers and now bring a small portion of their initial sales numbers. Are there exceptions ? Sure, but I don't know a single person who could predict what they would be at the time. Regular covers aren't much better for long term investment. Origin, JLA, Planetary, The Authority, Spawn, Wildcats #2 foil, Bloodshot, JSA, New Avengers, Ultimates, Ultimate X-men, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, etc... You name it, they all brought anywhere from $10 to $25 early on and only Ultimate Spider-man #1 will cost you over $10 now. There will always be anomalies but nailing them is a dart throw. There are myths that don't fit reality that float around the internet. An example is that minis don't sell. Tell that to Batman TDKR or the Watchmen. That indies and non cape stuff lose their value once they are no longer printed. Like say, Bone, Sandman, and Preacher. Again, these are the exceptions but they have something in common. They were great stories introducing new worlds that people might have forgotten about for a while but that came roaring back to the comics scene. Even then, I purchased a Preacher #1 a little over 3 years ago for $14.40. It was $18 in a 20% off sale. I didn't need it but it seemed like a good buy. I sent it off and got a CGC 9.6. I had no idea, nor did I expect a TV series would be coming in the near future. Sandman could be next. It might not but the current prices of #1 are cheap for such an important story and character. Then again, issue #8 is a steal imo. How do you think people will respond to cute little, cool little, Death ? Stories and characters do matter contrary to what you hear on many boards. Hulk #92 was a good seller well before any movie news. MOS #17 and #18 always seemed like important books to own but who expected them to fly like they did on movie news ? There seems to be a big push for bottom feeder 1st appearances from the '70s and '80s. I avoid these like the plague. I won't mention any particular books because it appears that certain people are dumping a lot of money into junk but if we didn't like a series in the '70s, when people read comics, and it couldn't last more than 10 issues in a series more than once...don't walk, run from these books. Writers always seem to think they can do something better than the last guy. That is understandable but once 4 or 5 guys have a go at it, its a dead horse. Quit beating it. There are shops stuck with this stuff and there is a reason for it imo. A list characters and great stories are your best friends. NYX #3 seems like an extremely solid, low risk buy. The Walking Dead #1 and #19 are obvious choices. There are very few sure fire hits and those are the only 2 moderns I would suggest someone pay current prices for at the moment with little risk of repercussions in the future. My modern philosophy has been the same since bronze age books were modern. Buy the most sure thing you can and lots of it. Wolverine's original miniseries and 1st issue of his ongoing. Punisher repeats Wolvie. I've purchased nearly every modern I've mentioned in bulk. Buy and quickly sell enough of the winners to cover the losers, sell a little more to reinvest, and hang on to the remainder. If they hit, you win. If they don't ? Well, they're free other than your time. I'm not making light of our time either. If you don't enjoy comics, invest your time in something you love. If you don't read comics, this plan won't work. I not only read them, I ask friends and family to try them to make sure it isn't just me enjoying something but others as well. If you love something and nobody else does, good luck. Luckily you'll forever have some you love. hahahahaha

I guess I'll go with these. It was a tough choice to narrow it down to 5

I'm really happy with these

Ever see that show hoarders.

I'm an exterminator by trade, and I had to work an emergency on a Sunday to take care bees. My four year old gives me a little Captain America shield from one of his toys, and tells me "this is for you to save the day" I am so happy my boys still think of me as a superhero, one day they will grow up and realize I'm just a man. For now I'm enjoying that they think that way. The shield is in my work truck forever now.

I live in NYC. EVERYONE here is a comic book character

A few years ago my father-in-law made this cupboard for my daughter, I contributed the signage. She's outgrown it so I put it in my office and filled it with comics. This Tardis will take you back in time to the silver and Bronze Age!

When I was a kid and I went with Mom to the grocery store or pharmacy in 65/66/67 and I saw the new issues of Avengers, D.D., F.F., X-Men, JIM. TOS, TTA it gave me a sense of Euphoria and Excitement, had to have them, but which ones, can't get them all right now, what can I do to earn an extra .25 or .50 cents and get these books? Then when I got them sharing the excitement of the new books with my other friends that collected. When I got back into collecting in 79 it was the same excitement all over again with back issues being tough to find (27 years before the internet for me). When I was able to find back issues again either at the used book store in the local farmers market, (I LOVED digging through the piles and piles of remainder copies and coverless books,10 cents each, 12 for $1.00), mail order (Got all excited when the new list from Howard Rogofsky would arrive), LCS (starting in the mid 80's for me) local cons (Holiday Inn in Phila, National Guard Armory in Bordentown) etc. I would feel that same sense of euphoria I felt as a kid. Even now where the books I am looking for are a little on the expensive side (for me) and do not show up often for auction if I am able to get a book I am looking for at the price I am willing to pay I still feel like that same kid all over again. I never want that feeling to end.. And that is why I love comics.

Campbell collection finally completed. I guess I should make a custom registry set, because why not? Collecting slabs is a legal form of crack Jerome

Officially bummed with the exchange and shipping rates This collector is just about fed up of getting squeezed by the man and the system. I don't know what conspiracy is afoot but my collector spending is deeply affected. I usually tolerated the extra percentage but now things are out of control. Quite literally the shipping alone can surpass the total of the books themselves. I am from Canada but I don't see the climbing rates helping anyone.

Either you don't really understand the mechanics of the SS market, or you don't understand the impact of those mechanics. Allow me to explain: the vast majority of the value of any comic book, especially relative to other copies of the same issues, is in its condition. A 9.8 Spider-Man #252 is worth substantially more than a 9.0. Almost an order of magnitude more. The difference in actual physical condition between those two grades isn't what the difference in price might lead some to believe, but I digress. The argument you're making would be completely valid...IF ANY signature ALWAYS added value, regardless of the condition of the underlying item. It does not. The vast majority of the value of a comic book is in its condition...not its signature. If I get Marv Wolfman to sign a ratty copy of Tales of the Teen Titans #44, and I slab it, and it comes back a 6.5...guess what? His signature added NOTHING to that book. It's worth (since we're talking about "what the market allows"), doesn't even cover the cost to have the book both signed ($20) and slabbed ($30-$40.) The slab has a "market value" of maybe $20-$30. If I get Marv Wolfman to sign what will be a 9.8 Tales of the Teen Titans #44, it is worth perhaps $250. In THAT case, yes, his signature AMPLIFIES value. But Marv Wolfman had nothing whatsoever to do with the preservation of THAT copy in THAT condition. But Marv Wolfman charges the same price for both books, regardless. He takes zero risk, and has zero cost, outside of the few seconds it takes him to sign, for which he is...per market value of his time and effort, mind you...WELL compensated. The submitter takes ALL the risk and bears all the cost. But the creators ERRONEOUSLY believe that their sig on ANYTHING, in ANY condition, is...as you yourself stated above..."adding value." So, the creators want a "share" of the "profit" that they assume someone is making off of them, while sharing virtually none of the burden and risk to make that "profit" happen..? And it is this misunderstanding that is driving this giant wedge into this niche of the industry, and it is this misunderstanding that needs to be explained before the entire program destroys itself. And, if people want to continue to make the argument that people are "profiting" off of creators' signatures...where is the uproar over the publishers, the distributors, the printers, and the retailers...? They're making a profit off the creators' efforts, are they not? And for substantially more effort, I might add. What I do with my property is no one's business but my own. As others have stated, what a creator does with their signature is THEIR business...UNTIL they make it available to the public, either for free, or for a price. If they offer it for a price, it is now a transaction between interested parties. Sign, don't sign, charge, don't charge...but when you offer it to the public, it's no longer "no one else's business." You have made it available to the public, with all that that entails. Can you imagine if you were buying a house, and you asked the owner what the condition of the foundation was, and you were told "that's none of your business"...? Now, can you imagine someone walking up to me off the street and asking me what my not-for-sale house's foundational condition is? Again, these real-life examples need to be brought up to expose the absurdity of these illogical, irrational "arguments."

Another art day! My CL winning came in. Still waiting on the one book I won though. 'Tec 823, pp 7.

I recently had 10 of my animation cels framed up to hang over my twin sons' cribs. I tried to pick ones that were bright and colorful and not too scary, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out! For those curious, they are: (Top row left to right) Star Wars: Ewoks, 'It Was a Short Summer Charlie, Brown," Star Trek, Sesame Street "Agua," Ducktales (Bottom row) Garfield and Friends, Pink Panther "In the Pink," The Muppet Babies, Care Bears, The Smurfs

Upgraded.

Today was a good day. Found this very high grade beauty. I bought the other four books because I felt a little bad just leaving with one book.