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Marvel Decides Who The Real Fans Are At C2E2 – No Window Bags For Comics Signatures!
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216 posts in this topic

16 hours ago, FineCollector said:

What if we could go back in time?  Signatures are free, but you can't slab them.  Would you still want them?

I have probably dozens of sigs in my collection that I've obtained over the years. All are raw except for a yellow label that was a gift.

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the only signatures I have are raw: Frank Miller on a print, Tony Moore on a Walking Dead reprint, Jon Bernthal on an ASM129 reprint, and Brian Posehn on a Deadpool.  Ideally I would get all of the punisher actors to sign my ASM129 reprint.

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On 4/25/2017 at 4:09 PM, jcjames said:

btw... the greedy Capitalist that I am, I say I don't care if artists charge for their sigs up to what the market will allow. When they start charging too much, the market will tell them so. I just don't like the naivety that artists want to put out as their image - they're just as greedy as the flippers. 

Not that there's anything wrong with that :cool:

Just be honest about it. Don't blame the flippers for you "having to" charge for sigs, while happily pocketing wads of $20s that you got for your sigs. :D 

 

One potential solution if you want to give copies away to kids:

Raffle off pre-signed books. Free entry. Maybe tie it to a fun trivia question.

This allows kids/casual fans to get autographs. Being pre-signed/unwitnessed, that rules out CGC verification. Being a raffle, that makes it less certain.

Result: Resellers pay for your autograph. Little kids or non-speculators appreciate the book.

Other solution: Autographs are half-price if personalized.

In general, I agree with you. But I think if an artist has a particular aim here (like trying to recruit new readers), there are better ways to achieve it.

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On 4/25/2017 at 2:16 PM, letsgrumble said:

Yup, that's the SS game. Lot of preparation, time, and money. Mostly done for the love of collecting, or for turning a profit. Haven't got the profit thing figured out yet. :cry:

I think the only real profit here is fluke-driven. You break even on 50 books (especially when accounting for time spent) and you get lucky on 1.

It's basically like a lottery/raffle. Thing is, all anybody ever pays attention to are the success stories.

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On 4/25/2017 at 3:39 PM, Logan510 said:

You're trying to make money off of their work and their name. They shouldn't care about your bottom line or all the work you're putting in to get this done. If they want to make some extra money from you needing them, I have no issue with it.

So this statement applies to retail shops as well, right?

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It is not really a "true fan" issue.  That can never be quantified or proven.  The issue is that these books have become commodities, and regardless of "true fandom" or not, they will see the marketplace at some point, even if it is the occurrence of the death of the last collector in the family.  I foresee, based upon my massive liquidation, being lumped in with the dirty flippers.  I don't think that comports with my journey through this hobby.

If you truly believe in the free market, then all phases of this SS process could (and maybe should) be capable of monetization.  It may not be fun, and it may not be like the good ol' days when you could walk up and get anyone you wanted.  But it is American free market commerce, at its absolute core.  Even though I don't like the new normal, it is hard to argue against it without sounding like a restraint of trade propagandist. 

 

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1 hour ago, Logan510 said:

How is that the same scenario?

They're just somebody further down the supply chain, making a profit off of curating work that someone with more fame and more of a personal brand created. It's exactly the same scenario aside from whether they have a commercial physical address or not.

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31 minutes ago, PatrickG said:

They're just somebody further down the supply chain, making a profit off of curating work that someone with more fame and more of a personal brand created. It's exactly the same scenario aside from whether they have a commercial physical address or not.

I don't see how that is in any way the same thing, sorry.

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5 hours ago, PatrickG said:

I think the only real profit here is fluke-driven. You break even on 50 books (especially when accounting for time spent) and you get lucky on 1.

It's basically like a lottery/raffle. Thing is, all anybody ever pays attention to are the success stories.

Not if you know what you're doing.

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35 minutes ago, Comicbookscalping said:

Not if you know what you're doing.

Which, again, isn't somebody using public signings, generally.

I think it might be useful here to distinguish between flippers/scalpers and signature dealers.

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13 minutes ago, PatrickG said:

Which, again, isn't somebody using public signings, generally.

I think it might be useful here to distinguish between flippers/scalpers and signature dealers.

Many, many times, public signings are the only way to get some guys - especially at the big cons.  At SDCC 2014, the only way (other than Triston Pence ninja skills) to get Bryan Cranston, David Aja, Chuck Pahlaniuk, Guillermo del Toro, Grant Morrison etc. was at the public, and oftentimes ticketed, signings. 

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43 minutes ago, IntoAnother said:

The real issue issue behind this thread is the reason why Marvel made the announcement.

They didn't want to run into the United Airlines backlash.  When they a drag fake fan away from a signing, they want to be able to say they warned him.

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Kristen is eight months pregnant with our upcoming baby boy and just got to CA. Earlier today her American Airlines connecting flight was too heavy (too much fuel). They were asking for six volunteers at $500 a piece. I was disappointed she didn't "take one for the team" and get dragged out of the plane. Eight months pregnant, dragged down the aisle, easy ten million.

(thumbsu

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