Showing off your comics to non comicbook people? 5 5

[XxSpideyxX]

With the holidays upon us, many of us will have friend and family around.

Do you ever feel compelled to show off your collection to non comicbook/superhero fans?  If so, how do you present your books?  How do you talk about them?

How do you answer the inevitable question of ‘how much is that worth?’ 
 

After all, part of the joy in collecting is sharing that with others.  But how do you do so without either boring your audience to tears or boiling it down to cost/value?

[ADAMANTIUM]

It's touch and go for me...

About the second time I hear "awesome, cool, or, wow", I know it's time to wind up the story....

Which is  because then they see the joy quickly fade from my face

Then they just respond, "oh well I'm glad!"

[Gaard]

When I talk about my collection with noncomic people, I usually get a look that says, "What's wrong with you? You're a grown man."

[ADAMANTIUM]

3 minutes ago, Gaard said:

When I talk about my collection with noncomic people, I usually get a look that says, "What's wrong with you? You're a grown man."

It's sad but true

Sometimes it's only used to start a conversation with you, the only something 3rd cousins or 2nd aunt's removed remember about people.

But I'm thankful for comics, so I've been blessed, plus when your happy to gab it'll turn the convo back real fast haha

[musicmeta]

I start talking comic books and they get the very bored and "who cares" look and their attention span goes out the window.  I don't talk comics to non-comic people anymore.  They don't care to hear about it as it's not relatable to them. 

[Buzzetta]

Depends on the book.  This just arrived in the mail.  They find things like interesting due to the historical nature of the book and also the age. 

 

 

Edited November 27, 2019 by Buzzetta

[Ken Aldred]

1 hour ago, musicmeta said:

I start talking comic books and they get the very bored and "who cares" look and their attention span goes out the window.  I don't talk comics to non-comic people anymore.  They don't care to hear about it as it's not relatable to them. 

It’s been either total disinterest, or ‘Oh, that MUST be worth something’, or a look that suggests pity and that you might be very immature or subnormal in some way, as a general rule.

Very occasionally I’ll meet someone who’s genuinely interested, but with nowhere near the intensity that I go about it.  
 

Still, little point in mentioning or bothering to pull out the first Thanos or something else that there’s a degree of awareness about because of a film, for a transitory, nonchalant, ho-hum response.

I just keep my manic enthusiasm for our favourite medium to myself.

Edited November 27, 2019 by Ken Aldred

[catman76]

I always have dreaded anyone knowing I am into comics because I have to always deal with the same questions and assumptions that drive me nuts. Everyone assumes I am into superhero comics and they have no concept of anything else, if I try to even explain about comics and comics I am into they are like a deer in the headlights and still don't get it and don't want to know. It's even worse now in the last decade with all these marvel and superhero movies being so popular and of course if people get word that I like comics then they assume I am all into those movies. No. A long time ago I used to try and explain stuff to people, give them some Crumb and Deitch comics and stuff, try to open thier minds about it all. It never works and I don't bother any more.

[Ken Aldred]

1 minute ago, catman76 said:

I always have dreaded anyone knowing I am into comics because I have to always deal with the same questions and assumptions that drive me nuts. Everyone assumes I am into superhero comics and they have no concept of anything else, if I try to even explain about comics and comics I am into they are like a deer in the headlights and still don't get it and don't want to know. It's even worse now in the last decade with all these marvel and superhero movies being so popular and of course if people get word that I like comics then they assume I am all into those movies. No. A long time ago I used to try and explain stuff to people, give them some Crumb and Deitch comics and stuff, try to open thier minds about it all. It never works and I don't bother any more.

That’s the added complication.

I wouldn’t even bother explaining my Richard Corben undergrounds, manga or slice-of-life independents.

[Comics4All]

4 minutes ago, catman76 said:

I always have dreaded anyone knowing I am into comics because I have to always deal with the same questions and assumptions that drive me nuts. Everyone assumes I am into superhero comics and they have no concept of anything else, if I try to even explain about comics and comics I am into they are like a deer in the headlights and still don't get it and don't want to know. It's even worse now in the last decade with all these marvel and superhero movies being so popular and of course if people get word that I like comics then they assume I am all into those movies. No. A long time ago I used to try and explain stuff to people, give them some Crumb and Deitch comics and stuff, try to open thier minds about it all. It never works and I don't bother any more.

Same

[dupont2005]

2 minutes ago, catman76 said:

I always have dreaded anyone knowing I am into comics because I have to always deal with the same questions and assumptions that drive me nuts. Everyone assumes I am into superhero comics and they have no concept of anything else, if I try to even explain about comics and comics I am into they are like a deer in the headlights and still don't get it and don't want to know. It's even worse now in the last decade with all these marvel and superhero movies being so popular and of course if people get word that I like comics then they assume I am all into those movies. No. A long time ago I used to try and explain stuff to people, give them some Crumb and Deitch comics and stuff, try to open thier minds about it all. It never works and I don't bother any more.

Yep. They find out I collect comics and ask about the new Avengers movie or something, I say I haven’t seen it. So they ask a specific question about an Avengers power or whatever and I say I don’t collect super hero comics. They ask what do I collect? I just say weird stuff and hand them a Simon Hanselmann comic 

[Comics4All]

37 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

Depends on the book.  This just arrived in the mail.  They find things like interesting due to the historical nature of the book and also the age. 

 

 

Don't let them pass the gravy over that slab!

 

[Jeffro.]

2 hours ago, XxSpideyxX said:

Do you ever feel compelled to show off your collection to non comicbook/superhero fans?

 No. That would be akin to a D&D player wanting to show you his character.

[Turnando]

I like talking to non-comics people about comics.  The history of comics is fascinating and many of the key players have life stories that are stranger than fiction.  Oddballs and weirdos.  There is some magnificent art and writing in a medium that is mostly junk. An overwhelming amount of junk, but the good stuff is so good.

If someone has trouble talking about comics to non-comics people I'd recommend focusing your conversation on what is so wonderful about comics.  Realize that most people don't care about the collecting of comic books but most people would enjoy a good story and comic book history is a good story.

Edited November 28, 2019 by Turnando

[Ken Aldred]

49 minutes ago, Turnando said:

Realize that most people don't care about the collecting of comic books but most people would enjoy a good story and comic book history is a good story.

I've tried to be enthusiastic about some of my favourite creators and stories, but I've never really encountered much reciprocation on a similar level.

Once or twice, maybe.

 

[Domo Arigato]

8 hours ago, XxSpideyxX said:

With the holidays upon us, many of us will have friend and family around.

Do you ever feel compelled to show off your collection to non comicbook/superhero fans?  If so, how do you present your books?  How do you talk about them?

I usually only do it at large family gatherings, like a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.  It's best to wait until everyone sits down for the meal, so they're more or less a captive audience. 

I'll then stand up and spend a couple of hours talking about comic books, Amway, or a recent trip to Thailand I won from findAwife.com before telling everyone to dig in. 

[IbukiLord]

I have a few comics displayed up on the wall in frames and some CGC's on a floating shelf, if people ask about them I'll tell them about them but I'm not going to start pulling boxes out and showing random comics, I'll just say I'm a collector and that's about it.

[oakman29]

Yeah, no. 🤐

[ADAMANTIUM]

9 minutes ago, oakman29 said:

Yeah, no. 🤐

But But It's the Bee's Knees!! oh ya your their worst nightmare  

Happy Thanksgiving Oak! Have a Good'n  

[Hollywood1892]

16 hours ago, XxSpideyxX said:

With the holidays upon us, many of us will have friend and family around.

Do you ever feel compelled to show off your collection to non comicbook/superhero fans?  If so, how do you present your books?  How do you talk about them?

How do you answer the inevitable question of ‘how much is that worth?’ 
 

After all, part of the joy in collecting is sharing that with others.  But how do you do so without either boring your audience to tears or boiling it down to cost/value?

I shove it right in their face