INVESTMENTS: Is it time to realize the truth? 3 3

[Buzzetta]

Just now, valiantman said:

Fair enough.  I've done the same research into buying comic books that aren't key issues of the greatest characters in history and it leads to boxes and boxes of books that are worthless.

I've also done research into buying comic books that are key issues of the greatest characters in history and it leads to recognizing I wouldn't be able to afford more than 1% of most of them.

I've come to the conclusion that being able to purchase up to 1% of the key issues of the greatest characters in history might come with some risks, but it beats both "traditional" alternatives mentioned above.  

Tons of books worth zero, or zero books worth a ton.

When they made their presentation to the public, I questioned them on a few things.  I alluded to one of the scams and they said that if I wanted to discuss it I could contact them so I would be assured that they were totally legit.  

Like I said, there are two very easily run scams under an operation such as this.

[valiantman]

5 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

When they made their presentation to the public, I questioned them on a few things.  I alluded to one of the scams and they said that if I wanted to discuss it I could contact them so I would be assured that they were totally legit.  

Like I said, there are two very easily run scams under an operation such as this.

Agreed, there are risks. 

Keeping us on topic, traditional investments would have everyone divert a portion of every paycheck to retirement accounts run by the experts at Arthur Anderson, investing that money on our behalf in can't-lose stocks like Enron. 

Much, much safer.

Putting $10,000 into a comic book worth $10,000, or putting $100 toward a comic book worth $200,000 both sound ridiculous when there are safer, more traditional alternatives for investing in the 21st century, like the example above.

Someone might be running a fraud, risking prison, and we wouldn't want to give our money to anyone like that.

Edited December 26, 2020 by valiantman

[Dale Roberts]

18 hours ago, lizards2 said:

Yeah - and I note, not me.  I would be good for dropping the deuce in the punchbowl, though!  

I'm just sorry for the valuable boardies we've driven away. Like Doc Watson, who was one of my faves!  Maybe someday, he will come back...., if he makes it out of Dale's basement purgatory....,  

He's one of my favorites too. Doc's actually doing very well. I keep hoping he will make it back out on the road with me, if the shows ever start up again. 

[Buzzetta]

10 minutes ago, valiantman said:

Agreed, there are risks. 

Keeping us on topic, traditional investments would have everyone divert a portion of every paycheck to retirement accounts run by the experts at Arthur Anderson, investing that money on our behalf in can't-lose stocks like Enron. 

Much, much safer.

Putting $10,000 into a comic book worth $10,000, or putting $100 toward a comic book worth $200,000 both sound ridiculous when there are safer, more traditional alternatives for investing in the 21st century, like the example above.

I am pretty well set with my retirement... which is why, despite debating when I wake up in the morning if today is the day they are going to find me on the floor with a smoking gun in one hand and a note in the other that reads, "I told you so", I stick with it. (kidding)

I just have to put up with the nonsense I do for another 9.5 years then I am out and can do what I want. 

I love what I do, I hate who I work for... yes, it is 'that' bad. 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Buzzetta

[squidmo2000]

join the club bro,took the buyout ,and could not be happier....worked my off like a person_too_unaware_of_social_graces for 22 years...I am done...

[KCOComics]

10 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

 

I've casually mentioned this before.  It's not bonkers to the new guard.  It is bonkers to the old guard. 

We are getting old. 

There is the possibility that this is not a bubble that is about to burst but a changing of the guard.

Let's look at AF 15 and Hulk 181. 

AF15 7.0

• 2002 High $7,000 
• 2020 High $110,000

Hulk 181 9.4

• 2002 High $2,350
• 2020 High $10,000 with a $12,000 high in 2019.

Now to us, those prices are insane.  Think of the price you paid for a book that has popped in the last few years.  At the price you paid, that is what it cost.  Could you justify paying "Y" for a book knowing that it really only cost you "X" when you bought it years ago? 

To us, those books are very high.  To the new blood, that's what they go for.  "It is what it is"  Lamenting that they should have bought a Hulk 181 in 9.4 for $3,000 is like one of us saying we should have bought a copy for $50 back in the 1980's.  There is nothing they can do about that so a Hulk 181 in 9.4 at $10,000 IS normal for them...  For us, it is outrageous and we can sell it and happily take their money.   For the n00bz, $10,000 for a Hulk 181 9.4 is quite possibly the investment that could have been at one point buying an AF 15 in 9.4 for $10,000.  We see a bubble that might burst.  They see a bubble that has the opportunity to grow. 

I could easily be wrong.   But all of this could possibly be new blood getting attracted to the hobby. 

 

This aligns with something @G.A.tor said in the GA thread. 

He pointed out that of the Action comics 1 sales he knew about, the majority of buyers were under 40 years old. He also mentioned part of the reason is, older collectors won't pay up for books they use to buy for far less. 

Collectors under 40 just accept that AC1 is a 6 or 7 figure book because it's all we've ever known it to be. 

[mattn792]

5 hours ago, valiantman said:

Agreed, there are risks. 

Keeping us on topic, traditional investments would have everyone divert a portion of every paycheck to retirement accounts run by the experts at Arthur Anderson, investing that money on our behalf in can't-lose stocks like Enron. 

Much, much safer.

Putting $10,000 into a comic book worth $10,000, or putting $100 toward a comic book worth $200,000 both sound ridiculous when there are safer, more traditional alternatives for investing in the 21st century, like the example above.

Someone might be running a fraud, risking prison, and we wouldn't want to give our money to anyone like that.

Even with your steadfast defense of RallyRd, you have to admit their lack of transparency on their website is off putting.  No substantive list of assets, no history of any assets, just “download our app, trust us!”  

Are they hiding something? Just lazy? You would think if they want to attract the maximum amount of investors possible, they would lay out the maximum amount of information necessary to do so.  “See the app” is a lousy sales pitch.

[lizards2]

38 minutes ago, mattn792 said:

Even with your steadfast defense of RallyRd, you have to admit their lack of transparency on their website is off putting.  No substantive list of assets, no history of any assets, just “download our app, trust us!”  

Are they hiding something? Just lazy? You would think if they want to attract the maximum amount of investors possible, they would lay out the maximum amount of information necessary to do so.  “See the app” is a lousy sales pitch.

Have you seen the app? 

[Buzzetta]

4 hours ago, mattn792 said:

Even with your steadfast defense of RallyRd, you have to admit their lack of transparency on their website is off putting.  No substantive list of assets, no history of any assets, just “download our app, trust us!”  

Are they hiding something? Just lazy? You would think if they want to attract the maximum amount of investors possible, they would lay out the maximum amount of information necessary to do so.  “See the app” is a lousy sales pitch.

I’ll take, “hiding something for $200, Alex.”

[Gaard]

13 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

 

Like I said, there are two very easily run scams under an operation such as this.

Would it be uncouth to ask what they are?

[valiantman]

8 hours ago, mattn792 said:

Even with your steadfast defense of RallyRd, you have to admit their lack of transparency on their website is off putting.  No substantive list of assets, no history of any assets, just “download our app, trust us!”  

Are they hiding something? Just lazy? You would think if they want to attract the maximum amount of investors possible, they would lay out the maximum amount of information necessary to do so.  “See the app” is a lousy sales pitch.

Maybe so. Once you log in, you can see everything. So everytime I go to the site, I see everything.

[World Devourer]

To summarize, new money is now king. 

Nothing is forever, this was always inevitable.

I think for many it was the rate of change that wowed them.

Good for someone like myself, who has all the Bronze keys in 9.8W + many of the modern variants.

That said, they are a different breed. They never held out for weeks to find out how Thor would stop the Celestials, or how the X-Men's first battle with Doctor Doom would end, or how Alpha Flight would cope without Guardian. Because of this, they will be investors first, and possibly readers second.

[D84]

9 minutes ago, World Devourer said:

To summarize, new money is now king. 

Nothing is forever, this was always inevitable.

I think for many it was the rate of change that wowed them.

Good for someone like myself, who has all the Bronze keys in 9.8W + many of the modern variants.

That said, they are a different breed. They never held out for weeks to find out how Thor would stop the Celestials, or how the X-Men's first battle with Doctor Doom would end, or how Alpha Flight would cope without Guardian. Because of this, they will be investors first, and possibly readers second.

If they read comics at all.

[manetteska]

Can you just change your username to RallyRd and cut out the middleman?

How many Rally topics — or thinly veiled attempts — do you need to start?

[THE_BEYONDER]

7 minutes ago, manetteska said:

Can you just change your username to RallyRd and cut out the middleman?

How many Rally topics — or thinly veiled attempts — do you need to start?

Does his stock go up if he gets more people to invest?

What’s the motivation to pimp this company?

[Hollywood1892]

2 minutes ago, THE_BEYONDER said:

Does his stock go up if he gets more people to invest?

What’s the motivation to pimp this company?

It's all about the bling bling

[World Devourer]

24 minutes ago, D84 said:

If they read comics at all.

Heh. That's why I said "possibly".

To use your avatar as an example, many won't bother even attempting to read an early Kane Batman (Hugo Strange), or one of the classic 50s (Joker's Million's / Rainbow Batman), 60s (Hooded Hang-Man) or even 70s (Man-Bat, Ra's Al Ghul) stories.

They may take an interest in The Dark Knight Returns or The Killing Joke, but for many Batman simply didn't exist before the Christian Bale era.

As the interest wanes, so too will the awareness and knowledge.

Ignorance ahead in 9.8W!

Edited December 26, 2020 by World Devourer

[manetteska]

8 minutes ago, THE_BEYONDER said:

Does his stock go up if he gets more people to invest?

What’s the motivation to pimp this company?

More eyes/interest = more potential “investors” which make it appear more legitimate. Also, if attempting to buy a comic and shares are already sold out, it increases the interest/price the next time it’s offered. So, yes, his stock may go up as the comics offered are limited and he keeps mentioning the same 3-4. Wonder if those are what he has shares in? 🤔 

Edited December 26, 2020 by manetteska

[lizards2]

I feel compelled to post my usual investment advice:

[Buzzetta]

 

26 minutes ago, THE_BEYONDER said:

Does his stock go up if he gets more people to invest?

What’s the motivation to pimp this company?

Isn't that how most scams work?

Now, I do not think that Valiant is trying to scam the boards.  I do however, see Rally Rd and other models like it as an easy method to defraud investors and the collecting community.  It is ripe with ill opportunity. 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Buzzetta