2000AD Sells for ?365 part Three

[Tarantino]

I'm sorry to keep brining up the same subject but I won't rest until I get my point across. I feel I need to respond to Blackbloods last rant!

Fair enough Re: Judge Dredd doing for England what Superman has done for America. Maybe what I should have said was that he has far and away the potential.

On to my main point and to quote Blackblood:

"I'll fucking quit reading the day 2000AD becomes "collectable" - I don't want the damn thing to be out of the reach of average readers, or have thousands of issues sold to people who are going to bag & board them to sell on eBay at ridiculous prices."

You must have a stiff neck looking up at the many things going over your head.

You won't have to quit reading when 2000AD becomes collectable, since it is already very collectable and you're still reading. My original point was that the earlier 2000AD's were printed on such poor quality paper and finding them in good condition is so difficult, hence the mint copies are selling at high prices. There are plenty of the earlier issues in less then average condition and if you are reading 2000AD for readings sake then you will only be paying ?1 - ?2 a copy. As a reader you won't be excluded from buying back issues to enjoy the content, it does not matter how much Progs 1, 2 & 3 are going for.

Furthermore and to really bore the pants off anyone who has bothered to follow this debate, Bagging and Boarding old issues of 2000AD is NOT A BAD THING! firstly and most importantly they are being preserved for antiquity. If you just read them and let them rot no one is going to be able to enjoy them in the future. In the 2nd place if they are bagged there is only a piece of sellotape between you and the comic, bagged does not mean buried.

Collectors of anything are preserving a piece of history, I do not understand Blackbloods fury, unless.... he really is Blackblood! I am not really Tarantino!!

[The Amstor Computer]

>>>You must have a stiff neck looking up at the many things going over your head<<<

Yep - things just float away over me.

>>>You won't have to quit reading when 2000AD becomes collectable, since it is already very collectable and you're still reading<<<

It's collectable within a small group that, for the most part, consists of fans. I'm talking about it becoming a must-have, regardless of content - something to bag, board & hang on your wall, like some kind of weird trophy.

>>>There are plenty of the earlier issues in less then average condition and if you are reading 2000AD for readings sake then you will only be paying ?1 - ?2 a copy<<<

Try finding them! It becomes worse when ?300 for a copy of prog 1 becomes the norm - even poor-quality copies will start to rise in price once people decide that early issues are "collectable".

>>>As a reader you won't be excluded from buying back issues to enjoy the content, it does not matter how much Progs 1, 2 & 3 are going for<<<

If the average fan wants to pick up a straight run from 300-1200, they'll probably pay between 25p to ?2 an issue. That's fairly reasonable.
If they want to pick up 1-100 they're going to spend over ?1000 if the current prices stick.

>>>Bagging and Boarding old issues of 2000AD is NOT A BAD THING! firstly and most importantly they are being preserved for antiquity. If you just read them and let them rot no one is going to be able to enjoy them in the future. In the 2nd place if they are bagged there is only a piece of sellotape between you and the comic, bagged does not mean buried<<<

Not necessarily - but there's something quite tragic about a row of comics mummified in Mylar bags because they're "worth too much to read" (and I have heard that one before...)

>>>Collectors of anything are preserving a piece of history, I do not understand Blackbloods fury, unless.... he really is Blackblood! I am not really Tarantino!!<<<

Hurrah for collectors!

Problem comes when the collection & preservation of old comics becomes more important than the comics that are left to gather dust on the shelves of newsagents today.

I get angry when I see all of this attention - and money - spent on comics from 25 years ago, instead of on the scene today. Celebrate past glories; pay tribute to classic comics like 2000AD, but for Christ's sake, invest something in today or there won't be any British comics to collect in 25 years time.

Rant over - I'll go back to staring at the sky ;-)

[Tarantino]

Lets agree to disagree. Anyway what about Mark & Pauline on Eastenders........

[The Amstor Computer]

>>>Lets agree to disagree. Anyway what about Mark & Pauline on Eastenders<<<

NO! Let's fight! :-D

I do tend to rant a little, but comic collecting's just one thing that always seems to push my buttons... anyway, I'll shut up now - I'm sure most of the other board members have had quite enough of my gibbering ;-)

[Tarantino]

I was going to let this go but something is bothering me.

Blackblood, you said and I quote:

"Problem comes when the collection & preservation of old comics becomes more important than the comics that are left to gather dust on the shelves of newsagents today. I get angry when I see all of this attention - and money - spent on comics from 25 years ago, instead of on the scene today. Celebrate past glories; pay tribute to classic comics like 2000AD, but for Christ's sake, invest something in today or there won't be any British comics to collect in 25 years time."

You can't have it both ways. There is a celebration of past glories because people love what they see today. We pay tribute to 2000AD because it is still around when other comics have fallen by the wayside. From your point of view 2000AD is becoming a victim of it's own success. The high prices of earlier progs reflect the esteem with which the comic is held in today. That's the nature of the beast. If you don't like the attention and money spent on comics of 25 years ago, then let the collectors get on with collecting and you concentrate on the scene today. Also I might add, you may not be interested in comics of yesteryear but comic collectors ARE also interested in the current scene, since that is what inspires them to seek out and preserve old comics. Comic collectors, as a byproduct, are doing us a service. In 100 years time when they have cut down all the trees in the Rain Forrest and there are no paper products, who will we thank for what has been preserved?

[Tarantino]

I ain't never going to let this go. Blackblood are you still there.

One last thing I forgot to add. Do you know how much space 1,183 comics take up? Too much space, that's how much. When you get married and the old lady gives you an ultimatum, her or the comics. As tempting as it may sound to keep the comics and ditch the bitch, you'd be better advised to find a nice home for your valuable collection or you ain't gonna be getting none of the other. Wanking over Durham Red/Judge Anderson (delete as appropriate) losses it's novelty and ruins the comic. The point I'm trying to make is, that the home you find for your comics will probably be with a collector. Readers do not have the space or inclination to store 200, 300, 400+ comics for when they want to reminisce. Your 1,000 plus progs will be bought, broken down and scattered across the globe, bagged and tagged, ready for another generation to enjoy. What more can I say on this subject?

[W. R. Logan]

>You can't have it both ways. There is a celebration of past glories because people love what they see today. We pay tribute to 2000AD because it is still around when other comics have fallen by the wayside. From your point of view 2000AD is becoming a victim of it's own success. The high prices of earlier Progs reflect the esteem with which the comic is held in today. That's the nature of the beast.

I've always thought that places like e-bay also aim for the lazy collector who has to have something immediately and will pay any price for it.

I've read 2000 since Prog 1 and like so many others had a huge chunk of my early collection threw out by my mother when I joined the army.

Would I pay ?200 for a copy of Prog 2 with stickers? Would I Bollox.

With patience I eventually found Progs 1, 2 & 3 in pristine condition and with free gifts and paid ?60. From the same place bought a huge chunk of early Progs for less than ?80. The rest of my Progs from 200 to 700 I bought in a chunk for ?110. Admittedly this was in 1995 but my patience restored my collection and for less than ?250 and the issues I already had from that period I resold.

Patience is a virtue and those prices for early Progs are just mad. Although if I had spare issues I'd happily sell them for that much 8-)

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

[The Amstor Computer]

...And there I was thinking we could just politely disagree...

>>>You can't have it both ways. There is a celebration of past glories because people love what they see today. We pay tribute to 2000AD because it is still around when other comics have fallen by the wayside<<<

I don't want it both ways - there's room to be appreciative of what has come before without losing sight of what'll happen if new blood & investment isn't put into the scene today. My objection comes when we concentrate too much on past glories - and IMO, a symptom of this is the obscene prices being asked for older issues.


>>>The high prices of earlier progs reflect the esteem with which the comic is held in today<<<

No, they don't. The high prices of early progs simply reflect the value that a small group of buyers & sellers place upon a 25 year-old comic.

>>>Also I might add, you may not be interested in comics of yesteryear but comic collectors ARE also interested in the current scene, since that is what inspires them to seek out and preserve old comics<<<

Who said anything about not being interested in older comics? And I doubt that an interest in a thriving UK comics scene is what prompts someone to spend nigh-on ?400 on a decades-old comic.

>>>Comic collectors, as a byproduct, are doing us a service. In 100 years time when they have cut down all the trees in the Rain Forrest and there are no paper products, who will we thank for what has been preserved?<<<

LOL! Somehow, I doubt that 125 year-old comics are going to be much of a concern once we lose the rainforest.

>>>I ain't never going to let this go<<<

I noticed - unfortunately, after this post I will, so you'll be talking to yourself.

>>>One last thing I forgot to add. Do you know how much space 1,183 comics take up? Too much space, that's how much. When you get married and the old lady gives you an ultimatum, her or the comics<<<

Yep, I know exactly how much space my comics take up - too damn much! I've got thousands of books & thousands of comics, but this is my passion - I love these flimsy little things, and I love reading stories, old or new. The amount of space they take up is certainly an issue, but I make sacrifices in other ways.

>>>As tempting as it may sound to keep the comics and ditch the bitch, you'd be better advised to find a nice home for your valuable collection or you ain't gonna be getting none of the other<<<

So it's either/or? No room for compromise? I make room for her passions, and in return my love of reading (and keeping every damn thing I read ;-)) is tolerated.

>>>Wanking over Durham Red/Judge Anderson (delete as appropriate) losses it's novelty and ruins the comic<<<

I'm sure it does, but do you really have to talk about it in public? ;-)

>>>The point I'm trying to make is, that the home you find for your comics will probably be with a collector<<<

Maybe. More likely, they'll go to someone who wants to read them. Certainly, if I have any doubles, I give them - or sell them - to friends & other 2000AD fans.

>>>Readers do not have the space or inclination to store 200, 300, 400+ comics for when they want to reminisce<<<

This reader does :-)

>>>Your 1,000 plus progs will be bought, broken down and scattered across the globe, bagged and tagged, ready for another generation to enjoy<<<

...At ?300 an issue? Doubtful. To be honest, when it comes to it, my comics & books are probably going to go to family members or to somewhere where I know they'll be read & enjoyed. If I deprive another generation of collectors - so be it.

>>>What more can I say on this subject?<<<

Well, nothing to convince me of your point of view, so I'd do what I'm about to & shut up :-D

[nathan]

>>>Readers do not have the space or inclination to store 200, 300, 400+ comics for when they want to reminisce<<<

This reader does :-)

And so does this one!

N

[Tarantino]

>>>Readers do not have the space or inclination to store 200, 300, 400+ comics for when they want to reminisce<<<

This reader does :-)

"I've got thousands of books & thousands of comics, but this is my passion"

You sound like a collector, go on admit it!

[Tarantino]

Oh you collectors, you don't even realize what you are. The first step is the hardest, once you have the courage to admit it you will realise that there are others out there to, just like you. We should form a club. Come on guys, hey guys, hello, anyone there, hey who wants to be my freind? I have a mint copy of..........

[nathan]

None of my copies are mint, none of them are in plastic bags except the odd prog I've bought to fill a gap in a STORY ;-)

N

[kertap]

I don't mean to make this debate continue but waht the hell. I'm trying to collect some back issues because I want to read all teh old rogue trooper stuff. So far I'm not doin to bad. I am using Ebay but only because it's way cheaper than goin to Dublin/Cork/Limerick to get back issues. I really don't care about condition, just as long as the prog is readable.

I'm also reading Ultimate X-men and I thought it would be nice to get Ultimeate Spider-Man while I was looking around e-bay. I was pretty disgusted when I was the prices that these were goin at. Im glad 2000ad isn't like this or i would have spent ?100 on 20 progs by now. As for progs 1,2 etc I'll get the collected edition.

Link: http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ht=1&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&que" target="_blank">crazy Ultimate Spider man prices

[Tarantino]

Ahh you closet collectors are so defensive when challenged. It's a dead give away.

[roystead]

Good on yer, Nathan.

My load of progs came, basically, in 4 job lots for about ?15-?20 per hundred issues. I bought 'em from semi-serious collectors who were emigrating or moving house or who had recalcitrant spouses, you see.

Three of 'em arrived with free gifts and in mint condition and one of 'em was bagged (not "boarded", though).

Too awkward for reading for my tastes, however - I soon stripped 'em off and put em on shelves in cheap card magazine files from Ikea. Far more convenient.

I must confess, though, that I put the banned issues and prog 5 back in their bags and boards after I'd read them. Does that make me a semi-collector? ;-)

And now: On to find out what happens at the end of that dragon story, "Firekind"...

Roy