Filed under: Collectable Toys, EBay | Tags: auctions, EBay, mego, shipping, star trek
Alright, I gotta take one more crack at stupid EBay sellers. Shipping charges are really pissing me off. There are three types of sellers on EBay when it comes to shipping policies:
Type #1: Lists their shipping charges and the charges are fair. They cover the cost of shipping and a moderate handling fee of a buck or two.
Type #2: Lists their shipping charges and the charges are incredibly expensive. What they are often doing is getting the buyers attention by keeping the starting price of their auction low, say $0.99. So the auction starting price is $0.99 but the shipping charge is $20-$35! This also helps the seller avoid paying as much to EBay for listing fees and closing fees. I was looking at an item the other day. It was a phaser and tricorder for the old 1970’s Mego Star Trek figures. They were priced fairly, but the shipping fee was $8! What they hell? Throw it in an envelope and you can mail it for less than a buck! Here are two tips for you if you are a seller on EBay. If the shipping charge is not reasonable I will not buy your item. If the shipping charge is higher than the price I am willing to pay for the item, I will not buy from you.
Type #3: Does not even bother to list shipping charges. Some may have a note asking you to contact them for a shipping quote. Is it just me, or is this plain laziness? I will not even bother to bid on auctions like this.
Unfortunately, Type 2 sellers are by far the majority these days. It is getting to the point where I don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would want to shop online. You can get the things you want cheaper by going to a store, and you get some exercise as well. Maybe it’s just me though.
Filed under: EBay | Tags: comiccollectorlive, comics, diaper, EBay, self help
I want to talk about EBay. If you believe the rumors that are circulating, EBay sales are suffering. More and more EBay sellers are calling it quits, saying it is just not worth their time and effort anymore.
Obviously there are more sellers on EBay than ever before, selling more completely useless garbage than ever before. I find it really difficult to find something that I actually want at a lower price than I can get it in stores for. And that is the thing, isn’t it? If I want to pay regular price for something, I can go to the store and pay regular price for it. If I am shopping on EBay, I want to get a deal!
And then there are the idiot sellers who list their stuff for $0.99. I was looking through some toy listings and came across a lot of Star Wars action figures for $0.99. Great deal, right? Not really. When I opened the auctions I saw that the shipping charge is $12.00. I can buy the exact same action figure at Wal-Mart for $7.99!!!
Up until recently I was a seller on EBay. I had a store called Xuthl’s Wilderness and I sold a variety of items. My prices were fair and my shipping charges were fair. I was not charging a handling charge because I do not believe the old mantra that time is money. If you are someone important that may well be true, but for the rest of us, we have tons of time and not a lot of money. So I donated my time to try and get my EBay business going.
But I think the EBay market is so saturated with idiot sellers with small prices and big shipping charges that the consumer has just been completely turned off, and has tuned out. The result is that I have gone over to ComicCollectorLive.com to sell my comics, and anything else I decide to list goes back onto EBay. I am a month in, and I am finding the same problems at CCL as I did at EBay. Sellers with deceptive ads are cutting into my business there as well.
What’s the answer? Well I am still working on a few projects in my spare time. I want to get my Bum-Gunk diaper salve going again and try to peddle it on EBay, or Kijiji. I also have been trying to sell my self help book, Xuthl’s Guide: 30 Tips to Improve Your Life (http://www.usededmonton.com/classified-ad/5033314&category=books-textbooks). Sell is not the correct word. I am trying to give it away. Free. If you want a copy send me your email address and I will send it to you. I am writing a novel set in the Forgotten Realms. I also have a How to Book in the works on Home Budgeting. I tried to get a weight loss program going, but that is the most competitive racket there is. I think I have a good plan, but I could never get it going even when I offered to give it away for free!
Maybe when my youngest kid gets older and I find a little time to complete some of my projects I can get selling my good again. This post meandered a bit. I apologize for this. I will do better next time!
Filed under: Comic Book Reviews | Tags: comic, mad cap, marvel, Marvel Knights, Spider-man
I was looking through some of my very old comics this last week, and I noticed that the way I buy comics has changed drastically. I actually started collecting back in about 1985. In those days you didn’t go to a specialty comic shop to buy your comics, you would just go to the local drug store and browse through the turntable comic rack.
In those days I used to make most of my purchases based on the cover. I collected the Amazing Spider-man and the Uncanny X-men pretty religiously, but if the comic did not feature a bad guy that I considered to be worth reading I usually didn’t. Outside of these titles I read Captain America, Iron Man, Fantastic Four, Avengers, West Coast Avengers, GI Joe, Thing, Hulk, Daredevil, Thor, etc on a very irregular basis. If it looked like there was something there that might interest me, I would pick it up.
No here is the big thing. In those days I used to read EVERY comic I owned from cover to cover, over and over and enjoyed every page. I was a comic reader.
These days, I buy my comics from a comic store. I have a file with several titles that the owner pulls for me. I always do a quick browse of the shelves to see if anything else will catch my eye, but usually nothing does. I often will buy a couple of older books from the dollar bin, make my purchase, and head on home.
Here is the flip side of my “big thing” as mentioned above. I am embarrassed to say that I have A LOT of comics in my collection that I have never removed from the bag. They are unread! I have become the very thing I used to despise. I am a comic collector. I still read comics, but I read far fewer titles than I used to, and to a large degree, I buy titles because I feel like I have to instead of because I am enjoying them. For example, I have been reading all Spider-man titles that are available for about 23 years now. When the Marvel Knights Spider-man series came out I jumped on board, because I did not want to miss any continuity with my favorite hero. It was awful! Some of the worst comics I have ever read! And I stuck with it for 15 ISSUES! When I finally got pissed off enough to cancel the title I was angry enough that I quit collecting comics altogether for over a year. Fortunately I just couldn’t stay away for long.
So I am reconsidering my buying patterns. I am thinking about stopping my subscriptions and just buying comics featuring characters that I like. For instance, I would never turn down a comic featuring Mad Cap. I realize he is a third string bad guy at best, but I find him really entertaining if the writer does the job properly. Same goes for the Absorbing Man, Arcade, Ezekiel, Puma etc. So maybe books featuring guys like this are the ones I really should be buying. Something to think about.
Filed under: Comic Book Reviews | Tags: atom, avengers, comics, dc, gail simone, marvel, Marvel Knights, new avengers, Overdrive, Spider-man, the Bookie, the Enforcers
- Amazing Cover of Amazing Spider-man #563
I really had to start with this issue. Amazing Spider-man #563 jumps out and smacks you across the face and says, “Hey dude! Buy this comic!” The ironic thing is that if you read the little caption at the bottom it says “We’re as surprised as you are that Quesada approved tihs cover…”. Well thank goodness he did. Cover art: 5/5. This issue is brought to us by the creative team of Bob Gale on the typewriter, Mike McKone on pencils, and Marlo Alquiza on inks. The Bookie storyline continues in this issue, as Spider-man, thinking the Bookie may have information on the serial killer posing as himself, goes looking to find the underworld favorite odds maker. Along the way he brawls with a barroom full of baddies, goes off to Coney Island to battle the Enforcers, saves Ox’s life, and finds a way to raise some money for charity. If you have been reading my reviews you know that I don’t like to put in too many spoilers. The story is funny, corny in spots, a little far fetched at times, and really entertaining. I have to give it 4/5. The art is really decent. Really vivid, exciting colors. Refreshing. 4/5. And for relevance, well I will give it 2/5. My reason for this low score is that this is the story of a bunch of real bush leaguers. The Enforcers aren’t even B-list. Add to that the fact that it is part of the Brand New Day arc and it gets a lower score. The only reason it gets higher than a 1/5 is because there is an event that is supposed to affect the future stories in this title. So total score is 15/20. This is a really good read and I recommend you pick it up, even if you haven’t been following the story up to this point. The Ox does something after Spidey saves his life that is really impressive. One of those moments where they show the bad guy to be human.
The last word goes to Xuthl’s Wilderness Comics and Collectibles which has just made the move from EBay to Comic Collector Live. Go to http://www.comiccollectorlive.com/LiveData/Seller.aspx?id=cc0608d3-03c2-4b73-81dd-40662b76b9c9 and check out the titles I am offering for sale. Please remember to consider the cost of shipping as part of the total price. You will find my prices are often the lowest available. I have also come across some really nice 1970’s Mego Star Trek Action figures which I am listing on EBay. If you go to EBay, and enter the community section, you can search for me under the user id xuthl69 and see the items I have for sale.
Also, if you collect current comics, I encourage you to consider ordering your books from me. I charge cover price plus $3 shipping and handling for the first book and an additional $1 for each book after that anywhere within Canada. This may sound expensive, but with the cost of gasoline continually rising you really can’t lose. This is also ideal for readers living in cities and towns without a local comic shop.
Lastly, if there is a book you are looking for but can’t find, drop me a line and I will see what I can find for you. I have a good network of sellers and have had great success in the past. Feel free to contact me at xuthl@yahoo.ca.
Again, if you have any comments, I would really love to hear them. Please leave feedback!
Have a great week!
Filed under: Edmonton Oilers | Tags: edmonton, Edmonton Oilers, george laraque, habs, mactavish, montreal canadiens, nhl, oilers
The rumor yesterday was that Georges Laraque was in contract talks with the Edmonton Oilers, and would likely be returning to the city he still calls home. I have to admit that the prospect of the toughest enforcer in the NHL coming back to our city had me excited. After watching our star players get beat to hell since big Georges left the Oil, I was quite happy to see his return.
And then, seemingly from out of nowhere, he signed with Montreal. What the *&#%?
Ok, I think you have to look at this logically. First of all, Craig MacTavish is still coaching in Edmonton. Craig MacTavish who seems to be able to take the physical aspect of any players game and crush it out like a cigarette. If you don’t believe me, see Matt Greene, Raffi Torres, Chris Pronger, Mike Peca, JF Jacques etc. So if you are a one trick pony like big Georges, there is your first barrier.
Then there is the fact that MacT was really the reason Georges left Edmonton in the first place, playing him sparingly, and leaving him a healthy scratch in many contests.
So when Mr. Gainey came along and offered Georgy Boy 1.5 million per season, who can blame him for jumping. He moves back to his native Quebec, and gets to play for the team he probably dreamed of playing for as a child.
The question now is, does Georges move his family, who he relocated to Edmonton from Quebec, back to Quebec, or does he continue to be a valued member of our community in Edmonton? Time will tell.
Good luck Georges! You will always have a place in the hearts of Edmontonians whether it be for your fighting skills on the ice, or your tireless, selfless, humanitarian efforts off the ice. You will always be a champion here!
Filed under: Comic Book Reviews | Tags: art, avengers, batman, captain america, comic, cover, dc, hercules, iron man, marvel, she hulk, Spider-man, xuthl
Back when I first started buying comics I did so as a reader. I would go to the drugstore, the primary location for buying comics in those days, and look through the turntable comic rack searching for a cover that would capture my attention.
In those days a cover was a sales tool. It would tell you which characters were actively involved in the storyline, whether it be supporting cast or guest stars. It would show you who the bad guys were. And in most cases it would give you some insight as to what to expect from the plot. Readers could peruse the comic rack and decide which books to buy without ever opening a book.
Of course, most often I did anyway. I had to shuffle through the pages to ensure there was actually some action in the pages. At that age I really hated to plunk down my 25 cents and get one of those “character development” issues where the characters talk throughout the book while the bad guys run amok, setting the groundwork for the next issue.
Some of the most memorable comic covers I have ever seen come from this simpler time. The cover was less a work of art than it is today, but they stand out in my mind more than the offerings we currently have.
I remember one particular issue of Captain America. Zaran and Machette lounge in the back ground while Batroc the Leaper lunges at Cap, apparently to kick his head off his shoulders. Cap is saying something like, “All right Batroc. A deal is a deal. You can have one free shot. Better make it a good one!” And Batroc responds by saying something like, “One shot is all I shall need. Good bye Captain America!” I was not a Captain America reader back in those days, but there was no way I could have resisted buying that issue. I picked it up immediately, and still own it to this day.
How about the issue of Amazing Spider-man where Hobgoblin has been blackmailing millionaires like the Kingpin, Harry Osbourne, and JJ Jameson? On the one cover the Spider-man logo in the top left corner has been replaced by an image of the Hobgoblin laughing and he says, “It’s great kids! Steal it!” A great line! Very humorous, and uttered by one of my favorite villains of all time.
Of course there are far too many great covers to make any sort of comprehensive list. The Puma leaping off a building onto Spiderman, Hercules all alone against the Masters of Evil, Bane breaking Batman’s back, Captain America with Hawkeye’s bow and Hawk with Cap’s shield, Iron Man removing his armor as the Fixer hold Kazar hostage, Captain America blowing away terrorists with a machine gun, or She-Hulk in a skimpy bikini. An official no-prize to anyone who can identify all these issues.
Covers today are art. They inevitably feature the hero of the book in some dramatic pose. They are often dark and unattractive. They offer little or no information about the book itself. If you want to decide if you should buy the comic, you will have to open the book and have a look inside.
I think the problem is that the artists want to be… well… artists. They do not want to create an advertisement for the book, they want to create a work of art. This is all well and good, but when you look at all the works of art being produced, it all becomes utterly forgettable. That’s just my opinion.
The last word goes to Xuthl’s Wilderness Comics and Collectibles which has just made the move from EBay to Comic Collector Live. Go to http://www.comiccollectorlive.com/LiveData/Seller.aspx?id=cc0608d3-03c2-4b73-81dd-40662b76b9c9 and check out the titles I am offering for sale. Please remember to consider the cost of shipping as part of the total price. You will find my prices are often the lowest available. I have also come across some really nice 1970’s Mego Star Trek Action figures which I am listing on EBay. If you go to EBay, and enter the community section, you can search for me under the user id xuthl69 and see the items I have for sale.
Also, if you collect current comics, I encourage you to consider ordering your books from me. I charge cover price plus $3 shipping and handling for the first book and an additional $1 for each book after that anywhere within Canada. This may sound expensive, but with the cost of gasoline continually rising you really can’t lose. This is also ideal for readers living in cities and towns without a local comic shop.
Lastly, if there is a book you are looking for but can’t find, drop me a line and I will see what I can find for you. I have a good network of sellers and have had great success in the past. Feel free to contact me at xuthl@yahoo.ca.
Again, if you have any comments, I would really love to hear them. Please leave feedback!
Have a great week!
