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Post by holdyourfireal on Nov 8, 2009 22:25:57 GMT -5
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Post by bobc on Nov 9, 2009 12:30:21 GMT -5
That statute is COOL
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Post by humanbelly on Nov 9, 2009 20:51:41 GMT -5
I KNOW this'll come off sounding callous, and make me look like a fuddy-duddy, but---
Do people buy these statues?
I think they're almost always beautiful, and generally extremely cool--- but, the prices they command! Yikes! How many of any one particular figure do you suppose is sold, on average? I mean, there's a collector's market out there for almost anything you can think of (the fossil trilobite realm has unbelivable problems w/ forgeries and fakes from Madagascar, for example), but it just seems like this market would be quickly flooded, and fail to generate any profit after a fairly short time. I've had telemarketers in the past try to push me into purchasing them as collectible "investments", and that just instantly soured me on them.
Any thoughts? Is it a thriving trade?
HB
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Post by bobc on Nov 10, 2009 14:27:58 GMT -5
HB--I work with guys whose entire cubicles are packed with hundreds of statues like this. The fad seems to be fading a bit--but people think they are cool and feel they'll be worth a lot of money some day. A collector's item kinda thang. I have figurines of my beloved Black Panther, Medusa, the Silver Surfer, Galactus and the Scarlet Witch. I only buy the ones that I think are really well done. I'll probably get this Ant Man guy.
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Post by starfoxxx on Nov 10, 2009 16:10:20 GMT -5
I have to agree with humanbelly. The statues look great, but I wish I had the disposable income to throw around like that!
I guess I'm old-school, but I'm still stuck on ACTUAL comic books (only the occassional trade), rummaging through dollar, fifty-cent, or quarter-bins, and action figures (but only the ones I REALLY want, or any Avengers figures that have never had a toy before), and preferably loose(cheaper), at that!
I often see statues at comic book shops, but they never seem to move......almost like a STATUE!
Truthfully, I think the prices are RIDICULOUS! (but hey, I still am reluctant to pay $3.99 for most new comics!)
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Post by humanbelly on Nov 11, 2009 8:27:14 GMT -5
HB--I work with guys whose entire cubicles are packed with hundreds of statues like this. The fad seems to be fading a bit--but people think they are cool and feel they'll be worth a lot of money some day. A collector's item kinda thang. I have figurines of my beloved Black Panther, Medusa, the Silver Surfer, Galactus and the Scarlet Witch. I only buy the ones that I think are really well done. I'll probably get this Ant Man guy. H-h-hundreds? Hundreds?? Good heavens. Whilst I must say, it sounds like you've kept your personal foray into the world of these collectibles under reasonably disciplined control, Bobc, I am thunderstruck at the idea of buying HUNDREDS of them! (Even given the fact that those little mini-busts can be had for, like, $10-$15.) Okay, this is me perpetuating a very-likely GROSSLY unfair stereotype, but--- are these guys married? If I came home with even ONE of those premium ones, my wife would promptly make me put it in the microwave (I do most of the cooking 'round here), melt it down, and subsist on it for two months. And then be thankful that I got to have THAT much! Alright, and assuming that some are married. . . sheesh, do they have kids? ("Hmm. College tuition or a full-size Elektra statue? Oh, it's so hard to decide. . . ") Ohhhhh, it just gets me goin'. Tell your co-workers I'm rather concerned. Maybe get them out in the sun more. Something. (Apologies to any I've offended. TRULY no harm meant!) HB |
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Post by bobc on Nov 11, 2009 18:25:54 GMT -5
No HB--most have never kissed a girl. Or even a goat.
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Post by humanbelly on Nov 12, 2009 5:56:47 GMT -5
Good grief, when kissing goats is the 2nd option on the list, the ol' social skill set is in a sorry state, indeed. (Hmm- nice alliterative phrase, that. . .)
Bobc, TELL them! Tell them that a life lived vicariously is barely a real life! Tell them to get out of their comfort zone-- it's 'way too much like a drug addiction! Tell them that creating art without true life-experience informing it is little more than creating pretty decorations!
The geeky/socially-awkward quotient tends to run painfully high in our realm-- but one doesn't have to surrender to it.
Yeesh, I feel like I'm their Dad, all of a sudden.
HB
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Post by bobc on Nov 12, 2009 13:34:17 GMT -5
I'm with ya, my brutha. I work with the biggest introverts in the world (not all, but a large percentage). I can't lecture them because I look like the guy who beat them up in high school. In fact, I've really had to tone down my personality so as to not scare anybody.
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Post by rosecarver on Nov 14, 2009 8:24:55 GMT -5
That Ant-Man statue looks really great, and if I were still collecting I'm sure I'd get it! First off, I'm not offended (well, not TOO bad  ) by any of the posts here. I just feel the need to explain some folks' addiction of collecting. In my collection room, I have about 42 (mostly Bowen) statues, 8 trays/sets of HeroClix, 140 action figures, 10 pewter statues, 80 of the small metal figures that came with the figure's magazine, 20 posters and 34 long boxes (over 9,156 individual) of comix. While my collection is not as large as other folks', that's what I've got displayed on the walls and in curio cabinets, along with other various comic related items. Yes, I have kissed a girl. Trust me, it is over-rated.  Yes, I have a 21 year old son who just graduated with his Bachelor's in English from Cal State East Bay. Nope, I haven't kissed a goat...I'll leave that to others! I started collecting comic books while in the Army in Augsburg, (at the time 'West') Germany, while I was married, and while we had our son. I continued collecting books and moved to action figures and statues and other items. What makes people become 'addicted' to comix, statues, or anything for that matter? It has got to be a deep interest, a love if you will, for whatever the genre is. I do love many things about comix. (Yes, I do know it is 'comics', I chose to use the other spelling!) If they bring you pleasure and you can afford a certain level of expenses related to them, what is the harm done? If it isn't hurting the collector, how is it hurting anyone else? I'm not talking about folks who spend all their paycheck on a collection and neglect other bills or family members...that is a totally different subject. I'm talking about people who are living life, and part of the enjoyment of living that life includes surrounding themselves with things they love. I see nothing wrong with having a huge collection. Unless it is kids. The reality show where the family has 12-13 kids, that is ridiculous!  I'll finish up by saying that I have stop collecting cold turkey. No more comix, statues, HeroClix, action figures or anything else. It was for a variety of reasons, but it had nothing to do with relationships. I still enjoy comix, and get my 'fix' now by perusing the comic related website, including this one. I appreciate y'all posting shtuff here, because it keeps me updated on my favorite characters...thanks! ;D |
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Post by humanbelly on Nov 14, 2009 15:28:29 GMT -5
That Ant-Man statue looks really great, and if I were still collecting I'm sure I'd get it! First off, I'm not offended (well, not TOO bad ) by any of the posts here. I just feel the need to explain some folks' addiction of collecting. I still enjoy comix, and get my 'fix' now by perusing the comic related website, including this one. I appreciate y'all posting shtuff here, because it keeps me updated on my favorite characters...thanks! ;D Your entire post here was extremely refreshing, RC, and quite heartening, to say the least. As much as I may have been coming off with a "these people need to get a life!" attitude (directed largely, I must say, as Bobc's poor co-workers), I am, of course, a lifelong comic book collector myself, and have amassed a fair bit of silly Incredible Hulk paraphernalia over the years. And the attitude, I'm sure you realize, was far more in fun than in earnest. Heh-- back when my son was a wee lad, we managed over the course of a couple of Christmases and birthdays to amass about 40 or so of those 12" ToyBiz Marvel action figures that came out in the 90's--- getting them for steeply discounted prices, since they never sold too well. It's a good question- What makes a Collector? Is it the "having" or is it the "acquiring"? I know that I love both aspects-- but the mitigating factor is generally cost. If I found myself saving up 2 or 3 thousand dollars to try to purchase an original copy of Avengers #1, I don't think I could ever enjoy it. That's really the only thing that raises my eyebrows w/ the Bowen statues. Man, if they were five or ten dollars each, I can promise you there would be several score of them in our comic book room. (Yep, we have one, too. Believe it or not, it was a potential aspect of this house that caught my indulgent wife's eye long before it even occurred to me.) Obviously, there are moments when the hobby borders on compulsion or even addiction, but as you yourself would seem to be an encouraging testament to, the remedy at that point is to have the strength to say, "enough", and to step back and grant yourself the liberty to enjoy the bird-in-hand, as it were. The only criticism I could make about folks that have the kind of liquid capital it takes to collect those high-end items (in this or any other hobby, in fact) is that it invariably creates artificial investment bubbles, which eventually do someone considerable damage down the road when they pop. But that's never going to go away, so I suppose there's no point in my fussing about it. Hey, congrats to your son! Well done on getting him through. Kissing girls is the BEST, man! Won't get me to yield on that one! (I mean, I only have been kissing my wife for the last 20-some years-- except in the line of duty-- but still, I'm a life-long fan. . . ) HB |
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Post by spiderwasp on Nov 15, 2009 23:04:15 GMT -5
Ha, I'm not even going to delve into the "Kiss the girls" section of this thread although perhaps that could evolve into it's own topic.
As far as the statues/bust - I have 37 mini-busts. I'm not sure whether I like having or aquiring them best but I really think the aquiring may be in the lead. I was married for 8 years with 2 step-kids. I still bought comics but not that many. I used to look at the busts and statues and know there was no way I could afford them. Now that I'm divorced and there's only me to worry about (And I have to admit I'm liking it that way) I have a little more disposable income. I can now afford to buy more comics. Unfortunately, there are very few I want so I've taken to other avenues to fulfill my comic addiction -primarily e-bay. I enjoy the hunt as I patiently wait for a good buy on a bust that I want (The main ones I want but don't have right now are Silver Surfer, Beast, and Falcon.) I wait until I can get them at a good price and buy them. They are something completely unnecessary and just for me but it feels good to be able to make purchases like that after years of not being able to. I still haven't moved to full sized statues though and won't until I win that lottery.
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Post by humanbelly on Nov 22, 2009 7:01:13 GMT -5
Ha, I'm not even going to delve into the "Kiss the girls" section of this thread although perhaps that could evolve into it's own topic. As far as the statues/bust - I have 37 mini-busts. I'm not sure whether I like having or aquiring them best but I really think the aquiring may be in the lead. I was married for 8 years with 2 step-kids. I still bought comics but not that many. I used to look at the busts and statues and know there was no way I could afford them. Now that I'm divorced and there's only me to worry about (And I have to admit I'm liking it that way) I have a little more disposable income. I can now afford to buy more comics. Unfortunately, there are very few I want so I've taken to other avenues to fulfill my comic addiction -primarily e-bay. I enjoy the hunt as I patiently wait for a good buy on a bust that I want (The main ones I want but don't have right now are Silver Surfer, Beast, and Falcon.) I wait until I can get them at a good price and buy them. They are something completely unnecessary and just for me but it feels good to be able to make purchases like that after years of not being able to. I still haven't moved to full sized statues though and won't until I win that lottery. I think. . . I think- or perhaps wonder- if the-is common "Collection Obsession" (wow, what an ironically apt use of that bygone title!) is an inborn holdover of our prehistoric hunter/predator instinct? We identify prey. We methodically track it down, when necessary. But we always recognize when an opportunity to strike unexpectedly occurs. We have an inexplicable sense of fulfillment when we're successful, which far outweighs the practical value of what we've collected, when you look at it objectively. But the acquiring (or hunting) does seem fulfill a very primal desire in so many of us. How many of you compatriots out there who have been fortunate enough to complete a run of a long title have felt a palpable sense of disappointment upon achieving your goal? It's like you've caught the last wildebeest, and now the sustaining herd is gone. "Now what??" And there's NO END to the vast array of things that people will actively and passionately collect. Which would certainly suggest that the ACT of collecting (or hunting) is far & away the greater primal call being answered here, and that it's not any particular recognition of the value of whatever's being collected. The behavior patterns are really the same across the whole spectrum: Comic book collectors, lunch boxes, stamps, trilobites (as I mentioned earlier), fine art, fabric, hubcaps, feathers, butterflies, antique hand tools, bottle caps, Hummels, Christmas ornaments, antique Native American pottery (you guys ever read the Mile High Comics guy's posts? Wow-- there's an Alpha hunter if ever there was one!), musical instruments, buttons-- lordy, I'm sure pages could be filled. But I think, disparate as they seem, they're all being driven by the same primal instinct. Man, I think I'm onto something here. Do you suppose someone's already nabbed this for a PhD thesis or anything? I wonder if it's too late to wildly expand my educational horizons. . . (okay, yes it is. Maybe I'll set my brilliant son onto it. . . ) HB |
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kidcage
Reservist Avenger
Posts: 167
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Post by kidcage on Nov 24, 2009 19:25:52 GMT -5
On the statue front, that is a wicked looking statue. In the collecting OF statues front, I still haven't been able to nab ONE, lol. Now the lead hand-painted "Marvel Classic Figurines" with the magazines, I have eight, all Avengers. Those are about as close to statues as I get. If I *had* the money to buy one of these statues, would I? Sure, but it'd better be Hawkeye |
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Post by bobc on Nov 30, 2009 15:02:02 GMT -5
I have to say I am surprised at the hoopla my comment about "kissing a girl" has created. There was a Saturday Night Live skit back in the 90's where Captain Kirk asks the guys at a Star Trek convention if they'd ever kissed a girl, and they just looked away in shame. I was just making a joke.
Listen, I collect comics, make video games for a living, and go fossil hunting every weekend. It's hard to get much nerdier than that!
I also collect figurines but only if they are really well done--and this Ant Man figurine fits the bill.
And yes kissing a girl is over-rated. Goats on the other hand...
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Post by Shiryu on Dec 11, 2009 15:14:41 GMT -5
Count another one who has kissed a girl ;D I don't have any model/statue of comics' characters, but I have a collection of (so far) 78 figures based on an anime I'm fan of. They usually come out monthly so it's not too bad, but I have once or twice bought figures I didn't particularly like only for completism reasons (although I stay away from the limited releases costing over 100$). I've never had the guts to calculate how much I've actually spent on the collection ^^ But on the other hand I don't smoke or drink, and either of those habits, let alone both, would probably cost me more monthly. |
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) by any of the posts here. I just feel the need to explain some folks' addiction of collecting. 
