aug002 Strikes Again!

Vault-Keeper · Post by **Vault-Keeper** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 1:33 am

Check this out---$202.50

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... %3AIT&rd=1

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 1:58 am

Oh come on, now, you KNOW he only wanted those three signed copies of X-O #0.

x-omatic · Post by **x-omatic** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:07 pm

and again.
A 2nd X-O 1/2 gold for 202.50

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... %3AIT&rd=1

Makes me consider selling my X-O 1/2 Gold CGC 9.6

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 12:01 am

This is just stupid now. This is not natural market dynamics, nor is Aug trying to complete a collection. He doesn't NEED all these copies, he's just hoarding them....and when REALLY RICH people try to corner markets, it REALLY screws with average Joes like us....unless you happen to get into that very small window and score, but for those who like the books cheap, it REALLY screws it all up.

Need I mention the Hunt Brothers, circa Jan 1980?

Vault-Keeper · Post by **Vault-Keeper** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:09 am

...I have an idea.

Let's see if we can get Greg to remove the X-O #1/2 & X-O #1/2 Gold from the 100% Checklist. He can say it's because they really came from Wizard, & not Valiant, & don't count as an official Valiant checklist item.

After all, it really "ain't all that" anyway. My fav is Ninjak Gold's Holofoil Chromium---is mesmerising & beautiful.

Anyway, then, if the prices fall any on the X-O #1/2 Gold issue, we can all get copies for cheaper prices.....

.....naw, that would NEVER work!.....

---Steve G

whetteon · Post by **whetteon** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 8:25 am

ZephyrWasHOT!! wrote:This is just stupid now. This is not natural market dynamics, nor is Aug trying to complete a collection. He doesn't NEED all these copies, he's just hoarding them....and when REALLY RICH people try to corner markets, it REALLY screws with average Joes like us....unless you happen to get into that very small window and score, but for those who like the books cheap, it REALLY screws it all up.

Need I mention the Hunt Brothers, circa Jan 1980?

I agree. He has moved from Valiant fan to market hoar and speculator. It seems obvious that he's simply trying to buy up the majority of them and resell them for $$ in the near or distant future. Is it coincidence that his target books are the rare and expensive ones? I think not

DawgPhan · Post by **DawgPhan** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 8:47 am

whetteon wrote:
ZephyrWasHOT!! wrote:This is just stupid now. This is not natural market dynamics, nor is Aug trying to complete a collection. He doesn't NEED all these copies, he's just hoarding them....and when REALLY RICH people try to corner markets, it REALLY screws with average Joes like us....unless you happen to get into that very small window and score, but for those who like the books cheap, it REALLY screws it all up.

Need I mention the Hunt Brothers, circa Jan 1980?
I agree. He has moved from Valiant fan to market hoar and speculator. It seems obvious that he's simply trying to buy up the majority of them and resell them for $$ in the near or distant future. Is it coincidence that his target books are the rare and expensive ones? I think not

I hope that he has fun sitting on all those slabs of valiant books...I can not see him making his money back on those things anytime soon...I can not understand why people spend stupid money on these books right now...they are going to plenty of 9.8 slabs to go around...atleast for the people that want them...hell comic kings gets a couple every time he submits it would appear

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 9:28 am

DawgPhan wrote:I hope that he has fun sitting on all those slabs of valiant books...I can not see him making his money back on those things anytime soon...I can not understand why people spend stupid money on these books right now...they are going to plenty of 9.8 slabs to go around...atleast for the people that want them...hell comic kings gets a couple every time he submits it would appear

I agree in principle, but we don't know how many he has to look at (or send in) to get a couple. If we are seeing 1 out of 5 that you think are 9.8 actually come out 9.8 - this is a low ratio for a 1992 book. And did you have to look at 20 to come up with 5 that you thought had a shot?

Still, though, as more are slabbed the demand has to increase or prices will decline rapidly. So, if it's just us buying - we will essentialy be trading.

wrunow · Post by **wrunow** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 9:39 am

I hear all the grief about Aug002, but you guys have an emotional attachment to the product and I don't think Aug002 does. You have to remember, he doesn't seem to be a collector, he is an investor, and he feels that these comics are a good investment right now. Does he know something we don't, maybe, maybe not. But his understanding of the market says this is where he wants to put his money, or some of it. Because of his financial situation, which is probably pretty good based on the amount of his purchases, these buys are probably not that big a deal for him, and, at some point he will move on, probably from boredom.

Unfortunately for those of us with limited budgets, this sucks, but, we can't afford to buy the marvel or dc keys either, slabbed or unslabbed.

whetteon · Post by **whetteon** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 10:01 am

wrunow wrote:I hear all the grief about Aug002, but you guys have an emotional attachment to the product and I don't think Aug002 does. You have to remember, he doesn't seem to be a collector, he is an investor, and he feels that these comics are a good investment right now. Does he know something we don't, maybe, maybe not. But his understanding of the market says this is where he wants to put his money, or some of it. Because of his financial situation, which is probably pretty good based on the amount of his purchases, these buys are probably not that big a deal for him, and, at some point he will move on, probably from boredom.

Unfortunately for those of us with limited budgets, this sucks, but, we can't afford to buy the marvel or dc keys either, slabbed or unslabbed.

I think we are allowed to give him grief. When aug002 buys his 12th copy of a particular Valiant comic he does two things: 1) keeps a collector on this board from getting a good deal and completing his/her collection 2) raises prices artificially and attracts speculators. Remember, the board members that post here buy valiant because we're fans and their cheap to own. Once you remove one of those variables you loose people’s interest and then all of this talk of rebirth becomes just another rise and fall story of the company we're trying to love.

Grrr. Now that you got me all worked up you wanna fight ?!!

wrunow · Post by **wrunow** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 10:05 am

Whetteon- As a Valiant fan I agree with you totally, unfortunately collecting is a business and a love for some, and in the business world the big fish eats first and as much as he wants, so until Aug002 is either bored or broke, he is going to buy what he wants when he wants.

TSB- The young economist routine is getting old-a lot of people have economics backgrounds, and its no "BFD". I inferr because after the guy has bought multiple copies of $200 books he is a little more interested in what he is doing than the average collector, and as far as his marginal utility is concerned, yeah, if he is lucky to have more money than the rest of us poor folks, it does cause him less pain to buy what he wants. He can buy anything he wants but chooses to do this with his money.

Ghetto D · Post by **Ghetto D** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 4:45 pm

Think of it this way:

If he is a true collector - good for him, may he enjoy his books!

If he is an investor one of two things will happen:

A: His gamble will work and the market will rise. All of us are winners as we can cash out on our extras. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, ehh?

or

B: He will flood the market with materials (along with other speculators) when the market is not ready to bear such a burden. Prices will fall out and those of us that care only for the books and nothing of the value are winners.

Either way, go Aug002! (As long as you don't get in my way.)

wrunow · Post by **wrunow** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 5:08 pm

You pretty much hit the nail on the head Ghetto, thanks.

wrunow · Post by **wrunow** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 5:14 pm

Nobody says it's simple, I am simply saying that there are a lot of people with economics degrees inthe world including myself but I try to use real world terms and concepts instead of textbook terms.

These are simple concepts that anybody would understand in just plain english.

Ghetto D · Post by **Ghetto D** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 5:23 pm

Shouldn't a discussion on how the government calculates the Consumer Price Index be housed in the Everything Else category. I hate to play administrator, but...

greg · Post by **greg** » Tue Apr 13, 2004 5:30 pm

I've created a new topic for this (and similar) discussions...
http://www.valiantcomics.com/valiant/fo ... .php?t=748