tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post1702867877700558692..comments2024-01-14T11:45:23.991-05:00Comments on Occasional Superheroine: The Great PurgeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-11777187545330990962009-04-24T09:18:00.000-04:002009-04-24T09:18:00.000-04:00I've moved three times in the last six years, and ...I've moved three times in the last six years, and had to seriously cull the stuff each time. I still have too much. The last move (from NJ to Maine) cost nearly $10k. This is a nice reminder to start culling again *before* the next move -- rather than wait until it's too late!John R. Platthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18031328798487186988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-18020226077795098582009-04-21T14:10:00.000-04:002009-04-21T14:10:00.000-04:00BTW,
I have always bought to read, and not to co...BTW, <br /><br />I have always bought to read, and not to collect (except for maybe a two-year period in HS, before I wised up.) Just 33 years of buying comics and a couple collections along the way. (I still remember that Giant-size Power-man number I got when I was 5.) Most of my comics are unbagged and unsorted, which also adds to the nightmarish effort of trying to get rid of them some way other than recycling them.JMYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12016847165500501360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-65463330332623851602009-04-21T14:02:00.000-04:002009-04-21T14:02:00.000-04:00Since the age of 18 I have not lived in the same p...Since the age of 18 I have not lived in the same place for longer than 3.5 years and I am currently in that apartment until June when I move to London. There was even a home I still own in Rochester, NY in there at one point. I used to use my parent's house for storage of my comic books, but had those moved up to my place when I bought my home (which is rented out, because I was so smart and thought I could sell my house for more than my company could when I moved - I'm pretty stupid sometimes). <br /><br />The thing is I hate moving and I am bit of a hoarder. I never really got into collectibles, but books, DVDs, CDs, and comic books, I have tons of. <br /><br />I want my DVDs and most of my CDs, and all of my irreplaceable vinyl, I can sell or give away a loarge potion of my books, but what I really want to ditch is my comics. If I could find some 12 year old nephew or niece that would want them, I would just hand them over. I don't even have the ability to transport all 40 long boxes or so to a comic book store that might take them. <br /><br />They may just end up going into storage for now (my company will pay for it, so I have that going for me).JMYhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12016847165500501360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-80172474471661321752009-04-21T13:07:00.000-04:002009-04-21T13:07:00.000-04:00Ah... I've been collecting comics for almost 25 ye...Ah... I've been collecting comics for almost 25 years (Memorial Day). About five years in, I decided to start a special collection with the goal of donating it to a library somewhere. <br /><br />Every book I buy I buy for my collection. DVDs I buy to watch, and I initially view them twice, once without and once with commentary. CDs I store, but that collection takes up one shelf of a kitchen cabinet. <br /><br />I'll gladly take any comics or graphic novels which need a good home. I would suggest donating the GNs to the Brooklyn or New York Public Libraries. At the least, they'll be sold, at best, they'll circulate and seduce innocents.<br /><br />Glad to hear about your reboot. You guys gonna have a housewarming party? Maybe one in reverse, where people have to leave with something? If you need help schlepping, let me know. Will work for comics.Torsten Adairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01003810809542196460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-62680987424632409332009-04-21T10:03:00.000-04:002009-04-21T10:03:00.000-04:00Four years ago I moved from Holland to Northern Ir...Four years ago I moved from Holland to Northern Ireland... I arrived with about 12 'banana boxes' (book lovers might know this unit of measurement) of stuff, 8 of which held books & comic books. <br /><br />Even so, I got rid of about 20 feet of comic books (the European variety, not the US), gathered from my childhood onwards. I didn't have time to properly flog them, so I sold the whole lot to a salesman for a measly 100$. My brother shortly thereafter bumped into him, and was asked: "I already sold most of your kid brother's stock. Does he have more?". <br /><br />There are quite a number of comics I miss, which I wouldn't mind rereading, or would like to show to my girlfriend. Four years later I'm still sad about the books I had to let go, even though the shelves I bought here are groaning again.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-62151592944619636512009-04-21T04:33:00.000-04:002009-04-21T04:33:00.000-04:00The last time I moved, I moved into my mom's house...The last time I moved, I moved into my mom's house.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-21626352518557610442009-04-20T19:37:00.000-04:002009-04-20T19:37:00.000-04:00"People will no longer have 'stuff'."
Well that c..."People will no longer have 'stuff'."<br /><br />Well that certainly seems to be a view that designers and builders of increasingly tiny, crappy "high-end" urban condos would love everyone to buy into.Jack Norrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05347116217773724467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-8612593321519403922009-04-20T18:08:00.000-04:002009-04-20T18:08:00.000-04:00I just sold the Spitting Image puppet of Jo Brand ...I just sold the Spitting Image puppet of Jo Brand and a pamphlet of Alan Moore and Steve Moore poetry for $400 each.<br /><br />I wonder what else I've got?Rich Johnstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08094139982498797455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-72036374764555874292009-04-20T17:22:00.000-04:002009-04-20T17:22:00.000-04:00Great article you linked to, Philip!
People who b...Great article you linked to, Philip!<br /><br />People who buy comic books for any other reason besides sheer enjoyment and love for the stories have to understand something: these books -- unless they are strategically purchased golden, silver, or (sometimes) bronze issues -- will NOT make you rich in terms of investment. They won't even help you break even on resale. Trust me. I've been there. To boot, they become sometimes almost impossible to give away. I have *oodles* of single issues in my hallway to give away. <br /><br />Now, an actual retailer or professional comic book reseller might have more luck in this department, especially if they have a big stock and/or full runs of titles. But if you have three or four long boxes of mix-or-match comics from the last 20 years...<br /><br />Plus, in my case, we are moving into a 2nd story walk-up. That means that every box of comics I fail to get rid of has to be schlepped up the stairs. This is a great motivator to pare down.Vergehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10083468076834391732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-30014769573016313452009-04-20T17:08:00.000-04:002009-04-20T17:08:00.000-04:00Oddly enough, a post about the same thing here (it...Oddly enough, a post about the same thing here (it even is by a comic collector):<br /><br />http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/04/19/the-turning-point/<br /><br />I think having so much of a sentimental attachment to bits of plastic is irrational anyways. Be sentimental about loved ones or departed friends or a dog that died but don't be sentimental about bagged and boarded West Coast Avengers. They'll never pay your kid's college tuition and I'm not just saying that because I want everyone else to dump their collections so my full run will be worth more.philiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01251165633972808641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-27960706051658881242009-04-20T16:55:00.000-04:002009-04-20T16:55:00.000-04:00"Not leaving the neighborhood I hope!"
Nope, stil..."Not leaving the neighborhood I hope!"<br /><br />Nope, still in the neighborhood. Flat smack between Cortelyou and Prospect Park, which is where I wanna be. :-)Vergehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10083468076834391732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-65983072038484738842009-04-20T16:54:00.000-04:002009-04-20T16:54:00.000-04:00"People will no longer have 'stuff'. We'll all hav..."People will no longer have 'stuff'. We'll all have downloaded and stored movies, music, books, tv shows, etc. "<br /><br />YES!<br /><br />That was one of the reasons I had to let go of the CDs and DVDs. The lots I'm selling on eBay are dirt cheap, but they're only really designed for people who want the experience of a certain movie or song -- not to collect them. I had thrown the cases out for these things long ago to save room. <br /><br />Years ago, I collected DVDs mostly for the experience of owning them. I had ones that were sealed up and unwatched for years. It's truly a sickness, to collect that way -- to collect "just to have," but not really to watch. Worst of all were those films I had watched long ago but had no intention of seeing again -- I would just own them as some form of "tribute" to the movie. It was like they gave me sense of security, having them all lined up on my shelf.<br /><br />We are really heading towards a future where you can store your entire movie collection on a series of small memory sticks hanging off your keychain. The paradigm shift is huge.Vergehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10083468076834391732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-71562268551798215412009-04-20T16:46:00.000-04:002009-04-20T16:46:00.000-04:00"Still, posts like this put my 15 long boxes in pe..."Still, posts like this put my 15 long boxes in perspective."<br /><br />Years ago, I had a *gigantic* plastic tote filled with nothing but JLA/JSA related books alone. The sheer bulk can be breathtaking, once you start going through it.Vergehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10083468076834391732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-69344504824634366872009-04-20T16:31:00.000-04:002009-04-20T16:31:00.000-04:00Valerie you are doing the right thing getting rid ...Valerie you are doing the right thing getting rid of old things. despite being a comic nerd I'm marginally interested in comic books compared to how much I am into getting rid of things.<br /><br />A friend of mine works in real estate and he tells me how insane it is that people will pay $150/month for five years to store $200 worth of stuff, stuff that can easily be replaced like an old mattress.<br /><br />I went to college in Oregon,in Oregon and in the past ten years have moved to different apartments in SF, then to NYC. I then moved into different apartments in Queens for a few years and then back to SF.<br /><br />I have lifted and carried everything I own several times and so I've come up with a good system called "judgment day". Each thing I own has to go on trial. It has to prove that it will be useful to me in the future or at the very least that it's irreplaceable. The burden of proof is on the object.<br /><br />Books that are still in print? Clothes not worn for 12 months? All gone.<br /><br />I became totally ruthless, I even got rid of old photographs that had no sentimental value and the ones that still did I got rid of the double prints they would give. If I had four pictures of a friend from the same day, I got rid of the three least interesting.<br /><br />After doing this every time I moved and after moving maybe 5 times, I can say that I regret absolutely nothing and I don't miss any of the stuff I got rid of. <br /><br />You live in NYC, you can't afford to be like the Collyer Brothers<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collyer_brothers<br /><br />or my grandma. You are paying rent by the square foot, don't let any of your possessions get a free ride.philiphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01251165633972808641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-33412856949611183192009-04-20T16:16:00.000-04:002009-04-20T16:16:00.000-04:00Good luck - nothing like a good cleanse!Good luck - nothing like a good cleanse!Michael Perridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03242909241539640142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-53290376873312846982009-04-20T15:18:00.000-04:002009-04-20T15:18:00.000-04:00Oy
I have that same feeling (we bought a house an...Oy<br /><br />I have that same feeling (we bought a house and are moving). I just don't know if I'm ready for it yet. Stupid collections, they shouldn't have that much of a hold on me.<br /><br />This is inspiring though, I've gotta get rid of some stuff.Andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03785578592890453795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-38418074134956291702009-04-20T14:42:00.000-04:002009-04-20T14:42:00.000-04:00Not leaving the neighborhood I hope!Not leaving the neighborhood I hope!Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14969553331065412838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25566450.post-33638393613275115902009-04-20T13:57:00.000-04:002009-04-20T13:57:00.000-04:00I went through something similar to this when I mo...I went through something similar to this when I moved from Australia to Toronto. I had to get rid of everything. Furniture, no problem. I sold a mountain of CDs and DVDs. I have all my CDs in iTunes anyway. The rest of my DVDs I took out of their cases and put the discs into two boxes that I brought with me. I have those two tiny boxes here, next to the TV with hundreds and thousands of hours of entertainment. Who cares about the packaging? I got the movie. That's why I bought them.<br /><br />Same with CDs.<br /><br />And I'll wager it's the same thing you were experiencing with your book and people buying it digitally. Digital stuff is really starting to be seen as valuable, as we look to the content, rather than the context (packaging, point of sale, etc).<br /><br />People will no longer have 'stuff'. We'll all have downloaded and stored movies, music, books, tv shows, etc. The more the under 30s experience cheaper-than-ever international travel, the appeal of not having stuff must be broadening.<br /><br />I think this is great for the environment (apart from all that carbon-emitting said travel ;o), but sad for us. When I was throwing out a LOT of stuff (some kid who went in to the Dandenong Salvation Army and found all my Muppet Action figures must have had a FIELD day) each thing evoked a memory. Sure, it's stuff, but you can remember where you got it, why, how, the state of your life at the time, etc. How will people get that with digital sticks full of data? Maybe they will. Maybe they'll adapt as it happens. Who knows. Wow, this is long.<br /><br />Sorry. :o)caanantheartboyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207976911894528453noreply@blogger.com