Fortress_Maximus

Interesting I never even thought about getting the different sized ones to use.

This looks pretty nice, I might have to get one myself!

Exactly! I wonder why they made the switch? I hope they keep the clothing on the chickie to a min.

That fat f*** is so incredibly stupid he makes the show funny!

Must rewatch!

Hm, any reasoning why Sara is being replaced with a Japanese policewoman? Is it just so the average anime viewers in JP can relate to it easier?

*snip* 355945[/snapback] Hm, I have to respectfully disagree with you. Yes golden age lots are carefully watched, but even a buy and hold approach for those issues make better investments/returns than modern ones b/c of the steady demand. Demand for modern titles ranges hot one minute than cold. Yes it is partly true that dealers and comic stores can make estimated guesses on which titles should be popular, partly based on the writer and penciler. However, the key is knowing how many copies to preorder of the "hot titles" AND ordering the regular sellers AND "speculating" on the other titles. Remember all of these potential sales have to cover the company overhead, which if you are operating a brick and morter place it is not low, especially in a major city. Yes turn around is fast for modern comics but that is for the steady sellers, the rest of the speculated titles end up as shelfwarmers if the dealers cannot get rid of them. So again, flipping comics in bulk is not as simple as you make it sound. Even if someone were to attempt to buy on their own through a dealer, remember you still run the risk of ordering a title that does not meet its projected demand. Not all Jim Lee, Michael Turner, Ed Benes penciled issues command a high price and few command a 40% over cover resale price. And fewer still, remain in high demand unless the early issue(s) are part of a significant storyarc/crossover. Also once the books are headed for reprints, true demand remains high but you'd do better slabbing the few issues you got and then flipping them on ebay. But as we all know, even slabbing a hot title does not guarantee 100% return and certainly not a 500% return. Having a pulse on the comics industry, upcoming titles, and artists is not enough to stack things in your favor when attempting a reasonable resale profit margin. Have you ever researched many comic stores close down in your city, state? I have and it is alarmingly high, simply put it is hard to make a profit selling modern comics. 355966[/snapback] A business is quite different than a personal collector. I'm not talking about opening up a store, I'm talking about an investment which could make a profitable turn for a private seller. As someone looking for an investment, golden age are simply a luxury item for those that get lucky or are already owners. Actively obtaining these items is too cost prohibitive. We're also talking years for a golden age investment to turn an acceptable profit. Basically, the growth isn't much higher than inflation. The rest is just part of the risk. Nothing new there. When I was into comics, private sales and quick turnaround financed my hobby all by itself. 355990[/snapback] Growth of golden age comics is steady but it does vary depending on the title. Yes it is costly to enter if you are new, but as an investment it is no different than wine, cels, stamps or coins which all take years to appreciate. As for using golden age comics to turn an "acceptable profit", for some it is a worthy trade off. You might not find it worthwhile or highly cost prohibitive, but for others who do can afford the luxery it is nice to have, just like cels and slabbed comics/toys. I With golden age comics and slabbed comics you won't handle and/or read them. As such it is important to remember, few collectibles consistently turn a quick profit, if you can do it, more power to you. But I highly doubt you can do it consistently enough on a large scale which is what businesses try to do. Flipping potentially hot comics on a small scale just isn't profitable enough for most people, it takes too much time, prep'g, researching, storing and finding buyers. You mileage may vary.

Great pics and information Graham. Thanks!

Great! Need more pics guys!

I'd have to disagree. Modern comics are perhaps the best investment you could make. The average person has little to no hope of finding a cache of golden age comics at cheap prices that they can sell for thousands of dollars. Even estate auctions are now watched carefully and bidding is always high. Turnaround for modern comics is quite fast, usually no more than 6-10 months with profit margins sometimes as high as 500% plus. If one were to buy in bulk (say 50-100 units), in 6 months one could sell the books at 10-20% lower than the inflated street price to move them quickly and make a killing... Modern comic's news publications are always publishing upcoming titles with information on the artist/writer for each new title. You can easily use this news to tell which titles will be hot. Most fans of comics/sci-fi/fantasy have an understanding of the state of the industry and what is popular at the time, even if they never use the knowledge. We all knew the Matrix was the poo at one time, we all knew when McFarlane, Spawn, Turner, X-Men, Jim Lee, Lifield, Spider-Man, and a host of others were on top for a few short years. All it takes is using what you know and taking a risk. It's work, but it's worth it. 355945[/snapback] Hm, I have to respectfully disagree with you. Yes golden age lots are carefully watched, but even a buy and hold approach for those issues make better investments/returns than modern ones b/c of the steady demand. Demand for modern titles ranges hot one minute than cold. Yes it is partly true that dealers and comic stores can make estimated guesses on which titles should be popular, partly based on the writer and penciler. However, the key is knowing how many copies to preorder of the "hot titles" AND ordering the regular sellers AND "speculating" on the other titles. Remember all of these potential sales have to cover the company overhead, which if you are operating a brick and morter place it is not low, especially in a major city. Yes turn around is fast for modern comics but that is for the steady sellers, the rest of the speculated titles end up as shelfwarmers if the dealers cannot get rid of them. So again, flipping comics in bulk is not as simple as you make it sound. Even if someone were to attempt to buy on their own through a dealer, remember you still run the risk of ordering a title that does not meet its projected demand. Not all Jim Lee, Michael Turner, Ed Benes penciled issues command a high price and few command a 40% over cover resale price. And fewer still, remain in high demand unless the early issue(s) are part of a significant storyarc/crossover. Also once the books are headed for reprints, true demand remains high but you'd do better slabbing the few issues you got and then flipping them on ebay. But as we all know, even slabbing a hot title does not guarantee 100% return and certainly not a 500% return. Having a pulse on the comics industry, upcoming titles, and artists is not enough to stack things in your favor when attempting a reasonable resale profit margin. Have you ever researched many comic stores close down in your city, state? I have and it is alarmingly high, simply put it is hard to make a profit selling modern comics.

Are the missiles on the forearms removable? Thanks.

Ain't it sad? *sigh* I too experienced my share of overpaying for hot comics that are dead or close to worthless now. Modern comics are a horrible investment, stick to Golden Age or popular slabbed comics.

Do cel dealers ever attend? If so do you recall who has attended in the past? Describe them physically if you can recall. I.e. a male and female couple? a heavy set guy in his 50s? etc. Thanks.

Hm, can you post a link instead then? And I totally agree about the box size, these REALLY need to be reduced it is ridiculous and the shipping is a pain in the arse!

Pretty nice. Got any other designs too?

Great pics of the event and great pics of the costumes! Thanks for sharing! Just how popular IS Macross now in China anyways? It wasn't terribly popular when I visited awhile back. Oh and do you know when is the next convention that Mikimoto is scheduled to appear at? Thanks.

Same for me. Just can't justify the costs for the MR ones.

Whoot! Looks like I've have to dig up the old FMP dvds and have a marathon. Oh and as for the Tessa changing panty figures, it is really quite nice and pretty detailed for its size. Was tempted to get one but passed. It really isn't that eechi, you should see what you have in the doujinshis.

Ditto!

Do you have anything for the Nu Gundam?

A7, I am not judging animes -solely- based on their character designs, but they do impact my initial interest and motivation to rush out and rent any given title. Anime is a visual medium and as subjective as this is, subpar character designs completely detract from the visual enjoyment. Show the average fan just the cover of volume 3 of this series and I doubt they'd run out and watch it. Character designs do matter and as the white drew carey pointed out, yes I am extremely concerned about the "...prevailing use of these types of character designs overall". However, I am fully aware many series have mediocre designs but still weave excellent plots with captivating characters. Oh and as for Berserk, I happened to enjoy the anime b/c it left me wanting more, enough so that I supporte the untranslated mangas. Also I did like the character designs in the anime largely b/c they were consistent with the manga designs. Does this make me anal purist no? But, I do appreciate it when the production team makes a solid effort to capture and preserve the designs the original creator(s) made. I do not expect tv or ova series to have full animation, but, I have yet to see one that does b/c generally the budgets are too low. Now enough of this production discussion, A7 given you enjoyed this series and the plot, what other similiar series would you recommend? Thanks.

Well if TM is sold out, then wyf1326 post in the wanted section which ones you need, they come in different lengths and your prices. Good luck.

Correct the trio is from the Kotobukiya one coin set. http://www.hk-gensen.com/gallery/gunbaster/GunBuster.htm I rather like it. Btw, Noriko Takaya nice updates to the site.

No, I was referring to how the character designs for this series looks bland in the sense they look like other series designs as well, i.e. Ah! Megami-sama and VPMiyu tv, just to name a few. Gone are the days of stylistic character designs, where the attention to details and unique designs were IMO so distinct you could id the series and designer(s). Maybe I am one of the few but I've noticed a strong decline in the quality of character designs for tv and ova series. More and more series are simply using extremely similiar designs and they aren't even designed by same designers! I wouldn't be surprised if the widespread switch to digimation contributed to this situation. But enough of this tangent, I still will check out the series.

Thanks for the info and pics!