Neighborhood Collections

[shaxper]

This is an idea I've been tossing around in my head. I don't have the energy to implement it on my own, but what do you guys think of it? Do you think there's any chance of rallying enough support to launch such a project?

The idea is to design a standardized system for "grading" a private collection. Certified volunteer graders would then go to people's homes upon request, grading their collection and posting that info to a central website. Collectors would then be able to determine how their collection compares to others in the neighborhood.

Now, this may sound pointless at first, but haven't you ever wondered how many other serious collectors live near you? Wouldn't you like to know about other people in your neighborhood that are on the same level of seriousness when collecting as you are? Wouldn't it even just be fun to know how your collection stacks up? I know I can't have the best comic collection in my city, but maybe I'm in the top ten. I'd love to know.

So it works like this. Your collection is graded on several categories. I'm thinking they would be:

Key issues - First appearances, major events, and maybe particularly old individual issues as well.

Runs/Themes - Any complete runs you've acquired (obviously some would score higher than others) as well as any theme collections you've put together (surrounding a particular character, creator, or even something like Infinity Covers).

Obscurity - Stuff that's just impossible to find.

Condition - For collectors out there concerned with owning the highest grades of specific books. Obviously, a collection of 60,000 VG books would also grade lower than a collection of 60,000 NM books.

Collection size - Self-explanatory

Collection age - mean and/or median age of the general collection. 60,000 Golden Age books should score higher than 60,000 bronze agers.

Ideally, I wouldn't include a category on collection value. Ideally, the best collection across the categories should be amongst the most valuable. Also, a collection of 40,000 X-force #1s could come out scoring as high as a NM copy of Batman #1.



So a collection would be scored across these categories (no, I haven't worked out the grading specifics yet). Once the scores were uploaded to the web site, the collector could see how their collection stacks up against other collections in the town or city, other collections in the county, other collections in the state, region, country, continent, and even world.

Obviously, this would all be a lot of work (website maintenance and scorers being the hardest part), but do you guys see the value in establishing a system like this? I'd really like to see something like this get started. Heck, there's probably even room in there to make a nice profit out of it if you charge for scoring and sell advertisement space on the site.

[Aaron King]

I think it's a neat idea (kind of like Diamond's Comic Shop Locator), but I'd love to just upload my own collection and browse others'... I don't really care about having my collection graded or what other people's scores are. It'd be fun if we all had links to our collections in our profiles here on CBR; I can think of a number of posters here whose collections I'd like to browse.

Also, is there room in this for TPBs & etc.?

[shaxper]

Not a bad counter-suggestion. Maybe that's something that can be arranged here. We could probably integrate a program like Realms of Wonder in order to do it.

[Jolly Mon]

On the other hand, would you want other collectors in the neighborhood to know you have 60,000 Golden Age comics in high quality condition? Once they figure out who it is from on-line hints, it sounds like a burglary waiting to happen. Not that my collection would be a likely target....

[shaxper]

I'd imagine anyone with 60,000 Golden Age comics can afford a decent security system ;)

[Cei-U!]

I've been robbed more than once by my "fellow collectors," people I was supposed to be able to trust, so you'll forgive me if I think your suggestion to give total strangers access to my comics sucks.

Cei-U!
Once burned, twice shy!

[Kan-Man]

I agree that it is a security nightmare to have these collections associated with names and locations. Forget about comics for a second, would you want easily accessible information to be posted regarding a collection of anything else valuable - jewelry, books, art, etc?

Now, I thought you were suggesting something else altogether - a business proposition where collectors/experts would come to your house to appraise your collection and then the collection could be posted online (under a code name or something else to protect the collector's identity) so that others could see the collection and make offers to purchase it.

I know that's totally different from what you were proposing, but I bet that could be a profitable business venture for someone enterprising enough to launch it.

[shaxper]

The idea is not to give a full name and street address, guys. That would be stupid. All you'd be giving is a username and city.

[Kan-Man]

The idea is not to give a full name and street address, guys. That would be stupid. All you'd be giving is a username and city.

In that case, I would think you could do that here. People could share their inventory, issues of note, photos, etc. I could also see it becoming something larger like the sites where people share pictures from their original art collections.

The stumbling point to your original concept, in my opinion, is finding the "certified volunteer graders". Since this is just for fun, I would think the collectors could do it themselves and let others be the judge.

[shaxper]

The stumbling point to your original concept, in my opinion, is finding the "certified volunteer graders". Since this is just for fun, I would think the collectors could do it themselves and let others be the judge.

I think it becomes an issue of whether the primary purpose is to share or to rank. In my mind, I really wanted to take a more competitive approach. If you don't have certified people ranking in such a situation, then you're going to get a lot of lying and exaggerating.

But if the primary focus is just to share, it's easier to do that in a less structured way.

[MichikoS]

I really wanted to take a more competitive approach.

??
shax, why would I want to be competitive? I don't feel the need to compete in any way concerning comics. I am content to learn, share and enjoy the company of others who like to READ comics. The fact that you have a NM copy of Avengers #57 and I have a VG copy is irrelevant to this forum.

Help me understand your idea better. Is this neighborhood assessment idea strictly a commercial undertaking? Wouldn't an inventory (without grades, or with approximate grades) be as much information as one would need in order to know who is collecting what in your general region? Is the idea to build a community of interest, or to see who's collection is more valuable? If the latter, I'm not interested. Sorry.

Michi

[shaxper]

or to see who's collection is more valuable?

It's not an issue of comparing dollar values, but you have the general idea in the sense that it is about comparisons. I do think it's fun to be able to see how your collection compares to that of others. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, and that's fine. It's interesting to me to know where I stand in comparison to others, not for the sake of bragging (I'm not a fan of pissing contests), but just for the sake of understanding your own collection in relation to what other collectors have managed to put together. I guess I'm a bit like the homeowner who takes pride in his lawn, but genuinely needs to know if it's up to snuff with the rest of the neighborhood. You can take immense pride in having the best lawn on the block, or find motivation to make your lawn even better after seeing what the neighbors down the block have done. It's not necessarily about being the best, but it is about taking an interest in how your collection compares to that of others. Naturally, comic collecting isn't just about "who's got the best collection?" but that doesn't mean I'm not interested in knowing the answer to that question. I don't collect for the sake of being able to compare my collections to that of others, but drawing such comparisons does give me extra motivation to keep building mine.

If it's not your cup of tea, then it's not your cup of tea. I'm curious to see if there are other people here, though, that would see the value in such a thing.

[Jolly Mon]

The idea is not to give a full name and street address, guys. That would be stupid. All you'd be giving is a username and city.

I agree and never for a moment thought the information would be that explicit. But I've seen far too many Dateline Predator specials on perverts tracking down where kids live from even seemingly innocent comments online. Someone can track down your home address easier than you might think.

Regardless, I wish you well. As others have said, the competition aspect of collecting doesn't interest me.

[mrc1214]

Id be interested to see what other people have. Especially some of the folks on here. As far as people that live my me that would be cool as well. I already know a few that have amazing collections. But most of them are just for reading not actual collecting. As far as seeing what people have on here itll just give me more too add to my want list. Are there any threads regarding what people have on here???

[shaxper]

Id be interested to see what other people have. Especially some of the folks on here. As far as people that live my me that would be cool as well. I already know a few that have amazing collections. But most of them are just for reading not actual collecting. As far as seeing what people have on here itll just give me more too add to my want list. Are there any threads regarding what people have on here???

This is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about. I feel the same way.

There have been a couple of threads that have covered this sort of thing over the years, but maybe it's time for a new one since collections change over time. Want to start it?

[mrc1214]

This is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about. I feel the same way.

There have been a couple of threads that have covered this sort of thing over the years, but maybe it's time for a new one since collections change over time. Want to start it?

Yea ill start it but it was your idea and I dont want to take credit for it.

[benday-dot]

??
shax, why would I want to be competitive? I don't feel the need to compete in any way concerning comics. I am content to learn, share and enjoy the company of others who like to READ comics. The fact that you have a NM copy of Avengers #57 and I have a VG copy is irrelevant to this forum.

Help me understand your idea better. Is this neighborhood assessment idea strictly a commercial undertaking? Wouldn't an inventory (without grades, or with approximate grades) be as much information as one would need in order to know who is collecting what in your general region? Is the idea to build a community of interest, or to see who's collection is more valuable? If the latter, I'm not interested. Sorry.

Michi

There's some neat ideas here. I am more interested in any approach that subscribes to the sort of information sharing philosophy of which Michi describes. Say, I want to know who on this board are the big Charlton collectors, or who perhaps are the Ditko specialists, or which posters like to focus on the romance genre? Things like that. So if a question was raised maybe we would all have a better idea as to where to more precisely turn our focus. The sharing of ideas relating to the further educational development and enjoyment of the hobby would be at the core of the sort of database I'd be most interested in seeing formed. I for one actually avoid collecting based on first appearances, deaths of characters, extensive runs, or sterling condition. I collect low grade, but aim for high variety. Not only does such make for the spice of life, but of a fine collection too. Just my opinion.

[Cei-U!]

This is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about. I feel the same way.

There have been a couple of threads that have covered this sort of thing over the years, but maybe it's time for a new one since collections change over time. Want to start it?

Now this I can get behind. I have no problem *telling* folks what's in my collection (obviously, since I have a thread on this board detailing exactly that). It's the idea of letting strangers into my house to evaluate it that triggers my paranoia. I still have no interest in turning it into a competition but information sharing is cool.

Cei-U!
I summon the inventory!

[shaxper]

There's some neat ideas here. I am more interested in any approach that subscribes to the sort of information sharing philosophy of which Michi describes. Say, I want to know who on this board are the big Charlton collectors, or who perhaps are the Ditko specialists, or which posters like to focus on the romance genre? Things like that. So if a question was raised maybe we would all have a better idea as to where to more precisely turn our focus. The sharing of ideas relating to the further educational development and enjoyment of the hobby would be at the core of the sort of database I'd be most interested in seeing formed. I for one actually avoid collecting based on first appearances, deaths of characters, extensive runs, or sterling condition. I collect low grade, but aim for high variety. Not only does such make for the spice of life, but of a fine collection too. Just my opinion.

High variety is definitely worth considering. I'd originally intended to cover that in my categories, but somehow left it out. I understand that you're still not interested in the basic principle of comparing for comparison's sake, but (in my original idea) a diverse collection would score well, even without "key issues" and high conditions.