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NostoNews, March 1, 2012
by Tommy Jasmin
Caught up on data entry for the 1st time
Ok Premium Subscribers, we heard you. Top request - when will you guys get
caught up on new issues? For the first time, I believe, since Nostomania went
live in 2001, we are up-to-date on new entries in all 3 supported databases.
You won't see this on the production site until next month, when we roll out
the new pricing data, but it's a great feeling here. More detail on that,
along with some random ramblings, below.
Comics
Nostomania Data Specialist Pauly Nimmer has some choice words for top-tier publishers
Marvel and DC, after working long hours to get the Nosto database up-to-date these
past few months. Yes, we realize this is old news for collectors, but DC's decision
to reset all ongoing titles to number 1? "What the $#@?! was DC thinking?!"
said Pauly when he first saw his job for that month. He used to joke about how
Internet Explorer would struggle to bring up all the info for Detective Comics when
he'd have to modify that title (I told him to try bringing it up in Chrome instead).
It was a sad day, Pauly said, when he no longer brought up a title with a start
date of 1937, and had to create a new title for Detective Comics (along with
51 other titles that month, just DC). I agree with Pauly - when will Marvel and DC
learn? Sacrificing short-term profits for alienating long-term customers is not
good business. Stick with writing ongoing, quality titles and have self-respect.
Comics can be cool. Yes, even the top-tier characters like Batman, Superman,
and Spider-Man can ooze cool if you just let the great writers and artists do their
work and not mess with the numbering. Some months, Pauly will whine (rightfully so)
that he has to enter over 70 new titles. Detective Comics potentially hitting issue
number 1,000? Now that would have been cool.
Detective Comics #1, not 1937. A sad day.
Pauly has been equally frustrated by top-gun Marvel Comics for the past several months
as well, trying to unravel pointless, ridiculous renumbering schemes. Come on, Marvel!
Example: Black Panther: The Man Without Fear #523?! Then... series continues as
Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive #523.1?! "Seriously, last time I checked, normal
people counted in whole numbers, not 1, 2, 2.1, 2.7, 3", grumbled Pauly.
Coins
Getting coins caught up has been no walk in the park either. We would like to pass on
a note to our friends at Heritage Galleries - it's great you have such
knowledgeable staff that you are able to correct mis-id'd VAM and Overton numbers,
and correct them! This is a tremendous value to bidders. But please update the
PCGS numbers accordingly. Speaking of PCGS, when are you guys going to realize
we are generating better PCGS pricing than PCGS is? Wink.
Yes, very interesting times for coin collectors. Gold worth more than platinum.
The Obama Administration talking about reworking the alloy for pennies and nickels.
We sort-of agree here. You all know how many times I've commented in the past
how the metal and manufacturing costs for these coins far exceeds the value.
Go back to my
coin column from 2006 for an example. At Nosto, we think the U.S. should just
do away with the penny completely.
Also cool, IMO, is the fact that fairy tale finds are still happening to good people
This recent
Yahoo News story is a great example.
Other Stuff
Also cool in recent news is the discovery of the
Billy Wright comic collection. And I couldn't be happier that my
pal Lon at Heritage got the call on that one. I've been around comics for over 40 years, and I know the
good guys from the many not-so-good. Lon is one of the best.
Even in unsupported categories like Movie Posters, we get fired up when finds surface like
the
Berwick
Discovery, being offered by Heritage this March.
We had a similar find here in Madison, when the original Orpheum Theatre was bought and
renovated. I tried hooking Grey Smith up with owner Henry Doane, but for various reasons
it never happened and I have no idea who ended up getting the cache of original posters
found in a sealed pit in the theatre.
Thanks, we'll see you all next month.
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