Plain and simple! I would walk into my LCS and say "I need a Avengers #110 please"...1. They would grab it from the back.
2. I would say "yes I'll take it".
3. I would pay for it.
4.Ride my Huffy bike home.
5. PLOP on my bed and read it.
6. Bag and board it.
7. Check it off my list and store it.
8. Then, go to sleep figuring out how much I can spend for a Avengers #109 and how many hours I would have to work at the store for it.
This was standard comic book living for a 12 year old.
There was no,lets see how much I will make on this comic if I put it on Ebay or putting it on FB to brag about my grand purchase. Just a moment of self achievement and nothing else.
Then I learned how to price a comic and Mr Heiner would say "Sit down and go through every page!" I soon learned I wasn't looking for quality I was looking to see if all the cutout coupons were still in the book. Then I would grade the comic. The awesomeness of going through Marvel and DC comics from the 50',60's, and 70's at some points were overbearing and sometimes they were out right disappointing as I picked through Hulk #181 missing the stamp or a FF #48 missing a mail in coupon. My success rate was horrible out of 10 Hulks #181 there would be 3 intact with the coupon. Keep in mind a coupon in a HULK #181 could mean up to a $1500.00 swing in value. Now in 30 years I have own at one point about 7 copies of this but had gone through about 30 copies to find intact issues. Now finally Marvel learned the fact they were unknowingly decreasing there product value. They Stopped and went a LONG time before that tragic mistake would ever happen again.
Well that long time has ended and the Marvel Advertising team have done a down right stupid mistake of printing a cutout coupon in all there new issues this month. Not just one but I repeat all. Now people are saying "OH NO ONE WOULD CUT THAT OUT THEY WOULD COPY IT!" Hmmmmm how do I answer this one with out sounding like a A%^. There will be plenty of um.. er... nice novice collectors out there that aren't to savvy on the defacing of a comic book. Why would we ever give them that opportunity though? Marvel cashed the check (I'm sure it wasn't a check) and said "why should we care about the worth of a comic once it goes out our door?" Bottom line Marvel you should! You should care about how much you charge the loyal reader and the loyal stores whom buy your stuff every week. You should care about your product having value and not the overbearing undertaking a fan has to do now knowing his new phrase is "hey is the coupon in it?"
Now is this just me being me on my soap box? Or is it me for every collector the last 75 years whom counted on Marvel and DC to always assure they don't redo their mistakes of the past. Time will tell 10 years from now. At least they didn't do a remake of NFL Super Pro Civil Alliance aftermath with a coupon in it or I would go IBER JEBERS on them! "I would never sell my collection so it doesn't matter!" Yeah, won't even answer that one too busy sorting the 10 collection we bought this week from people who said they "Would never sell their collection!"
So do you care or should anybody care? It doesn't effect the story line. So next time your turning the page and see this square piece missing from the next page, ask yourself.. Does it really matter?
Six Shooter Jesse James
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