Friday, December 12, 2008

MARVEL AVENGERS MOVIE: A long way off, comicbook fans.

The far off in the future Marvel Avengers movie could be considered both a journey and a destination...

A while ago, Marvel Entertainment announced that they were going to start producing their own movies; this was a major shift in the way that they had been doing business: before this, Marvel had been happy to accept the upfront cash by selling the movie rights to a character/franchise to a movie studio and letting them do all the work while garnering a share of the profits. By deciding to go the route of producing their own feature films while hiring studios to just make them under Marvel's supervision, Marvel is taking on a huge load of risk but is set to reap a huge load of success if this goes the way they expect. Apart from monetary success. Marvel would also be the proud owner of well made comicbook movies which is something that we don't always get enough of.

One obvious reason that Marvel wanted more control over their franchises would have to be because they have a bigger plan in mind; they want to set up a string of successful and well made films showcasing their brand - ie. their most iconic characters. Of course the best way to do this and guarantee that the films are made in the order that you want them to be made and released is to be the one making them. Marvel has decided to make the Avengers movie their target movie: the movie that is the light at the end of the tunnel for comic fans.

Marvel has a number of other movies scheduled for release before the Marvel Avengers, such as Iron Man II, Thor, Ant Man and Captain America, and all of these films are in some way serving to build up the hype for the Marvel avengers movie. you don't want this kind of build up derailed by a studio deciding that they won't be releasing the movie according to schedule after all.

Content wise, avengers should be interesting; by the time this movie is being shot, the cast should be in large part decide by the casting of prior movies. Iron Man, Captain America. Ant Man, Wasp maybe), the hulk, and any possible supporting characters that might be carried over from previous projects would almost all be decided before the avengers goes before the camera. I personally think that the casting of Captain America is one of the most important decisions facing Marvel at this time: such an iconic character has to go over well with the moviegoing audience if Marvel is to see any huge success with the Avengers movie. Captain america: The first Avenger is obviously from its title the lead in to the Marvel Avengers movie - as well as the fact that it is scheduled to be released a couple of months before the Avengers movie.

The Marvel Avengers movie is scheduled for a July 15th, 2011 release and is already being anticipated by Marvel Zombies everywhere...

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Buying Collectibles Online

Collectors are a particular lot in that they harbor a rabid interest in objects in which other people may not immediately perceive the value. But, regardless of what those who are not colloectors think, there is a massive market for rare antiques, artwork, comics, stamps, sports memorabilia and items derived from popular culture. Up till now, getting a hold of these items was difficult. Now however, the internet has made it easy to find these items.

There was a time when the only way to purchase collectible comic book items was either at trade shows trade shows, auctions or through mail order catalogues. Obviously, it's a lot more work to visit a trade show than it is to visit a webpage. Using the checkout function of a website is also a lot easier than having to write a check and mail it to a PO box. Clearly, the additional convenience of placing an internet order is a major plus when it comes to finding and placing an order for collectibles on the internet.

As well, the internet has seen prices drop on several rare collectibles. The reason for this is that on the internet searching for and finding the items is not a difficult task. Prior to this, if a rare collectible such as a 1950s comic book was only available through 10 stores in the United States, {most collectors} wouldn't have been aware that the comic book existed unless they went and visited one of the stores. Now, all 10 stores could advertise the comic book on Ebay simultaneously. So, even though the comic is a rare item, the scarcity factor is reduced and this brings the price down.

And speaking of price drops, Ebay's listing fees are pretty small as opposed to placing mail order ads. Instead of paying $500 for a magazine ad, Ebay charges a small listing fee and takes a cut of the sale. This reduction in overhead is another factor that lets the seller lower prices as well. As such, buying online is a much more cost effective option than following the traditional method.

Something to be aware of however: it is difficult to determine the condition of an item if one is buying via the internet. Photographs of what is for sale may not completely depict an accurate representation of the condition. Therefore, it is imperative that you make sure there is a return policy in effect. If the item is not in the condition you were led to believe then you should have the option of having your money refunded.

It is safe to say however, that most collectible dealers are very conscientious and they do not sell merchandise that's not as advertised. Therefore, the majority of online collectible purchases will go smoothly and will meet all expectations.