I mentioned the other day that McDonald's is having their annual hockey cards promotion. I was reflecting on that when a thought occured to me.
The collectables market has ruined childhoods.
This one time a year is pretty much the only time that a kid can get his hands on hockey cards. I mean, you can't run down to the corner store anymore and buy a pack of hockey cards for a buck. Now, you have to go to some sportscard store and pay $3.95. It's become this exclusive thing.
It's the same thing with comic books. You can't do like when I was a kid anymore You can't run down to the drugstore and grab the latest Spider-Man off the newsstand. Now, you have to venture into a comic book store, where they sell it to you triple-bagged with warnings of not to open the bag, lest you ruin its resale value.
(I've got to talk to my aspiring comic book artist friend about this, who follows the industry. Do comic book artists like or dislike the fact that all comic books are sold in the direct market now? Are they upset that the medium doesn't reach a mass audience any more, or, because people have to go so far out of the way to grab the latest issue, do they think that they're finally being treated seriously as an art form? Gotta talk to him....)
I guess I"m just pissy about this because, as I've ranted before, I'm starting to see the same thing happen to action figures. Although, I'm learning more since when I wrote my initial rant.
I finally found out the proper reason why toys sold in the secondary market are so expensive. (The "secondary market" is buying toys in comic book and collectable stores; the "primary market" is, of course, Toys R Us and Zeller's and such.) Toys that are designed and sold directly through the secondary market are made in fewer quantities. Fewer of anything always drives up the price. So, that's why when you buy a DC Comics Superman figure at a comic book store, it'll cost $25, as opposed to $7.99 for a Mattel Superman figure at Toys R Us.
That still doesn't explain why I pay $7.99 for an Episode III figure at Toys R Us, but $25 for THE EXACT SAME FIGURE at Comic King. But it's a start.
Let's see...anything new on the campaign trail today?
The Conservatives unveiled their healthcare platform today. I'm not to sure about it. It's not that I'm not too sure about my opinion, I just don't know all the specifics.
The Bloc Quebecois raised eyebrows the other day. BQ leader Gilles Ducepe suggested that Quebec should have its own national hockey team to enter in international sporting events. For example, at the 2010 Winter Olympics, you could quite possibly see Team Canada vs. Team Quebec. This actually isn't new for Ducepe. Before the writ was dropped, he was also running around saying Quebec needs its own army and intelligence agency.
Actually, speaking of the BQ, they were quite savage on Royal Canadian Air Farce tonight. They re-enacted Paul Martin going to Rideau Hall to get Governor General Michelle Jean to disolve the government and call an election. Of course, when Maritn shows up at Rideau Hall, Jean goes all ape-shit. "Why the hell are you having a Christmas election? No one wants this!" Martin responded in kind. "You seperatist bitch! I made you Queen of Canada! Now grant me this!"
The segment ended with Jean putting a "Vote Bloc" lawn sign in front of Rideau Hall.
It was quite mean-spirited.
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