[bchat]

Thanks for the notice, narfstar.  I checked-out a little of what they had, but didn't get anything this site doesn't already have (I picked-up White Rider 6 and Boy Illustories 90, plus some recent books, should anyone care).  My tastes for comics stays pretty close to superheroes, although White Rider is growing on me.

[narfstar]

I spent much of yesterday evening on their website. They do not have a lot of GA given their overall size. Their non-key low grade stuff onsite is also really cheap. Put in the OLDCOMICS  codeword to get 30% off puts a whole lot of stuff for under $5 and many under $2 or even under $1. I am still working on a preliminary list nearing $300   that I will of course be pairing way down  I have left out a lot of romance books that they have that we need. If anyone is interested in picking up stuff below ebay prices now is the time.

[PeterC]

I'm not planning on bidding on this one, but maybe someone else wants to...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=300296900415

74 poor condition golden age comics for $25 bucks plus shipping... not all public domain, but I think a few are...

Peter

[John C]

Of interest to nobody but myself, maybe, but I visited Amazing Comics (the seller of that auction) once, years ago.  It was a really nice shop, but I could never find it again, even knowing the address.  I had assumed they went out of business, but clearly that's not the case.

And yes, I'm pretty sure that other issues of Calling All Boys and True Comics are available here.  Most of the rest looks to be licensed or obviously renewed material (a fair amount of Archie and DC), should anybody be interested in it.

(Heh.  My last job was actually only a few minutes' drive from Sayville; if I was still working there, the auction would be extremely tempting.  Talk about instant gratification!)

[narfstar]

paper for fiche if anyone is interested
http://cgi.ebay.com/Masters-Comics-Vol-11-No-65-January-1946_W0QQitemZ280327973470QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item280327973470&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A15|39%3A1|240%3A1318

[Yoc]

Hey Narf,
For really long links like eBay I find using 'TinyULR' is the perfect tool to avoid broken links in posts.
Yahoo always buggers them up so Tiny is a must there.

Dead easy to use too - check it out.
http://tinyurl.com/

-Yoc

[narfstar]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Northwest-Mounties-1-Comic-1948-GD-Rose-Of-The-Yukon_W0QQitemZ270353879543QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ef258d1f7&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

[narfstar]

Key issue available. Maybe JVJ will want it for his collection
ebay item number 120425287439   

http://cgi.ebay.com/SHEENA-QUEEN-OF-THE-JUNGLE-1-FICTION-HOUSE-1942_W0QQitemZ120425287439QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c09e80f0f&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

[Yoc]

Narf,
http://tinyurl.com/[/b
Try it!

[John C]

Personally, I'm not a fan of the URL-hiders except where is actually solves a problem.  Since we're not limited by character count and there isn't any mysterious force breaking up long lines into itty-bitty pieces (heck, SMF even links the URL automatically, so there's not even a copy-and-paste step), it only serves to make it harder to guess what's at the other end.

eBay's may use really long URLs, but they're readable.  At a glance, I can see that the latest is an auction for a Sheena book.  The TinyURL version doesn't convey anything except "I use TinyURL."

In a forum like this, hiding the URL is only useful to trick someone into looking at the wrong website.

[Yoc]

The last third of Narf's link didn't 'take' JC.  Which would require people to retype the missing end to see the actual link.
Using Tiny is being nice and saving the reader the extra work. 

I'd suggest Narf use BOTH methods and make everyone happy.

[John C]

Ah.  I didn't look that far.

However...eBay doesn't care, as it turns out.  All that extra pipey stuff is irrelevant to the link, as is, really, everything after the question mark.  Click on it.  You know you want to...

That's what the world really needs--a URL processor that can trim off the extra junk on an address and still get to the same page.  For example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/SHEENA-QUEEN-OF-THE-JUNGLE-1-FICTION-HOUSE-1942_W0QQitemZ120425287439QQ

[narfstar]

memories54
has some cheap romances not on GAC or JVJ list

[Yoc]

Hi John,
I'm not sure it's the same but I'm on FIREFOX and installed a tool called Greasemonkey. (hey, how could I now with my avatar?)
Anyways Greasemonkey is sorta like Java and runs scripts.  From there you can install user made tools of a sort.
ie. One to remove all the junk when reading and posting on Gmail and one called TinyURL.
With Tiny if I hit 'shift-T' while on ANY PAGE that I'm looking at it pops up a box with an automatic TinyURL for it.
I just hit 'ctrl-C' to copy it and then I can paste that direct link to people.  Four keystrokes to get a url!

Google GREASEMONKEY if you want to check it out.

-Yoc

[John C]

No, I'm thinking of something that needs to be smarter.  As I said (or meant to say, if I didn't...), hiding the URL seems...wrong, since (snooty voice) hyperlinks are the backbone of the web.  More seriously, while I'm one of the least-paranoid people when it comes to computer security, I rarely touch TinyURL links.  It could lead to an article, a direct download, a virus-ridden page, an obnoxious video clip, or anything else (and if a hacker gets brief access to their table...?).

What I'm talking about is a hypothetical service that "knows" the structure of corporate URLs so that you get to the right page and it's obvious what you're pointing at, but all of the clumsy extra tracking information gets removed.  You know, the session IDs, the referrers, and so forth.  In fact, I've noticed a lot of TinyURLs point to nothing because of expired session IDs--they look fine to the poster, because they're still in a valid session, but nobody else sees it.

In the eBay case, it would isolate the item number (easily found) and build a new, clean link that points at that page, which is what I usually do manually when passing links around.

[Yoc]

John speaks Computer Speak.  Greek to me but I always appreciate someone who cares about our security.
With TinyURL I look at who is posting them to decide if they are safe.

-Yoc

[John C]

Sorry, it's not so much "technical" as "I assumed everybody reads these things."

Take a look at the original URL under discussion.  It comes in a bunch of parts that you recognize as you read them.  There's:
- The machine (cgi.ebay.com)
- A title
- A labelled item number
- A labelled command (ViewItem)
- A "hash"
- A tracking identifier (trksid)
- Tracking "parameters," eight in total, separated by those useless pipe characters

Every eBay URL follows that same format, of course.

The only "important" parts of this, obviously, are the machine (so the request goes to eBay) and the item number (to identify the page).  I suppose that the title might also be helpful (so that you know you're going to look at a Sheena book and not, say, a pornography stash), but it's definitely redundant.  The rest of the information?  That's just the "state" that Narf was in when he was looking at the item, and is of no interest to anybody except eBay's computer.

In an ideal world, that's what a URL-shrinker would do:  Chop out all that fluff and just give the smallest valid URL that works.

Of course, we could always rebel against the system and use HugeURL...

http://www.hugeurl.com/?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

[phabox]

Just took the plunge and bought three book that the site can use ( I Hope) Big Shot_052, Frankenstein_027 of which we only have a partial copy and a crime book.

I have earmarked almost a dozen other books from the same vendor that could be of interest to us and look ideal for scanning but I thought i'd 'play safe' for now and just start with these three books and so how thing go.

If they come though OK I will see about picking up a few more.

-Nigel

[Yoc]

Sounds exciting Nigel!
A dream of mine (no not those kind) is to see a collected Dick Briefer FRANKENSTEIN Archive!

[phabox]

Been a 'Frankie' fan since 1969 when I saw the original Karloff flik for the first time ever.

When it shows it will go straight to the top of my scanning list so fingers crossed it makes the trip across the pond without any mishaps.

-Nigel

[rez]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220455759479

Anyone bidding on this?

[Yoc]

Nope, did you rez?

[rez]

Nope, did you rez?

Was going to and was sitting here watching the clock and reading a forum when I'd misjudged the time estimate where I knew I had to be sitting there with the finger on the tab.

Clicked back and the auction was already over. Hate when that happens.
Figgered could have scanned the missing pages for the GAC scans and then resell the books.

One of those spur of the moment things. May see them back on there again tho' since you don't know what all is really going on behind the scenes of online auctions.

If you catch my drift

[Astaldo711]

Every once in a while I poke around Ebay to see what books they have. One time they had a very old Action Comics for something like $2.00. I put a bid in and a second later it went up. I put another bid in and it went up again. I just gave up.

[JVJ]

Every once in a while I poke around Ebay to see what books they have. One time they had a very old Action Comics for something like $2.00. I put a bid in and a second later it went up. I put another bid in and it went up again. I just gave up.

The way eBay works, Astoldo, is that you can place a bit for $100, but if the minimum bid is $2, your bid is recorded as $2. Anytime anyone places a higher bid, your highest bid ($100) is "consulted" and a new bid is placed for you up to, and including, the $100. The fact that the bid on the Action Comics kept going up on you is that someone had a high bid in place already.

My approach to eBay is not to try to outbid anyone but rather to simply place a bid for the highest amount I'm willing to pay. I won't let it turn into a contest or a game. Too frustrating.

ps. welcome aboard.

Peace, Jim (|:{>