Frustrated, Broke and Tired

Twenty six years ago I started Collectors’ Corner (then Comics Corner) as a single page Xeroxed ‘What’s Hot, What’s Not’ newsletter given away at my local comic book shop.  

 

Soon Comics Corner began very popular, the print ran higher and eventually expanded to eight pages and included reviews on ALL things collectible such as toys, trading cards, etc.

For a number of years I hand-delivered copies to shops around town and mailed others across the country (paid for by ad revenue)

For the first 15 years all I had to do was notify manufacturers and publishers that I wished review samples of their products and PRESTO! within a week literally boxes of items would show up on my doorstep.

As the age of print slowly and painfully disappeared I switched over to the internet.  Review samples began to dwindle as hundreds, if not thousands, of review sites (I use that term loosely) began to drain what review samples were available.

Never mind that most review sites lasted on a few months, or years, and many falsified their readership/visitors numbers.

It is getting increasingly difficult to obtain review samples.  It’s frustrating because I turn out a consistent, well-written product and of those whose items I do review, love my reviews.  If only I could crack the review sample nut.

Being retired and on a fixed income I can no longer afford to buy collectibles, of any kind.  Even a $4 comic book is out of the question.  A dollar here, a dollar there-it adds up.  My wife and I need to eat, pay our bills and use what income we do have to last us through our retirement.

I’m tired.  I ‘m worn out from asking/pleading/begging for review samples. 

I’m exhausted from dealing with ‘newbie’ public relations/marketing people who only look at numbers (most of which are fabricated), videos by fan boys with no real content or context and badly written reviews from people who have no idea what it means to thoroughly review products instead of gushing about how ‘pretty’ or ‘awesome’ products are.

I’ve fallen victim to being old. It seems many younger people do not appreciate what I have to say.  Few take the time to read anything longer than a paragraph, if that.  

Everything is presented in snippets.  Getting to the meat and bones of a product review or a commentary is uncommon. It takes time and effort.

Too many people want to be entertained, not realizing that their critical thinking skills are slowly dissolving.

I want to succeed, to have my reviews appreciated and to have product support from publishers and manufacturers.

I refuse to promote anyone’s products presented to me as a press release.  I will not endorse any product unless I can see it, feel it, take it apart and analyze it on my own.

I don’t want fame and fortune, but I do demand respect and it seems that it is a vanishing attribute today.