Comic Book Collecting Association

The Comic Book Collecting Association, or CBCA, is an organization dedicated to promoting the hobby of comic book collecting. Its membership is composed of collectors, dealers, and other comic book enthusiasts. It is modeled after other notable hobbyist organization such as the American Philatetic Society and the Universal Autograph Collectors Club.^[1] The CBCA is a not-for-profit corporation registered in the State of California.

History

The Comic Book Collecting Association was created in December 2009 by the members of another organization, now defunct, the Network of Disclosure (NOD). The Network of Disclosure was a group whose members pledged to disclose any restoration or enhancement on comic books that they sold. The members of NOD voted on December 12, 2009 to change the name and mission statement of the organization to reflect the much broader goal of promoting education, fellowship, and ethics within the hobby. As a result, the Network of Disclosure ceased to exist and the Comic Book Collecting Association was created.^[2] The CBCA was publicly announced on February 22, 2010 on several prominent comic book-related websites and publications. The organization currently has membership in the United States and in several other countries.

Mission statement

The official mission statement of the Comic Book Collecting Association is as follows

The Comic Book Collecting Association (CBCA) is a non-profit international organization made up of comic book enthusiasts who share an appreciation for the history, artistic merit, and significance of the comic book medium as an important element of popular culture. The mission of the CBCA is to promote the comic book art form and hobby of comic book collecting for people of all ages by encouraging fellowship among comic book enthusiasts, providing information and education to the public, and helping to facilitate the buying, selling, and trading of comic books and related material in an environment of trustworthiness and integrity.^[3]

Code of Ethics

Members of the CBCA are required to adhere to the following Code of Ethics:

In general, CBCA members are expected to exercise common sense and courtesy in dealing with each other and with the general public. Members must share in the responsibility of furthering mutual trust and respect between the hobby and the public by conducting their comic book and comic-related business with fairness and integrity. Members should not act so as to bring reproach or discredit to the CBCA, or impair the prestige of the membership therein. In particular: 1. The CBCA recognizes that members are obligated to conduct business in accordance with local, state/provincial and federal laws. Members will also support and be governed by the bylaws of the CBCA, and by such rules, policies and regulations as may be in force from time to time. 2. A CBCA member shall be responsible, to the best of their knowledge, for the accurate description of all comic book and comic-related material offered for sale. All conservation, restoration, enhancements and significant defects should be clearly noted and made known to those to whom the material is offered or sold. 3. Terms and conditions of sale, including refund policy, should be clearly and explicitly stated in all sales venues or defined between seller and buyer at the time of sale. However, these terms are not immutable and may be renegotiated by mutual consent. It should be made clear at the time of offer whether or not material is offered subject to prior sale. Sellers must also have a clearly stated return policy in the case buyer finds that any restoration, conservation and/or enhancements have been done to the comic book or comic-related item. Members who provide comic book related services (conservation, restoration, appraisal, etc…), must clearly advertise their Terms of Service to prospective customers. 4. The CBCA recommends that members who provide conservation, restoration and enhancement services follow the code of ethics of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. The CBCA requires that members strive to attain the highest possible standards in all aspects of conservation, restoration and enhancement. Members shall practice within the limits of personal competence and education as well as within the limits of the available facilities. While circumstances may limit the resources allocated to a particular situation, the quality of work that the member performs shall not be compromised. Members shall also document examination and treatment by creating permanent records which shall be made available upon request to the customer and future owners of the item. Please contact the CBCA for sample record keeping forms. 5. A CBCA member will fulfill all contracts (either oral or written), make prompt payments and deliveries of items bought and sold and take immediate steps to correct any errors made in any transaction. 6. A CBCA member should neither approach nor solicit customers in any other comic sellers shop, convention booth, or place of business, physical or electronic, without the introduction or consent of the seller. 7. CBCA members will conform to the accepted standards of dignified advertising. 8. A CBCA member will neither buy nor sell comic book or comic-related items of which the ownership is questionable. A CBCA member shall cooperate with law enforcement authorities and the CBCA Board of Directors in the effort to recover and return stolen materials, and apprehend and prosecute those responsible for the theft, including, but not limited to, providing the names of the persons involved. 9. A CBCA member shall not knowingly violate copyright laws by selling, trading, distributing, or creating unlawfully produced copies of works currently protected by copyright, without the written, oral, or implied consent of the copyright owner.^[4]

Current and Past Directors and Officers

Directors:
Patrick Beam (2009–Present)
Mike Greenwood (2009–Present)
Michael McMurray (2009–Present)
Brent Moeshlin (2009–Present)
Michael Naiman (2009–2010)
Steve Zarelli (2010–Present)

President:
Marnin Rosenberg (2009–2010)
Jeffrey Shanks (2010–Present)

Vice President:
Jeffrey Shanks (2009–2010)

Secretary:
Mitch Jordan (2009–2010)

Treasurer:
Rob Kruezer (2009–2010)

Marketing Director
Mark Zaid (2010–Present)

Legal Counsel
Josh Entin (2009–2010)

Events

On July 25, 2009 the NOD was one of the sponsors of a presentation made at the San Diego Comic-Con called "From Cave Art To Superheroes: Comic Books & Social Commentary". This presentation was made by Mark Zaid.^[5]

On June 2, 2010, Chris A. Tsuda of San Francisco, California was the Grand Prize winner of the first CBCA Amateur Art Contest.^[6]

On August 27, 2010, the CBCA coordinated a trip to view the original artwork of Amazing Fantasy #15 and some of the comics housed in the collection of the Library of Congress.^[7]

Publications

The CBCA publishes a newsletter, Comic Book Quarterly, four times a year. It contains updates on the organization, articles, market reports, and other material related to the hobby of comic book collecting.^[8]

Other Notes

On February 22, 2010 Mark Zaid, the Marketing Director of the CBCA, was quoted in an Assoiciated Press article about the sale of a copy of Action Comics #1.^[9]

References

1. ^ "Comic Book Collecting Association Launched", Scoop, February 24, 2010, "[1]", March 24, 2010
2. ^ "Comic Book Collecting Association Launched", Scoop, February 24, 2010, "[2]", March 24, 2010
3. ^ Mission Statement, Comic Book Collecting Association, "[3]", March 24, 2010
4. ^ Code of Ethics, Comic Book Collecting Association, "[4]", March 24, 2010
5. ^ "From Cave Art To Superheroes: Comic Books & Social Commentary","http://vimeo.com/6690892",September 21, 2009
6. ^ The CBCA Amateur Art Contest - And the winners are...
7. ^ "CBCA Visits Library of Congress, Sees Ditko Art","http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/public/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=34&s=259&ai=99726",September 10, 2010
8. ^ Comic Book Quarterly, No. 3, Spring 2010"[5]", June 23, 2010
9. ^ "Copy of 1938's Action Comics No. 1, featuring debut of Superman, sells for record $1 million", www.nydailynews.com, "http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2010/02/22/2010-02-22_copy_of_1938s_action_comics_no_1_featuring_debut_of_superman_sells_for_record_1_.html", February 22, 2010

External links

• Comic Book Collecting Association