I don’t have any issues with KC and use their free services to find new books to pick up.
I find KC to be great. But not for the hot lists or any of the hype stuff.
I like how if I see a random Bronze Age comic in a store or as part of a lot, I can see if it is on key collector (first appearance, etc). Or I can identify key issues in a run - or a series - when shopping lots online. I get that KC has flaws and not all “keys” are there. But it’s been very useful for me.
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I’ve said I like Key Collector and am friendly with its creator, Nick. I take some of Key Collector’s advice with a grain of salt for stuff that is, “Getting hot,” but it is lovely for getting alerts about stuff getting optioned or when you are digging through back-issues and need to double-check what might be notable.
I mainly just go through the recently added books and title searches for key books by series. It’s definitely a useful tool.
Key is highly useful when it comes to character searches for key books.
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Some shop i follow online uses key collector like this lol. Or certain books it’ll say “spec” with the key collector thing card
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I hate that KCC puts prices and now uses arrows as indicators. Not that I don’t want to know how much books are worth but some of the prices just don’t seem to make sense. I like KCC for the single issue info we may not be privy to but now I feel it’s influencing the market a little more than it should.
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The only problem I have with KC is what they list as keys lol You just gotta weed through the garbage he puts up daily as “keys”. The random things like a Dejah Thoris issue because Lucio Parillo did the cover or a 1:25 for Non Stop Spider-man #2 for no reason at all. Those are not key issues
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Spider-Man farted on page 6 of ASM #56 = Key Issue Alert… 
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Yes! Lol totally agree! I feel like every ratio variant is a key too
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Key uses eBay affiliate on site and from the app. While some pay, Nick has made it very clear he wants you to also click the links to eBay so he gets paid more. So while I don’t frown upon the use of affiliates (we use them here, they help pay the bills), it’s likely a reason Key goes overboard on actual “keys” cause he wants you to keep on clicking to keep that cookie loaded in hopes you go off and buy something so he gets the commissions to really start adding up.
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I appreciate your candor and honesty here on the links… and truly, I don’t mind. I can’t tell you how many things I’ve grabbed of TFAW through there that have made me money or been great adds to the PC.
Yeah, for me, it’s one thing to use an affiliate of things I’m talking about or spec’ing on. You click, you buy out of your own interest. I would never push links though on bogus bullshit and key alerts. That’s where I’ll frown upon the use of them. If Key is just pushing “key” alerts on just about any and everything, then they’re just abusing it in hopes you see the alert, click and go buy off eBay or wherever.
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That’s wild that KCC is being used in this way to promote books by shops.
Thanks for sharing!
And we haven’t even mentioned how they list store variants as keys of the week lol come on man
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I seen 1 store on a FB post by someone the new releases had key collector references to them like “key of the week” and they had a marked up price. I wish I saved it this was last year around Oct. And the comments were scathing. Brand new books marked up and the store owners response was if the app mentions the book the prices are accurate to the climate.
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Maybe CHU can sellout and we can start the CHU Book of the Week and shops can pay us money for us to pump their books…
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Wild…or pathetic?
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Worst comic shop ever? lol damn man that is crazy
I think it’s actually really smart to market hot, trending books as such from the shop’s perspective. Now, using the app’s actual graphic seems like a copyright violation, unless they have some sort of deal with KC. Just put a different visual behind it, and you’re set.