RCheli

This weekend, people! Don't miss out! Also, Derek has the new Overstreet volume in stock with about 350 different covers (a slight exaggeration) at 20% off cover price (10% off for the oversized edition).

Again, I'm not defending the guy, but he has a significant dollar presence at local shows. I have never bought anything from him, but I've sold to him on numerous occassions.

I wouldn't say that an area with the comic buying population of New York would only have room for two large buyers. I'm not defending him AT ALL, but he spends money. I've never bought from him, but I've sold to him many, many times.

He buys a lot of books and sells a lot of books. He has very quickly become one of the larger buyers in the New York area.

Super excited to set up again! Picked up a nice collection of 60s Dells, Marvels, and DCs that are newly bagged and priced and ready to go into your collections!

It really, really looks like John Romita re-drew his face. I'd love to see the original art for this to see if there were corrections.

I don't believe he has any space left, since he had to cut down on the number of tables. You could always send Derek an email.

Let's try this one again! The last show was thrown together quickly (because Derek got the OK literally 5 days before the show was happening), but now you have a little more time. So what's different this time? Same great dealers (plus Gary Platt and Bob Cook added to the mix), but some changes on how you get in. From 9 to 12, one-hour slots are available to reserve. (No senior hour this time.) But if you're wanting to find that one special book, reserve a spot and come on down. (Email Derek to request a slot: dwoywood@yahoo.com). From 12 to 4, you can come in and stay as long as you'd like (well, until people start packing up of course). This is a limit on the number of people allowed in the room, so if it's full up, it's one-out/one-in. Admission is FREE and parking is free. No guest artists or door prizes. 9 dealers coming from far and wide setup on 25 tables so enough to check out especially with free admission. Clarion hotel 76 Industrial Highway Essington, PA 19029 Dealers setting up this show are: Daves American Comics RC Comics Derek Woywood AA Comics and Cards Robs Kool Komics Jimmy Montgomery Gary Platt Bob Cook And last but not least Gene Carpenter of All-American Comics heading up from the DC metro area. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, POST THEM HERE AND HOPEFULLY I CAN ANSWER (or I'll ask Derek).

The first con I went to was a small Jubilee show in Allentown, PA probably around 1985 or 1986. They mostly did shows in Maryland and Virginia, but once in a while there'd be on in the Lehigh Valley. There was another show in Allentown near the mall that I went to once that had some sort of flooding in the ballroom so they set up the dealers in the space around the indoor pool. I remember buying a Justice League #4 there. The first big show I went to was a Great Eastern Show at the Penta/Pennsylvania Hotel in New York. Fred was an interesting guy...

It was a fantastic show. Turnout was good, and money was being spent. People were really excited to have a comic book con again, and there was a lot of pent up comic buying funds, I suspect. Every dealer I spoke with (including talking to myself) did very well.

Tell that to Stan Lee!

I would say that if you don't feel comfortable going or if you think that you won't have the time necessary (even though there isn't a time limit for this show), you shouldn't go. Comic shows are awesome but not if they're giving you so much anxiety that you can't enjoy yourself. We all have different levels of how safe we feel -- whether it's because of family or our own health or a general sense of uneasiness -- and it's just not worth it for somee. But, if you do feel comfortable and you are willing to wear a mask (and some people aren't), you should go. Just be smart about it. Keep the mask on. Don't go if you feel sick. Wash your hands. While Covid-19 has certainly changed the way we live, we just have to do our best to live with it until the vaccine comes.

I mean, not every dealer has the stuff you want, and it's pretty easy to figure out where you shop at. There are some guys at this show that have amazing high-end Gold and Silver, and if that's your focus, then you can probably spend a ton of time at each. I sell a lot of Bronze and Copper stuff, so if that's what you like, I'm your man. And there will be people who have this month's hot books, so you can go there. I never shop at every dealer even when I have the time.

The turnout wasn't the best, but it was worth it just to be out and talk comics and see what is out there. People were able to stay for as long as they wanted and I saw some guys and gals I hadn't talked to in months, so that was a good thing. I don't think anyone had super high expectations, so it wasn't like it was a surprise. Derek announced it as soon as he was able (August 1st), so there was a rush to promote and get the word out, and not enough people heard or they already had plans. Everyone wore their masks and were very polite in their distancing. I will say it was hot as all get out in the afternoon, so loading up the car wasn't fun, but you do what you have to do. There's going to be another one September 20th, and I'm sure it will do better the next time out.

Drek? DREK! That was the finest of mid-grade, common Silver Age DCs! Worth their weight in (fool's) gold!

A lot of the keys of the 80s and early 90s were creator driven -- so first Miller Daredevil or Byrne or first Simonson Thor. Today, it's more character driven, so DD #168 is much more valuable than #158 and Thor #337 matters because of Beta Ray Bill more than the Simonson.

That's a strange post title, you say. Well, what I was thinking about was how some 2nd appearances/issues used to be more valuable than the first. (And I'm not talking about Hulk 180/181 or X-Men 266, so don't mention those.) In the 80s and 90s, G.I. Joe #2 was always significantly more valuable than #1. Now, while #2 is still a decent book, #1 has pulled way ahead. Similarly, X-Men #94 was valued higher than GSXM #1 in Overstreet for years, probably until the late 90s. Now, it's probably 75% of the value. Can you think of any others?

And you won't have to be the first person in line or fear that you're going to miss all the good stuff. There will be plenty to go around.

I'll be set up! I have accumulated a ton of stuff over the past 6 months since my last show! I'll have nearly every Bronze Marvel #1! Nova! Ms Marvel! Iron Fist! Dr. Strange! Warlock (and Marvel Premiere)! Marvel Two-in-One! Spider-Woman! What am I missing... So much, I can't even remember! My $5 books are 5 for $20! My $3 boxes will be 4 for $10, 10 for $20. My 50-cent bins will be 25 for $10! I want to come home with significantly fewer comics than I arrived with!

The higher the fat, the more expensive the milk. Whole milk costs more than 2% costs more than skim.

I don't think it's ego as much as, with almost any partnership, things run their course. Stan and Jack were a partner for a decade! That's a long time for two people to work closely. I mean, the longest I had a job was 6 years, and in that time, I switched teams, changed positions, moved my desk, so that I had different people to work with. You just get sick of people. Your arguments get louder and for stupid reasons. With the Beatles, it just ran its course. With Stan and Jack and Steve, it did the same.

If I can pick it myself, I have no problem paying $60 and up for a long box of non-key moderns. But if you have to take everything, 5 to 10 cents per book is about average. With buys this size, it's not just what good books you pull out of it, it's the bad ones too. I can sell any Spiderman or Batman book eventually. But how am I going to sell those 8 long boxes of post Unity Valiants or common Superman titles from the 00s and 10s or Power Packs... so many Power Packs.

It's not just the weight and space, it's how easily you can access them. The last big collection I bought (which was smaller than this -- around 25 boxes), I loaded into my living room and I immediately began separating the good/decent from the bad. By the end of the night (around 1 AM), I had 12 decent boxes and 12 crummy ones. I listed the 12 crummy ones on Craigslist for $400 and sold them the following day. That left for a much more manageable collection in that I could organize more easily, bag/board/price them, and not be buried in too much stock. And here's the closed auction: https://www.ebay.com/itm/10-000-Modern-Comics-Comic-Book-Store-Marvel-DC-ASM-300-JLA-X-Men-HIGH-GRADE-/224030524930

I know the seller of that lot, and while there may be a handful of "decent" books, I know he went through those boxes and picked out 95% of the good items. I mean, if you're buying 10,000 comics and the best thing is a mid-grade ASM #300, you're going to be stuck with a ton of junk. And with no conventions happening, where are you going to sell that stock? It's likely just going to sit in a storage locker where you're paying $100 a month.

Aw, I bet you say that to all the rinky-dinks.