blazingbob

Get the grading notes for the book and you should be able to cross reference them to the copy you are looking at

Well, it comes down to the basic of things - Time. You know, when you put things aside to "think about it". Takes time to remove a bag, takes time to decide to buy something. So there you go.

What's the difference if they are in a glass case or on my wall? If they wanted to hold the book they would still have to ask in both instances. You are focused on the younger collector and I'm focused on the general public waltzing up to my wall books regardless of who they are or how many are back there.

Bob, If a customer asks then I will let them in and they can look. I am talking about a "Open door to my wall". With a open configuration you have no control or how many people are back there. With a closed configuration there is less of a chance that somebody is unattended while they are browsing.

I have never been rude to kids who wanted to look at books. All I have asked if that they be careful if they are going through boxes. I do not refuse to let them look at wall books or hold them. I have a lot of customers that I've sold to when they were young.

Oh, you must smell great when you get there.

The book is in a inner well

Sorry, prices were bumped this morning.

What is your cc number? I'll be happy to rent out some glass cases if you are buying.

The way to minimize the theft of wall books is to not let customers behind the booth. That schmoozing and customer service can all be handled across the table. Now for the blind guys who can't see I'm sorry but maybe you need to buy some glasses. It is not an inconvenience for me to get the books off the wall and show them to you. Besides I am not a fan of the person who goes behind my booth and starts pulling books off the wall. You drop em, you buy em. I have never been a fan of open booth configurations. That need to maximize how much stuff you can get into that configuration opens you up to theft. 2-3 people cannot watch and serve customers, especially on busy days. Hiring security costs money. More help costs money. Camera's cost money, setting them up takes time and money. Did I mention all of this costs $$$$$. As I've said it is hard for me to watch and also chat. It is also exhausting to have to watch 20 feet of inventory for 12 hours straight.

When collector's today ask me about certain books I tell them to look at a modern booth with stacks of new issues. FF #48's were stacked that high, you could pick the best copy out from that stack for a certain price. Hulk 181 was a .25 cent book. AS #1 was on almost every wall, most collector's I know hated X-Men #1. TTA #27 was a 10 ten book. Conan #1 was a big deal back then. You could even sell Chamber of Darkness #4's. I was around for the mad rush of the Howard the Duck #1 "shortage". We rode our bikes to every stationary store trying to buy up as many copies as we could. The 50 cent/$1 boxes were 10 cents/25 cents back then. I've bought two original owner collections on Long Island in the last month. Their collections were from 1948-1953 and I'm pretty sure neither of them are in a list. They were both collectors so for me I personally can account for 5 so far.

In 1973 I lived in Yonkers, NY I was friends with Scott Frank who collected comics, Jaan Rank also collected. There were three of us. Scott and I used to go to the Phil Seuling shows in NY and buy and sell. We sold books we bought at the Phil show to the kids in the neighborhoods. I bought my newstand copies from Urich's stationary store on Palisades avenue. The same truck that delivered my newspapers for my paper route was the same truck that dropped off the bundle of comics so I knew the exact day/time they arrived every week. So for history's sake I can clearly state that there were 3 collectors in Yonkers, NY. We all had collections. We bought and sold. I took out ads in the monthly publication and typed my quarter page ad on a royal typewriter. Scott and I sent our SASE (Self address Stamped envelopes) to dealers in the monthly publication to get their catalogs. I did setup at one 3 day show in NYC. I probably setup at the Phil Seuling monthly show. I am not sure which one it was. Scott and I brought would bring our books in a suitcase. We would put plastic over the rows of books at our table. Sorry but I don't have any polaroids of my early days. We didn't have a boombox back then, we had one of those little radio's that played all those songs on AM radio that still bring me back to those days. Jim Payette actually had a customer over his house who knew me from the 70's. We spoke on the phone and I remembered who he was. We used to trade with each other. The only other person I remember from the 70's is Mike Carbonaro who I bought my first back issue from, FF #2 in VF condition for $60 bucks. Mike still has the glass display case from those shows. He is the only dealer I remember from back then. The only other vivid memory from the shows back then are the Particle board displays.

If a seller told me he "Rally" can't budge off his price I would ask him if he were a Go Kart or Nascar driver. That would explain his counteroffer.

I understand that Feebay wants you to make a sale so that they make money. However, they can't make parties talk to each other if they don't want to. You think you hear what they are saying through a email, you add a few adjectives to throw in and you counteroffer. They read your counteroffer, they throw in a few adjectives on their end and then this post gets started. I love the information age, NO information is communicated to either the buyer or the seller.

I'm amazed that this thread even got started since I can't tell how many threads I've read or responded to where buyers are complaining about pricing and not wanting to negotiate. They want the price they want to pay and expect me the seller to know it. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to know that price because there are those out there that don't like to haggle or talk. They just want to see "their" price.

Greg has already paid and his order is on the way. 51 books were ordered this morning so I'm not sure why you would be waiting for Chicago.

When a customer instructs me on how to mail their package I'm guessing that they don't know how many packages I send out a week. They must also think that I have a warehouse full of shipping supplies and that every CGC book regardless of what they paid for shipping is shipped "Bomb proof". While I appreciate that there are those out there that do that type of packing I am not that person. I do the best I can within the shipping limitations and handling that all of the carriers provide. None of them are the best. Each has their strengths and weaknesses.

Theft is bad enough that you need to pay attention all day long. There have been a number of professional rings working shows, there are guys that I have caught doing the slip a book under what they are carrying. At certain shows there are thieves that have been photographed and we send their picture around the show. There are thieves over the years that do the look left/look right, shift a small batch of books to the front of your boxes. San Diego big bags are great for the pick and drop into the bag. When you have something stolen from you it is VERY hard not to think everybody is a thief. I do not generally allow customers behind to look at my wall books. Why do you ask? When one person is facing the back wall helping the "person" looking there is only one person looking forward to scan 20 feet back and forth. If they are helping a customer on one end the other end is not being watched. Having a box stolen at a NY Comicon show I'm not a big fan of having people behind the booth. It may also be "perceived" that I'm not paying attention to what you are saying when you are at my booth. Unfortunately I have to watch and chat with you at the same time. Shall I go on?

Is this the Queen's english?

LOL, I was just thinking that. Don't know who many artists who would draw the hairy back guy

So Ron, what was the walk up to the table book that you saw too many of or turned down that would just bring "You did what" responses today?

Thank you for all the good posts. The Raw books will be at Wizard Chicago this coming week if anybody wants to see them in person.

Looks like a early version of a wombat wall display. Much better then the particle board ones I remember seeing at the Phil Sueling 70's shows.

Unfortunately with CIDP which has caused nerve damage in my feet my running up and down the court days are over.

For money anything can be arranged. Draftkings will be setup at courtside to take wagers on which team will win. Doug Schmells team has requested that a keg be setup courtside instead of gatorade. Roy has requested that the musical entertainment be Alice in chains and Led Zeppelin. Alex Reece has requested a pair of 80's basketball trunks to throw the old guys off their game. Gator has requested a oxygen tank and coke zero for revival.