Robot Man

PM'd the seller and explained why I wouldn't do the friends and family. I even mentioned this posting as to why. I told him, if he didn't take my PayPal I wouldn't pay for the books. He whined a little but agreed to send me the books. I don't want to report him or out him but I can say I won't ever deal with him again. 

1 hour ago, Omaha-CGC-Comics said:

Planet Comics 44 ~ $140
3.5

I'll take it!

Nice ones! Hey don't feel bad I do that sometimes too. You can always sell or trade your under copy. At least it wasn't expensive. Sure seems like Atlas and Timely had a lot of "Kid" comics.   

7 hours ago, 50YrsCollctngCmcs said:

TOP TEN FAVORITES - Part 9 – I can have nice things!

 

Well as you get older you get wiser; at least that’s the theory. My Dad had been advising me somewhat on my comics buying and had been talking to dealers over the years. He recommended that I try to buy higher grade books and to consider them as a potential investment. Good advice and as my Dad was an accountant when it came to money he usually knew what he was talking about. My old book itch had been pretty well scratched at this point so I was becoming more judicious about where to spend my hard earned money. Also, I now worked full time in the summer for the county and was starting to have some real money to spend.

 

So I found myself at shows looking at better books and talking with the dealers more often. The annual Seuling show had moved to Philadelphia from New York for some reason by the late seventies and these shows had some nice books. One memorable day at that show I saw a dealer who turned out to be Steve Geppi laying out a Detective 27 and a Batman 1 he had just bought from someone who walked into the show. He was actually quite fun to talk to and really into his acquisition.

 

 

I remember picking up this early WDCS at a Philadelphia show. I loved it because it felt like it had never been read and it must have been a file copy. This probably cost $15-20 at the time. And I still own it of course.

 

 

I also managed to acquire a very nice grail in my late high school period. I had tried to pick up a copy of Donald Duck Frozen Gold from the Buyer’s Guide for $100. but my Dad talked me out of it. A few months later I saw an ad for a Near Mint Uncle Scrooge #1 for $125. and there was no stopping me this time and I sent off a check and got this beauty back. This was the pride and joy of my collection for decades and still is one of my nicer books.

 

 

Then during my senior year of high school, I was led to another great original owner collection; but this time the owner had the guide and priced them accordingly. He was a good guy and we did a deal for about eight Duck Four Colors. Sheriff of Bullet Valley is below. At the time these were probably about $40-60 each.

 

 

That would be it for any original owner acquisitions like this for me. In my last entry, I will enter a comics wilderness for a number of years but at the end emerge a new and reinvigorated collector!

 

Love the Disney buy stories 50! Back when you could find beautiful books for a pittance by today's standards. What a lot of people don't realize is that it is all relative. When you are making $2.00 an hour and struggling to pay rent, paying $20. for a book was a big deal. I remember having to turn down a decent Action #1 at Cherokee Books for $250. It might as well have been a million dollars to me at the time...

31 minutes ago, Yellow Kid said:

 I have written about the most unusual find of my life before, but if you haven't read it, you will enjoy this one and it is absolutely true.  I have found more books, but never had another experience like this one.  Leonard had contacted a middle-aged man who was supposed to have some great books and we made arrangements to visit him at 7:00 p.m. on a hot summer night.  He lived on a very steep hill in an older part of Los Angeles but we had bought comics in worse neighborhoods.  I rang the doorbell and could hear someone coming to greet us.  He pulled back the door, pushed out the screen door, stood stark naked in the doorway, held a half gallon of wine in one hand, and said, "Won't you boys come in?  I hope you don't mind I'm not wearing any clothes but it is just so hot tonight."  I was stunned.  Leonard was nine years older and just said thank you and pushed me in.  I was only 18 or 19 and was scared to death.  As soon as we sat down, he insisted that we have a glass of wine with him and that only made me more nervous.  However, as he turned to walk to his chair, we dumped our wine over the back of the couch.  When we saw that would work, we insisted that we all have another glass of wine, and kept repeating this until the bottle was empty. At last we got to his comic books and they were fantastic.  He had two boxes of early high grade Timely books as well as DC's.  The third box contained ten mint copies he bought off the stands of each of the first 23 issues of Mad Comics.  We worked out a deal on the comics and I started carrying them out to the car while Leonard paid him.  After taking the second box out, I returned and said I had them all.  Leonard looked at me and pointed at the third box and said I had forgotten it and to take it out, which I did.  As we drove back to Long Beach, he started laughing and said the guy had given us the third box.  A few weeks later, Stroud and Alexander visited the guy and they looked all over for the box of Mad Comics but I think they did get some pulps.  It was a night I will never forget.

Yeah, that's the one. I've had a couple real sketchy buys in my life but that one is the best I've heard!

How 'bout you Mitch? I know you have a good story or two...

I got my money back from PayPal today. I'm not out anything but my time. I still think there is something going terribly wrong in his life. No defense of him but it just doesn't make sense to rip people off for $20. horror books. I hope he is OK. I won't put him on the "list" because I got my money back. If he ever comes back, he owes us an explanation. I know I won't ever sell to him or buy from him again. 

On a side note. I bought a couple of books from another boardie about a week ago. He didn't mention it in the post but on the invoice he requested friends and family. I didn't send it that way on purpose mainly because of this thread and I didn't know him. He still hasn't "claimed" the money. I suspect he is upset because I did it that way. What should I do with him? 

1 hour ago, Ricksneatstuff said:

A Blue Beetle 54 that I am enjoying

 

I remember many, many years ago when almost no one wanted books like that. I always did, and was able to score many before they took off. 

You shouldn't have had to do that. Stinky, money grab on their part. Learn your lesson. Stop doing business with them. There are plenty of other venues to obtain cool stuff without having a knife under your chin to do so. 

I don't do well with adversity. My first wall of self defense us usually trying to find some humor somewhere, in any situation. Unfortunately, I just can't come up with anything for this. Just tragic. As some one who has been through a similar situation (fire) and a couple of severe health scares, I can only offer this advice. Have faith, have patience and ride it out. It will be behind you someday. And, if you can even find the slighest bit of humor somewhere, hang on to it. It has always helped me. 

This thread is now Closed! Many thanks to those who have purchased and those who just lurked or commented. Happy Trails to you until we meet again!

7 hours ago, tth2 said:

All this gloom and doom warms my heart, because I'd love to see American bidders reduce their bidding significantly, but unfortunately the reality is that taxes, duties and other costs don't impact bidding at all. 

Otherwise, European bidders would be non-existent.  Instead, they're among the biggest, most aggressive buyers out there.  It's simply a cost of collecting that they've come to accept, and the same will be true of American collectors.

American collectors don't need to play your game. American comics generally come from America. We have shows and lots of local collectors from which to obtain books from that won't have to cost us an arm and a leg. Many ebay sellers won't sell out of the US either. This further limits your access to quality material. I don't need to be held hostage to Heritage to obtain quality material. 

10 hours ago, Yellow Kid said:

Back in the late 1950's and early 1960's, the Long Beach Press-Telegram would let students post free classified ads during spring break, and I always took advantage.  One of my first ads led to meeting Leonard Brown, and we became life-long friends.  We actually started a mail-order business out of his parents home and were surprised to discover how many other collectors were out there.  We wrote buying ads on 3x5 cards and then posted them on every market bulletin board  for miles around.  We finally got smart and had business cards made and just posted those with great success.  As fate would have it, Robot Man was one of our early customers, along with Rick Durrell and other dedicated collectors.  Great memories!

Come on Rich, come clean tell us a couple of those cool "find" stories...

4 hours ago, Incredible Pulp said:

I'm gonna chime in here...has it occurred to anyone that Jeremy may be incapacitated or possibly deceased. I check the obituaries and haven't found anything. I suggest people check all they can. He hasn't responded to one iota of communication and could be radio silent possibly by choice, but I don't think so. A guy who buys low grade pre-code rags (like myself) will not just stop and quit the game...something's up and I hope he's OK. Other scammers on here have at least tried to defend themselves, but he has vanished. My experience has always been positive, that;s my experience...have a great day!

I think that has occurred to everyone affected by this. I really don't think it is intentional on his part. He has apparently never done anything like this as a seller or buyer before. Slow once in a while but never out of contact. It doesn't make logical sense to me that a guy selling low grade, cheap books would suddenly go rogue and steal our money. Something must have gone real bad with either him or his family. Not defending him. I don't know him personally but it just doesn't make logical sense. That being said, there are obviously people out of a lot of money here. 

I suggest everyone file for a chargeback with PayPal and wait it out. And a lesson to be learned. Always pay goods and services Paypal. This way if something like this should ever happen you are covered. 

Also Bedrock City. Richie is a big Timely guy and s heck of a good guy to deal with. 

Last day for this thread. Invoices go out tonight. Thanks for looking.

13 minutes ago, JustJimN said:

Take. 

Thanks again Jim. This weird FUB goes to you!

19 minutes ago, JustJimN said:

Take.

Thanks for the buy Jim. Mickey is yours!

Man, this is one sad sales thread... The people have spoken. Price drops are now in affect. I will keep this open until tomorrow night and close and send out my invoice. 

Anything left will be fleabay or show fodder. 

Let me guess how that works out for you...

When you add in reductions for tax, buyer's premiums and shipping it becomes a real waste of time real fast.

I have quit bidding (or even looking) at their auctions any more. 

Yeah, mail order back issue comics was a real eye opener for me too. I remember the Rocket's Blast first, then The Buyer's Guide. My passion was very early MADs. When I finished them up EC and pre-code horror books were next. Nothing like coming home to find 2 or 3 EC books in the mail box. Still is fun even today.

My local flea markets were called swap meets in those days. When I could drive I used to hit the Azuza drive in and monthly Rose Bowl shows where I often found cool old comics and toys. And, every once in a while 1940's comics too. I remember getting some early Thrilling, Speed, Marvel Mystery, Zips and others from an old guy for 50 cents apiece. Had no idea who the characters were but man they were old!

Anybody ever post an ad on a bulletin board at a market or run an ad in the newspaper? Got a few nice collections that way too. 

5 hours ago, 50YrsCollctngCmcs said:

Bob, I'll have to hear about your Art Center days. Did you go to the Pasadena or LA campus?

Pasadena. Just went as a transfer student for my last year. Graphic Design major. 

Does he have an "origin" story?

1 hour ago, Frank Grow said:

THAT would be cool!

And a WHOLE lot more expensive...

Wasn’t mine. That’s about what I paid for my first copy many moons ago!