SeniorSurfer

More like "if I could afford it," I'd get one of the Frazetta oil paintings that graced the covers of Creepy, Eerie or any of the Lancer Conan paperbacks. I don't think I could get tired of looking at them and as far as investment value...yow!

Forgit about them crummy comics... How much for thet thar glitzy striped bedsheet?

The "Lonesome" George Gobel quote comes to mind when he stepped out as Johnny Carson's guest while, still sitting on the couch, was Dean Martin and Bob Hope: "Did you ever get the feeling that the world was a tuxedo and you were a pair of brown shoes?"

I'm visualizing a reverse Crime Suspenstories #22 if I linger here too long, with my wife holding the axe and me in the starring role.

Re. that Human Torch #12: I didn't know Schomburg had it in him! I've seen near-impalements, near-drownings, bondage, torture and more flying bullets not hitting the mark since the "A-Team" but to have an arm melted off to the bone? (And by a major hero too!). That's the stuff of strong PCH.

Thanks Dan - Thought so too!

ASM #14, DD #1 and X-Men #1 per PM. Thank you!

And just to add to the disaster potential, it's been raining down here like crazy for the last week with (probable) worsening conditions as the time gets closer. Where's that "calm before the storm" I always read about?

Bought a couple of books and had a smooth transaction with great communication, bullet-proof packing, and fast shipping. Thanks Dave!

OK I will! both!

ToS #52 and Avengers #4 per PM. Thanks!

"Shocking Mystery #55 Spokane Copy. The most shocking aspect of this copy is how spectacularly red it looks when viewed out of the mylar. Interior pages are fresh as snow and the defects are of a type to not interfere with the appeal of this comic. I'm probably asking a record price for this comic but I doubt there is any copy that will ever glow like this one. Census: One in 8.5 and one in 6.5. This raw 8.5 copy with white pages is $2500." And a beastly good date stamp placement too.

Here's a link showing (blurry pics notwithstanding) some attendees in costume : https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2476759/some-of-the-best-2019-comic-con-cosplay-pictures-so-far

: Tales From the Crypt #45, Shock SuspenStories #10 and Silver Surfer #1 per PM.

And can they ever! The old LCS I went to many, many years ago used to rip me off in subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) way when I was younger (several stories I've told here) and eventually I just stopped buying from him altogether. HOWEVER... Per a story told to me by a neighboring LCS, what really put him out of business was the time - after I had long left - some early teens decided to get whatever money they could from their father's SA Spider Man collection, then take the dough to have a party as the parents were out of town. They took the boxes to Mr. Sleaze, got the money and had their party. As usual, the end consequences were not well thought-out so when Dad returned to no SA there were recriminations, but he also went to the LCS with explanations and reparation money in hand. No dice, said Mr. Sleaze - a deal's a deal. And with that as his final answer, despite much pleading and eventual threatening, physically fit Dad proceeded to pummel him all over the shop in true Marvel mayhem manner. I don't know what happened to Dad, but the dealer went to the hospital for some time to recover from the beatdown and eventually closed his shop.

That's far enough! All Select #9!

I almost went with a couple of JIM where Thor, the same cosmic Norse God who's stood toe-to-toe with the Hulk, the Destroyer, Surtur, Hela etc., is challenged with a racketeer as well as being a "prisoner of the Reds" but there was no super villain name recognition. Instead we'll go with the fear inducing Leap Frog. Not even a mutant like the Toad, Mr. Frog actually designed this "costume" with its power (so to speak) and went bouncing around in public doing nefarious deeds with a ready-to-fill money satchel until Daredevil clocked him. No wonder he had a mask.

And while on the subject: Whether they lower the blue label grade with restoration noted (unlikely) or maintain the higher PL grade and describe restoration, they should rethink the description of what constitutes "slight color touch." If they're going to denote that FF #1 back on page 2 as having a "slight color touch" when there appears to be - at the least - restoration on two letters (various areas), the Torch's body and the monster's mouth, then I'd ask for another designation like "very slight color touch" for CT on a spine tick or a corner or other localized area on a book. That amount of resto should not be tarred with the same brush as the one here.

I'd usually try to keep a hidden stash from birthday cards or Christmas and then I'd send cash to the dealers back then (Robert Bell comes to mind). He always delivered, too. Yessiree... parents always knew best! I remember when I might have answered "the call" by saying "in a minute" that my mother would seek me out to see what was happening and, like as not, I was probably reading a comic book. On at least two occasions I distinctly remember her snatching up the book from my reading gaze and tearing it in half, Charles Atlas-like, much to my horror (I even remember that one was an early DD). It did no good to run away with the book because she knew where the rest of the stash was and she would have selected another. Needless to say, that kind of abuse reinforcement learning did the trick.

per PM.

I think most of the earlier, lower budget films did not help the based-on comic sales, whether currently running or back issues. Offhand several Indie titles come to mind ("Barb Wire," "Tank Girl," "Mystery Men"). Even with some bigger budgets I don't recall earlier films causing a stampede for the comics or upward price trends ("Catwoman," the Stallone "Judge Dredd" and "MIB" come to mind though the latter was pretty entertaining). Of course there are all previous FF versions also (Corman, Story and Trank). It seems more like a present day phenom (and even bigger budgets/publicity) that elicit the speculators to drive up prices

I was a kid in the early 60s and as such my parents would not let me stay home alone, so I was dragged to whatever weekend movie (movies sometimes if it was a double feature) they would attend. After exiting one of those showings (probably might have slept through most of it on the theater seat) I noticed people going into a small Legion Hall of some sort and wandered over. From the doorway I could look in (no long walks, multiple security checks, etc.) and I saw a few other kids pulling comics out of long boxes. I was already buying comics from spinner racks, so I immediately turned around and pleaded with my father to let me go in and see what this was all about. He paid the entrance fee, which was around $1-2.00 for me alone (no sense being a spendthrift about this) and he stayed outside since he was able to keep an eye on me through the door. I then got some kind of mimeographed sticker that showed I paid and was allowed to go in. The hall didn't have the best ventilation but it wasn't uncomfortable. The first thing that struck me immediately was the smell of pulp from the old books. I'll go out on a short limb and say that anyone reading this is smelling that even now on hearing the description. The next thing I saw was just rows and rows of rickety cafeteria tables with rows and rows of long boxes full of old comics, each bagged and with little round price stickers. Comics not in drugstores, but older numbers that I had missed or ones that came out before I started collecting! I walked around taking it all in, then - after being assured I could come back inside - went out and tried to convince my father to give me some money ("To buy old books? That came out years ago already and are being sold at more than .12?"). I'll never know if it was because he didn't want to hear me whine all the way home, or because he was offsetting my being forced to go to the movies, or because he would not want to say no to anything that even remotely might improve my reading skills, or because he was a father and that's what they do sometimes. I remember we went back and forth on an amount, probably settled on $10.00, and I went in armed for bear. As we all know, the money taken when buying old comics compared to the overwhelming amount of material available is always insufficient. I walked around some more just to take it all in, searched, separated, set aside a pile then went out one more time to cajole my father for more money ("No! And hurry up."). I remember making my purchase, even getting a little extra deal from the seller that allowed me to take an additional book or two, then walked out with a pile about 1" to 1 1/2" thick of books I didn't have. I know now they were all what would later be called Silver Age Marvels but I don't know what the exact titles were or if there were any keys. I didn't care - I was beyond happy. That hall is long gone, as is the theater, as is my father. But that was my best day in comic collecting. Not a week goes by that I don't think about it.

Sold Daniel two books recently and I couldn't have asked for an easier transaction. Great communication, quick payment and a post-sale note advising all arrived safely. Thank you!