Book Guy

Earlier today on Geary Street San Francisco. Pants-less, adult diaper wearing 49ers fan waits for a bus presumably for a happening Superbowl party.

Meme this!

As an aside, I was looking at a (for me) expensive silver age slab and debating whether to buy. I put it on my watchlist and I got a 25% discount offer from the seller. Then I noticed the seller was located in Astoria New York. I decided not to buy and part of the reason is I have no idea whether they are involved in all this or not. I can probably get one cheaper over time, likely raw, but the whole slabgate thing did play a part in my passing on it. Just my recent personal experience....

Lotsa Blade Runner Stuff out there. I'll see if I can dig up my ERTL Die Cast vehicles!

On 1/19/2024 at 4:59 PM, jimjum12 said:

This one. I felt it was nicer than the grade. I was very happy. The gal on the cover reminded me of a gal I was enamored with back in the day. GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

Who wouldn't be enamored of her?

On 1/19/2024 at 3:19 PM, OtherEric said:

I don't actually live in the Bay Area, but my sister does so I get there once or twice a year.  I should find out when the Berkeley show is and try to time a visit around that one of these years...

Lots of Comics, including a surprising number of '4 figure' ones! But also tons of cheaper books. Always at least a few paperbacks-lots more last time. Always a few Pulps-lots more last time. Not a far walk from the North Berkeley BART Station.

On 1/18/2024 at 10:59 AM, jimjum12 said:

I'm new to paperbacks, unless you count buying every Frazetta I could find from 1972-1976. One thing I've found, there are several sellers with whom a Fine minus is pretty enough for most people to stop looking with that copy. Earthman On Venus is a classic to me. A Fine minus might be a smart buy.

I wouldn't mind a stickied thread that lists websites or eBay handles of Boardies who also sell PB's and Pulps. 

GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

You bought one from me about a month ago (Morton Cooper?)! I don't have many Pulps though. Also sold a sleaze paperback to a different Board member a couple of weeks ago. I've been waiting for photos to appear!

On 1/19/2024 at 11:09 AM, Yorick said:

Another thing, PKD lived in the SF Bay Area around me and OtherEric....

There are stories based in my backyard!!

If you've ever gone to the Berkeley Comic Show you've been across the street from the house he and Kleo lived in for a number of years in the early-mid 1950's.

On 1/18/2024 at 3:22 PM, Pat Calhoun said:

Great Copy!

Been and back already! This is what I got. They had a wood-fired oven pizza truck parked outside! Ya' shoulda' come! Thanks to all who put it on.

On 1/13/2024 at 8:56 AM, Darwination said:

I'd never read this one despite it being McCoy's most famous, so I stuck it on my nightstand when you gave it the old "Great American Novel" status.

I read it this week.  Total stunner/bummer.  I guess McCoy worked as a bouncer on a pier in Santa Monica, and the experience helped him write this one.

It kind of reminds me of Camus' The Stranger in some ways - "existential novel," to be or not to be, etc. 

Lots of McCoy in Black Mask, apparently, some in Brief Stories, not easy pulps to get ahold of :I

A great Book! If you liked this try DAY OF THE LOCUST or MISS LONELYHEARTS by Nathanael West. Not nearly as grim, but also top notch '30's 'Noir-like' Novels.

As I don't keep up with more modern prices I'm sure any guesstimate by me as to the $$ value of his sales were would be pathetic. Anybody else want to take a swing? I know he sold over the course of a big rise in prices so copies sold in 2016 will likely be a lot less than similar copies in 2021. Also we don't know what % were truly Sold and how many were simply shill bidding exercises.

Still, take a shot! Anybody got a $$ range?

A couple of questions:

Are there any logical explanations for the multiple sales on the SAME Book except that the sale was cancelled by the buyer/went unpaid or that the 'sale' was an attempt to drive up the price of the Book, so that next time he sold it or sold another copy the price would be higher?

Has anybody searched in Asia based Auction Services, presuming they exist, for other suspicious sales/sellers? I know you can buy Vintage Guitars on Japanese sales and auction sites so why not CGC comics. Presumably the same opportunity exists in China and the rest of Asia. Alibaba maybe? If there are such venues I am unfamiliar with them.

We are familiar with the MO of switching out lesser copies and have having them reholdered. Not quite on topic but what is to prevent someone from forging whole mint comics and sending them in to CGC or use your Chinese acquired holders, wells, sonic welders and maybe forged facsimiles of legitimate CGC labels and selling the whole enchilada? I know there are holograms on more modern labels but older ones wouldn't have them. Remember those single copies of Gold and Silver keys that someone was selling on eBay earlier this year. They looked pretty good in the photos. If organized crime was involved in any large way, this seems the channel they would use.

On 12/22/2023 at 5:06 PM, pdags said:

 

Sorry if this was already posted, but could someone review this book for possible tampering:

https://www.cgccomics.com/certlookup/1295091001/

https://comics.ha.com/itm/bronze-age-1970-1979-/superhero/the-incredible-hulk-181-marvel-1974-cgc-vf-85-off-white-to-white-pages/a/121753-15392.s

https://mavin.io/item/Incredible-Hulk-%23-181-cgc-8.5-Stan-Lee%2C1-st-Wolverine-Movie-coming-180-x%3Dmen?itemId=255118082750&q=X-men %23181

Same registry number, but IMHO the book sold on HA matches the grader's notes and is not the same book in the second link.  The back of the books are completely different; see staining on top of the second book.

They seem to be different. Note the tiny white spots at the top above the V in Marvel and R in Group at the top in the Heritage listing. The tic on the left by Hulk's foot. Obviously the difference in the white area all along the left edge. Note the stains at the rear top on the Mavin copy...

On 12/22/2023 at 12:47 PM, comicwiz said:

That's the part that is complicating things, because I think in order for us to understand the scale of the deception and fraud being committed here, we have to stop thinking of this as a "submission." Once we do that, we can start to understand how things like two books, conjoiined only due to them being swapped, and one book ending-up in a slab that misrepresents it's state, could have the same grade dates.

Some low probability possibilities:

Perhaps the Green Hulk was submitted by the suggested culprit using a different CGC account. It was mailed the same day from the same location in a different package than the Blue Hulk but by the same shipper and arrived the same day and went through the process at the same speed and just happened to be graded the same day which might happen a lot if he submits from more than one CGC acct at the same time. Perhaps submissions done this way are usually processed within a day or two of each other and sometimes the same day. I agree that an insider seems more likely-a clued in lookout is waiting. "A small package of great value will come to you shortly" to quote the very old Jefferson Airplane song!

Why to submit a Green label Hulk is more problematic. If it was shipped in a Blue Label slab with a reholder request perhaps someone actually did due diligence and opened the inner well. Perhaps the inner well was cracked during shipment or at CGC and they were forced to re grade it. Maybe it went accidently to someone else other than 'the insider' who noticed the condition differences and acted. If it was shipped as a reholder and was actually regraded, would it still get the original Serial number from the (substituted) blue holder or would it have been given a new number at that point? I'm unsure when the culprit actually bought the green Hulk and yes my mind is spinning trying to keep this all straight.

On 12/22/2023 at 8:19 AM, jsilverjanet said:

4) did we order enough crack for @greggy at the x-mas party

A naked Mike isn't enough crack for @greggy? My God! What an animal!

I know neither Mike nor @greggy, but this opportunity to issue my own wise crack was just shooting fish in a barrel! I had to take the shot!

BTW jsilverjanet I've always enjoyed yr comments as well as your profile pic!

I think Books published by 'LA' Bantam Books were sold exclusively through vending machines in the Los Angeles area. I remember being told years ago that someone down there had an example of one of the machines. In my many years of Estate & Yard Sales, Antique Shows etc I've never seen a paperback vending machine either!

When I started collecting in the early/mid 70's I picked up via osmosis that books from the earliest American Comic Book (MOTION PICTURE FUNNIES from 1937?) to 1946 were Golden Age Books. Silver Age began with the reboot of the Flash. The years in between were somewhat indeterminate as far as era name. I heard mostly 'Fifties Books' even though half of that time is comprised of the late '40's. Some people claimed the GA went to 1950. I never heard Atom Age until much later. I always liked the name and that's how I think of Books between 1946 and 1956. The Golden Age reflect the Pre-War and especially Wartime years and those from '46-'56 certainly mirror the Post War changes in America and deserve the honor of a separate 'era'!. As far as when the Silver Age ended some said 1969, others 1970 and others whenever Marvel and DC prices changed from 12 cents to 15 cents. All are fine with me! I agree that books in all the eras sometimes seem more like books from a different era as far as subject matter, general tone, art work etc, but we're really trying to hash out a simple structural time line, so exceptions are not what's important here. When Comic Code Issues appear also seem to mark a natural break in eras.

As far as 'wakeness' being a problem if retailers say their customers are complaining then it is a problem, no matter whether it's important or unimportant to me or you. However, if 'Awakened' comics are drawing more new customers in that they are driving out then it might be a net plus. My guess is that quantifying the difference would be tough...At any rate it seems it is a problem of some sort.

I still buy floppies, but rarely Marvel or DC. I mostly buy indies, but mostly the more mainstream titles like Hellboy, Ed Brubaker titles etc. I did buy the 12 Issue Kamandi Jam Series a couple of years ago and enjoyed that. Also some Batman Books which came out about the same time. The Kamandi Series ended, but I stopped buying Batman because they cost too much, though I liked the stories and the art. With Marvel and DC there is simply too much product and I don't have an obvious entry point into the current happenings in either domain. Many of the Indie titles are limited series that have a planned story arc and I find that more satisfying than jumping into the middle of a neverending Serial which is what both the Marvel and DC Universes are.

I agree that the big 2 should move to a more graphic novel system of publishing. It opens the market when Comics are published in Book form. You get a complete story arc (sometimes) and often the Trade Paperbacks are reasonably priced. As an Ed Brubaker fan I like the way his Books are published now-as stand alone volumes.

A personal peeve on my part is that I don't like the slick paper most moderns are printed on and sometimes would prefer the old fashioned newsprint. On some titles the slick paper and very vivid colors work, so this technical change is a mixed blessing.

Even the majors began a mass distribution program aping what we remember from our youth (Comics in racks at 7-11s, Drug Stores etc) and published at a low price point on cheap paper etc I doubt they could bring back mass consumption of floppies.

I have a nice copy of ILLUSTRATED WORLD some I'm rooting for it!