Happened to poor little comics in the 1950's 0

[Golden Oldie]

Found this in my original owner comics, I think it belonged to my younger brother. I think the newsstand did this and sent the upper part of cover back to distributor for credit.

 

Pat

 

[KirbyJack]

Yep. That's a "remaindered" comic. The understanding was the retailer would send back the upper third or so of the cover, destroy the remainder; and get credit.

 

Obviously, that didn't always happen.

[sakaridis]

Actually, I think they continued this practice until the late 60's to early 70's, at least. Pretty sad, when you think about how many comics (many of them now elusive in high grade or in general) were destroyed this way.

[thehumantorch]

Actually, I think they continued this practice until the late 60's to early 70's, at least. Pretty sad, when you think about how many comics (many of them now elusive in high grade or in general) were destroyed this way.

 

Retailers to get credit for unsold comics would return the top third of the comic. Cheaper than sending back the entire comic yet still enough of the comic to make it difficult to sell. Retailer was expected to destroy the remainder of the comic but somehow some survived.

 

Here's mine.

This would be a fun thread. Post yours if you got 'em.

 

[piper]

Actually, I think they continued this practice until the late 60's to early 70's, at least. Pretty sad, when you think about how many comics (many of them now elusive in high grade or in general) were destroyed this way.

 

Retailers to get credit for unsold comics would return the top third of the comic. Cheaper than sending back the entire comic yet still enough of the comic to make it difficult to sell. Retailer was expected to destroy the remainder of the comic but somehow some survived.

 

Here's mine.

This would be a fun thread. Post yours if you got 'em.

 

 

The way I figure it, the distributor practice mentioned above, comic burnings, natural disasters etc. are what make comics valuable. If everyone kept them, would it be much of a challenge to find our favourites?

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

Those remaindered books is how I started collecting comics. We used to go to a flea market on Saturday mornings, Englishtown Auction Sales in New Jersey. They had regular indoor vendors and transient vendors at tables outside.

 

One of the vendors inside sold back issue magazines and paperbacks. But I could care less about that as the biggest attraction to me were the stacks of remaindered comics which I think sold for a nickel. My brother and I managed to talk our Dad into spending a quarter each week and we got hooked on Harveys!

 

That stand was there well into the early seventies as I vividly remember some guys buying Supermans in the 230's to 240's which is about when I started to get into him. That's also the time I became conscience of collecting and I no longer wanted comics missing their covers!

 

Lots of great back issue buys outside but that isn't this thread.

 

 

[zzutak]

In 1953, retailing of remaindered books was apparently profitable enough to justify the fabrication of custom counter-top display boxes. Nice price!

 

 

 

 

[Golden Oldie]

Actually, I seem to recall my larcenous mother would bring the comics home from the local department store where she worked and gave them to the neighborhood kids. She died in 1963 so I think prosecution so not an option.

 

Pat

[HouseofComics.Com]

In the mid-70s in Michigan the entire front cover was gone! 2 for 25 cents and the back covers were usually sitting in there loose. I looked through many a pack trying to decide and if a DC dollar comic was in the pack, of course that's what I chose.

[Ze-man]

Actually, I seem to recall my larcenous mother would bring the comics home from the local department store where she worked and gave them to the neighborhood kids. She died in 1963 so I think prosecution so not an option.

 

Pat

 

Your mother was a saint, stealing comics from the evil overlords at the department store to give to the..err..well..uhh... the kids!

 

 

And yes it is a shame about all those lopped off covers, they really had no idea did they? I cant tell you how many X-Men #1's I have seen with the logo cut clean off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rjpb]

I remember back in the late 60's a candy store that had various plastic packs of coverless comics - with prices pre-printed on the bags. They ranged from something like 15¢ for 3 comics up to 12 for 49¢

 

They would be completely random - an F.F. an Archie and Little Dot all in the same bag.

[Larryw7]

There was a huge place in NE Philly called Normandy Mart that had tons of these remaindered comics in the early to mid seventies. My grandpa used to take me there every couple of weeks; comics were a dime apiece, three for a quarter. I'm pretty sure I got my first copy of Amazing Spider-Man #122 there, as well as several Adams Batman comics. Also, a corner candy store in my neighborhood sold these books in plastic bags for half cover price(2 books to a bag).

[Flee-Marquette]

They were still "recycling" remaindered comics at least into the early '70's. I have a few of these 3-packs that have the back cover and some of the spine remaining. This one had a Harvey (Richie Rich), a Charlton (Cheyenne Kid) and a DC (Girls Love Stories) in the middle. I wonder if it was the standard practice to sandwich a romance comic in between 2 more appealing comics.

 

[Ghoti]

The really sad thing is that Diamond still does this with comics today. If you are shipped damaged comics and it is under 50.00 diamond tells you to destroy them. I have tried to give coverless comics to a kid today and they just do not want it. The love for a free comic albeit less than perfect, is not in the hearts of today's kids...... and THAT is what is wrong with the hobby today.

 

We have a policy of giving an old comic to kids on their first time into our store that is older than they are and they are in awe that you give them a comic that is from the 1990's or even the eighties or seventies. It is really funny to watch. Try it sometime and you might ignite a new collector.

[HouseofComics.Com]

We have a policy of giving an old comic to kids on their first time into our store that is older than they are and they are in awe that you give them a comic that is from the 1990's or even the eighties or seventies. It is really funny to watch.

 

Very cool story.

 

I don't think I ever saw a pack in the 70s that was mixed companies. I almost entirely saw DCs, actually. Most of the Marvel packs seemed to be a few months old and with covers, like 3 for 59 cents or 79 cents or whatever.

 

 

[comicparadox]

When I was a 'tween, the local 7-11 (2 blocks walk from school) sold packs of 3 backstock comics for 29 cents. Usually there were no DCs but plenty of Marvel and Charlton books. I always looked for the sets without the Charltons, but still ended up with a moderate sized Charlton collection due to the middle book!

 

My best finds included a Conan 1, Avengers Annual 2, Silver Surfer 1, and ultimately a near-complete set of Captain America from 102-127. Strangely, issues 121 and 123 were the hardest for me to find, but issues 102, 105, and 122 were everywhere. Silver Surfer 1 was also a plentiful book - wish I had bought more than 1! It was one of my favorite books, and I literally read the cover off it.

 

There was also a corner grocery store that traded kids comics for coupons - if you brought in cutout coupons from the newspaper and the coupons added up to 12 or 15 cents, you got a comic from the backstock. My friend lived around the corner from that store, and he always got better books than I did, because I only got to go about once a month.

 

 

[Golden Oldie]

I'm glad I started this topic that churned up so many memories from so many forum collectors.

Having all these personal experiences from so many fellow collectors makes the hobby so much more fulfilling.

As for sandwiching romance comics between other types of comics, how else were they going to get them out the door in the hands of the boys. Hope some of them had sisters who liked to read them.

 

This is from a girl(then) who always reached for the sci-fi and horror comics.

 

Pat

 

 

 

[bronzilla]

They were still "recycling" remaindered comics at least into the early '70's. I have a few of these 3-packs that have the back cover and some of the spine remaining. This one had a Harvey (Richie Rich), a Charlton (Cheyenne Kid) and a DC (Girls Love Stories) in the middle. I wonder if it was the standard practice to sandwich a romance comic in between 2 more appealing comics.

 

 

I have collected Comic packs for years, and never seen one of those!

Way cool!!

[Mutant Manatee]

Unfortunately, the practice of stripping the logo from front covers for return credit wasn't limited to the 1950's. I've seen it on books as far back as the 1930's.

 

New Fun #6 (October 1935)

 

And here are some more that I own or have owned in the past:

 

Flash Comics #15

 

Moon Girl #5

 

Blackhawk #30

 

Hit Comics #64

 

Spy Cases #17

[Moondog]

In 1953, retailing of remaindered books was apparently profitable enough to justify the fabrication of custom counter-top display boxes. Nice price!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was 25% more profit if you sold these remainders! I love old weird stuff like this!