How did you hunt for back issues pre-internet days?

[nocutename]

I am currently looking for a couple of recent series from 2000 and 2003. One title was jump started at a convention and the other from a local private collector. I thought it would be fun to continue searching for both titles locally since they were so recent. My searches ranged from comic shops within 20 miles but not over any bridge, garage sales and ads on craigslist.

 

I am around the a month mark and here’s how I scored:

• Called many “comic” shops to learn that they don’t carry back issues. Luckily I was wise enough to call ahead.
  
• Visited 4 local shops. My first shop was a score with 4 issues of Harley Quinn but no Batman Adventures. However, I was able to fill in two need issues of Batman and Robin Adventures so it was a bonus. The next couple of shops I had zero success and the last one while they did have some HQ issues but none from my list. They did have a Batman Adventures (vol. 1) 12 plus another issue from an animated series I needs so score again!
  
• Went to too many garage sales to track but I am surprised how many of them sell comics just in my local area. I only found one HQ issue at all the garage sales but did find Batman Harley Quinn one shot so it was well worth it.

So with the weather getting colder one of my resources will be closing up and I may just have to use technology. Of course, I am using the internet to hunt for garage sales but I am also using local papers as well. It seems that paid ads don’t really list comics though. I guess the sellers doesn’t feel like it is a big enough attraction to get buyers. The experiment was fun but very time consuming and I cannot tell if it was rewarding, as I haven’t completed either series yet. I did cheat and put on a low-ball bid on Batman Adventures vol 2 auction (did not win)

 

So I am not completely internet free but I would love to hear everyone else’s stories on their pre-internet day finds.

 

[JuliusSeizure]

LCSes, flea markets, and conventions. Mostly conventions.

[g-man]

would hit the million year picnic in cambridge.....then NE comics used to have a second store in allston called "the vault....." many a good find there.....

 

also the shows at the HJ 57 park plaza in boston were very good back in the day (now the redisson show). comic buyers guide was great (picked up asm #14 there that later graded 8.5 for $80).

 

also i sued to send away for lists that were advertised in the classified sections of the comics themselves....

 

ah the good ol days.....

[Ogami]

Road trips to shops almost exclusively.

 

In 2002 I began ordering from Metropolis and realised that even using them would be too expensive long term for the runs that I wanted to complete.

 

Ebay was a gamechanger.

 

 

[nwpassage]

Got back into collecting post-internet, soley because of the internet.

[namisgr]

From the seventies to the nineties, my 4 main sources of back issues were Comic Conventions, Comic Shops, Dealer catalogs, and The Buyer's Guide For Comic Fandom (TBG). Picked up some really nice material from each source, and each was alot of fun.

 

TBG/CBG and catalogs were especially important during the nineties, as newly unearthed highgrade collections first came to market through these avenues, including the Green River, Massachusetts, Northland, Winnipeg, Slobodian, and Golden State collections. I've still got a few issues of TBG and catalogs from Motor City, Harley, World's Finest (Mark Wilson), Marnin, Teddy, Hauser, Showcase NE, Four Color, and Goblin's Den that today are amazing for the inexpensiveness of their high grade Silver and Bronze. I was fortunate enough to pick up small handfuls of examples from each of these pedigree collections, but too naive/stupid and too poor to buy the quantity that I now wish I had!

 

Never had the pleasure of attending a Sotheby's or Christie's auction, but love hearing stories about them.

[Boozad]

Comics Warehouse

[Jeffro.]

comic shops

conventions

occasional mail order

 

I would also haunt local book stores and flea markets but without much luck most of the time.

 

[Mutant Manatee]

 

I bought quite a bit from the ads in the Comic Buyers Guide. Got some great deals!

 

Back in those days conventions were a much bigger deal to me. It was like comic book heaven, since books weren't so easily obtainable like they are now online.

[jordanscott]

Actually hit comic shops.

 

Would just tool around the various shops in Toronto.

[Mike Bray]

mostly comic shops in the area and on vacation with the parents , local conventions -- and an order now and then out of CBG

[nocutename]

I could only image the thrill that conventions must of had back then. While I have only attend a couple conventions myself, I like hunting through the many boxes to find needed issues. I did discover a rather nice LCS not to far from me during this little challenge. I would definitely go back there again.

 

And I second the want of early auction stories as well.

 

edit: I am curious how pre-ebay stuff was shipped? Did it have the same problems as early publisher subscriptions services or did they already learn to sandwich board them?

[mackenzie999]

Flea markets and yard sales, mainly, before they all turned into dealers tables full of dollar store junk. Best finds weren't comics though, but a huge box of Topps baseball cards from 1956-1960 for $2, and a Beatles 1st-state butcher cover for a buck.

[BlowUpTheMoon]

Almost exclusively from here.

 

[3319comics]

I shop on here for the most part. i have found with the exceptiion to one shop here in chicago all the rest are worthless. 95% of them either carry no back issues or only issues printed in the lst 2 year. If you want a statue, 25 variants to a certain cover, graphic novels or toys then your in heaven. If you want comics from the 70s or earlier no dice. How do most LCS compare with now vs pre internet?

[Rommin]

About once a month, my friend and I would do a back issue circuit hitting three different Titan's locations around Atlanta and this big store in Decatur who's name slips my mind. Outside of that, it was save up for the Atlanta Fantasy Faire =)

[Monstro]

Barbarian Book Shop - Wheaton, MD

 

and, local cons.

[kidcolt]

Same as everyone else LCS, flea markets and yard sales.

 

LCS was a huge resource as it was a great place to network with other collectors. A lot of the back issues I was looking for was found with help of other collectors who knew someone who had the issues I was looking for. It seems like the internet has killed the in store interaction that was such a fun and important part of collecting pre-internet. Now most comics are bought online and most of the comic chat happens on chat sites like this one.

[Ant-Man]

I bought quite a bit from the ads in the Comic Buyers Guide. Got some great deals!

 

Back in those days conventions were a much bigger deal to me. It was like comic book heaven, since books weren't so easily obtainable like they are now online.

 

Agreed on both counts.

 

Remember an ad that was offering one of the first six Hulk issues in GD for $10. I wrote to the seller asking if they would be interested in trading for a MINT condition 'Nam #1. I never heard back.

 

Why didn't I just buy the darn thing?

[dekeuk]

 

I got 'em from this guy .............. really, I did