Honest Dealers

[Foolkiller]

Consistent overgrading could be attributed to a bunch of things: apathy, ignorance, incompetence, wishful-thinking, etc. And yes, dishonesty, too, I suppose.

 

I have had great dealings with Doug Sulipa and Bob Storms. Also with Ted, Dale and Harley.

 

I've bought a few books from Metro that I've sent back because I've disagreed with the grade, and they've taken them back, no problem. I don't usually go to them often anymore, though.

 

I've never run into the resto problem with any of the dealers mentioned above, but then again, the types of books I collect may not be obvious candidates for that sort of thing (excpet some BA, I suppose.)

 

Are there any stories of Doug, Bob, Ted, Dale, Harley or Metro missing resto?

 

And, more importantly, since everyone is human and can make mistakes, do they always take the books back if resto is discovered?

 

Everyone misses resto. It's how it's handled and how repeated the pattern is afterward that makes it suspect.

[143ksk]

Just because I don't think I've seen his name here, I'll add Jeff Weaver as one of my favorite dealers.

[bdera303-migration]

What about

 

Mark "Can't Keep My Hands off already NM Mile High Comic Books" Wilson?

 

"I only left it in solution for several minutes..."

 

Thoughts on him?

 

 

 

 

 

[evilsly]

I had a seller mentioned on this thread miss some CT on a book

 

came back as 'very slight' color touch. (and I can't find it, even with a black light)

 

mentioned this as an aside to the person in a conversation about something else.

 

despite it being over a year since the sale, instantly refunded me the purchase price without me having to ask.

 

these are the sellers worth supporting.

 

 

[Sal]

Being a "good" dealer in my mind isn't so much being able to minimize issues per se, as much as it is how they deal with those issues, and whether you have to jump through more hoops than a Danger Room session to get recompense

[chrisco37]

Being a "good" dealer in my mind isn't so much being able to minimize issues per se, as much as it is how they deal with those issues, and whether you have to jump through more hoops than a Danger Room session to get recompense

 

I love it when you go fanboy on us.

[NewWorldOrder]

Brian,

 

I want to see you list of top 20 honest boardies to buy from.

 

Says M7 #2.

 

John

[Dale Roberts]

Consistent overgrading could be attributed to a bunch of things: apathy, ignorance, incompetence, wishful-thinking, etc. And yes, dishonesty, too, I suppose.

 

I have had great dealings with Doug Sulipa and Bob Storms. Also with Ted, Dale and Harley.

 

I've bought a few books from Metro that I've sent back because I've disagreed with the grade, and they've taken them back, no problem. I don't usually go to them often anymore, though.

 

I've never run into the resto problem with any of the dealers mentioned above, but then again, the types of books I collect may not be obvious candidates for that sort of thing (excpet some BA, I suppose.)

 

Are there any stories of Doug, Bob, Ted, Dale, Harley or Metro missing resto?

 

And, more importantly, since everyone is human and can make mistakes, do they always take the books back if resto is discovered?

 

Everyone misses resto. It's how it's handled and how repeated the pattern is afterward that makes it suspect.

 

Of course. I know that I have missed restoration on occasion (though hopefully getting better at spotting it) with a board member (Pablo aka arzach42). I sold him a Strange Tales issue that had been trimmed at the top. It was fairly easy to see too, I just simply missed it. I gave him his money back and he ended up buying something else. I sold another board member a Daredevil Comics #2 which ended up having restoration (which I bought from another dealer). I refunded his money. The other dealer that I bought the book from (Nelson Dodds) refunded my money.

 

Brian is correct. There is a difference between missing restoration and intentionally selling something which has been restored as unrestored.

 

 

 

[oakman29]

My list of trusted sellers.

Harley Yee-points noted in my earlier post

Bob Storms-Have dealt with him on many occasions,and have always had a pleasant experience.

Rick Whitelock-we all know this guy.

G.A collectables-very good guy

Nick Bryla/Bosco-always have great experiences

Chris/c-mack-just a great guy

Bunky Brothers-sold me a WWBN #32 as a VF came back 9.4

Dale Roberts-bought a couple of great books from him before I became a member here.

Flaming Telepath-I have yet to buy anything from him,but there is no question as to his integrity.

Well that's my short list of sellers that I personally go to first.

[royig-migration]

I agree with all the names on the initial list that I've dealt with. I would like to add Dave Kapelka. Not only one of the genuinely nicest guys I've dealt with, but every transaction has been fair and I've always gotten excellent quality.

 

Agree completely, thnx for bringing his name up.

 

I was fortunate to speak with Dave on several occasions at SDCC this year, but he was just visiting/helping out and only had a small box of stuff with him.

 

I've obtained some great books from him, but it was long ago.

 

Dave Kapelka is the last guy I would sell my books too.

 

 

[Old Fashion PB and J]

New Force, Bob Storms, Al Stolz, JHV, All Select Comics. Thats my entire list. I buy most everything from the boards though, so I guess it doesnt count. And Flaming Telepath can be added since he now has a storefront.

 

And I didnt add proactive disclosure as part of my factoring. Which would make my list 1.

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

Why isn't Richard Munchin of Tomorrows Treasures on the list?

 

He can be grumpy, but I'm not aware of unethical behavior. His eBay listings are very detailed in regards to work done to books. He has his own definitions of what's conservation and what's restoration, but regardless, all work is detailed.

 

Sure there is unethical behavior.

 

He sold me a Tec #265 and said the cover was attached. The cover was not only not attached, it was completely torn in two at the spine, and the whole mess taped back together. When I wrote about it, I got hostility.

 

Had I known the cover was NOT attached, and torn in two, and all taped, I woudln't have bought it.

 

Lying about the condition of a book isn't what I'd call ethical.

[maloney414]

Thanks for the advice on the honest sellers Brian. I agree it's an important discussion to have and share experiences with other collectors here on the boards.

 

And thanks to the others who posted experiences and opinions.

 

Based on your advice, maybe I'll give Al Stoltz (Basement Comics) another chance.

 

This was a long time ago, but since we're sharing stories... I once asked to see a "Hero for Hire #1" from his display at a large convention. Those who know me, know I do my research on book values and grading. The book was worth $30 tops. It was not NM, not even VF. He had a price of $80 on the book. When I asked if he was willing to lower the price he made two comments I remember. "Are you kidding this is the 1st appearance of Luke Cage." and "this is basement comics, not bargain basement comics, that booth is on the other side of the convention" and pointed.

 

He definitely gave me the impression that he was overpricing the book to sell to an uneducated buyer. Greed. Ok, so dealers need to make money and cover show expenses, but to be rude when you know you're book is way overpriced...

 

Needless to say I walked away, and haven't bothered to deal with him since.

 

Maybe, he was in a bad mood or having a bad show? I dunno.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

I have gotten some good deals with Al, he is always a stop when at conventions. Im kind of shocked he may act like that.

[underthebigw]

The trouble with a discussion like this is the subjectivity of our personal experiences. It's also easy to confuse "likability" with "honesty & integrity" -- sometimes they go hand-in-hand, sometimes not. For instance, I have some old buddies and acquaintances (not comic book dealers) who can be great guys to hang out with (funny, personable, real characters, and they'd go to bat for me in an instant if the chips were down), but who are, shall we say, not always 100% on the right side of the law. Conversely, there was a legendary old-school store owner and dealer here in Baltimore who had the following notice posted on his check-out counter:

 

"Back issue prices are subject to change upon examination at the cash register".

 

In other words: "I'm too damn lazy to re-price my back-stock, so be prepared to pay more, sucker." He was honest alright...but not exactly a sweetheart...

 

Pretty sure I know who this piece of work is.

 

If so, I can safely say he wasn't honest either. I once bought a large lot of books from him, and the agreement was to pay in 3 installments. Because I didn't trust him, I told him I wasn't leaving without 1/3 of the books. We agreed he could pick which books. Not knowing what he was doing, he gave me the scarcest books in the batch. I get a phone call a couple of days later, he tells me the price has gone up. I tell him to go screw, and he accuses me of backing out of the deal. Ha. After much haggling and his refusal to honor the original price he calls off the deal. He then asked me to return the books. Needless to say, I kept them.

[Logan510]

I agree with all the names on the initial list that I've dealt with. I would like to add Dave Kapelka. Not only one of the genuinely nicest guys I've dealt with, but every transaction has been fair and I've always gotten excellent quality.

 

Agree completely, thnx for bringing his name up.

 

I was fortunate to speak with Dave on several occasions at SDCC this year, but he was just visiting/helping out and only had a small box of stuff with him.

 

I've obtained some great books from him, but it was long ago.

 

Dave Kapelka is the last guy I would sell my books too.

 

 

Why? Just curious.

[jools&jim]

The trouble with a discussion like this is the subjectivity of our personal experiences. It's also easy to confuse "likability" with "honesty & integrity" -- sometimes they go hand-in-hand, sometimes not. For instance, I have some old buddies and acquaintances (not comic book dealers) who can be great guys to hang out with (funny, personable, real characters, and they'd go to bat for me in an instant if the chips were down), but who are, shall we say, not always 100% on the right side of the law. Conversely, there was a legendary old-school store owner and dealer here in Baltimore who had the following notice posted on his check-out counter:

 

"Back issue prices are subject to change upon examination at the cash register".

 

In other words: "I'm too damn lazy to re-price my back-stock, so be prepared to pay more, sucker." He was honest alright...but not exactly a sweetheart...

 

Pretty sure I know who this piece of work is.

 

If so, I can safely say he wasn't honest either. I once bought a large lot of books from him, and the agreement was to pay in 3 installments. Because I didn't trust him, I told him I wasn't leaving without 1/3 of the books. We agreed he could pick which books. Not knowing what he was doing, he gave me the scarcest books in the batch. I get a phone call a couple of days later, he tells me the price has gone up. I tell him to go screw, and he accuses me of backing out of the deal. Ha. After much haggling and his refusal to honor the original price he calls off the deal. He then asked me to return the books. Needless to say, I kept them.

 

The dealer I had in mind is long gone now (as in, deceased), and so is his store...but the stories live on. He never ripped me off as far as I know, but I never bought all that much from him, either. And I really should have put the word "honest" in quotes (i.e., that sign in his store was an honest indication of the kind of person you'd be dealing with).

 

There were lots of shady/borderline shady characters like that in and around Baltimore back in the old days -- carny types, head-shop vets, and flea market hustlers who smelled an easy buck. The first "real" dealer I ever bought from in this area back in the late '70s came from that same general "school" of comics retailing: when I was 11 years-old, he tried to steal a small pile of Silver Age books from my friend during a visit to his store. Eventually, my dad had to sort it out, under threat of calling the cops. Good times...

[VintageComics]

Thanks for the advice on the honest sellers Brian. I agree it's an important discussion to have and share experiences with other collectors here on the boards.

 

And thanks to the others who posted experiences and opinions.

 

Based on your advice, maybe I'll give Al Stoltz (Basement Comics) another chance.

 

This was a long time ago, but since we're sharing stories... I once asked to see a "Hero for Hire #1" from his display at a large convention. Those who know me, know I do my research on book values and grading. The book was worth $30 tops. It was not NM, not even VF. He had a price of $80 on the book. When I asked if he was willing to lower the price he made two comments I remember. "Are you kidding this is the 1st appearance of Luke Cage." and "this is basement comics, not bargain basement comics, that booth is on the other side of the convention" and pointed.

 

He definitely gave me the impression that he was overpricing the book to sell to an uneducated buyer. Greed. Ok, so dealers need to make money and cover show expenses, but to be rude when you know you're book is way overpriced...

 

Needless to say I walked away, and haven't bothered to deal with him since.

 

Maybe, he was in a bad mood or having a bad show? I dunno.

 

Al Stoltz is a super nice guy.

 

Dealer pricing is often different at a con than online auction pricing and sometimes people don't realize that and confuse the two.

 

You can buy many bronze slabbed books for under guide at online auctions/GPA prices but those books will fetch full guide at cons and local comic shops. I don't think it's a matter of greed as much as how much of a price each particular market will bear.

 

Also, I'm betting his comment that came across at you was just tongue in cheek humor, which he is really good at. He's got quite a sense of humor but people often miss it because he does it in a straight faced way.

 

He regularly walks up behind me at cons and says in a straight face and loud voice to a dealer I'm dealing with: "I'd never take a cheque from anyone with long hair, would you?"

 

 

I wouldn't hesitate to deal with him. Stand up guy.

 

 

[royig-migration]

I agree with all the names on the initial list that I've dealt with. I would like to add Dave Kapelka. Not only one of the genuinely nicest guys I've dealt with, but every transaction has been fair and I've always gotten excellent quality.

 

Agree completely, thnx for bringing his name up.

 

I was fortunate to speak with Dave on several occasions at SDCC this year, but he was just visiting/helping out and only had a small box of stuff with him.

 

I've obtained some great books from him, but it was long ago.

 

Dave Kapelka is the last guy I would sell my books too.

 

 

Why? Just curious.

 

I called him once about possibly buying some of my books and he low balled me and acted like they would be hard to move. They were mega keys.

 

 

[nearmint]

 

Why isn't Richard Munchin of Tomorrows Treasures on the list?

 

He can be grumpy, but I'm not aware of unethical behavior. His eBay listings are very detailed in regards to work done to books. He has his own definitions of what's conservation and what's restoration, but regardless, all work is detailed.

 

Sure there is unethical behavior.

 

He sold me a Tec #265 and said the cover was attached. The cover was not only not attached, it was completely torn in two at the spine, and the whole mess taped back together. When I wrote about it, I got hostility.

 

Had I known the cover was NOT attached, and torn in two, and all taped, I woudln't have bought it.

 

Lying about the condition of a book isn't what I'd call ethical.

 

But he's a snappy dresser.