Laugh at yourself because you're a DOPE! (comic related)

[BronzeBruce13]

OOPS. I just thought of one.

The reason I don't use long boxes anymore.

 

I had a half full long box that sat for several months without opening it.

When I did, about 15 or so books were missing.

I kept flipping through trying to find them.

They had slid down and were half up and half curled under the books.

That one pissed me off pretty badly.

 

Since then I've used short boxes, and when they are not full, I have foam blocks that I put in front as fillers.

I'm also anal about putting a few loose backing boards in the front and back of the box to keep the inside of the box from putting a dent in the first book.

Another peeve I have.

 

Remember those long boxes that had the full flat fold over piece so that both ends were nice and even and you did not have to cut your own cardboard or use backer boards to protect the first few comics coming in contact? Those were the days.

 

I have a solution though. There is a guy that makes these "comic-sizers" that are adjustable length plastic insert devices that clasp tightly over both sides and can hold up a heavy stack (even when tossing the boxes around a bit). I bought a case of them (50) and I love them. I intend to approach the guy (not a marketing genius) to allow me to sell them when my site is up. I'll PM you.

[BronzeBruce13]

oh, i did also knock a dealers display over once at a show in cherry hill NJ in 1990 or so! I was set up next to him and was moving my things in. I swung a long box around and clipped the corner of his peg board & brought the whole thing down!!!!! I felt like a complete insufficiently_thoughtful_person & had to sit next to that guy ALL DAY! jeeezz.......

 

Good one! That gotta out loud laugh!

 

Did you have to buy any books or compensate for any damages.. or buy the poor bastich a Chick-Fil-A sandwich with extra pickles?

[shiverbones]

no, i should have, but i was a kid and just tried to not look at him i apologized a lot andhe was a shy sort of guy so it worked out. If it was one of those gruff arse hole dealers it could have been ugly!

[BronzeBruce13]

I have a Cherry Hill Mall story too.

I was working for "Biff" of BeachHead Comics (fun fact: both Shiver and I worked for the same comic dealer as youngsters years apart and didn't know it until less than a month ago).

 

Anyway, near the small escalators there used to be a fast food style chinese restaurant a few places away from McDonalds. I bought and ate 2 orders of fried mushrooms... bad move. The batter was hiding some rank 'shrooms i think. 15 minutes afterwards, i didn't feel so good. I laid on top of the long boxes under the tables to rest... but my stomach ache got worse and I started to salivate (the bad way). By now, I knew the inevitable was coming and was horrified at what course of action i should take. I stalled hoping it would pass and then felt a lurch. I got up and ran towards the only bathroom i could think of. It was of course McDonald's and it was peak Lunch hour on a Saturday and the place was packed.

 

(please do not read further if you are squeamish)

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK... just as I arrived in the packed entrance... I spewed fried mushrooms at an impressive velocity and surprising coverage. What's funny is I seem to remember a creepy chorus of "OOOOHHHHAAAAWWWWEEEEEEWWWWWWWW!!!!" before I finished the 2nd launch! As I ran to the bathroom, people were scattering out of the place with wide-eyed horror that a 3rd launch may be heading their way and onto their filt-o-fish. By the time I entered the bathroom, I was done. I cleaned up and parted my hair different and put my jacket on inside out or something lame to try and disguise myself.

 

When I got the courage up to leave, the place was desolate and 2-3 sullen faced employees were mopping the place up. None of them looked at me as I ducked my head and scurried away.

 

[DiceX]

That's disgusting.

[shiverbones]

you think thats gross, he told me that story over a beer and a crab cake sandwich

[BronzeBruce13]

you think thats gross, he told me that story over a beer and a crab cake sandwich

 

Oh yeah... they were fried crab cakes too

[BronzeBruce13]

Boy that story was a thread-killer.

I made myself laugh silly remembering it though.

[jbud73]

I once left some comics unbagged and boarded in a box for a few months - they developed spine roll but hey, Im lloking into that right now, I hear there's no need to take them off my next CGC submission

[ghoulaid]

Those are some great stories! I think we tend to block out the bad stuff 'cause all I remember is cutting out the ads in Marvel comics that advertised their other books and making my own little book of just "On Sale Now" ads. You know, those single issue ads that showed...oh....Spider-Man #8, or Fantastic Four #23. Stuff like that. Not too funny I guess.

[rjpb]

I was slipping a mylar encased comic into a box and before I realized it, it had slid into the opening of a mylar containing a NM file copy of Black Cat 50, one of the few high grade books I own. The other comic caught the the top of the Black Cat's cover putting an eigth of on inch tear in it. That amount of damage to any other comic I own would have been a less costly error. I haven't bought a pre-code book in nicer than 6.0 since.

[Bonds25]

I've ruined a couple of books trying to push them too hard into the mylar sleeve, ending up scrunching the top part of the cover.

[BronzeBruce13]

I was slipping a mylar encased comic into a box and before I realized it, it had slid into the opening of a mylar containing a NM file copy of Black Cat 50, one of the few high grade books I own. The other comic caught the the top of the Black Cat's cover putting an eigth of on inch tear in it. That amount of damage to any other comic I own would have been a less costly error. I haven't bought a pre-code book in nicer than 6.0 since.

 

I feel for ya bro'... i've heard quite a few Mylar related mishaps.

 

Did you look for the "undo" button on your keyboard?

[BronzeBruce13]

I've ruined a couple of books trying to push them too hard into the mylar sleeve, ending up scrunching the top part of the cover.

 

I think in one of CGC's first promotional pieces they reported on a defect phenomon they were encountering that was the result of "thumb damage" to the top-center of many comics. It was said to be from applying pressure while inserting the comics into a Mylar... something like that.

[greggy]

I've ruined a couple of books trying to push them too hard into the mylar sleeve, ending up scrunching the top part of the cover.

Rookie!

[blowout]

I think in one of CGC's first promotional pieces they reported on a defect phenomon they were encountering that was the result of "thumb damage" to the top-center of many comics. It was said to be from applying pressure while inserting the comics into a Mylar

 

Now I know why no other collections as nice as Edgar Church's have ever turned up.

[goldust40]

Speaking of Mylars, i'm sure we've all had finger cuts from going through dealer boxes at shows due to their sharp plastic flaps. At one show many years ago, I was at Harley Yee's table, and without realizing it I bled on a Silver Surfer 1 I was examining. It wasn't a high grade copy, but being a decent soul I mentioned it to Harley. I ended up buying the book (at a modest discount).

 

I think I flipped the book back in London for about the price I paid for it. Despite the bloodstain.

[Rickdogg]

I have a Cherry Hill Mall story too.

I was working for "Biff" of BeachHead Comics (fun fact: both Shiver and I worked for the same comic dealer as youngsters years apart and didn't know it until less than a month ago).

 

Anyway, near the small escalators there used to be a fast food style chinese restaurant a few places away from McDonalds. I bought and ate 2 orders of fried mushrooms... bad move. The batter was hiding some rank 'shrooms i think. 15 minutes afterwards, i didn't feel so good. I laid on top of the long boxes under the tables to rest... but my stomach ache got worse and I started to salivate (the bad way). By now, I knew the inevitable was coming and was horrified at what course of action i should take. I stalled hoping it would pass and then felt a lurch. I got up and ran towards the only bathroom i could think of. It was of course McDonald's and it was peak Lunch hour on a Saturday and the place was packed.

 

(please do not read further if you are squeamish)

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK... just as I arrived in the packed entrance... I spewed fried mushrooms at an impressive velocity and surprising coverage. What's funny is I seem to remember a creepy chorus of "OOOOHHHHAAAAWWWWEEEEEEWWWWWWWW!!!!" before I finished the 2nd launch! As I ran to the bathroom, people were scattering out of the place with wide-eyed horror that a 3rd launch may be heading their way and onto their filt-o-fish. By the time I entered the bathroom, I was done. I cleaned up and parted my hair different and put my jacket on inside out or something lame to try and disguise myself.

 

When I got the courage up to leave, the place was desolate and 2-3 sullen faced employees were mopping the place up. None of them looked at me as I ducked my head and scurried away.

 

 

[JohnBull]

Speaking of Mylars, i'm sure we've all had finger cuts from going through dealer boxes at shows due to their sharp plastic flaps. At one show many years ago, I was at Harley Yee's table, and without realizing it I bled on a Silver Surfer 1 I was examining. It wasn't a high grade copy, but being a decent soul I mentioned it to Harley. I ended up buying the book (at a modest discount).

 

I think I flipped the book back in London for about the price I paid for it. Despite the bloodstain.

 

[RTBrandy]

When you read it backwards, did you hear any satanice or communist rhetoric?