Four Color Comics (the store)

[Badlands]

Has anyone recently had any dealings with them? The good, the bad, etc, etc. They have a ton of silver-age books I am looking to pick up to fill the holes, but really do not know anything about them...thanks!

[Gary Strange]

Well, I'd like to give a raving review but you should at least read this thread...

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=4136597

[Badlands]

Hmmm...thanks for the the thread link. I was not considering slabbed books but raw. Still, that was helpful!

[comicdonna]

Raw books require safe packaging too!

[Badlands]

Good point. I would have assumed most folks can (and know how to) safely ship raw books nowadays. Reading that thread, obviously not the case.

[VintageComics]

There are a lot of people that don't understand how packaging and shipping affect not only their business but the comics themselves. You'd think it's all common sense but it isn't always.

 

It's disheartening to buy from an established dealer and have that revealed to you. I've bought from him at shows and he's been pretty professional but I guess if I ever buy from through the mail him I'll send some special instructions.

 

Slabs should always be packaged this way:

 

1) A piece of cardboard on either side of the slab to accept impact in case something makes it's way into the box, and then protected from shock and impact using

2) bubble wrap at the very least, or my preferred method of a small amount of bubble wrap to hold it together and then lots of styrophoam peanuts around the slab/cardboard/bubblewrap sandwich.

3) Finally a solid box around everything.

 

You'll almost never have a problem using this method (I never have after 1000's of packages).

 

I find that double boxing is not always a solution as you will help prevent anything physically reaching the book but you won't prevent the actual "shock" from reaching the book. That's why I use styrophoam peanuts. They act as a fluid and will absorb invisible "shock" and impact forces better than bubblewrap, which is a solid with air bubbles trapped in it.