Why I won't buy from Jamie Graham...and why I love these boards!

[the blob]

Oh jeez another wise . Everyone who buys enough picks up a dupe once in a while. It happens to the best.

 

 

Therein lies the main problem with your post. Don't you know that if you're a "real" collector, up to five copies of a given issue is not too many, and then you can also have up to 100 different "hoard" issues where you can have up to 500 copies before it is too many.

 

Seriously, if it weren't for collectors owning dupes, trips, septs, octs, etc. the whole comic market would come crashing down. Help the economy, dupe up!

 

Pretty sure I have 2-3 copies of JIM 96 and I ain't driving 70 miles to get rid of one of them! I need another 2-3 before I even think about it!

 

Actually, I'm shocked there are 41 copies of that issue up on ebay right now. Not that I think it's rare or anything, but it wasn't long ago that there might only be 10-15 of an issue like that up at any given time.

[Bomber-Bob]

I am sure the OP, Mark, is probably sorry he started this thread. The majority here feels he was wrong to out Jamie so quickly and he has gotten beaten up. As a lesson to be learned, perhaps the better approach would have been to mention this incident in the context of another thread and get a feel for the Boards reaction. Something like sharing a con experience and mentioning you drove there again on Sunday to exchange a book only to find the dealer was gone. I know I have learned from this thread.

[the blob]

Again, I normally never say a word, but I happen to think this man is actually a good guy who normally would give people the shirt off his back!

John (thumbs u

 

Your mention of Jamie willing to give you the shirt off his back reminded me of an experience I had with Jamie many years ago. It was a very hot summer day and I was attending the Motor City con where Jamie was setup. At this show he was also selling comic T-shirts. I stopped to chat with Jamie, if he is not busy, he will chat chat with you. I was wearing a cheap white T-shirt and suddenly Jamie says 'that T-shirt is disgusting, pick out any shirt on the rack on me but just change that shirt'. I did and we still laugh about it today. So there you have it, Jamie will give you the shirt off his back, or rack.

 

I am sure he's done similar things in the 30 years he's been in business! Not only that, he pays well when buying and is more than fair when buying from! Ya, he may have books posted on his website with inflated prices... who doesn't???

 

BTW - Thanks for pointing that out (thumbs u It couldn't have been put any better my man, kudos to you!

 

 

 

I won't even give the "OP" the time of day to the childish response made about my post.

 

I must admit I only read the title and the first few pages of the thread, but I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in about Graham Crackers...

 

I spoke to a boardie at the Graham Crackers booth and a guy who I can only assume was Jamie was there, and when the topic of me being on the boards came up, he took one look at me and shook his head. I tried to make light of the situation, but he really didn't seem to want to be friendly.

 

No real bad situation here, he just seemed a little cold to me :shrug:

 

I WILL respond to this one, as I was the one sitting there talking with you Liam, correct? I will also give my OPINION, and it is just that, an OPINION, not fact or anything else it will be spun into!

 

Liam, you are young and just getting into this hobby, which is cool and I will talk to you and help you out whenever I can... I believe I showed an example of that yesterday, did I not?

 

Now, getting to the reason behind Jamie turning his back when I mentioned you were a "boardie" when being introduced. I'll let you think about that one for a moment as you seem like a smart kid.

 

 

Long enough? Good! Again, this is my OPINION only! I would assume the reason for that is rather quite simple; I would say it is because he knows better and would rather avoid situations such as this, where he did NOTHING WRONG in this instance, yet seeing as how the OP made an @ss of himself by posting HIS MISTAKE... Then (looking like an 1d1ot) had to drag up the past and make a spectacle of it all! Would you want to deal with people like that??? Really and honestly think about that one!

 

I am not saying ALL members are like this, unfortunately a lot, and I mean a LOT of good, mature, reasonable and most of all, knowledgeable posters have left due to the way things have really changed around here over last couple of years. Now, we have people who it seems like their only agenda is to try and make a "name" for themselves on a MESSAGE BOARD (whoopdie-f'ing-do: get a LIFE), by having a BIG post count. Or by posting BS such as this to make it look like they are special for having a 20+ page thread of non-sense and by bringing up past (years) MISTAKES that have occurred... it's sad really. This was a good place and still is for the most part. However, more people have to start speaking up (like a few did ) when BS like this goes down!

 

I guess it is like anywhere else; there'll always be the big talkers, but it's the walkers who speak volumes without needing to say a word!

 

Is it just me? Or can anyone else imagine the amount of calls, emails, ravens being sent, and even smoke signals that were probably made over this? Would YOU call the person back, or would you think it was a nut job better left alone! After all, getting back to the FACTS here, GCC did absolutely NOTHING WRONG! Better yet, JAMIE did nothing wrong!

 

If I were a MOD, I would have this whole stupid thread removed as it is really messing with someone's livelihood over NOTHING! Shame really...

 

John <-- who's waiting on a quoted remark by BSP (Big Shot Poster)

 

yeah, but maybe he shouldn't have this attitude. i missed the tos 39 thread and the $100 book thread in the past...the only recollection i have about folks writing about graham is that he is a good dealer/has good stuff. if i had any money or was back int the market for triple and quadruple digit books like i was a few years ago rather than the cheap in bulk stuff i buy now, i might have hit his table at a show at some point based on good word of mouth here, like i have looked at TVcomics table, dale roberts (well, he's an active boardie, so i guess that's different) and a few others. it isn't all bad here. obviously some of his prices are reasonable enough, otherwise mark1 wouldn't have been buying from him/trying to buy more.

[the blob]

You know what I would like to see? One day, I would love for a dealer, any dealer, to come on the boards and post a list of all the customers he's never going to deal with again. You know, and list all the reasons why:

 

They put a comic on hold on Thursday and then came back on Sunday to tell me they bought the same from XYZ because it was cheaper.

 

They offered me $150 on a $400 comic.

 

They put a comic on hold and then never came back.

 

They spent twenty minutes telling me why they couldn't afford Poverty #1 in a CGC 9.8.

 

They asked for a discount on dollar books.

They just wanted to see it. They have one at home exactly like it and wanted to know what it was worth.

 

They smelled like azz.

 

They always ask me for a dealer badge, but then they always buy from someone else.

 

 

You know, if I buy 106 dollar books I don't think it's asking that much to try and get them for a straight $100. It's when people buy 6 and want to pay $5 I can understand the dealer wanting to hit them over the head with something heavy.

[Mark 1]

I may have missed something, but has Donut's offer to get the situation straightened out been taken up? This seems like the quickest and best solution.

 

I sent him a PM and he said he would send Jamie a text and get back to me. No answer yet. However, still doesn't excuse the fact nobody from the store has contacted me...even after this thread was created.

 

 

[DrWatson]

I may have missed something, but has Donut's offer to get the situation straightened out been taken up? This seems like the quickest and best solution.

 

I sent him a PM and he said he would send Jamie a text and get back to me. No answer yet. However, still doesn't excuse the fact nobody from the store has contacted me...even after this thread was created.

 

You can PM angryjohn. He's a board member now. (thumbs u

[seanfingh]

[Mark 1]

I am sure the OP, Mark, is probably sorry he started this thread. The majority here feels he was wrong to out Jamie so quickly and he has gotten beaten up. As a lesson to be learned, perhaps the better approach would have been to mention this incident in the context of another thread and get a feel for the Boards reaction. Something like sharing a con experience and mentioning you drove there again on Sunday to exchange a book only to find the dealer was gone. I know I have learned from this thread.

 

Don't be so sure I am sorry I started this thread. I'm not sorry at all.

 

The one who should be sorry is Jamie Graham and his business. If he isn't so be it.

 

And, the majority does not feel I am wrong to out Jamie. But, even if nobody agreed with me...it doesn't matter. What matters is how I feel. I feel I was misled and ignored. I wasn't cheated or sold a trimmed comic. I was treated poorly and since have been ignored.

 

I'm a big boy and I debated a day or so about starting this thread. I knew who would come on tooting Jamie Graham's horn. It was completely predictable who would jump in and say negative things to me. I did it because I felt it was necessary to air my dissatisfaction with his business.

[Mark 1]

I may have missed something, but has Donut's offer to get the situation straightened out been taken up? This seems like the quickest and best solution.

 

I sent him a PM and he said he would send Jamie a text and get back to me. No answer yet. However, still doesn't excuse the fact nobody from the store has contacted me...even after this thread was created.

 

You can PM angryjohn. He's a board member now. (thumbs u

 

He can PM me.

[troydivision1]

I think a better way to address this (as it was not a board transaction) would have been to write a negative comment on each of his many Yelp! pages.

 

It is frustrating when someone's word cannot be trusted, BUT I never saw it mentioned that Jamie himself told you this could be done only that 'Angry John' said it was okay.

 

Sometimes employees bite off more than they can chew and he may have spoken out of turn, which may be why you are getting no response now because he may be facing disciplinary actions for even offering to exchange a book that left a show to be returned the next day.

[DrWatson]

I may have missed something, but has Donut's offer to get the situation straightened out been taken up? This seems like the quickest and best solution.

 

I sent him a PM and he said he would send Jamie a text and get back to me. No answer yet. However, still doesn't excuse the fact nobody from the store has contacted me...even after this thread was created.

 

You can PM angryjohn. He's a board member now. (thumbs u

 

He can PM me.

You are becoming you own stumbling block.

[vane]

For the time being I would prefer to not divulge these dealers...

Well, I quit reading.

 

 

Why? I tend to write with clear thoughts and i'm sure it will come out eventually. With this forum I've learned if you come out with guns blazing you are sure to start a gun fight.

I was being sarcastic.

 

I know exactly who you are talking about and he's not that bad of a guy... Sometimes gruff. First of all, his store staff probably had no idea he wasn't coming back to the show. Secondly, he has had that phone message forever. Thirdly, it wasn't his fault you purchased the wrong issue. I'm not saying that you are at fault, but he didn't know you would be returning to the show.

 

Lastly, I'm sure something could have been worked out as far as store credit or an exchange. He's facilitated returns/refunds in the past.

 

Doc, I appreciate your response but unless you have talked to this person...you probably don't know all the facts.

 

Supposedly, his staff called him and talked to him about my issue on the Saturday when I got home. They called him then called me back to say they talked to him and that he said no problem and come back the next day. Now of course, something could have changed in his situation and he decided not to come back without his staff knowing. Sure, I get that.

 

But, I talked to the same person at his store who claims to be his relative and promised me he would call me back to work out the deal. I gave at least 8 issues from my want list I needed and would gladly buy more than just exchanging the comic. I said that because I know it was my fault for buying a duplicate. To not only entice them to do the exchange and also show good will I offered to buy more....that didn't even prompt a call back.

 

And there is no excuse for such a vmail from a business owner even if he has had it forever. Why does that matter? He should be ashamed of himself for acting like a child on a vmail. It's business. He would be better off not having a vmail. Instead he is clearly amused at treating people like that.

 

 

I would like to here that voice mail.

[Mark 1]

I think a better way to address this (as it was not a board transaction) would have been to write a negative comment on each of his many Yelp! pages.

 

It is frustrating when someone's word cannot be trusted, BUT I never saw it mentioned that Jamie himself told you this could be done only that 'Angry John' said it was okay.

 

Sometimes employees bite off more than they can chew and he may have spoken out of turn, which may be why you are getting no response now because he may be facing disciplinary actions for even offering to exchange a book that left a show to be returned the next day.

 

I'll repeat it again so you don't have to go back and read it all.

 

Angry John said he would call Jamie and call me back. He called me 10 min later and said "I talked to Jamie and he said come down". (BTW - Angry John? That's a nice name for someone you want answering you business line).

 

It must be clear now...the guy said he talked to Jamie. No confusion. That's what I was told. If he lied....further evidence why my money will stay away from them.

 

 

[comix4fun]

I may have missed something, but has Donut's offer to get the situation straightened out been taken up? This seems like the quickest and best solution.

 

I sent him a PM and he said he would send Jamie a text and get back to me. No answer yet. However, still doesn't excuse the fact nobody from the store has contacted me...even after this thread was created.

 

You can PM angryjohn. He's a board member now. (thumbs u

 

He can PM me.

You are becoming you own stumbling block.

 

[Mark 1]

 

 

I would like to here that voice mail.

 

I contemplated taping it and posting it here for all to hear but I wasn't sure of the legality of that so I decided against it. Probably a good idea.

[mt1000]

doh!

[Jeffro.]

Fine. We get it. You're not doing business with him anymore. That's your choice. How many more freakin' times do you have to say it?

[the blob]

Here's the thing about snarky old school comics dealers.

 

They are used to being kings of their domain. Owning the only shop in town (or within a reasonable distance), being able to charge whatever worked for them with a semi-captive audience. Mail order was tricky for a long time, conventions sporadic. If you were an annoying customer they'd tell you to get the F out of their store and not miss the business. They could buy comics for 5 cents each and mark them up 1-50,000% all day. They sold lots of new issues, could salt away extras to sell for over cover, etc. It was a good gig. Most of the business was cash, so they weren't even paying much in taxes. And then it crashed in the 90's and by the end of the 90's the interweb and ebay destroyed their little local monopolies and now they mostly have to take CCs to survive, etc.

 

But many have the same attitudes even though the market has changed a lot. And they went into the business because they had the attitudes and didn't play nice with others in other work settings.

 

Not saying there aren't plenty of good folks in the business, even ones who have been around forever. But I do think the business attracted a certain type who can handle sitting around a store all day futzing with comics and having almost no business walk in until 3 p.m. or so....

 

I know my friend owned a store and had either owned or managed shops since the 70's...while he was generally more pleasant overall, if someone annoyed him he was very quick to tell them to get the F out of his store and he wasn't going to be worried if that $50 a week never came back.

[mt1000]

Fine. We get it. You're not doing business with him anymore. That's your choice. How many more freakin' times do you have to say it?

 

25 more pages then its done

[toro]

There is always Facebook.

 

http://www.facebook.com/grahamcrackerscomics

 

But I doubt you will be adding yourself to the "like" group.