Your Best Shop or Dealer Experience?

[chunkybutt]

,

 

I guess I should have explained better. He was a she and she probably did not know they were stolen at first. She just bought books off of local kids at a price she should not have been paying. Obviously because she did not know what she was doing. That is probably why she snapped at me when I explained her Star Wars #1 reprint was not worth the $200 she was tryin to sell it for.

I assumed they were stolen by looking at the 13-15yrs old kids bringing them in and selling them to her.

These kids usually brought in newly released junk, yet sometimes there were decent books mixed in and they sold them all at a set piece rate.

Only explanation was they did not know what they were or how much they were worth, they just wanted cash......as in they were stolen.

It was not "known" till years later that, at least some of them, were stolen books when the cops busted the kids.

 

However, just because I assumed they were stolen did not bring up any morale red flags for me at the age of 21yrs (I think).

Besides when you go to a pawn shop or flea market I bet 30% or more of all items there are, or were, stolen at one point.

 

The morality behind not buying stolen books or perpetuating a trend of crimes, I think is when you buy a book knowing that it was stolen and the crime being disclosed to you. Buying books that may be stolen........well any book in any store could be stolen if you think about it.

[Kirk Kenobi]

It was my first "flipping" experience. Local video game resale shop tried in dealing comics. The owner was buying copper books wholesale from stolen collections. I came in one day and the owner had Ultimate Spiderman issues 1-40 all NM. This was back in the day when they were going for over $100 each the first 6 issues. I bought all the books at $1 each because the had not made it ComicBuyersGuide yet so owner did not know what they were worth.

Normally I would not deceive anyone, but the owner was an insufficiently_thoughtful_person and had snapped at me before, when I tried to explain grading and that 2nd prints are not as valuable as the 1st printings.

I took all the books to Galactic Greg's in Valparaiso IN. Greg was there and I said I wanted to trade my books for X-Men back issues. All the other fanboys were drooling over my books, like they were the holy grail. Greg gave me 80% book value in trade.

I got X-Men 32 and 100 along with a bunch of others.

 

Congrats on winning Gobe Of The Week.

 

And it's not even Friday.

 

Good work, that man!

 

Uh oh. I feel this positive thread is going to take a turn for the worse.

It would be a first.

 

Even with a troll attempt we got almost 4 pages in before it started turning. Not bad.

[AK Comics]

I lived in Milwaukee for several years and worked at a home improvement business. We always did work out of town. One time, it must have been around 1992, I was in the Neenah/ Menasha area (about 1 1/2 hour drive) and visited LCS. I found out on the following sat they were having a big .25 comic sale.

 

I showed up right when they opened on sat and proceeded to pick out several hundred comics. I then came across Avengers 40 to 48 (vol 1). I pointed it out to the guy at the counter and was told "They're in the sale boxes, so they're a quarter a piece" Yes, I did buy them all

 

This is just awesome, because I grew up in Wisconsin and just got back from a 4th of July visit. Thanks for making me homesick!

 

Your welcome Kirk. Kind of funny in a related story. I grew up in SF Bay Area, and lived in L.A. for 3 years before moving here.

[Mark 1]

I have had several really great deals with folks on this fourm and they have all gone just great.

 

With that said, the best dealer experience I ever had was with Phil's Comic Shop.

 

I was looking for an ASM 1 back in the 90s. Phil was attending a convention and he knew I was looking for an ASM 1 but hadn't found a copy I liked enough to buy.

 

Phil calls me and says (paraphrasing) "i''m at the show and I found a really great copy of ASM 1 that I think you will like. If I can work a deal with the seller do you want it?" This was before cell phones and instant pictures...

 

I asked him to describe it. He did and it sounded great. He called me back with the price and said he would lay out the money for me and I could pay him back when he gets back to town. I was in heaven!

 

When he got back into town I rushed to his shop to get it. It was exactly as described and I gladly handed over the money.

 

I was so impressed that a dealer at a show proactively searched for a comic for me even when I didn't ask him to do it. And to lay out the money in advance was above the call of duty.

 

I've yet to meet another store owner/dealer who would do this (outside of the forum members here).

 

I have lots of other great dealer experiences but this one was top of mind.

 

 

[Transplant]

,

 

I guess I should have explained better. He was a she and she probably did not know they were stolen at first. She just bought books off of local kids at a price she should not have been paying. Obviously because she did not know what she was doing. That is probably why she snapped at me when I explained her Star Wars #1 reprint was not worth the $200 she was tryin to sell it for.

I assumed they were stolen by looking at the 13-15yrs old kids bringing them in and selling them to her.

These kids usually brought in newly released junk, yet sometimes there were decent books mixed in and they sold them all at a set piece rate.

Only explanation was they did not know what they were or how much they were worth, they just wanted cash......as in they were stolen.

It was not "known" till years later that, at least some of them, were stolen books when the cops busted the kids.

 

However, just because I assumed they were stolen did not bring up any morale red flags for me at the age of 21yrs (I think).

Besides when you go to a pawn shop or flea market I bet 30% or more of all items there are, or were, stolen at one point.

 

The morality behind not buying stolen books or perpetuating a trend of crimes, I think is when you buy a book knowing that it was stolen and the crime being disclosed to you. Buying books that may be stolen........well any book in any store could be stolen if you think about it.

Well done. You must be tired from all that backpedaling.

[Mark 1]

,

 

I guess I should have explained better. He was a she and she probably did not know they were stolen at first. She just bought books off of local kids at a price she should not have been paying. Obviously because she did not know what she was doing. That is probably why she snapped at me when I explained her Star Wars #1 reprint was not worth the $200 she was tryin to sell it for.

I assumed they were stolen by looking at the 13-15yrs old kids bringing them in and selling them to her.

These kids usually brought in newly released junk, yet sometimes there were decent books mixed in and they sold them all at a set piece rate.

Only explanation was they did not know what they were or how much they were worth, they just wanted cash......as in they were stolen.

It was not "known" till years later that, at least some of them, were stolen books when the cops busted the kids.

 

However, just because I assumed they were stolen did not bring up any morale red flags for me at the age of 21yrs (I think).

Besides when you go to a pawn shop or flea market I bet 30% or more of all items there are, or were, stolen at one point.

 

The morality behind not buying stolen books or perpetuating a trend of crimes, I think is when you buy a book knowing that it was stolen and the crime being disclosed to you. Buying books that may be stolen........well any book in any store could be stolen if you think about it.

Well done. You must be tired from all that backpedaling.

 

Even with the backpedaling...it still doesn't make sense.

[BlowUpTheMoon]

,

 

I guess I should have explained better. He was a she and she probably did not know they were stolen at first. She just bought books off of local kids at a price she should not have been paying. Obviously because she did not know what she was doing. That is probably why she snapped at me when I explained her Star Wars #1 reprint was not worth the $200 she was tryin to sell it for.

I assumed they were stolen by looking at the 13-15yrs old kids bringing them in and selling them to her.

These kids usually brought in newly released junk, yet sometimes there were decent books mixed in and they sold them all at a set piece rate.

Only explanation was they did not know what they were or how much they were worth, they just wanted cash......as in they were stolen.

It was not "known" till years later that, at least some of them, were stolen books when the cops busted the kids.

 

However, just because I assumed they were stolen did not bring up any morale red flags for me at the age of 21yrs (I think).

Besides when you go to a pawn shop or flea market I bet 30% or more of all items there are, or were, stolen at one point.

 

The morality behind not buying stolen books or perpetuating a trend of crimes, I think is when you buy a book knowing that it was stolen and the crime being disclosed to you. Buying books that may be stolen........well any book in any store could be stolen if you think about it.

Well done. You must be tired from all that backpedaling.

 

Even with the backpedaling...it still doesn't make sense.

 

I'm waiting for her "mentally challenged brother" to make an appearance at the store.

[Kirk Kenobi]

I lived in Milwaukee for several years and worked at a home improvement business. We always did work out of town. One time, it must have been around 1992, I was in the Neenah/ Menasha area (about 1 1/2 hour drive) and visited LCS. I found out on the following sat they were having a big .25 comic sale.

 

I showed up right when they opened on sat and proceeded to pick out several hundred comics. I then came across Avengers 40 to 48 (vol 1). I pointed it out to the guy at the counter and was told "They're in the sale boxes, so they're a quarter a piece" Yes, I did buy them all

 

This is just awesome, because I grew up in Wisconsin and just got back from a 4th of July visit. Thanks for making me homesick!

 

Your welcome Kirk. Kind of funny in a related story. I grew up in SF Bay Area, and lived in L.A. for 3 years before moving here.

 

Oddly enough I'm posting from my work HQ in the bay area, living in LA having grown up in Wisconsin. Maybe we should start an awesomeness club?

[Kirk Kenobi]

I have had several really great deals with folks on this fourm and they have all gone just great.

 

With that said, the best dealer experience I ever had was with Phil's Comic Shop.

 

I was looking for an ASM 1 back in the 90s. Phil was attending a convention and he knew I was looking for an ASM 1 but hadn't found a copy I liked enough to buy.

 

Phil calls me and says (paraphrasing) "i''m at the show and I found a really great copy of ASM 1 that I think you will like. If I can work a deal with the seller do you want it?" This was before cell phones and instant pictures...

 

I asked him to describe it. He did and it sounded great. He called me back with the price and said he would lay out the money for me and I could pay him back when he gets back to town. I was in heaven!

 

When he got back into town I rushed to his shop to get it. It was exactly as described and I gladly handed over the money.

 

I was so impressed that a dealer at a show proactively searched for a comic for me even when I didn't ask him to do it. And to lay out the money in advance was above the call of duty.

 

I've yet to meet another store owner/dealer who would do this (outside of the forum members here).

 

I have lots of other great dealer experiences but this one was top of mind.

 

 

Other than getting crazy cheap books to flip or purchasing stolen goods, personalized service is my favorite. Another example of a dealer taking personal initiative to go out of the way for a customer. This seems to be a theme.

[The Amazing Chump]

My LCS was Graham Crackers in Downers Grove. I don't remember his name, but the guy who worked there through most of the eighties and early nineties was great. I got my regular pull list from them and he always had a recommendation.

 

Recommended TMNT, the Crow, Copper, Bronze and All-Stars when they were dollar books to try and keep me out of the crazy bubble nonsense. Through no fault of his I still have far too many Lobo books, though.

[Hawkman]

from house of secrets in burbank ca:

 

picked up hellboy's 1st appearance for $7, and about $50 worth of bronze books. i noticed they had some earlier issues of walking dead (#'s 16, 21, 22, 23). they were about 9.0ish. paul, one of the owners, gave them to me for free.

 

 

earth 2:

 

picked up 3 copies of walking dead #61 long after it got hot for cover price. picked up detective comics #333 for $35. i'd say a solid 8.0

 

 

hi de hoe:

 

found detective comics #500 in NM++++++ for $10. also found about 30 other issues in the low 500's for $5-$8 a piece. all NM. bought a FN copy of green lantern #79 because i love the cover, and it was signed by neal adams on the front page. i picked up the simpsons super spectacular (the issue with ramona fradon art), walked down the block and saw matt groening and his son. asked him if he'd sign it and he did.

 

 

comic odyssey, pasadena ca:

 

secret wars #1-8 NM for $40. sold all but #8 for $45. bought a lot of my walking dead multiples for cover price.

 

 

comic bookie, circa 1990's claremont ca:

 

the owner used to have a thing called "back issue credit," that he would stamp on the back of your receipt when you bought books. so you'd have .50 off any back issues, or 1.00, or whatever. that's how i got into silver age books. he'd have a great stock, from 60's superman, batman, to early daredevil, g.i. joe, etc etc. i picked up a daredevil #8 that was G at best; a superman comic from the 60's, etc best of all, he was located next door to a card shop. i wasn't too into cards, but i did like basketball cards.

 

comic bookie will forever be the greatest comic book store i ever walked into. i used to ride my bike from pomona to claremont, about 3-4 miles, to the shop. i still have the copy of solar #1 i bought from them. sold the superman and daredevil books to house of secrets a year or so ago. for the longest time, comic bookie was in a shop called griswalds (old girls school i think), then it moved a few miles away to a hidden, much smaller location. i went once. it was sad. it was a hole in the wall, and by then i had moved 30 miles away to pasadena, so i only went the one time. they closed about 3 years ago

[Kirk Kenobi]

from house of secrets in burbank ca:

 

picked up hellboy's 1st appearance for $7, and about $50 worth of bronze books. i noticed they had some earlier issues of walking dead (#'s 16, 21, 22, 23). they were about 9.0ish. paul, one of the owners, gave them to me for free.

 

 

earth 2:

 

picked up 3 copies of walking dead #61 long after it got hot for cover price. picked up detective comics #333 for $35. i'd say a solid 8.0

 

 

hi de hoe:

 

found detective comics #500 in NM++++++ for $10. also found about 30 other issues in the low 500's for $5-$8 a piece. all NM. bought a FN copy of green lantern #79 because i love the cover, and it was signed by neal adams on the front page. i picked up the simpsons super spectacular (the issue with ramona fradon art), walked down the block and saw matt groening and his son. asked him if he'd sign it and he did.

 

 

comic odyssey, pasadena ca:

 

secret wars #1-8 NM for $40. sold all but #8 for $45. bought a lot of my walking dead multiples for cover price.

 

 

comic bookie, circa 1990's claremont ca:

 

the owner used to have a thing called "back issue credit," that he would stamp on the back of your receipt when you bought books. so you'd have .50 off any back issues, or 1.00, or whatever. that's how i got into silver age books. he'd have a great stock, from 60's superman, batman, to early daredevil, g.i. joe, etc etc. i picked up a daredevil #8 that was G at best; a superman comic from the 60's, etc best of all, he was located next door to a card shop. i wasn't too into cards, but i did like basketball cards.

 

comic bookie will forever be the greatest comic book store i ever walked into. i used to ride my bike from pomona to claremont, about 3-4 miles, to the shop. i still have the copy of solar #1 i bought from them. sold the superman and daredevil books to house of secrets a year or so ago. for the longest time, comic bookie was in a shop called griswalds (old girls school i think), then it moved a few miles away to a hidden, much smaller location. i went once. it was sad. it was a hole in the wall, and by then i had moved 30 miles away to pasadena, so i only went the one time. they closed about 3 years ago

 

So you are the guy that picked clean all the shops in LA.

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

-Harley Yee - I met Harley for the first time in Seattle in March, and he was one of the coolest dealers there. Didn't try to sell me anything while I was at his booth, he just let me browse and had a conversation with me and another dealer (also great) named Ron. When I managed to pick out a Daredevil #182 CGC 9.8 and a Fantastic Four #232 CGC 9.8 both priced at $80 each, he quickly offered to halve that price for me to $40 each. No haggling needed, but he saw that I was low on money and that I wanted the books, and took action! Major kudos to Harley.

 

It's not a knock against HARLEY, but the price you paid is the FMV according to GPA... Just sayin'.

 

Plus he was probably excited to sell that kind of book, since it's not his area of focus from what I've seen.

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

This has to be the best deal I've ever gotten anywhere.

 

Back in the 90s, one of the LCS in my area had a big 10 for $1 sale. About half way through, I cam across a Fantastic Four #10. The original FF #10, mind you, and it had a $100 price tag on it. Figuring someone had put it in there to either hide it until they had the money or come back and claim it as a 10¢ book, I pulled it to give it to the clerk. She was very nice and said, "it was in the 10¢ boxes and you found it, if you want it for 10¢, you've got it." I said, "you know the manager is going to be really upset with you, don't you?" She smiled and said, "I am the new manager." I bought the book.

 

She really was the new manager and ran the store for about a year or so until it changed hands and finally closed. I still can't believe I got FF #10 for 99.9% off!

 

Two thoughts upon hearing that story:

1.) did you ask her out? I sure as heck would have!

2.) If that was her financial management style, no wonder the store went out of business...

No doubt RE: point #2....

[AK Comics]

 

This is just awesome, because I grew up in Wisconsin and just got back from a 4th of July visit. Thanks for making me homesick!

 

Your welcome Kirk. Kind of funny in a related story. I grew up in SF Bay Area, and lived in L.A. for 3 years before moving here.

 

Oddly enough I'm posting from my work HQ in the bay area, living in LA having grown up in Wisconsin. Maybe we should start an awesomeness club?

 

...cool.

 

But you do know that you're now in the heart of eBay and Silicon Valley...tred cautiously.

[AK Comics]

Recommended TMNT, the Crow, Copper, Bronze and All-Stars when they were dollar books to try and keep me out of the crazy bubble nonsense. Through no fault of his I still have far too many Lobo books, though.

 

But doesn't everyone??

[G.A.tor]

I sold Richard Evans a book last year. It was just a smooth transaction. He's great at communication and just seems like a straight shooter and downright nice person to deal with. You cold swap out Richard's name with GAtor as well. Just nice people to deal with.

 

Both top-notch guys all around.

 

And nifty dancers, too.

don't forget parker...the 3 of us together can jam (courtesy of Flee)

 

[Boozad]

Comicana Direct is the one place I will buy raw books from unseen based on grade alone.

 

Suck it.

[DrWatson]

I sold Richard Evans a book last year. It was just a smooth transaction. He's great at communication and just seems like a straight shooter and downright nice person to deal with. You cold swap out Richard's name with GAtor as well. Just nice people to deal with.

 

Both top-notch guys all around.

 

And nifty dancers, too.

don't forget parker...the 3 of us together can jam (courtesy of Flee)

 

Why are you the only one wearing protection?

[DrWatson]

Comicana Direct is the one place I will buy raw books from unseen based on grade alone.

 

Suck it.