Sid's Luncheonette?

[trmoore54]

Here's my two...ff 19 courtesy of drummy and ff 21 courtesy of jimjum...

I have the cert for the 21 but not for the 19...Harry...send me a replacement cert for the 19!

 

 

[burntboy]

I think I can whip one up for you!!

 

Send me a PM with your address...

[Boba]

Sids Luncheonette, I bought 1, an early Sea Devils

 

I will always remember seeing Harry walking around NY with his Sid books in a metal briefcase.

 

Thinking he should have had then cuffed to his wrist.

 

 

KENNY:

 

I have pictures from the first time I brought the briefcase to Crazy Mike's show in the Penn Plaza. I had my picture taken with Mike, Basil Gogos and the only woman to be both a Charlies Angel and a Bond Girl (and Sheena).

 

We went out to lunch and passed around a briefcase full of SID's books over a table filled with BBQ

 

That briefcase is right here under my desk...ready to roll if the need ever arises ...

 

Can you share any of these photos with us?

[Hepcat]

Ahhhhh, so Sid's Luncheonette was a classic old-fashioned candy store like the kind that were once common in and around New York City! I take it they featured lunch counters, newspaper and magazine stands, cigarettes/cigars behind the cash register, ice cream coolers, candy counters and other small toys and things in which kids might have an interest. There were not necessarily any direct equivalents in other areas of the country.

 

But your description sounds like you were there!!

 

I can remember buying my first Plastic Model (A McConnell Voodoo Jet Fighter by Revell) and many subsequent planes, ships, Artillary pieces, etc. I think it's also where I bought all of the Aurora Monster Models.

 

Bought all of my Famous Monsters there as well as all of the Signet James Bond paperbacks and all the ACE Edgar Rice Burroughs PB's as well.

 

GREAT Memories...

 

I wasn't familiar with the candy store concept myself until a girl named Susan told me she used to buy Pall Mall cigarettes for her father, and one cent packs of baseball cards for the bubblegum (she'd give the card to her little brother) and Archie and Superman comics for herself in the late fifties/early sixties at Harry's Candy Store in Queens. She had to explain how the traditional candy store differed from the more modern convenience stores insofar as candy stores had a lunch counter/soda fountain but didn't have all the typical grocery items carried by convenience stores.

 

I was enthralled! While most of the variety stores in London, Ontario were small versions of present day convenience stores when I was growing up, I remembered that there had been a store like she described across from St. Peter's School on Richmond Street in the sixties. I would take Lithuanian lessons on Saturdays at St. Peter's and frequent the store to buy comic books, baseball cards and the Black Cat licorice flavoured bubble gum that I generally couldn't find anywhere else:

 

 

I also used to sneak a peak at the naked ladies in the titty mags. I was on my own you see. I'd be sent to St. Peter's on the bus. Those were the days before parents coddled their kids 24 hours a day....

 

A couple of months ago Susan found this account on the web of the actual Harry's Candy Store she frequented written by the son of Harry!

 

Harry's Candy Store Recollections

 

It's a lengthy article that makes for rather sad reading. You see the economics of these mom-and-pop stores was dreadful and making a living was always touch-and-go.

 

The first candy store they operated went broke when a Woolworth's and A & P opened in the immediate vicinity and undercut their cigarette prices. The lost traffic really hurt because so many people smoked in those days and their trips to the candy store would usually result in other impulse purchases such as cups of coffee, egg creams at the soda fountain, bottles of Coke, chewing gum, newspapers, etc.

 

Their second candy store was in Flushing in a location much better protected from larger predatory competition. It was brought to its knees by the New York newspaper strike of 1965, however. The Herald Tribune, the World Telegram, the Long Island Daily Star and the Long Island Daily Press never resumed publication. Only the morning Times and News and the afternoon Post survived. This was a major blow since people read newspapers in those days. People who previously came in to buy two or three newspapers per day had fewer newspapers to buy and came around less often.

 

Interesting your memories of buying most of your model kits at Sid's. Harry's evidently used to sponsor kids' model building competitions where their assembled efforts would be displayed in the store window. Great idea for having the kids drag their friends and parents around to the store! "See, see!"

 

The fellow worked behind the lunch counter in his teens. While his friends at school envied his access to all the candy in the store, he says that he never partook of it because he knew how little his parents actually earned from the store and he was afraid to eat up the profits!

 

Very sad.

 

[burntboy]

That was quite a read.

 

I don't know if I've ever mentioned that I worked at Sid's selling Newspapers out front for a few years on Sunday mornings. (the only paper that was missing from this story that I can remember from NY was the New York Journal American. And we, of course, sold both the Newark Evening News and the Newark Star Ledger - only the latter exists to this day.)

 

Interestingly, the author seems to have overlooked Comics (while mentioning newspapers, pocket books and magazines). as well as Revell models and stickball equipment.

 

A bit long but fascinating enough to want to know more about Mom's breakdown and the last days of theri second store...

[AtlasFan]

What super-swell books!

 

Is there a Sid's HULK #1?

[burntboy]

Sids Luncheonette, I bought 1, an early Sea Devils

 

I will always remember seeing Harry walking around NY with his Sid books in a metal briefcase.

 

Thinking he should have had then cuffed to his wrist.

 

 

KENNY:

 

I have pictures from the first time I brought the briefcase to Crazy Mike's show in the Penn Plaza. I had my picture taken with Mike, Basil Gogos and the only woman to be both a Charlies Angel and a Bond Girl (and Sheena).

 

We went out to lunch and passed around a briefcase full of SID's books over a table filled with BBQ

 

That briefcase is right here under my desk...ready to roll if the need ever arises ...

 

Can you share any of these photos with us?

 

These are the ones I mentioned;

 

Basil Gogos - beginning with Famous Monsters of Filmland #9 he painted dozens of subsequent covers over many years;

 

[burntboy]

Pic number 2 is of Mike Carbonero, the Face of Neatstuff Collectibles (and what a Face it is), and host of this Big Apple ComicCon circa 2005; (He stopped me at the entrance to find out what was in the Metal Briefcase)

 

[burntboy]

and for the last pic #3 (but far, far from least) the only Woman to be both a Charlies Angel and a Bond Girl, one of my ALL TIME FAVES, Tanya Roberts!!!

 

BTW she's 50 years old in this Pic!!!

 

Her eyes are closed as she imagines what life would be like with me...

 

[Boba]

Thanks for sharing (thumbs u

I grew up going to all the Sueling "Second-Sundays" and NY Comic Cons and used to get a kick out of seeing Mike there with his parents.

He was just a kid then but he used to boss them around like they were hired help. He's a hoot.

It's incredible to see him still at it, although I don't recall seeing his old helpers.

 

And yes, Tanya is a dream

[Hepcat]

I don't know if I've ever mentioned that I worked at Sid's selling Newspapers out front for a few years on Sunday mornings. (the only paper that was missing from this story that I can remember from NY was the New York Journal American. And we, of course, sold both the Newark Evening News and the Newark Star Ledger - only the latter exists to this day.)

 

How many papers do you think you sold? Harry's appears to have sold hundreds and hundreds.

 

Interestingly, the author seems to have overlooked Comics (while mentioning newspapers, pocket books and magazines). as well as Revell models and stickball equipment.

 

Actually he does mention the comics in a fashion. He says that his mother would diplomatically ask kids about library cards if they were lingering too long at the magazine rack. The models are also mentioned in the part about the model building contests Harry's sponsored. I bought many of the Hawk and Aurora planes I built at Les' Variety or Ken's Variety down the street from me in London myself.

 

Interesting as well with respect to the kids' stuff the candy stores stocked. Susan told me that her rich twelve year old cousin bought a six gun and holster set for the whopping sum of $15 at the candy store one afternoon, and then turned them over to six year old Susan when she got tired of them at the end of the day! Can you imagine the gun set $15 would buy in 1958 and how awesome such a set would seem to a six year old?

 

 

 

[Dark Knight]

Do you still own those 3 books Harry?

 

I sold the AF 15 a few years back, but have kept the FF 1 and JIM 83 (as well as the Daredevil 1 & X-Men 1).

 

Very nice! Any chance on having them graded or leave em raw?

[Hepcat]

Here's a scan of mine.

 

 

I've always loved that cover!

 

 

I had to have one, and this was the only one remaining at the time that I could afford

 

 

From the scan I can't see why that Brave & the Bold wasn't graded higher than 8.0.

 

[burntboy]

I always felt (for some inexplicable reason) that DC's were graded a wee bit harsher than Marvels...(I've had at least a hundred of each done by CGC, all Silver age and all mid-high grade).

 

Of course it's also a wee bit tougher being totally objective about your own books.

[Hepcat]

Maybe, maybe. CGC certainly chopped this one down because of the corners (I'm guessing):

 

That led to a back-and-forth dialogue with Brad and the eventual passing of another Sid's copy to a welcoming home...

 

 

I know you bought some ACG Herbies. How about Archie Fly & Jaguar, Charltons, Dells and Harveys? Did you pick up many of those on your trips to Sid's Luncheonette?

 

[burntboy]

Maybe, maybe. CGC certainly chopped this one down because of the corners (I'm guessing):

 

That led to a back-and-forth dialogue with Brad and the eventual passing of another Sid's copy to a welcoming home...

 

 

I know you bought some ACG Herbies. How about Archie Fly & Jaguar, Charltons, Dells and Harveys? Did you pick up many of those on your trips to Sid's Luncheonette?

 

 

That's a pretty good example. That is a gorgeous book with seemingly very minor defects - looks better than an 8.0 to me...

 

I bought some books from all of those titles. Had the first 2 copies of Archies "The Shield" and the first half dozen or so of both the Fly and the Jaguar as well as lots of Hot Stuff, Little Dot, etc.

 

Most non DC/Marvels were not retained or traded away for FMOF # 1...

 

BTW I'm trying to figure out how to scan my FMOF collection into my computer so I can share scans of the first 9 issues or so...

[namisgr]

Harry, I recently resubmitted your old MIS #87 that graded originally 8.5 ow/w (that I posted a couple of pages ago). With no manipulation, it came back a 9.0 white.

 

Many of your books could benefit from a careful lookover, and possibly a regrading.

[jimjum12]

Harry, I recently resubmitted your old MIS #87 that graded originally 8.5 ow/w (that I posted a couple of pages ago). With no manipulation, it came back a 9.0 white.

 

Many of your books could benefit from a careful lookover, and possibly a regrading.

 

.....many would get at least a PQ bump....and also, NONE of the Sid's books were pressed and many would benefit from it. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[MasterChief]

Harry, I recently resubmitted your old MIS #87 that graded originally 8.5 ow/w (that I posted a couple of pages ago). With no manipulation, it came back a 9.0 white.

 

Many of your books could benefit from a careful lookover, and possibly a regrading.

 

.....many would get at least a PQ bump....and also, NONE of the Sid's books were pressed and many would benefit from it. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

I dig what you guys are saying regarding the low-ball certified grading of the Sid's MIS copies.

 

And I might consider a second-opinion resubmission for that beautiful copy of MIS#84.

 

But short of that, I am comfortable in knowing the book is incorrectly graded.

 

I am also confident in knowing the book is structurally and aesthetically a 9.2 copy at best if regraded. That's depending on what day of the week it is for CGC and if the primary grader has had his morning coffee, of course.

 

That said, I'll not consider the manipulation option. The book will remain in its original state, less any restorative procedures.

 

Label status, short-term leather wallet expansion and manufactured high-grade population dilution are of no benefit to me or the hobby in my humble opinion. (thumbs u

 

[MasterChief]

Here's another example of a primo Sid's copy.

 

Not the high-grade quintessential copy, but that's A-Okay in my book.

 

Here's why.

 

I've been burned on a color-touched copy of ASM#18 before. A painful experience to say the least.

 

So when the opportunity presented itself to own a copy accompanied with a distinctive and defined lineage, I jumped at the chance.

 

Love the book and its heritage, Harry.

 

I raise a Primo Beer and present a toast in your honor.

 

Thank you again!