Calgary Comic Expo 2012 Stunning

[chrisco37]

Here are my pics.

 

Got really close to Stan, even if I didn't make eye contact

 

 

...and speaking of "classy," check out the rack on the right! Woo-hoo!

 

Peace,

 

Chip

 

[Arsenalherd]

well spotted Chip, pair of crackers

[Whizzer]

Best. Con Report. Ever.

 

This thread contains examples of everything that is great about the hobby.

 

All the doom mongers and nay sayers on here should read this. It seems that the hobby is in rude health, with youngsters and females taking an interest in comic books. Also interesting that these same youngsters and ladies are spending money on Silver Age books and not just Walking Dead trades.

 

Lots of great Cons worldwide now, good supply and demand on vintage books, and decent new comics and related movies being released.

 

The Avengers 1 anecdote sums it all up perfectly; a 14 year old kid spends big money he earned from his own efforts on a key book which he then gets signed by an industry legend and graded and slabbed. Sounds like he made a pretty wise investment on a cool item. He then buys more books and gets gifted a cool freebie by a dealer who engaged with, and encouraged a new customer.

 

Huge Win all round.

 

 

[gyro-1]

I know there have been a lot of complaints about the media fans taking over our conventions but after the 2012 Calgary Comic Expo I've come to the conclusion that these events are generally good for our hobby.

 

I sold comics to people who've never purchased a back issue in the past. Yes, some of these buyers will plop that one book on a shelf and never buy another but some will come back and get a book signed by next year's big comic guest. It won't be long before they have a stack of comics and at least marginally, comic collectors.

 

And a few will look at the books, ask some questions, and find themselves drawn to the covers and hopefully interiors and become blue feathered, card carrying members of our hobby. I know because I talked to some budding collectors at this show.

 

I would also like to point out that Calgary and the rest of the province have been very anti CGC. There are certainly collectors in the area who appreciate and own CGC comics but they are a small minority. CGC books rarely sell even if we have the exact book the customer is looking for in a CGC case.

 

After this show there will be hundreds or perhaps thousands of CGC sig. series books on their way to our area. These sig. series events are a great introduction to CGC and can't help but create an awareness and acceptance for the company.

In 5 years I expect to see far more buyers and sellers of CGC graded books at these shows.

Yippy

[wolf_2099]

A sketch and some signed comics from the show!

[thehumantorch]

Thanks for the kind words. I wanted to get the report out while I was still glowing from the con experience, hope it came across.

 

This show had some huge problems. Even though the organizers are very smart they couldn't cope with an attendance that ramped up from 30,000 to more than 50,000. Mind boggling growth. Many were turned away and people with prepaid weekend passes weren't allowed to reenter. The organizers are now facing the San Diego paradox, too much success and growth and more demand than they can supply. All in just a few years. If anyone can solve these problems it is these guys. They are true fans of Sci Fi, Comics, Star Trek and Wars and I'm sure they've already started brainstorming for next year and addressing their mistakes.

[thehumantorch]

nice

[Bronty]

Thanks for the kind words. I wanted to get the report out while I was still glowing from the con experience, hope it came across.

 

This show had some huge problems. Even though the organizers are very smart they couldn't cope with an attendance that ramped up from 30,000 to more than 50,000. Mind boggling growth. Many were turned away and people with prepaid weekend passes weren't allowed to reenter. The organizers are now facing the San Diego paradox, too much success and growth and more demand than they can supply. All in just a few years. If anyone can solve these problems it is these guys. They are true fans of Sci Fi, Comics, Star Trek and Wars and I'm sure they've already started brainstorming for next year and addressing their mistakes.

 

wow that's awesome.

[thehumantorch]

A few sales reports I heard.

 

The guys across the aisle from Winnipeg told me they had a Native American customer pull a stack of books from their boxes. He then pulled out a massive pile of cash, placed it on the table and casually knocked over the top of the pile. The dealer then picked out the cash he wanted for the book and the customer walked away. They had never seen anything like it.

 

I also heard that Harley had a lady run over. Told him she needed some books for Stan Lee to sign and she was in a rush. They picked out more than 2K in books and she paid his sticker price and ran off.

 

 

[thehumantorch]

Back in the early 80s I was involved in Sci Fi fandom. We had an active Sci Fi club and almost 50 of us went to our first con, Vcon 6 in Vancouver. We had an amazing time, god the parties were awesome and the people kooky, and were soon planning our old con. From that Noncon was born.

 

Some Calgary fans came up for our con and soon they wanted to run a show. We loaned them Noncon for a year or two and then they started their own show. Not positive but think the name was Conversion. I was told at this show that some of the organizers came from that group and they were smart cookies.

[trmoore54]

Dave/Brian/Artboy

Fantastic thread! You've really plugged us in to your experience and the camaraderie you shared with fellow collectors and boardies! Thanks for the great post/thread!

 

Dave...gonna have to have talk soon...I'll give you a call again when I get the chance...

[Artboy99]

Dave/Brian/Artboy

Fantastic thread! You've really plugged us in to your experience and the camaraderie you shared with fellow collectors and boardies! Thanks for the great post/thread!

 

(thumbs u

[thehumantorch]

Dave/Brian/Artboy

Fantastic thread! You've really plugged us in to your experience and the camaraderie you shared with fellow collectors and boardies! Thanks for the great post/thread!

 

Dave...gonna have to have talk soon...I'll give you a call again when I get the chance...

 

Thanks Tom, it would be nice to talk over the phone.

 

I had hoped that this con report would accurately describe the phenomenal growth of this con, the headaches that the growth created for the organizers and our experiences as collectors imitating dealers.

 

Dealing comics is a brutal business and I can't imagine how any make a living from it. It seems like everyone wants a deal, or worse gives you a low ball offer or beats your inventory to a pulp rifling through it or waving it around. The time it takes to page count, accurately grade, price, bag and board is killer. Add in the booth costs, hotel, food and beer (not in that order), travel costs, etc and there is no wonder why there are so few decent back issue stores or full time dealers left.

 

I must say I wanted to strangle the fool who offered me $200 for my Avengers 1 and when I said 'absolutely not, not in a million years' he offered to bundle it with some other keys like that would make selling keys at 50% off more tempting.

[trmoore54]

Dave/Brian/Artboy

Fantastic thread! You've really plugged us in to your experience and the camaraderie you shared with fellow collectors and boardies! Thanks for the great post/thread!

 

Dave...gonna have to have talk soon...I'll give you a call again when I get the chance...

 

Thanks Tom, it would be nice to talk over the phone.

 

I had hoped that this con report would accurately describe the phenomenal growth of this con, the headaches that the growth created for the organizers and our experiences as collectors imitating dealers.

 

Dealing comics is a brutal business and I can't imagine how any make a living from it. It seems like everyone wants a deal, or worse gives you a low ball offer or beats your inventory to a pulp rifling through it or waving it around. The time it takes to page count, accurately grade, price, bag and board is killer. Add in the booth costs, hotel, food and beer (not in that order), travel costs, etc and there is no wonder why there are so few decent back issue stores or full time dealers left.

 

I must say I wanted to strangle the fool who offered me $200 for my Avengers 1 and when I said 'absolutely not, not in a million years' he offered to bundle it with some other keys like that would make selling keys at 50% off more tempting.

 

 

Yeah I can only imagine how exhausting it is...I've often entertained the idea of setting up a booth to display my personal collection with no price tags and tell everyone who came by (a) they're not for sale...I'm just showing them off and (b) no, you CANNOT handle the book!

 

It's like that scene in Spinal Tap where the band member tells the other guy "don't even touch my guitars!" and then..."don't even look at them!"

[Artboy99]

Dave/Brian/Artboy

Fantastic thread! You've really plugged us in to your experience and the camaraderie you shared with fellow collectors and boardies! Thanks for the great post/thread!

 

Dave...gonna have to have talk soon...I'll give you a call again when I get the chance...

 

Thanks Tom, it would be nice to talk over the phone.

 

I had hoped that this con report would accurately describe the phenomenal growth of this con, the headaches that the growth created for the organizers and our experiences as collectors imitating dealers.

 

Dealing comics is a brutal business and I can't imagine how any make a living from it. It seems like everyone wants a deal, or worse gives you a low ball offer or beats your inventory to a pulp rifling through it or waving it around. The time it takes to page count, accurately grade, price, bag and board is killer. Add in the booth costs, hotel, food and beer (not in that order), travel costs, etc and there is no wonder why there are so few decent back issue stores or full time dealers left.

 

I must say I wanted to strangle the fool who offered me $200 for my Avengers 1 and when I said 'absolutely not, not in a million years' he offered to bundle it with some other keys like that would make selling keys at 50% off more tempting.

 

I have told people mishandling my books to leave my stuff. They give you this surprised / bewildered look, then I repeat myself, "you are done. You can go now."

I was very tired after the show, and Monday slept alot to recover. But I admit even today I am still tired. I can not imagine doing this on a full time basis every week.

 

[thehumantorch]

My one big purchase from the show. Thanks podboy, love it.

 

[jimjum12]

My one big purchase from the show. Thanks podboy, love it.

 

 

......when you get back into comics....you GET BACK INTO COMICS. ......nice. GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[Artboy99]

My one big purchase from the show. Thanks podboy, love it.

 

 

......when you get back into comics....you GET BACK INTO COMICS. ......nice. GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

Saw this book and held in hand. What you can't see in this photo is the outstanding gloss it has. Really is a sweet book. Grats Dave

[piper]

My one big purchase from the show. Thanks podboy, love it.

 

 

......when you get back into comics....you GET BACK INTO COMICS. ......nice. GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

Saw this book and held in hand. What you can't see in this photo is the outstanding gloss it has. Really is a sweet book. Grats Dave

 

+1

[Hibou]

 

 

A 7 foot Wolverine!