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Metropolis Comics

Started by Webhead1981,

199 posts in this topic

HarveySwick

HarveySwick

Posted
Posted
Yes Metro is the 800 pound gorilla, I'm only a chimpanzee in this business.

 

Shhhh, comic intelligence agency may be reading this, we must use the comic cone of silence if we are to talk of such secrets.

 

Bob rocks! :headbang:

 

No matter how many times I send him low offers on one his books, he's still respectful and works with me! Bob gave me such a deal on a great copy of DD #131 9.8 WP! Won't forget it and will be a repeat customer for as long as he's in business. I'm not sure he's happy about that though since he'll have to keep getting those email offers from me! lol

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MrBedrock

MrBedrock

Posted
Posted
Yes Metro is the 800 pound gorilla, I'm only a chimpanzee in this business.

 

Shhhh, comic intelligence agency may be reading this, we must use the comic cone of silence if we are to talk of such secrets.

 

Bob rocks! :headbang:

 

No matter how many times I send him low offers on one his books, he's still respectful and works with me! Bob gave me such a deal on a great copy of DD #131 9.8 WP! Won't forget it and will be a repeat customer for as long as he's in business. I'm not sure he's happy about that though since he'll have to keep getting those email offers from me! lol

+1 Every time I send him a lowball offer he tells me to F-OFF....

 

...with a smile (thumbs u

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HarveySwick

HarveySwick

Posted
Posted
Yes Metro is the 800 pound gorilla, I'm only a chimpanzee in this business.

 

Shhhh, comic intelligence agency may be reading this, we must use the comic cone of silence if we are to talk of such secrets.

 

Bob rocks! :headbang:

 

No matter how many times I send him low offers on one his books, he's still respectful and works with me! Bob gave me such a deal on a great copy of DD #131 9.8 WP! Won't forget it and will be a repeat customer for as long as he's in business. I'm not sure he's happy about that though since he'll have to keep getting those email offers from me! lol

+1 Every time I send him a lowball offer he tells me to F-OFF....

 

...with a smile (thumbs u

 

"Pass" lol

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mrmyst

mrmyst

Posted
Posted
Yes Metro is the 800 pound gorilla, I'm only a chimpanzee in this business.

 

Shhhh, comic intelligence agency may be reading this, we must use the comic cone of silence if we are to talk of such secrets.

 

Bob rocks! :headbang:

 

No matter how many times I send him low offers on one his books, he's still respectful and works with me! Bob gave me such a deal on a great copy of DD #131 9.8 WP! Won't forget it and will be a repeat customer for as long as he's in business. I'm not sure he's happy about that though since he'll have to keep getting those email offers from me! lol

I've bought a few from the blazing one at cons. Always an enjoyable experience.
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dem1138

dem1138

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Posted
Where did they get their bankroll? What is their history?

Steve Fishler was the founder of Metropolis and came from a fairly wealthy background. As a child, Fishler supposedly wasn't showing a great deal of interest in anything specific, and his father took him to a comic show where he did show interest. He started working as a young teenager with Sparkle City under Jay Maybruck and Joe Verenault and showed an aptitude for comics, sales and the deals in the business.

 

There's a piece missing from this origin. His father took him to a comic show and helped him get a job helping Joe Mannarino (All Star Auctions) at his booth. Steve helped him at shows for awhile until something happened and Joe let him go. After that, he started working with Sparkle City.

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comicdonna

comicdonna

Posted
Posted
Where did they get their bankroll? What is their history?

Steve Fishler was the founder of Metropolis and came from a fairly wealthy background. As a child, Fishler supposedly wasn't showing a great deal of interest in anything specific, and his father took him to a comic show where he did show interest. He started working as a young teenager with Sparkle City under Jay Maybruck and Joe Verenault and showed an aptitude for comics, sales and the deals in the business.

 

There's a piece missing from this origin. His father took him to a comic show and helped him get a job helping Joe Mannarino (All Star Auctions) at his booth. Steve helped him at shows for awhile until something happened and Joe let him go. After that, he started working with Sparkle City.

What happened?
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goldust40

goldust40

Posted
Posted
Where did they get their bankroll? What is their history?

Steve Fishler was the founder of Metropolis and came from a fairly wealthy background. As a child, Fishler supposedly wasn't showing a great deal of interest in anything specific, and his father took him to a comic show where he did show interest. He started working as a young teenager with Sparkle City under Jay Maybruck and Joe Verenault and showed an aptitude for comics, sales and the deals in the business.

 

There's a piece missing from this origin. His father took him to a comic show and helped him get a job helping Joe Mannarino (All Star Auctions) at his booth. Steve helped him at shows for awhile until something happened and Joe let him go. After that, he started working with Sparkle City.

What happened?
It's the Fishler Mystery. :o
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Ryan.

Ryan.

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I heard he peeked over the urinal wall and the relationship went downhill from there. It's not verified but I feel very strongly that this is what happened.

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dem1138

dem1138

Posted
Posted
Where did they get their bankroll? What is their history?

Steve Fishler was the founder of Metropolis and came from a fairly wealthy background. As a child, Fishler supposedly wasn't showing a great deal of interest in anything specific, and his father took him to a comic show where he did show interest. He started working as a young teenager with Sparkle City under Jay Maybruck and Joe Verenault and showed an aptitude for comics, sales and the deals in the business.

 

There's a piece missing from this origin. His father took him to a comic show and helped him get a job helping Joe Mannarino (All Star Auctions) at his booth. Steve helped him at shows for awhile until something happened and Joe let him go. After that, he started working with Sparkle City.

What happened?

 

Given that this is a public forum and I wasn't there, and out of respect for Steven, I'll refrain from answering this question here.

 

But if you ask around or ask Joe himself, he will tell you.

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Calamerica

Calamerica

Posted
Posted
Where did they get their bankroll? What is their history?

 

Steve Fishler was the founder of Metropolis and came from a fairly wealthy background. As a child, Fishler supposedly wasn't showing a great deal of interest in anything specific, and his father took him to a comic show where he did show interest. He started working as a young teenager with Sparkle City under Jay Maybruck and Joe Verenault and showed an aptitude for comics, sales and the deals in the business.

 

Fishler eventually separated from Sparkle City to start his own company. I'm sure he learned a great deal by observing the Sparkle City methodology and their ability to dominate the market by owning the "best" material. In fact, many aspects of the way Metropolis does business certainly mimic the mindset that Sparkle City had at one time in terms of pricing. It's obvious that Steve also had foresight into original art as he's accumulated one of the most impressive collections in the world, and built Metropolis into a powerhouse. He accumulated an incredible inventory over the years, again, similar to the way Sparkle City in its heyday had built itself.

 

Of course, one of Fishler's known limitations was that his personality was not terribly "customer friendly" and I think Fishler in many ways never enjoyed interacting with the public at large. But Fishler's business acumen allowed him to recognize this limitation and so he needed to bring in a partner.

 

In 1999 Metropolis merged (or bought out you might say) Vincent Zurzolo and Vincent's collectibles (this left then Vinecent's employee Bob Storms to start his own company, highgradecomics.com) -- and Vinny became the personality and front man for the business. I have no idea if they were originally full partners, but I've always gotten the sense that Vinny was the junior partner and Steve the senior. I think that may still be very much the way it is, but Vinny is far more influential and powerful than at the beginning of their merger. I've always understood that Vinny's ambitions were to become the biggest and best dealer in the world, but capital would always be a limitation, whereby Fishler had capital, but not the people skills to continuously work that aspect of the business.

 

It was a very good match. Metropolis has expanded its scope and influence as the largest dealer in the world, and that continues today.

 

FYI: disclaimer, most of this information is cobbled together from various sources and my own observations.

 

^^

 

CAL who for some reason, HAS gotten deals from Metro, and NEVER has had a problem whatsoever with anyone there...

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