Edmonton Expo 2013 comic convention highlights

[thehumantorch]

Great report!

 

As an aside, no problem with walkoffs on these? Or do they still chop off hands in Edmonton?

 

We had a few magic cards stolen. Just so easy to palm.

 

Brian/500club was the first person to start laying books out flat. At smaller, comic shows there are lots of box divers and list fillers. At shows like this many people only seem to buy if the book is out in view. I think of it as a retail sale to someone who isn't a collector.

 

Very good point. There are other shows where that dynamic might fit. Though the real estate premium might be too high .

 

It's important to engage anyone looking at a book. Perhaps they see Wolverine mini series 1 and are looking for 2. The books out flat are just a representation of the books you have in boxes. It seems counter to logic but we all believe sales of newer books actually increase when a few books are displayed rather than boxes of books at shows like this. It's almost as if young people don't know what a comic box is or how to look through one.

[thehumantorch]

My purchases from the show.

 

Sweet copy

 

[thehumantorch]

[thehumantorch]

[thehumantorch]

[VintageComics]

Stupendous thread.

Except for the dead rat on bronty's head.

 

 

I love ya Roy

 

You got a decent Shagg from me but I'm going to give you an even better one. One day when I can.

 

[Senormac]

 

[slym2none]

 

 

She is still stunningly gorgeous.

 

 

 

-slym

[aardvark88]

 

Looks like the Dr Strange you bought from your brother in law in Vancouver for a measly $50. Keep on telling artboy99, kimik, piper and pals that.

[thehumantorch]

 

Looks like the Dr Strange you bought from your brother in law in Vancouver for a measly $50. Keep on telling artboy99, kimik, piper and pals that.

 

 

Best fifty bucks I ever spent.

[freshcollect]

Size wise this seems similar to the Ottawa Con, although I'd say Ottawa might be somewhat bigger in terms of comic and entertainment guests as well as having just expanded to a 3 day show. We just had year 2 in Ottawa, and it's great to have the opportunity to go to a local con.

 

That said, the main reason I'm posting is to comment on the great selection of books you had. Even with a larger con, and every single table sold out, I can say with certainty that you had more CGC slabs at your table then were at the entire Con in Ottawa. And while there were a few dealers with vintage selection (and of course Harley), there really wasn't the high end quality that I'm seeing on your tables and racks. Aside from a couple of AF15's I was hard pressed to find any significant keys floating around the floor in Ottawa. Hopefully that get's remedied next year!

 

Congrats on your great show, and thanks for the excellent report.

[Artboy99]

Batgirl caught board member Bronty oogling my books without any cash on him. Thanks Batgirl!

 

 

Dude, that's not me!

 

 

Karl's a baldist. All you guys look the same.

 

The guy in the picture is a friend of mine named Pasquale. But it is fun to

[thehumantorch]

Size wise this seems similar to the Ottawa Con, although I'd say Ottawa might be somewhat bigger in terms of comic and entertainment guests as well as having just expanded to a 3 day show. We just had year 2 in Ottawa, and it's great to have the opportunity to go to a local con.

 

That said, the main reason I'm posting is to comment on the great selection of books you had. Even with a larger con, and every single table sold out, I can say with certainty that you had more CGC slabs at your table then were at the entire Con in Ottawa. And while there were a few dealers with vintage selection (and of course Harley), there really wasn't the high end quality that I'm seeing on your tables and racks. Aside from a couple of AF15's I was hard pressed to find any significant keys floating around the floor in Ottawa. Hopefully that get's remedied next year!

 

Congrats on your great show, and thanks for the excellent report.

 

Thanks for your kind comments.

 

I know we're a long way from the big dealers like Harley, Dale Roberts or many other US dealers but I think we're doing pretty well for amateurs. A lot of people have told us that our prices are fair and our grading and selection are the best in the region.

[kimik]

Size wise this seems similar to the Ottawa Con, although I'd say Ottawa might be somewhat bigger in terms of comic and entertainment guests as well as having just expanded to a 3 day show. We just had year 2 in Ottawa, and it's great to have the opportunity to go to a local con.

 

That said, the main reason I'm posting is to comment on the great selection of books you had. Even with a larger con, and every single table sold out, I can say with certainty that you had more CGC slabs at your table then were at the entire Con in Ottawa. And while there were a few dealers with vintage selection (and of course Harley), there really wasn't the high end quality that I'm seeing on your tables and racks. Aside from a couple of AF15's I was hard pressed to find any significant keys floating around the floor in Ottawa. Hopefully that get's remedied next year!

 

Congrats on your great show, and thanks for the excellent report.

 

Thanks for your kind comments.

 

I know we're a long way from the big dealers like Harley, Dale Roberts or many other US dealers but I think we're doing pretty well for amateurs. A lot of people have told us that our prices are fair and our grading and selection are the best in the region.

 

It is interesting to see how the view of slabs has changed in the Alberta market. I can remember 3 or 4 years ago when collectors were hesitant to buy a slabbed copy as they viewed it as likely being overpriced. Now the bigger spenders that used to frown on slabbed books are buying them at the shows so it makes it worth while to bring them.

 

 

[lizards2]

It is interesting to see how the view of slabs has changed in the Alberta market. I can remember 3 or 4 years ago when collectors were hesitant to buy a slabbed copy as they viewed it as likely being overpriced. Now the bigger spenders that used to frown on slabbed books are buying them at the shows so it makes it worth while to bring them.

 

 

Haven't slab prices overall come down over the past couple years? I mean, more and more books getting slabbed, and the population of slabs increasing?

 

I seem to have noticed that lowering of prices around here and on eBay. The same grades selling for 50-75% of what the same issue and grade would sell for 2-3 years ago.

 

:shrug:

[Artboy99]

Size wise this seems similar to the Ottawa Con, although I'd say Ottawa might be somewhat bigger in terms of comic and entertainment guests as well as having just expanded to a 3 day show. We just had year 2 in Ottawa, and it's great to have the opportunity to go to a local con.

 

That said, the main reason I'm posting is to comment on the great selection of books you had. Even with a larger con, and every single table sold out, I can say with certainty that you had more CGC slabs at your table then were at the entire Con in Ottawa. And while there were a few dealers with vintage selection (and of course Harley), there really wasn't the high end quality that I'm seeing on your tables and racks. Aside from a couple of AF15's I was hard pressed to find any significant keys floating around the floor in Ottawa. Hopefully that get's remedied next year!

 

Congrats on your great show, and thanks for the excellent report.

 

Thanks for your kind comments.

 

I know we're a long way from the big dealers like Harley, Dale Roberts or many other US dealers but I think we're doing pretty well for amateurs. A lot of people have told us that our prices are fair and our grading and selection are the best in the region.

 

It is interesting to see how the view of slabs has changed in the Alberta market. I can remember 3 or 4 years ago when collectors were hesitant to buy a slabbed copy as they viewed it as likely being overpriced. Now the bigger spenders that used to frown on slabbed books are buying them at the shows so it makes it worth while to bring them.

 

 

The stigma that slabs make the book cost more is still very prevalent in Alberta in my experiences as a seller. My Alberta customers still prefer the raw books. That said, I agree with you that I am meeting more and more buyers that will take slabbed books.

Calgary Red White on Sept 15 I sold 3 slabbed books.

 

I sold 4 slabbed books in Edmonton at the Expo this year:

 

 

[thehumantorch]

Size wise this seems similar to the Ottawa Con, although I'd say Ottawa might be somewhat bigger in terms of comic and entertainment guests as well as having just expanded to a 3 day show. We just had year 2 in Ottawa, and it's great to have the opportunity to go to a local con.

 

That said, the main reason I'm posting is to comment on the great selection of books you had. Even with a larger con, and every single table sold out, I can say with certainty that you had more CGC slabs at your table then were at the entire Con in Ottawa. And while there were a few dealers with vintage selection (and of course Harley), there really wasn't the high end quality that I'm seeing on your tables and racks. Aside from a couple of AF15's I was hard pressed to find any significant keys floating around the floor in Ottawa. Hopefully that get's remedied next year!

 

Congrats on your great show, and thanks for the excellent report.

 

Thanks for your kind comments.

 

I know we're a long way from the big dealers like Harley, Dale Roberts or many other US dealers but I think we're doing pretty well for amateurs. A lot of people have told us that our prices are fair and our grading and selection are the best in the region.

 

It is interesting to see how the view of slabs has changed in the Alberta market. I can remember 3 or 4 years ago when collectors were hesitant to buy a slabbed copy as they viewed it as likely being overpriced. Now the bigger spenders that used to frown on slabbed books are buying them at the shows so it makes it worth while to bring them.

 

 

I was thinking the same thing during the show. We have a regular customer who had never bought a slab until last year at the Calgary show. He was looking for books for Stan Lee to sign and someone suggested a graded FF10. Once we told him the price and told him we'd be happy to crack it out he agreed to buy it. This year at the Edmonton show he was quite happy to look at slabs.

 

A few years ago you would have only seen a few slabs at the Calgary or Edmonton Expos. Now almost every dealer has a few and we bring in 100s.

 

I think kimik, 500club, Artboy and myself are partly to blame. We have a lot of slabs and we keep bringing them and we've talked to 100s of collectors about them.

 

Another factor is the signature series. People line up to get Stan Lee or some other creator to sign a book, it's sent off to CGC and now that collector has been introduced to CGC. He owns a slab and he understands the process. Also the 'local' population of CGC graded books increases - they become more common.

[VintageComics]

People are afraid of the unknown and just talking to customers and getting the word out there does wonders in helping people accept something new.

 

You guys should be getting paid by CGC.

 

[lizards2]

People are afraid of the unknown and just talking to customers and getting the word out there does wonders in helping people accept something new.

 

You guys should be getting paid by CGC.

 

 

You scare me

[thehumantorch]

People are afraid of the unknown and just talking to customers and getting the word out there does wonders in helping people accept something new.

 

You guys should be getting paid by CGC.

 

 

You mean we're not?