A short story and then a question for the comic dealers

[stanley1883]

I just can't wrap my head around this. It takes a special kind of scumbag to steal comics. There is something so inherently wrong with that. I've worked in loss prevention in the past, had people steal clothese, electronics, etc and never really thought much about it. But comics!? Ugh, I tell ya, other peoples kids!

[Diamonddave]

The selection of wall books through the show was underwhelming. I was able to find a New Xmen 128 for $2.25 and the entire Annihilation Conquest mini series for $10 so I didn't leave empty handed. Here's hoping Mighty-Con has a better selection for those of us who go to buy.

 

[Buzzetta]

If they don't like the way I look at them then I'm sorry I didn't make their day all rainbows and unicorns.

 

That's an instant classic

 

It's hugs and unicorns... hugs and unicorns.

 

 

Anyone who has worked in a retail situation knows the customer is not always right.

Things I have personally witnessed or been told by my friends when we swap stories:

 

"I want this brand in this size." - The manufacturer does not make it in that size.

"I want to meet Tweety Bird now - person was carrying on about this in The Magic Kingdom

 

among others.

[Designer Toast]

The guy doing the yelling was either looking to lift something or he has mental issues...or both.

[Whizzer]

If they don't like the way I look at them then I'm sorry I didn't make their day all rainbows and unicorns.

 

That's an instant classic

 

It's hugs and unicorns... hugs and unicorns.

 

 

Anyone who has worked in a retail situation knows the customer is not always right.

Things I have personally witnessed or been told by my friends when we swap stories:

 

"I want this brand in this size." - The manufacturer does not make it in that size.

"I want to meet Tweety Bird now - person was carrying on about this in The Magic Kingdom

 

among others.

 

 

When I owned a couple of coffee shops about ten years ago, my personal (and oft repeated) favourite was ; "£1.50 for a coffee?!?!, I could have one for free at home.".

 

Sometimes the ignorance of the shopping public is truly stunning.

[fastballspecial]

I havent done a show for many years and really after the stories you guys put here I dont think all ever do one again. I have very fond memories setting up at shows when I was college for fun and to make a little money.

 

Today it sounds you have to always be on the lookout. It didnt use to be that way.

 

[Ken Aldred]

Sounds like either the same guy, or related to the one that tried to pull the same stunt on me a few years back.

A little different in my case. No problem understanding why I'm being watched, just having a carefully- selected copy bent in two after the effort I'd invested had been very cautiously and continuously observed.

 

After all, would a dealer appreciate it if a stack of their convention books received that treatment? Would a flipper on the boards here be quite so tolerant if their 9.8 candidate books had the same thing done to them? Really?

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

His partner in crime probably stole comics from the vendor as he was dealing with the vocal member of the team...

 

Distraction tactics.

 

Or the vocal guy was simply crazy.

[Artboy99]

I have not had a yelling customer at my booth before but I have seen many other weird types.

 

1. Guy stands at my table, picking up random books and showing them to me. "so this is 50 dollars?" "I have this book, and mine is in better condition" Repeat 10 times. Of course does not buy anything.

 

 

2. Guy pulling books out of my boxes to look at, and in putting them back in the box he is putting them in with such force the books are being bent.

 

3. The nit picker never buyer type. Insists on opening and inspecting each and every book he is looking at, flips through every page carefully, but in the end puts the book back. I have a guy who is also a fellow dealer that does this, He has visited my booth at every local show and has never bought anything. I have been told he once tore the corner of a ToS 39 in one of his read but don't buy viewings. Next time he comes to my booth I am tempted to tell him not to bother and he can go read his own comics.

 

4. The loiterer. This guy hangs around your booth for a very long time, and wants to have long conversations with you but never buys anything. It gets to the point I literally tell them to leave as I am very busy.

[MK Ultra]

I would think the guy was planning on stealing. Fortunately I haven't had much loss at the various show I've set up at, but I did lose a Denny McClain Rookie that an older guy was looking at.

 

Lots of stories in Florida about old people stealing. One such story is a bus from Century Village did their usual stop at a store/mall. A store detective observed a theft, got on the bus, said he didn't want to arrest anyone, said if the person left what they stole as everyone left the bus he would leave it at that. Every seat had items in it. Not sure if true or not, but funny none the less.

[Quicksilver Signs]

I just can't wrap my head around this. It takes a special kind of scumbag to steal comics. There is something so inherently wrong with that. I've worked in loss prevention in the past, had people steal clothese, electronics, etc and never really thought much about it. But comics!? Ugh, I tell ya, other peoples kids!

 

At the Winnipeg C4 show last October someone stole an ASM 14 in fine-ish from me, I had it priced at 550.00

 

My fault for not being watchful enough and I had it on a table. There was a 15 minute time-span when I noticed it there and then gone

 

I was pissed! About an hour before that someone offered 350 for it and I turned it down

 

 

[kav]

I just can't wrap my head around this. It takes a special kind of scumbag to steal comics. There is something so inherently wrong with that. I've worked in loss prevention in the past, had people steal clothese, electronics, etc and never really thought much about it. But comics!? Ugh, I tell ya, other peoples kids!

 

At the Winnipeg C4 show last October someone stole an ASM 14 in fine-ish from me, I had it priced at 550.00

 

My fault for not being watchful enough and I had it on a table. There was a 15 minute time-span when I noticed it there and then gone

 

I was pissed! About an hour before that someone offered 350 for it and I turned it down

 

 

thief was probably dude who made the offer

[stanley1883]

I'm willing to offer my services gratis if anyone wants it. I'm taking a moral stance, can't afford a book, deal with it. FYI i also have some MMA background.

[Quicksilver Signs]

I just can't wrap my head around this. It takes a special kind of scumbag to steal comics. There is something so inherently wrong with that. I've worked in loss prevention in the past, had people steal clothese, electronics, etc and never really thought much about it. But comics!? Ugh, I tell ya, other peoples kids!

 

At the Winnipeg C4 show last October someone stole an ASM 14 in fine-ish from me, I had it priced at 550.00

 

My fault for not being watchful enough and I had it on a table. There was a 15 minute time-span when I noticed it there and then gone

 

I was pissed! About an hour before that someone offered 350 for it and I turned it down

 

 

thief was probably dude who made the offer

 

possibly

[Bookery]

The customer is not always right.

 

If you've been in business a long time, and you do your job right, if there is an issue you soon discover that the customer is seldom right.

 

Depending upon the issue, sometimes it's best to let them think they are anyway, and other times you have to stand your ground.

 

And once in a blue moon, they really are right. Dammit.

 

[pennynike1]

This is very interesting, because I am pretty sure that this white haired gentleman then attempted to interfere with a collection that I was attempting to purchase as he was leaving the show. I do believe he had a binder with him and a terrible attitude. I can't say that I recognized him, but one of my regular customers at small shows said that he had seen this guy lurking about. He seemed to be looking for a fight, and amusingly, my friend/customer started heckling him. The guy stormed off out of the room after realizing that it doesn't endear you to a potential seller to threaten people around you with violence - especially when someone has their mother there in the same room. That was very wild!

 

I was there at that show, looking in that dealer's boxes when this happened. The "buyer" was taking wall books off the wall and opening them up without asking the dealer. He was doing this while I was right next to him, shortly thereafter he moved out of my peripheral vision and I believe that is when the situation occurred.

 

I'm pretty sure the guy left the show right after that, older guy, white hair with a red 2-pocket folder.

Any good finds? Lots of moderns, LOTS of moderns. One dealer had a small set-up of PCH and another had a Showcase 8 G/G+ that I should have bought.

[Diamonddave]

This is very interesting, because I am pretty sure that this white haired gentleman then attempted to interfere with a collection that I was attempting to purchase as he was leaving the show. I do believe he had a binder with him and a terrible attitude. I can't say that I recognized him, but one of my regular customers at small shows said that he had seen this guy lurking about. He seemed to be looking for a fight, and amusingly, my friend/customer started heckling him. The guy stormed off out of the room after realizing that it doesn't endear you to a potential seller to threaten people around you with violence - especially when someone has their mother there in the same room. That was very wild!

 

Don't keep us in suspense Alex, did you get the collection?

[pennynike1]

I sure did, but I paid considerably to obtain the books. The seller of the collection had an inflated view of what the books were worth, and he was also uneasy about selling his collection. It seemed like the books had been in his possession for quite some time. I resolved his unease by honestly telling him how I perceived each book would grade out after being sent in to CGC, and their estimated retail value. He was a genuine comic book collector and I could tell he appreciated the honest assessment of what the books were worth.

 

I would have loved to see how other people would have responded to the obnoxious white-haired guy at the show. He ignored all protocol and even had the nerve to threaten a young man who weighs about 120 pounds while his mother was sitting in the same room. It would have made a great short film!