1st significant mail order transaction.

[PovertyRow]

>>Ted Van(something) from Boston I think.<<

 

Ted Vanliew (Superworld Comics in Worcester, MA). Very funny guy with the soul of a collector. Just talked with him yesterday and he's looking through a new batch he got in for some pre-code horror for me. Used to see him all the time when I was back in Boston. One of the folks I really miss.

[mr_highgrade]

That's him alright.

[greggy]

Oooo, are you gonna complain about my poor packing job with that Aristocats #1?

[drbanner]

No.

 

Which reminds me, everyone should take care that when shipping books in Mylars, make sure the Mylar itself is sealed at the top, preferably by using another bag on the outside. This way, the chance that the book will slide out of the Mylar during shipping and get snagged on the tape that secures the Mylar to the cardboard "sandwich" will be greatly reduced. Just an idea!

[greggy]

Yeah yeah, the only 2 books that I have sold raw since that unfortunate transaction have been put in a magazine bag first. See, who says Canadians can't learn anything!

[greggy]

Yeah yeah, the only 2 books that I have sold raw since that unfortunate transaction have been put in a magazine bag first. See, who says Canadians can't learn anything!

[FlyingDonut]

Richard Alf, old time seller in San Diego in the early 1970s. When I was 11 my family took a trip to SoCal and I, after badgering my dad for the entire time, managed to get to go to Alf's store. A surreal experience for an 11 year old, to say the least.

[fantastic_four]

I got back into comics at the age of 29 two years ago after the X-Men film. My first and possibly last major unslabbed purchase was from Joe Nacca at Golden Age Comics, who no longer sells his Marvels. It was a Daredevil #1 advertised as NM for $1900, which was Overstreet Guide for that grade at the time. You tell me whether it was a good deal:

Click for larger image

Defects: [*]Cream pages[*]3/16" tear right side one inch from Sue Storm's head (barely visible in scan)[*]slightly recessed top staple (visible in scan)[*]very faint 1" spine roll on left side of purple "Remember when we introduced..." banner (visible in scan)[*]1/8" stress marks at both entry points of bottom staple (not visible in scan)

[ubiquiti]

I think you still have a decade or so before you make your money back.

[fantastic_four]

This one is why I now only buy CGC on over-$200 books. I bought this one before I learned grading; like most collectors, at the time I couldn't tell VF from NM.

[NativeNewYorker]

All of this talk about mail order comics reminds me of something that probably no longer exists in mail order comics: the dreaded alternates. For those that have never experienced this, when you ordered books from many dealers, you wern't guaranteed that they would be in stock. To keep from having to return your money, many mail order dealers would ask for a list of alternates books to send in place of the out of stock ones. It was always a bummer to order that NM copy of Iron Fist #14 and instead get an alternate of Strawberry Shortcake #1

 

It is simply a twist of something known as "Bait and Switch".

 

Ted

[NativeNewYorker]

James,

 

The top right corner of that book looks trimmed. Did you slab this one?

 

Ted

[fantastic_four]

Nope, but I've thought about it. Of all the unslabbed comics I own, this one looks more trimmed than any of them. Not even well-trimmed like a comic-keys book. I might send it in if I win one of those trivia questions...other than that, what's the point?

[NativeNewYorker]

James,

 

How come you didn't try to return the book after you received it?

 

Ted

[fantastic_four]

I had only been back into collecting for a few months when I bought it. I had never bought a CGC book, didn't really understand why people were buying them, nor did I fully comprehend the risk of restoration in books like this. A day or two after I received it, the possibilty of restoration entered my mind, so I asked him if it was unrestored. He said that it was; he said he had bought it from a comic shop owner in 1981 immediately after the shop owner had bought it from the original owner. Not knowing how to verify restoration, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. And like I said, I couldn't tell a VF from a NM at that point. I didn't realize I had gotten ripped off until at least three to six months after I bought it. Nacca only accepts returns after seven days.

 

It was a tough lesson, but that's the comic that got me obsessed about learning to grade and detect restoration.

[Mister_Comics]

Finfangfoom; I think I still have some of those Robert Bell bags around here somewhere. Probably turned yellow by now.

 

As far as buying books through the mail, I didn't buy many. But I remember sending for Strange Tales #110 that was pretty nice at the time. I had it graded not that long ago. It graded at 5.5 Guess I must of read it a lot. That was the first Dr. Strange story by Ditko.

[drbanner]

the dreaded alternates

 

This is how Ross/Crestohl were able to list every Marvel Silver Age book in every grade, they didn't really have them all - but they had plenty of alternates!! In my youthful experieces with them they got me with this catch more than once

[comicinvestor-migration]

Wht I'd do with Cresty was to list a bunch of books that I wanted (mostly Byrne X-Men and early Bronze) and then post alternates of stuff I really liked as well. Basically, I took an oder, and split it down the middle into wants and alternates.

 

When I ordered (1980-84 or so) he also had a deal where if he picked an alternate, he would give it to you in the next highest grade. I once got a pack of books that were ALL alternates and looked to be right off the newstand.

 

The guy did have some prime books, if you knew how to order and became a known quantity to him, you got them.

[conservativeone]

Hey guys, don't knock the old time alternate practice- it wasn't always bad! I can't remember what book it was I ordered or who I ordered it from but I once received a Journey into Mystery #112!!! in place of the book I ordered. I still think it is one of the best copies out there . Unbelievable vivid cover colors, and the whitest cover and page quality I have ever seen on a Silver book of this age. I think the dealer must have thought there was no way I would complain about this "other book" He was correct sir! This was a time when the book probably guided for about 20 bucks so maybe he didn't give it a second thought. conservo.

[FlyingDonut]