Mile High Chuck's place in the hobby

[Gatsby77]

So he had four stores at the time he bought the Church collection. I didn't know that.

 

For the love of God, Dupont, could you go back & at least read up on Chuck's own account of acquiring/financing the Church collection?

 

Grains of salt, etc. but he clearly makes the point in his Tales From the Database entry that he wasn't the first (or even second) Denver-area dealer offered the collection.

 

Rather, he was offered a chance to look at it by phone only after multiple other dealers refused to travel out to the estate. Luck? Absolutely, but the point remains, he only got the call in the first place because he was already established with four stores at like age 22 - having dropped out of the U. of Colorado half-way through - and having only attended that on an ROTC scholarship.

 

If luck is when preparation meets opportunity, he'd certainly put in the work - with success - at an early age - to be offered the collection in the first place. Further, he had the connections within fandom to be able to call in a few heavy hitters within less than a week's notice to help him finance the buy.

 

I can't/won't defend his current pricing model or diva-like whining, but he deserves respect for his business acumen that included an early start and continued survival over 4 decades in a tough retail environment.

 

Also - by Chuck's own admission, he's kept only a dozen or two of the original Chuck collection. The Red Raven # 1 that he showed in the Comic Con documentary with a $500k asking price sold later that year (I believe via Heritage) for just $75k.

 

And, he also claims to have made far more money ($15 million+) off of the Mile High II collection than the original Mile High one - which he basically sold in the first decade, long before the books skyrocketed to post-1990 levels.

[dupont2005]

That quote isn't me.

 

I did go back and read it.

 

He was still a kid who sold what equates in today's dollars to ten grand in comics at a single convention. I was wrong about minor specifics. The general idea that a child had a comic collection worth more than most young adults cars withstands those minor inaccuracies.

 

He didn't get the call because he was established. He got the call because he was willing to cut a check. Anyone willing to cut a check was welcome to that collection.

 

He says he made fifteen million off MH2, do you think after debt is factored he has a current net worth of fifteen million? I'm wondering if he's even in the green.

 

Of course, that is all based on things he says publicly, excuse me for taking statements from the horse's mouth at face value. I wonder if fooling people into thinking you're not making any profits is a part of his genius business plan?

 

If his business plan is continuously find eight figure comic collections and buy them for five figures, I'd say he's not a genius businessman. It's kind of like someone's business plan being to just constantly buy the winning lotto tickets.

[HighStakesComics]

Two Points

 

1.) It's important to remember this transaction occurred before comics were considered to be the invaluable relics which they are today.

 

2.) If it was that easy to land a collection of this magnitude, it would have happened more than once.

 

Landing original owner collections with any GA right now is extremely rare. Chuck scored the motherload. All the overpriced comics and self foot-shooting blog posts in the world can't take that away from the guy. That said, I would also agree that all the stars were aligned for him. He got lucky, but sometimes you have to make your own luck.

[jimjum12]

So he had four stores at the time he bought the Church collection. I didn't know that.

 

For the love of God, Dupont, could you go back & at least read up on Chuck's own account of acquiring/financing the Church collection?

 

Grains of salt, etc. but he clearly makes the point in his Tales From the Database entry that he wasn't the first (or even second) Denver-area dealer offered the collection.

 

Rather, he was offered a chance to look at it by phone only after multiple other dealers refused to travel out to the estate. Luck? Absolutely, but the point remains, he only got the call in the first place because he was already established with four stores at like age 22 - having dropped out of the U. of Colorado half-way through - and having only attended that on an ROTC scholarship.

 

If luck is when preparation meets opportunity, he'd certainly put in the work - with success - at an early age - to be offered the collection in the first place. Further, he had the connections within fandom to be able to call in a few heavy hitters within less than a week's notice to help him finance the buy.

 

I can't/won't defend his current pricing model or diva-like whining, but he deserves respect for his business acumen that included an early start and continued survival over 4 decades in a tough retail environment.

 

Also - by Chuck's own admission, he's kept only a dozen or two of the original Chuck collection. The Red Raven # 1 that he showed in the Comic Con documentary with a $500k asking price sold later that year (I believe via Heritage) for just $75k.

 

And, he also claims to have made far more money ($15 million+) off of the Mile High II collection than the original Mile High one - which he basically sold in the first decade, long before the books skyrocketed to post-1990 levels.

 

IIRC .....It was the MH II collection that gave him the inventory depth to place those double spread ads in every Marvel comic at the time. That was a real game changer for those days ..... and an expensive gamble on his part. He raised the awareness level of back issue values to anyone who happened to read a comic..... and that was a very astute move in my opinion ..... GOD BLESS.....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

..... as to the original question ..... I'd certainly mention his name in the same breath as Blum, Fischler, Verzyl, Rogofsky, Bell, etc......

[shadroch]

One of Chucks accomplishments has been creating hundreds of long term jobs. Many of his staff have been with him for years.

[RCheli]

Mile High II was well after he started the large ads in Marvel Comics. He bought that collection in '85, and I think the first centerfold ads came out in 1980.

[HighStakesComics]

ItsjustRyan, thanks for sharing. So doesn't Chuck have a legitimate gripe with the publishers? Are they trying to cut out the middleman? Do the publishers think digital books are the future, so they are of the mindset that they don't need the retailer?

[RCheli]

ItsjustRyan, thanks for sharing. So doesn't Chuck have a legitimate gripe with the publishers? Are they trying to cut out the middleman? Do the publishers think digital books are the future, so they are of the mindset that they don't need the retailer?

 

Publishers ALWAYS want to remove the retailer. They would much rather get $4 for a comic instead of $1.50.

 

 

[HighStakesComics]

So are you saying if you own a lcs and you aren't selling magic cards, now would probably be a good time to start?

[ChrisInBaltimore]

Mile High II was well after he started the large ads in Marvel Comics. He bought that collection in '85, and I think the first centerfold ads came out in 1980.

 

I feel like I've seen his advertisement in books from the 70s…

 

I'd be curious to know when his first advertisement ran.

 

On a side note, I got really excited when I saw an advertisement for my LCS in the same vain sometime in a mid 80s book. My LCS has been around since the early 70s in some capacity. It is incredible talking to him.

[ttfitz]

Mile High II was well after he started the large ads in Marvel Comics. He bought that collection in '85, and I think the first centerfold ads came out in 1980.

 

I feel like I've seen his advertisement in books from the 70s…

 

I'd be curious to know when his first advertisement ran.

 

On a side note, I got really excited when I saw an advertisement for my LCS in the same vain sometime in a mid 80s book. My LCS has been around since the early 70s in some capacity. It is incredible talking to him.

 

Wikipedia says "In 1980, Rozanski purchased a double-page ad in mainstream Marvel comics, listing prices for back issues he had for sale. This ad, which was the first of its kind, was a departure from the general practice of the time for its inclusion of prices, which Rozanski explains was a way to educate non-collectors as to the value of their collections."

[Prince Namor]

He made a big mistake at SDCC this year. In past years, he brought a vast array of trade paperbacks and his booth was always crowded. This year he brought a vast array of overpriced back issues, and lost $10,000. Of course, he's blaming the producers of Comic-Con exclusives for draining the wallets of attendees. He, apparently, hasn't considered the possibility that it's his own fault for pricing his books ridiculously high.

 

I would bet you he didn't lose as much or any as he says. It's usually some disaster ploy to increase website sales. He did moan more than usual so there could be some truth but I'd bet against it.

 

+1

This is a guy who whined about losing sales due to the tragic New York City flood, just to up orders throughout the rest of the country. Anything he says is suspect.

 

I imagine what's got him annoyed more than anything is his pride and his ego over that rep bragging about how much money they made.

[Prince Namor]

If luck is when preparation meets opportunity, he'd certainly put in the work - with success - at an early age - to be offered the collection in the first place. Further, he had the connections within fandom to be able to call in a few heavy hitters within less than a week's notice to help him finance the buy.

 

I can't/won't defend his current pricing model or diva-like whining, but he deserves respect for his business acumen that included an early start and continued survival over 4 decades in a tough retail environment.

 

+1

I think he's a shady character, but he's survived a long time, and made his life about selling comics.

[01TheDude]

If luck is when preparation meets opportunity, he'd certainly put in the work - with success - at an early age - to be offered the collection in the first place. Further, he had the connections within fandom to be able to call in a few heavy hitters within less than a week's notice to help him finance the buy.

 

I can't/won't defend his current pricing model or diva-like whining, but he deserves respect for his business acumen that included an early start and continued survival over 4 decades in a tough retail environment.

 

+1

I think he's a shady character, but he's survived a long time, and made his life about selling comics.

 

attributes also often used to describe cockroaches

[Prince Namor]

From the desk of Chuck Rozanski

 

Travel/Lodging (-$10,000)

Set up/Salaries (-$ 5,000)

Show Sales +$15,000

Weed (-$6,000)

Total: (-$6,000)

 

Those dang exclusives!!!

 

 

[hogations]

I have nothing but a healthy amount of respect for Chuck and what he's accomplished over the years. Was his post about Comicon whiny? Sure. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the nostalgia of yester-years when business at these conventions were very brisk and had a stronger 'community' feel. I have the same nostalgia towards eBay

 

Yeah his prices and grading are/were all over the place. But you know what? I have had many fond dealings with Mile High from many years ago. I don't really buy anything anymore so I can't speak to his current offerings, but back in the day I did look foward to his 'Specials' in the Mile High Futures catalog.

 

I tell you one thing that was still sticks out in my head. He was perhaps the first to computerized his inventory. I used to order over the phone back in those days and the staff at the other end were always great to work with. You knew immediately what was in stock and they could even tell how many copies. I would later wonder if I was one of the reasons why they started putting limits on the number you could order of any particular book

 

Were the books I received graded properly? Well, they weren't always the mark, but surprisingly, there would be times I received books I felt were under-graded.

 

Another thing he did was post trade lists. He would give you credit towards his 'Specials', and I jumped at the opportunity to get rid of the recent modern hot books for some nice Bronze age stuff. This was in the early 90s and I remember I was happy to unload a lot Ghost Riders.

 

I really enjoyed reading his articles in Mile High Futures. Seriously! I think I have them around somewhere....

 

And shadroch, comic book dealer, cab driver, bouncer? Damn, you must have met some interesting people over the years...

[bcolflesh]

Howdy!

 

I am at my daughter, Aleta's, house in Los Angeles this morning, recuperating from the stresses of this year's San Diego Comic-Con. Not only am I physically weary today, but I am also emotionally numb. Having our San Diego booth fail to succeed this year, in spite of our having invested immense amounts of both time and working capital into making it our best convention booth, ever, was depressing to me beyond words. Especially in light of the fact that it was our own comics publishers who contributed the most to our lack of success. As harsh as this may seem, never in my life have I ever been so happy to see the skyline of San Diego recede from sight in my van's rear view mirror...

 

If you are wondering why we did not succeed in meeting our convention goals this year, I would urge you to read my last two newsletters. Before you read my two previous essays, however, I want you to know that I ultimately did heed the outpouring of requests that I received from fans and professionals at the show, and renewed our booth for next year. In all honesty, however, I have to admit that my decision to renew at SDCC for one more year was driven more by an emotional response to all the kind words of support that we received, rather than any kind of good business sense. Simply put, I do not have any faith or belief that the circumstances that devastated our sales at this year's convention will be in any way mitigated at next year's show. Our comics publishers will all express sympathy with the plight of participating retailers at conventions, but will then continue engaging in behaviors that solely benefit them. Such is life.

 

One clarification that I do wish to make is to a misconception that is making the rounds of the Internet. Contrary to what some folks are reporting, I am not at all opposed to comics publishers creating variant editions. I actually think that creating limited edition variant covers to more noteworthy comics is fun, and have encouraged publishers to create more. My real disagreement is with publishers choosing publish highly desirable limited editions of their best works, and then to become the exclusive source for those variants.

 

To expand on that thought a bit further, it is bad enough when publishers betray their entire network of retailers by offering our customers exclusive editions by mail, but when they bypass us entirely in the mutual marketplace of a convention dealer's room, they are making their attack upon us very, very personal. What recourse do I have, for example when Dark Horse chooses to print an entire line of exclusive editions that can only be purchased through their booth. Do I tell them that I am not going to carry their monthly titles in protest? As much as I might want to do exactly that, I simply cannot. My retail store customers and online subscribers expect to be able to pick up a full line of Dark Horse products in our store, and most could not care one whit about how Dark Horse is otherwise treating us. So I am stuck actively promoting comics during 52 weeks a year from a publisher who then lures our customers away from us whenever they find it convenient. Are there any qu! estions about why this discourages me?

 

Before you think that I am singling Dark Horse out for what they've done at SDCC, please bear in mind that withholding exclusives from us at conventions is now true of Marvel, DC, Image, and all the other comics publishers. One and all they are now actively seeking to divert convention dollars from us, into their own pockets. Sometimes they use proxys to do their dirty work (such as DC allowing only one marketing company to handle their limited editions, or Marvel allowing a highly desirable variant to only be picked up if you stood in an endless line at the Marvel Studios booth ...) but the net result us the same. They are forcing our customers to spend many hours standing in lines, and then profiting off the sales of comics products that they refuse to allow us to purchase. In all honesty, the gross unfairness of this new system makes me wish to the core of my being that I could just abandon the new comics business entirely, and return to my childhood roots of selling only! back issues. To paraphrase Shakespeare, "May there be a pox on all their houses..."

 

I will close today's bittersweet newsletter with a couple of very important news bits for you. First, while we narrowed our loss at the convention considerably thanks to brisk Sunday sales, we still ended up about $6,000 below break even. I am going to give you a chance to help us make up that loss by offering you a very short-lived 60% off SANDIEGO codeword sale. This 60% off sale will only run through this upcoming Saturday at noon. at that point, a 40% off sale will go into effect for the next few months. This is an unprecedented sale offered only because I need to make up our losses. Please do allow us extra shipping time, as we expect to be inundated with orders over the next three days.

 

The ground rule for this new 60% off sale are the same as always: no new comics, CGC's, or books are included. A few variants are also excluded. For the most part, however, all eight million of our back issue comics and magazines are part of the 60% off sale, including all of our Golden Age, Silver Age, and Bronze Age issues.

 

My last item for today is a secondary offering of the official 2014 San Diego Comic-Con variants that were distributed to all the comics retailers at the show by Diamond Distributing. Because our booth sales were so slow on Thursday and Friday at the convention, we had more copies left at the end of these very nice limited editions than we originally projected. Supplies are still very limited, but we should be able to fill all orders received over the next couple of days.

 

Happy Collecting!

 

Chuck Rozanski,

President - Mile High Comics, Inc.

July 29, 2014

[shadroch]

He makes some very valid points, amidst his ramblings. Publishers and wholesalers should not compete with their retail clients for customer dollars. That is not how a healthy market is built or maintained.

[wardevil0]

He makes some very valid points, amidst his ramblings. Publishers and wholesalers should not compete with their retail clients for customer dollars. That is not how a healthy market is built or maintained.

 

Not too long ago Tesla Motors tried to sell their cars directly to consumers, and dealerships flipped out. Several lawsuits ensued in various states. This kind of thing happens in other markets, and the backbiting can get pretty serious.

 

Wall St Journal

 

Bloomberg

 

[General Zod]

Dupont, you continue to rely on faulty information in your criticisms, including how he got his money, what he did with the Church collection, and what he has done since. Maybe you should read up on him a little more before you continue. It's not difficult; it's all over the web.

 

Also, I'd say that his current gigantic store is about ten times more impressive than any of the shops that he's owned in his forty years in business. Add in likely the largest (or one of the two largest) online stores, he's doing very well for himself.

 

+1 Too many assumptions. You need to stop talking and educate yourself before making up your mind on your formed opinions. These are not minor specifics because that's what you're basing a lot of statements on... I'm not a fan of Chuck's strategy these days but the guy did work hard at expanding his empire early on, even propping up his wife's direct market company for a while. When that company went under, he had to sell one or two of his stores to pay off debt. He wasn't relying on or able to rely on his family for capital. I do agree he got a couple of lucky breaks but he also parlayed that into a long term success, which not a lot of people actually do in comparison. There are ways he helped our hobby move forward. He gets respect for that.