Mile High Chuck's place in the hobby

[dupont2005]

Cal has never bashed anyone on the internet

[Calamerica]

Cal has never bashed anyone on the internet

 

Since when?

 

I bash appropriately when the need arises. Like THIS Thread.

 

CAL won't tell you to have FACTS as to you, they are meaningless...

[That Ron Dude]

I don't see what he did for the industry or why he is considered legendary. Because he bought some comics through a newspaper ad? Because he has lots of comics?

 

You know who is legendary in the automotive industry? People who design, engineer, and manufacture automobiles. Not a single used car salesman is significant to the auto industry. Not even the biggest used car salesman.

 

Not meant simply to be contradictory or argumentative but Joe Gerard is a legendary used car salesman. He has written, "How to sell anything to anybody" and a second book on how to lead a decent and ethical life, which reflects his Christian values. I read it and got something from it which I can relate if you wish. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records. I recommend the first book especially, even if it is just to see what salesmen are doing to us.

How has he impacted the car industry? Salesmen can be famous among other salesmen easily. They can write books, hold seminars, but if what they sell is used then their impact on the industry tends to be minimal. Their entrance didn't change anything, their exit won't change anything. Nobody can deny that Goodwill is a successful thrift store, but what is their place in the fashion industry?

 

Joe Gerard is considered legendary because of the way he sold, which I would describe as a soft sell of the best deal in town aimed at furthering the seller's reputation. He used this method well enough to outsell all other salesmen in all other fields, at least by the measuring stick of the Guinness people.

 

You had a question which was in two parts. I answered one part of it, about why a salesman, like Chuck, could be considered legendary. You brought the analogy into the auto industry where I had a bit of knowledge. Rereading, I still think mine was a fair comment.

 

I am not the only one to acknowledge the contribution of the salesmen in comics. The Canadian Comic Awards, named after Joe Shuster, have awards not just for creating comic books but for store owners.

 

To mention a few others, Phil Seuling is important though he didn't design, engineer or manufacture. He is often credited as originating the direct sales market. He also ran the New York convention in the late sixties and seventies which is so often referred to the Seuling Con. He bought 500 copies of the 2000 print run of Cerebus #1 enabling Dave Sim, a complete unknown, to go on and create issue #2. He was a high school teacher who stuck his big nose into one of the first prozines, Imagination, and told the editor to publish the work of one of his students, Chris Notarile. I could go on about him. I don't think he was a saint but he did a lot to further our hobby.

 

G.B.Love started Rocket's Blast Comic Collector which allowed us to trade with fans thousands of miles away. I don't know if he is a legend or a rumour but he is important and deserves to be remembered for what he did.

 

Overstreet started Overstreet.

 

These people, as much as many of the creators, made comics what they are today. If not for them (or some other people filling similar roles) we wouldn't be here and the comic book industry as we know it wouldn't exist.

 

The question with Chuck is one that is difficult for me to answer. Does buying a collection from a woman while her husband is in the hospital for, perhaps, 1/100 of it's retail value, make a person a legend? Does starting a bunch of stores that sell overpriced comics which many also report to be overgraded push you up into legendary status? Then there is the Chuck Bulletin. Then there is the Mile High website. Does all that get you to the level of a G.B.Love who started an organ to put collectors in touch with one another before anyone else had thought to do so? Does it make a difference that he was handicapped to the point of being in a wheel chair with severely impeded speech and having to type one letter at a time while holding a pencil? I think a buyer/seller/accumulator can be legendary I am just not sure if Chuck is that.

 

 

[batman_fan]

I bought from several of Chuck's Mile High stores back in the later 70's through about 1988. His Ft Collins store was the first one I visited. I was amazed at the amount of Silver Age material in the store. I probably spent $40 and came out with a stack of misc Marvel titles, and Spiderman Annual 1, Spider 17, and Spiderman 42. Prices were super cheap. His Boulder store was even better. Picked up another stack of Silver Age Marvel titles. The 308 South Broadway store became my "go to" place usually every two months. Picked up tons of stuff from there. On my last day living in Wyoming while driving to New Mexico to start a new job I stopped off and picked up a bunch of Batman's (GA to SA). All the way up to 1988 I had great success buying nice material from him at decent prices. Not sure when things changed but it use to be great visiting his place.

[Prince Namor]

I bought from several of Chuck's Mile High stores back in the later 70's through about 1988. His Ft Collins store was the first one I visited. I was amazed at the amount of Silver Age material in the store. I probably spent $40 and came out with a stack of misc Marvel titles, and Spiderman Annual 1, Spider 17, and Spiderman 42. Prices were super cheap. His Boulder store was even better. Picked up another stack of Silver Age Marvel titles. The 308 South Broadway store became my "go to" place usually every two months. Picked up tons of stuff from there. On my last day living in Wyoming while driving to New Mexico to start a new job I stopped off and picked up a bunch of Batman's (GA to SA). All the way up to 1988 I had great success buying nice material from him at decent prices. Not sure when things changed but it use to be great visiting his place.

 

When a wealth of competition and information were added to the marketplace.

 

 

[Prince Namor]

Chuck will always be seen as an important part of the hobby.

 

He was doing this before it was popular or cool or something that it seems like EVERYONE WHO COLLECTS TODAY DOES.

 

A lot of those early dealers fell by the wayside throughout the years, unable to keep up with the changing trends and information, and internet... but Chuck always managed to hang on. To do something that kept him relevant.

 

Everyone may be looking at him right now as stumbling, but don't be surprised if he doesn't find Mile High 3, or come up with something else to stick around...

 

I personally, don't buy from him anymore... the Hurricane Sandy thing sickened me. But I can't deny his place in the history of our hobby.

[batman_fan]

I bought from several of Chuck's Mile High stores back in the later 70's through about 1988. His Ft Collins store was the first one I visited. I was amazed at the amount of Silver Age material in the store. I probably spent $40 and came out with a stack of misc Marvel titles, and Spiderman Annual 1, Spider 17, and Spiderman 42. Prices were super cheap. His Boulder store was even better. Picked up another stack of Silver Age Marvel titles. The 308 South Broadway store became my "go to" place usually every two months. Picked up tons of stuff from there. On my last day living in Wyoming while driving to New Mexico to start a new job I stopped off and picked up a bunch of Batman's (GA to SA). All the way up to 1988 I had great success buying nice material from him at decent prices. Not sure when things changed but it use to be great visiting his place.

 

When a wealth of competition and information were added to the marketplace.

 

 

I don't think so. There were tons of comic book stores around at that time and it was pre-internet so not sure where there was any new big influx on knowledge.

[esquirecomics]

What I'm saying is a young teenaged kid not even old enough to drive had a comics inventory worth as much as a new car. You don't wonder where that came from? You assume it was teenaged Chuck's genius business savvy that built that when he was in middle school?

 

 

I could be convinced of that, but grown up Chuck's business savvy has me skeptical.

 

I'm pretty sure when I met Mark Zaid at a local show, he wasn't old enough to drive, yet he and his two friends had a SA collection to die for. Turned out he was friends with one of Stan Goldbergs kids and the artist had given him several boxes on consignment.

The Koch brothers and Gary Dolgorf certainly weren't old enough to drive when they started doing the Phil Seuling shows. Vinny from Metro was a freshman in college when I sold him about two dozen boxes of drek to help him get started.

 

I could drive! But I hadn't been for long! I think. We met in 1984 I believe, which is when I turned 17 and we got our driver's licenses in NY. It is possible you met me before I had my license in June, but most of our interactions were probably just after.

 

Stan's youngest son was my HS classmate and track mate. I bought a fair amount of Stan's Marvel collection, and than his son also started to sell the ones I didn't buy. We used to sell every month at the Cosmic Comics show at the then Holiday Inn in Rockville Centre.

 

Marvel used to mail Stan copies of every issue they sold. Alas, the Postal Service didn't do a very good job of ensuring quality was maintained so while the collection was great on inventory it was weak on condition with most of the books having subscription creases.

[DavidTheDavid]

So I've largely stayed on the sidelines of this conversation, primarily because I'm a boomerang collector, back after a long absence, meaning I lack insight born of longevity in the hobby.

 

Disclaimer now made, here's what I'm thinking. Through whatever combination of being in the right place at the right time and doggedness, he brought a historical collection to market, a collection that changed the hobby. That alone gives him a place in the history of comic collecting.

 

Maybe it's name dropping--and I don't really fault him for it as making a name for one's self is not only a fine American tradition, but it also helped to build his business reputation--but he seems to know or have known a great many important people in the hobby, whether it's major collectors, comic executives and creators, other retailers, distributor kings, and what am I forgetting? Those connections mean that he's had the chance to influence and be influenced, though by his recent accounts that influence doesn't mean much when it comes to comic producers and their variants.

 

His stores will certainly leave their influence regionally, and beyond somewhat. And who knows how many incredible comics have passed through his hands.

 

It seems that he has a legacy in place already. Does that elevate him to legendary status? :shrug:

 

But it's certainly impressive history to have lived. Plus, he's got that sweet hair. I mean, would you pass on the chance to sit down with him for an hour or two, enjoy his fine Colorado smokes, and pick his brain and listen to stories?

 

Heck, now I'm tempted to go peruse that god-awful site again with the code he's offered.

[followtheleader]

I bought from several of Chuck's Mile High stores back in the later 70's through about 1988. His Ft Collins store was the first one I visited. I was amazed at the amount of Silver Age material in the store. I probably spent $40 and came out with a stack of misc Marvel titles, and Spiderman Annual 1, Spider 17, and Spiderman 42. Prices were super cheap. His Boulder store was even better. Picked up another stack of Silver Age Marvel titles. The 308 South Broadway store became my "go to" place usually every two months. Picked up tons of stuff from there. On my last day living in Wyoming while driving to New Mexico to start a new job I stopped off and picked up a bunch of Batman's (GA to SA). All the way up to 1988 I had great success buying nice material from him at decent prices. Not sure when things changed but it use to be great visiting his place.

 

His former Megastore really got screwed a few times.

He had some amazing toys and Silver Age comics.

But someone busted in and stole a ton.

Then a bit later, a water main burst in the middle of the store. It destroyed untold stuff. If it had been nearly anyone else, it would have been over.

That lead to the end of the old Mega Store. The new one down the street was just a shadow of a store and he lost a fair amount of business (as people thought he closed it and moved away from the high school). The monster warehouse was the only way to go. If I recall, he was going to have to spend a fortune on the roof for the old MegaStore anyway. It was falling down at every side.

 

I believe his Boulder store became Time Warp. The Fort Collins one changed hands many times and is super loosely related to Gryphon. I believe his Fort Collins one, after being sold, was flooded so bad that it filled from the floor to the ceiling. Every comic, item, and display piece was obliterated.

 

Patrick

[Buzzetta]

What I'm saying is a young teenaged kid not even old enough to drive had a comics inventory worth as much as a new car. You don't wonder where that came from? You assume it was teenaged Chuck's genius business savvy that built that when he was in middle school?

 

 

I could be convinced of that, but grown up Chuck's business savvy has me skeptical.

 

I'm pretty sure when I met Mark Zaid at a local show, he wasn't old enough to drive, yet he and his two friends had a SA collection to die for. Turned out he was friends with one of Stan Goldbergs kids and the artist had given him several boxes on consignment.

The Koch brothers and Gary Dolgorf certainly weren't old enough to drive when they started doing the Phil Seuling shows. Vinny from Metro was a freshman in college when I sold him about two dozen boxes of drek to help him get started.

 

I could drive! But I hadn't been for long! I think. We met in 1984 I believe, which is when I turned 17 and we got our driver's licenses in NY. It is possible you met me before I had my license in June, but most of our interactions were probably just after.

 

Stan's youngest son was my HS classmate and track mate. I bought a fair amount of Stan's Marvel collection, and than his son also started to sell the ones I didn't buy. We used to sell every month at the Cosmic Comics show at the then Holiday Inn in Rockville Centre.

 

Marvel used to mail Stan copies of every issue they sold. Alas, the Postal Service didn't do a very good job of ensuring quality was maintained so while the collection was great on inventory it was weak on condition with most of the books having subscription creases.

 

I used to take the LIRR to get to that show as I was working on my ASM run. I picked up the majority of the keys from there. The dealers were always friendly and sold quality books. There were only a few who sold me a few books that turned out to be restored. I even picked up my first AF15 from Vincent before there was a Metropolis at that show.

 

I still have a great deal of books that I picked up there.

[Prince Namor]

I bought from several of Chuck's Mile High stores back in the later 70's through about 1988. His Ft Collins store was the first one I visited. I was amazed at the amount of Silver Age material in the store. I probably spent $40 and came out with a stack of misc Marvel titles, and Spiderman Annual 1, Spider 17, and Spiderman 42. Prices were super cheap. His Boulder store was even better. Picked up another stack of Silver Age Marvel titles. The 308 South Broadway store became my "go to" place usually every two months. Picked up tons of stuff from there. On my last day living in Wyoming while driving to New Mexico to start a new job I stopped off and picked up a bunch of Batman's (GA to SA). All the way up to 1988 I had great success buying nice material from him at decent prices. Not sure when things changed but it use to be great visiting his place.

 

When a wealth of competition and information were added to the marketplace.

 

 

I don't think so. There were tons of comic book stores around at that time and it was pre-internet so not sure where there was any new big influx on knowledge.

 

Pre-Internet, most of the information all came from the same place: OSPG.

Once the internet took hold, the competition increased because suddenly he was competing with the entire country... the knowledge increased (though OSPG is still saying Conan #3 was a low distribution book in some areas) and prices could be realized with actual visible sales, instead of manipulated by one man who wrote a price guide.

[shadroch]

I bought from several of Chuck's Mile High stores back in the later 70's through about 1988. His Ft Collins store was the first one I visited. I was amazed at the amount of Silver Age material in the store. I probably spent $40 and came out with a stack of misc Marvel titles, and Spiderman Annual 1, Spider 17, and Spiderman 42. Prices were super cheap. His Boulder store was even better. Picked up another stack of Silver Age Marvel titles. The 308 South Broadway store became my "go to" place usually every two months. Picked up tons of stuff from there. On my last day living in Wyoming while driving to New Mexico to start a new job I stopped off and picked up a bunch of Batman's (GA to SA). All the way up to 1988 I had great success buying nice material from him at decent prices. Not sure when things changed but it use to be great visiting his place.

 

When a wealth of competition and information were added to the marketplace.

 

 

I don't think so. There were tons of comic book stores around at that time and it was pre-internet so not sure where there was any new big influx on knowledge.

 

Pre-Internet, most of the information all came from the same place: OSPG.

Once the internet took hold, the competition increased because suddenly he was competing with the entire country... the knowledge increased (though OSPG is still saying Conan #3 was a low distribution book in some areas) and prices could be realized with actual visible sales, instead of manipulated by one man who wrote a price guide.

 

 

The Buyers Guide To Comic Fandom was much more valuable than the Overstreet Guide. One was a weekly newspaper and the other was an annual guide.

[AlexanderM]

Chuck will always be seen as an important part of the hobby.

 

He was doing this before it was popular or cool or something that it seems like EVERYONE WHO COLLECTS TODAY DOES.

 

A lot of those early dealers fell by the wayside throughout the years, unable to keep up with the changing trends and information, and internet... but Chuck always managed to hang on. To do something that kept him relevant.

 

Everyone may be looking at him right now as stumbling, but don't be surprised if he doesn't find Mile High 3, or come up with something else to stick around...

 

I personally, don't buy from him anymore... the Hurricane Sandy thing sickened me. But I can't deny his place in the history of our hobby.

 

We have heard some bad things about Chuck in this thread... like buying at 1/100 of the value from a distraught old lady needing the money from her hospitalized husband... and so on... I guess that is not the way the collector wanted his phenomenal collection to go....??

 

But the Sandy Hurricane story? What is what?

[Prince Namor]

When Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, Chuck complained in his newsletter that his business from those states was drastically reduced and so he started new codeword sale asking everyone else to up their orders to make up for it.

 

Yes, seriously.

[Prince Namor]

I bought from several of Chuck's Mile High stores back in the later 70's through about 1988. His Ft Collins store was the first one I visited. I was amazed at the amount of Silver Age material in the store. I probably spent $40 and came out with a stack of misc Marvel titles, and Spiderman Annual 1, Spider 17, and Spiderman 42. Prices were super cheap. His Boulder store was even better. Picked up another stack of Silver Age Marvel titles. The 308 South Broadway store became my "go to" place usually every two months. Picked up tons of stuff from there. On my last day living in Wyoming while driving to New Mexico to start a new job I stopped off and picked up a bunch of Batman's (GA to SA). All the way up to 1988 I had great success buying nice material from him at decent prices. Not sure when things changed but it use to be great visiting his place.

 

When a wealth of competition and information were added to the marketplace.

 

 

I don't think so. There were tons of comic book stores around at that time and it was pre-internet so not sure where there was any new big influx on knowledge.

 

Pre-Internet, most of the information all came from the same place: OSPG.

Once the internet took hold, the competition increased because suddenly he was competing with the entire country... the knowledge increased (though OSPG is still saying Conan #3 was a low distribution book in some areas) and prices could be realized with actual visible sales, instead of manipulated by one man who wrote a price guide.

 

 

The Buyers Guide To Comic Fandom was much more valuable than the Overstreet Guide. One was a weekly newspaper and the other was an annual guide.

 

I bought out of the Comic Buyers Guide back in the day (pre-1980), and never thought to wonder if the prices were 'right', lacking, as I said, the ability to compare it to anything. If I had, the only thing I could've checked it against would've been the OSPG, for the most part, as any other source was considered secondary to the guides experience or whatever.

 

The comics I bought out of shops in the mid to late 80's all priced out of OSPG.

[That Ron Dude]

Bill Schelly wrote a book on the Founders of Comic Fandom. I am going to buy it. I wonder if Chuck is in there. I bet he is. Chuck was one of many dealers who made a difference. I don't think anyone would deny that.

[AlexanderM]

When Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, Chuck complained in his newsletter that his business from those states was drastically reduced and so he started new codeword sale asking everyone else to up their orders to make up for it.

 

Yes, seriously.

 

That seems less than sensitive...

[BEAUMONTS]

Chuck will always be seen as an important part of the hobby.

 

He was doing this before it was popular or cool or something that it seems like EVERYONE WHO COLLECTS TODAY DOES.

 

A lot of those early dealers fell by the wayside throughout the years, unable to keep up with the changing trends and information, and internet... but Chuck always managed to hang on. To do something that kept him relevant.

 

Everyone may be looking at him right now as stumbling, but don't be surprised if he doesn't find Mile High 3, or come up with something else to stick around...

 

I personally, don't buy from him anymore... the Hurricane Sandy thing sickened me. But I can't deny his place in the history of our hobby.

+1 (thumbs u

[bcphillips119]

When Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, Chuck complained in his newsletter that his business from those states was drastically reduced and so he started new codeword sale asking everyone else to up their orders to make up for it.

 

Yes, seriously.

 

I remember this email that went out. It's always a me me me thing with Chuck/Mile High. They had a water pipe break in the winter in which he put out another code word sale.