Checking Out Mile High

[David Swan]

I recently moved to Denver and yesterday got a chance to check out the Mile High Comics shop which is more of a warehouse.

 

The first thing I noticed was what a weird location it is and it really is like walking into a warehouse. There is a big banner out front but the front door is unlabeled. Going inside is like entering the Mecca of geekdom. The volume of stuff is so far beyond anything I've ever seen before it was awe inspiring. I'm used to comic book shops maybe 10 to 20 percent the size or less. I could spend all day but I only ended up buying a couple of comics, two issues of Grant Morrison's Multiversity. There were only a couple of dozen CGC comics so clearly Mile High barely deals in CGC graded comics.

 

 

 

Now for the rub. Almost everything was very high priced. As far as I could tell books were sold at cover price and all the toys and stuff seemed very expensive. If there is an item that ONLY Mile High has and you have to have it then I guess you pay the price but as a budget conscious buyer these prices were too high. Here is an example. On the wall they had a high grade issue of Miracleman #15, a comic I own bought when it was originally published. The price was $1500. I would LOVE to believe Miracleman #15 is $1500 but when I looked on Ebay I couldn't find a single one selling for more than $400 and there were CGC graded 9.8's. The comic in the store was not CGC graded. Issues actually bought on Ebay were even less. That means Mile High was trying to sell the comic for well over triple the going rate and I even went on the Mile High website and confirmed the $1500 price. There was an issue of DC Comics Presents #49 for around $350 which is even further beyond anything I can find. These are just two examples I happened to notice and I wasn't specifically searching for overpriced comics.

 

 

 

Perhaps Mile High somehow confused their own comics with actual Mile High Pedigree comics (that's a joke). So I loved the quantity of product but I ended up spending more at another store a few miles away because the prices were so sky high. One might even say, a Mile High.

 

See more journals by David Swan

[BooZeR]

Mile High is a giant rip off. I've never understood their prices. I won't buy anything from them, even if it is something that I really want that I can't find anywhere else. I just pretend they don't exist.

 

[LazyDayz137]

I have purchased a few books from them online. The trick is waiting for a codeword sale. They run from 30% - 60% off. That helps bring the prices down to a more normal range. I have had good luck with their NM books, usually getting a 9.6 or 9.8. That isn't to say I haven't gotten my share of 9.2's that barely squeak into the grade.

 

I would like to go into their Jason Street Mega Store at some point, just for the experience. Sounds like it is a sight to behold.

[David Swan]

"I would like to go into their Jason Street Mega Store at some point, just for the experience. Sounds like it is a sight to behold. "

 

It was the Jason Street Mega store I went to. It truly is a sight to behold and then some but those prices are just eye popping.

[surfer99]

My family and I made it out there last Summer and I totally agree about the prices. Their older books were pretty rough too. It was definitely a sight to behold though.

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=6877282#Post6877282

 

 

[Tnerb]

I have never been there. I would like to one day, but with all the negativity I hear about them the more I might bring my decision to a "why bother?"

[n2wdw]

I think it's unfair to say Mile High is a rip off. They have a comic, they price it, you can buy or not. How is that a rip off? How is that any different from buying on eBay?

 

Having said that, I agree with LazyDayz137, the key to buying from MH is using their codewords.

[Brandon Shepherd]

First off, welcome to Colorado! I wish you the best of luck in Denver.

 

My first time trying to find the place was confusing, not being familiar with the area I drove past it, not noticing the banner because I was not expecting a warehouse district and I thought my GPS was way off.

 

I've only been to the Jason street Mega store three times, my last trip was two weeks ago. The first two times I went, all their back issues were 50% off, so the high prices weren't so bad on the 80/90s back issues I was after.

 

When I went a few weeks ago, I was hoping to find some decent grade raw Bronze Horror but I did not find anything with both a decent grade and price. One thing I have noticed is that with so many comics, I'll find certain issues with a $4-8 sticker price, then I will find the same issue over in the $2 are, and often in better shape.

 

Making the hour long trek is now a quarterly to semi-annual trip/splurge for me.

[newshane]

I'm currently planning a honeymoon in the area and our first stop is the Jason Street warehouse!

 

How do I know I'm marrying the right one? Because she's cool with that.

[bagofleas]

I understand about their regular prices being a little over the top, but like mentioned before, if you wait for codeword sales, the prices come down to normal levels for the most part.

 

And when it comes to having very nice copies of Copper Age and modern stuff, they are fantastic! Even going back into Bronze Age stuff can yield surprising results.

 

I personally have purchased books through them online and had amazing results!! From a SS 9.4 Marvel Special Editon #15 to a SS 9.8 Marvel Two-In-One #3 to a 9.8 Machine Man #19 and a SS 9.6 Master of King Fu #17, I have acquired a number of raw copies that have achieved fantastic results!

 

I was even able to finish off my graded Dazzler set thanks to Mile High. I needed five more books to finish it off, two of which didn't even have 9.8 copies in existence yet at the time. Of the five copies I bought through them, three achieved 9.8 and two got 9.6, all with White Pages!! Two of the three 9.8s became the first of their kind!! One of the 9.6s still doesn't have a 9.8 copy yet, so it was ultimately a highest graded copy as well.

 

I agree that you shouldn't pay their full prices at the store, but watch for those codeword sales and take a chance here and there. You can find gold in them thar hills!!!!!!!

[David Swan]

"First off, welcome to Colorado! I wish you the best of luck in Denver."

 

I'll always be a Clevelander in my heart. I did find one other super cool place yesterday. A barcade called The 1-Up. There is a barcade called B-Side in Cleveland Heights but I have to give the nod to Denver's barcade. I pretty much just played Paperboy and Tapper.

[revat]

I understand about their regular prices being a little over the top, but like mentioned before, if you wait for codeword sales, the prices come down to normal levels for the most part.

 

And when it comes to having very nice copies of Copper Age and modern stuff, they are fantastic! Even going back into Bronze Age stuff can yield surprising results.

 

I personally have purchased books through them online and had amazing results!! From a SS 9.4 Marvel Special Editon #15 to a SS 9.8 Marvel Two-In-One #3 to a 9.8 Machine Man #19 and a SS 9.6 Master of King Fu #17, I have acquired a number of raw copies that have achieved fantastic results!

 

I was even able to finish off my graded Dazzler set thanks to Mile High. I needed five more books to finish it off, two of which didn't even have 9.8 copies in existence yet at the time. Of the five copies I bought through them, three achieved 9.8 and two got 9.6, all with White Pages!! Two of the three 9.8s became the first of their kind!! One of the 9.6s still doesn't have a 9.8 copy yet, so it was ultimately a highest graded copy as well.

 

I agree that you shouldn't pay their full prices at the store, but watch for those codeword sales and take a chance here and there. You can find gold in them thar hills!!!!!!!

 

 

of copper comics you've bought from them raw and NM online, what percentage would you say have a chance at 9.8?

[Triskelion]

While I only ever purchased from them online or thru mail order, Mile High used to be one of my primary sources of comics, based overseas here in Asia. I did notice that their full/ gross prices were on the high side, but as mentioned by others in this thread tended to normalize with their CODEWORD sales, even better since they offer free international shipping at times for bulk orders. I remember comparing prices too with other online sellers like Worldwide, Metropolis & others back when I was trying to build a Silver Age set and Mile High's pricing net of discounts and shipping was quite competitive. So was their grading, relatively accurate after I sent books from them to CGC for slabbing.

 

Can't say I'm a fan of their website (has a, well, 'prehistoric' feel to it) and their very narrow selection of CGC'd books, but other than that I'd probably buy from them again for as long as its CODEWORD sales time.

[Heronext]

Mile High is a giant rip off. I've never understood their prices. I won't buy anything from them, even if it is something that I really want that I can't find anywhere else. I just pretend they don't exist.

 

Same here

[bagofleas]

For me, it's been about 60-65%, but that of course is no guarantee for anyone else.

 

One thing I've done when I place online orders with them is place a message in the notes section of the order form letting them know that I'm looking for CGC grade-able copies so I would very much appreciate them trying their best to send me the best copies they have available.

 

So far it's worked out for me for the most part.

[Rockblazer]

Like everyone else I only buy when I get the 40 to 60% off code word. I started collecting CGC books because the first ones I bought were discounted below the price of grading the book if I submitted it. Now they no longer let you use the codeword on CGC books. As for grading , raw books from them have come back with a higher grade from CGC. One example is my Tales of Suspense 22 which was sold by Mile High 8.0 and came back 8.5. They don't do a great job of removing CGC books purchased from their website as some books I purchased years ago are still listed for sale.