More stolen books to report...

[CKB]

...I hate to do it, really, but I had a significant loss at the National in NYC in November, that just came to light while I was preparing for the Boston show last weekend.

 

Getting my stuff together for Boston, I found that I was missing three long boxes of silver/bronze books. One was my $10 and less box from the end of the alphabet S-Z for marvel. The other two were $10 and less DC, including A-B, and J-Z.

 

The DC boxes had near complete runs of the more esoteric titles, like Weird War and Star Spangled, as well as a large Batman run. Many of these were in mylar, with the flaps tucked and corners cut. Some with 1/2" round colors dots on the back indicating price, others with prices written in sharpie on the back.

 

The Marvel box had a bunch of mid-grade bronze/copper X-men, as well as low grade silver like TTA and Submariner.

 

Unfortunately, I was alone during breakdown. I had the toy dealer next to me watch my stuff on the floor as I was making trips to the car with the "volunteers" that were helping load and unload. I specifically remember having these boxes at the end of the show, and in the case of the DC boxes, I remember loading them onto dollys to be taken to my car.

 

The kids who were helping, got out of my sight a few times due to that small loading elevator in the back of the room. This was really the only time they could have been taken. I am really saddened by this, because I thought the kids were really great helpers, they worked hard, and I gave them $50. That will teach me.

 

Since this occurred so long ago, I have no hopes of any recourse. I just hoped my story could avoid this trouble for dealers in the future.

[TvComics]

Sorry for your loss and thanks for the heads up.

 

I too was setup at that show. Loading and unloading are always risky times. Perhaps we all need to take better precautions in the future.

 

If I hear of or see anything about these comics, I will let you know (I am in NYC).

 

Best,

Byron - TvComics

[Mr. Zipper]

Have you thought about asking one or two trusted collector customers to help in this way? You could pay them in credit for comics which is really 30% at best in real world dollars.

 

Even if you gave each collector/helper $100 in free comics, it's a lot cheaper than paying some anonymous local slugs $50 each to rip you off. Plus, you will know who is helping you, so if something goes missing, you know who to call...

 

Have you checked with Midtown comics or Jim Hanleys Universe to see if some kids came in with longboxes to sell?

 

Sorry about the loss.

[blazingbob]

Suggestion to the architect

 

Would it be possible to add a Theft Alert or Stolen Items thread? I as a dealer am in the position of being offered thse items and would like one place to go if something is offered to me. I do print out these things but have to "search" for them which is very time consuming.

[OldGuy]

Suggestion to the architect

 

Would it be possible to add a Theft Alert or Stolen Items thread? I as a dealer am in the position of being offered these items and would like one place to go if something is offered to me. I do print out these things but have to "search" for them which is very time consuming.

 

Send Arch a PM if you want to pitch him this idea. He doesn't read every post in every thread on the boards and this is a good idea that could get missed.

[CKB]

 

I did have a helper for that day - a friend in the city - but something unexpected and important came up and he was unavailable in the evening. Normally, I know better - but I was stuck. If I had to do it again I would have done it all myself and just let it take an extra hour or two.

 

I sure agree it would have been worth it to arrange a helper after I found out I would be alone. Hindsight. Oh well.

 

Thanks for all the kind words. They really could have done me harm if they knew what to take. They took the boxes with the most comics, whereas the smaller boxes had the more valuable stuff.

 

Have you thought about asking one or two trusted collector customers to help in this way? You could pay them in credit for comics which is really 30% at best in real world dollars.

 

Even if you gave each collector/helper $100 in free comics, it's a lot cheaper than paying some anonymous local slugs $50 each to rip you off. Plus, you will know who is helping you, so if something goes missing, you know who to call...

 

Have you checked with Midtown comics or Jim Hanleys Universe to see if some kids came in with longboxes to sell?

 

Sorry about the loss.

[DawgPhan]

Sorry to hear about your loss...punk kids...

[the blob]

the helpers at the NYC shows are usually decent guys, although i can't speak for all of them. one guy (who i've seen several times, so I think he works for Mke C) was genuinely surprised and grateful when I gave him a $5 bill when he helped me drag some boxes to a cab (I wasn't selling, these were my purchases).

 

is it possible that maybe they left the stuff unattended while going back and forth and it got snagged?

[the blob]

or maybe they mixed your boxes up with another dealer?

 

incompetent, yes, but not criminal.

[CKB]

Nah, couldn't happen. The dollies, converted garbage bins, held lots of boxes. They never got that far in front of me - like 60 seconds at most. They never made a trip wihtout me, I was on one dolly (mine), and two of them were on a big garbage bin.

 

I held out until most dealers were already gone since I was slow packing up, being alone. I had everything all packed up in a nice cube.

 

I thought the were doing great job, really, but there's no other explanation, since I actually remember loading two of the three boxes.

 

or maybe they mixed your boxes up with another dealer?

 

incompetent, yes, but not criminal.

[awe4one]

Nah, couldn't happen. The dollies, converted garbage bins, held lots of boxes. They never got that far in front of me - like 60 seconds at most. They never made a trip wihtout me, I was on one dolly (mine), and two of them were on a big garbage bin.

 

I held out until most dealers were already gone since I was slow packing up, being alone. I had everything all packed up in a nice cube.

 

I thought the were doing great job, really, but there's no other explanation, since I actually remember loading two of the three boxes.

 

or maybe they mixed your boxes up with another dealer?

 

incompetent, yes, but not criminal.

 

Wouldn't you have noticed that your load was missing three long boxes? How many boxes total did you have?

 

Jim

[CKB]

Nah, couldn't happen. The dollies, converted garbage bins, held lots of boxes. They never got that far in front of me - like 60 seconds at most. They never made a trip wihtout me, I was on one dolly (mine), and two of them were on a big garbage bin.

 

I held out until most dealers were already gone since I was slow packing up, being alone. I had everything all packed up in a nice cube.

 

I thought the were doing great job, really, but there's no other explanation, since I actually remember loading two of the three boxes.

 

or maybe they mixed your boxes up with another dealer?

 

incompetent, yes, but not criminal.

 

Wouldn't you have noticed that your load was missing three long boxes? How many boxes total did you have?

 

Jim

 

About 60 boxes total. Took 4 trips down the elevator. So, no, I wouldn't have missed them when packing the car. I was rushing to try to free the helpers up so they could help other people. Plus, I sold about 2-3 long boxes of books, which messes things up a bit.

[the blob]

60 boxes with no helper?

 

you're nuts!

[CKB]

or maybe they mixed your boxes up with another dealer?

 

incompetent, yes, but not criminal.

 

Resurrecting this thread from earlier this year, since I have news.

 

The quoted post above was prophetic. The dealer who was set up across from me in NY at the National, George with the "endless blue boxes", was also set up in Chicago. He stopped by my booth in Chicago, started looking around a bit, and turned white. My books are marked pretty distinctively, with the hand cut mylars with tucked flaps and color coded pricing.

 

Anyway, somehow, the three boxes in question were loaded onto George's van. I cannot fathom how it happened, but he got them. George says that someone looking over his warehouse found them and he had no idea where they had come from. He says he sold them for $1000 Canadian. Someone got a really good deal.

 

He immedaitely agreed to pay for $750 US and gave me $200 right away. After the show, he wasn't willing to part with the balance, but promised to pay me at Wizard World Boston.

 

My main purpose here is to say the following:

 

- to point out what a stand up guy George is. He did not have to say anything at all. Clearly above and beyond. I'll retract the statement if I get stiffed in October.

 

- to apologize to the Neat Stuff "staff" for insinuating the loss was a purposeful act. They guys were so nice to me and working so hard that I really had a hard time believing it. Glad it turned out this way.

[skybolt]

I'm a little confused as to why he'd sell the books if he didn't know where they came from. I mean boxes filled with comic books just don't fall out of the sky.

[fable]

But he did admit to it - makes me think he is on the level here.

[skybolt]

But he did admit to it - makes me think he is on the level here.

 

I think so too, but it's still a little weird.

[fable]

I suppose these events are so big it would be a huge task tracing an owner - imagine saying to countless dealers - "I got some extra books - are they they yours?"

[skybolt]

I suppose these events are so big it would be a huge task tracing an owner - imagine saying to countless dealers - "I got some extra books - are they they yours?"

 

I mean if I knew the books weren't mine, I would sit on them until someone came forth to claim them. Maybe I'd contact the con organizers to find out if someone misplaced their books, etc. I guess it's possible that his subordinate may have sold the books by mistake or something. I don't know.

[fable]

You are right though; they should not have been sold knowing they were not your property.