Rankings for Dealers

[Foolkiller]

yeah... don't tell me I have to take the bar AGAIN to become a lawyer... .

[metropoliscomics]

Somebody mentioned James Payette,... does anyone have his contact information/e-mail address?

 

603-869-2097

 

Speaking of Jim he was my guest on the Comic Zone today- very interesting perspectives.

VZ

[Silver Surfer]

5-10 Various outlets.

 

You have a knack for detail.

 

In fairness I haven't dealt with others shops enough to comment. Mostly my purchases over the last 6 months have come from 3 sources where I have had the most success and the best customer expierence, Mile High, EBay and Pedigree. For me its customer service and selection. If the service sucks coupled with a pmpous attitude and I feel like I'm getting a "raw" deal I'm gone. You want more detail?

 

Just to add to my list, I have been pleasantly pleased with a few transactions I completed with Wharehouse Auction Centers and Smortensen at Colossus Comics. Very quick, very friendly service, will defintely buy from them again.

[Aman619]

not a lawyer - -- a District Attorney. He was prosecuting a criminal who splashed him with acid in the face.... half his face thats is..

 

District attorneys are lawyers.

 

ummmm of course I knew that! Dont you think I knew that? I knew that......

[bobpfef]

Really? Cool. I've got to listen to that tonight. Jim Payette is one of my favorite dealers, and one of the few I would spend over $100 on a book without even seeing it. I've never been disappointed when I've bought a book from him. Probably the best dealer I have found for lower grade GA stuff.

 

Somebody mentioned James Payette,... does anyone have his contact information/e-mail address?

 

603-869-2097

 

Speaking of Jim he was my guest on the Comic Zone today- very interesting perspectives.

VZ

[Larryw7]

Really? Cool. I've got to listen to that tonight. Jim Payette is one of my favorite dealers, and one of the few I would spend over $100 on a book without even seeing it. I've never been disappointed when I've bought a book from him. Probably the best dealer I have found for lower grade GA stuff.

 

Somebody mentioned James Payette,... does anyone have his contact information/e-mail address?

 

603-869-2097

 

Speaking of Jim he was my guest on the Comic Zone today- very interesting perspectives.

VZ

 

I agree that Jim is a great dealer, and his grading is strict. But I haven't purchased anything from him for awhile, probably because he lacks Internet presence. Does he still put out that little digest sized catalogue?

[bobpfef]

Yup, he still puts that out. It is fun to pour through it from time to time, in fact I even that the lastest one here in my desk drawer at work.

 

I don't really mind the lack of an internet presence because I've come to trust his grading, and I'd rather spend a little more to get something from him that I know is accurately graded then take a flyer on someone on ebay who "doesn't know comics" There really aren't that many good dealers for low grade GA stuff, IMO. Most overgrade the lower grade stuff.

 

 

I agree that Jim is a great dealer, and his grading is strict. But I haven't purchased anything from him for awhile, probably because he lacks Internet presence. Does he still put out that little digest sized catalogue?

[tth2]

I know they didn't disguise themselves but technically why would you use Ebay if you are a "exchange"? Guess your exchange isn't exchanging any money?

 

Bingo!

 

Actually, is PCE still an exchange, or has it really been primarily Roter's inventory for years now? Anyways, my guess is he sells on ebay every now and then to remind people he's still alive. I mean, who goes to their site anymore?

[esquirecomics]

Being honest as a lawyer is different from being honest as a seller of comic books. It is not a lawyer's job to tell the court what the lawyer thinks is the right and just result that should occur. It is the lawyer's job to represent his client and present his client's case in the most favorable light to his client, while remaining within the limits of the truth. What I mean by this, is that if a lawyer isn't spinning facts to make them sound the best they can for his client, he isn't doing his job properly. I realize that you have a different perspective from this, coming from the DA's office. And as a DA, I'd say that I agree with you. You represent the public when you're a DA, so there is no justification for spinning facts. I believe that changes when you become the advocate for a private client.

 

The level of zealousness and "spinning" a lawyer undertakes depends significantly on the type of client and case. I have limited criminal experience, but I can certainly tell you from 13 years of litigating civil cases against the USGOV that govt lawyers spin cases as much as any other lawyer. For some agencies, such as the CIA, the lawyers act completely contrary to the greater public good and do nothing more than cover-up their own agency's misconduct. Because I frequently represent Whistleblowers and others accusing the govt of wrongdoing, I rarely try to spin facts in any way that could be misinterpreted as anything other than truthful. I find that works much better, as does getting the story in the Washington Post or NYT. Actually, the newspapers work better!

 

In any event, I really don't see a distinction between the ethics I believe I possess and show as a lawyer from those I will seek to demonstrate and promote as a comic dealer.

 

Now, so as not to be too far off the track, unfortunately I don't really remember the dealers I dealt with in the 1980s, but having come back full force in 2004 I have dealt with many of the names mentioned in this thread. The dealings have generally been more informal and conversational than buyer/seller, but I have been very impressed and thankful for the candid discussions and advice given to me by Steve and Vinnie (even though he keeps threatening me he will become a lawyer and compete with me , Vinnie I swear if you quote me a good price on the books, I'll buy something eventually! ) at Metro, Steve L. at Investment Collectibles, Flying Donut Dan, Steve B at CGC (though not technically a dealer of course), and particularly Marnin Rosenberg and Marc Nathan.

[DNAgent]

here are dealers i have dealt with:

 

good/great experiences:

 

ted van liew - superworld

bob storms - highgradecomics (i happen to like bob's personality/honesty)

 

ok experiences:

 

metropolis - i found the grading less than good, would not deal with through the internet, would need to see the books b4 purchasing if i were to deal with again. maybe my fault for buying

w/o holding/viewing in my hands...(or seeing scans b/c they were only 100-200$)...

 

just plain bad (imho), likely would not deal with again:

 

showcase - sub par grading (they look nice in the mylars though!), did not respond to emails (too many auctions at once?), some books had lots 'o touch up, would not deal with through internet. again, maybe my fault for not emailing more and not being able to hold/view books in my hands...

(can't include a mixed up order one time as these things happen).

 

mile high - horrendous grading, irritating, no thanks

neatstuff - don't know where to begin

 

so, two dealers, metropolis and showcase have good reputations, but my experience(s) were

more negative. i purchased from both off of the internet b/c of their reputations.

was it my mistake by trusting the reputations? i mean, i feel they should be 'better at grading' and seeing quite obvious restoration (color touches) with those reputations and marketing bunk

like 'america's number one blah blah'... so anyway, they don't need my business, there are plenty of other dealers for me and plenty of comic buyers for them...

 

for selection, it is difficult to judge, as, inventories come and go...one dealer may have the greatest collection one year, and be called 'the dealer with the greatest inventory'', and then a year or three later, may be off the radar...and vice versa...

 

so for me, it really comes down to grading and pricing...99.99% of the books i buy/bought

i've seen come and go, sometimes found for much cheaper simply by being patient...(did i let the secret out?)...

 

oh yeah, jbud73's pointers are excellent!!!

[gorgoguy]

Hey all,

 

Your posts got me to call James and he does have a site. Hope that helps someone besides me out.

 

http://www.jamespayettecomics.com/

[sacentaur]

Great topic (didn’t even know it existed), and having read through all the pages I’m rather impressed with some of the depth of thought and frankness with which opinions have been expressed.

 

Of late I’ve made some harsh criticisms of several of the Big Name dealers, so I’d like to turn the tables around and note those sellers with whom I’ve recently really enjoyed doing business with. While grading, pricing, inventory, return policy, customer service, etc., are all important factors to consider, Integrity is the number one thing I look for – it permeates everything else they/we do.

 

10) Pedigree Comics (Doug Schmell) – not primarily known for stocking Golden Age material, I was directed to several comics on their website and so made an initial contact. The transactions were seamless, I was pleased overall with the pricing on books, all items were mailed very promptly, and communication was great. I can’t rank them higher because we’ve done only a few transactions, but I hope to do more business with Pedigree in the future.

 

9) Redbeard’s Book Den (Ron Pussell) – from buying Mile High/Church copies of Centaurs from him in the 80’s, to a batch of nice ECs most recently, Ron is one of the true professionals in the hobby. He is an expert at grading and pricing, and he always tries to ensure customer satisfaction. One hiccup occurred a few years ago when he had two San Francisco pedigree comics on hold for a friend and I (one each), only to have another Big Name dealer cajole the books out of him the day prior. Ron was open to discussion and when it appeared that a miscommunication had occurred, he made things right. I have never regretted a single purchase that I’ve ever made from Redbeard.

 

8) JHV & Associates (Joe Verenault) – I’ve known Joe for a long time, ever since his early Sparkle City days. While we haven’t done much business of late, I have not once felt that he ever took advantage of me. It’s hard for me to think of anyone else in the hobby who is more fair and reasonable. For example, there was a really high-grade looking EC that I was eyeing on his display rack in San Diego, and once taking it out of the mylar I noticed a hard to see very light (and long) fold on the cover. Joe’s response after examining the book was to humbly say, “You’re right” while lowering the price, and the deal was instantly struck. I’d like to buy more books from JHV, but I always seem to already have a copy of the nice books they have on display – I really wish they had more presence.

 

7) Heroes & Dragons (Chris Foss) – prices are a bit high across the board, but they’ll work with you and they sure can come up with some really great comics. Chris really loves the hobby, and he’s not shy about telling you all about it (haha). I feel very comfortable buying raw books from him as he discloses notable defects and any restoration. I failed to get to his display the first night in San Diego this past year, and he sold just a ton of nice books to a variety of knowledgeable collectors; thus I missed out on some really choice material. Well, I won’t be making that same error again in 2007!

 

6) Graham Crackers (Jamie Graham) – another dealer who is very fair and reasonable, and someone who engages in full disclosure on his raw books. For example, he had a slightly restored copy (a real beauty) of Wonder Comics #1 (Fox, 1939) that I was extremely interested in. Not only did he point out the few extremely minor areas of work (including one spot I hadn’t noticed), he advised me that he didn’t have that much into the book and offered to negotiate a cash/trade deal that was quickly acceptable to the both of us. Not afraid to tell it like it is, I’ve even known Jamie to bash his own books on rare occasion if they deserved it. Being a big fan of the NHL (me too), he just has to be a good guy.

 

5) Harley Yee Comics (Harley Yee) – always a pleasure to deal with, I’ve been steadily buying a few books here and there from Harley for a long, long time. He sets up at many shows (very hard working) and so displays the flag for the hobby worldwide. Prices tend to be rather high on the quality material, but his customer service is excellent and he holds his hobby relationships near and dear. For example, there once was a Larson Planet that I learned he had in stock and when I called him he readily agreed to hold it for me. Meanwhile, he set up at another California show that I couldn’t make it to, and thus I couldn’t pick up the book. I know of several other collectors who were anxious to get this particular pedigree comic – even offering a higher price than what Harley had quoted me – yet he retained the book and sold it to me as agreed when we met soon thereafter. One thing to be wary of about Harley...he is a skilled poker player!

 

4) Collectors Net/Collectors Assemble (Marnin Rosenberg) – a winner on two fronts: as a comic seller and as a hero in the fight against market manipulation and misrepresentation. Charter member of the Network of Disclosure (NOD), he will never try to ‘slip one by’ you. The one thing that really impressed me about Marnin was his willingness to listen to my feedback on his Golden Age grading standards. As the broker of the Detroit Trolley collection, he did an outstanding job handling the last batch; indeed, I ordered a dozen books and was so pleased upon receipt that I kept them all (it was obvious that he had spent an inordinate amount of time carefully examining each and every book, especially the mid-grade material). I’m looking forward to purchasing more great raw comics from him in the near future.

 

3) A-1 Comics (Brian Peets) – terrific job handling the recently unveiled Central Valley pedigree Golden Age collection. One thing I noticed is that Brian did not bump up the prices on several of the CV books that appeared to be overgraded by CGC – he held the line (and held the prices) when it would have been so easy to cave in. Some of the very best Central Valley books are indeed quite expensive, but it’s hard to argue with primo books that sit at the top of the census. A-1’s grading is A-1 in my book, and they don’t push stretch the price on books either. Brian doesn’t subscribe to the overhype, stick-it-to-them mentality that I’ve seen so often from others. He marches to the beat of his own drum, and it’s a sound that I really like to hear often – I plan on being a loyal customer of A-1 as long as I continue to collect.

 

2) Bedrock City (Richard Evans) – Richard is a good friend of mine, so I will temper my comments and try not to gush. Extremely personable, Bedrock has earned a reputation as one of the best retailers in the country. I’ve worked their booth at shows before, and hear nothing but praise for their customer service – everyone seems to walk away happy. I’ve both sold and purchased many Golden Age books over the years with Bedrock, and have always been treated fairly and with respect no matter what the circumstances. Many know Richard as an ardent Timely collector, but his passion for the hobby extends well beyond that niche, and it shows.

 

1) Esquire Comics (Mark Zaid) – relatively new on the scene, Esquire brings some much needed credibility to the heavy-hitter dealer ranks. Prices can be a tad high, but the material is of quality and he’ll work with you. Superb communication, and Mark is a leader who also is one of the few dealers who belong to (and who champions) the Network of Disclosure (NOD). He strictly grades raw books as would a collector, and his willingness to express an informed opinion is very refreshing. I recently challenged Esquire to find a pre-hero More Fun grail book for me and incredibly he just located one to my exact specifications (including grade, page quality, and price range). The future looks very bright for Esquire, and thus brighter for all of us collectors as well.

 

Some honorable mentions would include Jim Payette (strict grader, very honest and direct...I just haven’t bought anything off him in a long time), Quality Comics (Brent is a terrific guy, I just hope he continues getting into the Golden Age more), High Grade Comics (Bob Storms is someone who I really respect; I do hope to buy a book from him one day), and last (but certainly not least) Stephen Ritter (who is only now emerging as a dealer, having done a simply marvelous job with the Simon Powell collection last year. Ritter defines integrity and could be a major player if he devotes his full time to the hobby).

 

STEVE

[Sid]

I didn't notice anyone mention jeff hinds.. I've been very pleased with his prices, grading and he's a very pleasent person on e-mail anyways. Also metropolis has been very curteous to my constant barrage of questions

[gorgoguy]

He also treated me well. I will buy from him again for sure.

[thedude]

I didn't notice anyone mention jeff hinds.. I've been very pleased with his prices, grading and he's a very pleasent person on e-mail anyways. Also metropolis has been very curteous to my constant barrage of questions

 

I bought this book from Jeff Hinds in about 1993 or so, one of my first big GA purchases, he had it listed as a Fine minus, if memory serves,... when I received it, I called to tell him that I thought the book was overgraded a bit and would be sending it back, he then offered to refund $50.00 of the payment I had already sent, I agreed, and kept the book, plus got the partial refund promptly, he was very nice and easy to work with, I'm very glad I decided to keep the book.

[Sid]

I didn't notice anyone mention jeff hinds.. I've been very pleased with his prices, grading and he's a very pleasent person on e-mail anyways. Also metropolis has been very curteous to my constant barrage of questions

 

I bought this book from Jeff Hinds in about 1993 or so, one of my first big GA purchases, he had it listed as a Fine minus, if memory serves,... when I received it, I called to tell him that I thought the book was overgraded a bit and would be sending it back, he then offered to refund $50.00 of the payment I had already sent, I agreed, and kept the book, plus got the partial refund promptly, he was very nice and easy to work with, I'm very glad I decided to keep the book.

 

I'm hardly keeping him in buisness but his attention to even low level customers, such as me , is what impressed me about him.

[Durden08]

Sacentaur, thanks for taking the time to give us your impressions on so many dealers. Your dealer summaries will help when deciding on future purchases.

[buttock]

I didn't notice anyone mention jeff hinds.. I've been very pleased with his prices, grading and he's a very pleasent person on e-mail anyways. Also metropolis has been very curteous to my constant barrage of questions

 

Jef Hinds is a notorious non-discloser of resto. He's an amateur resto man himself. I avoid him like the plague.

[tth2]

Interesting list, Steve. I was particularly intrigued by your placement of Mark Zaid and Rich Evans as #1 & 2, respectively, and your lauding of Mark's leadership of NOD, since Rich has been very critical publicly of NOD.

[sterlingcomics]

Nice list...I'd be hard pressed to put three on my list based on my expectations-and no, I'm not hard to deal with....really.