Spinner Racks

[Aweandlorder]

Pretty soon there'll be a grading company for them

[comix4fun]

Is there money in actually making these things to sell?

 

Like full-on fabrication from the ground up? Probably not. Between time/energy, component supplies, and it not being "original", I'd think you'd probably break even at best. You can buy a "new" one (without the classic toppers, it's just a blank topper) on Amazon for $80. So unless you can source the toppers, you'd have to beat that price to really compete.

i always thought it would be cool to make a modern one, like out of clear acrylic, maybe a tinted acrylic with lighting and stuff, el light topper, built to fit slabs or mags or manga or whatever. Make a couple different sizes

 

 

Several good ideas there.

 

Love the idea of something different....acrylic and the EL topper.

 

A slab sized spinner would be something I think people would dig.

 

Maybe even a half-height, table top spinner....to get the nostalgia of the look but it becomes something that can be shipped more easily.

[catrick339]

They generally go for anywhere between $150 and $350, if the welds are all intact & it's not bent up. I've seen them go as high as $500, but that's really outside the norm. But $250 seems to be about normal.

 

However, I picked the same one up for $50 on pure luck on one of those mobile "sell your stuff" apps. So they're out in the wild still at reasonable prices. But anyone that knows what they have generally ends up asking about $200/250.

 

 

 

I got mine for $50 off of craigslist in a small estate sale. The topper was perfect but it was bent up and had a bunch of broken welds but my family has an auto shop with welders and a buddy who does powder coating. It looks like new now.

 

Mine was a little dirty, with some oxidation on the base, but all the welds were intact & it was straight & true. So a little soap/water, sandpaper, primer & spray paint & about 12 hours later, it was like new again. Hell, I even took the spinner ring off, tossed the ring of ball bearings in a little cup full of WD-40 & let that do the job. Works spectacularly. .

 

Sorry, I know it's only a spinner rack, but the inner mechanic in me cringed when I read this

 

Do yourself a favor and if you can get some vaseline in that bearing, do it ASAP, not a lot, just a bit. If not, a can of some sort of spray lube, doesn't matter what. Trust me, you'll thank me

 

No, a thousand times no! A good squeak is part of the intergal spinner rack experience!

 

[dupont2005]

Is there money in actually making these things to sell?

 

Like full-on fabrication from the ground up? Probably not. Between time/energy, component supplies, and it not being "original", I'd think you'd probably break even at best. You can buy a "new" one (without the classic toppers, it's just a blank topper) on Amazon for $80. So unless you can source the toppers, you'd have to beat that price to really compete.

i always thought it would be cool to make a modern one, like out of clear acrylic, maybe a tinted acrylic with lighting and stuff, el light topper, built to fit slabs or mags or manga or whatever. Make a couple different sizes

 

 

Several good ideas there.

 

Love the idea of something different....acrylic and the EL topper.

 

A slab sized spinner would be something I think people would dig.

 

Maybe even a half-height, table top spinner....to get the nostalgia of the look but it becomes something that can be shipped more easily.

i like that idea too. Also for home use. It could sit on an end table or counter that way

[ChrisInBaltimore]

I've always wanted one of these. When I started looking for one, I asked my LCS what happened to his. Ironically he had just sold it the week before for $50. If only I'd asked him a bit earlier.

[Lucky Baru]

Is there money in actually making these things to sell?

 

 

Not really. Shipping can become cost prohibitive. Also they are heavy, yet fragile at the welds for the individual racks. Unless you've got local demand where people can inspect and pick up you've got nightmare damage and return issues as people will be expecting a brand new rack.

 

 

The toppers are worth good money though.

 

Interesting. As one of my hobbies I restore old gas pumps. Wonder why somebody hasn't started producing after market toppers? Just sheet metal, power coated with a design. Once you got the specs down it would be easy to run off 25 or 50 of them at a local machine shop

 

 

It probably hasn't happened yet because, up until the last 5 years, the spinner rack models like the one from that auction was pretty common and easy to find in the $50 range. Lately though the prices have jumped on all eras of spinner racks.

 

Some of the less common toppers now can go for $200+

 

You'll probably see someone start making them soon. A nice combo would be the currently available spinners with a custom topper that looks like a 30's-50's style rack.

 

It wouldn't be that hard to get licensed from the companies that hold the rights to the characters. You wouldn't be producing that many and I don't think it would cost that much per rack. If it did, you could always design your own. I'm gonna look into this a bit further.

[MetalPSI]

Personally, I am thinking of a slab sized half rack with a cool topper.

 

I like the ideas of different materials

[dupont2005]

Maybe even a slow moving motor that would rotate it

[Stumptown]

I have two spinners now. Not "comic" spinners but they work for the shop. I'd be interested in someone doing a topper with my store logo that I could affix to the top.

[MetalPSI]

I have two spinners now. Not "comic" spinners but they work for the shop. I'd be interested in someone doing a topper with my store logo that I could affix to the top.

 

Pics? And your idea for the topper? Like a '50s rotating or billboard style?

[Cruzin' Thru Comics]

I have a small part time shop, usually only open on weekends. I really dig vintage displays. I recently picked up a classics illustrated display and looks cool in the shop. I want to get some more of the regular vintage ones but still looking. Was wondering if anybody could give me some advice on this one. The topper sign has pretty advanced rust on it. Should I leave it alone or sand and re-spray? Don't want to mess with patina of the item.

 

 

 

[Fan Boy]

Someone need to write up a thread with topic of spinner racks for comic books. We have had quite a few threads come and go in here. One that covers ALL types of all ages, from the earliest to the last rack.

 

If this thread is made with info, it should be sticky so that all people can go to get their questions answered from there. I'd love to see the history and stories of these racks.

[Doktor]

Or see if we can get this thread merged into this one:

 

Spinner Racks

[comicwiz]

Leave it as is. I think the rust on the back of the tin sign gives it character. I've never seen a Classics Illustrated standalone rack before - it's very nice. Congrats!

[InvstmntComcSuply]

It wouldn't be that hard to get licensed from the companies that hold the rights to the characters. You wouldn't be producing that many and I don't think it would cost that much per rack.

 

Just guessing, but I think they are more likely to completely nix the idea. Or there would be a minimum $ that is going to be significantly more than your expectations.. As in the $10k range.

[comix4fun]

This is the one I restored. This is right after I got it back from powder coating.

 

[comix4fun]

Then I filled it with classic covers to complete the display.

 

 

 

[MetalPSI]

This is the one I restored. This is right after I got it back from powder coating.

 

 

Sharp

 

I had taken a walk to my Uncles (He's an old RV mechanic and hangs out with his other buddies at the muffler shop) I couldn't really find any useful materials that I thought would work.

 

But after seeing suggestions for different materials, I think I'll concentrate on some sort of topper. Will take a gander at the local thrift stores as well for display ideas.

[shadroch]

Leave it as is. I think the rust on the back of the tin sign gives it character. I've never seen a Classics Illustrated standalone rack before - it's very nice. Congrats!

 

I think that rack is from the revived.Classics. which came out in the late.1980s or early 90s.

[Robot Man]

Is there money in actually making these things to sell?

 

Like full-on fabrication from the ground up? Probably not. Between time/energy, component supplies, and it not being "original", I'd think you'd probably break even at best. You can buy a "new" one (without the classic toppers, it's just a blank topper) on Amazon for $80. So unless you can source the toppers, you'd have to beat that price to really compete.

i always thought it would be cool to make a modern one, like out of clear acrylic, maybe a tinted acrylic with lighting and stuff, el light topper, built to fit slabs or mags or manga or whatever. Make a couple different sizes

 

 

Several good ideas there.

 

Love the idea of something different....acrylic and the EL topper.

 

A slab sized spinner would be something I think people would dig.

 

Maybe even a half-height, table top spinner....to get the nostalgia of the look but it becomes something that can be shipped more easily.

 

Did he say table top RACK Bevis? I have a bunch of vintage comic book racks. Here's a nice table top with proper period comics in it.