Ask Redbeard Tales of a veteran comic book dealer 5 5

[lou_fine]

12 hours ago, buttock said:

I think we all would like to hear his input on the San Francisco collection.  So many "knowns" from what we have been told don't add up.  

 

12 hours ago, Robot Man said:

I believe it was Ron who actually named the collection when it first came to market. Long before we started calling them "pedigrees". 

Wow, it sounds as though you was one of the original founders for the San Francisco collection then. 

If this is indeed the case, then maybe you can answer a question which has arose many times on these boards here and one to which we have not received an answer for to this point in time:

As far as you know, were there any Nedor books in the San Francisco collection as board members here have apparently never seen or heard of a Nedor SF book?  

[Robot Man]

1 hour ago, lou_fine said:

 

Wow, it sounds as though you was one of the original founders for the San Francisco collection then. 

If this is indeed the case, then maybe you can answer a question which has arose many times on these boards here and one to which we have not received an answer for to this point in time:

As far as you know, were there any Nedor books in the San Francisco collection as board members here have apparently never seen or heard of a Nedor SF book?  

I had nothing to do with finding the SF collection. I was just one of the lucky guys to be able to buy some of them from the source. I never saw any but I wasn't looking for those then. Perhaps Ron can chime in and answer this on going question for us finally. 

[lou_fine]

2 hours ago, lou_fine said:

14 hours ago, Robot Man said:

I believe it was Ron who actually named the collection when it first came to market. Long before we started calling them "pedigrees". 

Wow, it sounds as though you was one of the original founders for the San Francisco collection then. 

If this is indeed the case, then maybe you can answer a question which has arose many times on these boards here and one to which we have not received an answer for to this point in time:

As far as you know, were there any Nedor books in the San Francisco collection as board members here have apparently never seen or heard of a Nedor SF book?  

 

48 minutes ago, Robot Man said:

I had nothing to do with finding the SF collection. I was just one of the lucky guys to be able to buy some of them from the source. I never saw any but I wasn't looking for those then. Perhaps Ron can chime in and answer this on going question for us finally. 

My bad as I must have been reading too fast and not paid attention to who I was quoting.  

I was indeed actually referring to Ron and hoping that he would finally be able to provide the answer to this long held question for all of us here.  

[PUNYHUMAN]

Welcome to the boards Redbeard .  What a great thread this will be. 

[jimjum12]

I've never met you, but my friend Lewis thinks the world of you.... he was stationed out west in the early 80's. He's spoken many times of visits to your office to buy books, many were pedigrees. He still has them all. I think one of them was An Earthman On Venus.... plus many of the Marvel pre hero monster books. Welcome aboard, Ron. GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[KirbyJack]

I’ve shopped your booth once or twice, but I first heard of you thru The Grand Vizier of Omaha comic collecting, Bob Gelner. 

I’m sure he would want me to say “Hi” for him!

[MrBedrock]

14 hours ago, Robot Man said:

Johnny is still around and lives close to Redbeard in Tahoe. I consider one of my best friends in this hobby. We go way back. Last time I saw him was a couple years ago at WonderCon. I correspond with him via email now and then. Would love it if Redbeard could get him to sign up here. Oh, maybe not, he'd probably tell some stories about me I'd rather not have published..

I'm pretty sure I met you through Redbeard in the 1980's. Bought a lot of stuff from you at cons when I saw you there.

I too still see John from time to time. We played poker together a few years ago at a Bay Area card room. He hasn't changed much, but that picture you posted is from exactly the time that I first met him, so that image of him is the one burned in my pea brain.

You also haven't changed much. A little grayer, but still the same ol' Bob and his trusty briefcase.

[MrBedrock]

I did a trade with Ron for the Larson Mystic 2 at San Diego in 1979 or 1980. He had it priced at $1500. I was working at Camelot at the time and getting "esoteric" comics with my work-trade credit. I would then take those books to California and trade them for golden age that I really wanted at that time. I think I gave Ron two copies of Complete True Crime Comics, both of the great Frazetta Personal Love issues and stack of other books with L.B. Cole covers. I also remember getting the Mile High copy of Witchcraft 5 from Ron around then, but I traded that off a few years later.

 

[Timely]

48 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

I did a trade with Ron for the Larson Mystic 2 at San Diego in 1979 or 1980. He had it priced at $1500. I was working at Camelot at the time and getting "esoteric" comics with my work-trade credit. I would then take those books to California and trade them for golden age that I really wanted at that time. I think I gave Ron two copies of Complete True Crime Comics, both of the great Frazetta Personal Love issues and stack of other books with L.B. Cole covers. I also remember getting the Mile High copy of Witchcraft 5 from Ron around then, but I traded that off a few years later.

 

Stop erasing those Larsons!

[Redbeard]

On 8/14/2018 at 7:58 AM, Robot Man said:

I believe it was Ron who actually named the collection when it first came to market. Long before we started calling them "pedigrees". 

I am responsible for naming the SF collection. I showed Bob (Overstreet) copies from that collection. I referred to it as collection of books from the San Francisco area. The name took hold. Actually, as Bob (Beerbohm) has pointed out the collection did not come from SF, but another bay area city. Bob Beerbohm knows the actual history of this collection. Sal (Dichiera) and I are good friends and talk frequently. I could ask Sal. He sold me the SF Subbies. I remember Sal also owned the Red Raven 1. I got the SF Actions, Detectives and Supes from Dave Belmont. How Dave ended up with those I do not know. The letter coding on the front cover on SF books is a "G" and usually has a stamp on the back cover that has the name "Reilly"

[Redbeard]

3 hours ago, jimjum12 said:

I've never met you, but my friend Lewis thinks the world of you.... he was stationed out west in the early 80's. He's spoken many times of visits to your office to buy books, many were pedigrees. He still has them all. I think one of them was An Earthman On Venus.... plus many of the Marvel pre hero monster books. Welcome aboard, Ron. GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

Thx.

[buttock]

4 minutes ago, Redbeard said:

I am responsible for naming the SF collection. I showed Bob (Overstreet) copies from that collection. I referred to it as collection of books from the San Francisco area. The name took hold. Actually, as Bob (Beerbohm) has pointed out the collection did not come from SF, but another bay area city. Bob Beerbohm knows the actual history of this collection. Sal (Dichiera) and I are good friends and talk frequently. I could ask Sal. He sold me the SF Subbies. I remember Sal also owned the Red Raven 1. I got the SF Actions, Detectives and Supes from Dave Belmont. How Dave ended up with those I do not know. The letter coding on the front cover on SF books is a "G" and usually has a stamp on the back cover that has the name "Reilly"

Thanks for the input Ron.  A number of people have tried to find a "Tom Reilly" to match Bob Beerbohm's story with no luck.  Did you have any interaction with the original sellers to confirm the name?  The stamp leaves some ambiguity as to the actual name.  

[N e r V]

44 minutes ago, Redbeard said:

I am responsible for naming the SF collection. I showed Bob (Overstreet) copies from that collection. I referred to it as collection of books from the San Francisco area. The name took hold. Actually, as Bob (Beerbohm) has pointed out the collection did not come from SF, but another bay area city. Bob Beerbohm knows the actual history of this collection. Sal (Dichiera) and I are good friends and talk frequently. I could ask Sal. He sold me the SF Subbies. I remember Sal also owned the Red Raven 1. I got the SF Actions, Detectives and Supes from Dave Belmont. How Dave ended up with those I do not know. The letter coding on the front cover on SF books is a "G" and usually has a stamp on the back cover that has the name "Reilly"

“The CGC and other slab people who continue to dub this "San Francisco" copies merely continue to display their ignorance of how the collection became to be dubbed thusly.

Along with other Bay Area comics dealers I was coming down from the Bay Area to the LA area setting up at shows on a near monthly basis.

Then-novice LA dealer Ron Pussell (long before he moved to Nevada) was exclaiming "Frisco" copies - NOT San Francisco - at LA area shows like David T Alexander and Terry Stroud hosted Super Sundays then in the Hollywood area, or San Diego Comic-Con International shows.
Ron was then smitten with a "Mile High" collection acquisition bug.

This is akin to ALL of the Los Angeles basin area simply being known as LA to those from northern Calif.
The state of California is two different universes in all actuality.”

 

 

 

[N e r V]

The above, that’s a Bob quote from a piece he did on the collection.

I’d also argue that California is three universes not two since LA and SD aren’t really the same either...lol

Edited August 15, 2018 by N e r V

[Primetime]

51 minutes ago, Redbeard said:

I am responsible for naming the SF collection. I showed Bob (Overstreet) copies from that collection. I referred to it as collection of books from the San Francisco area. The name took hold. Actually, as Bob (Beerbohm) has pointed out the collection did not come from SF, but another bay area city. Bob Beerbohm knows the actual history of this collection. Sal (Dichiera) and I are good friends and talk frequently. I could ask Sal. He sold me the SF Subbies. I remember Sal also owned the Red Raven 1. I got the SF Actions, Detectives and Supes from Dave Belmont. How Dave ended up with those I do not know. The letter coding on the front cover on SF books is a "G" and usually has a stamp on the back cover that has the name "Reilly"

That Bay Area city the Reilly collection came from was Piedmont which is a suburb of Oakland in Alameda Co. (East Bay). 

[Primetime]

47 minutes ago, buttock said:

Thanks for the input Ron.  A number of people have tried to find a "Tom Reilly" to match Bob Beerbohm's story with no luck.  Did you have any interaction with the original sellers to confirm the name?  The stamp leaves some ambiguity as to the actual name.  

Mike Manyak and Nick Marcus had the first contact with first batch of Timelys. When I spoke to Manyak five years ago, he was sure they belonged to Reilly but he was less confident Reilly had died in a kamikaze incident during WWII.

[Timely]

As of 2017, here is the list of all San Francisco Copies I have seen or can confirm exist.  I'm sure Ron could add a lot to this list.

 

San Francisco Pedigree List

 

Action Comics #31, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 67, 68, 74, 80

Adventure Comics #81, 82, 83, 85, 90, 91, 92, 93, 95, 96

All Flash #8, 10, 12, 15, 16, 18

All Select Comics #2

All Winners Comics #8, 12

Amazing Mystery Funnies #18

Batman #8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 27

Big All-American Comics #1

Blue Ribbon Comics #13

Captain America Comics #1, 8, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 43

Captain Midnight #23, 25

Daring Mystery Comics #6

Detective Comics #68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80, 81, 82, 85, 89

Dollman #3

Fantastic Comics #5, 6, 8

Feature Comics #61, 64, 68, 70, 72, 74, 75, 86

Flash Comics #5, 23, 29, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 45, 46, 49, 51, 53, 56, 57, 59, 60, 61, 63, 65

Green Lantern #4, 9, 10, 14, 15

Hangman #3

Hit Comics #25

Human Torch #2(1), 3(2), 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12,13 ,14 ,15

Jackpot Comics #6

Leading Comics #3, 4, 5, 13

Marvel Mystery Comics #14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 27, 28, 29, 34, 35, 37, 39, 44, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 59, 60, 62, 63

Master Comics #30, 36, 39

Military Comics # 7, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 27, 28, 39, 40

More Fun Comics #83, 84, 85, 87, 88, 90, 91, 92, 94, 100

Mystic Comics #3, 4, 5, 6, 7

National Comics #10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 26, 27, 28, 29, 33, 35, 36, 39, 41, 43

Pep Comics #31, 34

Police Comics #18

Prize Comics #5, 9, 15, 50, 52

Sensation Comics #12, 17, 20, 22, 23, 27, 28, 35, 42, 45, 48, 54, 57

Spirit nn(#1), nn (#2)

Star Spangled Comics #13, 17,18, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 36, 37, 43, 44

Sub-Mariner Comics #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

Superman #4, 11, 18

Top-Notch Comics #5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 20, 23

USA #9, 11

Weird Comics #4, 11, 12

Wonder Comics #1

Wonderworld Comics #20, 23

World's Finest Comics #10

Young Allies Comics #1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Zip 24

 

CENTAUR 1

DC 132

FOX 9

MLJ 16

PRIZE 5

QUALITY 43

TIMELY 85

FAWCETT 5

 

TOTAL 297

 

West

[Robot Man]

3 hours ago, MrBedrock said:

I too still see John from time to time. We played poker together a few years ago at a Bay Area card room. He hasn't changed much, but that picture you posted is from exactly the time that I first met him, so that image of him is the one burned in my pea brain.

You also haven't changed much. A little grayer, but still the same ol' Bob and his trusty briefcase.

If my old grandpa's briefcase could talk...

[Robot Man]

3 hours ago, MrBedrock said:

I did a trade with Ron for the Larson Mystic 2 at San Diego in 1979 or 1980. He had it priced at $1500. I was working at Camelot at the time and getting "esoteric" comics with my work-trade credit. I would then take those books to California and trade them for golden age that I really wanted at that time. I think I gave Ron two copies of Complete True Crime Comics, both of the great Frazetta Personal Love issues and stack of other books with L.B. Cole covers. I also remember getting the Mile High copy of Witchcraft 5 from Ron around then, but I traded that off a few years later.

 

Sounds like you got "taken" kid!  

All kidding aside, beautiful book and great you still have it. Too many books come and go but there are just some that end up going nowhere. 

[Robot Man]

My next question for Sir Redbeard...

You have been dealing comics for eons. Bought and sold tons of beauties...  What one did you sell that still haunts you today that you wish you still had. Not necessarily because of financial reasons but for personal reasons?