Ask Redbeard Tales of a veteran comic book dealer 5 5

[Redbeard]

On 8/19/2018 at 11:29 AM, blazingbob said:

So Ron,  what was the walk up to the table book that you saw too many of or turned down that would just bring "You did what" responses today?

Probably all those early Marvels. a longtime friend Bob Cook would tell a person that had just walked up looking to sell and had put their books on his table - "Get that Marvel mess off of my table". A classic line from the past. Hi Bob...

[lou_fine]

1 hour ago, Redbeard said:

On 8/15/2018 at 2:52 PM, MrBedrock said:

It is especially exciting because Ron is so freaking old!

Thanks Ricky, you still working at Camelot?

I don't even think Camelot Comics is in business anymore.

If you are referring to Richard which you must be, he is now the owner of the Bedrock City chain of comic books stores in Texas.

[Redbeard]

On 8/20/2018 at 6:54 PM, Robot Man said:

Hey Redbeard, got a good John McLaughlin story or two? 

Too, too many. My favorite though is John called me and told me he just bought something I had to see and come to his house. When I got to the house, we went into his dining room. There on the table was his new purchase. It was the original manuscript for Dracula by Bram Stoker. I was completely blown away. I was looking at the ultimate horror piece that existed. After John passed, the manuscript was sold by his heirs, and it is now in a museum where it belongs for all to see. 

[Redbeard]

On 8/20/2018 at 6:58 PM, aardvark88 said:

Was McLaughlin the SDCC dealer that if you dared make a counter-offer to, he would pull the vintage comic back  so 'No comic for you?'

Sounds like John. He was eccentric, so you never knew what his reaction might be.

[Redbeard]

On 8/20/2018 at 11:29 PM, sfcityduck said:

I went to Oregon and I'm proud to say that as crazy as Oregon uni's get, at least we're not Maryland.

Fight on for ole SC...

[Redbeard]

On 8/21/2018 at 12:24 AM, marmat said:

I'd like to ask Redbeard his opinion about a topic that is going on in Comics General. 

There, somebody claims that in the mid 60's there was just around 1000 comic collectors nation wide. 

Based simply on logic and statistics, I personally would say that there was much much more comic collectors back then, but I'd like to know Redbeard much more experienced opinion. 

If you are implying that there were more collectors back then, you would be wrong by a long, long way. The hobby/business has grown in leaps and bounds. Don't forget, it is an international hobby/business today.

[Redbeard]

10 minutes ago, lou_fine said:

I don't even think Camelot Comics is in business anymore.

If you are referring to Richard which you must be, he is now the owner of the Bedrock City chain of comic books stores in Texas.

I know, but you forwarded a comment from Rick Evans directed to me. Rick and I have been friends since Rick was working for Willie at Camelot. That is why I made the comment.

[Robot Man]

22 minutes ago, Redbeard said:

Too, too many. My favorite though is John called me and told me he just bought something I had to see and come to his house. When I got to the house, we went into his dining room. There on the table was his new purchase. It was the original manuscript for Dracula by Bram Stoker. I was completely blown away. I was looking at the ultimate horror piece that existed. After John passed, the manuscript was sold by his heirs, and it is now in a museum where it belongs for all to see. 

I was over there with Kookie one day and he showed us an autographed first edition of Frankenstein. As blown away as I was, I pretty much wanted to see PCH. Pretty clueless huh? 

Know anything about the McLaughlin "cat pee" MH's?

[Robot Man]

24 minutes ago, Redbeard said:

Sounds like John. He was eccentric, so you never knew what his reaction might be.

"eccentric" that sums him up pretty well...

[HouseofComics.Com]

37 minutes ago, Redbeard said:

Too, too many. My favorite though is John called me and told me he just bought something I had to see and come to his house. When I got to the house, we went into his dining room. There on the table was his new purchase. It was the original manuscript for Dracula by Bram Stoker. I was completely blown away. I was looking at the ultimate horror piece that existed. After John passed, the manuscript was sold by his heirs, and it is now in a museum where it belongs for all to see. 

Wow! I read that book like four times as a kid.

[Robot Man]

On 8/20/2018 at 7:45 PM, Cobbledclam said:

Here's a semi-recent Johnny Knight pic taken at a small Reno show. Old school nice guy.

Howdy Johnny you old geezer!

Just like Johnny not to be too far away from a casino.

Edited August 24, 2018 by Robot Man

[Robot Man]

3 hours ago, Redbeard said:

When I started collecting and dealing, it was the Spirit of '76 Guide. I started as mostly a Timely collector and branched out into Ducks and EC. As the trend in the market started it's move into the 50s books, I was one of the early dealers moving into that area. There were only a few before me. ACBC was the main one. I quickly began trying to sell my GA superhero books and buy GGA Fox titles, PCSF and PCH. A new trend that was starting was books used in SOTI, drug stories, etc. Major players in these new areas of collecting was of course, ACBC, Bob Selvig, Sparkle City, Book Sail, John Knight and myself at Redbeard's Book Den. I met and became great friends with Johnny. We were looking for the same things. Got an Earthman on Venus, a Mask of Fu Manchu, a Reform School Girl, a Teen-Age Dope Slaves, a PL 17, etc. Those were books we were running buy ads in the BG when Alan Light ran it. We attacked boxes looking for these books from other dealers that were not into the trend as yet at all the national shows. It was around that time that Bob Overstreet noticed that we were way ahead of the market. He asked me to become an advisor and then later a senior advisor to the Price Guide. It was not financial wealth that made people that I mentioned previously above into some of the biggest shakers and movers in the market. It was we were ahead of the market and led the new trends. We were offering $200 for an 8.0 or better of Earthman when it was only under $50 top Guide among many, many other books. Some dealers cut out my buy ads form the BG and used them at shows as their buy list without even knowing why the books appeared on the list. So, don't feel excluded from becoming a large dealer because you are not wealthy. We paid our dues. We studied the market, we were just  very aware of what was going to be a hot book. Anyone can do this today if one wants to spend the time and effort. One last tip, in the GA area, I was definitely aware of the limited population numbers for most of these books. So, by offering to buy multiple copies of a book at triple guide from dealers that used the Guide as a Bible, we could make that book increase dramatically. Of course there needs a bottom line justification such as a classic cover or story, etc.

The Beard speaks the truth. GA Timely, DC, Ducks and ECs were king. All those other 2nd tier superheroes, pch, crime, GGA were sitting in boxes with very little interest. I go back even further than Ron. I basically started as a kid and with some slow spots never quit searching for this stuff. 

A lot of this stuff was actually in dollar books under tables, un-bagged. I wish I bought multiples...

David T Alexander, Terry Stroud and Carl Macek were pretty much responsible for “marketing” this stuff. Many of the terms we use today like “good girl art”, “bondage”, “decapitation”, “drug story” and especially “esoteric” were terms they invented. By that time, the prices started to rise and have done so ever since.

[Timely]

2 hours ago, Robot Man said:

I was over there with Kookie one day and he showed us an autographed first edition of Frankenstein. As blown away as I was, I pretty much wanted to see PCH. Pretty clueless huh? 

Know anything about the McLaughlin "cat pee" MH's?

One day the cat was annoying John so he tossed it across the room. Apparently cats don't always land on their feet and the cat was hurt so bad it lost its vision. John felt so bad he let the cat do whatever it wanted. Seems like the cat missed the kitty liter box on more than one occasion.

[SteveDuin]

Heck, I still have most of the original Redbeard mylars ...

[adamstrange]

2 hours ago, SteveDuin said:

Heck, I still have most of the original Redbeard mylars ...

I like the ones with tiny circular stickers with M.H. or C.A.

[marmat]

10 hours ago, Redbeard said:

If you are implying that there were more collectors back then, you would be wrong by a long, long way. The hobby/business has grown in leaps and bounds. Don't forget, it is an international hobby/business today.

No, sorry, that's not what I mean. Sometimes my english let me down. I know there are a lot more collectors today.

What I want to ask you is your opinion about the number of comic collectors back in the mid 60's, nationwide. Someone is defending the theory that in 1965 there was only around 1000 comic collectors. Others believe there was more. I personally think that only 1000 nationwide is a very low number, even 53 years ago. With comics print runs in the hundred of thousands, I'd think the number of collectors would be at least 10000, but I have no proof to support my opinion. 

Based on your own experience, how many comic collectors there was back in 1965?

 

[PUNYHUMAN]

\There had to be in  imho more then 1000 collectors in 1965.  I was collecting back in 1965. There was at least 5 collectors in my small town that I knew. Jerry Weist put out Squa Tront fanzine at 1500 copies by then. I don't think every collector in the country bought one. Biljo White put out also Batmania with over 1000 copies . These are examples , I would think. There was a lot more readers I think , but Fandom was bigger then 1000 collectors . What about EC fandom in the 1950's. When Creepy Magazine hit the newsstand around this time it sold and not to just readers . It was  EC comics again for fans. "Wally Wood, Frazetta, etc." Again I could be totally wrong but these are examples.

[Redbeard]

19 hours ago, Robot Man said:

I was over there with Kookie one day and he showed us an autographed first edition of Frankenstein. As blown away as I was, I pretty much wanted to see PCH. Pretty clueless huh? 

Know anything about the McLaughlin "cat pee" MH's?

WTF!?! John didn't have a cat.

[jimjum12]

4 hours ago, PUNYHUMAN said:

\There had to be in  imho more then 1000 collectors in 1965.  I was collecting back in 1965. There was at least 5 collectors in my small town that I knew. Jerry Weist put out Squa Tront fanzine at 1500 copies by then. I don't think every collector in the country bought one. Biljo White put out also Batmania with over 1000 copies . These are examples , I would think. There was a lot more readers I think , but Fandom was bigger then 1000 collectors . What about EC fandom in the 1950's. When Creepy Magazine hit the newsstand around this time it sold and not to just readers . It was  EC comics again for fans. "Wally Wood, Frazetta, etc." Again I could be totally wrong but these are examples.

There were at least two collectors in Knob Knoster, Missouri,(Population 2500) circa late 60's ...I was one of them.... was given my first Rogofsky catalogue with Action 1 for sale, I think $ 1800 ? There were enough of us for folks to sell back issues to....GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[Timely]

15 minutes ago, Redbeard said:

WTF!?! John didn't have a cat.

At one point he did. Verzyl told me the whole sad story.