The Distribution of US Published Comics in the UK (1959~1982) 16 16

[Malacoda]

37 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Sixty three examples ranging from the middle of 1962 to early 1966 cover dates.

The numbers include quite a few multiples of the same issue too. That's not many examples to show for the best part of four years is it. There aren't that many copies in my files with non-T&P UK distribution evidence either.

Right, but Dell fell off a cliff in 1962.  They were the outright biggest (15% of titles, but a third of the entire sales market) in the 1950’s.  Helen Meyer’s response to the Senate and Wertham is fascinating.  They really took a different approach to the situation to everyone else, which given their size is hard to ignore. But of course Wertham did ignore it because he was a man on a mission. 
Dell were the biggest because of their deal with Western – which was really odd.  Whereas Marvel and DC and our friends produced their own material and then looked for distributors,   Dell handled the finance and the distribution and out-sourced the creative bit to Western. This was unusual, but they totally battered everyone else in the market.  
However, Western got into some trouble round about 61-62. They invested in Golden Press, which produced an initially successful encyclopaedia in 1960, but lost money in 61 and 62. They also went public and bought a new printing plant, so they were stretched.   When Golden got into trouble, they had to go one way or the other and they jumped ship with Dell and bought Golden out. 

[Albert Tatlock]

52 minutes ago, Malacoda said:

I noted before that price changes always seem to be the precursor to periods of CS and even non distribution.

According to PM Harold Wilson at the time:

“From now on, the pound abroad is worth 14% or so less in terms of other currencies. That doesn’t mean, of course, that the pound here in Britain, in your pocket or purse or in your bank, has been devalued.”

Sure, of course not. It just means you can buy less with it.

Before, a quid got you 24 comics, but after, you could only afford 20.

The quote says that the Stock Exchange was closed Monday. Maybe the newsagents were too, to allow for frantic sticker-related activity around the comic racks.

 

[Malacoda]

19 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said:

The quote says that the Stock Exchange was closed Monday. Maybe the newsagents were too, to allow for frantic sticker-related activity around the comic racks.

 

Wouldn't surprise me. If Mr. Wilson had just told me I could add 14% to my prices, I'd be getting busy. 

To be fair to Harold, it actually didn't affect the pound in your pocket. As long as it stayed there. It was only when you took it out and tried to spend it it was worth less. 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Malacoda

[Albert Tatlock]

17 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said:

At that time, the main importer, Thorpe & Porter, seemed to run into a problem, and most titles published by Marvel Comics had a 1 or 2 month gap. The ‘missing’ issues surfaced, in much smaller quantities than usual, in the summer of 1967, about 6 months late

Does it help or hinder our enquiries to remember that the missing issues arrived at point of sale simultaneously, not as two separate deliveries?

Where had they been since they were printed? Held up in US, possibly as a lack of confidence that they would be paid for, or held up in UK waiting for a decision on who would distribute them?

If they had been shipped separately, surely whoever was waiting to distribute them would have got the first batch into the shops asap and not waited until the next boat came in.

On balance, I think they were all (both of what should have been two consecutive consignments separated by a month) held back in the US until Marvel knew the money was in the pipeline.

[Get Marwood & I]

2 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Does it help or hinder our enquiries to remember that the missing issues arrived at point of sale simultaneously, not as two separate deliveries?

Are you saying one delivery at your shop, comprising the 'usual' UKPV Marvels and the late Gold Star stamped ones Albert? 

[Albert Tatlock]

The latecomers did not get to every outlet, they were scarce and hard to track down, a few here, a couple there.

I cannot be sure whether they had arrived alongside a regular delivery, but it is likely that both T & P and Gold Star used local wholesalers to do the final leg of distribution, so possibly they were mingled in with the regular stuff.

Abel Heywood was the local news and magazine distributor in these parts at the time.

[Get Marwood & I]

33 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Abel Heywood was the local news and magazine distributor in these parts at the time.

Is that your house on the left?

[Albert Tatlock]

2 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Is that your house on the left?

No, this is ours. We have just traded up.

[Get Marwood & I]

2 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

No, this is ours. We have just traded up.

I've just upgraded myself actually

 

[Albert Tatlock]

10 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Is that your house on the left?

And this is the office.

[Garystar]

You were lucky, we lived in a paper bag in middle o road....

[Get Marwood & I]

Half a penneth of stale buns and your arse hanging out your trousers. 

[Garystar]

I’ve started to look at distribution dates of the two issue gap and doesn’t appear anything clean cut, supporting Malacoda view that there was a continuous supply of UKPVs albeit a gap in each title. I’ll finish and post when I have chance (grand kids still here). 

Edited April 19, 2021 by Garystar

[OtherEric]

26 minutes ago, Garystar said:

You were lucky, we lived in a paper bag in middle o road....

Luxury!

[Albert Tatlock]

The mill owner here only gave us 3 farthings a fortnight to spend on comics, so I never managed to save up enough for an 80 Page Giant.

[themagicrobot]

I found washing cars preferable to working in the Mill or up chimneys. Summer 1967 saw a massive increase in my comic collection and neighbours with very clean cars. I recall seeing this four colour wonder appear at the spinner rack August 1967. It had an onsale date in the States of 1st Dec 1966 and a cover date Feb 1967 but it was brand new to me 6 months later.

 

Edited April 19, 2021 by themagicrobot

[Malacoda]

3 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Does it help or hinder our enquiries to remember that the missing issues arrived at point of sale simultaneously, not as two separate deliveries?

Helps I would say.  If we believe they were held somewhere for financial reasons for 6 months and then dumped onto a secondary supplier as a job lot, it would be pretty weird if someone was separating them out and saying 'ooo, that's a November one, put that over there and we'll send it out in 4 weeks time'.  I mean who and why are the first 2 questions. 

Secondly, I'm not convinced they did all arrive at once.  I mean, I believe they arrived in two's, but I think some of the backlog rocked up later after the price had increased to 1/-.  I suspect T&P may have ended up with some that they released on the market after the increase, which is why a T&P style round stamp is there, at an increased price, but without the usual number on the stamp (because, being distressed inventory a year after the fact, they don't fit into the T&P top-bit-of-the-stamp-numbering-system). 

That's probably a load of old billhooks, but it's pleasingly neat, isn't it? 

[Malacoda]

Also, this DD 22 which fits in nowhere.  Yay. 

[Get Marwood & I]

6 minutes ago, Malacoda said:

That's my old copy 

[Malacoda]

6 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

That's my old copy 

What can I say.  The window was open.....there was no one around....it's your own fault, really.