The Distribution of US Published Comics in the UK (1959~1982) 15 15

[themagicrobot]

Way back on page 4 of this very thread:- 

In an old copy of "Paperbacks Pulp and Comicbook Collector" magazine  back in the 1990s there was an article entitled "The sign of the Tee Pee" by Steve Chibnall. This may be the same Steve Chibnall who is currently a professor at Leicester De Montfort University (who states one of his interests as "Sociology of collecting". The article is all about the Leicester based company created by a Fred Thorpe and a Mr Collis of Porters Building merchants (!?!) responsible for those ink stamps on those musty old comics you love.

Most of the article concerns paperbacks, pulps, magazines, "gentlemen's magazines" like Razzle etc. One interesting passage says;

"The breakthrough came when the ban was lifted on imports. Comics publishers in the US expected 40% returns which would normally have been pulped; but export offered an alternative to "burndown". We were able to buy copies at less than the original wholesale price." Thorpe and Porter were soon distributing a million comics a month.

I have a pdf of the article if you can't wait until the magazine is delivered.

 

 

 

[Albert Tatlock]

On 6/15/2024 at 6:14 PM, baggsey said:

However, I've ordered the one you pointed me to, as Vol 1 does not appear to have a Chibnall article. Thanks again.

I think the T & P article was in Vol 1 No 1

[Albert Tatlock]

Is this a T & P stamp?

There have been other similar examples posted, but it may be from another distributor.

Also, I cannot make out the cancelled stamp. any ideas, anyone?

[Get Marwood & I]

On 6/16/2024 at 11:58 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

Is this a T & P stamp?

There have been other similar examples posted, but it may be from another distributor.

Also, I cannot make out the cancelled stamp. any ideas, anyone?

I saw that on the bay too, Albert, and saved it into the 'obliterator stamp' file.

If there is any evidence that directly ties that unbranded stamp to T&P, I've yet to see it. But there is a lot of circumstantial evidence upon which to make that assumption. We have lots of examples of books with the 9d T&P stamp obliterated and replaced with a 10d branded T&P to indicate that it was T&P doing the correction. There are a few examples though - your Kona being one of them - where the 10d stamp isn't branded. If it wasn't the work of T&P, in these instances, some other distributor or seller would have had to have been doing the exact same thing using the exact same method (obliteration). Is that likely? Possible of course, but I feel unlikely.

I have lots of evidence built up over time which points to unbranded stamps being the work of T&P. Ditto Miller, and his stamps. It appears to show that, on occasion, they used unbranded stamps alongside branded ones. So for me, I would be as confident as I could be to say that the unbranded stamps in these instances were T&P applied. Could be wrong though, of course. 

It's a T&P 9d under that stamp on the Kona by the way, entirely as you'd expect. I enlarged it and you can just about make it out. 

[Malacoda]

On 6/17/2024 at 10:59 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

I have lots of evidence built up over time which points to unbranded stamps being the work of T&P. Ditto Miller, and his stamps. It appears to show that, on occasion, they used unbranded stamps alongside branded ones.

Is it possible that they sold some returns on to local retailers / distributors cheaply on a no return basis? That would explain both the need for the obliterator stamp to clearly indicate 'you ain't sending this one back, chum' and also a re-price to enable it to be sold on easily by those without Ethels.  Of course, the fact that it's gone up in price would be pretty damned cheeky. 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 6/18/2024 at 6:07 PM, Malacoda said:

Is it possible that they sold some returns on to local retailers / distributors cheaply on a no return basis? That would explain both the need for the obliterator stamp to clearly indicate 'you ain't sending this one back, chum' and also a re-price to enable it to be sold on easily by those without Ethels.  Of course, the fact that it's gone up in price would be pretty damned cheeky. 

We can't can say for sure, but I doubt it. I see more examples of 9d obliterated books with branded T&P 10d replacements than unbranded. Why would the 'sole distributor in the UK' allow someone else to do what they were themselves already doing?

[baggsey]

On 6/15/2024 at 1:02 PM, themagicrobot said:

 

I have a pdf of the article if you can't wait until the magazine is delivered.

 

 

 

 

Many thanks for the offer, @themagicrobot - Rich (Malacoda) has kindly sent me through a copy of the PDF.  It is an interesting read. As well as a brief mention of Atlas, the article briefly touches on T&P's import of cheap remaindered paperbacks from ACE, Monarch, etc. All so tantalising..

 

[Albert Tatlock]

On 6/18/2024 at 6:07 PM, Malacoda said:

Of course, the fact that it's gone up in price would be pretty damned cheeky. 

To bring it into line with the then current 10d price (post October 1964).

I have a 1962 mag repriced at 10d, will ferret it out, it probably languished in a shed somewhere until someone whistled 'walkies' to it and it set off on its travels again.

[Malacoda]

On 6/20/2024 at 7:08 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

To bring it into line with the then current 10d price (post October 1964).

Exactly, which would make it unlikely to be a re-sell to anyone else and it would just be T&P sending it round again, but mysteriously without a T&P stamp.....the answer to which is probably that Gladys was using the official T&P stamp on the big job, so Ethel knocked off the handful of re-stamps with the obliterator stamp and the seldom-used anonymous stamp.  Or something equally prosaic. 

On 6/20/2024 at 7:08 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

I have a 1962 mag repriced at 10d, will ferret it out, it probably languished in a shed somewhere until someone whistled 'walkies' to it and it set off on its travels again.

We laugh, but they actually rented a farmer's disused barn for the overspill. 

[Albert Tatlock]

On 6/21/2024 at 11:07 AM, Malacoda said:

Exactly, which would make it unlikely to be a re-sell to anyone else and it would just be T&P sending it round again, but mysteriously without a T&P stamp.....the answer to which is probably that Gladys was using the official T&P stamp on the big job, so Ethel knocked off the handful of re-stamps with the obliterator stamp and the seldom-used anonymous stamp.  Or something equally prosaic. 

We laugh, but they actually rented a farmer's disused barn for the overspill. 

Fred getting stuck in shifting the manure so barn is ready for his returns.

[Albert Tatlock]

On 6/20/2024 at 7:08 PM, Albert Tatlock said:

I have a 1962 mag repriced at 10d,

........and here it is.

I may have posted it before, possibly in another context.

I saw this on sale in a local newsagent, probably late 1960s, cheek by jowl with the then recent up-to-date arrivals.

It was not pristine, but was an upgrade on my (presumably pence) copy.

It is cents, so it would be strange if it had been routed onto Ethel's desk by Fred. Maybe someone else had a slice of the pie, in spite of the claim in the UKPV indicia portion of the print run.

If only these comics could speak. This one would have an unusual tale to tell, maybe a story of lying neglected in a barn as the months turned to years.

And another cents copy, with a second-hand 9d price stamp, which I also think I may have posted before, This one, I am sure, never crossed the drawbridge of Castle T & P.

 

[Get Marwood & I]

And another...