Post your Lucky Scores, Finds and Comic Book Stories! 0

[fifties]

A 2 dollar score at Cherokee Books in Hollywood, about 1972.

[Duffman_Comics]

Now all the way out in Oz, we had very few U.S. GA comics. Aside from the few brought/imported by U.S. troops stationed here (however briefly) the cargo of merchant ships, rightly, made comic books a low import priority during WWII.

Couple that with a highly protectionist policy post WWII, designed to protect the local comic industry,  it meant that very few pre-1960 U.S.  funny books made it out here.

Where am I going with this?

It’s going to be a Silver Age story.

I was somewhat reluctant to “commit to internet” this tale, for fear it may identify me and therefore provoke ridicule.  

On reflection, no fear of that, I am already regarded as ridiculous.

To the point of this post. I’d been collecting since the early 1970’s and with a few like minded idi0ts ran the 1981 Sydney Comic Convention (at a small loss). As a result of that, we were approached by the Marvel merchandising licensee out here to “create some Australian super heroes” incorporating the already Marvel  copyrighted “Captain Australia”.

Now, the upshot of all of this is a matter for another rant, but whilst attending the licensee’s office, I noted a pile of comics.

Silver Surfer.

The original run, Bagged and complete.

For some reason Marvel in New York had sent these books to the licensee. Why? I do not think I'll ever know.

One thing lead to another over the weeks/months and finally it was determined we could not reach a publishing agreement. At that last meeting, while leaving the office, I noticed that the “Silver Surfer” books had disappeared. I asked one of the secretaries where they’d gone.

“Oh we threw them out”.

Me: “Uh, where?”

“In the dumpster” (in the alley out back)

I could not get there fast enough. Ten minutes of dumpster diving (in a business suit!) and I have Silver Surfer first series 1-18.

Now, I already had a set, so I upgraded my set with some of these and sold the rest, dividing the spoils with my fellow Conventioneers.

Good Times.

Edited July 8, 2021 by Duffman_Comics
Further info

[october]

About 10 years ago I bought a Tales of Suspense 58 on eBay. The seller sent me his Tales of Suspense 59 instead, and after I emailed him about the mistake we got to talking. Turned out that he lived outside of my town and I offered to switch out the comic in person if he had anything else for sale. He said he had, literally, "one million comics" (he didn't), but he did have these. My jaw about dropped when I saw what he had laid out on the kitchen table. At the time I didn't think there was a chance in hell of ever owning an Amazing Fantasy 15, but I left there that day a pretty happy guy after spending exactly $1000 on it. Still have it, though everything else in the pic is long gone.

[telerites]

The closest I come to anything like this was a purchase of a raw National Comics #29 on Ebay.  I was working on finishing my run of Uncle Sam covers of USQ and National.  

It was shortly after I joined the boards in 2007.  It looked nice from the pic (only front cover) and to be honest, I really have never been a grade snob.  Just like completing runs.  The selling price was fair - not a steal but not too high.  

I posted scans here on the boards along with the back cover scan.  I don't have the BC scan handy but someone here picked up the Tom Reilly stamp hidden on the BC.  I never noticed it.  

Here it is after being graded.

Edited July 8, 2021 by telerites

[WolverineX]

10 hours ago, Robot Man said:

By the way, if anyone wants to read stories like this, I highly recommend Jamie Newbold’s book “Confessions of a Comic Book Dealer”. I’m pretty sure this is the title. 

Full of stories from the early days of fandom. Hard to put it down. 

where can i buy this?

[HouseofComics.Com]

Newbold's book is The Forensic Comicologist.

[Robot Man]

5 hours ago, fifties said:

A 2 dollar score at Cherokee Books in Hollywood, about 1972.

Yep, Books like that were unbagged in boxes in the hall. Usually 50 cents to $2. You had to have a $5. bill to enter Burt Blum’s “Inner Sanctum” to buy the ECs. 

[Robot Man]

30 minutes ago, HouseofComics.Com said:

Newbold's book is The Forensic Comicologist.

Thanks! I got one on Amazon. 

[Robot Man]

2 hours ago, telerites said:

The closest I come to anything like this was a purchase of a raw National Comics #29 on Ebay.  I was working on finishing my run of Uncle Sam covers of USQ and National.  

It was shortly after I joined the boards in 2007.  It looked nice from the pic (only front cover) and to be honest, I really have never been a grade snob.  Just like completing runs.  The selling price was fair - not a steal but not too high.  

I posted scans here on the boards along with the back cover scan.  I don't have the BC scan handy but someone here picked up the Tom Reilly stamp hidden on the BC.  I never noticed it.  

Here it is after being graded.

Nice! Back in the day, when these turned up, Redbeard started calling these “Frisco Copies”. Pre internet, pre pedigree, pre huge money. 

I used to turn up these in boxes with no premiums or fanfare at shows like WonderCon in the Bay Area. The stamp was always the giveaway. 

[Robot Man]

2 hours ago, october said:

About 10 years ago I bought a Tales of Suspense 58 on eBay. The seller sent me his Tales of Suspense 59 instead, and after I emailed him about the mistake we got to talking. Turned out that he lived outside of my town and I offered to switch out the comic in person if he had anything else for sale. He said he had, literally, "one million comics" (he didn't), but he did have these. My jaw about dropped when I saw what he had laid out on the kitchen table. At the time I didn't think there was a chance in hell of ever owning an Amazing Fantasy 15, but I left there that day a pretty happy guy after spending exactly $1000 on it. Still have it, though everything else in the pic is long gone.

Mind blowing that as little as 10 years ago you could get an Amazing Fantasy 15 for as low as $1,000.

[Robot Man]

2 hours ago, Duffman_Comics said:

Now all the way out in Oz, we had very few U.S. GA comics. Aside from the few brought/imported by U.S. troops stationed here (however briefly) the cargo of merchant ships, rightly, made comic books a low import priority during WWII.

Couple that with a highly protectionist policy post WWII, designed to protect the local comic industry,  it meant that very few pre-1960 U.S.  funny books made it out here.

Where am I going with this?

It’s going to be a Silver Age story.

I was somewhat reluctant to “commit to internet” this tale, for fear it may identify me and therefore provoke ridicule.  

On reflection, no fear of that, I am already regarded as ridiculous.

To the point of this post. I’d been collecting since the early 1970’s and with a few like minded idi0ts ran the 1981 Sydney Comic Convention (at a small loss). As a result of that, we were approached by the Marvel merchandising licensee out here to “create some Australian super heroes” incorporating the already Marvel  copyrighted “Captain Australia”.

Now, the upshot of all of this is a matter for another rant, but whilst attending the licensee’s office, I noted a pile of comics.

Silver Surfer.

The original run, Bagged and complete.

For some reason Marvel in New York had sent these books to the licensee. Why? I do not think I'll ever know.

One thing lead to another over the weeks/months and finally it was determined we could not reach a publishing agreement. At that last meeting, while leaving the office, I noticed that the “Silver Surfer” books had disappeared. I asked one of the secretaries where they’d gone.

“Oh we threw them out”.

Me: “Uh, where?”

“In the dumpster” (in the alley out back)

I could not get there fast enough. Ten minutes of dumpster diving (in a business suit!) and I have Silver Surfer first series 1-18.

Now, I already had a set, so I upgraded my set with some of these and sold the rest, dividing the spoils with my fellow Conventioneers.

Good Times.

I have dumpster dived for stuff, not in a suit though...

[Jayman]

2 hours ago, Duffman_Comics said:

I could not get there fast enough. Ten minutes of dumpster diving (in a business suit!) and I have Silver Surfer first series 1-18.

A true comics fan! Great story, thanks for sharing! 

[D84]

My lucky find wasn't so much a specific book or stack of books, but finding a store.

It was summer of '93 and I went to my first comic convention. A small show, I think on the north side of town.

Since Batman had come out in '89, I had become obsessed with seeing original golden age Batman comics. When asking from booth to booth, only one place had any.

The main guy, was tall and when I asked about the books he handed me a stack of Batman issues between 2 and 30. The number 2 had a piece out of the corner and cost $375.00. I was honest with the dealer that I couldn't afford any of them but was so grateful that he let me see them. He gave me a card and told me to stop by his store.

Through the years since then, Richard would show me exciting golden age books that came in and I couldn't afford, like several Batman 1s, Superman 1, Captain America Comics 1, and Detective Comics 31. He taught me how to grade and was very gracious with letting me put books on layaway. To be honest, I was young, dumb and not the best with my money, but he was always kind and patient, even when I didn't deserve it.

After leaving Houston in the mid 2000s, I lost track of him. Now, that I'm back, I do hope to hit the Westheimer location sometime when I can see him and Jimbo again.

Anyways, thank you @MrBedrock.

[MrBedrock]

55 minutes ago, D84 said:

My lucky find wasn't so much a specific book or stack of books, but finding a store.

It was summer of '93 and I went to my first comic convention. A small show, I think on the north side of town.

Since Batman had come out in '89, I had become obsessed with seeing original golden age Batman comics. When asking from booth to booth, only one place had any.

The main guy, was tall and when I asked about the books he handed me a stack of Batman issues between 2 and 30. The number 2 had a piece out of the corner and cost $375.00. I was honest with the dealer that I couldn't afford any of them but was so grateful that he let me see them. He gave me a card and told me to stop by his store.

Through the years since then, Richard would show me exciting golden age books that came in and I couldn't afford, like several Batman 1s, Superman 1, Captain America Comics 1, and Detective Comics 31. He taught me how to grade and was very gracious with letting me put books on layaway. To be honest, I was young, dumb and not the best with my money, but he was always kind and patient, even when I didn't deserve it.

After leaving Houston in the mid 2000s, I lost track of him. Now, that I'm back, I do hope to hit the Westheimer location sometime when I can see him and Jimbo again.

Anyways, thank you @MrBedrock.

Awwww!

You know it has been my pleasure! Thanks.

[Montezuma]

  I've found a few over the decades, one in the early 80's was fun. I was set up at a flea market in northern Minnesota and a kid came up to me wanting Thor comics. I had a over a long box of them and showed him; however he didn't have much money, but he had 23 comics he had gotten out of the wall of a house they were tearing down. Turned out all 23 were from the 1930's and in real nice shape. 4 of them had paint stripes on the cover where paint had come through the wall slats, but even those were structurally nice. Nothing major in the group, mostly strip reprints like Tip Top. But I was thrilled, gave him a couple long boxes of mostly bronze age comics in trade so he was also happy. Best of the bunch was this Harvey

arvey

 

 

 

[Ltpink2002]

Back around 1998 I stopped by Bedrock City Comics to buy a Hulk 181.  Always wanted one, but never had the funds until then.  Richard and Mike sold me a VF copy for around $300.  At the time,  I was only buying modern books from another local comic store.  I subsequently came back to Bedrock City Comics around 2002 to browse and had the opportunity to have an extensive conversation with Richard.  A good friend of Richard and fellow collector had recently died.  Richard pulled out a box of GA books from the collection and I was hooked.  Bought a high grade Cap America 42, 52, and 59 from the collection.  I was subsequently offered  a Human Torch 1 VF+ and a Cap 1 from same collection.  I still have the Cap 1.  Been hooked on SA and GA books since then.

 

Thank you @MrBedrock

Edited July 8, 2021 by Ltpink2002

[MrBedrock]

10 minutes ago, Ltpink2002 said:

Thank you @MrBedrock

Thank you, Minh!

[Robot Man]

What is this a commercial or tribute to Bed Rock City? 

Come on @MrBedrock. I know you and @Mmehdy have got to have a few great stories...

[MrBedrock]

1 minute ago, Robot Man said:

What is this a commercial or tribute to Bed Rock City? 

Come on @MrBedrock. I know you and @Mmehdy have got to have a few great stories...

Spent one of my many honeymoons in Las Vegas. We were walking through the casino trying to decide what to gamble on when whaddayaknow, right on the floor is a wad of hundreds - sixteen of 'em! We picked them up and sat there for about ten minutes waiting to see if anyone would come by looking for them. Ten minutes seemed like a fair amount of time to wait in a building built specifically to take peoples money. At eleven minutes we hit the slot machines!

 

[Robot Man]

35 minutes ago, Montezuma said:

  I've found a few over the decades, one in the early 80's was fun. I was set up at a flea market in northern Minnesota and a kid came up to me wanting Thor comics. I had a over a long box of them and showed him; however he didn't have much money, but he had 23 comics he had gotten out of the wall of a house they were tearing down. Turned out all 23 were from the 1930's and in real nice shape. 4 of them had paint stripes on the cover where paint had come through the wall slats, but even those were structurally nice. Nothing major in the group, mostly strip reprints like Tip Top. But I was thrilled, gave him a couple long boxes of mostly bronze age comics in trade so he was also happy. Best of the bunch was this Harvey

arvey

 

 

 

Wow, I’d gladly trade Thor’s for that! I had these walk up to my flea market booth a few years ago. The guy wanted a bunch of lessor SA marvel run books. I was more than happy to fill in some of his runs.