Comic Dealers in the 1970s 2 2

[tth2]

On 4/24/2023 at 9:02 AM, aardvark88 said:

Passaic Book Centre, NJ catalog 4. Top end comics like Showcase 4 mid-grade vg were a lofty $15. Too rich for me recycling Coke bottles.

That's if the book actually existed in his inventory.  More often than not, tough books weren't really there, which is why the mail order dealers always asked buyers to list alternates.

[aardvark88]

On 4/24/2023 at 7:33 AM, tth2 said:

That's if the book actually existed in his inventory. the mail order dealers always asked buyers to list alternates.

Was interesting that Passaic's terms for nm comics was for customer to add 50% to their listed g to vg average grade runs of in stock comics. e.g. FF #1 vg $22 or pray for the upgrade to FF 1 nm $33 if in stock and mail Passaic  a LONG list of alternates. Boo.

[Robot Man]

This is what dealing in comics for a LONG time will do to you. There are a number of how you say “peculiar” folks still working the hobby…

[Robot Man]

My first mail order comic purchase was a copy of MAD #1 from Howard Rogofsky. I lusted for it but at the time had no other alternative. I sent $30. In cash from cutting lawns and my paper route. About 2 weeks later it arrived. Probably in good plus condition. It was the best book in my collection and by far, the most I had paid for one up until then. Although, I have upgraded, I still have that copy from Howard. 

[joeypost]

Richie Muchin at the aqueduct flea market. He sold out of a white van. Always sat outside in a lawn chair reading the newspaper. 

[Ken Aldred]

Fantasy Unlimited, a British dealer called Alan Austin, summer 1977.

An exciting, extremely hot summer holiday time during which I bought some Fantastic Four issues, 20, 22, 23, 25, learning immediately, first time out on mail order, that good condition was a bit of a contradiction, as the low grade books were basically rags.  Always better to buy at the top end NM / M level, as those were very nice condition, focusing at the time on buying cheaper Marvel All-Colour Comics distributed runs that I’d missed, such as Ms Marvel and Eternals. As a kid, limited funds. The nicest run of books I bought from them, in 78, was a set of Savage Sword of Conan 1 to 10, lovely NMs, and a wonderful surprise waiting for me after the family got back from an exchange holiday in Germany that year.

[aardvark88]

January 1975 Canadian The Journal fanzine with Action 1 proffered at $3k loonies when 1975 Overstreet listed fine $2,500 US funds. Being sold by a book, comic dealer near Toronto, ON.

[pemart1966]

On 4/23/2023 at 9:06 PM, aardvark88 said:

Passaic catalog 5, 6 mail order.

 

This guy probably had multiple copies of each book coming out his ying yang

Edited May 15, 2023 by pemart1966