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Golden Age Dealer Review: Tomorrow's Treasures

Started by The Black Hand ®,

30 posts in this topic

skybolt

skybolt

Posted
Posted
Anyone have any thoughts on Richard Muchin's outfit?

 

The only book I've ever bought from them was a Rangers Comics #25 that was advertised as VF on their website. About a day after I made the purchase, I received an e-mail from Richard telling me that after closer inspection, the book was more like a FN/VF. Since I needed a copy, I decided to purchase it anyway at a discount from the original price. A few months later, the book was graded a 7.0 (unrestored) by CGC. When I heard all the rumors about the seller on these boards, I considered myself lucky.

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FlyingDonut

FlyingDonut

Posted
Posted
Radioactive. and I do not mean it in a good way. He is the "outfit" by the way.

Rich Muchin top 10 list anybody?

How about an amusing anecdote?

 

Paging SilverandBronze, paging SilverandBronze... poke2.gifgrin.gif

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sfilosa

sfilosa

Posted
Posted

Is there [ANYONE] who has anything good to say about this guy?

How about at least a [neutral statement]?

 

Anyone?

 

I bought a Wonder Comics #16 from him a decade ago. Paid $150. Sold it two years later for $800 (in the CBG). The buyer called me and said he couldn't tell if there was one color touch using a pen. I agreed that I saw that but couldn't tell either. So I sent him back $200 and he was happy.

 

So I still made a huge profit and for all I know the book was restored.

 

Not sure if that's a positive or neutral statement? 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

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PUNYHUMAN

PUNYHUMAN

Posted
Posted

For what it's worth to you guys that don't like him, I've dealt over the years with Richie Munchin off & on 16 years, never a problem . He always disclosed Restoration to me. BTW I have no problem with Resto as long as it's disclosed & priced accordingly. I don't mind on Golden age , I hate it on Silver Age, unless a major key, slieght maybe. I know his demeanor turns most people off , but once you get know him he's alright , Quircky , yes , but, Hey were comic book collectors. grin.gifI don't know: it comes down to opinions, but the man has been in business for over 30 years , he must be doing something right. He's also in with Becharra , nowadays. If you ever have a conversation with him ," it will be a long conversation " He does truly love comics.He dosen't like speculators or CGC , I can tell you that much.

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buttock

buttock

Posted
Posted

I've had good dealings with him. He's very old-school, and has his own way of doing things, but he has principles (although some are a bit skewed) - which is more than a lot of other dealers. He does talk a LOT, and is quite gruff in person, but I think in general he's a reasonably good guy.

One thing is he is a TERRIBLE restorer - really a true hack. BUT, he buys books with the intention of restoring them and then lists them as what they would come out as after the resto. If there's a book you want, you can still buy it sometimes before he's gotten to it and avoid the bad resto.

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Shield

Shield

Posted
Posted
Anyone have any thoughts on Richard Muchin's outfit?

 

In 2000 I purchased some single digit Archies and a Zip #22. Some had work done on them and it wasn't disclosed. New to collecting golden age books, I spent about 4 hours with him on the phone during the inital purchase. I felt like I had trouble getting him to hang up! Nice enough guy, but when I called to complain about the Zip 22 being restapled, he became a jerk and told me to return the book and I was on his "list". Only he and another large dealer are two I've had a problem with in 20+ years of collecting.

I wouldn't buy from him again, but he is interesting to listen to on the phone. Just be sure you have unlimited free minutes.... makepoint.gifChristo_pull_hair.gif

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*paull*

*paull*

Posted
Posted

Somewhere in the world there has to be the "worst comic book dealer". This guy might be it. I bought an FF #4 with my hard-earned cash about fifteen years ago when I was still in college, and I got burned with color touch on the cover. I doubt the book is worth now what I paid fifteen years ago.

 

I would never buy another book from him. At one point, I was desperate for a Weird Mysteries #5 and saw a copy that he had and flipped through it to find the most amateur piece replacement on the back cover. Seriously... I have no idea how to restore a book, and I could have done better. If he left the piece out (about 1.5" x 1.5"), it would have been a perfectly decent book. He's a mauler!

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matewan1990

matewan1990

Posted
Posted
Anyone have any thoughts on Richard Muchin's outfit?

 

In 2000 I purchased some single digit Archies and a Zip #22. Some had work done on them and it wasn't disclosed. New to collecting golden age books, I spent about 4 hours with him on the phone during the inital purchase. I felt like I had trouble getting him to hang up! Nice enough guy, but when I called to complain about the Zip 22 being restapled, he became a jerk and told me to return the book and I was on his "list". Only he and another large dealer are two I've had a problem with in 20+ years of collecting.

I wouldn't buy from him again, but he is interesting to listen to on the phone. Just be sure you have unlimited free minutes.... makepoint.gifChristo_pull_hair.gif

 

A few years ago, I bought a Captain America 77 from him for $135. He calls me back to tell me there's a color touch on it and that he can refund my money or he can throw in a World's Fair Comics 1940 that's coverless and missing a few pages. So, I take the Cap and the WFC1940. A year or so later, I ordered a Roly Poly Comics 14 (with the decapitation cover) from his ad in CBG and he said it was already sold. This is in the early days of eBay, and, on one of my first visits to the site, I see a Roly Poly 14, same grade, for sale from him. So, I emailed him and askd him about it and he got very rude. I told him I didn't like to be lied to and he said if I had been nice about it he would have pulled it from eBay and sold it to me for the price in the book. Wasn't that what I'd wanted in the first place? But, I, too, am on his "list." Ha! I've heard similar horror stories from others about him. I'm glad I don't have to deal with him anymore. I sold the Cap and told the guy who bought it everything that was wrong with it and about the restoration and he complained that there was additional restoration done to it. I didn't see it, but, he did. Fortunately, I gave it to him for a very cheap price, so he didn't want a refund.

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matewan1990

matewan1990

Posted
Posted

Here's Muchin's email to me over my attempted purchase of Roly Poly 14 a few years back:

Mike,

O.K., you purchased a Cap #77 for $125.00 about a year ago.

This is the ONLY transaction I can find between you and I. You call in

answer to an ad, for a book that I told you was sold, and then you jump to an

erroneous conclusion, and get nasty [ "but that was dirty of you to lie

to me" ] BEFORE you contact me for an explanation.

You were NOT the first person to contact me from the ad. CASE

CLOSED!!

I entered negotiation with someone on a trade, and the

negotiations fell through. CASE CLOSED!!

I did not owe YOU a detailed explanation of my ongoing

negotiations when you called. For all PRACTICAL purposes, when you

called, the book was UNAVAILABLE. CASE CLOSED!!

My decision to list this book on eBay, INSTEAD of TRYING to

contact the people who called from the ad, [ 2 weeks AFTER the ad

appeared ] in the ORDER that they called, without invitation, and with the

strong possibility of playing phone tag, is ENTIRELY MY OPTION. CASE

CLOSED!!

Despite your belligerent objections, There is NOTHING

mysterious, or NEFARIOUS about this procedure. In almost 30 years of selling

comics, there has been COUNTLESS times when someone RESERVES a book,

then does not follow through. AND..... there have been COUNTLESS times when

I have contacted a SECONDARY buyer, only to be rebuffed by SOME excuse,

WHEN, and IF I made contact at all. Therefore, I NO LONGER make ANY

attempts to contact a secondary buyer when the primary buyer falls through. CASE

CLOSED!!

Obviously, diplomacy is not your strong suit. If you had been

able to contain the suspicion and anger that is evident in the email I

received, and emailed me the following EDITED version of your letter, I

WOULD have offered to kill my eBay auction, and sell YOU the book at

the CBG price + the $3.00 eBay posting fee.

Richard,

I called about the ROly Poly 14 as soon as I got my

Comic Buyers Guide and you told me the book had

already been sold. Now you've got it for sale on eBay?

Please respond.

POOR strategy on YOUR part. SHOOT first, THEN ask questions.

You burn your bridges, and start throwing bombs BEFORE you hear MY

explanation and OFFER.

Result? YOU get NOTHING! NADA! ZERO! ZILCH! BLANK! ...CASE

CLOSED!!

You don't even get the opportunity to "discuss " this further,

as I will NOT be opening or READING any email from you in the future.

SO.... don't waste your time contacting me in regard to ANYTHING.

CASE CLOSED!!

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matewan1990

matewan1990

Posted
Posted

I actually called Richard Muchin THE DAY THE CBG arrived in my mailbox, not two weeks after the ad appeared. I called as soon as it arrived in order to get the comic, which I ended up buying later from Ken Danker (who burned me badly on the book; he charged me $500 and told me this was a book that was going to be worth way more than I was paying for it because the demand for decapitation covers was extremely high, only he didn't tell me someone had gotten happy with a hole punch on the back cover; the book I got from him was definitely NOT worth anywhere near $500).

Muchin told me the Roly Poly 14 was sold and only a few days later I found it on eBay.

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