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Great Lakes Comic Con Review
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Started by Shadow,

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Shadow

Shadow

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Drove an hour up to Macomb County for the Great Lakes Comic Con today. I have to say it's a very good smaller show. I go in with lower expectations than a C2E2 or Motor City and was pleasantly surprised. Naturally, there's a mix there. Some dealers charging crazy prices and some who couldn't grade if their life depended on it. But I found plenty of nice books and deals. Well represented with a small Artist Alley as well. (I have zero interest in most guests so hard for me to judge).

Only one thing a "dealer" had bothered me. He had a $75 Avengers #103 book. Black picture frame cover. At first glance it looked pretty nice but I noticed there were spine creases that gave off a purplish-black coloration and different sheen. Warning flags told me it was touched up with a Sharpie. I asked if I could see the book in hand and if he wanted to take it out. His response was no, if I bought it, I could examine it. I politely told him it appeared someone had touched up the cover and he muttered that he uses a UV scanner to examine his books. Immediately walked away and made the mental note to avoid his booth if I were to ever see him in the future. I got burned by that when I was younger and this site has educated me! But someone is going to fall for that...

All in all, well run Show and got some books I needed as well as just "buying" some in $5 bins. 

 

Great Lakes 2022.jpg

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thehumantorch

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On 2/26/2022 at 3:17 PM, Shadow said:

Drove an hour up to Macomb County for the Great Lakes Comic Con today. I have to say it's a very good smaller show. I go in with lower expectations than a C2E2 or Motor City and was pleasantly surprised. Naturally, there's a mix there. Some dealers charging crazy prices and some who couldn't grade if their life depended on it. But I found plenty of nice books and deals. Well represented with a small Artist Alley as well. (I have zero interest in most guests so hard for me to judge).

Only one thing a "dealer" had bothered me. He had a $75 Avengers #103 book. Black picture frame cover. At first glance it looked pretty nice but I noticed there were spine creases that gave off a purplish-black coloration and different sheen. Warning flags told me it was touched up with a Sharpie. I asked if I could see the book in hand and if he wanted to take it out. His response was no, if I bought it, I could examine it. I politely told him it appeared someone had touched up the cover and he muttered that he uses a UV scanner to examine his books. Immediately walked away and made the mental note to avoid his booth if I were to ever see him in the future. I got burned by that when I was younger and this site has educated me! But someone is going to fall for that...

All in all, well run Show and got some books I needed as well as just "buying" some in $5 bins. 

 

Great Lakes 2022.jpg

Any dealer who won't let a customer inspect a book outside the bag is a dealer to avoid.

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Shadow

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On 2/26/2022 at 9:08 PM, BlowUpTheMoon said:

Were the major keys selling at ridiculous prices? 

Yes. Example of a non-major key: I’ve been looking to upgrade my X-Men 102. It’s $135 as a 9.2 in OSPG. I know that’s not always reliable. Saw a CGC 9.4. Thought maybe $200? Guy had it for $450. I politely handed it back and kept moving. 

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BlowUpTheMoon

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On 2/26/2022 at 9:15 PM, Shadow said:
On 2/26/2022 at 9:08 PM, BlowUpTheMoon said:

Were the major keys selling at ridiculous prices? 

Yes. Example of a non-major key: I’ve been looking to upgrade my X-Men 102. It’s $135 as a 9.2 in OSPG. I know that’s not always reliable. Saw a CGC 9.4. Thought maybe $200? Guy had it for $450. I politely handed it back and kept moving. 

1.thumb.jpg.be3f89815be303f1b5695a7d7ef35dd9.jpg

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Artboy99

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On 2/26/2022 at 3:17 PM, Shadow said:

Drove an hour up to Macomb County for the Great Lakes Comic Con today. I have to say it's a very good smaller show. I go in with lower expectations than a C2E2 or Motor City and was pleasantly surprised. Naturally, there's a mix there. Some dealers charging crazy prices and some who couldn't grade if their life depended on it. But I found plenty of nice books and deals. Well represented with a small Artist Alley as well. (I have zero interest in most guests so hard for me to judge).

Only one thing a "dealer" had bothered me. He had a $75 Avengers #103 book. Black picture frame cover. At first glance it looked pretty nice but I noticed there were spine creases that gave off a purplish-black coloration and different sheen. Warning flags told me it was touched up with a Sharpie. I asked if I could see the book in hand and if he wanted to take it out. His response was no, if I bought it, I could examine it. I politely told him it appeared someone had touched up the cover and he muttered that he uses a UV scanner to examine his books. Immediately walked away and made the mental note to avoid his booth if I were to ever see him in the future. I got burned by that when I was younger and this site has educated me! But someone is going to fall for that...

All in all, well run Show and got some books I needed as well as just "buying" some in $5 bins. 

 

Great Lakes 2022.jpg

sounds like it was a good show.

The X-men 102 CGC 9.4 was actually a fair price based on current sales data as has already been posted.

The dealer who wouldn't let you inspect the color touched book: There is a dealer from eastern Canada that is like that. At an Edmonton Comic Convention I was searching for books for my Marvel Value Stamp collection and was down to needing about 10 books. It is critical that the book contains the stamp for me and let the seller know that I would need to look inside the book. Most sellers are willing to let me look but I met one who would not let me look. I then decided to look at a few of the books he had on the wall and all of the ones I looked at had some form of color touch. 

Avoid these sellers at all costs.

Sounds like it is possibly the same seller, as Eastern Canada to the Detroit area isn't far to do a con. 

Edited by Artboy99
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JollyComics

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On 2/27/2022 at 10:14 AM, Shadow said:

Lange Sports & Comics were there with a small booth. (If that's who you were referring to. ) They have a store in Muskegon. Usually find some good deals there. 

I remember them.  Many books are in great shape and good prices I bought from them at Chicago Wizard World Con few times long before the pandemic even they accepted my offer for large multiple books.

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Ken Aldred

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On 2/27/2022 at 1:10 AM, thehumantorch said:

Any dealer who won't let a customer inspect a book outside the bag is a dealer to avoid.

The best one I encountered was at a Manchester comic mart a couple of decades ago, when I asked if I could look at a comic and was refused, the explanation for the intense distress being..

“Oh no, I just bagged and boarded all of them last night!”

You do need to check those back covers, even with cheap boxes.  Practical, not OCD.

Edited by Ken Aldred
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thehumantorch

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On 2/27/2022 at 10:51 AM, Ken Aldred said:

The best one I encountered was at a Manchester comic mart a couple of decades ago, when I asked if I could look at a comic and was refused, the explanation for the intense distress being..

“Oh no, I just bagged and boarded all of them last night!”

You do need to check those back covers, even with cheap boxes.  Practical, not OCD.

I like to inspect the backing board to see if it's in good shape....

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Ken Aldred

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On 2/27/2022 at 7:56 PM, thehumantorch said:

I like to inspect the backing board to see if it's in good shape....

Yup. Better safe than sorry. 

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StillOnly25Cents

StillOnly25Cents

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On 2/26/2022 at 8:08 PM, BlowUpTheMoon said:

Were the major keys selling at ridiculous prices? 

 

On 2/26/2022 at 8:15 PM, Shadow said:

Yes. Example of a non-major key: I’ve been looking to upgrade my X-Men 102. It’s $135 as a 9.2 in OSPG. I know that’s not always reliable. Saw a CGC 9.4. Thought maybe $200? Guy had it for $450. I politely handed it back and kept moving. 

the ask was if they were “selling” at ridiculous prices

it was a con, we all know they were likely “stickered” at ridiculous prices

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