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Found my ad in CBG from 1984 selling my original collection...bittersweet memories, check out the prices!
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Started by Inhuman Fiend,

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Inhuman Fiend

Inhuman Fiend

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So old folks like me on these boards know that CBG (Comic Buyer's Guide) was the "eBay of the 1980's" for buying and selling comics. A weekly tabloid newspaper, it had lots of industry news and tons of ads from both dealers and individuals.

After my freshman year in college, I wanted to join a fraternity for my sophomore year and needed to raise money to help pay for it. I had been collecting since I was 12 but had lost interest as I started college and decided girls and beer were priorities. So I decided to place an ad to sell the "keys" of my collection, which included X-Men #1, #94-130 complete, House of Secrets #92, Iron Man #1-6, Hulk #102,180-181, and FF #48. I listed them for about half of the 1984 Overstreet Price Guide and sold them all within a few days...I remember our phone was ringing off the hook and my parents were annoyed when folks from California were calling after midnight EST.

So I've been looking for a copy of the CBG issue the ad appeared in for a few years now with no luck (mine was of course thrown away decades ago). I wasn't even sure which issue it was exactly because it published weekly and I only remember the one with my ad came out in June. But this week I found a seller on eBay who has hundreds of CBG back issues including 2 from June of 1984. I figured the odds were nearly 50-50 that my ad would be in one of those 2, so I bought them both and received them yesterday. Sure enough, the June 15th issue had my ad. While I don't regret selling them as I needed the money and loved being in a fraternity, looking at the prices shocked me...thought I would post for your amusement.  :whatthe: :cry:

CBG ad 6-15-84.jpg

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JollyComics

JollyComics

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On 3/18/2022 at 12:51 PM, chrisco37 said:

"To pay for my college education"  lol

Feels good to finally tell the truth, doesn't it?  

 In 1986, the tuition fee was only $24 a hour plus $15 registration fee and today is:

  • $133 Credit Hour (in district tuition)
  • Application Fee (non-refundable): $25
  • Registration Fee (non-refundable): $15
  • Activity Fee: full-time student: $42; part-time student: $21
  • Universal Fee: $19 per credit hour

Before I transferred to 4 year university and paid $42 per credit hour and $20 registration fee, today is:

$57401 a year for out of state student included a board and room and $288 student fee.  I finished there for two and half years - no more than $7850 combined.

 

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shadroch

shadroch

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How was the sell thru from the ad and did you have multiple orders for the same book?  I had one ad with no responses and another where several people sent checks for the same book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

h

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Inhuman Fiend

Inhuman Fiend

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On 3/18/2022 at 2:31 PM, shadroch said:

 

How was the sell thru from the ad and did you have multiple orders for the same book?  I had one ad with no responses and another where several people sent checks for the same book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

h

Honestly don't recall whether I had multiple orders for the same book, I know I sold over 90% of the books (and lots of runs that weren't listed). I remember the Marvel Team-ups didn't sell, nor did the Marvel Fanfares or the Hulk 102 (surprising)...I did a second ad the following Summer for the few that didn't sell plus the other runs I had and sold 99% of that. I do remember my parents being so mad that we were getting so many late phone calls, I didn't expect that...in fact the weekend after it published I went to the beach with my friends and my dad filled up 2 pages of a notebook with call-back numbers and questions, he wanted to kill me! 

 

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Inhuman Fiend

Inhuman Fiend

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On 3/18/2022 at 2:22 PM, grebal said:

At this point in '84, was Overstreet still reporting GOOD / FINE / N.MINT at 1:2:3 ratio ?

And you said "SASE."  Heh, is there anyone under 30 who knows that abbrev.? (Or what age?)

It was. And I agree that SASE is probably unknown to anybody under 30, heck probably under 40 lol

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Inhuman Fiend

Inhuman Fiend

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On 3/18/2022 at 12:31 PM, aardvark88 said:

HoS 92 vf $10 is a sweet deal back then, as cheaper than DD 158 nm $15. :deadhorse:

It's so funny that DD 158 was selling for double what Hulk 181 was, and ASM 129 was completely irrelevant, a 25-cent bin book. Back then, the market was much more artist driven as far as hot books...especially popular new artists like Miller or Byrne. 

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Inhuman Fiend

Inhuman Fiend

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On 3/18/2022 at 12:16 PM, oakman29 said:

Wow! I've bought books off of you before. How awesome is that.😃

Seriously?! Like from one of my two CBG ads (June '84 and June '85), or more recently off eBay?

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oakman29

oakman29

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On 3/18/2022 at 12:32 PM, Inhuman Fiend said:

Seriously?! Like from one of my two CBG ads (June '84 and June '85), or more recently off eBay?

Seriously from one of your ads. I can't believe I remember that ad. That's where I used to buy books

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