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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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Posted

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

JollyComics

JollyComics

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 3/18/2022 at 11:31 AM, aardvark88 said:

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

@Moondog  Wondered how much did Gary sell HoS 92 in 1984?

Edited by JollyComics
JollyComics

JollyComics

Posted
Posted
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.

 

shadroch

shadroch

Posted
Posted

 

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

Inhuman Fiend

Inhuman Fiend

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Posted (edited)
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! 

 

Edited by Inhuman Fiend
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

Inhuman Fiend

Inhuman Fiend

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Posted (edited)
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. 

Edited by Inhuman Fiend
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?

Edited by Inhuman Fiend
oakman29

oakman29

Posted
Posted
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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