Tell Me a Tale - For Those Who Love Comics 7 7

[Ken Aldred]

On 3/2/2023 at 5:38 AM, Stefan_W said:

My apologies if sharing videos is not allowed, but in this video I share a deeply personal story about comic collecting when I was young. It fits in perfectly with this thread and sharing the video is easier than typing the long story out. 

 

Great story.  Thanks for sharing. My interest in comics really kicked into high gear in summer of 1977, and like you I was blown away by the first Star Wars film back then.  I bought a UHG raw copy of Star Wars 1 a few years ago for similarly nostalgic reasons, and I feel it's unlikely I'll part with it either.  The first issue wasn't distributed to the UK at the time, so I couldn't have picked one up easily on the newsstands, unlike issue 2 onwards.

Edited March 2, 2023 by Ken Aldred

[PopKulture]

On 3/1/2023 at 8:01 PM, Axelrod said:

I posted elsewhere my not especially exciting story about how I caught the true collector's bug at the age of 11.  I've never posted about my first comic book shop though. 

For almost two years (pretty sure), I bought strictly off the spinner racks of my local drug stores and 7-11 equivalents.  Because at that time, I didn't know any other way to do it.  This was in Metairie, LA. 

Then one day I heard about this place - a comic book store.  Like, a store that only sold comic books.  How amazing was that?  

That place was BSI comics.  Not quite close enough for me to walk or ride a bike to, but I got my dad to drive me there.  And, wow, walking into that place for the first time was like a little bit of Heaven for a boy like me.  And behind the counter was Carl Tupper, in his wheelchair.  I'll never forget him.  A true character.  He passed on 2011.  I read this obit years ago, which I feel like sharing:   

  Hide contents

It is my sad duty to relate the death of Carl Tupper, proprietor for more than 30 years of BSI Comics. Carl was a true saint. A remarkable man who cruised through life with an indomitable spirit and always a smartass remark ready for any occasion. Family and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. (in Metairie Cemetery), on Monday, January 3, 2011 at 1:00 PM. Visitation will begin at 11:00 AM until service time. Interment will be held in Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum.

Anyone in the metro area who grew up in the comics/sci-fi world in the last thirty years knew Unca Carl. (As did many who did not run in that crowd.) Face it, if you didn’t know Carl, you weren’t a true comics geek. From the early days of the Book Swap, Inc., a used paperback trading store on Kent Avenue in Metairie, to the salad days of BSI Comics just around the corner on Fairfield and later located in Fat City, Carl held court from his wheelchair, behind those huge, hand-built wooden counters, giving out free advice to anyone with ears. As he often said, “I can solve all your problems, but none of my own.”

Walk into the store happy and Carl would ask if he could have “some of what you’re on.” Enter in a foul mood and he’d flat out tell you, “Babe, you know what you’re problem is? You got a bad attitude.” Walk in with a girlfriend and the gloves were off. In fact, some people would bring new girlfriends in to test them; if they could roll with Carl’s punches, then there was hope for a serious, lasting relationship!

But even though it appeared that Carl’s business was selling funnybooks, that was just a front. Carl Tupper’s real business was teaching kids about life. Carl probably “hired” more “employees” over the years than Popeye’s ever will. It wasn’t because he needed the help -there was always at least one semi-reliable, full-time employee at the shop who could take care of most anything- but because Carl knew the kids needed the job for one reason or another. A day, a week, a month; however long that kid needed the work, Carl would always find something for them to do.

We all got paid with pizza, po-boys, free comics or paperbacks and occasionally actual cash. It must have been a drain on his finances from time to time, but Carl knew he could make a difference in our lives, and he did indeed. Even after most of us had moved on and established ourselves in the “real world,” when we came back for a visit we’d find ourselves alphabetizing the racks as we browsed or dusting, or sweeping, or moving things around the store just to pay him back a little bit and Carl would still shove a few bucks or some free merchandise into our hands. It’s just the kind of guy he was.

And through Carl, we became doctors, lawyers, police officers, teachers, retailers, comics pros, (and ams,) and a host of other professions. But above all, Carl taught us how to be friends; how to get along with each other despite our differences. If you think arguments over politics, religion and race are difficult to mediate, you ain’t seen nothing until a pack of fanboys start dissecting the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Marvel vs DC, Golden Age vs Silver Age vs Bronze Age, or Jim Shooter vs John Byrne. Carl mediated everything and you could tell that that was why he opened that store up every day. He loved the comics, but he loved his employees and customers more.

And if you had a problem, Carl was always there. Need your car or computer fixed? Need a gardener or plumber? Looking for someone to help you move? Carl knew absolutely everyone and if he sent you to them, you got a deal. BSI’s current proprietor, Jason, remarked that “Carl was a social network before the term existed” and that’s the God’s Honest Truth. I have about a dozen close friends from high school, but I have at least a hundred friends that I met through Carl and BSI. And oddly enough, about 90% of my high school friends were also BSI customers or employees. Go figure.

And without knowing it, Carl taught us all that no matter how dark the storm clouds are, the sun will eventually come back out. Faced with a myriad of health problems and operations stemming from his original stroke some forty years ago, he never complained about his problems. Yes, he came off as a sarcastic, crabby , but no matter how hard he tried to make you think that was his real self, he couldn’t hide that blinding twinkle in his eye that said, “mess, babe, life is good… enjoy it while you can.”

Repose en paix, Unc. And open a folder for me up there…

I was one of those kids. He was amazingly kind, in a crabby sort of way.  After my first visit, I was there at least 1-2x a month, right up until I turned 18 and left for college.  

That was kind of the end of my collecting days.  But my love for comics - at least the ones from my day - doesn't look like it's ever going to fade.  

Wow, that write-up for his obituary paints an amazing picture of what seems like an amazing man!  

[shadroch]

I recieved my First Communion in 1966. For a Catholic boy it is a big deal and my family had a party where I expected many gifts.

My Uncle, who was the richest member of our family showed up very early and announced he couldn't stay long. He was very big on announcements, not so good on conversation, especially with people he felt were his inferiors. He makes a big deal out of telling us he is on his way somewhere and we should be pleased he dropped by at all.  His present to me( all I cared about anyway) was an oversized 3-D Batman comic that cost 50 cents and a batman ring I'd never seen before.  All my friends were impressed by the Batman ring for a week or two until all the candy stores in my neighborhood  got them in and sold them for a dime.

Fast forward a few years and my Uncle is visiting. He mentions wanting to see the new Great Eastern mega-store that had opened a few miles away but can't seem to understand my Moms directions.  I volunteer to show him and my Mom gives me a quarter to buy something.  I wanted to get a Spladeen ball but they only had the inferior Pensy Pinkys so I didn't buy one.

We get near the cash register and there is a whole display of the same 3-D Batmans he had given me years before. It was originally  50 cents but was reduced to twenty nine cents.  I showed it to him, reminding him he'd given me one a few years before and how it was one of my favorite books but I'd lost the original.  He doesn't remember and doesn't care.  I ask him for a nickel, explaining that my Mom had given me a quarter.  He hems and haws and tells me if my Mom had wanted me to spend thirty cents, she'd have given it to me, but since she gave me a quarter, thats all I could spend.

Of all the relatives on my Moms side, he was my least favorite.   Years later, he gave his son $25,000 for a downpayment on his first house, with the understanding he would get it back if they sold the house.  The neighborhood changed and the house wasn't worth what they owed on it so they let it get foreclosed on.  My Uncle sued his son for the return of the downpayment.  On principal, of course.  

Edited March 3, 2023 by shadroch

[bc]

Throughout my career, I always have something comic related in my office. About a decade ago a coworker stopped in and asked if I would be interested in looking at some comic books that his recently deceased step-father had in the attic. He said he found some old lists that his step father had put together to document his collection. No one in the family wanted them, so they were looking for a buyer. Told him I'd gladly take a look at them and help with the sale.

A couple weeks later, he stops by my office again with a handful of faded yellow notepad pages. It was obvious at first glance that his step father had made the list when he was fairly young (comic book reading age) as it had little doodles, typos and dates of when he acquired some of the books. The entire list was late '50s runs of most of the core DC titles: Action, Adventure, Batman, Detective, Flash, Wonder Woman, etc. Well over 300 books in total.

Since I'm a Timely/Atlas/Marvel guy, I was sort of bummed but I still wanted to help out my buddy. Took the list home and scanned for key issues that night and realized he had a few books of decent value. Next day we scheduled a meeting to go see them.

His step mother was great, she made us some pasta for dinner and then we went up in the attic to look at the comics. There was one of those giant 40 gallon Rubbermaid tubs filled with comics. None bagged or boarded, just randomly tossed in. It took both of us to haul it down to the living room.

The top bit of books were in pretty bad shape but as I dug deeper, the condition improved. I asked if I could take them home and assess the value, document them and help find a buyer.

That weekend, I got around to digging into the tub o'books. I grabbed a box of cheap bags & boards that I had laying around (which instantly attracted my cats attention).

Then the usual fun began: sorting out each title, then putting them in numeric order, then making a basic spreadsheet on the laptop. Even though I wasn't a DC guy, still enjoyed checking out each book and laughing at some of the goofy covers of that period. His step father had diligently written his name at the bottom of the first page on every book!

The next day I did the bag & board for the books that had any value while I watched some football. Took longer than I expected, but I had a few breaks. Figured it would be easier to move the books if they actually looked like a collection.

After doing some basic valuation, figure I could get a couple of bucks a book, maybe a grand in total. Called my coworker and he was totally surprised they were worth half that much.

My cat had made himself at home inside the now empty tub and was laying on the old newspapers at the bottom. I noticed he was clawing at the corner of the newspaper and decided it was time to eject him from the tub. I rolled the tub on its side and the cat came running out and pulled the newspapers with him.

I had never bothered to look underneath the newspapers. My jaw hit the floor when this fell out:

(pic done after putting it in a bag and board)

There was also a JIM 85 next to it. Both were in G/VG range, so I knew my original valuation was low. Out of the entire collection, these were the only 2 Marvel books in the lot and they dwarfed the value of the rest.

I did a happy dance, poured myself a pint and gave the cat some well deserved treats. 

The next day, contacted a local boardie/part time dealer who I trusted and let him know that I came into a new collection that I wanted to sell as a whole and sent him the inventory list & pics. We came up with a fair price so that he could make a few bucks as well and cash traded hands. I took enough out to cover my expenses and time.

(The JIM 83 later came back as a 3.5 Blue label)

We went back to his step mom's place and they both were shocked when I handed her $2,000.

I could have really ripped them off, but I couldn't do it. I felt good helping the books find a new home and surprise the family with some extra cash during a tough period.

That guy is now my business partner and yes, I still get some free pasta dinners from his step mom

-bc
 

[ttfitz]

On 3/2/2023 at 12:38 AM, Stefan_W said:

My apologies if sharing videos is not allowed, but in this video I share a deeply personal story about comic collecting when I was young. It fits in perfectly with this thread and sharing the video is easier than typing the long story out. 

 

I'll be back shortly, something got in my eye.

[ttfitz]

On 3/2/2023 at 2:09 PM, shadroch said:

We get near the cash register and there is a whole display of the same 3-D Batmans he had given me years before. It was originally  50 cents but was reduced to twenty nine cents.  I showed it to him, reminding him he'd given med one a few years before and how it was one of my favorite books but I'd lost the original.  He doesn't remember and doesn't care.  I ask him for a nickel, explaining that my Mom had given me a quarter.  He hems and haws and tells me if my Mom had wanted me to spend thirty cents, she'd have given it to me, but since she gave me a quarter, thats all I could spend.

And now I've got another tear in my eye for the exact opposite reason...

[ttfitz]

On 3/2/2023 at 2:09 PM, shadroch said:

His present to me( all I cared about anyway) was an oversized 3-D Batman comic that cost 50 cents

Funny, just had an email show up in my inbox, and this was featured in the subject:

https://www.comicconnect.com/item/932845?utm_source=artbrain&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=event-auction-53&tzf=1

[skypinkblu]

On 3/1/2023 at 9:01 PM, Axelrod said:

I posted elsewhere my not especially exciting story about how I caught the true collector's bug at the age of 11.  I've never posted about my first comic book shop though. 

For almost two years (pretty sure), I bought strictly off the spinner racks of my local drug stores and 7-11 equivalents.  Because at that time, I didn't know any other way to do it.  This was in Metairie, LA. 

Then one day I heard about this place - a comic book store.  Like, a store that only sold comic books.  How amazing was that?  

That place was BSI comics.  Not quite close enough for me to walk or ride a bike to, but I got my dad to drive me there.  And, wow, walking into that place for the first time was like a little bit of Heaven for a boy like me.  And behind the counter was Carl Tupper, in his wheelchair.  I'll never forget him.  A true character.  He passed on 2011.  I read this obit years ago, which I feel like sharing:   

  Reveal hidden contents

It is my sad duty to relate the death of Carl Tupper, proprietor for more than 30 years of BSI Comics. Carl was a true saint. A remarkable man who cruised through life with an indomitable spirit and always a smartass remark ready for any occasion. Family and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. (in Metairie Cemetery), on Monday, January 3, 2011 at 1:00 PM. Visitation will begin at 11:00 AM until service time. Interment will be held in Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum.

Anyone in the metro area who grew up in the comics/sci-fi world in the last thirty years knew Unca Carl. (As did many who did not run in that crowd.) Face it, if you didn’t know Carl, you weren’t a true comics geek. From the early days of the Book Swap, Inc., a used paperback trading store on Kent Avenue in Metairie, to the salad days of BSI Comics just around the corner on Fairfield and later located in Fat City, Carl held court from his wheelchair, behind those huge, hand-built wooden counters, giving out free advice to anyone with ears. As he often said, “I can solve all your problems, but none of my own.”

Walk into the store happy and Carl would ask if he could have “some of what you’re on.” Enter in a foul mood and he’d flat out tell you, “Babe, you know what you’re problem is? You got a bad attitude.” Walk in with a girlfriend and the gloves were off. In fact, some people would bring new girlfriends in to test them; if they could roll with Carl’s punches, then there was hope for a serious, lasting relationship!

But even though it appeared that Carl’s business was selling funnybooks, that was just a front. Carl Tupper’s real business was teaching kids about life. Carl probably “hired” more “employees” over the years than Popeye’s ever will. It wasn’t because he needed the help -there was always at least one semi-reliable, full-time employee at the shop who could take care of most anything- but because Carl knew the kids needed the job for one reason or another. A day, a week, a month; however long that kid needed the work, Carl would always find something for them to do.

We all got paid with pizza, po-boys, free comics or paperbacks and occasionally actual cash. It must have been a drain on his finances from time to time, but Carl knew he could make a difference in our lives, and he did indeed. Even after most of us had moved on and established ourselves in the “real world,” when we came back for a visit we’d find ourselves alphabetizing the racks as we browsed or dusting, or sweeping, or moving things around the store just to pay him back a little bit and Carl would still shove a few bucks or some free merchandise into our hands. It’s just the kind of guy he was.

And through Carl, we became doctors, lawyers, police officers, teachers, retailers, comics pros, (and ams,) and a host of other professions. But above all, Carl taught us how to be friends; how to get along with each other despite our differences. If you think arguments over politics, religion and race are difficult to mediate, you ain’t seen nothing until a pack of fanboys start dissecting the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Marvel vs DC, Golden Age vs Silver Age vs Bronze Age, or Jim Shooter vs John Byrne. Carl mediated everything and you could tell that that was why he opened that store up every day. He loved the comics, but he loved his employees and customers more.

And if you had a problem, Carl was always there. Need your car or computer fixed? Need a gardener or plumber? Looking for someone to help you move? Carl knew absolutely everyone and if he sent you to them, you got a deal. BSI’s current proprietor, Jason, remarked that “Carl was a social network before the term existed” and that’s the God’s Honest Truth. I have about a dozen close friends from high school, but I have at least a hundred friends that I met through Carl and BSI. And oddly enough, about 90% of my high school friends were also BSI customers or employees. Go figure.

And without knowing it, Carl taught us all that no matter how dark the storm clouds are, the sun will eventually come back out. Faced with a myriad of health problems and operations stemming from his original stroke some forty years ago, he never complained about his problems. Yes, he came off as a sarcastic, crabby , but no matter how hard he tried to make you think that was his real self, he couldn’t hide that blinding twinkle in his eye that said, “mess, babe, life is good… enjoy it while you can.”

Repose en paix, Unc. And open a folder for me up there…

I was one of those kids. He was amazingly kind, in a crabby sort of way.  After my first visit, I was there at least 1-2x a month, right up until I turned 18 and left for college.  

That was kind of the end of my collecting days.  But my love for comics - at least the ones from my day - doesn't look like it's ever going to fade.  

I just read the Obituary...now I need MORE tissues...sniff...

[minutekev@50]

I had cousins and friends who were all in to comics, especially relatives on my mother's side. I was real young (1970s) and I remember us all playing Avengers at my grandmother's house in the country. I was Iron Man. I knew who Iron Man was; he was cool as hell and could shoot lasers out of his hands. My uncle (who was the same age as some of my cousins) conned Iron Man away from me (I think he basically told me in a good way I couldn't be Iron Man anymore since I was one of the youngest). He told me I could be Thor instead.

I had no idea who Thor was. He said "he's cool; he throws a hammer." I thought he threw a hammer like 'hammer-and-nail,' so here I am imagining myself running around the yard throwing a carpenter's hammer....had I known he was a GOD! (or later, Chris Hemsworth).

Anyway, I have fond memories of spending the night with another cousin around my age - he'd inherited his older brother's collection. He had Giant Size X-Men 1, and the CC/Byrne run that followed...the What If? where Wolvie kills Hulk...all 70s Avengers...New Teen Titans. I READ all gosh-darn night. I had never been exposed to THAT version of the X-Men. I was blown away. I had collected a lot of the later CC/Romita Jr. stuff, but for me, that Bronze age grouping will always be the X-Men.

Edited March 3, 2023 by minutekev@50

[Jesse-Lee]

Love this! I had a similar idea to do a blog or something awhile back along these lines that I ultimately never did, but I did write up the first post. I've shard this on the boards before, so apologies to those who've already seen it:

-------------

I was around seven years old when I first discovered my love of comics. I was a voracious reader as a kid. I’d read anything I could get my hands on – even encyclopedia volumes – but I was partial to mystery books like the Hardy Boys and Trixie Belden.

Sometime around 1985, while at my grandparents’ house, grandma said she had something to show me. She had been cleaning in the basement, and she brought out a cardboard box about the size of an egg crate. Inside the box was a stack of comics – they were books that my grandpa and dad had bought, read and then held on to over the years.

I was aware of comics of course, and especially of superheroes. I loved Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, Batman and Robin, Superman. But as much as I loved reading, I had never really read comic books – why would I do that when I could watch the Super Friends in action or see Lou Ferrigno bring the Hulk to life?

Most of the comics in the box were war stories or beat up Gold Key issues of Tarzan, not of much interest to me. But as I dug through, I hit gold – superheroes!

Many of the books were missing the top half of the front cover. At that time, retailers – like the general store where my grandpa and dad would have bought most of their books – would receive their monthly comic issues from a distributor with the understanding that any unsold copies could be returned for credit, and those issues were supposed to be destroyed. The sellers weren’t required to return the entire comics for credit though; they just had to send back the top half or third of the front cover as proof that they had destroyed the inventory and they’d receive their credit – a process often called “stripped cover returns” or “remainders.” The retailer was then supposed to destroy the books themselves, but what happened most often is that the store owner would sell the half-covered comics at a discount.

A few of the comics in the box still had their entire covers intact, and as I thumbed through them, one caught my eye and captured my imagination: Batman #209.

The cover is a stark black with a bright red and yellow Batman logo splashed across the top third of the page. In the foreground, on the bottom of the cover, Robin kneels to investigate a series of animal tracks on the ground (as a kid I thought they were on the moon, but it appears they’re just on yellow sand) and exclaims, “Batman! Who’s making these tiger tracks?” Batman stands menacingly over the Boy Wonder, his fingers curled into hooks and his cape flowing behind him, bearing the head of a tiger, with tiger-like feet and claws ripping through his boots.

It’s a beautiful and fantastical piece of art, drawn by the talented Irv Novick (as is the rest of the issue). The clean lines and expressive faces and poses are evident throughout Novick’s body of work, and especially his covers, on titles like Batman, Our Army at War, The Brave and the Bold and Wonder Woman.

I’ve studied that cover a lot – the hard lines of Batman’s fingers giving them a look of iron strength, the perspective of Robin’s hand, reaching out as though it will come off the page, the frightening expression and sharp teeth of the Caped Crusader’s tiger head – it all comes together to draw in the reader and make them want to open the book to learn what fate might befall Richard Grayson.

It’s ultimately a lie; Batman doesn’t turn into a tiger at all in the issue. But I didn’t care – I was hooked. I met the evil Brainwash (revealed to be the villain Mr. Esper, who first appeared in Detective Comics #352), set on destroying the Dynamic Duo through a mind-control scheme that made them believe the Batcave was an African jungle filled with dangerous animals like tigers and elephants. I marveled at the Batmobile and worried along with Alfred and Commissioner Gordon as they tried to alert Batman and Robin to the plot that was unfolding.

I had discovered a new way to see my heroes in action, and I had to have more. Luckily, the box was full of adventures starring the Avengers, Spider-Man, the X-Men, Superman and many others.

That original copy survived readings by my dad and grandpa, and somehow miraculously survived the multiple page-throughs and mishandlings by seven-year-old me as well. I was lucky to score a much nicer copy on eBay, and I now have both in my collection.

As far as “Holy Grails” go, it’s not a very high standard; I bought my “new” copy for $15. But this is the book that started it all for me. This issue cemented my love of comics, and it holds an even more special place because it’s evidence of three generations’ worth of fascination with stories and superheroes.

My dad's (and now my) original copy, found nearly 40 years ago in a box of books:

 

Dad's copy and my "new" copy side-by-side:

[ttfitz]

I believe I've told this story here before, perhaps multiple times - but my kids have to hear my stories over and over again, why should I treat y'all any better?

When I was growing up (late 60s- early 70s), Virginia had what was known as "Blue laws", under which most stores had to be closed on Sundays. We lived about 45 miles from the Tennessee state line, and TN didn't have such a law. At that 45 mile mark down Interstate 81 was the twin city of Bristol - where the state line ran right down the main street, aptly named State Street. On one side of the street it was Bristol, VA, on the other side it was Bristol, TN. And on Sunday, half the street was closed while the other half was open.

So, on many occasions when I was young, we would go to Bristol after church on Sunday to shop. This particular story takes place on a Sunday approaching Christmas, and we were shopping on the TN side of the street when I saw this Superman comic on the rack. And what a cover it was to 5½ year old Timmy - burning letters floating over a prone Superman, with the obligatory question that so many comics of the times would display - "WHY do these initials mean DEATH for the Man of Steel?"

Oh, man, I just had to have this comic. My mother reminded me that it was almost Christmas, we were supposed to be shopping for other people, and it wasn't a good idea to buy things for yourself. But I just HAD to have it - I was willing, in fact, to spend my own money for this book. I wouldn't give up, so she let me buy it.

So, comes Christmas day, and I'm opening my stocking, and what did I find there? You guessed it, a copy of Superman #204 with the fiery "LL" on the cover!

So, boys and girls, like all good stories (I hope) involving little kids, this one has a moral - When it's Christmas time, don't buy anything for yourself, you never know what Santa might bring you!

Don't know what happened with one my copies of this book - probably traded it for something else over the years - but here's the one that remains in my collection. Beat but complete, as they say, and never to be replaced:

[Hudson]

I cannot tell everyone how much I am enjoying reading through each of these stories.  Thank you to each and every person who has taken the time to share a story here.  This (to me) is what collecting is all about.  Each time I read one of these tales, I want to post about it, however, I do not want to monopolize the thread, so I have refrained myself (with great effort).  I would like to take a moment now, however, to briefly address some of the writers...

@Ken Aldred - Sir, you are welcome here anytime.  Thank you for being one of the first to post.

@CAHokie - This is a great story with a great ending.  $5 was certainly worth the price of admission (so to speak).  Congrats on a great buy (even if the other child thought he was getting the best of you, at the time).

@skypinkblu - Sharon, thank you for the kind words and story of how comics started you off in your love of reading.  

@frozentundraguy - A coke and a couple comics - What else could a young person ask for?  Sounds like you and I have the same taste.

@Azkaban - I remember those brown wrappers well.  I remember watching for the mail and hoping to see that brown wrapper, hoping too that the mailman didn't fold the book in half (as all too often was the case).

@themagicrobot - Thank you for your story and for a glimpse into the UK.  I had to ask a UK friend of mine today about the "whack a rat" and a few of your other references.  It was fun to learn of the things there across the pond.

@THE_BEYONDER - Sorry you lost the candy, but glad you saved the comics.  I see your priorities are in order.

@s-man - Thank you for the story.  I appreciate you sharing about how you "passed" on that classic first issue of TMNT.  I think stories of the books we "passed" on that now make us want to kick ourselves could be a whole thread by itself.  I think we all have those "missed opportunities" in our past that make us sick to think about.  Thank you for reminding me that I am not the ONLY one that this has happened to.

@Axelrod -  WOW! This story and the obit you included was so powerful and moving.  I am at a loss for words.

@Artboy99 - What a great first book; a battle of two giants.  Thank you for the story and thank you for sharing the photo.  Congrats on keeping the book all these years.

@walclark - Thank you for the story.  I am guessing there were a lot of military families who "put their children's comics into that imaginary storage".  One of the downsides of being in the military is all the moving and the weight limits imposed.

@Stefan_W - What can I say?  Yes, you are more than welcome to share videos here.  As for the video you shared, it was amazing.  I have a story (perhaps one day I will start another thread and tell that story or perhaps one day I will share it here), about the ONE book that I would never part with.  It is not the "holy grail" or most valuable book I own (by those who follow Overstreet or GPA or whatever).  It is, however, the most valuable book I own when it comes to the things that count; when it comes to memories of loved ones.  Your mother made a sacrifice for you that day and I am so thankful and moved that you did not take that for granted.  Well done.  Well done.  Thank you for sharing.

@shadroch - It is sad that your uncle couldn't spare a nickle. For some, money is king.  All we can do is feel sorry for those who live their lives chasing the $$$$ and hope that one day they will see that money is a cheap commodity (easy to make and easy to lose).  Relationships are far more important, and think what a great memory you would have of your uncle had he provided you that 5 cent piece.

@bc - You made the right choice.  Honesty is always the best policy.  Cheating a family who just lost a member is no way to live one's life.  Besides, sounds like you are getting the better end of the deal through friendship and pasta.   Question - Do you happen to still have the spreadsheet of other books that were in the collection?  I would be interested in seeing what other books this man saved.

@minutekev@50 - Not to start a war, however, growing up, I always liked Thor better than Ironman anyway.  Now I even like the Thor movies better than the Ironman ones.

@Jesse-Lee - Having books that your dad and grandfather read and enjoyed is worth so much.  These memories are where the true value in books should be found.

@ttfitz - No problem telling stories over again here.  At least not as far as I am concerned.  I had not heard/read that story before and I enjoyed it.  Thank you.  Besides, you were also kind enough to throw in a photo of a great book.  I am so thankful that you (and some others here) have included photos of "well loved" comics.  This is the place for people who read and enjoy comics; for those who are proud to show off books that may have what CGC and others refer to as "defects", but what I would like to call "marks of love".

Thank you all for all the stories, photos, and sharing of memories.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I hope others will continue to share their stories, photos, and yes even videos and obits here.   Whatever memories you are willing to share, in hopes of bringing the joy of collecting to all who read.

 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by Hudson

[Azkaban]

My mom and I waited on the mailman one morning so I could ask him to please don't fold the books as you put them in the mailbox and it worked  by this time I was getting multiple subscriptions anytime an Aunt or Uncle asked what I wanted for my birthday or christmas that was it 

[themagicrobot]

By 1965 I was building up an impressive (to my mind) collection of FIFTY (count em) American comics. After those first 3 DCs that I bought by complete accident (see earlier in this thread) I was on the hunt. The problem was that my pocket money was already accounted for due to the plethora of weekly UK comics. Many new ones appeared in the mid 1960s at my local newsagents. Alas my local newsagents didn't sell American comics at all. But any comic is a good comic really.

 

 

I guess I must have told this story too many times but it was a pivotal moment in my life. To enjoy the joy of spinning a spinner rack in 1964/1965 involved a seemingly endless wait until my parents, my brother and I made the once-weekly visit to my Grandparents 10 miles away. Close to their house was a Post Office/General Store that had a fabled Thorpe and Porter spinner rack filled with brand new DCs....and only DCs. My Grandfather would hand me Half-a-Crown (2/6) and I would RUN down the street to that shop to spend it. 2/6 would buy me three 10d DCs. Deciding which 3 could take me a good 20 minutes. In the early days I tended to buy issues of titles I hadn't seen before but always the latest Superman/Action comics. One day the rack contained a comic which sent me into a dilemma. It was thicker than the other comics on the rack and cost a mind-boggling 1/6. If I bought that it meant only buying TWO comics that week instead of my usual three. But I just HAD TO HAVE that comic. What was it? Fantastic Four Annual No 3. The rest is history. 

 

[LowGradeBronze]

Although I had a couple of American Marvels bought for me when I very young, I really started collecting when I was old enough to go to the newsagent on my own. This was winter of 1973. Where we lived then was pretty windblown and everything seemed grey in wintertime. Going to the dingy newsagent on a Sunday, (to buy a paper for my parents,) where a whole shelf was full of these colourful and exotic seeming American comics, had such an effect on me that 50 years later I'm still hooked. I used the newspaper to shield the comic from the incessant rain and wind of those grey 1970s winters. Once home, in the dry and warm, I got lost in 4 colour Marvel and DC. It has to be newsprint for me. 

The thing to point out, that I only realised later, was that this particular newsagent sold out of date comics. In 1973 they were still selling comics from 1968 to 1972, all with the Thorpe & Porter stamps, like the Magic Robot mentioned above. 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by LowGradeBronze

[Ken Aldred]

On 3/3/2023 at 5:25 PM, LowGradeBronze said:

The thing to point out, that I only realised later, was that this particular newsagent sold out of date comics. In 1973 they were still selling comics from 1968 to 1972, all with the Thorpe & Porter stamps, like the Magic Robot mentioned above. 

You were lucky. As a kid I didn’t have a newsagent nearby selling older comics, just the new distributed issues. I always looked forward to going on holiday to Blackpool or the Isle of Man where you could find late 60s Marvels and DCs. The comparative lack of availability made those finds seem very special.

[ttfitz]

On 3/3/2023 at 6:26 AM, themagicrobot said:

My Grandfather would hand me Half-a-Crown (2/6) and I would RUN down the street to that shop to spend it. 2/6 would buy me three 10d DCs.

Of all the weird English measurements, money is the weirdest.

[themagicrobot]

It made perfect sense to us at the time.

Until 1971 and we adopted decimal currency there were 20 shillings to one £ and 12 pence to a shilling

So two shillings and sixpence bought me three ten pence comics

Imagine my horror when suddenly the prices increased to One Shilling (1/- or 12 pence) each

So in 1967 you could have purchased 80 12 cent/1 shilling comics for the price of one comic in the 2020s

if you had purchased the right 80 comics and squirrelled them away until now you,d be a millionaire

Oh for a time machine

 

 

 

 

[Robot Man]

As a very young kid, the day the large boxed 12 cents box appeared on the cover of DC comics. 10 cents was a nice round number being if I wanted, I could buy 5 new comics with my 50 cents allowance. All of a sudden it only bought 4…

I can’t imagine being a kid today buying comics. I don’t even buy new ones any more. No wonder the industry is struggling. 

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 3/1/2023 at 7:57 PM, s-man said:

As a young lad, in 1983 I was hooked on watching the animated show Spider-man and his Amazing Friends every Saturday morning.   As much as I liked Spidey, I never became a collector of his comics. It was a guest group that I fell in love with and one character from that group in particular.  The episode was A Firestar is Born and it guest starred both the X-Men and Juggernaut.  But the one character that really caught my eye was Wolverine.  Those freaky claws!  So, in August of that same year, I was sent to the local Dairy Mart to pick up cigarettes (amazing at one time they would sell to kids and even give you matches), milk and bread.  I was supposed to give my mom back the change, but I saw something that would make me into a lifetime collector, a copy of Uncanny X-Men 172 with Wolverine on the front cover and bought it.  I forget the excuse I used for buying it, but they didn't make me return it so 

From that humble start, I would eventually make my way downtown and become a regular at an actual comic shop called Treasure Island, located inside a mini mall.  At the entrance stood a cardboard cutout of Blackbeard the pirate next to a treasure chest full of bundled $1 books.  As you walked in, the glass display case on the left held some nice keys that included X-Men #1 which was far beyond my reach at the time selling for $1000.  Next to the case were dollar bin books and back issues in long boxes.  My head would spin as I gazed upon the great assortment of wall books displayed, wishing my parents were millionaires so I could snatch them all up.  The place was fun and magical all at the same time.  It was also the site of one of my greatest comic collecting missteps.  A shop employee whom I had gotten to know was big on a book that had just released and he highly recommended it to me.  He handed me a copy and I took a look at the cover and flipped through it quickly.  "My money is for real mutants!" I told him as I put it back on the shelf.  Little did I know those dang mutant turtles would be big and that copy of issue #1 that I put back would be worth a pretty penny some day!   Oh well, I was pretty happy with all the X books I came away with from there and still have Wolverine's limit series I bought from them.  The place has since closed down and I was sad to see it go, but the memories remain.  

 I remember seeing some of the X-men on VHS, checked out from the library  those were good times. If'n you can "remember", these almost lost to time theatrics are nice to try and look back on  we must preserve the hope of childhood

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by ADAMANTIUM