$20,000 AF15 Comic Book STOLEN at MegaCon 2023! 7 7

[MrBedrock]

On 4/25/2023 at 1:50 PM, THE_BEYONDER said:

But I should feel bad he was robbed....right?

If it makes you happy.

[buttock]

On 4/25/2023 at 12:10 PM, MrBedrock said:

A few years ago Greg was set up in Houston at a Comicpalooza show. We were also set up there. One of my long-time customers asked me to come verify a book that Greg had offered. It was raw a supposedly unrestored. It was also priced very strongly. My customer was willing to pay the price if the book was as advertised. I walked up to Greg's booth and asked to see the book. He was very reluctant, and absolutely wouldn't let me take it out of the bag. But sure enough there was some fairly obvious spots of color touch. When I pointed them out to this kind old comic dealer he graciously threatened to jump his barefooted butt over the table and throw a punch at me. It was all I could do not to beat that kind old man's .

You could have just told the customer it was color touched without looking at it and probably have been right. 

[MrBedrock]

I'll just end by saying that I don't wish bad things to happen to anyone. I hate when folks get ripped off. I especially hate when folks who support my business get ripped off by kind, gracious, hard-working, old men with sunshiny dispositions who knowingly and repeatedly misrepresent their inventory.

Edited April 25, 2023 by MrBedrock

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 4/23/2023 at 8:11 AM, gcstomp said:

The ugly characterizations of people who insist on piling on to a 70 year old who soloed megacon as a dealer, and suffered a loss, displays the worst of people, and of a mindset. Where are you in your path to think it is wise to kick a hard working old man who is down. As seen on vid greg has mature attitude of, I woke up today, and the sun was shining, so l am a little down but not out. I am not in a place in my head where i could take a hit like that so graciously.

Care to comment on his inability to disclose known restoration? 

[grendel013]

I am dying to see any low grade ASM listed for sale right now. Having to be like "Nah man. This ain't that one."

[BrooksR]

On 4/23/2023 at 4:29 PM, Prince Namor said:

First time I remember hearing about someone getting a high dollar book stolen at a show was Dragon Con 1995.

Wow, I think I was there that year but I’ve never heard of that, what book was it? Did they recover it?

[L'Angelo Misterioso]

On 4/23/2023 at 12:01 PM, Dr. Balls said:

He's probably of a generation that makes it hard to perceive human beings crawling around underneath his tables like mongrel dogs looking for something to steal. Give it few more years and you'll just be able to rob someone at gunpoint at a convention with zero repercussions.

You say this like the dealer wasn't a young adult during the crimewave of the 70s and 80s, when theft was much much more common. Much safer country now than it used to be

[Dark Knight]

Looks like karma finally showed its face with this Greg White dealer and bit him hard in the butt! I never really seen him nor knew about him at all so at first, I felt bad about what happened.  After reading more and more first hand experiences from him and how he knowingly advertises these restored raw books as unrestored without any disclosure of the restoration, I really don't feel sorry for this guy anymore. Who knows how many people he had ripped off during all those years as a dealer!!  It must add up to the value of the AF 15 that was stolen from him I would think 🤔 

[Prince Namor]

On 4/25/2023 at 7:53 PM, BrooksR said:

Wow, I think I was there that year but I’ve never heard of that, what book was it? Did they recover it?

I have some idea, but rather than rely upon my memory from 30 years ago, I'll just say that what I DO remember is three dealers discussing it and then I never heard another word about it. I'm not sure HOW I would've heard about it, as I didn't know any of them and social media was many, many years away. 

The point is, it DID happen throughout the years - it's not a new occurrence. 

[serling1978]

On 4/25/2023 at 9:03 PM, Dark Knight said:

Looks like karma finally showed its face with this Greg White dealer and bit him hard in the butt! I never really seen him nor knew about him at all so at first, I felt bad about what happened.  After reading more and more first hand experiences from him and how he knowingly advertises these restored raw books as unrestored without any disclosure of the restoration, I really don't feel sorry for this guy anymore. Who knows how many people he had ripped off during all those years as a dealer!!  It must add up to the value of the AF 15 that was stolen from him I would think 🤔 

I've been burnt by dealers like this at cons more than once in the past. Not on any grails, but on silver age run fillers. For books that are $5-$10 I normally don't take every single one out of the bag, but I've had a number of surprises like detached covers,  detached centerfolds,  missing pages, ripped out pieces,  etc that weren't disclosed. Based on those experiences and what I've heard about this guy, I don't feel all that sorry for him. Not saying he deserved it, but I'm definitely not going to lose any sleep over it.

[L'Angelo Misterioso]

On 4/25/2023 at 8:09 PM, L'Angelo Misterioso said:

You say this like the dealer wasn't a young adult during the crimewave of the 70s and 80s, when theft was much much more common. Much safer country now than it used to be

Lmfao yall hit me with the hahas like I'm wrong

[Robot Man]

On 4/25/2023 at 5:09 PM, L'Angelo Misterioso said:

You say this like the dealer wasn't a young adult during the crimewave of the 70s and 80s, when theft was much much more common. Much safer country now than it used to be

What country are you referring to? 

[Robot Man]

On 4/25/2023 at 9:04 PM, Prince Namor said:

I have some idea, but rather than rely upon my memory from 30 years ago, I'll just say that what I DO remember is three dealers discussing it and then I never heard another word about it. I'm not sure HOW I would've heard about it, as I didn't know any of them and social media was many, many years away. 

The point is, it DID happen throughout the years - it's not a new occurrence. 

It has always been a problem to some degree. But these days it is escalating at a rapid rate with sometimes no consequences when caught.

Sellers, sadly, need to be MUCH more villigant and do everything possible to prevent themselves from becoming victims. 

[lostboys]

Install a camera.

Dont place the book where it can be touched.

Hire help.

This was easily avoidable.

Even pharmacies lock up the baby formula.

Welcome to America, 2023.

[L'Angelo Misterioso]

On 4/26/2023 at 10:11 AM, Robot Man said:

What country are you referring to? 

US. 

[Robot Man]

On 4/26/2023 at 4:20 AM, serling1978 said:

I've been burnt by dealers like this at cons more than once in the past. Not on any grails, but on silver age run fillers. For books that are $5-$10 I normally don't take every single one out of the bag, but I've had a number of surprises like detached covers,  detached centerfolds,  missing pages, ripped out pieces,  etc that weren't disclosed. Based on those experiences and what I've heard about this guy, I don't feel all that sorry for him. Not saying he deserved it, but I'm definitely not going to lose any sleep over it.

Sorry, but this is on you. It has happened to all of us. I have found suprises (both good and bad) with even big, well respected dealers. When you handle large amounts of collections, things slip through the cracks now and then. To me, it’s all about they handle it.

Now dealers that deliberately try to cheat or mislead buyers is another story. Been going on since the dawn of collecting. They usually get weeded out one way or another.

Always check everything you buy carefully. Especially from dealers you don’t know. Even cheap books if you are not willing to take a chance.

I have learned over the years who I am willing to deal with. I avoid those who do not meet my standards and spend my money with those who do.

I will repeat, even though this guy, apparently, had a checkered past, he doesn’t deserve to be a victim of direct theft. 

 

[Robot Man]

On 4/26/2023 at 7:34 AM, L'Angelo Misterioso said:

US. 

I don’t know how old you are but I don’t ever remember things being as bad as it is now.

Crime, theft, hate crimes and gun violence are so bad the authorities can’t even catch, process and lock people up fast enough in big cities.

Stealing comic books are the least of our worries and can be minimized in most cases. 

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 4/26/2023 at 10:47 AM, Robot Man said:

I don’t know how old you are but I don’t ever remember things being as bad as it is now.

I assume that’s because you’re just more aware of all the crime due to social media and the internet . 

[Robot Man]

On 4/26/2023 at 7:54 AM, THE_BEYONDER said:

I assume that’s because you’re just more aware of all the crime due to social media and the internet . 

I don’t sit around and dwell on it but yeah I pay attention to local, National and world news as well as financial news and weather a little everyday. I like to be informed. I pay no attention to news that is “slanted”.

I don’t live in fear but I don’t bury my head in the sand either…

[MrBedrock]

On 4/26/2023 at 9:17 AM, Robot Man said:

On 4/25/2023 at 11:04 PM, Prince Namor said:

I have some idea, but rather than rely upon my memory from 30 years ago, I'll just say that what I DO remember is three dealers discussing it and then I never heard another word about it. I'm not sure HOW I would've heard about it, as I didn't know any of them and social media was many, many years away. 

The point is, it DID happen throughout the years - it's not a new occurrence. 

It has always been a problem to some degree. But these days it is escalating at a rapid rate with sometimes no consequences when caught.

Sellers, sadly, need to be MUCH more villigant and do everything possible to prevent themselves from becoming victims. 

Bob, all of our comments regarding thefts are anecdotal. Without statistics none of us can back up our claims of whether crime is on the increase or decrease. My personal experience has been that attempts to steal from my booths at show has decreased tremendously over the years. Some of the decrease is due to our procedures but I really think some of it is due to the realization that the public shaming could be so much worse now then in the past.