San Diego Comic con 2 2

[woowoo]

On 7/22/2023 at 9:27 AM, Primetime said:

That’s the copy on loan from the owner making its rounds with that marvel museum. It was displayed in Seattle for awhile and now the museum is in the Carolinas(?)

Action Comics #1 Incomplete (DC, 1938) CGC PR 0.5 Off-white | LotID #87001 | Heritage Auctions (ha.com)

[golfplyr]

Interesting idea of having a comic con on a boat. Might be easier to get tickets for the cruise than comic con. 

[golfplyr]

I wonder who will be the CGC facilitators on that cruise or if even CGC will be there?

[aardvark88]

On 7/23/2023 at 6:30 PM, golfplyr said:

Interesting idea of having a comic con on a boat. Might be easier to get tickets for the cruise than comic con. 

So would SDCC cruise from SD to San Francisco, CA with all u can eat buffet meals? Since GA comic collectors all where latex or cotton gloves, should be less chance of the comic and original comic art Illuminati catching Noro-virus from those cruise ship handrails and elevator buttons.

[Bumble Kitty]

So SDCC 2023 is in the books.  I only took a few pics this time around, but I will give you my short report.  I will give you my observations of each day I was there.

Wednesday:  

• I arrived at 5:10 PM and parked at the Bayfront garage.  As I walked to Kansas City BBQ for an early dinner, I noticed gridlock just north of the Convention Center.  I believe these people were trying to get to the hotels to check in.
• I stopped by the Heritage booth and said "hi" to Rick Akers.  I checked out the primo comics, original art and Hollywood artifacts.  Just amazing stuff!
• I did a little box diving hoping to unearth some gems.  

Thursday:

• I checked out Harley's booth and discovered he had a small refrigerator under one of the tables.  I fully expect he will add a microwave oven next year.  Anyone for freshly popped popcorn?
• Some of the dealers had some great books that were just out of my price range.  But it was fun to see them in person.
• The number of dealers attending was definitely more than were attendance at Torpedo Con.
• Worldwide Comics had a wide and great selection of comics.
• Attended several panels.  One was Jack Kirby:  Anything but Super-Heroes.  Very neat panel, but the one thing I learned was Jack was in the European Theatre in WW2.  His experiences there (which were not pleasant) played a big part in his War comics story telling.  The other notable panel was The Holocaust:  The Art of the Tattoo.  The panel detailed the number that the Nazis tattooed on the Jews.  On the panel was a survivor of the death camps (he is 93 years old), two ladies whose mothers survived the camps, and an illustrator who produced a comic on this subject.  That panel left quite an impression on me.
• Attended a boardie dinner in Little Italy.  A big "thanks" to @comick1 for setting up the dinner.

Friday:

• More comic hunting and lots of socializing with fellow boardies.
• I tried to hang out in original art section, but it was busy and crowded in that area.
• Attended another panel.
• The convention center was quite cold, so I left and headed out the back.  I walked around the building to warm up and check out the displays and the crowds.  There was a massive collection of people -- everywhere.  If there was a drop off in attendance, I didn't see it.
• I checked out two books at Bob Storm's booth.  I left and came back and left and came back again.  I really wanted them, and Bob gave me a great deal.  Thank you Bob!

Saturday:

• Had breakfast with a couple of boardies at Café 222.  Boy, that place is great!
• There were a few small "Mom and Pop" dealers outside the Gold and Silver Pavilion.  I found a fantastic deal at one of them.  
• I braved the crowds and spent a good portion of the day at the original art area.  I flipped through many binders and saw a few pieces I really liked.  Of course I couldn't afford them, but it was an enjoyable time.
• Artist Alley was so crowded, there was people gridlock in each aisle.
• At the southwest area of the hall, there was Funkoville.  It was set up as a 1950's small town.  I thought it was a great idea and it was fun to walk around that area.  I didn't buy anything, though.
• I went to the CGC Grading panel (with Matt Nelson).
• My day (and time at the Con) was over.  Headed out and met a fellow boardie for dinner at a local restaurant.

Observations:

• The convention was as crowded as ever.  If the writers and actor's strike had an effect, I didn't notice it.
• There were more dealers at this convention than at Torpedo Con.
• The quality and quantity of books available was very high.
• I had a great time.  I will attend next year's convention!
• I took a few pics, and here they are:

Edited July 24, 2023 by Bumble Kitty

[aardvark88]

Interesting that an A.I. 'artist' was ejected from SDCC 2023:

[aardvark88]

On 7/23/2023 at 6:30 PM, golfplyr said:

Interesting idea of having a comic con on a boat. Might be easier to get tickets for the cruise than comic con. 

Feb, 2025, SDCC luxury cruise 5 days, 4 nights from Tampa, FL, USA to Cozumel, Mexico. $990 US/person double occupancy includes all SDCC on-board events, access to vendors, buffet food, casino, cosplay contest per Diamond's Scoop. After a hard day of bagging and boarding, the collector and dealers  can go snorkeling along the coral barrier.

[N e r V]

Lots of great books but what I’m currently chasing are challenging in terms of turning up so I left with just under $5000.00 in purchases with about $3000.00 of it in high grade DC romance. I figured I may as well focus on it while it was available so pretty happy with my purchases. Always nice to see the “regulars” like Bedrock and Harley. Missed a few. Would like to actually meet Rick of ricksneatstuff one day to exchange collecting notes. Did get to meet Silver from the boards here and his brother David who does those great YouTube videos Future Past Vintage Collectibles. Missed my friends who work in Hollywood who stayed away to support the strike. SDCC was selling out and big before the Hollywood presence infected it so losing it one year was a speed bump at best. Also weather wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. Can’t wait for 2024!

[BitterOldMan]

On 7/24/2023 at 4:56 PM, aardvark88 said:

Feb, 2025, SDCC luxury cruise 5 days, 4 nights from Tampa, FL, USA to Cozumel, Mexico. $990 US/person double occupancy includes all SDCC on-board events, access to vendors, buffet food, casino, cosplay contest per Diamond's Scoop. After a hard day of bagging and boarding, the collector and dealers  can go snorkeling along the coral barrier.

These are the $990 double occupancy suites.

 

There are some $4k plus accommodations.  Have to ensure your passport is up to date, since the cruise ends in Mexico.  

[golfplyr]

I believe the rate with the balcony was around $1700 per person

[golfplyr]

July 24-28 is next year's dates for comic con supposedly. I hope I can get tickets next year. Would be my first San Diego con. 

[CCEC]

 

I was there on Sunday.  The Exhibit Hall was packed; even 1 hour before closing it was hard getting thru the aisles.  People were saying because of the strike and panel cancellations, everyone went to the Exhibit Hall.  For the 4 panels I went to,  the lines seemed smaller and there were fewer people in the rooms and in  the hallways above the Exhibit Hall.  

There was tons of people in the aisles at the Gold and Silver area; a mass of humanity.  But,  thinking back, there really wasn’t a lot of people  searching the booths.  Many of the dealers had no customers.  It was almost like driving on a major street at rush hour, but hardly anyone stopping along the way.  My experience may not reflect the rest of the week, since I was only there for Sunday.  But, does anyone else see what I saw?

At a panel, one expert collector said he saw many $100 deals going on in the booth, but no real big deals on the floor ($50-100k).  He said those deals were between dealers themselves, quietly done.

All in all, I did thoroughly enjoy the one day I spent there.  I hope to get tickets for next year!

 

[aardvark88]

On 7/25/2023 at 7:54 AM, golfplyr said:

I believe the rate with the balcony was around $1700 per person

Plus $200/person deposit plus about $200/person for duties, taxes, tips plus must have a passport that does not expire within 6 months of voyage to Mexico. Walls of Funko Pops, long boxes, heavy slabs, crates of paper collectibles, and downwind of cosplayers locked onboard for 4.5 days, what could go wrong on her maiden SDCC voyage?

[blazingbob]

On 7/25/2023 at 11:01 AM, CCEC said:

 

I was there on Sunday.  The Exhibit Hall was packed; even 1 hour before closing it was hard getting thru the aisles.  People were saying because of the strike and panel cancellations, everyone went to the Exhibit Hall.  For the 4 panels I went to,  the lines seemed smaller and there were fewer people in the rooms and in  the hallways above the Exhibit Hall.  

There was tons of people in the aisles at the Gold and Silver area; a mass of humanity.  But,  thinking back, there really wasn’t a lot of people  searching the booths.  Many of the dealers had no customers.  It was almost like driving on a major street at rush hour, but hardly anyone stopping along the way.  My experience may not reflect the rest of the week, since I was only there for Sunday.  But, does anyone else see what I saw?

At a panel, one expert collector said he saw many $100 deals going on in the booth, but no real big deals on the floor ($50-100k).  He said those deals were between dealers themselves, quietly done.

All in all, I did thoroughly enjoy the one day I spent there.  I hope to get tickets for next year!

 

First off "At a panel, one expert collector said he saw many $100 deals going on in the booth, but no real big deals on the floor ($50-100k).  He said those deals were between dealers themselves, quietly done."

THIS IS NOT TRUE and I would love to speak with the "EXPERT COLLECTOR".  There were multiple deals in this price range that were not between dealers but between dealers and collectors.  I was part of a very large one and it was not a dealer to dealer transaction.  I also sold a few books in this price range.  

This type of comment is frankly one that annoys me quite a bit because of how it was said and to what audience.  

Secondly Sunday is generally the slowest day of the show and frankly your comment is way off on how the show went.  

You don't need a ton of customers to make good sales.  Richard from Bedrock made a couple of nice sales on Sunday.  My Sunday was what I expected since a majority of my sales take place earlier in the week.  

San Diego was a very good show,  there was a very good attendance that frankly makes it a little easier to get around then the year before covid hit.  It isn't a sea of bodies anymore.  For those who say they can't get tickets ask a dealer you are friends with.  We do get allotments of exhibitor and attendee badges that you can buy.  If you aren't friendly with one maybe you should be.    

On a side note if San Diego is not your "thing" or is out of your price range I strongly suggest attending the Torpedo show in Glendale, CA the weekend before.  Most of the national and some regional dealers set up with the same inventory.  Glendale is a very nice city,  the Hilton is a very nice hotel,  the room is very comfortable.  Please don't use "I can't get into San Diego" as an excuse not to see the same inventory or dealer you do business with.  

 

Edited July 26, 2023 by blazingbob

[golfplyr]

Thanks for the feedback. That is a good suggestion to be friendly with your LCS. 

[CCEC]

On 7/26/2023 at 9:23 AM, blazingbob said:

First off "At a panel, one expert collector said he saw many $100 deals going on in the booth, but no real big deals on the floor ($50-100k).  He said those deals were between dealers themselves, quietly done."

THIS IS NOT TRUE and I would love to speak with the "EXPERT COLLECTOR".  There were multiple deals in this price range that were not between dealers but between dealers and collectors.  I was part of a very large one and it was not a dealer to dealer transaction.  I also sold a few books in this price range.  

This type of comment is frankly one that annoys me quite a bit because of how it was said and to what audience.  

Secondly Sunday is generally the slowest day of the show and frankly your comment is way off on how the show went.  

You don't need a ton of customers to make good sales.  Richard from Bedrock made a couple of nice sales on Sunday.  My Sunday was what I expected since a majority of my sales take place earlier in the week.  

San Diego was a very good show,  there was a very good attendance that frankly makes it a little easier to get around then the year before covid hit.  It isn't a sea of bodies anymore.  For those who say they can't get tickets ask a dealer you are friends with.  We do get allotments of exhibitor and attendee badges that you can buy.  If you aren't friendly with one maybe you should be.    

On a side note if San Diego is not your "thing" or is out of your price range I strongly suggest attending the Torpedo show in Glendale, CA the weekend before.  Most of the national and some regional dealers set up with the same inventory.  Glendale is a very nice city,  the Hilton is a very nice hotel,  the room is very comfortable.  Please don't use "I can't get into San Diego" as an excuse not to see the same inventory or dealer you do business with.  

 

Thanks for the feedback!

The guy who made the comment was in one of the panels on Sunday. Since I am relatively new to the game, my observations are made from a newbie point of view.  That is a good tip about getting passes from dealers.  

[Bumble Kitty]

On 7/26/2023 at 9:23 AM, blazingbob said:

First off "At a panel, one expert collector said he saw many $100 deals going on in the booth, but no real big deals on the floor ($50-100k).  He said those deals were between dealers themselves, quietly done."

THIS IS NOT TRUE and I would love to speak with the "EXPERT COLLECTOR".  There were multiple deals in this price range that were not between dealers but between dealers and collectors.  I was part of a very large one and it was not a dealer to dealer transaction.  I also sold a few books in this price range.  

This type of comment is frankly one that annoys me quite a bit because of how it was said and to what audience.  

Secondly Sunday is generally the slowest day of the show and frankly your comment is way off on how the show went.  

You don't need a ton of customers to make good sales.  Richard from Bedrock made a couple of nice sales on Sunday.  My Sunday was what I expected since a majority of my sales take place earlier in the week.  

San Diego was a very good show,  there was a very good attendance that frankly makes it a little easier to get around then the year before covid hit.  It isn't a sea of bodies anymore.  For those who say they can't get tickets ask a dealer you are friends with.  We do get allotments of exhibitor and attendee badges that you can buy.  If you aren't friendly with one maybe you should be.    

On a side note if San Diego is not your "thing" or is out of your price range I strongly suggest attending the Torpedo show in Glendale, CA the weekend before.  Most of the national and some regional dealers set up with the same inventory.  Glendale is a very nice city,  the Hilton is a very nice hotel,  the room is very comfortable.  Please don't use "I can't get into San Diego" as an excuse not to see the same inventory or dealer you do business with.  

 

 First of all, thank you Bob on the deal on the two Space Patrols.  I love those books!  

Thank you for correcting the "expert collector" on his comment.   I don't know why he is considered an expert.

Thank you for the tip on getting a dealer badge.  If people don't want to pay up for a dealer badge, do some research on how to improve your odds in getting a regular attendee badge.  Do it now, not one day before badges go on sale.

For hotels, I paid $205 (out the door) a night on a nice 3 star place in Del Mar.  Very quiet and far away from the noise and parties in the Gas Lamp District.  For those who say hotels cost $500 to 800 a night, well that is true if you get a four star hotel the week of the convention.

I paid thirty bucks a day to park in a covered garage three blocks from the convention.  If that is too much or too far to walk, then I don't know what to say.  You obviously have never gone to a sporting event or concert or other special event.

Edited July 27, 2023 by Bumble Kitty

[nearmint]

I was at the show all 5 days and had a great time.  Didn't miss Hollywood at all.   Can't wait for next year.

[AustinReece_GRRC]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth this past week, we had a great time even though we were dog tired. We were in a new location this year on the corner of an aisle and finally with 2 booths. We noticed our foot traffic was way up and we had a tremendous show even with having a limited inventory. Hopefully next year we can drive out and bring our full show inventory.

As Bob said, the Torpedo show is a great option for those who don't want to spend a ton on the spectacle of SDCC and just want to see great books. There were maybe a few hundred people to contend with over the weekend, in a room packed with amazing books. We'll definitely be back!

-Austin

[NewWorldOrder]

On 7/26/2023 at 11:02 AM, CCEC said:

Thanks for the feedback!

The guy who made the comment was in one of the panels on Sunday. Since I am relatively new to the game, my observations are made from a newbie point of view.  That is a good tip about getting passes from dealers.  

Considering all the problems in Hollywood right now I was pleasantly surprised on how well SDCC did.

SDCC always delivers being the biggest event and basically the Super Bowl for comic books cons each and every year.

The hobby just feels back to normal now.  The amount of quality books I bought at the show was over what I expected.  I left with 2 magazine boxes of good stuff. 

That is me on the right, I have helped Bob @blazingbob out at SDCC since 2008.  A lot of big ticket wall CGC books were sold all SDCC week long to actual real collectors, and "raw" box stock sold through out the show at a steady pace.  Just like all shows sometimes it's a mad rush then it's slow for a period of time which is normal.  2022 SDCC (aka the comic boom era) was an outlier.  Everyone did well, but now it back to the quality over quantity.  No Hollywood, no problem.  This show is a monster, and was a great show for buying/selling as per usual.  If 2022 was an A+ then 2023 SDCC was an A- no doubt. 

 

Edited July 27, 2023 by NewWorldOrder