Tales from Mega-Con....and pics too!

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

I arrived Thursday 3pm at Mega-Con set-up and since Brent of QualityComix & his stuff wasn't due to arrive until around 7pm, I started walking the floor almost immediately.

 

I met up with Tim Gordon as he was setting up his booth. Tim is the promoter of the semi-annual Tampa convention and a decent local comic dealer in his own right. His supply of mid to high grade bronze DCs is always impressive, and he is very generous both with his pricing and his discounting. Normally, I don't dabble too much with DCs, but if a cover really appeals to me and the price is right, I add it to my collection.

 

Tim has been having a pretty rough go of it of late, first the break-up of an 18-year marriage and then open heart surgery, so I wanted to make sure to stop by and offer him a few encouraging words. We talked about life & comics for a bit before I let him continue with his work.

 

I was able to acquire Witching Hour # 14-16 in VF+ from Tim, to a total tune of $51. The gloss on the Witching Hour # 16 is just unbelievable and it still has that new comic "spine" bulge of a book that has never been open. Truly sweet cover!

 

 

One of the first booths I hit was Motor City Comics. Nice selection of material as always, and a pretty pleasant bunch of guys to talk to. Though I did add some nice Pictureframe Marvels to my collection (at tip-top prices), I was extremely happy to acquire two MISB Generation 1 Dinobots (Grimlock and Swoop) from the original Transformers series. I actually bought the Grimlock on Thursday, and after sleeping on it, went back to pick up the Swoop before the doors opened on Friday. I knew if I didn't, someone else would've.

 

 

 

Both are in C-8 or better sealed boxes that would have been C-9 to C-9.5 were it not for minor cuts that looked to have been caused by a box cutter, possibly when they were removed from the factory cases (the cuts don't puncture the boxes, per se, but are still clearly visible). The presence of these defects allowed me to bargain down the price a bit, and I got both for $800, right around Book value, but well below what these two have been selling for on eBay and dealer sites in recent months. The boxes are really the nicest I have personally seen for Gen 1 Dinobots in some time (windows are perfect, no flap creases, factory tape is still very secure, bright with lots of gloss, etc.) but those nicks are going to hurt the grade for sure.

 

I've never used the AFA grading service for action figures, but am curious as to how they might come back. With sealed and certified NM Grimlocks and Swoops selling for excess of $1,000 recently, I can only submit them and hope for the best.

 

I also got a very hard to find Li'l Pals # 5 in VF/VF+, Ringo Kid # 15 NM, and a Where Monsters Dwell # 17 in NM- from Motor City for the not-so-wallet-friendly price of $83.

 

 

To round out my Thursday evening excursion, I bought two very nice 15-cent Superman's and a Marvel Premiere # 5 from a South Carolina dealer whose name escapes me. I especially like the hellish cover....really great stuff. All three set me back $75.

 

 

 

Brent and his wife arrived around 7pm, and we spent the next hour or so setting up and getting ready for Friday.

 

Friday turned out to be a good day at least for me, with a decent sale to our very own Clobberintime, Mr. Rob Zipperer. For those of you who don't know, Rob Z owns one helluva nice Silver Age Marvel collection and it was a pleasure to finally meet the man who bought so many of my personal books over the last couple of years. He stopped by with his son and we chatted about the state of affairs in the high grade market, and later came back to pick up a JIM # 102 & 105 (both in CGC 9.4), and a FF # 25 in CGC 9.0.

 

Otherwise, sales at our booth were pretty slow on Friday. Brent had brought some dollar books that he wanted to get rid of, and they sold pretty well both days I was there, but we weren't getting a lot of bites on the better stuff. Mr. QualityComix did make a few nice acquisitions (one of which I wish I had!), and for the most part, we spent Friday doing more buying then selling.

 

Besides, with Brent, his wife Melinda, and their daughter Abby there as well, having four people squeezed into a ten foot square booth gave the two comic guys plenty of incentive to get out on the floor and hunt for deals.

 

Saturday came and the so did the people. A beautiful day in Orlando brought out record crowds, and the lines all day long were not to be believed. I mean, the place was packed at 6pm at night as they were closing, I can't recall ever seeing anything like that at a comic convention! Between the record attendance of both the NY and Orlando shows, I think its safe to say the hobby is in good shape.

 

Here is a picture of Mr.QualityComix Brent Moeshlin with his books:

 

 

We did steady, though not spectacular business on Saturday, highlighted for me with the sale of two of my personal FF copies (# 22 & # 31). I was very sad to see them go, but they were destined for CGC and the open marketplace at some point with the purchase of an engagement ring for my sweetie on the horizon. At least they went to a fellow Forumite (Forum name long forgotten, but a distinguished gentleman from Sarasota) who obviously appreciated them.

 

I picked up some misc Marvels on Saturday from the 50% and 40%-off bins off from Bedrock City and Heroes & Dragons respectively, but my buying of comics was pretty much done. I was happy to have picked up a nice Avengers # 99 from Bedrock's 50% off bins to a tune of $12.50.

 

 

I also picked up a very nice copy of Cap # 144 from Bedrock, one of my favorite Cap Pictureframe covers (so hard to choose, they are all awesome!). It set me back a mere $20.

 

 

Late in the day on Saturday, Brent and I walked the room trying to scope out a few more deals, but instead we passed by Greg White just in time for an obscenity laced anti-CGC diatribe...what fun that was! The man who won't openly disclose color touch on his books defaming CGC was quite an irony. What was even funnier (or sadder) was that he sounded like he supported Jason Ewert and it almost seemed like he relished the fact Ewert put one over on CGC (and thereby, every customer and comic collector thereafter). I like Greg and always have maintained a cordial relationship with him, but sometimes he is really out there in left field.

 

We closed up shop Saturday evening, but before heading out to the Forum dinner, headed over to the ACTOR auction with KingofRulers, Pirate, Steve Borock, and two ladies whose Forum names escape me at the moment.

 

I wasn’t looking to buy anything, but I took a liking to a piece of artwork by Jose Garcia Lopez, and won it for $200. The piece is a striking rendition of Wonder Woman, and as I discovered post-auction, was actually used in a 2001 Minute Maid promotion. Now I’m trying to find a copy of the original advertisement to frame alongside the original art...if anyone out there could help me out, PM me.

 

 

 

Steve shelled out quite a bit, and Pirate also walked away with a neat piece. The bidding wasn’t very heated, and I think some excellent pieces sold kinda of cheap, but the auction did bring in some cash for a very deserving cause.

 

On we all went to the Forum dinner, this year held at The Crab House. It was a grand affair, and I especially enjoyed the opportunity to speak with Mark Arrand of Colmorecomics. Not only does Mark collect high grade Silver Age Marvels, but he is also quite an enthusiast of many of the same esoteric Bronze Marvels I love. It was fun to actually talk to someone who not only knows what Li’l Pals is, but can relate to the difficulty of finding high grade copies of the title. My only regret is that in my haste to begin the long drive home (which wouldn’t conclude until 1:30 am), I didn’t say my goodbyes to Mr. Arrand in proper fashion. What must he think of us Yanks and our poor manners?

 

The dinner was very good, though it wasn't served until 11:15 pm or so, and Steve Borock was in excellent hosting form. We passed around Doug Schmell's newest acquisition (a DD # 1 in 9.4), told a few tales, sang a few songs, and a good time was had by all.

 

 

From Left to Right: Melinda & Brent (Qualitycomix), Pirate, Me (sitting), Mark Arrand (Colmorcomics), Steve Borock, KingofRulers, Doug Schmell (Capt Tripps...sitting) and a gentleman in the far right whose name escapes me.

(Photo was lifted from KingofRulers thread, and used (hopefully) with his permission. )

 

Overall, it was a very fun show, and I look forward to meeting even more Forumites at next year's Orlando Mega-Con!

[Red Hook]

Nice report JT! Thanks!

 

Red

[supapimp]

nice report! i love the transformers! i used to own grimlock, constructicons(devastator), soundwave, etc. nice to see a fellow board member picking up some transformers.

[B-Smooth]

nice report! i love the transformers! i used to own grimlock, constructicons(devastator), soundwave, etc. nice to see a fellow board member picking up some transformers.

 

Id love to find a mint Soundwave and Starscream!

[Illiterati-migration]

nice report! i love the transformers! i used to own grimlock, constructicons(devastator), soundwave, etc. nice to see a fellow board member picking up some transformers.

 

Id love to find a mint Soundwave and Starscream!

 

[B-Smooth]

Starscream was always the hardest jet to find. I still have my red Bumblebee!

[Ringfinger]

Nice pics!!

[Ares]

Starscream was always the hardest jet to find. I still have my red Bumblebee!

I have a G1 starscream but its played with but its still all there

[adamstrange]

I actually bought the Grimlock on Thursday, and after sleeping on it

 

To each his own, but I just put my toys on a shelf.

 

 

Nice report!

[Rodey]

Wow, I thought I was the only guy who bought Transformers. Almost done completing all the Autobots with their boxes. Bluestreak and Wheeljack...where are you!

[Ares]

Crown Jewel of my collection is my all metal Variant predaking

[Scheradon]

Shameless bit of self promoting here , but I have many Japanese Transformers up on eBay right now. If any of you are looking for certain Japanese Transformers, feel free to PM me and I can see if they are available here.

[thedude]

hey there Jiveturkeymofo ! great report,.. it was nice meeting you Saturday at the MegaCon, sorry I didn't get a chance to meet Pirate or KingofRulers,..but I knew I had a Looooooooooong drive back to Kentucky ahead of me.. so I left the con Saturday at 4pm, and got back home (KY) at 5:30 in the morning Sunday.

 

I enjoyed the con and feel like it was definitely one of the better ones I've been too, more costumed folks than you can shake a mylar at..

 

I will never do the drive thing again.. next year I will make arrangements for a flight down to Orlando and stay two nights as well, hope to see you again along with some other forum members.

 

the dude.

[B-Smooth]

Wow, I thought I was the only guy who bought Transformers. Almost done completing all the Autobots with their boxes. Bluestreak and Wheeljack...where are you!

which one is the tough car to find? Is it the 280ZX?

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

It was a pleasure to meet you as well Dude and yes, next year, do fly down and stay a full two days.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Yes, pre-rub Bluestreaks MISB are very tough.