BUCK'S NEW YORK COMIC CON REPORT DAY 2 ADDED FRIDAY

[Buck Biggins]

This is my first con report. Better yet, my first con ever. I has really excited about going and couldn't sleep well the night before my 6:55 am flight from Dayton, OH to New York. My brother and I got in about 2-3 hours sleep and took the 1 hour drive from Cincinnati to Dayton. We landed in New York about 9:00am and had the whole day until 4:00 convention open. After taking in some sights I head back to the hotel to catch a quick nap. By the way, New York cab drivers really do amaze me. It surprises me we never had a wreck. By the time we left however, I was use to to the driving. I loved New York and can't wait to go back. Going to the top of the Empire State Building at night was really beautiful.

 

Friday Con-

I oversleep on my afternoon nap and wake up at 6:00. Getting a hot shower I rush out of the hotel. My brother decides to stay back and get some more shut eye for tomorrow. I head out on the street and try to get a cab. After a good half hour with no luck I decide to walk to the Javitz and hope to catch a cap on the way there. After walking a few blocks I ask this young lady about where the Javitz is and I find out I have been walking the wrong way all along. I'm about to give up when a cab drives by and picks me up. I arrive at the Javitz at 7:00pm. I have an hour left to register and check out the floor. In getting my badge the lady tells me the floor is closed. My heart stopped but I get my badge and walk on down to see for myself. I had no problem getting in but it sure was crowded. My backpack made it hard to move around in but it kept my purchases safe. Thanks for the tip on using a post office dress shirt box in a backpack to store purchases. It worked perfect.

 

I make my way around to the Toon Tumblers display and pick up one of each Spidey glass. These are a lot bigger and heavier than I expected. Top notch. I wanted to chat but the booth was very busy so I moved on.

 

Next booth I ran into was Superworld. I have dealt with Ted alot and he recognized my name on the badge right away. He showed me a box behind the counter and invited me into the booth to look at it. I pick out a House of Secrets 119 and move on.

 

 

Ted is a very nice guy and said it was a "crazy and busy show". I cannot stress how crowded it was in there. It took forever to get anywhere.

 

After talking to Frank at Metro I find that he and the lady at the booth have been looking for Powell/Goon art. Great, all I need is more competition for the little amount there is to go around. They tell me Albert had a piece but wasn't set up yet. I'll check him out tomorrow for sure on the tip.

 

I next find myself at Koops Comics. I really liked talking to Koop and the younger guy there. Nice dealer. In looking at the wall I see some rather stunning Wonder Woman and Sensation Comics. I ask to see them and take my time going over them. Not wanting to blow my budget right away I decide to hold off. I also wanted to get feedback on Koop since the book was over a $100. A big purchase for me. The Sensation 101 was very nice and tempting however. I then noticed the lights were dimmed and time was up. I head back and kept thinking about that nice black cover Sensation Comics 101 . After getting back to hotel and posting on the boards I get some good feedback on Koop. This makes my decision final. I want that Sensation Comics 101 but will it still be there tom? What happens if I get locked out? Great, now I'm getting worried that I may have lost my chance to get a nice Sensation 101. Those last few issues of Sensation featuring Wonder Woman seem to be tough in nice shape(fine or better). I have been trying to get a run together this year.

 

Will I get it..wait for day 2 as it starts out great and turns to the worse.

[Timulty]

Your image tag needs to be fixed.

 

 

Great pick by the way!!!

[Buck Biggins]

From: Buck Biggins

 

Day 2-Saturday

 

I wake up at 6:30am and hall @ss getting ready. We head outside and catch a cab to the Javitz. It was nice seeing New York City calm that morning. I knew we had to get in line early but after arriving there at 7:15 I begin to fear that may have not been enough. The line was already growing. I jump in line and find out it was the line for autographs. So I figure I’ll try and get Todd’s, Jim Lee’s and Kevin Smith’s auto. After a long wait the line starts to move and people are getting their passes for the autographs. The people around us could not believe the amount of people pouring into the facility. There had to be over a 1,000 people in line and the place didn’t open till 11:00am. We then get announcements that some auto sessions were filled up already. Oh well. I’ll see what is left when I get up to the teller. With 4 people in front of me the lady says that “Jim Lee is now filled”. Darn it. I ask for Todd at 11:00 and they hand me a pass and I grab a 1:00 pass for Kevin Smith as well. Sweet! Now all I have to do is find something for them to sign as I thought I would never have a chance to meet them. I didn’t bring anything to sign because of that. Wish I had a UPC variant of Spawn #1 for Todd to sign. HA HA HA. Here is a pick of the Lego Batman in the main lobby. Was very cool in person.

 

 

The line begins to form for the entrance in the basement and boy did it grow. The guy next to me collected autographs and was there for the celebrities. He was a very interesting guy and was determined not to let anyone cut in line. Several people got a mouth full from him for trying to jump in line. Made line waiting fun seeing him get all worked up. Here is a pick of the line holding pens on Sunday.

 

 

They finally let people in and I head out to find some Spawn stuff. I knew that he was at the MOCCA that night so I head over their booth to see if they had any promos for his appearance that night. I score a Spawn 1 3D(glasses included) MOCCA edition limited to 1,000 copies. I ask the guy if I could pick out a nice copy and he lets me. I flip through them all and pick a real sharp one. A lot of banged up copies were on that rack. I pay the $6 and head over to CGC to get a witness.

 

On the way to the CGC booth I pick up a copy of the Midtown Exclusive sketch variant of Astonishing X-men 13. I see Kevin at the booth and he agrees to the CGC witness program and I head over to the signing. After waiting an hour I finally enter the room and see Todd. He was a class act. He commented on all the stuff people were bringing in and was very chatty. That was what took so long. He was talking people’s ears off. When he went to sign my MOCCA 3d copy he said that if he signs on the back the signature pops off the page with the 3d effect. Looks very cool he said. He then opens it and shows me the glasses that are inside. I loved talking with him but I think he put a few spine stresses on that NM book in the handling. I could care less as this baby is a cool reminder of meeting him. I head back to the CGC booth and turn everything in. I also had Spawn 153 signed by Todd and Tan as well. The night before I turned in Goon 1 by Avatar and a Digital Webbing 5 and hoped to have them CGC Signatured by Eric Powell. I hope they were able to fulfill that. Below is a pick with me in the middle of Todd and Tan. Nice guys.

 

 

 

I then head over to Koops and I look over that Sensation Comics 101 one more time. A guy comes up behind me and says that if I don’t want it he is going to take it. I told him that I will be buying it but want to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I then pay cash and walk away a very happy man. Smudge on moon is from the scanner.

 

 

 

 

I then head over to TV comics and look for some Archie covers with monster on them. I find this nice vg+ copy. For these Archie Monsters covers I just need them to look presentable. Nothing high grade but a nice low to mid grade are fine with me. The Burntboy collection looked nice but the booth was very busy and I didn't want to bother them to look at a few books.

 

 

 

I then get a phone call at about 12:30. It is my brother. He is locked out. Apparently after taking a smoke outside he was no longer allowed in. What made me even more mad is that I told him earlier that he should not leave this floor because of that reason. We exchange a few choice words and he heads back to the hotel.

 

I then hit Steve B. booth and find some nice DC books. After spending some time there I decide to pick these up.

 

 

 

An Ohio Copy

 

Smudge marks are from my scanner.

 

I would have bought more but he was not wanting to deal on prices. Because of that I left.

 

I then find get in line to have Eric Powell sign my Hardcover Fancy pants edition. He does that and also signs a poster for me. He put a little goon head sketch in my book with the signature.

 

I then find myself at Steve's booth and we talk for awhile about the Rosa collection and the upcoming auctions. After speaking to him about the Rosa collection I cannot wait to see those pre-1970 books. This is going to be big after talking to him and I'm very excited. We then talk about the boards and the Rosa thread meltdown. I then flip through his boxes and pick up the following.

 

 

I have now finished my 1976 Red Sonja run in nm- or better with this book.

 

 

Some nice photo covers. I loved this show growing up and bought the box set on day 1 of its release. Seeing these covers makes me want to go watch another episode.

 

 

 

 

Trying to get a run of the Adventure Comics Supergirl as well. Smudge marks are from scanner.

 

I also scored these 2 Don Rosas he had laying around. the Conan 15 is real nice.

 

 

 

 

My brother calls and wants to go to Time Square so I decide to leave and head out. The end of Day 2. Did I mention that I bought a soda and hotdog and had to eat it on the floor. There was zero sitting on the show floor. Stay tuned for day 3.

 

Here are some floor picks of some people dressed up for your amusement.

Batman suit was really cool.

 

Spidey of course was there.

 

You got always have some storm troopers.

[SignatureSelect]

good report I am sorry I didn't get to meet you.

[ronm3-migration]

Hey Buck what happened to day 3?

[Buck Biggins]

Hey Buck what happened to day 3?

 

I thought no one was interested.

I'm glad to know I was writing this for someone besides myself. I'll get to work on it. I picked up a another nm- batman and some other books. PLus I met you on day 3 .

[Red Hook]

I've been reading it.....and enjoying it!

[adamstrange]

Hey Buck what happened to day 3?

 

I thought no one was interested.

I'm glad to know I was writing this for someone besides myself. I'll get to work on it. I picked up a another nm- batman and some other books. PLus I met you on day 3 .

 

Very nice post with an interesting selection of comics.

 

We're anxiously waiting to hear the rest of the story.

[Buck Biggins]

Started work on day 3. Hopefully up by the weekend.

[Red Hook]

[Buck Biggins]

Day 3- Sunday- THE FINAL DAY

 

Last night I skipped the forum dinner. Was looking forward to meeting some folks but my brother had enough of the Comic Book stuff. Being locked out of the Javitz was the last straw for him. We instead went to BB Kings (after finding out the wait for Carmines was over and hour and half) and walk around Times Square that night.

 

Sunday morning came fast and early. We had to switch hotels this day and go to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral for church. I seriously doubted that we would get in to the Javitz since I wouldn’t be able to show up till almost 11:00. I began my day by heading down to the business lounge of the Club Quarters after waking up. I hit the computer to see the convention website breaking news section. They were claiming that if you had a badge you would get in and that no more day–of-show passes would be sold. By the way, the Club Quarters is a very nice affordable hotel at $149. I had a plasma TV in the bedroom and free wireless internet. They also had a business lounge with multiple computers to use for free and a nice sign that read “Quiet Please”. It also had a bar and restaurant inside the hotel and the staff was very helpful. It was very clean and had express check in and out. It is a short 2 blocks from Time Square and the furnishings were very nice. Highly recommend and will use again.

 

We head off to church. Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is very beautiful. We then head back to the Club Quarters hotel and shuttle on over to the Waldorf Astoria for the remainder of my trip. We quickly drop our bags off and catch a cap to the Javitz.

 

The sight was unbelievable. People were lined up all over the place. I jump in the first line and begin to wait. For some reason I ask this lady worker if this line was for getting in to the convention. I wanted to make sure but was pretty certain it was. She told me it was for people who did not buy advance tickets. She then tells me that if you have advance tickets you can go in the side entrance. She then yells this out and many other people realized they we in the wrong line as well. Luckily I asked or I would have wasted my final day. I hopped on over to the side entrance and get through the doors. Talk about a line. It went on forever and winded all over the place. They even started holding pens of lines after I got in line. A few minutes later and I would have been in one of those pens. Looked like sheep to the slaughter if you ask me.

 

After a short wait the lines begins to move forward. Awesome. I really wanted to just hit Harley Yee today and Ted’s booth. I was eyeing some books and wanted to look at them again and make a decision.

 

On the way to their booths my brother and I for some reason get roped into playing some Wizard of the Coast game demos. The more demos you play the more points you can add to a dice role to win prizes when you turn in your card. Higher the dice role the better prizes you win. So we demo like 3 miniature games and take our shot at the rolling the dice. I roll an 11 and with the plus 3 my prize selection is [embarrassing lack of self control] pretty much. Then I looked at the retail price on the stuff I won. It was liked $30 dollars total. Cool. Too bad I don’t play this stuff. My brother rolls a 3 and gets the same prize selection that I did. Here is a pick of us playing some D&D game.

 

 

I head over to meet RonM3. Nice guy and we chat a bit. He then asks to see the books that I picked up so far. I show him and he asks to look closely at the Detective 336 I picked up. He thumbs through it and notices that 2 pages have huge interior tears. I thank him for noticing it as I missed those tears. It was crowded at the booth and I really didn’t have much time to chat so I shake his hand and head back to return my Detective 336. I am able to make the return pretty fast. I was really let down to find out that the book had the tears as I really wanted a nice copy of this book for quite some time. I dig DC Horror and Detective 336 has a cool witch cover with Batman turning into a Scarecrow. I owe you RonM3 for saving me on that purchase.

 

I walk over to Harley Yee and browse though the books I wanted to look at again. I like his booth setup. Seemed very organized and the people working were pretty helpful. I examine a Wonder Woman 193. It had very nice eye appeal and glossy. After further examining I see several spine stress marks on the white spine. For the price I decided to pass on it. Well that shot down one book I was considering. I then look at the Unexpected 111. Take it out of the Mylar and I am pleased with it. It was a solid 9.2 and glossy. You wouldn’t have been able to tell that through the mylar as it was pretty dirty. I believe this was listed on his website for quite some time. I’m surprised it never sold. Anyway here is a pick of the book. Smudge on cover is from scanner.

 

 

 

Then I look at some other horror/war and find nothing that catches my attention. So I figured I check out the Batman and Detectives and see if any nice high grade copies that are reasonable were left. I start with the Detectives and look for that Detective 336 again. BINGO! It is almost an identical copy that is about 40% cheaper. I thank my lucky stars. Here is the book I have been wanting for quite awhile in nice shape. I would love to have a nm- copy but this will do for some time.

 

 

 

I’m now feeling pretty good and hit the Batman box. I’m looking and I find this really sharp copy of Batman 207. The book is glossy and a solid nm- when I examine it under the convention lights. So I was able to pick up nice copies of Batman 207 and 209 at this show so far. Here is a pick of the 207. Smudge on cover is from scanner.

 

 

 

I then pretty much hit my budget limit that I set myself to so I think about stopping. After all, from what I hear Harley doesn’t really give much a discount. I decide to look through the Adams run just in case. Glad I did because I snagged this beautiful copy of Batman 222. I’m excited. It would be a much needed upgrade to my current copy and looked like a 9.0 maybe a 9.2 through the bag. I open it up and it is really glossy and has white pages. Looks like a 9.0/9.2 and priced right to. I can’t believe it was here all weekend I tell myself. I then turn it over and see that someone wrote in pencil on the back cover “modern times”. The writing really didn’t bother me as it was in pencil and was only about 1.5 inches long. I hand the books over to guy and ask what you do on these prices wise. He writes some stuff down and gives me a number. Doing some quick math it turned out to be a discount of 15%-20%. I’m happy and pay the man.

 

Here is the Batman 222. Smudge on cover is from scanner.

 

 

I decide its time to leave out and I stop at Ted’s on the way out. He invites me behind the booth and I look at a Detective 422. I take it and head back to the Hotel. Upon looking at the book later on I see a thumb print on the front cover on Batgirl. Missed that thumb print at the convention. Oh well. Smudge on cover is from scanner.

 

 

A couple of things I did that I thought I would share about NY. The Empire State

Building at night is really cool when you go up to the 80th floor. Take the audio tour. You learn a lot about the different parts of New York and where everything is locates. Highly recommend. Serendipity serves a dang good hamburger. Went there twice just for it. Plus it has nice deserts. Also, I found it hard to find a burger place when walking around NY. Found a lot of Cafés and coffee shops but no burger joints. Anyway, I love NY and can’t wait to next year’s convention. I am definitely upping the budget for the next convention.

[the blob]

"Also, I found it hard to find a burger place when walking around NY. Found a lot of Cafés and coffee shops but no burger joints."

 

coffee shops aka/and/or diners are our "burger joints"

 

there's also a diner/hole in the wall called "burger joint" on like west 70th and west 77th street

[sterlingcomics]

Looks like you had a great time....awesome report and great books!