Thanks Alot, Chuck! <sarcasm>

[drice6900]

Awww Man! Just saw this in Chuck's latest email:

 

"Speaking of bargains, I am still in need of cash to help pay for the initial set-up costs of processing the 8,500 best books from the huge California collection. As an example of why I need immediate cash flow, I am planning to have 500 particularly nice high-grade books professionally graded by Comics Guarantee LLC (CGC) in time for next month's San Diego Comic-Con International. That grading, alone, will cost about $20,000! Add in transportation, security, and labor costs, and I think you can see where the meter is currently running on the new collection at a horrific pace. Scoring a huge collection of rare old books is wonderful, but the mistake most people make is in assuming that it is an immediate cash flow bonanza. In point of fact, just the opposite is true. It usually takes at least a few months to get enough material processed and sold to cover your costs. In the meantime, you have to pay for this, and pay for that, until you're nickled and dimed to death. The ultimate rewards are wonderful, but getting there can be an exercise in cash flow juggling."

 

I hoped to have my last batch back from CGC by the end of June, but now it probably won't be until August!!!

 

- D.

 

[murph0]

Things must happen in lots of 8,500 for Chuck. Must be his lucky number

 

Brian

[drice6900]

Oh, here's more from that email. You guys saw this one coming a mile a way (Dallas Stephens is the guy who owned this huge new collection):

 

"With that thought in mind, we've created a special certificate of authenticity, which will be provided, free of charge, with each Dallas Stephens comic. In taking this extra effort, it is our hope, as the years go by, that the legacy of Dallas' hard work in building this wondrous comics collection is never forgotten."

 

 

 

- D.

[ArAich]

What genre are these books from?

[Mushroom]

Awww Man! Just saw this in Chuck's latest email:

 

"Speaking of bargains, I am still in need of cash to help pay for the initial set-up costs of processing the 8,500 best books from the huge California collection. As an example of why I need immediate cash flow, I am planning to have 500 particularly nice high-grade books professionally graded by Comics Guarantee LLC (CGC) in time for next month's San Diego Comic-Con International. That grading, alone, will cost about $20,000! Add in transportation, security, and labor costs, and I think you can see where the meter is currently running on the new collection at a horrific pace. Scoring a huge collection of rare old books is wonderful, but the mistake most people make is in assuming that it is an immediate cash flow bonanza. In point of fact, just the opposite is true. It usually takes at least a few months to get enough material processed and sold to cover your costs. In the meantime, you have to pay for this, and pay for that, until you're nickled and dimed to death. The ultimate rewards are wonderful, but getting there can be an exercise in cash flow juggling."

 

I hoped to have my last batch back from CGC by the end of June, but now it probably won't be until August!!!

 

- D.

 

You should have posted this in the Roast Chuck thread. It would win hands down.

[lighthouse]

Oh, here's more from that email. You guys saw this one coming a mile a way (Dallas Stephens is the guy who owned this huge new collection):

 

"With that thought in mind, we've created a special certificate of authenticity, which will be provided, free of charge, with each Dallas Stephens comic. In taking this extra effort, it is our hope, as the years go by, that the legacy of Dallas' hard work in building this wondrous comics collection is never forgotten."

 

 

 

- D.

 

Boy, I hope that's not the Dallas Stephens that lives in Ojai... or he needs to get an unlisted number in a freaking hurry...

[drice6900]

Here is the whole email for those who are not blessed enough to receive it through regular channels:

 

 

Howdy!

It is 5:32 AM right now on Thursday morning, and the sun has just risen over my farm. I'm writing to you this early in the morning because I'm taking off for a couple of days of R&R in Santa Fe at noon, and I have to address two days worth of my responsibilities in just a few hours. I don't mind the little bit of extra effort, however, as I am so very pleased at finally being able to take a small break. As most of you already know, this past week has been one full of a great deal of excitement and adventure for me, but also one that was very wearying. Going to the lesser Feast Day at Santa Clara Pueblo, and watching the wonderful traditional dances while relaxing with my good friends, is going to do a great deal to help me recover.

 

While I'm gone, the staff at Mile High Comics will continue to work feverishly to begin the process of integrating the wonderful new collection of Golden Age and Silver Age comics that I brought back from California this past weekend. Because this collection is so valuable, we have had to actually do a lot of rearranging of our offices, going so far as to clearing out most normal activities from the entire wing of the building where the collection is now stored. With extra alarms and other security measures being installed each day, this has been a week full of operational disruptions.

 

While the new collection has been the central focus of our activities during the past couple of days, life has continued at a frantic pace in other areas of the company as well. Will Moulton, for example, purchased a huge collection of 1958-1968 DC comics on Monday, and a very large collection of 1960's and 1970's comics from another collector on Tuesday. We will be processing those books over the next few working days and adding them into inventory as quickly as we can. Most of the books in these two large collections are in the Good-Fine grading categories, so there should be some excellent price bargains.

 

Speaking of bargains, I am still in need of cash to help pay for the initial set-up costs of processing the 8,500 best books from the huge California collection. As an example of why I need immediate cash flow, I am planning to have 500 particularly nice high-grade books professionally graded by Comics Guarantee LLC (CGC) in time for next month's San Diego Comic-Con International. That grading, alone, will cost about $20,000! Add in transportation, security, and labor costs, and I think you can see where the meter is currently running on the new collection at a horrific pace. Scoring a huge collection of rare old books is wonderful, but the mistake most people make is in assuming that it is an immediate cash flow bonanza. In point of fact, just the opposite is true. It usually takes at least a few months to get enough material processed and sold to cover your costs. In the meantime, you have to pay for this, and pay for that, until you're nickled and dimed to death. The ultimate rewards are wonderful, but getting there can be an exercise in cash flow juggling.

 

Being experienced enough to know that I'm going to be needing cash to keep the processing of the new collection collection on track, I've decided to take all ten million of our back issue comics that are listed in our online Internet Store and immediately put them on sale for you at an across-the-board 40% off. This includes all Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, CrossGen, Dell, Gold Key, Charlton, Harvey, Archie, and all Independent titles. While I cannot yet offer you any of the comics from the new collection, I can offer you a fantastic deal on the great comics we already have in stock. This 40% off sale will include even the comics Will is adding from the two great collections of Silver Age and Bronze Age comics he purchased earlier this week, so it would behoove you to keep an eye on New-In-Stock and $50+ New-In-Stock listings, as we are going to be adding wonderful old comics into our online inventory at a steady pace over the next few days. With free shipping still in effect for all domestic orders over $30, and all International orders over $75, this is a pretty darn good time to be adding to your collection. Help yourself to some great bargains on old comics, and simultaneously help me get over the cash flow hump of getting this new collection processed. This can be a win-win proposition for both of us!

 

Aside from working on integrating the new collection into our operations, I have also been working on our upcoming June 28th Jim Lee autograph signing. I confirmed yesterday that Rick Koslowski (who's THREE FINGERS GRAPHIC NOVEL has been nominated for an Eisner award!) will also be signing that day. We also have the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund benefit auction running on eBay right now, for the last available seat at the private Jim Lee dinner party on June 28th. When I looked this morning, the auction was only at $610, which isn't much considering that the auction also includes a gift certificate for $500 in back issues from our Internet Store. You do still have to pay your own transportation and hotel costs to attend, but wouldn't the $500 in books cover most of those costs? A chance to sit at a very deluxe dinner at a fine Denver restaurant with Jim Lee, Rich Koslowski, myself, and three other lucky winners of our contests, has got to be an appealing opportunity. And don't forget that all the proceeds of the auction go directly to the CBLDF, the only protection we have for our First Amendment rights in the comics world. Aside from the fun of attending such an exclusive event, supporting free speech is a great reason to bid in the auction. The auction closes on this upcoming Sunday evening.

 

 

Speaking of contest winners, the lucky winner of our contest for people who signed up at our stores is Jeff Herman from Littleton, Colorado. Here is a bit of information about him:

 

 

Wow, that is fantastic news! That is awesome! I have been raving about his artwork on the book for the last 8 months, especially the most recent issue! His "Batman" work is up there with the legendary Neal Adams run, in my opinion!

I never usually win these types of things, which makes this even more amazing...I've also been a "Batman" collector for 25 years, and have a collection dating back over 40 years, which makes the $1000 gift certificate VERY attractive!

 

Thanks again! I look forward to hearing from you soon! And I will be sure to clear my calendar for June 28th! Just let me know where to be and when!

 

 

In addition to joining us at the dinner, Jeff also won a $1,000 shopping spree at any Mile High Comics location. He's going to have some serious fun on June 28th!

Since I know so many of you care from all the supportive e-mail messages I've received, here is a quick update on Tanith's condition. She continues to slowly recover from her emergency brain surgery, but still is having problems with reading and writing. It's not that she can't read or write, but rather that the mental effort required to concentrate in those areas quickly brings on severe headaches. Given that she's an English major at the University of Colorado, and just finished her freshman year with a 3.8 average, not being able to read or write is a problem. She's also having trouble with dealing with significant amounts of sensory input at the same time, such as going to movies, or being in crowds. She's as stubborn as they come, however, so she's still determined to attend the Sugar Ray/Matchbox Twenty concert in Albuquerque next Sunday. Her roommate, Sishia, is going to help her drive down to join us in Santa Fe on Saturday, and they are then going to go to the concert together. I'm going to be as worried about her as I can possibly be, but she's old enough to make her own decisions, so all I can do is be sure and be there if she has any kind of problem. My sincere hope is that she handles the situation OK, and that this is yet another stage in her slow journey of recovery.

 

My final item for today is to reveal that the seller of the great San Diego collection is a fine gentleman by the name of Dallas Stephens. To keep this newsletter from being quite as long as last Tuesday's, I've included Dallas' biography after my normal business and personal update. That by no means reflects any measure of indifference on my part, however, as I think you really should read about the inspirational life story of this wonderful man. I think that you will understand why his choosing me above all others in the comics world to shoulder the burden of responsibility for selling his collection is all the more complementary when you read about what he's gone through in his amazing life. I am completely dedicated to doing absolutely the best job I can for Dallas Stephens.

 

That's it for this morning. It's time now for breakfast, and then I need to pack for my trip. I love my work, but this is one instance where I just can't wait to get on the road to Santa Fe. Who knows, I might (hee hee!) even find an old Pueblo pot to add to my collection on this trip...

 

Happy collecting!

 

Chuck Rozanski,

President - Mile High Comics, Inc.

 

 

Dallas Stephens was born in 1946 in a small town on the windswept plains north of Amarillo, Texas. While his family was just about as poor as any that could be found in that dryland farming region of the Texas Panhandle, Dallas managed to gain an early appreciation for the wonders of comics and graphic art from his visits to the local barbershop. There, while taking a brief respite from the colorless drudgery of Texas farm life, Dallas found himself transported into worlds of wonder that helped him transcend the penurious existence of a share-cropping farm family. While the 25 cent cost of the local movie theater's matinees was often beyond the constraints of his family's meager budget, the wonderful stacks of comics that were available for free reading in the barbershop provided the one source of exciting entertainment in an otherwise barefoot and culturally bare existence. (click on image for larger view)

 

While his family's fortunes were quite poor during his early childhood, his parents persevered and worked very hard, finally bringing the American dream to fruition by achieving a far better life for their three children. Dallas was eventually able to gain entrance to the Univ. of Texas at Austin, and graduated with a degree in Biochemistry in 1975, sandwiched around almost 4 years in the Army. Most of his professional career has been in computers and accounting, helping numerous firms ferret out the root sources of unusual financial situations. The substantial rewards of this rare and wonderful talent eventually provided Dallas with the financial ability to begin seriously collecting the comics that he had loved so much as a young boy. (click on image for larger view)

 

Like most beginning collectors, his initial purchases were of all sorts and kinds of comics. After a brief while, however, heeding the sage counsel of several noted Golden Age dealers, Dallas decided to narrow the scope of his collecting, choosing to focus on obtaining only comics in the highest condition and grade. As a result, he gradually built his collection over 15 years, and became a near-legend among comics dealers in the Southern California region for his discerning good taste, and relentless pursuit of quality. Since he purchased from so many sources, however, no one knew that he had gradually accumulated well over 50,000 (!) high grade comics, ranging from early Golden Age issues, well into the Silver and Bronze Ages, and even right up to premium copies of the best issues from the past few years. He was also a major purchaser of comics from noted pedigree collections, including White Mountain, Salida, Dell file copies, and a very large high grade collection out of Texas which will soon have its own pedigree. Without a doubt, Dallas Stephens has put together one of the best private collections of comics in the entire history of the collecting field.

 

Unfortunately, a long-standing medical condition incurred during his time in the service resulted in several emergency surgeries in the last few years. His recovery has been long, slowing the collecting process. This trip to death's door has encouraged him to reevaluate the use of his time and energy. Dallas has reluctantly made the wrenching decision to sell his beloved comics. Over the next several years, we will gradually be cataloging and pricing all the books from his prodigious collection, and offering them for sale at www.milehighcomics.com. While some issues from Dallas' collection will be posted to our website immediately, we are estimating that at least 5,000 of his premium issues will be sent to CGC for grading, as well as a large number of his more recent comics. Given the enormous size and scope of his collection, this will be the largest single collection offered for sale by Mile High Comics since the Mile High II collection was released to the national market in 1985.

 

While Dallas realizes that the time has come to finally part with his cherished books, one important consideration to him is that it is never forgotten that it was genuine love and passion for comics that motivated him to build such a wonderful collection. With that thought in mind, we've created a special certificate of authenticity, which will be provided, free of charge, with each Dallas Stephens comic. In taking this extra effort, it is our hope, as the years go by, that the legacy of Dallas' hard work in building this wondrous comics collection is never forgotten.

 

 

[murph0]

Boy, I hope that's not the Dallas Stephens that lives in Ojai... or he needs to get an unlisted number in a freaking hurry...

 

You should call him and tell him he got took.

 

Brian

[blowout]

You should have posted this in the Roast Chuck thread. It would win hands down.

 

I'm not so sure, Chuck makes himself a pretty easy target.

[CGCMINT]

Has anybody else besides ol' Chuck ever heard of "Dallas Stevens"?

 

$4,000.00 for a Batman #31 CGC 9.0?!!!

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2179046031&category=10547

 

John

 

[blazingbob]

I personally know Dallas Stephens and have seen this collection

 

 

[ghoulaid]

Hmmm...it sure didn't take long to get some of those books graded! I thought NONE of the books were graded when he arrived back in Denver with them (Sunday am?) and now, here are several graded and up for auction.

 

 

[Foolkiller]

So bob, having seen this collection, can you fill us in on the quality of it? I gather it's something very exciting but what can you tell us about it... did you consider trying to make a run at purchasing it? who had a shot at this besides chuck...?

 

 

[blazingbob]

First off, this collection already contains CGC graded books.

 

Second, yes I did try to get this collection

 

I have know Dallas Stephens for years and he is a good man.

 

There are 3 tiers to this collection, Great stuff, Good stuff, line the boxes with stuff.

 

 

[Foolkiller]

I think there's always a lot of curiousity concerning this or anything chuck does because so many people think he's a crook who loves to embellish his methods (and perils, the guy tries to make himself into Indiana Jones).... and since you actually knew this guy and the collection I really appreciate the info.

 

I'm sure some people will probably have to pay through the nose to get the nice books from Chuck, but this is the first major collection I've heard of from Chuck where I knew someone who directly competed against him (i.e. the infamous Mile Highs...)

 

Thanks for the info bob.

[murph0]

Sounds like its actually a decent collection from an active *former* collector. It's too bad Chuck got it cause now it'll be impossible to tell if you're getting one of the nice books from Dallas' collection or one of Chuck's overgraded PoS.

 

Brian

[Warlord]

Well, now we know that Dallas wasn't put off by handwritten arrival dates. At least in 9.0.

 

Atom #5

[Bonds25]

Has anybody else besides ol' Chuck ever heard of "Dallas Stevens"?

 

$4,000.00 for a Batman #31 CGC 9.0?!!!

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2179046031&category=10547

 

John

 

Yep, I bet Chuck sells a lot of the collection at those prices - LMAO!

[BlackShotzy-migration]

Chuck never factored in the tremendous cost of human suffering that he endured to bring us this veritable cornucopia of corn! He should sue himself in civil court for damages amounting to millions for his pain and suffering, then hopefully after winning, retire and enjoy his spoils of war after he collects on his landmark lawsuit against himself!

 

Court: "Next on the calendar.. docket # 8500, Rozanski vs. Rozanski"

 

Chuck: "Here we are your honor".

[Aman619]

anybody saying which dealer was the underbidder? who lost out to Chuck's killer deal?

And those of you who know Dallas, have you tipped him off to these discussions we are having about his new 'partner?'

 

but I must add, guessing how little the other dealers must have offerred for the whole collection (or just the best SA and GA stuff - - what maybe $400K??) Dallas may have been "forced" to hope that Chuck could net him more than that by consignment...

 

Given the choices we all face for selling our outsized collections, consignment 'on paper' sound like the best way to maximize profits....as long as your dealer/partner is someone you trust after you both kneel in prayer and then watch him drive away into the night with a broken down rental van full of your life's collecting work, to be locked in a special newly padlocked chamber 1000 miles away (to which you do not have a key). Gee--on second thought, maybe ebay is the way to go.

 

Which brings up another point: now that Dallas' books are up on ebay, isnt he asking himself "This is Chuck's genius sales plan?? Why didnt I do that myself???"