The "Twilight Zone"...

[Proverbs22_2]

Okay, everyone has heard those apocryphal stories about that special comic or cache of comics that got away, but how about some stories of some that DIDN'T?

 

*cue "Twilight Zone" music...*

 

*In my "Rod Serling" voice...*

 

A few years ago, my friend Ricky entered a quaint little country store, out in the Boonies of Alabama, one of those fabled "General Stores" that sold everything from bear-traps, to lingerie. On the shelf, next to the other comics, is a Fantastic Four Annual #1...

 

He took the book from the shelf, and gingerly thumbed through it. No rips, no tears, no missing pages or coupons, no creases, no flaws of any kind other than those that normally accompany a square-bound book...

 

As he began to turn away from the heavy wooden shelf of books and magazines, the hawk-like eyes of the store-owner bore into him. Ricky wanted away from that place, and that creepy, CREEPY, guy, immediately, if not sooner!

 

The guys piercing gaze never wavers from him as he approaches the counter... No doubt this Ike Godsy wanna-be had but one thought: "What is this MIDDLE-AGED MAN doing looking at funny-books?"

 

Forcing himself to persevere, Ricky crossed the terrifying twenty-five foot killing field in front of the counter, and bravely handed his precious to it's jailer...

 

The ghostly echo of "dueling banjos" formed, unbidden, in the deepest recesses of Ricky's mind. The grisley merchant tore his gaze from Ricky's slight frame, and locked, with fearsome intensity, on his prize. "Something is dreadfully wrong here", thought the geezer ,Of that there was no doubt, but what was it?

 

A cold bead of sweat began to form on Ricky's Forehead, and unfettered by his terribly-receding hairline, quickly reached his eyes, bringing with it a sharp sting of pain. As his fears quickly mounted, Ricky wondered, absently, if the next thing he felt wiould be a warm trickle down his leg... "Shouldn't have had that big-gulp Dr. Pepper...", he thought to himself.

 

Meanwhile, the store owner had deciphered the "problem": This book was too big. It's cover price was less than half of the other comics he was selling, but , strangely, it felt twice as thick!

 

Finally, the man placed the book back down on the obsessively-clean counter, between the big glass jar of Red-Hot Jawbreakers, and the one of the horrifyingly large pickles that Ricky's wife was always buying for some reason, though he'd never seen her actually ever EAT one...

 

The man cleared his throat, and said mercifully, " `That be all, for ya' ?". Ricky managed to squeak out a weak "Yes"...

 

With a curt nod, the mans withered fingers began working over the heavy keys of his old cash-register, which finally displayed the shocking total of Zero Dollars, Twenty-six Cents!

 

Shunning the offer of a "Sack", Ricky headed back out into the small parking lot, the ancient concrete sometimes giving way beneath is feet, as he strode triumphantly to his brand new Trans-Am, eager to reach the friendly boundaries of the State of Georgia and be done with this savage land...

 

Later, as he carefully placed his treasure into the friendly confines of it's new home, a Mylar Snug, with it's new neighbor, the acid-free backing board with which it would forever more be partnered, he let his mind take him back to the grimiore from which he had rescued this pristine beauty, as several questions arose:

 

1) What was a twenty-plus year old book doing on the shelf in a rural country store in Alabama, in 1986?

 

2) Why did it look to be brand new?

 

3) Why was he able to purchase it for it's original cover-price?

 

4) Why had he let that ugly old geezer "freak him out". so? He was just a withered old coot!

 

Today, many years later, we seek those same answers still. If indeed they DO exsist, to find those answers, we would have to return, once again, to.....The Twilight Zone...

 

*cue music again*

 

*Fade to Black*

 

 

[Mushroom]

[ninanina]

 

 

Umm...this isn't "Believe it or Not" is it?

[Proverbs22_2]

 

Nope. This one is fact, not fiction. Okay, perhaps a bit embellished, but He DID get an FF Annual #1, in incredible condition, RIGHT OFF THE SHELF, in a general store in South Alabama, in 1986!

 

The only thing that we can figure is that it was buried in the "back room" for several years, then put on the shelf when found? Not much else make sense...

 

Regardless, it's one of the all-time best "one-that-didn't-get-away" stories though, at least in our humble opinions...

 

BTW, I've actually held that book in my hands! It is VERY nice, maybe a 9.0, as I remember it...

 

 

-Joe

[ghoulaid]

Great story! Why didn't Ricky ask if there were any OTHER comics in the store? Creepy old geezer or not, that Annual may have been one of several hundred old comics that had recently been found in somebodys barn, basement or estate and made their way into the store. The others simply hadn't been put out for sale yet.

[dam60]

Great story!! Three cheers - I always loved the twilight zone!

 

DAM

[Proverbs22_2]

So?

 

Anybody else got a comic deal that borders on the paranormal?

 

Speak up!

 

-Joe

[ninanina]

How about the 3 copies of Werewolf by Night 16 I bought about 10 years ago for cover? Or was it 2 copies of Werewolf by Night 14? Hmmmm, can't remember for sure.

 

Does that count?

 

Sorry, as far as the details go, I can't remember a thing. Only that I was surprised they were there. Buncha' other stuff was available at the time, but mostly junk. For some reason, I thought the Werewolf by Nights had potential, so I bought them. Condition wise, nice at the time but by today's standards I would give them a VF - VF+. Still have the copies.

[g-man]

i once picked up 2 NM Iron Fist #14s in a 2 for $5 bin about 12 years ago.......sold one raw and certified the other a while back (9.4) and that was sold as well....

[Crackandpresstoan11]

I picked up 3 copies of Machine Man #19 (1st Hobgoblin 2) in some comic packs at a CVS 15 years after the book came out.

[shiverbones]

i was in a junk shop in new jersey near where i was working at the time in 1995 or so. They were full of the detritus you expect to find like national geopgraphics, happy meal toys and broken fans.They had a pile of crappy glut era comics, plus a couple older classics illustrated. I knew nothing about classics, but there was a thick issue about indians, and another one with mystery stores, so i thought the poe stories would be a Fun read. Nice shape, strong VF. Take it to the counter, and they guy says, well that ones old, so its $5. OK, that was my ceiling, so it just squeeked by. I get it home, look it up in overstreet and nearly me pants! It was the giant size classics #2 which overstreet lists as rare, gerber gives it an 8 or 9 (Don't remember now) and was worth about $700 in VF!!!!!! I instantly got the shakes because that indians one i left, which was an honest & true NM, was worth $1100 at the time!!!! I didn't sleep at all that night as the comic danced around in my brain all night. I was terrified by some cruel stroke of fate the other would be gone the next day. As soon as lunch break hit, i gunned it to the shop and nervously flipped to the bottom of the pile again. There it was!! I was literally shaking as i brought it up to the counter, the guy croaked "back for more, huh?" I stammered out something about the other one being a good read & handed over my sweaty $5 bill. Success!!!!!! At the time i was really strapped and was having trouble paying my student loan which had $1800 left on it. I called up the guy in the back of the overstreet with the "Buying classics" ad and he offered me 100% of guide for them. It exactly paid off my loan........

 

as a last note i think it was in last years overtstreet they were making a bid deal in the market section about finding a copy of the mysteries one, even included a picture of it, and i just laughed to myself.

[Fan4Fan]

I had something like this happen to me, too...

 

Picked up a minty fresh copy of Marvel Feature #3 (Defenders) off the stand at a backwater truckstop in 1978 for $0.20.

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

[dam60]

Cool story! Nice finds!

 

DAM

[minutekev@50]

Okay, everyone has heard those apocryphal stories about that special comic or cache of comics that got away, but how about some stories of some that DIDN'T?

 

*cue "Twilight Zone" music...*

 

*In my "Rod Serling" voice...*

 

A few years ago, my friend Ricky entered a quaint little country store, out in the Boonies of ALABAMA, one of those fabled "General Stores" that sold everything from bear-traps, to lingerie. On the shelf, next to the other comics, is a Fantastic Four Annual #1...

 

 

Hey, I'm from 'Bama! Time to start ransacking the local general stores!! Yee-Haw!

[Proverbs22_2]

Okay, everyone has heard those apocryphal stories about that special comic or cache of comics that got away, but how about some stories of some that DIDN'T?

 

*cue "Twilight Zone" music...*

 

*In my "Rod Serling" voice...*

 

A few years ago, my friend Ricky entered a quaint little country store, out in the Boonies of ALABAMA, one of those fabled "General Stores" that sold everything from bear-traps, to lingerie. On the shelf, next to the other comics, is a Fantastic Four Annual #1...

 

 

Hey, I'm from `Bama! Time to start ransacking the local general stores!! Yee-Haw!

 

In that case, I've got two words for you then:

 

1) Go...

 

2) Dawgs!

 

 

-Joe (Bleeding Red & Black)

[minutekev@50]

War Eagle...

[Mushroom]

Okay, everyone has heard those apocryphal stories about that special comic or cache of comics that got away, but how about some stories of some that DIDN'T?

 

*cue "Twilight Zone" music...*

 

*In my "Rod Serling" voice...*

 

A few years ago, my friend Ricky entered a quaint little country store, out in the Boonies of ALABAMA, one of those fabled "General Stores" that sold everything from bear-traps, to lingerie. On the shelf, next to the other comics, is a Fantastic Four Annual #1...

 

 

Hey, I'm from `Bama! Time to start ransacking the local general stores!! Yee-Haw!

 

In that case, I've got two words for you then:

 

1) Go...

 

2) Dawgs!

 

 

-Joe (Bleeding Red & Black)

 

I have two more:

 

1) Go.........

 

2) Tigers....

 

 

The mushroom family bleeds Clemson Purple and Orange

[supapimp]

i have 2 faves...ROLL TIDE!!!! and go TROJANS!!!!!

[Proverbs22_2]

I picked up 3 copies of Machine Man #19 (1st Hobgoblin 2) in some comic packs at a CVS 15 years after the book came out.

 

See, it's stories like this that fire my imagination!

 

This, to me, seems like a "Warehouse find" that got past Chuckie, and actually made it to the store, albeit years later...

 

BTW, the only place that I EVER saw 3-packs when I was a kid was at Revco, which later (at least in my area) was bought by/merged with CVS Pharmacy...

 

-Joe