Dick's Dynamic Boston Con Report

[djpinkpanther67]

Nice report & great pickups Nik! Sometime in the future I will be able to go to a Con now that I'm coming back to the States!

[CKB]

 

CKB's "from the other side of the table (no, not under it)" Con Report

 

- I brought 19 long boxes of Marvel Bronze/Copper ($8 and under, most under $3), 9 long boxes of DC Bronze/Copper ($8 and under, most under $3), 8 Magazine boxes of Marvel ($8+), 3 long boxes of Valiant, 1 Magazine Box of Golden Age (Pre-code Horror, Timely/Atlas, and a misc. selection) and one Magazine box of magazines.

 

- Attendance was much more than I anticipated. I don't know what the actual numbers were, but my impression was 500-1000. My view was skewed since I never got out my corner of the room, so it's impossible for me to be definitive.

 

- If you looked at the activity at my tables at any random time during the 6 hours of the show, you would see an average of 4 people looking at my boxes, with as many as 8+ when it was crazy. This is astounding. I did not eat lunch. I did not go to the bathroom. I did not have the option.

 

- There were all types of buyers at the show. From the completely casual people just looking for inexpensive vintage items to the hardcore organized list-fillers to the deep pocketed key-seekers. People were spending money. Short of shocking a few of the casual buyers with prices of wall books and high grade items, I got the impression people we happy with the prices of the material.

 

- Quite a few people came in costume! We had a Captain America, a Batman, a Robin, a Wonder Woman a Flash and more. I mean, this isn't a Wizard World event, here! Very wecome to see fans who are so into it, though. Rich was correct when he described the room as having a lot of energy. I hope someone has a photo of the guy in the Luke Cage costume who never got out of the 70's. (So I guess I'm not actually sure it WAS a costume.... )

 

- LOTS of kids at this show. 10-14 age group, hungry to know more about the hobby and the storylines and history of the characters they know and love today.

 

Market Report

 

- Keep in mind my personal obsession is all things Valiant, but I can state as a fact that my first sale of the day was $150 in Valiants. A collector came in with a list trying to fill out runs and was pretty surprised to see what I had brought to show. He purchased about 60 commons, which I sold him at $.50 each, and the rest of the money went to late run issues and pre-unity, $3--$8 each. Sold a few more things here and there from the Valiant boxes throughout the day.

 

- Inexpensive Marvel and DC Bronze/Copper is very popular. The cut-off for most people seems to be $3. I think that if I had moved the price of my $5 books down to $3, I would have sold more. I saw a tendency to buy that $8 book with a bunch of $1-$2 books. Main run titles - Avengers, FF, ASM, X-men, JLA, Superman, DC Horror, etc

 

- Silver Surfer was the most asked for title. I had some nice copies that were looked at repeatedly over the day, and eventually sold a few. The low grade copies I had at about $5 were sold immediately.

 

- Copies of ASM 252 were hard to hold on to. I sold a couple of F/VF copies for $15-$20.

 

- My "famous" copy of Hulk 181 with the cover razored off and taped back on was finally, thankfully sold to a budget minded collector. If I had to tell the story of that book and what was done to it and why I still reasonably wanted $80 for it just one more time, I think I would have ended up under the table in the fetal position.

 

- Not a golden age crowd expected so I didn't bring much material, but I made a visiting board member from Canada a deal on a group of Timely/Atlas books. Thanks!

 

Net result was that I had sold about 500-600 books out of my inexpensive boxes,

as I was able to empty 2 out (1 Marvel, 1 DC) at the end of the show.

 

It was a very strong showing of comic fans, the kind of show that makes me want to go out and buy more collections. From a jaded pessimist like me, that's really saying something.

 

My sincere thanks to the promoters, who used some highly effective techniques to get buyers to the show. There was hardly a hitch to the entire operation, from the extremely well managed loading dock to a very impressive room.

 

The "Forum" dinner afterward was a perfect birthday dinner for me, a welcome end to a busy day.

[Dick Pontoon]

 

 

- Not a golden age crowd expected so I didn't bring much material, but I made a visiting board member from Canada a deal on a group of Timely/Atlas books. Thanks!

 

That was ss4Goku who I initially and stupidly thought may have been a shill. My apologies! Funnily enough, en route home from Lowe's on Saturday I quickly stopped in at Webhead and overheard someone talking about shops in the area. I thought it may have been ss4Goku, but figured that was too wacky. Sure enough, it was indeed him - as I found out when we wound up looking through CKB's books simultaenously.

 

And also, Happy Birthday to CKB! I'd post a thread for it but don't know how-low key he wants to be.

[Jeffro.]

Sounds like a fun time. Anyone know if this show is intended to be once a year only?

[nik]

I know he plans on having it twice a year but is debating about doing it 3 times a year.

[DNAgent]

 

Congrats to promotors (among other things) James Talbot (Bop City Comics, the handsome gray haired gentleman who Pontoon posted a picture of) and Nick who made this successful show happen!!!

 

I have done 3-4 Boston shows prior to this one. I echo CKBs remarks about the ease of loading, the nice bright, clean, roomy room where this was held...but most of all, the attendance! I recall sitting around at other shows twiddling my thumbs, at this one I was unable to have lunch and use the restroom! I don't have much or very good items, but there were always folks at the tables. And of course kids, parents and people in costumes (I've only seen people dressed up at big cons). That was fun!

 

Never have I seen each and every dealer happy smiling and busy!

 

So, I sold a number of TPBs and books (HoM, Jonah Hex, Watchmen, 1001 Nights of Snowfall, Icon-art of Frazetta, Opus- BWS etc.). I had a magickal spot on my table where any TPB I placed there sold (no joke), except From Hell by Moore and Campbell (but it is an expensive one so...).

 

A young man of about 12 purchased the single most expensive comic from me that day, Captain America #117 (1st Falcon). Wow!!! 60$! A number of new and bronze Cap comics sold, as well as Iron Man (low grade #2-10, some bronze, and many newer issues). Just a few high grade horror/mystery comics sold, but any horror/mystery priced at a dollar or two flew away quickly. A ton of dollar comics sold as well as a bunch of mid/low grade Savage Sword of Conan magazines for 2$ a piece...I'll find later as I go through my boxes what else went, it was such a blur...

 

It was great meeting many of you at the show and for dinner, I hope to see and speak with you again!!!

 

Will definitely do this show again, thank you!

[deathlok]

DYNAMITE, !!!

[mike h]

I had a very nice time. I agree... very nice venue... bright and clean, though I think next time someone should put up a sign in the Men's Lounge on how to flush those urinals. It's not that tough, gents!

 

I didn't wind up buying much, but had a lovely time looking around and talking with people that I've gotten to know a little over the years at various shows. I had a good experience.

 

At the risk of alienating myself for good, I must admit that I tired a bit of the prevalent badmouthing of other local shows by some of the participants present. I'm very fond of that show too and, as just a customer there to shop and have fun, I thought it was a bit unprofessional.

 

But I'm definately psyched for future shows! An excellent beginning! Thanks to everyone for a job well done!

[Bill_Nolan]

Scott Wegener got a picture of Luke Cage (and more) and posted it over on his blog:

 

http://scottwegener.com/2007/03/19/boston-comic-convention-report/

[Red Hook]

Yeah....I talked to that guy about a Tumbler.

 

btw....nice report and great hanging with you Chris!

 

Brad

[underthebigw]

Hey, it's taken me almost a day to post, so I don't have much to add. Great show, incredibly easy to set up and break down and, best of all, everyone there seemed to be having a great time. Truly fun. Was great to see so many guests dressed up for a local show, the large number of kids.....Ah, screw it--CKB said it all (although he didn't do his generous comic book tutorials justice--he spent a great deal of time tutoring one 12-13 year old about SA and BA comics).

 

As usual, the highlight was seeing so many board members at such a small show (including Rob_React). Dinner was great too--get those pics up, Brad.

 

Good seeing everyone.

[CKB]

And Paul completely sold through all the excellent new Bronze Age Tumblers he brought to the show - I know he wishes he brought more! Warlock, Punisher, etc... They are all stellar.

 

And Brad looked pretty good selling the Toon Tumblers when he took over for awhile, too...

 

Oh, and here is Cage and Scott!

 

 

For goodness sake go visits Scott's blog, the story and pictures about the bathrooms are a riot.

 

http://scottwegener.com/2007/03/19/boston-comic-convention-report

[Ze-man]

Chris, it was good to hear you learned a youngin. What was his knowledge base?

 

Kudos to you for not telling him to amscray, but instead took the time to actually talk with him.

 

Nice

 

 

Ze-

[CKB]

Chris, it was good to hear you learned a youngin. What was his knowledge base?

 

Kudos to you for not telling him to amscray, but instead took the time to actually talk with him.

 

Nice

 

 

Ze-

 

Knowledge base??? I had to explain to him that the cover prices went down as the books got older... Does that give you some idea??

[CKB]

 

Back up in the first post, Rich posted this picture:

 

 

I wasn't too jazzed about it (I am not big on photos), but since I appeared in the CGC newsletter a few years ago, I figured the KGB would have had me pushing up daisies by now if they wanted me dead...

 

...Anyway...I owe Rich a big thanks - because a board member, looking at that picture, somehow spotted the Strange Tales 117 CGC 9.2 ow on the wall behind me. The book now has a new owner. Funny the way things work sometimes! Thanks to the boardie and to Rich.