Comic Book Spinner Racks...

[jmg3637]

great pickup.

 

If anybody knows of one in the Los Angeles area.......

[TupennyConan]

Ahhhh the spinner rack and the good old spinner rack 1/3 of the way down spine break from the beloved spinner rack fold over browsing technique.

[bronzilla]

Just got back from picking up the rack. great condition! spins well, no rust the tin sign on top is un-marked.the Seller was very freindly. I gave him 60.00 Bucks instead of the 50.00 he was asking for it but I still feel guilty a little bit. The guy was a collector just not of Comic Books. he collects watches and political memorabillia. He owned a drugstore a long time ago and thats where the rack came from. Now I just gotta go to Brighton and get my wife some jewelry so I dont get in trouble for taking more money out of our account to pay for the rack.

[bronzilla]

By the way I would keep it if I where you. Or sell it to some one here on the boards. I f you do sell and ship its gonna cost probably 60.00 to ship or more. And the risk of damage is great.

[bumpjay]

how do you keep your books from receiving spinner rack creases displaying them that way? Do you have some kind of buffer that prevents them from touching the books? It is still nice....just concerned about the possible damage.

 

I'm looking to buy one too, and wondered the same thing. Any repsonses?

 

I could probably best explain MY experience this way....

To ME, it is ALL about the nostalgia...!!!!!

I have been collecting for over 35 years, and I have never considered my purchases as an investment. This is one of the ways that I entertain myself. i.e., buying and reading comic books. And I like to have quik access to them, this is why I display them on my walls, on racks, etc. Quik and easy access. ( I still read them)

The ULTIMATE nostalgic experience is the fact that this is the very same rack that I purchased my very first comic book off of, almost 36 years ago ( and almost exclusively for the next 7-8 years after that)......same squeak, same smell, same DIRT ( since I never cleaned it !!).

 

So, with that in mind, there probably are some small creases being indented to the bottom of the covers......but I don't mind.

AFAIAC, it is better than buying a slabbed copy of a book that I can never read.....

 

Regards

 

Bump

[bronzilla]

Gotta hear that story. How did you get the chance to purchase the same rack you bought your Comics off of. And by the way props to your attitude. We all need to remember that what has always driven this Hobby is the pursuit of the memories from our youth

[bumpjay]

Gotta hear that story. How did you get the chance to purchase the same rack you bought your Comics off of. And by the way props to your attitude. We all need to remember that what has always driven this Hobby is the pursuit of the memories from our youth

 

Indeed !!!!

I grew up in Reading, PA. "Back in the day"...so to speak, every little nieghborhood, or "city block" had it's own little variety store.....

Mine was a little store called "Nate's" ( when I got my first book...and also, I was the youngest of nine children, and there were comics always laying around the house to read...these also were purchased at the same store).

 

The store was later sold to a gentleman named Jim Ettaro, and the store's name was changed to "Ettaro's Variety Store". This was sometime around 74-75.

 

There was only one other kid in the neighborhood ( Named "Richie") who read and collected comics....about 5 years older than me.

At one point during the late 70's, his mother started "dating" the owner of the store ! ( Old man Jim himself !)

 

Jump ahead to 1982.....old man Jim retires, and sells the store to my friend Richie.(who had long since given up collecting comics)

 

Richie had alot of personal issues, and could not do what was necessary to maintain the operations of the store, and within 4 years, the store was ready to close down....and it was apparent to anyone who walked into the store.

The milk freezer would have nothing more than 1 or 2 quarts of milk, bread that was already a week outdated, etc.

 

By this point in time, I had already moved away from my mother's home to the other side of town. But, I would visit her at least once a week, and every time I would, she would always ask me to walk over to the store and get her a Pepsi. So, even though I no longer lived around the corner, I did see the deterioration of the store.....

 

In 1986, times got real tough for me, and I asked my mother if I could temporarily move back into her home until I got my act together....and of course she said yes. I stayed there from late February through June, 1986. It was within the first 4 weeks of me being back home...so let's say early Spring, 1986.

 

Getting up real early on a Saturday morning, I walk around the corner to the store for a newspaper, and Richie is actually working the counter that morning. And he tells me that he will be closing the store, and trying to sell the building.

 

The store contained a few of those old tripled tiered , wooden magazine racks.

I already had one of these wooden mag racks that I had taken apart several times, and rebuilt. ( These things were not made for second floor bedrooms, apartments...they just would not fit up and down steps...) From dismantling and reassembling the rack, the wood had splintered, and I did not believe I would be able to put this back together again , when I once again found my own place.

 

So, I asked Richie if I could have one of the wooden racks......to my disappointment, he showed me how they were actually mounted to the wall.

But, he seemed surprised that after "all these years" I was still collecting....and at that time, he said...

" Hey, this wire rack comes apart real easy. Do you want that...?"

I couldn't believe it !!!He gave it to me !!!! I took it apart right there, carried it home, and it has been mine ever since !!!

 

Has been with me now for over 20 years, nine different residences, 2 different wives.......the list goes on.

 

So, today, here I am in my early forties.....I can go to my middle bed-room anytime I want to, and stand before the exact same rack that some 35-36 ( and again, for several years after that) years ago, I knelt in front of every Monday and Thursday ( when the new comics arrived).

 

I never "fixed it up", or as I said, even cleaned it. ( Meaning, cleaned the top panels with cleaning solution. I Just dusted it off)

As I stated, same squeak, same rattle, same smell, same dirt.

 

Richie is gone now.....( May God have mercy upon his soul)....but I am forever indebted to him this most incredible gift !!!

It took awhile....bet you are sorry you asked....

But, yes...to me,it is now, and has always been about the nostalgia.

 

Thanx for allowing me to share the memory !!!

 

Regards,

(thumbs u

Bump

 

BTW,

If there is ANYONE on the boards who remembers Nate's, or Ettaro's from the 500 block of North Ninth Street in Reading, PA. USA....PM me !!!

 

[TupennyConan]

I remember buying books from the spinner rack in Davis Island Pharmacy in Tampa back in '77. DI Pharmacy remains; their spinner rack and comic selection has been gone for too long to recall. Your story is a true classic. Thanks for sharing it.

[ernster]

Gotta hear that story. How did you get the chance to purchase the same rack you bought your Comics off of. And by the way props to your attitude. We all need to remember that what has always driven this Hobby is the pursuit of the memories from our youth

 

Indeed !!!!

I grew up in Reading, PA. "Back in the day"...so to speak, every little nieghborhood, or "city block" had it's own little variety store.....

Mine was a little store called "Nate's" ( when I got my first book...and also, I was the youngest of nine children, and there were comics always laying around the house to read...these also were purchased at the same store).

 

The store was later sold to a gentleman named Jim Ettaro, and the store's name was changed to "Ettaro's Variety Store". This was sometime around 74-75.

 

There was only one other kid in the neighborhood ( Named "Richie") who read and collected comics....about 5 years older than me.

At one point during the late 70's, his mother started "dating" the owner of the store ! ( Old man Jim himself !)

 

Jump ahead to 1982.....old man Jim retires, and sells the store to my friend Richie.(who had long since given up collecting comics)

 

Richie had alot of personal issues, and could not do what was necessary to maintain the operations of the store, and within 4 years, the store was ready to close down....and it was apparent to anyone who walked into the store.

The milk freezer would have nothing more than 1 or 2 quarts of milk, bread that was already a week outdated, etc.

 

By this point in time, I had already moved away from my mother's home to the other side of town. But, I would visit her at least once a week, and every time I would, she would always ask me to walk over to the store and get her a Pepsi. So, even though I no longer lived around the corner, I did see the deterioration of the store.....

 

In 1986, times got real tough for me, and I asked my mother if I could temporarily move back into her home until I got my act together....and of course she said yes. I stayed there from late February through June, 1986. It was within the first 4 weeks of me being back home...so let's say early Spring, 1986.

 

Getting up real early on a Saturday morning, I walk around the corner to the store for a newspaper, and Richie is actually working the counter that morning. And he tells me that he will be closing the store, and trying to sell the building.

 

The store contained a few of those old tripled tiered , wooden magazine racks.

I already had one of these wooden mag racks that I had taken apart several times, and rebuilt. ( These things were not made for second floor bedrooms, apartments...they just would not fit up and down steps...) From dismantling and reassembling the rack, the wood had splintered, and I did not believe I would be able to put this back together again , when I once again found my own place.

 

So, I asked Richie if I could have one of the wooden racks......to my disappointment, he showed me how they were actually mounted to the wall.

But, he seemed surprised that after "all these years" I was still collecting....and at that time, he said...

" Hey, this wire rack comes apart real easy. Do you want that...?"

I couldn't believe it !!!He gave it to me !!!! I took it apart right there, carried it home, and it has been mine ever since !!!

 

Has been with me now for over 20 years, nine different residences, 2 different wives.......the list goes on.

 

So, today, here I am in my early forties.....I can go to my middle bed-room anytime I want to, and stand before the exact same rack that some 35-36 ( and again, for several years after that) years ago, I knelt in front of every Monday and Thursday ( when the new comics arrived).

 

I never "fixed it up", or as I said, even cleaned it. ( Meaning, cleaned the top panels with cleaning solution. I Just dusted it off)

As I stated, same squeak, same rattle, same smell, same dirt.

 

Richie is gone now.....( May God have mercy upon his soul)....but I am forever indebted to him this most incredible gift !!!

It took awhile....bet you are sorry you asked....

But, yes...to me,it is now, and has always been about the nostalgia.

 

Thanx for allowing me to share the memory !!!

 

Regards,

(thumbs u

Bump

 

BTW,

If there is ANYONE on the boards who remembers Nate's, or Ettaro's from the 500 block of North Ninth Street in Reading, PA. USA....PM me !!!

 

Cool Story (thumbs u Thanks for Sharing.

[bronzilla]

Awesome story!! not Too many people get a chance like that. thanks for sharing it!! (thumbs u On a side note does anyone know of a site devoted to the Spinner racks or wall racks that Where everywhere when we were kids? I too am in my early 40s so I remember them from the early 70s, but I think the racks have been around since the late 50s early 60s? Any body know of the Companys that manufactured them? I own two now but cant find any names of the manufacturers of them.

[bronzilla]

How true! I just finished loading the spinner rack I bought yesterday and it is incredible any Comics survived these racks back in the day. My books were obviously bagged and boarded prior to putting them on the rack and I still have to be extremly carefull loading them in those narrow slots. Sure is fun though I use mine to keep my new purchases on display while waiting to inventory and box them.

[fantastic_four]

Has anyone ever tried to load up a comic spinner rack with CGC slabs, one per slot? It's an idea I've toyed with for display in my house, but I suspect that the weight of all the plastic could cause the entire rack to become unstable and too easy to tip over.

[comicparadox]

I have slabs on mine. Actually, if you place them juust riight, you can fit two slabs in each slot. But you have to be careful, or you might crack the slab. Ask me how I know.

[comicwiz]

Good story FD (thumbs u There's a local antique showroom that's had one like Rich's (Araich) but they wouldn't sell it as they are using it to display some old comics. I'd like to find one locally to save on shipping costs.

[fantastic_four]

I have slabs on mine. Actually, if you place them juust riight, you can fit two slabs in each slot.

 

And the whole rack isn't unstable when loaded up with slabs, even with two per? Is this a spinner rack or a flat-back-along-the-wall-type rack?

[jimhouston1]

I have one spinner rack I can sell for $ 200.00. It can be picked up in West Nyack New York.

 

I am going to put comics for kids on my other spinner rack as Halloween treats on my porch and then store it at work until next year.

 

My store put 6 months of "current modern" titles in these racks. No boards, just bags.

 

What condition would a comic bent from people scanning through these comics be acceptably graded?

 

The comics are in Fine - Very Fine condition except a slight bend - but no folding at the upper staple?

[jmg3637]

I have wanted a spinner rack for years, but never found one. On ebay the shipping is too much and I have not seen one for sale in LA in quite a while.

 

Of course I have not discussed this with my wife and I really have no clear place that I would put it. I already have quite a bit of comics related items displayed and loose around my office.

[Not*Sure*]

Wish I had known years ago you wanted one..When the diamond distributers closed near the shop they had them heaped up outside we asked the realty people what the fate of this "junk" was and they said we could have whatever we wanted. Between us and Pat from beyond books we must have split 10 or so between us. We had to call Pat because he had the truck.. Of course yes shipping would've been a big deal.

 

I used to have an Archie one and a "Hey Kids Comics" or something like that. Not anymore since I downsized years ago..

[jimhouston1]

Hey Kids - comic rack photos

 

 

 

 

[Blackhawkk-migration]

COMIC BOOK VENDING MACHINES!

 

Please, someone show me a picture! When I first started buying comics I would put my dime & nickel in the slot, push in the lever and out drops the comic to the bottom bin!

 

I haven't seen one since comics went to .20 cents!