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The work in this business doesn't feel much like work (which is why so many people do it as a side thing after their real job) but it is incredibly time consuming and all front loaded. You have to grade and price all the average books and then they sell over time. Storage is brutal where I live. 90 feet at a non-climate controlled self-storage place is $270! Cheapest small office you can find is $800 or so.

My solution to wanting to buy something at a shop is to either buy a gift for someone or buy a magazine for myself (like Back Issue or Alter Ego or something) or just pick three new comics to speculate on, which is how I ended up with Harley Quinn meets Archie 1 or whatever it is. As for a split shop, it's interesting how 50 magazine boxes with $100 k of back issues on shelves that can be taken down and shown to someone and a display of the top 100 trades really doesn't take up that much space. But you need to share it with someone you really trust.

All the East Bay stores have managed to stay open. They are mostly long-standing stores. The carnage has been in San Francisco and San Jose where tons of stores closed over the past ten years. However, at least in San Francisco, some new ones have sprung up.

"former customers, ... are the main source of new material these days" That was my biggest takeaway from Terry's comment. Having the people you sold to for years now selling the books back to you was a big help.

And ten years ago Terry O'Neill told me he'd hate to be getting into the business now. Ie, back then. My point in saying that is not to say that people are always saying it's harder but rather to say that ten years ago may have been tougher than 20 years ago.

Wow, these are all awesome. The Mile High Date with Danger 5! That book is always one of my favorites.

I like Bonchon! Interesting take on certain things. It's actually a kind of upscale chain, mostly non-CA. They don't deliver but Berkeley is filthy with delivery services that will pick up a lot of places. In the mid 80s (this is sad to admit) we were the kings of the small Detroit suburb shows simply because we would call Dominos and have them deliver to us at the show floor. There were serious jealous looks going on!

9.0 OW/W in my hands. I will send you a pic later tonight.

Just give me a day or so.

I have one coming in this week. I believe it's a 9.0.

Check out Combat 9 from 1973 too. I think he was told it was the last issue and to go out in a blaze of glory and it's the craziest, pulpiest comic you can imagine. Just about everyone is either killed or maimed.

Tim (Wormboy) and I are excited to bring you another comics-only event on Saturday, Nov. 3, on the edge of downtown Berkeley. There's some serious business done at this event and we always have people who travel hours for this show. Check out this dealer lineup for next time: A-1 Comics Champion Comics (Phil Schlaefer) HarvDoss Comics (fresh from his midwest and east coast buying trip) Heroes Comics Ray Storch Shortboxed Worlds of Wonder (EdgerX, fresh from his LA buying trip) Bronze Age Batcave (with a deep new Marvel SA/BA collection) Cosmic Comics (Auburn shop) Gerry Kleier Books House of Comics Fantastic Comics (board member CW) Wormboy will also have some discount books and slabs at the door Check it out at: www.berkeleycomiccon.com

You'd think your dad would know by now! (By then.)

No, that's too few. 250 bagged and boarded per long box is closer.

But the Leader has never let hurricanes or any other natural calamity stop him from going to collectibles shows he likes.