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Who stamps the date stamps?
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15 posts in this topic

Who stamps the date stamps?

I was looking at one today and wondered at what point from printing to shelf does the date get stamped on?

 

also anyone see the super early date stamped Marvel Silvers that Hake's had?  Were they file copies?

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The store that received the comics (drug store, candy store, newsstand, etc) would be the party doing the stamping. The arrival stamp would tell them when the book arrived. The publishing month on the comic's cover would tell them when to pull the book and expect the next issue. 

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8 hours ago, Knightsofold said:

Thanks guys!  

What year did they stop stamping?

 

 

I've seen some copper age books with the occasional stamps, but the stamps seem to have stopped when the newsstand (barcode)/direct copies started distributing (circa 1976)

Edited by Primetime
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20 hours ago, Primetime said:

The store that received the comics (drug store, candy store, newsstand, etc) would be the party doing the stamping. The arrival stamp would tell them when the book arrived. The publishing month on the comic's cover would tell them when to pull the book and expect the next issue. 

+1

 

Some retailers date-stamped their books, most likely as a way to keep track of how long they've been for sale, and when the unsold copies were due to be returned to the distributor for a refund.

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39 minutes ago, namisgr said:

+1

 

Some retailers date-stamped their books, most likely as a way to keep track of how long they've been for sale, and when the unsold copies were due to be returned to the distributor for a refund.

Agreed. And that's when the retailer tore off the top :whatthe:1/3 of the front covers so they could get a credit for any unsold comics. 

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7 minutes ago, Primetime said:

Agreed. And that's when the retailer tore off the top :whatthe:1/3 of the front covers so they could get a credit for any unsold comics. 

I used to buy those remainders for a nickel a book way back in the day.

 

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3 hours ago, Primetime said:

Did the 5cent price make up for the missing top cover?

yep, when all I wanted to do was read the story :)

Bought about 200 of those "returns" from the SA era for 10 bucks and had many weeks of summer reading material.

Of course, that's back when getting $1 to cut the lawn with a push mower was a big deal...(probably '75-77 timeframe).

-bc

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On 5/18/2017 at 5:17 PM, Primetime said:

The store that received the comics (drug store, candy store, newsstand, etc) would be the party doing the stamping. The arrival stamp would tell them when the book arrived. The publishing month on the comic's cover would tell them when to pull the book and expect the next issue. 

I always wondered why the front was stamped sometimes and why the back was stamped sometimes. Is it the way the book popped up in the stack or just a neatness thing that some shop owners did?

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5 hours ago, peewee22 said:

I always wondered why the front was stamped sometimes and why the back was stamped sometimes. Is it the way the book popped up in the stack or just a neatness thing that some shop owners did?

Could have been an OCD with the stamper or randomness. 

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On 5/18/2017 at 7:01 PM, Knightsofold said:

Thanks guys!  

What year did they stop stamping?

 

 

 

Since they were stamped by the folks receiving it, it varies greatly as some old school distributors kept their practices in place for a long time. It certainly became less common by the late 70's, but I have date stamps in my collection as late as 1987, and I've heard some some from the 90's even, though I have to find any in the wild. But for example, I have a number from 1986 that I got from the same collection, and they seem to have all by bought from and stamped at the same store. 

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Simple... The same person who watches the watchmen are the ones who date stamp the books...thought everyone knew that? :) 

Wish they would put comics back in stores like they used too, now it's want a comic? Go to the comic store or order one online. 

 

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On 2017-05-19 at 2:34 PM, namisgr said:

+1

 

Some retailers date-stamped their books, most likely as a way to keep track of how long they've been for sale, and when the unsold copies were due to be returned to the distributor for a refund.

I never saw a book date stamped until I was an adult.  Buying from 1 corner store back in the 60s explains that in part - that and no internet until well into adulthood might explain it too.  Come to think of it, I never saw any comics date stamped at the second hand book store that I used to frequent in my early teens.  

I think that the first time I saw a date stamped book I assumed that it was some kid fooling around with said stamp and putting it on everything that he owned. 

Same goes for remainder comics.  Never saw one until I was an adult...

Edited by pemart1966
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