BUD PLANT QUITS SDCC AFTER 48 YEARS 1 1

[adamstrange]

1 hour ago, blazingbob said:

I've heard some pretty interesting tales of "strong arming" in the UK.  

Do tell

[Mercury Man]

There are 3 major cons coming up here in my area.  I may not even get to one this year.   I find the allure of the price to get in vs. the comic vendor options to be dwindling every year. 

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

I'd be curious to hear what professional community of  Comic Creators think of Comic Con now vs. the past. I would imaging to them it is actually much better with a lot more opportunity to make connections that might have a real financial impact on their well being. In that regard it would seem that the convention has been a major success and achieved its goal of elevating the status of comic professionals and their work. 

The fact that there aren't as many dealers present or that success has made it more difficult to attend; while annoying and sad to many is also an indication of the broadening of the reach of the media and the ultimate success of the Con's objectives.

While I no longer attend due to the value proposition of the cost of the ticket / food and transport for about eight to ten hours of show; I've always found something of interest at the show. In fact in later years I decided to spend most of my time away from the comic sellers and actively look at what else was on offer. I found a tremendous amount of interesting comic related material with great passionate fans. 

Additionally, the programming remains second to none in regards to variety (and I am not talking about the mass media Hall H hype.) If I were a younger fan this show would likely touch me in the same way the pulpy shows of my youth inspired me. Times change and San Diego Comic Con has changed too. I'm good with the change and I'll even go back someday in the next few years when I am ready to take on the madness again.

[Sqeggs]

On 5/11/2018 at 5:21 PM, telerites said:

I don't blame him.  BTW, he still comes to OAFCON every year.  He and Mr. B seem to always have adjoining tables.  I always hit them first - two of the good people in the business.  

Big as he is, you gotta hit @MrBedrock first to have any chance. 

[Sqeggs]

20 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

On a semi-related topic, any of you with a journalist bent, please, please, please, PLEASE sit down with Bud and talk about anything and everything you can about his experiences in the comic book business.

Please don't let his decades of experience pass without at least an attempt to record some of it.

He's 66 this year, and that may seem young, but you never know. The man is a giant in the comics distribution industry, with experience unparalleled by just about anyone. 

 

For some reason, he was apparently never interviewed by Vincent Z on comic zone. 

[MrBedrock]

20 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

On a semi-related topic, any of you with a journalist bent, please, please, please, PLEASE sit down with Bud and talk about anything and everything you can about his experiences in the comic book business.

Please don't let his decades of experience pass without at least an attempt to record some of it.

He's 66 this year, and that may seem young, but you never know. The man is a giant in the comics distribution industry, with experience unparalleled by just about anyone. 

 

He does have some incredible stories (at one time he was partners with Beerbohm!) and is always willing to share them with no embellishments!

[Sqeggs]

34 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

He does have some incredible stories (at one time he was partners with Beerbohm!) and is always willing to share them with no embellishments!

He was the founder of Comics&Comix with Beerbohm and a third guy, whose name I've forgotten.  I don't think he was often in the Berkeley store.  At least I don't remember seeing him there. 

[telerites]

51 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

He does have some incredible stories (at one time he was partners with Beerbohm!) and is always willing to share them with no embellishments!

 

15 minutes ago, Sqeggs said:

He was the founder of Comics&Comix with Beerbohm and a third guy, whose name I've forgotten.  I don't think he was often in the Berkeley store.  At least I don't remember seeing him there. 

This, I did not know.  To put it mildly, he and BLB have dissimilar business approaches and ethics.  Little wonder that partnership did not flourish. 

[BitterOldMan]

22 minutes ago, Sqeggs said:

He was the founder of Comics&Comix with Beerbohm and a third guy, whose name I've forgotten.  I don't think he was often in the Berkeley store.  At least I don't remember seeing him there. 

John Barrett is the name you were trying to remember.  Bud spent all his time at the San Jose store.  Bud used to have half an aisle both sides at SDCC.

Edited May 13, 2018 by BitterOldMan

[MrBedrock]

21 minutes ago, BitterOldMan said:

John Barrett is the name you were trying to remember.  Bud spent all his time at the San Jose store.  Bud used to have half an aisle both sides at SDCC.

Back when the SDCC was at the Civic Center Bud was the first dealer to use a box truck and pallets and pallet jacks to load his stuff in. He always got to unload first! 

[Mmehdy]

41 minutes ago, BitterOldMan said:

John Barrett is the name you were trying to remember.  Bud spent all his time at the San Jose store.  Bud used to have half an aisle both sides at SDCC.

Barrett was a real nice guy of comics and he past away some time ago, and never did me wrong. Bud and Bob has a disagreement with the origins of the "direct market" and who deserves the credit, I am on Bob's side on that one, I was there and I don't think Phil was sole and direct creator of that market, especially on the west coast. All three of them are Icon's of the past, with John, time has passed and few if any persons remember him and that is a crying shame. All three deserve equal credit and both Bud and Bob are over 50 years in the business.

[woowoo]

1 hour ago, Mmehdy said:

Barrett was a real nice guy of comics and he past away some time ago, and never did me wrong. Bud and Bob has a disagreement with the origins of the "direct market" and who deserves the credit, I am on Bob's side on that one, I was there and I don't think Phil was sole and direct creator of that market, especially on the west coast. All three of them are Icon's of the past, with John, time has passed and few if any persons remember him and that is a crying shame. All three deserve equal credit and both Bud and Bob are over 50 years in the business.

Bob and John where both my good friends. I bought my First Golden age from Bob at pier 39 SF Action 10. Bob took 5x the value in trade . John was always fair he would keep all the Fantasy 15 Jim 83 for me when I would do my week drive to Berkley. I forgot the name of they guy that worked for Bob that had army pants on all the time I think it was Mark ? he was cool. John opened a store in Santa Rosa 10 min from me. Bob was always out for himself I would drive to shows with him in that old white van when they where only comics and star trek people at shows those where the good old days Room full of Comics with Star trek people

[N e r V]

Bud Plants presence at the San Diego Comic Con had greatly diminished over the years. There was a time when he occupied his own area at the Con. I had assumed (maybe wrongly) that his shrinking booth size had to do with the material he carried. I thought that Bud Plant was experiencing what other booksellers like Crown Books and Borders did with the fact that much of what they offered could now be obtained online cheaper through the likes of Amazon and a number of other cut rate retailers. I used to buy a lot of stuff from him at one time at the shows and through the mail but in the past decade it’s usually cheaper somewhere else for a lot of what he carries. So I’m a bit sad but not really surprised that he dropped out finally. Just like I wasn’t surprised with the overpriced and not very interesting material that Mile High Comics brought there finally lead to their exit.

 

I do think it’s a very valid concern for dealers of vintage comics though about the larger shows like SDCC possibly making less sense dollar wise for business vs it’s cost and the smaller shows being to small to support much beyond whatever their local market is and not being able to attract much beyond that. I guess the online business is only going to be that much more crucial in the future to any dealer of comics.

 

Bud Plant exiting out of the SDCC finally is super sad to me but I think it’s more about the fact is everything has changed not only with the Con but the business of collecting and being a fan as well. They got an amazing run there when you consider most of the original dealers at the Con are either dead or long out of business these days...

[Mmehdy]

As I recall, Bud in the early days did not work the stores, he was in the background, I only saw him once in San Jose store early 1972 ish. I can remember why they initially broke up, as some great GA went missing and everybody blamed everybody else. Later, an employee admitted to the theft, and everybody kissed and made up in the 90's. I would say Bob was clearly the most knowledgeable when it came to GA/SA back issues, no contest. He also knew how to buy back them when I attempted to trade him EC's for the SF books, a real amazing time. I consider looking back that my all time favorite  convention was the 1972 or 3 Berkley Con, the first one...I remember  buying action #3 and #6 from Terry Stroud for around $200.. and missing Superman 1-50 for $1200 , those were the days. Bud made a lot right decisions, being in fandom for 50 years shows intelligence and honesty, buying Charles Abar out was one of them. It was a very small community back then, with no cell phones, snail mail and no internet for communication. Amazon is a 800LB gorilla that has wiped out all major book chains except one...while I was loyal to Bud and bought at SDCC KNOWING I could get a better deal elsewhereI remained loyal during the SDCC. Today like 99% of you I use Amazon to get most of my books, although I will support the upcoming SDCC and buy from them. I was surprised Bud out lasted a look of big bookstores, so he had legs and loyal customers. I knew things were slowing down a bit when he tried to sell the business with no takers. Whether he had one table, or 10 I will miss him.

[N e r V]

Bud in the 70’s.

Bud Plant’s bigger SDCC booths back in 1998 BA (before Amazon ruled the earth)

 

 

This is is probably what most comic dealers would like to see in a show again. Just 6,000 or so people there to actually buy stuff from you mostly. 

The 1985 SDCC.  PNCCE  (pre new convention center era)

 

[jimjum12]

4 hours ago, N e r V said:

" ...... OMG !!! ...............You paid 5 DOLLARS for that funny book ??? " 

....GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[MrBedrock]

5 hours ago, N e r V said:

 

 

Prehistoric cosplay.

[Scrooge]

6 hours ago, N e r V said:

I used to buy a lot of stuff from him

Same here. Bud's catalogs were fantastic. They pointed me to so many new artists or bodies of work or collections that I would never have been aware otherwise.

Edited May 13, 2018 by Scrooge

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

1 hour ago, Scrooge said:

Same here. Bud's catalogs were fantastic. They pointed me to so many new artists or bodies of work or collections that I would never have been aware otherwise.

One of the highlights of returning from a SDCC was the additional hours of enjoyment reading through a Bud Plant catalog!! Thick tomes of amazement!!

[N e r V]

I just remember the suspicious nature of any non comics fan seeing a catalog by Bud Plant located in Grass Valley. 

Thats too good of a name and location I always thought to waste on selling comic books when you could be selling something else that fits better with it.

 

Maybe now that’s it legal in California he could change his business....???