Ask Redbeard Tales of a veteran comic book dealer 5 5

[PopKulture]

I know this is going to be one of my favorite threads!    

Like so many others, I'm sure, I just eat this early fandom stuff up.

[MrBedrock]

1 minute ago, PopKulture said:

I know this is going to be one of my favorite threads!    

Like so many others, I'm sure, I just eat this early fandom stuff up.

It is especially exciting because Ron is so freaking old!

[sfcityduck]

1 hour ago, MrBedrock said:

It is especially exciting because Ron is so freaking old!

What surprises me is that RedBeard first became a serious collector/dealer at the time of OSPG 4.  I didn't really start collecting until the time of OSPG 9 and I remember his ads.  I would have guessed he'd been part of the first generation of collectors. I double checked OSPG 10 (the first I bought when it came out), and he's got a double page spread ad, which was unusual,in there. 

So he really must a great net-worker who went from 0 to 60 in a very short amount of time to end up having the connections and opportunities he obtained.   I'm reading behind the lines to think that it didn't hurt that he probably had the resources to buy great stuff, but the relationships back then were probably everything.  Says a lot of good things about him that he was able to accomplish that.

I view Redbeard as a different "generation" of collector/dealer than guys like Bangzoom and others who were active in the 60s.  It's interesting to hear his take on the mid-70s and later scene.  The way I see it is the guys in the early 60s created the hobby and some small businesses.  The guys in the mid-70s made it a big business.

Edited August 15, 2018 by sfcityduck

[Mmehdy]

congrad on coming on the boards sharing your experiences, cant wait to read more, thanks

[lhcomics]

Hey Ron! Sorry to hear about your health problems. I wish you a speedy recovery.

My first meeting with Ron was when he was in Newport back around 1986. I had just purchased about 30 mile high Wonder Woman comics and he would give me 3X guide in trade for Batman's and Timley's.

I believe he consulted with Verzyl to make sure they were actually mile high comics.

I remember he had a Mac computer. I had never seen a computer in a home before that. 

Take care and I look forward to your contributions on the boards.

Leroy

 

 

[blazingbob]

Welcome to the boards Ron,  miss you at San Diego.  The only guy at the show calling me kid is Sal.

[N e r V]

On 8/14/2018 at 1:22 PM, Redbeard said:

My love for comics started as a kid like most of us. Loved them. I started reading them in the early 1950s. I remember reading US 1 and DD Trick or Treat off the stands. I also recall an EC that my folks took away because I had nightmares they said. It was a TFTC that had a vampire story. My favorite all time comic book is US 7. I remember that I had two large stacks of comic books. My mom hated them in her house, she was always saying they bring silverfish. Well she got her chance when my father became Cub Scout Master for our neighborhood in Beverly Hills. He organized a comic book drive for the kids at County General Hospital, and there went my original collection.

While attending USC, I would burn out at times reading my college textbooks and need a break. I would go to a newsstand at the corner of Pico and Robertson in LA and buy a stack of comic books. I thought of these as brain candy after trying to plow through hours of textbooks. I recall reading the origin of the FF, but not FF1, so it must have been FF Ann 1. I loved the FF, but my favorite was Ditko Dr Strange in Strange Tales. Those surreal pages of Dr Strange battling Dormammu. Every so often I would take these back to my parents house and throw them in the back of my closet. As the stack grew in height, my mom once again tell me to get them out of her house. There went that stack. This repeated itself a few times. 

Around the time of the 4th Price Guide with the All Star cover, I discovered there were others like me. I went to my parents house and found that I still had Conan 3 in the stack in my closet. Everything earlier than that was gone. I took several positions in the accounting field and worked my way up to controller at a company, but I hated the job. During those years I bought and sold older SA comics, ECs and Disney comic books. While working as an assistant controller at a large women's shoe importer, I once again discovered comic collecting. I found the Book Sail owned by John McLaughlin and run by Dave Smith. I went to my first Casual Con and started buying Timelys. It was at this show that I first met Chuck Rozanski. But, I didn't buy a single book from him. Guide and a half for books back then was unheard of. I was hooked when I started buying those Timelys. It wasn't too long after that I gave up the accounting profession and became a small dealer. From there it just grew and grew.

I met John Knight at my 2nd San Diego Con. John and I hit it off and we remain best friends today. He was best man at my wedding, and I was best man at his wedding. We even ran a combined Overstreet ad together for a few years. John, headquartered in Maryland and me in California. Now, we live a few blocks away from each other. We were looking for similar books. It was the end of the GA superhero boom and we were some of the earliest dealers in pursuit of Fox GGA, Avons, PCH and SF titles. Everyone was looking for a copy of Reform School Girl, Teen-age Dope Slaves, etc. I remember getting a call from a longtime friend Dr David Anderson is VA. He called me to ask if I wanted to buy a copy of Reform School Girl he just purchased. He said he din't like the book, it was just a romance book. Naturally, I bought it from him. That's enough for today on this. I'll try and answer some of the pedigree questions you have been asking next. 

When you have time what year and where was this taken?

 

[PopKulture]

6 minutes ago, N e r V said:

When you have time what year and where was this taken?

 

Early 80's for sure, as that little X-Men 137 Death of Phoenix issue that's peeking out would tend to suggest. I'll say 1981 where that would be a few months old by then and a hot book. Heck, it was a hot book that month though, too.

Some notable board books for me include: Space Thrillers, Hooded Menace (keeping with the Avon theme), that S+K Champion cover (10?), CMJr 1, Our Flag, Captain America's Weird Tales, and Superman 52! All at prices I'm sure that would make this grown man cry.

p.s. I'd love a guess as to which tapes were in that boombox!

[Robot Man]

Yeah, great photo. How often do you see books like Our Flag, Champion, Space Thrillers and More Fun on dealers walls anymore? Think of the prices now. This was long before all the "second tier" books took off.

By the way, I'm not entirely sure, but that might be old school dealer Ritchie Halgua on the left. Ron will know.

[entalmighty1]

1 minute ago, Robot Man said:

Yeah, great photo. How often do you see books like Our Flag, Champion, Space Thrillers and More Fun on dealers walls anymore? Think of the prices now. This was long before all the "second tier" books took off.

By the way, I'm not entirely sure, but that might be old school dealer Ritchie Halgua on the left. Ron will know.

Plus Hooded Menace, Prize Comics, Weird Comics, Jackpot...a bunch of stuff I see on the forums quite a bit, but never for sale at cons.  What a great time to get to go to shows.

[Robot Man]

It sure was. I only wish I had the vision (and money) to buy up a lot more of that stuff when I could have. Even at Redbeard's "bargain" prices. 

[Primetime]

14 hours ago, PopKulture said:

Early 80's for sure, as that little X-Men 137 Death of Phoenix issue that's peeking out would tend to suggest. I'll say 1981 where that would be a few months old by then and a hot book. Heck, it was a hot book that month though, too.

Some notable board books for me include: Space Thrillers, Hooded Menace (keeping with the Avon theme), that S+K Champion cover (10?), CMJr 1, Our Flag, Captain America's Weird Tales, and Superman 52! All at prices I'm sure that would make this grown man cry.

p.s. I'd love a guess as to which tapes were in that boombox!

I see an All Select 2 lower right. Wonder if that was the Reilly copy, Ron?

Edited August 16, 2018 by Primetime

[MrBedrock]

15 hours ago, PopKulture said:

15 hours ago, N e r V said:

When you have time what year and where was this taken?

 

Early 80's for sure, as that little X-Men 137 Death of Phoenix issue that's peeking out would tend to suggest. I'll say 1981 where that would be a few months old by then and a hot book. Heck, it was a hot book that month though, too.

Some notable board books for me include: Space Thrillers, Hooded Menace (keeping with the Avon theme), that S+K Champion cover (10?), CMJr 1, Our Flag, Captain America's Weird Tales, and Superman 52! All at prices I'm sure that would make this grown man cry.

p.s. I'd love a guess as to which tapes were in that boombox!

I think that is Rich Halegua pictured talking to Ron. They used to set up next to each other. Rich is still active and sets up at OAF Con every year, mostly with movie paper.

[telerites]

36 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

I think that is Rich Halegua pictured talking to Ron. They used to set up next to each other. Rich is still active and sets up at OAF Con every year, mostly with movie paper.

Since, Mr. B mentioned Rich's OAFCON setups with hi mostly movie poster display which I always enjoy seeing and visiting with Rich.  He has a movie poster auction site which I bid in often.  Not sure if it is okay to post the link but if someone wants me to edit, let me know - http://www.mpb.auction

Didn't he also have quite a bit of vintage OA?

[Sqeggs]

On 8/14/2018 at 9:47 PM, sagii said:

@Redbeard Before reading a post you made in your other Thread i was thinking "He must be saying to himself what have i gotten myself into?!?  "

Well like @Robot Man said, take your time and answer each inquiry at your leisure, but please hang in there and stick around. There's been more action on your posts than what's become the norm lately, and it's very encouraging. Oh and no hurry, but please choose an Avatar ,  (It's like a calling card and makes the posts stand out more imho).  

Anyway, on to my question. RM (that's my shorthand for Robot man) says you were present at the San Francisco find. I purchased this book from R.B. (you know the initials ) as a San Francisco copy. Because it has no distinguishable markings and isn't high grade i have nothing to go on but his word. PQ is nice though. Does the copy look familiar to you? Is there any other ways that i can determine if it is indeed a SF copy i'd greatly appreciate the point in the right direction. Answer when it bets suits your schedule sir, and thanks for joining! 

I can't say with certainty, but in recent years BB has been selling books as Reilly copies or "might be Reilly copies" that seem unlikely to be.  I think he sold all the copies he had from the original find a long, long time ago.

I was actually at the Berkeley Con when the SF books first surfaced.  Not that I knew what was happening.  All these years later, I still don't know what's happening! 

[sagii]

1 minute ago, Sqeggs said:

I can't say with certainty, but in recent years BB has been selling books as Reilly copies or "might be Reilly copies" that seem unlikely to be.  I think he sold all the copies he had from the original find a long, long time ago.

I was actually at the Berkeley Con when the SF books first surfaced.  Not that I knew what was happening.  All these years later, I still don't know what's happening! 

..I love the book anyway, always loved the cover, but if it's a SF copy -Waaay cool!

If not, hey still cool. 

[Sqeggs]

3 minutes ago, sagii said:

7 minutes ago, Sqeggs said:

I can't say with certainty, but in recent years BB has been selling books as Reilly copies or "might be Reilly copies" that seem unlikely to be.  I think he sold all the copies he had from the original find a long, long time ago.

I was actually at the Berkeley Con when the SF books first surfaced.  Not that I knew what was happening.  All these years later, I still don't know what's happening! 

..I love the book anyway, always loved the cover, but if it's a SF copy -Waaay cool!

If not, hey still cool. 

Definitely a cool book either way. 

I don't know if we'll ever know the full story of the SF books.  As has been discussed in several threads, some that BB participated in, and others that were started after he left, the original story doesn't add up in a number of respects.  My impression is that the family may not have given the original buyers -- BB, Plant, and John Barrett (I think) -- a true account, or else whatever the family did say got garbled.   

But maybe Redbeard can fill in some of the blanks. 

[jimjum12]

5 hours ago, MrBedrock said:

I think that is Rich Halegua pictured talking to Ron. They used to set up next to each other. Rich is still active and sets up at OAF Con every year, mostly with movie paper.

Halegula  has all kind of cool stuff ….. I got a black leather jacket from him that belonged to Simon Bisley, it has a hand painted Joker on the back  GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

[Robot Man]

48 minutes ago, Sqeggs said:

Definitely a cool book either way. 

I don't know if we'll ever know the full story of the SF books.  As has been discussed in several threads, some that BB participated in, and others that were started after he left, the original story doesn't add up in a number of respects.  My impression is that the family may not have given the original buyers -- BB, Plant, and John Barrett (I think) -- a true account, or else whatever the family did say got garbled.   

But maybe Redbeard can fill in some of the blanks. 

? lotta smoke under that bridge I suspect.

I have relatives named Reilly that live in Burlingame (by Piedmont in the Bay Area). I should ask them if they have any old comics laying around.  ?

[Redbeard]

On 8/14/2018 at 6:47 PM, sagii said:

@Redbeard Before reading a post you made in your other Thread i was thinking "He must be saying to himself what have i gotten myself into?!?  "

Well like @Robot Man said, take your time and answer each inquiry at your leisure, but please hang in there and stick around. There's been more action on your posts than what's become the norm lately, and it's very encouraging. Oh and no hurry, but please choose an Avatar ,  (It's like a calling card and makes the posts stand out more imho).  

Anyway, on to my question. RM (that's my shorthand for Robot man) says you were present at the San Francisco find. I purchased this book from R.B. (you know the initials ) as a San Francisco copy. Because it has no distinguishable markings and isn't high grade i have nothing to go on but his word. PQ is nice though. Does the copy look familiar to you? Is there any other ways that i can determine if it is indeed a SF copy i'd greatly appreciate the point in the right direction. Answer when it bets suits your schedule sir, and thanks for joining! 

I like the cover, but I don't believe this is from the SF collection. The only letter I've ever seen on SF copies is the letter "G".