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Stolen AF 15 CGC 5.0 Wizard Chicago
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178 posts in this topic

I think it's important to keep this topic alive for a long time. Everyone is going to be on the lookout for this for some time, and if the thief has any intelligence (despite no integrity), then he's going to attempt to wait it out until the heat dies down.

I'm going to visit some shops (here in Michigan) after work. I'll definitely be asking them to spread the word on this.

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8 hours ago, TwoPiece said:

 he's going to attempt to wait it out until the heat dies down.

I disagree. You steal stuff to get rid of it as quick as possible to put cash in your pocket.

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9 hours ago, RCheli said:

People need to stop blaming Leroy -- or any victim -- for what happened. A bad person stole something from him. I wasn't there but I'm sure that Leroy had many helpers and others looking out for his stuff. The thief -- as thieves are wont to do -- found a way around these things, and quickly ran off with a comic during a likely busy and hectic time. He doesn't need to hear how to sell or display his books.

He's been doing shows for decades. (Heck, I met him when he did 3 of my shows in Chicago in 2004 and 2005 and he had been setting up all over for a while before that.) He knows what he's doing. 

What would help the most is that people -- especially those in the Midwest -- be on the lookout for an AF #15 with a bit of a wrap issue and some stress around the top staple.

Hey, I think I know you from those 2004/2005 shows, where I originally met Leroy. Were these at the Navy Pier location, Sunday shows  ? Those were fun shows, except parking was tough. 

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On 8/30/2018 at 12:27 PM, blazingbob said:

The way to minimize the theft of wall books is to not let customers behind the booth.  That schmoozing and customer service can all be handled across the table.

Now for the blind guys who can't see I'm sorry but maybe you need to buy some glasses.  It is not an inconvenience for me to get the books off the wall and show them to you.  Besides I am not a fan of the person who goes behind my booth and starts pulling books off the wall.  You drop em,  you buy em.

I have never been a fan of open booth configurations.

And I'm personally troubled by that. I started buying older comics (SA and BA X-Men and Batman) at Conventions when I was 9 years old. I read the Overstreets and went online, but my first exposure to the actual books was the dealers who were generous enough to let me behind the booths and see the books on the walls, and physically hold them. I'm eternally grateful to the dealer who, when he saw a little kid staring reverently a wall filled with every major Batman key, to go ahead and take down any book he wanted to look at. That was a formative moment for me, and kept the buying spark alive. Now maybe it was easy to say that because I obviously wasn't going to run off with a book, but it mattered nonetheless. And I'd hate to see dealers stop building those kinds of relationships in that way.

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On 8/29/2018 at 8:58 PM, HENRYSPENCER said:

You should also create eBay searches using the titles of all the missing books, bookmark those pages and put in the Chicago, Illinois zipcode 60007 and carefully note any book listed on eBay in that area for the next year.

The zip codes are a total waste of time, Chicago has a proud tradition of exporting its crime to the suburbs, Rockford, and nearby cities in Wisconsin and Indiana.

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On 8/30/2018 at 11:27 AM, blazingbob said:

Now for the blind guys who can't see I'm sorry but maybe you need to buy some glasses.  It is not an inconvenience for me to get the books off the wall and show them to you.  Besides I am not a fan of the person who goes behind my booth and starts pulling books off the wall.  You drop em,  you buy em.

I have never been a fan of open booth configurations.  That need to maximize how much stuff you can get into that configuration opens you up to theft.  2-3 people cannot watch and serve customers,  especially on busy days.  Hiring security costs money.  More help costs money.  Camera's cost money,  setting them up takes time and money.  Did I mention all of this costs $$$$$.   

As I've said it is hard for me to watch and also chat.  It is also exhausting to have to watch 20 feet of inventory for 12 hours straight. 

 

Though I am not disagreeing with you in the least bit, a couple comments. If I go behind the booth, I look without touching. If I do want to hold a book, I still ask for permission.Often, it is not the wall books I need to see but the better stuff in the boxes behind the booth. How is a customer supposed to see these ? 

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2 minutes ago, Bomber-Bob said:

Though I am not disagreeing with you in the least bit, a couple comments. If I go behind the booth, I look without touching. If I do want to hold a book, I still ask for permission.Often, it is not the wall books I need to see but the better stuff in the boxes behind the booth. How is a customer supposed to see these ? 

Bob,  If a customer asks then I will let them in and they can look.  I am talking about a "Open door to my wall".  With a open configuration you have no control or how many people are back there.  With a closed configuration there is less of a chance that somebody is unattended while they are browsing.  

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8 minutes ago, blazingbob said:

I have never been rude to kids who wanted to look at books.  All I have asked if that they be careful if they are going through boxes.  I do not refuse to let them look at wall books or hold them.  I have a lot of customers that I've sold to when they were young.    

 

So you’re old?

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39 minutes ago, blazingbob said:

Bob,  If a customer asks then I will let them in and they can look.  I am talking about a "Open door to my wall".

And I'm sure repeat/experienced customers would be knowledgeable enough, and confident enough, to ask you if they can go in and get a closer look. But for someone just starting out, that's gonna be quite an intimidating experience, especially if they're on the younger side. Prior to my first convention I had never been in the same room as any of the books that dealers routinely have multiples of on their walls (I'm not even talking about true grail books like Batman 1, but something like a high grade Hulk 181)--it would never have occurred to me that I could go into the wall area. If you close off your wall area, I think it has the potential to stop young and new collectors dead in their tracks, because it'll never pop into their heads that they can just ask to get closer.

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What's the difference if they are in a glass case or on my wall?  If they wanted to hold the book they would still have to ask in both instances.  

You are focused on the younger collector and I'm focused on the general public waltzing up to my wall books regardless of who they are or how many are back there.

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3 minutes ago, blazingbob said:

You are focused on the younger collector and I'm focused on the general public waltzing up to my wall books regardless of who they are or how many are back there.

Sure, I'm focused on the younger collector because my entire interest in this activity dates back to the fact that dealers in the past were willing to let me waltz back to their wall area and get right up to any books I pleased. You're talking about a strict policy that would've made that impossible, and I disagreed with it, so I wanted to provide my little slice of perspective. Your concern is certainly valid--I wish it weren't, but if we're trying to keep this thread at the top, I might as well advocate for a little laxity when it comes to access to the wall.

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1 hour ago, wasonff said:

Not sure who you’re talking about.  All I saw at Bob’s booth was this young fellar wearing a baseball hat when I dropped by.

I think that guy was security. 

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10 hours ago, DR.X said:

I disagree. You steal stuff to get rid of it as quick as possible to put cash in your pocket.

Depends on the thief.  In this case it might have been a collector who stole it for their collection.   He may have stolen it just to have it.  As far as never being able to show it off to people, I have plenty of things that no one sees or knows that I have in my various collections.  I feel sorry for Leroy.  As he originally stated, while he would like to have the book back, insurance will make him whole.  However, more than likely, he may not see that book ever again whether it is because the book does not turn up or because once he is paid out through insurance, if the book is recovered, it could become the property of the insurance company.

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46 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

Depends on the thief.  In this case it might have been a collector who stole it for their collection.   He may have stolen it just to have it.  As far as never being able to show it off to people, I have plenty of things that no one sees or knows that I have in my various collections.  I feel sorry for Leroy.  As he originally stated, while he would like to have the book back, insurance will make him whole.  However, more than likely, he may not see that book ever again whether it is because the book does not turn up or because once he is paid out through insurance, if the book is recovered, it could become the property of the insurance company.

well, until he either gets caught or this book shows up we will never know. we can speculate till the cows come home. I feel sorry for him to as this is one expensive book. I do hope the mf er gets caught. too bad someone didn't catch him in the act and rearrange his lower jaw.

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13 hours ago, bpc3qh said:

And I'm sure repeat/experienced customers would be knowledgeable enough, and confident enough, to ask you if they can go in and get a closer look. But for someone just starting out, that's gonna be quite an intimidating experience, especially if they're on the younger side. Prior to my first convention I had never been in the same room as any of the books that dealers routinely have multiples of on their walls (I'm not even talking about true grail books like Batman 1, but something like a high grade Hulk 181)--it would never have occurred to me that I could go into the wall area. If you close off your wall area, I think it has the potential to stop young and new collectors dead in their tracks, because it'll never pop into their heads that they can just ask to get closer.

Totally disagree.  

You make it sound like people can't see from a small distance away, especially young people.

How is it intimidating to see a book from 5 ft away and say,"excuse me sir, May I see that Hulk 181?"  Then magic happens the dealer will bring the book down from the wall for you and quote you a price. 

Edited by NewWorldOrder
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