any hints at finding a "weirdest thing that's happened when you gone to look at a collection" thread? 0

[kav]

I just turned 40 cents into 10 trillion USD courtesy 1950s!!!

[1950's war comics]

2 minutes ago, kav said:

I just turned 40 cents into 10 trillion USD courtesy 1950s!!!

do you have change for a three ??

[kav]

1 minute ago, 1950's war comics said:

do you have change for a three ??

   

[WolverineX]

5 hours ago, Bookery said:

Since this thread has some interesting potential, I'll keep it alive by posting a real one this time.  However... this isn't so much a strange event as simply an annoying one... and one probably similar to many of us.  Now, I rarely go to look at collections anymore, unless it's simply too large a collection for the customer to bring to me.  I buy collections nearly every day, so if I'm out on a wild goose chase with a non-serious seller, I'm likely missing a collection that came into the shop while I was out.

But in my younger naive days I went galloping after collections quite often.  This call was a typical one... we've got Action #1... really really really... the real one!  Now even then I wasn't dumb enough to get duped into this on the surface.  This was in the mid-'90s, and the Treasury-size reprint was only about 20 years old, and you'd get a call like this about every month.  Nobody just has an Action #1 by itself tucked away.  I explained that this was likely the oversize reprint.  "No!  It's literally impossible", they proclaim.  You see, according to them, this book has been locked away in a safe since at least the 1950s, and they just opened the safe recently for the estate.  I don't know what they have, but I'm still certain it's not the 1938 book.  However, they go on to say the have around 200 other old comics, all with 10-cent cover prices.  Okay... so now I'm intrigued... forget about the Action #1, they may have an interesting group of other golden-age books.

So I travel way out into the country... about a 60-minute drive.  It's a modest ranch home tucked back in the trees.  I go inside and a whole family is sitting around waiting for my arrival.  First things first... they want me to see their fabulous Action #1.  They bring it from out of whatever sanctuary they store it and hand it to me.  Surprise!  It's the big ol' Treasury reprint.

I'm annoyed not because it's not real... but because they clearly fabricated a story about it's history.  I'm assuming they are going to be enraged when I tell them what it is.  But I tell them.  Now to add insult to injury, they don't get mad, but rather matter-of-factly reply--

"Yeah... that's kinda what we thought."

So by now you're probably remembering that news item from the '90s about the rural Ohio family found slaughtered in their home... no clue as to their killer save one member clutching a crumpled up '70s reprint comic?  No, no, no.  That didn't happen.  I kept my calm.  And I remembered to inquire about the other comics.  "Of course", they said.  So we went down into the basement where they did indeed have what they said (this time)... about 200 10-cent comics divided into a dozen stacks or so.  Again... a bit of a disappointment... no hero or sf books... nearly all Dells comprised of various westerns, Disney, and other humor books.  Not terrible condition, but nothing special... about "vg".  Still... it's okay box-fodder and if I can make a deal, the whole trip won't be wasted.  So I ask what they want for them.

"Oh... these are not for sale.  We just thought you'd find them neat to look at!"

......

Did a mention that I rarely drive out to look at collections anymore?  

Look at the bright side, at least you didn't have to look at blurry pictures of some random craiglist dude's genitals

Edited December 10, 2018 by Wolverinex

[lizards2]

8 minutes ago, Wolverinex said:

Look at the bright side, at least you didn't have to look at blurry pictures of some random craiglist dude's genitals

You say that like it's a bad thing...., 

[mrwoogieman]

11 hours ago, lizards2 said:

11 hours ago, Wolverinex said:

Look at the bright side, at least you didn't have to look at blurry pictures of some random craiglist dude's genitals

You say that like it's a bad thing...., 

Sorry, the Greggy titillation thread is already up and running elsewhere on the boards. Off you trot!

 

 

[Hekla]

A story that fits the Annoying category

A few years ago, I was looking thru a box of 90’s drek at an estate sale when a woman approached me saying she had some old Tracy comics for sale, 10 cent covers, among ‘a few other old comics’ so we made an arrangement for me to drive out to her house the next day – it was clear across the other side of the county (Maricopa County is a BIG county), so it took a while to get there. I didn’t know what to expect, so I had the latest OSPG and a notebook in case I had hit the motherlode. When I entered the house, there were hardback and paperback books everywhere – looked like a hoarders house, plus one corner had a lot of shipping supplies. Turned out she was an Amazon seller and hit up estate sales for inventory. Anyway, she excitedly pulls out a small box of about 30-35 comics, but they are the early 80’s DT reprints that faithfully reprint the original covers, including the 10-cent price on the cover. I make sure I show the lady the indica with 1982, etc. and explain that they are work very little and that I would not be interested. She then asks me to wait while she runs to another room and brings out other comics – most were Copper age superhero (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, etc.), but not much better than the drek I had walked away from the previous day. THEN, as I was starting to leave, she starts to tell me of other comics she had found in the past and sold on Amazon – Bronze age spidey’s and Uncanny X-men and it hits me… she knew a little bit more about comics than she was initially letting and I was beginning to suspect she knew the Tracys were reprints the whole time: she didn’t act surprised when I told her the comics weren’t original and she pulled out the other comics as a desperation act…. she was looking for a sucker. I was done at that point.

I know traveling around and looking thru near-worthless collections is par for the course in this hobby, but dealing with someone who is knowing being deceptive is another matter.

[kav]

9 minutes ago, Hekla said:

A story that fits the Annoying category

A few years ago, I was looking thru a box of 90’s drek at an estate sale when a woman approached me saying she had some old Tracy comics for sale, 10 cent covers, among ‘a few other old comics’ so we made an arrangement for me to drive out to her house the next day – it was clear across the other side of the county (Maricopa County is a BIG county), so it took a while to get there. I didn’t know what to expect, so I had the latest OSPG and a notebook in case I had hit the motherlode. When I entered the house, there were hardback and paperback books everywhere – looked like a hoarders house, plus one corner had a lot of shipping supplies. Turned out she was an Amazon seller and hit up estate sales for inventory. Anyway, she excitedly pulls out a small box of about 30-35 comics, but they are the early 80’s DT reprints that faithfully reprint the original covers, including the 10-cent price on the cover. I make sure I show the lady the indica with 1982, etc. and explain that they are work very little and that I would not be interested. She then asks me to wait while she runs to another room and brings out other comics – most were Copper age superhero (Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight, etc.), but not much better than the drek I had walked away from the previous day. THEN, as I was starting to leave, she starts to tell me of other comics she had found in the past and sold on Amazon – Bronze age spidey’s and Uncanny X-men and it hits me… she knew a little bit more about comics than she was initially letting and I was beginning to suspect she knew the Tracys were reprints the whole time: she didn’t act surprised when I told her the comics weren’t original and she pulled out the other comics as a desperation act…. she was looking for a sucker. I was done at that point.

 

I know traveling around and looking thru near-worthless collections is par for the course in this hobby, but dealing with someone who is knowing being deceptive is another matter.

 

Yep definitely a sucker-hunting time waster.

[evilskip]

Back in the 80's one of my buddies would go just about anywhere to check out collections. He saw an ad in the paper and followed up on it. The woman was selling her late son's comic collection. These were all Marvel and DC from the 60's and at first glance seemed perfect. As he excitedly started going through the box, he felt that there was something a little odd or off about them. So he took one out of the bag and discovered itl had been trimmed to fit into modern age bags.

The mother was beaming. She said "I knew these books had to be in bags to be safe so I bought a few hundred bags and trimmed all ofthe comics to fit".

He said he was almost weeping on the walk back to the car.

 

 

Edited December 10, 2018 by evilskip
spelling

[500Club]

19 hours ago, 1950's war comics said:

19 hours ago, kav said:

hey anywhere ya can buy hundys for like $90?

yeah sure.... you can buy one of these $100 bills for only $80 US

I'll sell you some for $80 US.

[1950's war comics]

On 12/9/2018 at 9:27 PM, kav said:

I just turned 40 cents into 10 trillion USD courtesy 1950s!!!

Kav is trying to make me live like this .....

[kav]

Just now, 1950's war comics said:

Kav is trying to make me live like this .....

sorry but you know its not personal-its business

[ADAMANTIUM]

2 minutes ago, 1950's war comics said:

On 12/9/2018 at 8:27 PM, kav said:

just turned 40 cents into 10 trillion USD courtesy 1950s!!!

Kav is trying to make me live like this .....

Then you'll be rich enough to take a ride over Niagara falls  

The trip you've always longed for! But WAIT THERE'S MORE!

Kav will deem you worthy of it all! Don't wait! Call now and he'll double the offer! FREE SHIPPING!!!.

[kav]

1 minute ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

Then you'll be rich enough to take a ride over Niagara falls  

The trip you've always longed for! But WAIT THERE'S MORE!

Kav will deem you worthy of it all! Don't wait! Call now and he'll double the offer! FREE SHIPPING!!!.

yes at NIAGARA FALLS, Kav will give you FREE SHIPPING over the falls!!!

[Buzzetta]

Couple of times I just didn't feel safe... and I left... 

[Pirate]

On 12/7/2018 at 5:14 PM, Shrevvy said:

Several years ago, I responded to a craigslist ad in Atlanta. I asked for some additional pictures of the collection. He sent me several of the books laid out on the floor. He took the pics naked. How do I know? Pointing the camera towards the floor, every picture had his...ah, manhood, visible in the pic. I never responded. A few days later he emailed again saying it was an accident and the books were still available. Sure... 

Sorry Shrevvy I'm reformed now

[Artboy99]

On ‎2018‎/‎12‎/‎07 at 3:14 PM, Shrevvy said:

Several years ago, I responded to a craigslist ad in Atlanta. I asked for some additional pictures of the collection. He sent me several of the books laid out on the floor. He took the pics naked. How do I know? Pointing the camera towards the floor, every picture had his...ah, manhood, visible in the pic. I never responded. A few days later he emailed again saying it was an accident and the books were still available. Sure... 

The "He Focused on Junk" collection?

[Robot Man]

On 12/7/2018 at 1:01 PM, NoMan said:

I believe someone here in Los Angeles went to the hood. Left money in car. Rough looking characters but it all turned out as advertised. 

I mean weird stories with a capital W!   You go to look at the collection and the guy is dressed as one of the My Little Ponies. Or Collector (husband) is having a full on fight with wife while you are looking through books. Something weird you've seen at a collector's house like maybe a temple set up in remembrance of Anton Levay or a collection of prosthetic arms or legs.

 

I think you might have been refering to my story...

Probably 10 years ago I bought a few books from an ebay seller. This was back when you could get their email or phone number. I inquired if he had any more? He replied yes, he had a lot more. He lived in LA so we agreed to meet at his place. Jumped in the car and realized he was in a very rough part of East LA. You know the place where the cars "hop" in the rap videos... Thought about it but went anyway. Pulled up to the house and got out of the car. I noticed that there were several people checking me out and not in a friendly way so I decided to leave my money in the trunk. I thought about leaving then I remembered those nice Atomic Age books from ebay...

I went up to the house and rang the doorbell. A rather large Latin gentleman with the unmistakable smell of beer on his breath came to the door. He smiled and seemed OK so I felt a little better. We walked around the house to a small garage in back. In the garage were several other kind of tough looking guys leaning over the engine compartment of a beautiful '62 Impala Lowrider. I'm a bit of a car guy so I commented on how cool it was and we talked some car talk for a few minutes. 

The guy who answered the door walked over to an old un-plugged refrigerator in the back and said the comics were in here. He said he was renting the place and someone had left the comics there. I gasped a little when the door opened. It was literally full of stacks of books. First pile I picked up had a beautiful Cap #74 on top. I basically just thumbed the stack and then I asked him what he wanted. He said he knew nothing about them but would $$$ work? I tried to make him think I was thinking about it.  and said, sure I think that would work. Figuring he got them for free I'm sure he was overjoyed. So me, him and a couple of the lowrider dudes loaded them into boxes and took them out to my car where I paid and thanked him and was on my way. I hit the 110 freeway with my heart pounding and my head spinning. I had really no idea what I had until I got home. And, I wasn't disappointed!

 

[kav]

39 minutes ago, Artboy99 said:

The "He Focused on Junk" collection?

drek

[kav]

20 minutes ago, Robot Man said:

I think you might have been refering to my story...

Probably 10 years ago I bought a few books from an ebay seller. This was back when you could get their email or phone number. I inquired if he had any more? He replied yes, he had a lot more. He lived in LA so we agreed to meet at his place. Jumped in the car and realized he was in a very rough part of East LA. You know the place where the cars "hop" in the rap videos... Thought about it but went anyway. Pulled up to the house and got out of the car. I noticed that there were several people checking me out and not in a friendly way so I decided to leave my money in the trunk. I thought about leaving then I remembered those nice Atomic Age books from ebay...

I went up to the house and rang the doorbell. A rather large Latin gentleman with the unmistakable smell of beer on his breath came to the door. He smiled and seemed OK so I felt a little better. We walked around the house to a small garage in back. In the garage were several other kind of tough looking guys leaning over the engine compartment of a beautiful '62 Impala Lowrider. I'm a bit of a car guy so I commented on how cool it was and we talked some car talk for a few minutes. 

The guy who answered the door walked over to an old un-plugged refrigerator in the back and said the comics were in here. He said he was renting the place and someone had left the comics there. I gasped a little when the door opened. It was literally full of stacks of books. First pile I picked up had a beautiful Cap #74 on top. I basically just thumbed the stack and then I asked him what he wanted. He said he knew nothing about them but would $$$ work? I tried to make him think I was thinking about it.  and said, sure I think that would work. Figuring he got them for free I'm sure he was overjoyed. So me, him and a couple of the lowrider dudes loaded them into boxes and took them out to my car where I paid and thanked him and was on my way. I hit the 110 freeway with my heart pounding and my head spinning. I had really no idea what I had until I got home. And, I wasn't disappointed!

 

Part 2:
     Apparently one of his lowrider buddies was on ebay looking at rims and just for kicks started searching what the books were worth.  It didnt take long before they all hopped in lowrider, armed for bear, and sped out of the neighborhood.

-to be continued.