Support your LCS! But why? 2 2

[D84]

7 hours ago, Cruzin' Thru Comics said:

5. If you sell me something that turns out to be aproblem...don't hassle me about it. Just take the damn return. You sell me something that turns out to berestored, just take the book back.

 

unrealistic to expect shop owners to be restoration experts. Processing hundreds if not thousands of back issues. Probably not enough time even if knew how. I would just place a sign stating no guarantees of non restoration. All sales final. 

I'd see that sign, turn around, walk.away and never look back.

[manetteska]

21 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

And that goes for convention dealers as well. If you balk at GPA, and complain that you have "costs" to setting up...costs you would have to pay whether I buy anything from you or not...then I'm not going to buy from you. I pay eBay's 10%, and I can be negotiated down to GPA (or less) and offer free shipping...so I understand overhead. 

Not to derail into convention pricing, but...

I understand sellers "adjusting" raw prices for conventions as sellers can see the comic in-person, flip through it, make sure the centerfold is attached (or even smell it), etc. I get that. What I don't get is jacking up prices on graded comics when the price (at least on non-GA) is pretty much known. If I can buy an ASM 129 9.0 for $2000 with a couple clicks, at home, why would I buy it for $2500 at a convention?

[dupont2005]

7 hours ago, Cruzin' Thru Comics said:

5. If you sell me something that turns out to be aproblem...don't hassle me about it. Just take the damn return. You sell me something that turns out to berestored, just take the book back.

 

unrealistic to expect shop owners to be restoration experts. Processing hundreds if not thousands of back issues. Probably not enough time even if knew how. I would just place a sign stating no guarantees of non restoration. All sales final. 

It’s unrealistic to expect them to be restoration experts but if it’s sold as unrestored at an unrestored price it’s not unreasonable at all to expect them to accept returns 

[F For Fake]

15 hours ago, october said:

I was there last week actually. Wish I had been there in January when that nice silver age collection was fresh in.

Yeah, I got lots of goodies from that jaw-dropping collection, but all of the big stuff blew out the door almost as soon as it dropped. Within an hour or so of the first posting on instragram, they'd already sold the ASM1, X-Men 1, Avengers 1, etc. all to one guy, I believe. I got in the next morning and got FF 6-10 (to go with the FF 5 I picked up there a couple of months before) and have picked up other random goodies here and there. I also appreciate the way they've been handling that collection, which they are still slowly rolling out: they're not holding books for people, they're just putting a few out at a time, and whoever gets to them first can have them. Seems like the only fair way to handle it. The sharks were really circling those first few weeks but it has slacked off a bit and they are still putting out nice stuff. The early silver marvels were mostly beaters but the mid-60's and up stuff is all in nice shape, most of it VF or better.

[F For Fake]

15 hours ago, NoMan said:

Did The Great Escape use to have ads in the Overstreet guide way back in the day? Guys in a giant ballon or something like that? 

Probably. It's a chain here in the mid-south/south. The headquarters it the Nashville store, which is about 50/50 records and comics, or it may even lean a little more in the records direction, actually. They used to own several shops. I'm not sure how many of them are still open, but the Louisville branch seems to still be going strong. They do neat stuff like festivals, etc. My band played their Record Store Day festival a couple of weeks ago. Stuff like that, community engagement, is really important for shops, I think.

[RockMyAmadeus]

8 hours ago, Cruzin' Thru Comics said:

5. If you sell me something that turns out to be aproblem...don't hassle me about it. Just take the damn return. You sell me something that turns out to berestored, just take the book back.

 

unrealistic to expect shop owners to be restoration experts. Processing hundreds if not thousands of back issues. Probably not enough time even if knew how. I would just place a sign stating no guarantees of non restoration. All sales final. 

Who said anything about expecting them to be restoration experts...? That's why I said "turns out to be restored." I do expect, however, people dealing in a product to have a more than cursory familiarity with the known issues of that product. 

And who is processing hundreds if not thousands of back issues, and in what type of time frame, and what kind of books are we talking about? Quarter books? Or $500 books? Someone color touches a quarter book, fine, no biggie. But a $500 book? Different story.

If you're going to "all sales final" your customers, we're right back to why people don't support stores. If you want to "all sales final" everyone, you have that right...and customers are going to say "not worth it" and go somewhere else. The point is to attract and keep customers, not have in place policies designed to repel them.

[RockMyAmadeus]

58 minutes ago, manetteska said:

Not to derail into convention pricing, but...

I understand sellers "adjusting" raw prices for conventions as sellers can see the comic in-person, flip through it, make sure the centerfold is attached (or even smell it), etc. I get that. What I don't get is jacking up prices on graded comics when the price (at least on non-GA) is pretty much known. If I can buy an ASM 129 9.0 for $2000 with a couple clicks, at home, why would I buy it for $2500 at a convention?

I foolishly and naively thought that, once CGC and GPA became mainstream, that dealers would realize this. How utterly naive I was. I go to conventions nationwide, and there are, perhaps, 2-3 dealers that I spend any money with. Unless there's something really special about that copy...and in that case, it should be advertised...why would I spend $X with you, when, for 20-50% less, I can buy essentially the same thing off of eBay/Heritage/ComicLink, etc?

I understand your overhead. I get it. I maintain an inventory, too. But I WANT to spend money with you. I don't need, nor do I expect, "flipper" pricing. But your X-Men #94 9.4 on the wall for $3,000? No.

[Robot Man]

21 hours ago, NoMan said:

I really like George (owner of Comics Factory) and support his store. I've got a special order of Seth's Clyde's Fans collected works that I could buy on Amazon for 25$ cheaper, but like I said, I really like George and his store. He doesn't do back issues cause that's not his thing so it's pointless to complain about it. It's like going into McDonalds and complaining they don't serve sushi. Everyone working in his store has always been nice to me and greet me by name. They let me know what's up in the reprint department and know I don't care about new stuff. When I asked about new stuff, they fill me in. I'm not an expert on new stuff so I can't really comment if they are experts on new stuff.

P. Dot's collectables is great. Just up Lake Ave. in Pasadena, but technically in Altadena. Lawerence, the owner and his wife Stacey are super cool. He has back issues and nicer back issues in a glass case. There aren't any AF15s or Xmen 1s for everybody to kick around and comment on, but he's got some interesting stuff. If I want something more valuable in the way of back issues, Lawerence usually finds it for me. I've volunteered to Lawerence to help him set up at local cons to get an idea of what it's like to experience a con from the other side of the table and I can certainly see why dealers can get grumpy. Man some customers are obnoxious and a drag. But then I do spend money at P Dots so he does know I'm just not someone talking his ear off. I make it worth his while. Regardless, give him a try.

As has been mentioned here, House of Secrets in Burbank is a s-hole in every sense although their history is semi interesting with this character named Bruce who puts on cons in the LA area and owned the store before current owners although it was up the street a bit on Olive Ave. I've tried to get at Bruce's collection to get him to sell with no luck. He always runs around before the convention opens its doors and scoops up cool books and he's been doing it since 1988-ish so needless to say, he's got a nice collection. I went to a con of his in 1989 at the time of the first Batman with Keaton and Keaton was there. A near riot kicked off with waves of people about to kick in the hall's glass doors until it became a free for all. I honestly thought Kent State was gonna happen again. Or it was a Butthole Surfers show. Again, to be clear, HOS is a waste. Don't go.

The jury on Rocket Blast (or Blast Off or ?) in North Hollywood is still out. Owner Josh is interesting to talk to although his prices are high. Very high. I think his reasoning is "the Hollywood crowd can afford it." If you want to look at books like ASM 1 or DD 1, go here. 

Carr (owner of Earth 2 in Sherman Oaks) is super cool and has a nice, but medium sized to smallish, back issue stuff. He'll work with you on prices. Try him if you haven't.

That's about it that I know of. I like back issues so mainly I ignore stores that don't carry them.

I sometimes feel everything is a race to the bottom and the results of that race aren't going to be good. "But I can get it a couple of bucks cheaper here!" Cool. I hate hardware stores and home improvement sh*t and there's a Mom and Pop in Altadena I go to because I don't have to search a vast warehouse for someone. They just get it for me. I'm sure it's more expensive than Home Depot. If I go to a Mom and Pop and they're rude, I don't go back. It's in a really pretty part of town. Old fashioned town looking. It's pretty. Films are always shooting there to keep the fantasy alive that we haven't become a nation that's lost its way paved over with architecturally bland corporate warehouses filled with cheap sh*t from China. 

Bruce Schwartz. There is a name from the past. He has run the Shrine (or whatever it is now) for probably 40 years. I used to go every month in it’s prime. Both as a buyer and a seller. He always wanted to know what I was selling and hit me the minute I walked in.  I finally gave it up when there was mostly new stuff and adult videos. It is still going on from what I hear. I didn’t know that House of Secrets was once his store. Only been in a few times and got a few older books. Never had any problem. 

I really don't know if any LA area stores that carry any decent vintage books. Is Geoffrey’s still around? I used to get some stuff there but since he passed away, I haven’t been there. I don’t want to drive to Hollywood or the Valley unless there are reasonable vintage books. Any suggestions?

My local shops don’t stock back issues but I do get supplies and the occasional TB’s. Nice folks but hard to figure out how they make it. 

[NoMan]

1 hour ago, Robot Man said:

Bruce Schwartz. There is a name from the past. He has run the Shrine (or whatever it is now) for probably 40 years. I used to go every month in it’s prime. Both as a buyer and a seller. He always wanted to know what I was selling and hit me the minute I walked in.  I finally gave it up when there was mostly new stuff and adult videos. It is still going on from what I hear. I didn’t know that House of Secrets was once his store. Only been in a few times and got a few older books. Never had any problem. 

I really don't know if any LA area stores that carry any decent vintage books. Is Geoffrey’s still around? I used to get some stuff there but since he passed away, I haven’t been there. I don’t want to drive to Hollywood or the Valley unless there are reasonable vintage books. Any suggestions?

My local shops don’t stock back issues but I do get supplies and the occasional TB’s. Nice folks but hard to figure out how they make it. 

Geoffrey's is there. Forgot the area. Take The 110 to like almost The 105 and head west. Some back issues, but not worth the drive from where I live. I believe the Geoffrey crew now own that famous comic shop in Santa Monica. Forgot the name. They have back issues but not worth the time to drive there and find parking. 

I really have no suggestions. Perhaps RMA does. Give P Dots in Altadena a try. If you're in Southern California best bet is to save your cash and head to Terry's con in Yorba Linda. I've always been out of town when the Torpedo con is going on so can't really say anything about that.

LOL @ porno at the comic con. Bruce does the con in downtown by the giant chair now. The Reef? Bruce knows me from wayy back but he still won't sell his collection to me. He just nervously bumbles around whenever I bring it up to him and waddles away, talking to himself. There was a guy (?) selling at Bruce's last year who wore a mask and sold candy and porn tapes. 

BTW: Bruce didn't call his shop HOS. Can't remember what he called his shop. It was just up Olive by the bank, which I used to bank at. The hottest bank teller use to work there and I would go in there and try to gather up the nerve to ask her for a date. One time I finally resolved myself to ask her out, stood in her line and the guy in front of me pulled out a gun and robbed the place. Everyone had to wait for the FBI to get there and were interviewed. I was interviewed with the hottie bank teller and during the interview I asked her out. The FBI agent got mad and said it wasn't "the time NOR the place."  I figured a woman would appreciate the seriousness of my query at such a time. She didn't. 

We never went out. 

Edited April 25, 2019 by NoMan

[october]

1 hour ago, F For Fake said:

Yeah, I got lots of goodies from that jaw-dropping collection, but all of the big stuff blew out the door almost as soon as it dropped. Within an hour or so of the first posting on instragram, they'd already sold the ASM1, X-Men 1, Avengers 1, etc. all to one guy, I believe. I got in the next morning and got FF 6-10 (to go with the FF 5 I picked up there a couple of months before) and have picked up other random goodies here and there. I also appreciate the way they've been handling that collection, which they are still slowly rolling out: they're not holding books for people, they're just putting a few out at a time, and whoever gets to them first can have them. Seems like the only fair way to handle it. The sharks were really circling those first few weeks but it has slacked off a bit and they are still putting out nice stuff. The early silver marvels were mostly beaters but the mid-60's and up stuff is all in nice shape, most of it VF or better.

I actually found 3-4 nice books with January price stickers on them. Books that should have sold months ago at those prices. That indicates there was a LOT of good stuff.

[newshane]

14 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

 

1. I don't want to be made to feel like you're doing me a favor by existing. I'm not walking in with a chip on my shoulder, thinking you owe me...I'd appreciate the same in reverse, ESPECIALLY since, in commerce, the goal is to make the customer satisfied...not the other way around. The benefit of the doubt...even if it's slight...should be towards the customer.

8. Don't treat me like I can't live without you. Even if I can't. 

 

There are a few prominent modern/sig. dealers here on the boards who could stand to learn these lessons. 

[slg343]

22 hours ago, dupont2005 said:

I worked at a local hardware store. They paid less than Lowe’s, offered no benefits, and employed the kind of that couldn’t get hired at Lowe’s. The owners wife and kids bankrupted the store by collecting large salaries and only showing up to work to shop on the company account.

Only reason I can see for supporting local Mom and Pop stores is if you want your town to be different then the thousands of towns around you.  I grew up in a small beach town in Florida and loved when it was only Mom and Pops with very few chains.  This changed of course because people didn't support them for obvious reasons Price and convenience.  Now it is just another Wal-Mart/Home Depot cookie cutter town.  Now when I visit family all people do is complain how the place has lost its charm lol.   I agree on Most Comic book shops being sub par but if you like having a comic shop in town support them.  If you don't care save money and buy online.

[the blob]

23 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

 I agree... 

Last fall when I made a facebook post seeking advice for a snowblower, one of my friends "strongly" advocated supporting local business. They made post after post whenever someone would link me to something at Home Depot or Lowe's about how local businesses needed support. 

I found the same snowblower for a few hundred dollars cheaper at Lowe's than the local mom and pop.  The mom and pop offered no perks worth spending a few hundred dollars more.   

It may be local business but it is my money. 

 

I got my fridge at a local shop after the cluelessness of the folks at Home Depot sent my wife into a rage. Slightly cheaper, next day delivery (because their warehouse is in Brooklyn, not 8 million miles away), and delivery guys who know how to get the appliances into old houses without destroying them. Home depot told us one model could not get through our door because they could not take the fridge door off. The local place was "of course you can take the door off." Admittedly, the local place is not exactly a "mom and pop shop," but it is one single location. Of course, my wife likes it when the sales people know the product, rather than someone working minimum wage who is stuck in appliances that day who might be in the paint section the next. OTOH, when I just wanted a cheap dryer I went big box. And then they installed it defectively and I had a gas leak that was slowly poisoning us.

 

As for comics...I can usually find something worthwhile in most shops. Admittedly, it might not be worth the time hunting, but it's fun. Of course, I have pretty broad collecting goals. Lots of folks here are down on shops in general. But let's face it, if all those shops disappear, the hobby probably has another 5 years left. As for cons, I always find tons of good stuff to buy, but yes, you're rarely going to get a real deal on a three or four digit key.

 

 

Edited April 25, 2019 by the blob

[newshane]

2 hours ago, F For Fake said:

The headquarters it the Nashville store, which is about 50/50 records and comics, or it may even lean a little more in the records direction, actually. They used to own several shops. I'm not sure how many of them are still open...

They are doing well. Two locations in Nashville proper and a new one just opened up in a big 'burb to the southeast. 

[JoshuaM]

I stopped into a shop near me recently,  and he told me he stopped carrying new comics.... just dealing in older books (the shop does other things too, anime, etc). 

Just seemed odd, with at least 3 other shops in town, seems like he'd definitely drive some folks away....

[Bookery]

16 minutes ago, JoshuaM said:

I stopped into a shop near me recently,  and he told me he stopped carrying new comics.... just dealing in older books (the shop does other things too, anime, etc). 

Just seemed odd, with at least 3 other shops in town, seems like he'd definitely drive some folks away....

New comics for us are now simply a loss leader.  Sales keep dropping year after year after year.  But you worry if you get rid of them, will it reduce traffic and hurt other departments?  At some point, however, there will come a tipping point for us.

[Robot Man]

1 hour ago, NoMan said:

Geoffrey's is there. Forgot the area. Take The 110 to like almost The 105 and head west. Some back issues, but not worth the drive from where I live. I believe the Geoffrey crew now own that famous comic shop in Santa Monica. Forgot the name. They have back issues but not worth the time to drive there and find parking. 

I really have no suggestions. Perhaps RMA does. Give P Dots in Altadena a try. If you're in Southern California best bet is to save your cash and head to Terry's con in Yorba Linda. I've always been out of town when the Torpedo con is going on so can't really say anything about that.

LOL @ porno at the comic con. Bruce does the con in downtown by the giant chair now. The Reef? Bruce knows me from wayy back but he still won't sell his collection to me. He just nervously bumbles around whenever I bring it up to him and waddles away, talking to himself. There was a guy (?) selling at Bruce's last year who wore a mask and sold candy and porn tapes. 

BTW: Bruce didn't call his shop HOS. Can't remember what he called his shop. It was just up Olive by the bank, which I used to bank at. The hottest bank teller use to work there and I would go in there and try to gather up the nerve to ask her for a date. One time I finally resolved myself to ask her out, stood in her line and the guy in front of me pulled out a gun and robbed the place. Everyone had to wait for the FBI to get there and were interviewed. I was interviewed with the hottie bank teller and during the interview I asked her out. The FBI agent got mad and said it wasn't "the time NOR the place."  I figured a woman would appreciate the seriousness of my query at such a time. She didn't. 

We never went out. 

Thanks for the tip. I will check out P Dots a try next time I'm up in Pasadena for a flea market. I really like to dig through long boxes and discover treasures priced right. Those days are pretty much gone now though. I have a table every year at Terry's show and went to the great Torpedo show. I usually don't have any problems buying books with the boards, ebay, and word of mouth. I have a couple of local thrift shops that hold stuff for me when it comes in but that is rather thin these days. Just like to dig around for fun and hopefly go home with something. I don't like to drive all round the LA/OC area for nothing though.

Bruce is a weird bird. I have known him since the dawn of time. I would imagine he has quite the collection. I have bumped into him at WonderCon a few times. He is always grumbling about the "high prices" and why I don't do his show. I believe he still lives with him mom.

Too bad about the bank girl...

[Bird]

4 minutes ago, Robot Man said:

Too bad about the bank girl...

Not accepting deposits at this time.

[Robot Man]

10 minutes ago, Bookery said:

New comics for us are now simply a loss leader.  Sales keep dropping year after year after year.  But you worry if you get rid of them, will it reduce traffic and hurt other departments?  At some point, however, there will come a tipping point for us.

They cost too much and they, for the most part suk. It's really too bad. I used to like many moderns but found I could get low grade vintage comics for about the same price. I don't want them to go away but the future for them looks pretty bleak. Disney publishes Marvel I believe. They really seem to only care about their Star Wars franchise. Go into a Disney Store and you really have to look to find their own characters. If a Marvel movie is running, there is product front and center. After the movie fades, away it goes. I wonder how bad this hurts Steve Geppi? He sure had the "cash cow" for a lot of years...

[NoMan]

1 hour ago, Robot Man said:

Thanks for the tip. I will check out P Dots a try next time I'm up in Pasadena for a flea market. I really like to dig through long boxes and discover treasures priced right. Those days are pretty much gone now though. I have a table every year at Terry's show and went to the great Torpedo show. I usually don't have any problems buying books with the boards, ebay, and word of mouth. I have a couple of local thrift shops that hold stuff for me when it comes in but that is rather thin these days. Just like to dig around for fun and hopefly go home with something. I don't like to drive all round the LA/OC area for nothing though.

Bruce is a weird bird. I have known him since the dawn of time. I would imagine he has quite the collection. I have bumped into him at WonderCon a few times. He is always grumbling about the "high prices" and why I don't do his show. I believe he still lives with him mom.

Too bad about the bank girl...

He does live with his mom. LOL!

P Dots is not the 100% the Bee's Knees but it's better than most. Seems like you've got the area thrift stores to yourself. Lot's of old timers have put in a lot more work than I have so any bright plan I've thought of to secure books before others has been thought of and implemented years before I dreamt it up. Is the Pasadena City College swap meet worth my time, comics wise?

Edited April 25, 2019 by NoMan