FAVORITE CONVENTION DEALERS

[clobberintime]

With all the talk of the dying hobby and ever impending market crash ( kind of like Ragnarok just around the corner) thought I would lighten things up around here. Anyone else miss the good old con days? Or as my wife called them - nerd magnets. Oh the sounds and sights - lots of folks in smelly Klingon uniforms, row after row or nothing but comics to dig thru, and lots of high stakes haggling. I used to sell books for a short while at small cons and I will never forget the first show where I had my own table. I made the mistake of bringing my wife that day. I did not know the promoter and he stuck me beside the video guy - with lots of cult tapes, star trek, and MST3K. But he played over and over again Rock-n-Roll high school - I did not like the Ramones for a long time after that! But there were certain dealers I would always look for at shows - maybe not just for books but for fun and conversation. One of my all time favorites is Earl Shaw from Athens Ga. He was the 1st guy I noticed selling brand new books for a $1 or less. i thought the books were stolen or something! Very interesting guy though - was a teacher in Athens and coached girls b-ball and traveled every weekend to do shows with hundreds of long boxes. We were sat up next to him once in Charlotte and he was at his table alone and he casually asked my wife if she could get him a coke. That was an intersting conversation! He got in a feud with the promotor of the Charlotte Heroes con and rented a place himself the same weekend and had the Earl Con - with something like 50,000 $1 dollar books! But my all tome favorite is Wes Tillander from Atlanta. Has evry kind of esoteric comic and collectible thing yopu could imagine and one of the best conversationalist I have ever known. Should have been a faith healer or comedian but sells pizza during the week and comics on the weekend. Saw him do some of the funniest stuff - after much haggling told someone he would rather rip the comic in half than sell it to him so he did! Saw him yell he was giving away comics and thru a bunch of crappy Images on the floor and caused a near riot. There are several other old time dealers I liked too but Earl and Wes stand out. Anybody else have fun memories or con stuff or crusty old dealers?

[Guest]

Bedrock city comics

jason ewert

harley yee

joe v.

 

And a few more...but those are the most notable. They all bought from me, and treated me fairly. I bought from them and was greeted with properly grade, value priced books.

 

Back in the days, I had purchased a lot of file copies from Joe. I met him in Chicago and was rummaging through what he had left. To my great surprise I found an absolute beaut Secret Squirrel priced at about $40. I thought that for sure it was marked wrong, but Joe sold it to me for the marked price. I would never hesitate to buy from any of these guy sight un-seen.

[drbanner]

I've had positive experiences with both these guys. Earl still goes to most of the shows in the SE (including the quarterly show here in Raleigh) and always has $2-5 boxes of silver and bronze age books. He gets in a ton of stuff and always seems to have a new collection (or two) when he comes. Not much for high grade though...

 

I've seen Wes at Dragon Con and Megacon (he's come to the NC show as well), and actually have a funny story about him. A couple of years ago Neal Adams was at Megacon, so I had to get a sketch. Unfortunately, by the time I waited in line and got to meet him there wasn't time to do a full sketch like I wanted (I was only going to be there one day), and he was heading to lunch. However, he hesitated, looked at me, and proceeded to sit back down, grab a nearby backing board and draw me a cool Batman head! Smiling, I admired the sketch as I was walking away from the table and noticed on the back - "To Wes Tillander, Neal" (or something like that)

[murph0]

haha "nerd magnets" how true. Anyways, we have probably only had 10 cons in my lifetime in Iowa..one featured an appearance by JR jr. most of the back issue stuff sucked..and it started to become a waste of time by 95.

 

Brian

[clobberintime]

Well Fla. is not any better for cons. We basically have one per year now - the mega lame MegaCon in orlando which started out ok about 10 years ago but now is more manga, game playing and card stuff than comics. And it is incredibly difficult to get in - you have to park in one place and ride a bus to the con facility - very hard to bring books for trade or signings! People have talked about the hobby dying - I think the internet and ebay have effectively killed all but the few biggest cons. I remember the cbg having pages of con listings back in the early 90s and i bet there is about 1 page worth now per month! This forum brings back a little of what i liked about cons - meeting all sorts of diverse collectors but it is not really the same as seeing and talking to folks in person. After all, who doesn't want to meet Crusty or Comic Keys in person!!!!

[Guest]

Do tell me, Clobberin'time....If you wish to meet and talk to folks, why isn't your name and email Prominantly and proudly displayed in the personal bio section???

[scottish]

Meth! You're back! I can say with a bit of certainty that you we're missed! Can't speak for everyone obviously.

[ubiquiti]

You think that's bad - move to Arizona. We have had 1 in the past 5 years put on by some guy at the motel six banquet room. In all about 1500 square foot of stupid sci-fi and like 4 comic book dealer tables. The guests of honor where people from some live action comic - The Villikon Chronicles. I got a mint signed copy of their comic, though - SWEET!

[towards2112]

Bedrock City Comics,

As in......Houston Bedrock City? Rick is an old friend of mine. We both

worked at one time or another for Glenn K at the now retired Happy Trails

Comic Shop. And yes Rick is a great guy. If I could only tell you about

him sleeping in the store with a empty case of beverage cans.......

[aardvark88]

Best:

Harley Yee, the world traveller.

Joe Verenault (ex-Sparkle City) consistent hi-grade silver DC.

Mike Goldman, Motor City b/c he likes Cerebus, too.

Terry & Stephen Stroud, American Comic Bk Co., CA. Very diverse inventory.

Pete Koch, gr8 diverse orig comic bk art & warehouse silver Marvels/Warrens.

Gee whiz. I don't see Stv Fischler's name on anyone's list. .

 

[greggy]

Terry Shroud? Are you smoking crack. Those guys always show up late at San Diego and barely set up their booth. They might as well stay home. I agree with Joe V. He's pretty low key for someone in the NJ/NY area. Not like some of those NY snobs!

[Guest]

Ah, what the hell, here I am Scottish. Like it or not. I have so many damned firewalls on my systems now. Another Board Member / Ebay Seller and myself have received SO many repeated hack attempts from, get this, Parsippany, N.J. (believe me, I WISH I were kidding) that accessing this forum as a valid host, maneuvering around all my internet shields, in order to post is a Labor of Hercules, so I'll try to make the posts really count. No fussin', fightin', feudin', etc. Just straight info on whatever I can lend helpful insight into.

[aardvark88]

Guess Terry Stroud had a very bad experience w/ shoplifters in San Diego. The last 2 yrs he is apparently paranoid & keeps the lids ON most of his long boxes. His brother/partner Stephan could help him out a lot in San Diego Con if he wasn't off surfing every weekend.

[clobberintime]

Aw shucks Doc - I am just so shy and meek and i try not to draw too much attention to myself. But I do feel honored that you chose to respond to my little post. Those who I want to know who i am, know and the rest I could give a care less about- maybe you misread my thread. It is about funny con( I do not mean convict - you know like convicted of a felony) dealers - so if you want to respond, why don't you put your higher education to use and figure out what this thing is about! I am glad you have returned to the boards though - I had a post the other day that said it has been boring lately without you and then you appear and Crusty comes back. I am sure threats of lawsuits and whoopins will be soon to follow. But honestly after all those posts about your stunning physique and weight lifting prowess I am a bit imitimidated and worried you might come down here to Fla. if I insult or humiliate you. So best that you not know who i am. or maybe if you are that concerned about it we can make it into a game and you can find out that way.

[Guest]

Hey, it's been said that the "meek shall inherit the Earth". Personally, I don't buy it. I can't conceive of sheep inheriting even a small municipality, unless they were PCP ingesting sheep equipped with carnivorous 6 inch fangs, an elephant-like motorized , ran like hyanaes and wore a pair of Nikes'! Then again, if there's ever a cataclysmic disaster like an asteroid smacking into us, kicking up enough dust, debris, and smashed CGC holder particles into the atmosphere to blot out the sun for decades, us heavily muscled dinosaurs relying on a bountiful food supply are S.O.L. (S**t out of luck), and it IS all the little meek rodentia and other tiny creatures that will survive beautifully on the garbage strewn about in the aftermath! You may be making good sense after all!!! Never mind.

[clobberintime]

You are a riot!! I am so glad you are back! There is no one else quite like you on the comics scene.

[FlyingDonut]

Basement Comix

Cards Comics and Collectibles

Harley Yee

I am forgetting his name, Quebequois, sets up in Chicago every year, has a fabulous selection

Metropolis, mainly because they have everything

John Hauser

Crazy Ed's Comics

 

[Guest]

And you can make a Novena to your favorite Saint that there will never be another one like me again, C.!!!

[murph0]

Allow me to be the first to say, what the hell?

 

Brian