Some Really Crazy Stuff Going On With Mile High Lately

[IMJ]

I receive the Mile High Newsletters via email, and the last few have been pretty unique reading experiences. If you haven't followed their newsletters, hold on to your pants (or panties, I suppose given the context of this convo).

I might be misconstruing some of the finer details because I read these things in about 20 seconds while I have music playing and doing other stuff in my office. I think it was only just now after reading the 10/04/19 email that I truly starting processing the story. At first, I didn't think much of it to be honest, but here is the short of it from what I can piece together.

Apparently Chuck from MH had some kind of illness last year and came out of it stronger and with clearer mind. In his epiphany he decided that becoming a drag queen was what he wanted to do with his remaining years as far as hobbies go. So his newsletters have become punctuated with this sort of journal-like material about cross dressing events, and other things that he is intrigued by, and these stories normally come with a Mile High discount code of some kind. His latest newsletter explains that the FBI is now showing up at Mile High events so as to investigate Chuck "for encouraging boys age 3-9 to dance in women's lingerie in front of grown men in order to receive $1 bills." Chuck says that he has been holding cross dressing parties with drag queens as family friendly events.

The letter then explains, What made this FBI visit critically important to me is that one of the "Proud Boys" who seek to intimidate our families and youth performers each month made a special guest appearance on an "Infowars" YouTube broadcast on Monday in which he blasted Mile High Comics, and me personally, for encouraging boys age 3-9 to dance in women's lingerie in front of grown men in order to receive $1 bills. He spewed this total falsehood despite readily admitting that he had never actually attended one of our completely family-friendly events, so he was completely clueless as to the true nature of the performances that our children and youth create, all of which would easily pass muster in any public school.

I've been reading this stuff in his messages in some form or another for some time now, which normally results in my having some response akin to "-shrugs- Okay." But after reading so much of this stuff, I've moved on the "okay spectrum" to "-sigh- OOOOOOkaaAAYYYY".

I dunno.

[nycjadie]

It’s definitely been popcorn worthy reading. With some head scratching. And I have no judgment on the lifestyle stuff. Just the messaging.

[Chiclo]

Now I regret having tried for so long to unsubscribe from their mailing lists.

Maybe regret is too strong a word?

[nycjadie]

I do wonder what it's like to be an employee of Mile High, or part of Chuck's family. He seems like a hoot. Buying a farm with unusable land, and hauling in topsoil, tilling the land by hand, etc. That story alone says a lot about the guy. Passionate, hardworking, filled with big ideas, and a little bit nuts.

[IMJ]

And I have no judgment on the lifestyle stuff. Just the messaging.

Exactly....

[StarBrand]

I read every story of his in TALES FROM THE DATABASE. I used to read his newsletters, but after I changed my email address about ten years ago, for some reason all my efforts to subscribe to them failed.
Thanks for posting this story. Sounds to me like Chuck’s mind could be malfunctioning in his old age. I recall ten years or so ago he said he had West Nile Virus. So, that was one health problem he had. And at some point in the past he wrote about some sort of infatuation with a younger lady.
I’ve always admired what he did as a comic book dealer.

[Chiclo]

Given the sort of architects he has worked with, this doesn't seem that strange.

I wonder if those better forgotten are getting in on the drag queenery?

[depluto]

I met him once in San Diego and had a great conversation ... I asked him for a pic and Tony Isabella was walking past and Chuck yelled “Hey Tony, get in this picture!”

[StarBrand]

I met him once in San Diego and had a great conversation ... I asked him for a pic and Tony Isabella was walking past and Chuck yelled “Hey Tony, get in this picture!”

That’s cool!

[nycjadie]

Have you seen the latest? Chuck clearly is not crazy because he knows how crazy he really is. Mile High might not outlast Chuck. I wholeheartedly agree. It takes a personality to make something like what he made. I'll say that I enjoyed visiting Mile High a few years ago, but man, I couldn't find many gems among all the schlock.

********************
Howdy!

I had a very engaging conversation yesterday with some nice visitors from out-of-state who stopped by on our wintery day to see our Jason St. Mega-Store. As I sometimes have the time to do, I gave them a little personal tour. At the end of that visit I do think that I surprised them a little, however, when I urged them to truly cherish our beautiful store, as (truth be told...) there was absolutely no guarantee that our Mega-Store would still be there the next time that they came to Colorado.

Mile High Comics Jason Street Mega Store
If my statement to our visitors sounds a little over-melodramatic, consider for a moment that Jason St. is an incredibly unique and beautiful construct that only exists because I am (essentially) crazy. If you doubt my reasoning, consider for a moment that I run this place irrespective of any financial constraints that would normally drive "rational" business plans. Inventory turnover, for an example, is an anathema to me, rather than a desired trait. Whereas most retailers (in any field of endeavor...) seek to sell as much of their inventory as possible in any given day, I aspire to quite the opposite. Simply put, I only want to sell as many items in a given day as are needed to cover our operating expenses, and to then hang on to all the rest of our awesome accumulation of collectibles with grim determination.

While my hoarding proclivities might be the kiss of death in any other retailing field, in collectibles it truly is an enormous plus to be able to constantly grow and expand one's selections. What is absolutely required to make that audacious strategy work, however, is a willingness to forego any cash profit, pretty much indefinitely. In my case, that means that for the past 50 years! I have reinvested all of our yearly earnings back into Mile High Comics, with little consideration of any cash compensation for me as an individual. I do draw a relatively small salary, but (as my unbelievably tolerant wife will attest...), most of my paychecks are never cashed. I just sign them back over to the company at the end of each year.


Ocean of Comics
The net result of my madness, and my obsession with constantly improving our inventory, is why you can now view 10,000,000 comic books, 100,000 toys, 300,000 trade paperbacks, and innumerable posters, statues, nostalgia items, and collectibles of all kinds crammed into our one immense Jason St. retail store. While we do live in a world filled with innumerable options for purchasing a wide spectrum similar collectibles as we have in Jason St., nowhere else on our planet does such a remarkably broad selection of fun stuff exist in just one single location. I personally think that is totally worth my sacrifices, and beyond awesome.


Trade Paperback and Hardcover Area
All of the previous having been said, I have considerable doubt if Jason St. will survive long after my departure from this plane of existence. Like most beautiful constructs, it is fragile, and will be nearly impossible to replicate. My passing may well be an irrelevancy, however, as any number of disasters could strike that could result in Jason St. becoming but a fond memory. This has actually happened to me in the not-so-distant past when our beautiful Thornton, Colorado Mega-Store was destroyed in 15 minutes in 2007, after a highly pressurized 12" municipal water main exploded under the floor of the store, flooding it 4" deep in just 15 minutes. That water exposed all of the glue (contaminated with asbestos) that adhered our tile floor, leading to that beautiful 11,000 square foot comic book Mecca being immediately condemned. All it took was one broken pipe, and 15 minutes of flooding, and our entire beautiful store (which took 15 years to construct) was gone.

In case you are wondering, I am relating the fragility of our own operations in an attempt to heighten your own sensitivity to the potential for loss of that which you hold near and dear. Our natural instinct is to view our world (and our beloved institutions) as being fixed in time and place. Nothing could be further from the truth. Businesses are just as mortal as all of the people that we love, and die just as frequently. I say that not to be negative or to inspire fear, but rather to remind you that, if you love and cherish a business and/or institution, to be sure and go out of your way to support them.


Mile High Comics California Mega-Store
To be a bit more succinct, please don't be like the guy who came up to me at the San Diego convention a few years back bemoaning the fact that he had driven over to shop with us at our California Mega-Store in Garden Grove (that he loved ever so much...), but was crushed when he saw that it was no longer there. I honestly did not know what to say as a response to this bereaved man, as by then our store had been closed for over four years. Truly, there is just no way that any business can survive if their most devoted customers only stop by every four years.

I will leave you with a gentle admonition that, if you truly love your local comics shop, or that great little diner where you had your first date, or even that awesome little seasonal fruit stand out by the highway, remember to support them every single chance that you get. We are blessed to live in a nation where we can vote with our wallets, and our patronage, as to which business and institutions in our world survive. Nurture all of that which you cherish, and that which makes your life better. If you do not, then do not be surprised when that which you most dearly love goes away. 'Nuff said.

[IMJ]

I read that one too. I debated about posting it, but never got around to it. It was poignant. The newsletter that came out either yesterday or today? Not so much....

[StarBrand]

Don’t underestimate Chuck’s sheer brilliance. I’ve studied his operation for decades, and admired what he’s accomplished as a comic book retailer greatly. His history in the field is largely contained in the Tales of the Database articles he wrote, all of which I’ve read.

[IMJ]

Today's Mile High Newsletter actually had some interesting information about aftermarket trends. Chuck says his stores are selling 90's comics with enhanced covers at a premium and quickly lately.

Mile High 01/17/2020 Newsletter

It's worth reading.

[IMJ]

Mile High 01/20/2020 Newsletter

-Chuck says that even though he owns Mile High stores, he is perpetually broke
-Jim Shooter will be @ Mile High on FCBD
-Codeword for 50% off orders

[nycjadie]

Mile High 01/20/2020 Newsletter

-Chuck says that even though he owns Mile High stores, he is perpetually broke
-Jim Shooter will be @ Mile High on FCBD
-Codeword for 50% off orders

Perpetually broke because he flies all over the place, and gives money to charity!

[nycjadie]

Mile High 01/20/2020 Newsletter

-Chuck says that even though he owns Mile High stores, he is perpetually broke
-Jim Shooter will be @ Mile High on FCBD
-Codeword for 50% off orders

Perpetually broke because he flies all over the place, and gives money to charity!

[StarBrand]

He still owns a farm too, doesn’t he?

[slym2none]

I hear women's shoes in his size cost a pretty penny. And have you seen what makeup costs?



-slym

[myron]

anyone know if "he who shall not be named" still hangs around chuck? Wasn't he involved with chuck's daughter or something?

...or am I recalling some alternate reality...

it's hell to get old...I think dementia is setting in...

[Chiclo]

I hear women's shoes in his size cost a pretty penny. And have you seen what makeup costs?



-slym

I doubt he wears that big of a shoe size. I met him once and while I didn't look at his feet, he wasn't a particularly tall man.

[Chiclo]

anyone know if "he who shall not be named" still hangs around chuck? Wasn't he involved with chuck's daughter or something?

...or am I recalling some alternate reality...

it's hell to get old...I think dementia is setting in...

I remember it that way too. That is what made this story about Chuck seem that much funnier - maybe he has a helper in his drag shows.

[grendeljd]

Mile High 01/20/2020 Newsletter

-Chuck says that even though he owns Mile High stores, he is perpetually broke
-Jim Shooter will be @ Mile High on FCBD
-Codeword for 50% off orders

Oh damn, I wonder if that codeword applies to any original art he has up on the site... he made no mention of that but I've had my eye one a couple of pages there.

[IMJ]

Mile High 01/20/2020 Newsletter

-Chuck says that even though he owns Mile High stores, he is perpetually broke
-Jim Shooter will be @ Mile High on FCBD
-Codeword for 50% off orders

Oh damn, I wonder if that codeword applies to any original art he has up on the site... he made no mention of that but I've had my eye one a couple of pages there.

Since I posted that message you quoted, Mile High has had another 50% off and then a 60% off sale on their website. Basically, for anyone that hasn't realized it or wouldn't know to compare the two- Mile High takes the "department store shopper" approach to pricing. Remember as a child of the 80's, or maybe even of the 90's when you would go shopping with mom, or she would buy you clothes and talk about the "great sales" at Khol's or wherever? The "department store shopper" approach is to price your stuff with an expensive tag price, but then have completely unrealistic sales to draw people in through excitement of a deal. Yet by the time the sale and all the discounts hit, you were left paying what was probably the appropriate price to begin with.

That's Mile High's website as I decode it. The prices are beyond dumb ($42 for a Nmt copy of Darkhawk #48 or whatever?), but then Chuck has some exaggerated sale and the pricing is down to where it should be. Basically because of the halo effect on prices generated by the sale, most people wind up paying attention to the fact that they got a $42 copy of a low print, end of run Darkhawk book for 7 bucks or whatever; but the truth is that they could've fished the book out of a box at a con for a few dollars anyway.

I'm not saying "don't buy from Mile High". I've ordered there in the past myself. I'm just saying to call an apple an apple and be aware of what you are buying.

[grendeljd]

Mile High 01/20/2020 Newsletter

-Chuck says that even though he owns Mile High stores, he is perpetually broke
-Jim Shooter will be @ Mile High on FCBD
-Codeword for 50% off orders

Oh damn, I wonder if that codeword applies to any original art he has up on the site... he made no mention of that but I've had my eye one a couple of pages there.

Since I posted that message you quoted, Mile High has had another 50% off and then a 60% off sale on their website. Basically, for anyone that hasn't realized it or wouldn't know to compare the two- Mile High takes the "department store shopper" approach to pricing. Remember as a child of the 80's, or maybe even of the 90's when you would go shopping with mom, or she would buy you clothes and talk about the "great sales" at Khol's or wherever? The "department store shopper" approach is to price your stuff with an expensive tag price, but then have completely unrealistic sales to draw people in through excitement of a deal. Yet by the time the sale and all the discounts hit, you were left paying what was probably the appropriate price to begin with.

That's Mile High's website as I decode it. The prices are beyond dumb ($42 for a Nmt copy of Darkhawk #48 or whatever?), but then Chuck has some exaggerated sale and the pricing is down to where it should be. Basically because of the halo effect on prices generated by the sale, most people wind up paying attention to the fact that they got a $42 copy of a low print, end of run Darkhawk book for 7 bucks or whatever; but the truth is that they could've fished the book out of a box at a con for a few dollars anyway.

I'm not saying "don't buy from Mile High". I've ordered there in the past myself. I'm just saying to call an apple an apple and be aware of what you are buying.

I am very aware of his inflated pricing habits. I had always wanted to buy a comic from there just to say that I did, due to the nostalgia element of growing up seeing his ads in comics for so long. Every time I actually see something if his listed on eBay, I usually laugh at the price. It does not surprise me that he uses that tactic of offering "crazy" sales discounts to offset this. There is a local vendor who is at the Toronto Fan Expo [ComicCon] every year who does the same thing. Most people are onto him but he still makes lots of sales.

I did actually buy a piece of original art directly from the Mile High website late last year though - I didn't think it was overpriced at the time, and I also ended up getting an unexpected 25% discount anyway, so even better... I am happy with that purchase and also happy to have finally bought something from there just to say that I did. I still doubt that I'd ever buy any comics from him though.

Still wondering if his announced sales discounts count towards artwork or not...

[IMJ]

I am very aware of his inflated pricing habits. I had always wanted to buy a comic from there just to say that I did, due to the nostalgia element of growing up seeing his ads in comics for so long. Every time I actually see something if his listed on eBay, I usually laugh at the price. It does not surprise me that he uses that tactic of offering "crazy" sales discounts to offset this. There is a local vendor who is at the Toronto Fan Expo [ComicCon] every year who does the same thing. Most people are onto him but he still makes lots of sales.

LOL ya there's always that 'convention guy' with what I've always called "convention pricing". That guy who has all of his books in expensive mylar with double boards and overprices every single one using big round sticker tags. You flip through that guys bins and and every comic, no matter the book is no less than $20 a pop, but usually $40, or $60. Cracks me up. Finding a version of that guy at the cons is as predictable as going to any flea market on Earth and finding a "weapons master", an "old computer guy" and an "area rug lady".

Still wondering if his announced sales discounts count towards artwork or not...

Just walk yourself through the checkout process and try it! Take it as far as the discount code and if the final cart price doesn't agree with you, then just abandon the checkout. I've never bought art from them, so I don't know otherwise I'd tell you. So just do that and try it.....