My Valiant effort to obtain Valiant comics
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My Valiant effort to obtain Valiant comics
I get this feeling that when I tell how I "fell" into Valiant and Acclaim, It would be a 'dead' give-away to my potential age... errr... IQ, yes that's it my IQ. I started reading Magnus, way back when Magnus was Gold Key, and I also remember being in the hospital after a surgery at about 6 years old. Now comics, were OK, in the household, but there wasn't much money... Mom, brought me MRF, from Gold key.. I read them until I went into the US Navy.. And w/ everything I sort of fell out of reading. I got out of the Navy, and went to work.. Still not alot of money, and with 2 children.. So, no comics... Well, as time goes by.. I was in Spokane, Washington. After graduating from Medical School (The oldest person the entire 4 years I was there...) and there was a nice comic book store there. I literally pulled over in whim, and went in. I went to MRF back issues and felt my blood pressure drop drastically at the prices being asked for MRF Gold Key.. So I wandered around, and stumbled, again literally, into the 25 cent, discount issues... And I found several Valiant comics.. Didn't buy any though.. And then my Twin Brother called and told me that a friend of ours had died, and they were having an estate sale, and in the estates were 10 long boxes of comics: To be sold: with the potential buyer being allowed to open ONE box and inspect the contents... I went to Idaho, and Shawn picked the box to open: Of course he went gaga, because of the old issues in there. So I agree to pay for half the cost, he got "First dibs", for a total of 3 boxes worth, as I had no idea what I was looking for. So out of the 10 boxes, he took about 3, and left me with the rest...
Well, this person, had collected Valiant comics along with some others, and there was an almost complete run of MRF, and about 3/4 of Solar.. And several others. So I was hooked. I sat down, and started to read them... And was hooked even more. And when I told my brother what I had found, he was a bit upset... because he realized how much the comics were worth, compared to what he had taken (So, Nay, nay to you Shawn...)
I went back to Spokane, and went back to the 25 cent area, and started to go through each and every box, (a hundred in one store, and 50 in the other) and started to collect all the Valiant I could find.. At times I would ask the shop manager or owner if they had put the comics in the right area, and the answer was always "Yes"... So I obtained some of the more rare ones and highly collectable ones for 25 cents.. And then I started to try and get the VVSS...(Not so cheap), other Signed ones... Obtained several of the Gold and '0' Variants very cheaply (Gotta love those 25 cent bargain boxes in both comic shops in Spokane).. I even was able to get Solar #10 First and second print for $2.50: WooHoo... So I have a very good collection of Valiant, and Acclaim, comics.
Alas, currently most are in storage, Temperature and humidity controlled, as I am trying to set up a Medical Clinic in Yuma, AZ, for the VA, and DoD, Vets coming back from Iraq, and Afghanistan, so I not able to read them until, we (My wife, Mary, and I) get settled and the Clinic is up and running smoothly, for both the VA, and MCAS, USN, USAF, people who rotate through here...
BUT I am still getting comics: The new HC collections of Dr. Solar, and MRF. MRF One shots, etc..
At times my wife complains about the number of comics I have, and I point out to her I collect VERY specific comics, and not collect like my brother, and my comics, since they are in runs, and for the most part, complete (Still missing 2 VVSS's and a couple of others), they are in the long run more valuable and I get to read them in entirety!
Well, this person, had collected Valiant comics along with some others, and there was an almost complete run of MRF, and about 3/4 of Solar.. And several others. So I was hooked. I sat down, and started to read them... And was hooked even more. And when I told my brother what I had found, he was a bit upset... because he realized how much the comics were worth, compared to what he had taken (So, Nay, nay to you Shawn...)
I went back to Spokane, and went back to the 25 cent area, and started to go through each and every box, (a hundred in one store, and 50 in the other) and started to collect all the Valiant I could find.. At times I would ask the shop manager or owner if they had put the comics in the right area, and the answer was always "Yes"... So I obtained some of the more rare ones and highly collectable ones for 25 cents.. And then I started to try and get the VVSS...(Not so cheap), other Signed ones... Obtained several of the Gold and '0' Variants very cheaply (Gotta love those 25 cent bargain boxes in both comic shops in Spokane).. I even was able to get Solar #10 First and second print for $2.50: WooHoo... So I have a very good collection of Valiant, and Acclaim, comics.
Alas, currently most are in storage, Temperature and humidity controlled, as I am trying to set up a Medical Clinic in Yuma, AZ, for the VA, and DoD, Vets coming back from Iraq, and Afghanistan, so I not able to read them until, we (My wife, Mary, and I) get settled and the Clinic is up and running smoothly, for both the VA, and MCAS, USN, USAF, people who rotate through here...
BUT I am still getting comics: The new HC collections of Dr. Solar, and MRF. MRF One shots, etc..
At times my wife complains about the number of comics I have, and I point out to her I collect VERY specific comics, and not collect like my brother, and my comics, since they are in runs, and for the most part, complete (Still missing 2 VVSS's and a couple of others), they are in the long run more valuable and I get to read them in entirety!
- leonmallett
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Cool story
I enjoyed your story - can't say I have read any of the Gold Key stuff so you are fortunate individual in my eyes. And your mom is as cool as they come to bring you home a nice new copy of MRF.
Are the Washington LCS bins picked clean still or did you give them a chance to restock? Sounds like they were pretty decent bins.
I thought your brother got to pick the 3 boxes first out of the 10? Why didn't he pick the one's with VALIANT books in them? What did he end up with?
Again - good story and welcome.
Are the Washington LCS bins picked clean still or did you give them a chance to restock? Sounds like they were pretty decent bins.
I thought your brother got to pick the 3 boxes first out of the 10? Why didn't he pick the one's with VALIANT books in them? What did he end up with?
Again - good story and welcome.
- Lightning Strike
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Re: My Valiant effort to obtain Valiant comics
Welcome to the board
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- worldsbestcomics
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Great story! I graduated from high school in Spokane and that is where my brother and I first began our comic collection. We sold it during college and I started it up again around 1989.
I still visit the Spokane stores whenever I am in town on work or visiting relatives.
By the way, welcome to the Boards!
I still visit the Spokane stores whenever I am in town on work or visiting relatives.
By the way, welcome to the Boards!