Visited a Comic Shop Today....

GJB · Post by **GJB** » Thu May 12, 2005 4:56 pm

Go figure......actually, I have something I want to get off my chest. Why do I take more care in handling comics than many of the dealers in this area?

I watched a guy pull several comics out of his inventory for me today. He pulled each issue half way out of the box and bent them back to read the issue number. I was cringing each and everytime as he damaged potential high grade beauties. This happens with new issues on the rack also. "What issue do you need? Adam Strange #4? I have that, let me bend down issues 1-3 to get to it."

Whenever I walk up to pay, I rarely lay my purchase on the counter for fear of further ruin. Even with $1 and .50 cent books. I don't want anyone else to touch them once I lay claim.

Is anyone as anal as I?

tssgery · Post by **tssgery** » Thu May 12, 2005 5:07 pm

I'm definately anal about this as well. One of my LCS stores their new issues in one of those wire spinner racks...

Within 30 minutes after he puts them up there, they are all bent to hell...

I don't think I've been to that store in over 5 years...

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Thu May 12, 2005 6:16 pm

Consider me anal as well. I treat all my books with kid gloves, especially the older ones. I once watched my dealer pick out an ASM #10 from a collection he had just bought. The book was bagged and boarded. He states, "Look at that. That's slabbable." Then he hurls it a good 4-5 feet away to land on top of his back issues boxes. Dealers seem to have NO brains sometimes.

New issues are pretty much all bent to get them into the tight *SQUEE* current bags and boards.

GJB · Post by **GJB** » Thu May 12, 2005 6:31 pm

One owner of a store I stop in from time to time built racks into his walls out of wood. He puts stacks of books, 10-15 deep on the racks. Well, if you want to see what books are behind the first few, there is no way to check unless you slightly bend the front books back a little to take a peak. He was so proud, I didn't have the heart to say"Yeah, the racks sure are nice, but as far as function goes, they suck, unless your intent is to fold all of your new comics in half."

So I hear you, I buy zero new/back issues because from his racks because of that set up.

I just wonder how much thought goes into preserving condition with some of these folks. Not much apparently.

And then there are the owners that charge NM prices for lower grade comics...don't get me started on that peeve.

Can you tell what irritated me today?

GJB · Post by **GJB** » Thu May 12, 2005 7:06 pm

Knightt_333 wrote:Deep breasts man, take deep breasts... I mean BREATHS !!!!

You've got it good Knightt, I can't find any boobs and comics in Pittsburgh. There's something about a chick getting sloppy all over my comics that I dig.

DeadshotFan · Post by **DeadshotFan** » Thu May 12, 2005 7:24 pm

This brings up another point about why comics are hurting right now.
At my local shop the guy once stated he bends the books so all the "fanboys" who do not subscribe get creased books. There are a group of regulars who hang out and it is not a "newbie friendly" enviorment to say the least. RPG's and TCG's are pretty much the focus, comics and graphic novels catch hell in many ways.
I travelled to another shop in a nearby college town, the Graphic Novels were in better shape but the comics were displayed newstand style (creased, bent, sticky and chaotic). But best of all the jaded "everything published blows" counter guy.
And places like these thanks to the distributing are pretty much the Alpha and Omega of where you can buy comics now.
And yes hold the Pizza and Fries with my comic order, PLEASE.
The one positive thing I can say here, mycomicshop.com, Greg Thompson is a great as well as the rest of the staff. The books are treated with kid gloves, packaged with ultimate care, graded accurately, and the guy is a creator who loves comics (Shameless plug for Images Hero Camp).

Valiant OCD · Post by **Valiant OCD** » Thu May 12, 2005 9:25 pm

DeadshotFan wrote:This brings up another point about why comics are hurting right now.
At my local shop the guy once stated he bends the books so all the "fanboys" who do not subscribe get creased books. There are a group of regulars who hang out and it is not a "newbie friendly" enviorment to say the least. RPG's and TCG's are pretty much the focus, comics and graphic novels catch hell in many ways.
I travelled to another shop in a nearby college town, the Graphic Novels were in better shape but the comics were displayed newstand style (creased, bent, sticky and chaotic). But best of all the jaded "everything published blows" counter guy.
And places like these thanks to the distributing are pretty much the Alpha and Omega of where you can buy comics now.
And yes hold the Pizza and Fries with my comic order, PLEASE.
The one positive thing I can say here, mycomicshop.com, Greg Thompson is a great as well as the rest of the staff. The books are treated with kid gloves, packaged with ultimate care, graded accurately, and the guy is a creator who loves comics (Shameless plug for Images Hero Camp).

I'm very lucky I guess. There area ton of shops around me and the majority of them treat the stock and the customers well. I popped into a shop yesterday and lo and behold a %50 off sale for no reason. Don't you hate not having your list with you at a time like that? There I was doing the alphabet song trying to remember all the Valiant titles,............ I ALWAYS forget Chaos Effect!!!!

tanord · Post by **tanord** » Thu May 12, 2005 9:43 pm

this brings me back to this comic shop (Jelly's) in my local area. 6 months ago I bought 2 Eternal Warrior 4s in nm condition. I went up to the counter and told the cashier of the comic section(he's supposedly a comic expert as well) if these are production error/misprints as the back covers have scuff marks on them. I was hesitant to place them in his hands but had to because he held out his hands as if he wanted to inspect them himself. Besides I thought, he's a comic expert--he's not going to damage my comics.
When he held them he bent them to check the back cover and then gave them back to me saying,"Yep, if they're all like that then it's a produciton error." I should have never let him hold the comics.

daydreamscomics · Post by **daydreamscomics** » Fri May 13, 2005 12:18 am

good god...i'm glad our store isn't like this...even when i started shopping there before working there, the people i dealt with knew what they were doing...

we replace bent issues that we pull for our customers, although sometimes they come from diamond like that and it can't be helped(example: secret war #5, all 60 some odd issues we received have two spine creases before they came out of the box). we store all out stuff on plastic "racks" that hold single issues and have the marvel logo on the front lip. they work well, and they are made slanted so the comics lay back, to reduce chances of spine bends. though it does happen...

if anyone is super unsatisfied with their shop, i'd be happy to set you up with a pull service, with free bags and boards and free shipping!

depluto · Post by **depluto** » Fri May 13, 2005 12:22 am

daydreamscomics wrote:if anyone is super unsatisfied with their shop, i'd be happy to set you up with a pull service, with free bags and boards and free shipping!

I like my LCS, but that's a heck of a good offer.

daydreamscomics · Post by **daydreamscomics** » Fri May 13, 2005 12:23 am

depluto wrote:
daydreamscomics wrote:if anyone is super unsatisfied with their shop, i'd be happy to set you up with a pull service, with free bags and boards and free shipping!
I like my LCS, but that's a heck of a good offer.

i try

Chuck · Post by **Chuck** » Fri May 13, 2005 12:57 am

@#$%^$##@$%!@@##$?#$?$%#!@$%?*&%#@!@@!##$%#@!!??????!!!!@!@!##!!@#$????!!@!@@@!@!!WTF

:x

All those *SQUEE* who bend comics are the same *SQUEE* who can't grade.

You don't have be anal to treat comics with some respect. These *SQUEE* just lack common sense.

All these horror storie have me pulling out my hair.

What I really hate are customers thumbing through the racks and bending every issue in sight

Even worse is the same *SQUEE* going through the back issues pulling up and bending back, back issue after issue

jedimarley · Post by **jedimarley** » Fri May 13, 2005 4:40 am

Chuck wrote:@#$%^$##@$%!@@##$?#$?$%#!@$%?*&%#@!@@!##$%#@!!??????!!!!@!@!##!!@#$????!!@!@@@!@!!WTF :x

All those *SQUEE* who bend comics are the same *SQUEE* who can't grade.

You don't have be anal to treat comics with some respect. These *SQUEE* just lack common sense.

All these horror storie have me pulling out my hair.

What I really hate are customers thumbing through the racks and bending every issue in sight Even worse is the same *SQUEE* going through the back issues pulling up and bending back, back issue after issue

greg · Post by **greg** » Fri May 13, 2005 8:47 am

400yrs wrote:Consider me anal as well. I treat all my books with kid gloves, especially the older ones. I once watched my dealer pick out an ASM #10 from a collection he had just bought. The book was bagged and boarded. He states, "Look at that. That's slabbable." Then he hurls it a good 4-5 feet away to land on top of his back issues boxes. Dealers seem to have NO brains sometimes.

Almost makes you wish there was some type of third-party grading service
that would examine a book for damage and assign a grade so that
you wouldn't have to take these same moron dealers' over-estimates
when you're buying from them online.

DawgPhan · Post by **DawgPhan** » Fri May 13, 2005 8:57 am

greg wrote:
400yrs wrote:Consider me anal as well. I treat all my books with kid gloves, especially the older ones. I once watched my dealer pick out an ASM #10 from a collection he had just bought. The book was bagged and boarded. He states, "Look at that. That's slabbable." Then he hurls it a good 4-5 feet away to land on top of his back issues boxes. Dealers seem to have NO brains sometimes.
Almost makes you wish there was some type of third-party grading service
that would examine a book for damage and assign a grade so that
you wouldn't have to take these same moron dealers' over-estimates
when you're buying from them online.

And that the third-party grader's product would protect my comic and not cause damage to it.

greg · Post by **greg** » Fri May 13, 2005 9:08 am

DawgPhan wrote:And that the third-party grader's product would protect my comic and not cause damage to it.

One step at a time...

Next you'll be asking for Postal Workers to treat boxes marked "Fragile" as if they were "Fragile".

DawgPhan · Post by **DawgPhan** » Fri May 13, 2005 9:14 am

greg wrote:
DawgPhan wrote:And that the third-party grader's product would protect my comic and not cause damage to it.
One step at a time...

Next you'll be asking for Postal Workers to treat boxes marked "Fragile" as if they were "Fragile".

davidb · Post by **davidb** » Fri May 13, 2005 9:31 am

greg wrote:
DawgPhan wrote:And that the third-party grader's product would protect my comic and not cause damage to it.
One step at a time...

Next you'll be asking for Postal Workers to treat boxes marked "Fragile" as if they were "Fragile".

Now that's just crazy talk.

David B.

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Fri May 13, 2005 9:33 am

davidb wrote:
greg wrote:
DawgPhan wrote:And that the third-party grader's product would protect my comic and not cause damage to it.
One step at a time...

Next you'll be asking for Postal Workers to treat boxes marked "Fragile" as if they were "Fragile".
Now that's just crazy talk.

David B.

Yep, don't hold your breath waiting for that to come true.

whetteon · Post by **whetteon** » Fri May 13, 2005 9:43 am

I'm anal.

I refuse to go to one of the LCS because when the new owner bought the place from the old owner he completely removed every backboard. I don’t know why but now ever book is just in a plastic sealed bag. When I went in there once I saw a few people going through back issues bending them to hell to view the number. I'm talking 60 degree angles

Luckily I have other options open to me.

X-O HoboJoe · Post by **X-O HoboJoe** » Fri May 13, 2005 10:23 am

whetteon wrote:I'm anal.

I refuse to go to one of the LCS because when the new owner bought the place from the old owner he completely removed every backboard. I don’t know why but now ever book is just in a plastic sealed bag. When I went in there once I saw a few people going through back issues bending them to hell to view the number. I'm talking 60 degree angles

Luckily I have other options open to me.

Is the new owner a retired postal worker?

daydreamscomics · Post by **daydreamscomics** » Fri May 13, 2005 12:11 pm

Knightt_333 wrote:
daydreamscomics wrote:if anyone is super unsatisfied with their shop, i'd be happy to set you up with a pull service, with free bags and boards and free shipping!
Is there a minimum # of issues that must be ordered monthly ? Any initial sign up costs ? Because this is REALLY a great deal...

well, the more the better obviously, but if you were to pick up at least 10 a month it would be worthwhile for us to do. and no sign up costs...anyone interested pm me!

DawgPhan · Post by **DawgPhan** » Fri May 13, 2005 12:50 pm

daydreamscomics wrote:
Knightt_333 wrote:
daydreamscomics wrote:if anyone is super unsatisfied with their shop, i'd be happy to set you up with a pull service, with free bags and boards and free shipping!
Is there a minimum # of issues that must be ordered monthly ? Any initial sign up costs ? Because this is REALLY a great deal...
well, the more the better obviously, but if you were to pick up at least 10 a month it would be worthwhile for us to do. and no sign up costs...anyone interested pm me!

This doesnt seem like a bad deal...now if I could just find 10 comics each month that I would pay for...maybe if Valiant comes back out...

whetteon · Post by **whetteon** » Fri May 13, 2005 1:28 pm

X-O HoboJoe wrote:
whetteon wrote:I'm anal.

I refuse to go to one of the LCS because when the new owner bought the place from the old owner he completely removed every backboard. I don’t know why but now ever book is just in a plastic sealed bag. When I went in there once I saw a few people going through back issues bending them to hell to view the number. I'm talking 60 degree angles

Luckily I have other options open to me.
Is the new owner a retired postal worker?

myron · Post by **myron** » Fri May 13, 2005 1:30 pm

Even if it's bad, having a LCS is better than not having one...I have to drive 30+ minutes to even find the door to one...