LCS Owner Just Can't Get It.

X-O HoboJoe · Post by **X-O HoboJoe** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 12:50:19 am

All right, after attempting to help some folks on the board hook up with some books they may want from my LCS, I've got the following story to relate about the sheer gall and idiocy of the LCS owner. We'll call him Shatner, as this is the closest iconic image that everyone ought to get. First, I try to link him up with a buyer for several hundred dollars worth of books. Not a big deal, but I figured he wanted the business. OK, I'm told all the books are NM, I look, the "Big Book" in the batch is, IMO, VF at best. I figure I'm being an impartial 3rd party, no problem. Get that set up, tell him I've got several pull list of books I know he never sells like Continuity, Broadway, etc.. Stuff I consider to def. be in the "less than cover price" category. He seems pleased to have the opportunity to move some books that have been sitting there since they day they arrived from Diamond. I spend about 45 min. pulling books, sometime laughing quitetly at the "back in the day" prices, and take 'em to the counter. One of the LSC "Arse-Kissers" comes in, starts sucking Shatner's ego, but he's not in my way -- no harm, no foul. The "basement-dwellers" usually take one look at me and quickly clear out, so I ususally don't pay 'em much attention, but this one will bear attention in a bit. Shatner start telling the whole store (me and basement-dweller) about his long list of sexual conquests, his great friends in the "profession," and what an amazing businessman he his, able to rip-off people on his whim. No big deal, heard these lies countless times and have developed the ability to tune Shatner out.
Take books to register, Shatner starts ringing them up, for the cover+.25 prices he has on all these books, which I found confusing, as I recall him being excited about being able to recoup some of his money from them. Once he's done, "105.75. How do you want to pay?"

Me: "Whoa, I thought you were wanting to sell these books and were gonna make a deal on them to do so."

Shatner: "Well, I can't do much price reduction on these little books, not like I do on the high dollar stuff you usually buy."

Me: "No, I'm not paying out that kinda money on books that are bound for the .25 bin if I don't take 'em. I'll just wait until they wind up there.

Shatner: "Well, I've got too much tied up in these books to just cut the cost in half."

Me: "You mean what you pay versus the cover-price plus a .25 mark-up? Nope, not buying that. Or those at that price."

Shatner: "You mean you want to waste all the time you took pulling these books?"

This comment started to *SQUEE* me off: the audacity of this fat-headed little fellator with delusions of grandeur, is trying to play me. I began to feel like it's Endocrinology vs. Ignorance.

Me: "Actually, I've not wasted my time."

Basement-dweller: "Wow man, that's a big stack of comics!"

Me: (Assuming this poor shmuck doesn't own the social skills of a dead-dogfart) "Really, does that look like a big stack of comics to you for $105?

Basement-Dweller: "Yeah."

Me: "Well Shatner, it looks like you have a buyer after all."

I left him, the stack and the stuttering BD ("uhh, I don't wanna buy those . . .") and cruised.

Now, I do buy some good stuff from Shatner and whatever I buy, it's less that I can get it for on the Bay, (or I won't buy it). But why Shatner decided to try and pull this crap on this batch of comics is beyond me. Have I missed something? Is "Bucky O Hare: the Movie" in production?

It makes me ashamed that the view of our pastime is dominated by people like Shatner and BD. It is, IMO, the biggest anchor on our collective butts. Most of the time I feel sorry for these guys; I think comics is all they have. Hell if I'm gonna put up with this pathetic BS for a second though. It seem as if many of the LCS owners and dealers fall into this category -- I hope as the outside perception changes, these guys will fall through the cracks and find something else to bog down.

I hope.

greg · Post by **greg** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:23:06 am

So... will you be avoiding his shop(s) altogether,
or only appearing in Shop 1 while he is working Shop 2 (and vice versa)?

$105 is the grand total that I have spent in that very LCS
over the course of the last five years.
(That total is $15 if you subtract my purchases of bags & boards.)

I get some sense of satisfaction buying 200 bags & boards in there, and nothing else.
It is a nice, subtle way to say... "I bought lots of books lately... elsewhere."

...earlier adventures...

X-O HoboJoe · Post by **X-O HoboJoe** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:39:33 am

Naw, I'll go to whichever one's most conveinent, like I said, I can tune him out and I do get some funny "look at the pathetic moron stories" out of being around him in the store. I think the saddest thing is how big an object of ridicule he is to his employees. None of them like the poor guy and talk about his incontinance and uncontrollable flatuance like it's a spectator sport. Not to mention his "legendary powers of Recall."

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 4:27:02 am

X-O HoboJoe wrote:
Most of the time I feel sorry for these guys; I think comics is all they have. Hell if I'm gonna put up with this pathetic BS for a second though. It seem as if many of the LCS owners and dealers fall into this category -- I hope as the outside perception changes, these guys will fall through the cracks and find something else to bog down.

I used to feel the same until I learned that there is almost always a reason for this!

That was pretty dick of the dude. That would *SQUEE* me off big time and I don't know how I would react. You were probably a lot calmer than I woulda been!!

Unblessed · Post by **Unblessed** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 8:25:23 am

Is "Bucky O Hare: the Movie" in production?

That was one catchy cartoon theme song.

~The Unblessed Soul

Peter Parker · Post by **Peter Parker** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 10:21:09 am

HOBO...

that is a funny (if not frustrating) tale my friend

What impulsion did Kirk have to ask this price for these books? simple...its called good ol' fashioned GREED!!!! :x Numb nuts like this fascinate me, lets examine Kirk's logic for a second:

HOBO is a Solid, re-peat customer that buys back issue books from me often, and gives me business. Sooooooooo i'll gouge him on this cheap crap (sorry) and he won't even notice since I give him such awesome deals daily

what turd!

Hey, look...I love our capitalist society as much as anyone else that does, but it sure does melt away the conscience of many

funny read though bro', thanks for the laugh

mrwoogieman · Post by **mrwoogieman** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 10:32:38 am

Well that sucks the big one all right! Eff that *SQUEE*!

Something similar if not worse happened to me two weeks ago, first the guy pulled out the new Wizard to price the books, then he jacked up the Wizard prices and THEN told me he was giving me a break since I was buying so many at once, BUT the prices he was asking were still above the Wizard price!!

That guy just lost all of my business for all time in his two stores, along with anyone else I can convince to never shop there! And for what? an extra lousy 15-20 bucks!? DICK!

So, don't patronize Captain Comics in New Hyde Park, NY or Captain Comics East in Plainview, NY -- unless you enjoy someone lying to your face and trying to rip you off.

jedimarley · Post by **jedimarley** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 2:22:34 pm

This one store outside Philly I like to hit once a month bacause the owner is always freshing up his bargin bins caught on to me grabing any Valiant, defiant, or broadway.
Now he has pulled them out of the bargin bins and put them with the rest of the back issue selction at 2 or 3 times the cover price.
I asked his "whats up" and he tells me that there's a "damand for these."
I told the guy "Yeah, I'm the demand!"
Last month he charged me .33 for a Deathmate prologue gold, this month he was asking $6.50 for the standerd issue!
KEEP YOUR JUNK A**HOLE

myron · Post by **myron** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 3:06:09 pm

I know I've walked away from stacks of 50 to 60 comics at more than one shop...and not bothered to go back to those crappy shops...who knows, over time I could have spent hundreds if treated with some curtisy (sp)...

but there are reasons why some of those clowns run comic shops...they definitely ain't rockect scientists (no offense

)

Brother J · Post by **Brother J** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 4:37:44 pm

Shops who do that "cover plus .25" crap must be real common, because the biggest comic chain in Milwaukee does the same thing. First, they keep their back issues in a basement and won't let you personally access the books unless you come in at a good time for them, which I have found is ONLY Friday evenings. Then, the majority of the back issues downstairs aren't even bagged!

The thing that really sucks, though, is that this shop is basically the only one in town that has a decent back issue selection, so even with all the above crap, I'm either forced to shop there or pay higher prices through eBay/mail order because of the high shipping costs.

mrknapp33 · Post by **mrknapp33** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 7:56:30 pm

Hey woogie- good info on the New Hyde Park ripoff. I am moving there in one week (from Huntington) and was going to look up some LCSs. Now I know what to avoid but not what to troll... SUggestions?

Valiant_1 · Post by **Valiant_1** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 8:54:52 pm

X-O, not only do you know a good story, but you tell it good as well.

Before G.I.JOE (yes, GIJOE) became moderately hot again, I was looking for some fillers in the MARVEL series between #s 75-125. I called a comic shop about 40 miles away and talked to them about needing some JOE books. They flip through their back stock and pull about 30-35 copies of stuff for me. I packed my 2-year old in the car with me, and off to the not-so-local CS we went.

When I get there, the same person who pulled the books for me told me she was sorry, but they had decided not to sell the books. Dazed and somewhat dumb-struck, I looked down at my 2-year old, who shrugged and smiled at me with a little grin, as if to say "I'm sorry, you poor man for driving all this way for nothing." While I was driving up there, they had went online to EBAY (YES! TRUE!) and priced some of them in the back room.

Not only did I raise 3 kinds of heck with them for wasting my time and gas, I made a call to the Chamber of Commerce and complained. Might not have got me anywhere, but if it means I never take it up the tailpipe from this shop again, it was worth the 90 minute trip.

mrwoogieman · Post by **mrwoogieman** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 8:58:13 pm

I think your shop will be Grasshopper Comics on Hillside Ave., down towards Roslyn Road. It's bright and clean, some back issues but not much and no Valiant, I'm afraid (I didn't get even ONE piece of valiant anything from this shop!).

There's a place on the south side of Jericho Turnpike down the other way towards Queens, I forget its name but it has an impressive back issue selection, although the prices were high on a lot of the stock, marvel and dc from the sixties forward, a little light on the valiants. Picked up a nice XO 5 with the great BWS red cover in NM w/bag/board for $3.00. Might have been called Best Comic Hobby or something like that, check it out.

skiw · Post by **skiw** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 9:38:34 pm

Hobo,

I can relate to this. We have a guy who is a dead ringer for the fat comic store owner from Simpson's (minus the goatee and pony tail). My partner used to buy a ton of books from him (several thousand a year) up until about 10 years ago. He asked my partner if he would be interested in buying a collection of Golden Age Fiction House comics because he could not afford it at the time. Of course my buddy said yes, and the dealer showed him the books and asked how much he would be willing to pay. My partner priced everything out and gave him a ballpark figure (it was a gorgeous run with a ton of VF or better books), then the *SQUEE* goes and buys them for that price and sells them to a few dealers in the US. Needless to say, my buddy was steamed and has not bought a book from him since.

Even though this guy and his employees are rude and condescending to all of their customers (me included), I love shopping at his stores because he has no idea what is hot on eBay. Case in point, last fall he pulled out some old Dell/Gold Key/Whitman Disney books that were priced at $1 apiece. I was able to pick up Uncle Scrooge #179, WDC&S #480 and a bunch of the other scarce Whitmans from the long boxes. Earlier in the year I was also able to snag 7 NM or better copies of Next Men #21 for half cover during the pre-movie run up. The employee looked at me and laughed at me for picking up multiple copies of a "lame" book, even though they were fetching $30+ on the net at the time.

My favorite purchase, though, was when I cleaned out his pre-unity and variant Valiant stash (3 for $1.00) a couple of years back. I had to put up with a half hour rant about how Shooter and Valiant ruined the comic industry, but it was nice to see him get a bit choked when he looked at his old prices and realized he was probably taking a loss on the sale to me.

Cheers,
Skiw

Valiant OCD · Post by **Valiant OCD** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 10:20:02 pm

mrwoogieman wrote:I think your shop will be Grasshopper Comics on Hillside Ave., down towards Roslyn Road. It's bright and clean, some back issues but not much and no Valiant, I'm afraid (I didn't get even ONE piece of valiant anything from this shop!).

There's a place on the south side of Jericho Turnpike down the other way towards Queens, I forget its name but it has an impressive back issue selection, although the prices were high on a lot of the stock, marvel and dc from the sixties forward, a little light on the valiants. Picked up a nice XO 5 with the great BWS red cover in NM w/bag/board for $3.00. Might have been called Best Comic Hobby or something like that, check it out.

I may be wrong Woo, but Jerhico turnpike becomes northern Blvd when you get to queens. That store youre thinking of may be the "Mike's Comic Hut" I mention in my signature.

lobo · Post by **lobo** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 10:35:23 pm

comicnut_1 wrote:Hobo,

I can relate to this. We have a guy who is a dead ringer for the fat comic store owner from Simpson's (minus the goatee and pony tail). My partner used to buy a ton of books from him (several thousand a year) up until about 10 years ago. He asked my partner if he would be interested in buying a collection of Golden Age Fiction House comics because he could not afford it at the time. Of course my buddy said yes, and the dealer showed him the books and asked how much he would be willing to pay. My partner priced everything out and gave him a ballpark figure (it was a gorgeous run with a ton of VF or better books), then the *SQUEE* goes and buys them for that price and sells them to a few dealers in the US. Needless to say, my buddy was steamed and has not bought a book from him since.

Even though this guy and his employees are rude and condescending to all of their customers (me included), I love shopping at his stores because he has no idea what is hot on eBay. Case in point, last fall he pulled out some old Dell/Gold Key/Whitman Disney books that were priced at $1 apiece. I was able to pick up Uncle Scrooge #179, WDC&S #480 and a bunch of the other scarce Whitmans from the long boxes. Earlier in the year I was also able to snag 7 NM or better copies of Next Men #21 for half cover during the pre-movie run up. The employee looked at me and laughed at me for picking up multiple copies of a "lame" book, even though they were fetching $30+ on the net at the time.

My favorite purchase, though, was when I cleaned out his pre-unity and variant Valiant stash (3 for $1.00) a couple of years back. I had to put up with a half hour rant about how Shooter and Valiant ruined the comic industry, but it was nice to see him get a bit choked when he looked at his old prices and realized he was probably taking a loss on the sale to me.

Cheers,
Skiw

Hmmm, I can guess who this LCS might be.

Actually it could be at least half of the LCSs in E-town!

gabrielcw · Post by **gabrielcw** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 11:34:23 pm

about six years ago in a shop on bird road in Miami, I pulled a handfull of pre-unity valiants out of random back issue long boxes. Most of the stuff in the store was reasonably priced, but these were all listed at peak 92-93 prices, like 100+ for a solar 10. I assumed, they would realize the prices were outrageous and ring them up something normal, at the time I might have paid 5 or 10 bucks for that 10, it was in great condision. When I went to the counter, however, he totaled it up as 475 dollars or something ridiculous. I kinda smiled and asked if he was kidding. His relpy was, " I could probably go as low as 400, but we have a lot of money tied up in those." I couldn't believe it, 1999, I had purchased a complete carded magnus 1-8 for 5 bucks the week before and here this guy was asking me for 400. I said no, and then he told me to put them back if I didn't want them!.I basically laughed at him, and he banned me from the store for not putting the books back. Wow

childres · Post by **childres** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 9:02:36 pm

Hobo,
I go to Shatner's store's (either one) at least a dozen times a year. I've been going since he had the 1st one at the old location . It used to be much more until my local Hastings started to carry bags and boards. I sometimes pick a few new comics off the rack, and sometimes I pick up some choice back issues ( sometimes his prices are quite reasonable). His problem is every once in a while he just starts believing all his stories and just gets full of himself! Then the greed factor kicks in and he's sure he can rip people off on whim. The funny thing is he's so transparent about everything when this happens. It's almost like watching a skit from SNL. Through the really sad thing is I've seen his act really work on a lot of his younger customers who believe everything he's saying.
Like you I usually tune him out. I just wish he would quit trying to sell me his self published comic, and would get a few different stories

. He's probably told me the one about the girls, his black Tran Am, and his bat suit 20 times or more. Although the story does change some each time he tells it, I really think he believes it .

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 9:06:22 pm

childres wrote:His problem is every once in a while he just starts believing all his stories and just gets full of himself! Then the greed factor kicks in and he's sure he can rip people off on whim. The funny thing is he's so transparent about everything when this happens. It's almost like watching a skit from SNL.

Funny. I think this can probably be said about a lot of LCS owners. Pathetic, really.

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 9:29:18 pm

400yrs wrote:
childres wrote:His problem is every once in a while he just starts believing all his stories and just gets full of himself! Then the greed factor kicks in and he's sure he can rip people off on whim. The funny thing is he's so transparent about everything when this happens. It's almost like watching a skit from SNL.
Funny. I think this can probably be said about a lot of LCS owners. Pathetic, really.

Unfortunatley, you're right. I have ran across some very nice LCS owners over the years, but sadly most of them are as you say... pathetic.

greg · Post by **greg** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 9:46:54 pm

400yrs wrote:Funny. I think this can probably be said about a lot of LCS owners. Pathetic, really.

Well, "Comic book guy" on the Simpsons certainly isn't far off.

childres · Post by **childres** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 9:48:43 pm

400 yrs,
Your right, I bet we've seen LCS owners like this in every state that has a comic shop. The other classic type of LCS owner is like one that was in a small town about 30 minutes away from where I live. He was retired air force, didn't seem to even like comics and hated kids! You had to walk past his counter and a shelf to get in the comic portion of his book store. If he didn't like you, you couldn't go in to look at the comics. You had to ask him if he had certain issues, and IF he felt like it, he would go check. If he didn't feel like it, he would tell you he didn't have them, even when you could see them behind him

.
I always really liked the guy since I was one of the few that could pass the counter. The books did have the benefit of being in great shape since the sticky fingered children could'nt touch them.
I was really sorry to see the guy pass away a few years ago. His wife let someone come in and inventory his books. He had maybe 50.000 comics. (At least I had bought his best Valiants)The guy that inventoried them cherry picked them at way under value. Bet the owner was turning over in his grave since he would never take a cent under overstreet's price.

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 9:50:13 pm

greg wrote:Well, "Comic book guy" on the Simpsons certainly isn't far off.

Yeah, they got it right. Have they ever had a "comic book collector" character on the Simpsons? It would be interesting to see how dorky I am through the characteristics of a Simpsons' charater.

Sect · Post by **Sect** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 10:41:41 pm

Sadly, I think we've all been there and done that.

There are no LCS near me anymore so I have to go to a local bi-weekly convention for my stuff.

There is one guy over there who apparently is still living in the 90s because his Valiant prices all relfect that time period.

I see magnus 0 for $60+ and Predator vs. Magnus Plat for $40

Everytime I ask for his other Valiants he always makes sure to remind me that they are "coming back." sigh...

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 10:55:51 pm

400yrs wrote:
greg wrote:Well, "Comic book guy" on the Simpsons certainly isn't far off.
Yeah, they got it right. Have they ever had a "comic book collector" character on the Simpsons? It would be interesting to see how dorky I am through the characteristics of a Simpsons' charater.

The closest thing I can think of is from Season 2 "Three Men & A Comic Book". Bart, Milhouse and Martin all go in together to buy a copy of Radioactive Man #1. Needless to say it gets ugly.

My favorite line is at the end when Bart says We ended up with nothing, because the three of us can't share. Milhouse - What's your point? Bart - Nothing, just kinda ticks me off.

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