Wednesday Open Forum

Wednesday
Wednesday, the best day of the week, new comic book day. It is like your birthday in the middle of each week (well, one where you buy your own presents.)
We open things up to hear from you. A free for all.
The 168th edition of the open forum!
As always we also want to hear about your weekly pickups.
So, What were your pick ups?
What had disappeared off the shelves?
What was sitting on the shelves?
What back issue deals did you grab?

105 thoughts on “Wednesday Open Forum”

  1. Been a great start to the flip year. Selling the shit out of Metal Tie ins, Batman books, ASM 792, Cates’ Strange and Thanos runs, Green Lanterns et al. I recently found a company that will deliver my packages across the border at the USPS, for a small fee. This has cut my shipping rates to the US by about 66%. Thus, I was able to lower my shipping fees and can now compete in the US market. My sales have doubled in the one week since I’ve instituted this. Hot start to 2018. Flip on, Ladies and Gents.

    1. Nice JayClue. I have started ok. Not as good as you though. I need to take more risks this year and flip instead of holding on to them.

    2. I’ve been selling off old Macbooks and other gadgets that got upgraded in past few months and holidays. So yeah, outside of flipping books my start of the new year has been great as well. I’m trying to find the time to go through more books to list.

    3. I have done the same thing. Ive determined what I want to collect and have trimmed everything else. I went and bought a $20 eBay subscription which allows me 250 free BIN listings and 250 auction listings. I filled up the 250 BINS and am sellin, sellin, sellin. No decent offer refused. Nothing beats that feeling when you finally dump a book that is worth shit and you’ve been sitting on for months/years. I almost think it’s a better feeling then the lucrative gem find.

      1. I starting doing this in June 2017 and the first time I posted them on eBay was the week TAH 22 and Metal 1 came out… for obvious reasons that week motivated me to start selling….
        I’ve just broken even and have a nice collection on top but now I’m looking at getting some more long-term investments.
        Any tips on long term items, from anyone, would be greatly appreciated!

    4. Where are you based?
      I’m in the UK and would love to tap into the US market…..
      I’ve been getting requests from US and Canadian buyers on a regular basis but GSP charge $15+ just for postage.
      Been selling a lot to main land Europe but US and Canada would be awesome!

  2. Want to take my time today and give a big thanks to Frankie’s Comics! Your customer service is second to none.
    Third week in a row I picked up a book bought the Metal #2 Mattina set now I have all the Mattina Virgins for #1, 2, 3. Not to big on #4 or 5 I do like 5 better than 4. I don think Metal #2 Mattina will be a winner like Metal #3 Mattina since it’s another great head portrait. Sold out a minute will probably be the highest priced third print book in the biz.

    1. Kevin at Frankie’s offers fantastic customer service when I deal with them. They have some of, if not thee, best shipping prices from US to Canada, out of all the online retailers. 4 thumbs up

    2. Frankies is awesome. The few times I’ve ordered from them, never had issues. If I never have to contact your customer service, that means you’re already doing a top notch job.

      1. I needed customer service for combined shipping rates. I was collecting the Frankie’s Venom #1-#4 at the time. Kevin actually called me and we talked for about an hour and he ended up sending me a code for free shipping that I could use on my orders. When I wanted them shipped he would send me an invoice for shipping. Great experience considering all the bull I ran around with other stores.

    3. I really like Frankie’s too. I forgot about the comic yesterday, but every time I order from them the comics arrive in great shape.

  3. Had to have a talk with my Post Master the other day. My mail carrier keeps bending my subscription comics to have them fit easier in my mailbox. They said they will work on it, but I guess we will see….

    1. I once sent a package containing the entire Deathmate run, from Image/Valiant and the postal worker rolled the package up and stuffed it into a mail box. The package was around an inch thick. I’ve always wondered how much effort that postal worker went through to roll up an inch or so worth of paper. Serious hard work in his part. Some people…

      1. When I first started to sell my books, I would out them between 2 pieces of cardboard. I had so many return cuz the post man would fold them. Till a guiness man named Tony recomanded to write ” Do not fold, bent, or roll” then write “THANK YOU”. Those little word have made a big difference. One thing I do notice is that they treat priority mail way better then media or fist class.

  4. Hello again.
    Not going to be able to grab my book son Wednesdays for a few months. I have a course for work on Wednesdays and no time in between work and class to stop and get them 🙁
    Tomorrow it is!
    Tomorrow I will pick up:
    Action Comics #995
    Bloodshot: Salvation #5
    Cable #153
    Detective Comics #972
    Mister Miracle #6
    Ninjak vs The Valiant Universe #1
    Pestilence #6
    Spiderman/Deadpool #26
    Darth Vader #10
    Stabbity bunny #1
    Supergirl #17 artgerm variant
    The Despicable Deadpool #292
    The Flash #38 mattina variant
    Venom #160

  5. Nothing new but a few old:
    Adventure Comics 409 (A Supergirl costume that I’d like to see Artgerm include in his retro costume B cover run!) If someone would add a picture, I think it’d be worth it.
    Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane 81 (No Witnesses in Outer Space cover showing Superman committing the “Perfect Murder”)
    DC Special Presents 16 (Super-Heroes Battle Super-Gorillas)

  6. On the subject of mail carriers rolling up your comics another thing you can simply do is buy a larger mail box, its way simpler than you think and for an investment of about 75 dollars it will put your mind at ease rather than worrying about all those damaged books, one saved expensive book could be worth more than the entire expense of it.

    1. Not sure where you live, but alot of places with New Construction don’t have your typically mailboxes, but USPS owned boxes. So best bet there would be to get a larger PO Box for comics and such.

    2. Yeah I told my wife right before my post master called about the complaint I filed that maybe we should be a bigger mailbox. We probably will but I think the bigger issue is the mail carrier bending “Do Not Bend” labeled packages. And single subscription comics from Marvel having very little protection to begin with.

  7. My central Texas shop update:
    Stabbity Bunny sold out at both shops before doors opened.
    Atlas & Axis just one cover B left at one shop, other shop didn’t even bother ordering.
    Mattina Flash #38 Killer B only 2 left at one shop, other shop zero.
    Gao #1 about 5 copies available at one shop, zero at second. Most copies had spine ding issues.

    1. I can’t pick up my comics until tomorrow, but my LCS put two copies of the Atlas & Axis comic aside for me. I’m looking forward to this series.

    2. I was able to get on of each of Flash Mattina cover and Stabbity Bunny. Should I flip them or sit on them?

      1. Flip’em if ya can I say. Hold for long term gamble. Stabbity is hot though, if ya don’t intend on reading or collecting them, flip I say.

      1. Depends. Small 1 or 2 dings a book can still grade high… 9.4 or higher. Color breaks is when it really knocks some points off I think.

  8. No new pickups for me this week, and the only thing in my pullbox is Old Man Hawkeye #1. I did add Thanos to my pullbox also.

  9. Flash #38 B
    SS #33 (just for homage cover)
    Stabbity Bunny #1
    Mister Miracle #6
    Port of Earth #3
    Slots #4
    Venom #160

      1. Mine only had one that was not sub…and I was able to set it aside last night. Looked good, at initial glance, but now I am worried. Won’t see it again until Saturday.

  10. Time for me to emerge from my Bobby Fischer-esque seclusion and hit the LCS. Let’s see what’s going on in the Carolinas…

  11. Teether from Antarctic press and the “B” cover of aquaman are sold out on midtown for next week….i saw the aquaman cover for ten already(only one listing) on ebay. It’s a sweet looking cover by middleton. Teether looks like it’s catering to fans of stranger things so it’ll have some interest and when you couple that to a most likely smallish print run it should generate some heat. Happy hunting CHU!

      1. I like that cover. Is it an homage to a silvestri drawing of wolverine turning into a brood. I miss the silvestri and green xmen. I’m getting one thanks for the link.

  12. Picked up 2 copies of Flash, ABC covers of Archies #4 (they meet The Monkees in 1967!), Atlas & Axis, Harley -Cho, Supergirl -Artgerm, and Gao #1 (who knows?). Gao is still available from Antarctic, but since I still havent got the Trump Xmas book I ordered from them in Dec I’ll pass on ordering more from them.
    Hit our Ollie’s Bargain stores for the DC graphic novel buyout too. Picked up these HCs for $5.99 each:
    Art of Brian Bolland
    Seven Soldiers Victory Archives #3
    Batman by Carmine Infantino
    Teen Titans 50 year celebration
    Plus 3.99 Showcase editions of Captain Carrot, Jonah Hex, Ghosts, Super Friends, Strange Adventures, Shazam, & Aquaman
    And(!) 2.99 tp of Superman in the 40s, 50s, 70s. Batman in the 50s, 60s. Greatest Shazam Tales. Mystery in Space. Mad art of Wally Wood. New Gods.
    They also had many othrrs including most of the nu52 hardcovers. And other Showcases, etc.

    1. I’ve been thinking about picking up the Showcase Edition of the Super Friends mainly for the Plastic Man appearances (not going to admit a fondness for the Wonder Twins).

      1. They just got this huge DC comic graphic novel buyout end of last week. Like 4 tables in the aisle stacked up with various books. All new hardcovers still shrinkwrapped. Those Showcases are a steal with 500-600 pages for $4 bucks!

  13. Back from vacation last week and ready to hit the LCS!
    Pickups this week:
    Walking Dead 175 (Sienkiewicz variant)
    Star Wars action figure variant
    Rose #7 (Loopydave cover B variant)-found 1 copy out of 4 stores visited
    Flash Mattina cover BX2
    Pestilence #6
    Darth Vader #10
    Supergirl Artgerm variant
    Spec pick ups:
    Green Lanterns #38 (3 copies of cover A and 2 copies of cover B all for cover)
    Batman White Knight #3 cover A (cover)
    Nightwing #29 Sejic cover A (cover)
    Batman Red Death Foil ($8)
    Doctor Strange #382 cover price
    Superman Rebirth #10 (1st Super sons) cover A ($5)
    Good hunting everyone!

        1. Yeah, I’m doing huge purge. Started on Friday. I got a lot listed so far, some started at 99 cents and I’m dumping a bunch of Monstress #1 books as well I’ve been sitting on. Signed and unsigned if anyone interested. Also going to be listing my full run of Star Wars action figure variants… 49 total which include a few JTC exclusives and such. Yes, I’m shameless self promoting right now.

  14. So, no Atlas & Axis #1, no Gao #1, no Stabbity Bunny #1 and a handful of other books that interested me. I did get a Flash Mattina cover, and the Supergirl Artgerm cover (but damaged, which I didn’t notice at the store). Definitely would like to hit an Ollie’s to check out the DC HC and TBP sale.
    This week’s pull:
    ACTION COMICS #995 VAR ED
    BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY #18
    BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY #18 VAR ED
    DEADMAN #3 (OF 6)
    DETECTIVE COMICS #972 VAR ED
    FLASH #38 VAR ED
    GOTHAM CITY GARAGE #7
    HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #36 VAR ED
    HARLEY QUINN #34 VAR ED
    JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #22 VAR ED
    MISTER MIRACLE #6 (OF 12)
    MISTER MIRACLE #6 (OF 12) VAR ED
    NEW SUPER MAN #19 VAR ED
    RAGMAN #4 (OF 6)
    RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #18 VAR ED
    SCOOBY APOCALYPSE #21 VAR ED
    SUICIDE SQUAD #33
    SUICIDE SQUAD #33 VAR ED
    SUPERGIRL #17 VAR ED
    SUPERWOMAN #18 VAR ED
    TITANS #19 VAR ED
    WILDSTORM MICHAEL CRAY #4 VAR ED
    WONDER WOMAN #38 VAR ED
    HARLEY QUINN BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR #1 SPC
    HARLEY QUINN BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR #1 SPC VAR ED
    ETERNAL EMPIRE #6
    ROSE #7 CVR A GUARA
    KINGSMAN RED DIAMOND #5 (OF 6) CVR A YU
    PARADISO #2 CVR A PRAMANIK & KELLY
    PARADISO #2 CVR B GONZALEZ
    PORT OF EARTH #3
    ROYAL CITY #9 CVR A LEMIRE
    SLOTS #4
    AVENGERS #675 LEG (3D Lenticular – not a bad cover)
    VENOM #160 LEG
    SPIDER-MAN DEADPOOL #26 LEG
    STAR WARS DARTH VADER #10
    MONSTRO MECHANICA #2
    SWORD OF AGES #2 CVR A RODRIGUEZ
    SAUCER STATE #6
    NINJAK VS VU #1 (OF 4) CVR A SUAYAN
    BLOODSHOT SALVATION #5 CVR A ROCAFORT

  15. I just got a package. It had a few comics but the gem out of the bunch was the Popeye #65 zombie variant from last week. It’s in perfect shape, I’m putting it in the box of comics to be graded.

  16. I went to store near me last week and saw the Popeye 65 zombie variant on shelf.I asked about it and he said the cover artist shops at the store.He had to order 10 copy’s to get the variant and the store sold the 10 to him for cost.IDW wouldn’t give him any copy’s of his own cover.I was like that’s crazy.

    1. That is crazy, but I’m sure he has some original artwork he could sell or at least have the bragging rights. I know every situation is different, but I would love to go to a LCS and buy my own book if I could.

  17. I got pretty lucky today. After a couple months of working 7 days a week, work finally cooled off enough for me to have Wednesday off. My go to store for spec (they’re kinda douchey, but they have huge long boxes I usually nab hot moderns out of) only ordered the mattina variant of flash. There was a huge stack, but I hate shelf clearers, so I just grabbed two. I had also preordered a couple thinking I would still be stuck at work. Also grabbed a stabbity bunny and a nightwing from the Gotham resistance tie in. They’re selling decently now. I actually love dc, and made some bank off preordering multiples of all the rebirth books months before they hit (took a gamble that way paid off), so I thankfully did that with metal and most of the tie-ins. Still, I see them here and there at some other shops near me so I flip what I find in the wild. I also picked up a Batman 38, a Frison wonder woman (I really dig the art), and just some other stuff for reading.
    I was off to a pretty slow start this year, then someone bought most of the frison covers of WW I had listed, and another guy bought my remaining 9.8 CBCS copy of Ed Mcguiness’s hulk 1 variant. Hooray for selling comics for money to buy more comics with!

  18. LCS
    Harley Quinn 34 Cho cvr
    Barbarella 2 Dalton cvr
    No Stabbity Bunny to be seen…
    Online
    Archie Vol 2 #26 Cover B Variant Sandy Jarrell Cover
    Astonishing X-Men Vol 4 #6 Cover A Regular Mike Del Mundo Cover
    Avengers Vol 6 #674 Cover A Regular Alex Ross Cover
    Barbarella #1 Cover B Variant Joe Jusko Cover
    Batman And The Signal #1 Cover D Regular Cully Hamner Cover Signed By Scott Snyder & Tony Patrick (Limit 1 Per Customer) @ MIDTOWN
    Beast No More Metamorphosis One Shot NEXT WEEK
    Black Lightning Cold Dead Hands #2
    Captain America Vol 8 #696 Cover A Regular Chris Samnee Cover
    Comic Shop News #1596
    Cosmo #1 Cover B Variant Derek Charm Cover @ MIDTOWN
    Danger Doll Squad #3 Cover E Variant Winston Young Cover
    Darth Vader Vol 2 #9
    DC Comics Presents #85 Swamp Thing by Alan Moore!
    Fix #10
    Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #3 Cover A Regular Sandy Jarrell Cover
    Hawkeye Vol 5 #13 Cover A Regular Julian Totino Tedesco Cover
    Iron Fist Vol 5 #75 Cover A Regular Jeff Dekal Cover
    Kong On The Planet Of The Apes #3 Cover C Variant Fay Dalton Pulp Subscription Cover NEXT WEEK
    Last Hunt #4 NEXT WEEK
    Malefic #4 NEXT WEEK
    Mindbender #5
    No 1 With A Bullet #2
    Paper Girls #18
    Red Sonja Vol 7 #11 Cover B Variant Jan Duursema Cover
    Rock Candy Mountain #6
    Shadow Batman #3 Cover D Variant Philip Tan Cover
    Sleepless #1 Cover B Variant Jen Bartel Cover
    Spider-Man Vol 2 #235
    Spirits Of Vengeance #3 Cover A Regular Dan Mora Cover
    Stray Bullets Sunshine And Roses #30
    Superman Vol 5 #36 Cover A Regular Patrick Gleason Cover
    Uber Invasion #10 Cover C Blitzkrieg Cover
    Under Scourge Of The Sewer #2 NEXT WEEK
    Witchblade Vol 2 #1 Cover A 1st Ptg Regular Roberta Ingranata Cover

    1. Noticed the signed Batman and the Signal #1 in your list last night and headed over to the Midtown website to add one to the cart. I decided to put off the purchase until today, and of course, I missed out on buying it since it appears to be sold out. Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today, I guess.

  19. I was unable to find Venom160 cover B. Anyone else have trouble finding a copy? Looks like stores had to match their orders for 159 to be able to unlock the option for cover B. Sucks bleh, was really digging that cover.
    I did pick up
    Mister Miracle 6 both covers
    Harley Quinn 34 Cover B
    Harley Quinn Be careful what you wish for Cover B
    Super Girl 17 Cover B
    Wonder Woman 38 Cover B – kinda upset about this one though. So my LCS got shorted on this so i went to a sister store at a different location. They had three copies left, i picked out the only NM one. When i go to pay for it the cashier handled the comic poorly and end up with a spine tick and a color break. Like how can you work at a comic shop and pick up a book so haphazardly. Just beyond me.
    To make up for it, I picked up some dollar finds on offer up and at another LCS
    I got ALL the Metal tie in books, one shots for $1. All first prints. That includes TT12, Batman Red Death, etc.
    Batman White Knight 1-3 for a buck a piece as well.
    Justice League New 52 issues 1, 24, 25 Variant Cover, 27, 29, 30, 33, 41, 50
    Justice League Rebirth 1 and 26
    Flash Rebirth 1
    Deathstroke 19 Cover B
    So i guess i can live one spine tick on that WW lol

    1. Oh and i passed on those Flash 38 Cover Bs. I’m just not digging the cover. But my LCS had a nice stack of them.
      Also passed on the virgin variant for Rockos Modern life 2 due to all the shops i went to all had color breaks all over the front cover. Sucks big time.

      1. That booked seemed plentiful at my shops as well, the Rockos virgin. I passed after it seemed too easy to get. I’m trying to avoid the pickups that amount to becoming a book I drop off at Half Price a year or two from now.

  20. Been awhile since I’ve posted. I went to wizard world New Orleans got signatures by Stan the man and Arthur Suydam. Stans line was like an assembly line and poor guy was being propped up on both sides by assistants. Had a couple of decent comic hauls off the letgo app in my area one book in particular was X-force sex + violence 2 dell’otto 2nd print variant which got me thinking that we haven’t seen any ghost variant posts in a looong while. I really liked those.

      1. I forgot to mention found a decent ff52 too bad I had already gotten stans signature. And maybe buddy did the virgin deadpool variant I circled in green where Stan initially started to sign then moved to the top. doh! I hope cgc realizes that he did that.

      2. Nice Deadpool cover and a big plus on the Stan Lee signing. I missed him last year when he was here for SDCC. Hope he stops by this year.

    1. I refuse Stan signature… Dude needs to go enjoy life instead of making more cash he’ll never enjoy from cons.. Sadly he doesnt have much more time on planet earth.

  21. Got the 1:25 Venom from my LCS as a weddig gift lol. Can’t complain, also nabbed some mattina flash, and artgerm supergirl. Other grabs were slots, coyotes, babyteeth, and old man logan. Stabbity bunny was on backorder unfortunately. And oddly enough this was a Metal-less week.

  22. So what is the real going price for Underworld: Bloodwars #1? I find it hard to believe that both books are in the $200 range. Is this a fluke?

    1. I think those two who listed at $200+ are thinking theirs are worth more than they really are. The variant and con exclusives that are signed are commanding money. I had one listed for two months back in early fall… I got nothing on it and barely any views. If you search deep enough, the most recent sold listing for a Cover A was $9.99 with free shipping back in mid December. Thats what this book is worth and I wouldn’t pay a penny more myself.

  23. Can anyone tell me wtf is up with all the pubes stuck to the books you get in the mail??? My last three 3 yes three orders have had them. At first I was like this has to be like some dudes arm hair, but no at this point I’m thinking this must be some kind of sick humor, makes no sense. Are you a nude shipper?

    1. I do all my eBay orders in the nude.. there’s just no other better way to package up all those minty fresh comics..

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