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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 23, 2015 16:05:16 GMT -5
I've related this tale years ago when our community resided on the CBR boards. I don't remember if it had it's own thread or inserted within the general chat but, since its been wiped out and still worth telling, viola' it is back. Skip it if you heard it before but it will be an all new retelling since I didn't save the original and I hope that with the passage of time I haven't messed up the story. It is all true. The people involved did not know about this recital originally nor will I inform them now so I can't ask any questions of them and rely instead on what I remember. It will take a few chapters to tell it properly so bear with me
Chapter 1-The Set Up
I live in Manhattan, having moved to that borough from Forest Hills (Home Of Spider-Man), Queens NYC in 1975. I quit reading comics about 1973 and sold the few thousand I had accumulated. A combination of my being in my early 20s and putting my childhood joys away was what lead to my departure. Comic book reading was not exactly a chick-magnet at that time or so the saying goes. Plus cover prices were rising just about every year and I percieved a drop off in quality. But lo and behold, I wind up moving one block away from one of the first comic book shops in Manhattan. It was called Supersnipe Comics owned by Ed Sommer and George (Star Wars) Lucas. Actually George only helped bankroll Ed to open the shop. I couldn't help noticing the line of kids outside waiting to get in. It was extremely small and could only hold 5 or 6 customers at a time. A line waiting outside was good for business. I would look at their window display of the latest books and think back on the fond memories I had with comics
Then I saw it-the Treasury Sized Superman Meets Spider-Man. Holy Sh*T, I had to go into the store to take a look at that. And maybe I might pick up one or two others just to see what was up with some old favorites. It didn't take long but I soon got caught up with the comic scene again. Started to by from the store weekly, picking up back issues from the few years I was away so I could get filled in. They got me hook, line and sinker
But I didn't like the Supersnipe experience for several reasons. Ed Summers was not a pleasant man. By the way, a tangent here. Roy Thomas lived in that neighborhood and was a regular customer. Ed Summers was a former film student and as I said a partner with George Lucas. Roy Thomas wanted to get Conan into the movies. Ed and George Lucas helped make it into a reality. If you look at the credits of the 1st Conan movie, Ed Summers' name is there as a third writer. Another tangent- working the store as well was a fellow named Dave Kaler. Dave wrote some comics back in the 1960s-for Charlton superheroes and some Warren Magazine Creepy tales in the early 70s. He was also the organizer for one of the earliest comic book conventions, held in Manhattan i 1964. Dave's writing career never took off so he's working at the comic shop and again not a very pleasant fellow.
As I said, Supersnipe comics was a shoebox of a store and they made you check you're belongings before entering. As an adult I took umbrage that they held my business bag behind the counter when I entered and no other store in Manhattan would do that to me.
But Supersnipe was a unmitigated success and very soon it had competition all over Manhattan. In fact by 1980 there were 4 comic shops within 3 blocks from my house. No problem switching to a different store. Which I did. Which is were I met the man who owned ....Action Comics #1
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 24, 2015 18:07:56 GMT -5
Please indulge me on the preamble with my personal comic collecting for I swear by all the staples that hold comics together, it will fit into the story
A final addendum to the Supersnipe Comic Emporium (that was the official title). George Lucas made a nice chunk of money from American Graffiti (1973) and bankriolled the opening of Manhattan's first comic book store. Not sure exactly when it opened, it was there during the summer of 1976 so probably sometime between 1974 & 1975. Anywho, as I said it was making money and an adjacent storefront became available. They bought it and opened up the Supersnipe Art Gallery in about 1977. Original artwork, animation cels, possibly toys and other memorabilia. I wasn't a collector of that type of merchandise so I only went in a couple of times for just some quick peaks. There was SF drawings and such as well. At that time I didn't know George Lucas had anything to do with the store but years later it dawned on me that the store had 1977's Star Wars designs, artwork, storyboards and what have you, possibly even before the movie opened. In fact it probably was before the movie was a hit because there was no big deal that the store had stuff from Ron Cobb, Ralph McQuarrie etc. before the world went Star Wars crazy
Chapter 2-I Was A Sick Puppy
Now bitten by the comic collecting bug once again I went at it with full force. Its now the late 70s, I was making a lot of money with little overhead, was single and plenty of mad cash to spend. I was buying almost everything with no chance I would get to read it all. But OCD is what is is and my collection had to be complete. I left Supersnipe and starting buying from another store in my neighborhood, a hole in the wall place called The Batcave. Delmo (The Saint) Walters, a prolic letterhack in the comic books was a regular there. I was also attending plenty of comic conventions and by the end of the 70s I had a complete Marvel collection (1961 and up) and pretty much a complete Silver Age DC collection too (1956 & up) of all the superhero, SF and mystery titles. Sparkle City Comics was my chief source of older material, they were at all the conventions and I think they are still around. Meanwhile, the owner of The Batcave, due to his own failing health and mismanagment had a big cash flow problem. I lent him a few thousand to keep him going and he gave me his collection as collateral. I now had doubles of Fantastic 4 #1-20, doubles of Amazing Spider-Man #1-10, about 75% of the EC comic line, a near complete Classic Comic illustrated run and complete sets of Mars Attacks cards as well as 3 different series of Batman trading cards from the 1960s. By the early 80s I was buying select golden age and atomic age books. I wanted representative samplings of 1950s horror, jungle, SF , superhero, love-pretty much every genre. I wanted representative samples of Simon & Kirby,Kintsler, Powell, Fine,Eisner,Wolverton.
The Batcave shut down by 1983. I started shopping downtown now. This is when the independent comic company scene exploded and it was like it was as a kid again-There was so much product available from a half dozen or so different distributors (Dianmond, Capitol, Seagate etc) you had to go to several shops to make sure you got everything. So I'm shopping at St.Marx Comics in the East Village, Forbidden Planet by Union Square and Village Comics by Washington Sq Park. I'm easily spending $50-$60 weekly on books and the average price was only a dollar to $1.50
And then a new store opens up in my neighborhood. It's directly across the street from Supersnipe. I checked them out and it was pretty good. The man running it was a few years older than me (if such a thing is possible). Reasonably friendly and extremely knowledgeable about comic history. We pretty much had the same tastes and somewhat the same opinions. The more I spoke to him the more I liked him. So, since he was just one block from my house, he became my primary store and I was one of his better customers
Lets call him...um Phil. Phil had a private collection as well. As time past, he would reveal exactly what he had-which was a mirror image of mine PLUS MORE. He was a big fan of Disney and had a huge Dell Comics collection. His personal hunting expedition was to complete his Four Color Comics collection- he was only missing about 2 dozen of a 1500 issue run. He had many golden age DCs. He posseseed All American Comics #16-the first original Green Lantern, He had most of the All Star Comics, He had many many very early Batman and Detectives (but not the first appearences). And then he finally revealed his prize possesion - possibly the best condition copy of Action Comics #1.
Yes, I was a sick puppy and I met someone who was even more of a deviant. That , in a weird way, made me feel better
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 25, 2015 14:51:32 GMT -5
Chapter 3-This Man, This Collectible
So I'm now a loyal customer of Phil's store, right across the street from Supersnipe. I don't know the circumstances that occurred earlier but Phil can't stand Supersnipe's owner, Ed Summer and the feeling was quite mutual. Each store would engage a young kid to hand out flyer's in front of the completion. Occasionally there would be rivaling price wars on back issues between the two establishments. And meanwhile other stores where popping up all over Manhattan. Supersnipe eventually closed down sometime in the mid-80s. Possibly the uncomfortably small size hurt them, their haughty attitude when they were the only game in town came back to bite them or just the fact that all the other stores appearing kept customers from making long journeys that were now not necessary. Phil's store was now the King Of The Upper East Side Of Manhattan .
As I said I liked Phil. He is a walking encyclopedia of comics lore, Disneyania, Classic Movies, Baseball facts and other trivia. I was a customer for over 25 years and it did turn into a friendship. He also kept me humble about my collection that didn't compare to his. Once or twice he showed me his valuables including the Action #1 . This was before slabbing existed, he kept it in a heavy duty Mylar envelope with an acid free backing board. The book would reside in a safe deposit box at a neighborhood bank. He bought the book back in about 1973. I don't recall what he paid or who he bought it from. I think the book back then might have sold for $5,000 or so. The pages were very white, no flaws that were noticeable. Phil always made reference to Steve Geppi, owner of Diamond Distributors, who also owned a copy. Phil was adamant that his Action # 1 was in better shape than Geppi's.
Phil had done some advisory work for the Overstreet Price Guide in it's early years and was listed as such. Phil used to have a dealer table at the big conventions in NYC but now with the store he no longer went that route. Phil was also very knowledgeable with comic restoration and many dealers or collectors availed him of those talents. Phil knew how to grade comics, no doubt about it.
But the weird thing about Phil was how frugal he was. As I told him many times "Phil, you throw you're nickels around like they were manhole covers". For instance, he tried not to use his phone until later in the evening when rates were cheaper. He would find things people discarded in the street like furniture, potted plants and such and take them home and refurbish them. You wouldn't think from his habits that he was sitting on a goldmine. Business was good at the store especially with Supersnipe's closing. Phil moved 2 blocks to a bigger location on an avenue instead of a side street. His frugality made him run the store as a one man operation with a part time helper. He talked about expanding but he was so hands on that he didn't.Yes, the late1980s and early 1990's were very kind to Phil.
And then came the comic book crash and business took a severe turn. Meanwhile Manhattan rents were skyrocketing and a huge comic store on the avenue was becoming less and less feasible. So he was forced to move again to a smaller store. It was around this time I started asking him if he every thought of selling Action #1. He would scoff at that idea. In a way, in his mind, it kind of gave him an identity as being the owner of such a rare and sought after item even though he didn't bring up the fact to strangers. But business was getting tougher and tougher. I don't think I need to go into the whys and wherefores among this knowledgeable community but we know that a tremendous amount of customers abandoned comics or cut back on their purchases. And as the millennium dawned it was evident the salad days were not coming back and we were all getting older
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Post by mrc1214 on Nov 25, 2015 19:02:47 GMT -5
I always enjoy hearing about the comic book world in the 1970s and 1980s especially in NYC. Very interesting stuff Ish. Sounds like you had a good time buying stuff and met some interesting people.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2015 19:39:22 GMT -5
I always enjoy hearing about the comic book world in the 1970s and 1980s especially in NYC. Very interesting stuff Ish. Sounds like you had a good time buying stuff and met some interesting people. Chuck has some interesting tales on his Mile High site about that period. He claims he sold his Edgar Church copies of Action Comics 1-11 for $50,000 in 1982 when he had what he described as a downward slide. (http://www.milehighcomics.com/tales/cbg65.html). I wasn't born yet...but if I had 50 grand in 1982... |
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 27, 2015 14:09:20 GMT -5
Chapter 4-You Can't Take It With You
The Great Comics Recession of the late 1990s. I seem to recall Diamond Distributors lost about half of their total accounts. Poorly financed comic shops across the country were shuttering left and right with the surge of investor activity coming to a halt. In New York City some major stores closed up or moved to smaller locations. Village Comics shut down. Forbidden Planet moved across the street to a location half the square footage of the original. Jim Hanley's Comic Universe, across the street from the Empire State Building moved to a smaller site as well. St. Marx Comics somehow stayed as it was but it was always modest sized. Many other, smaller shops disappeared and the only replacement I can think of was Midtown Comics opening in Times Square during this re-entrenchment.
Phil's business was hit hard. Many customers disappeared or cut back on their expenditures. 9/11 and the Wall Street collapse certainly exacerbated this trend as well. There was a customer named Wayne for instance who worked in Wall Street and bought just about all the DC and Marvel titles-2 of each thinking it was an investment. He got laid off, suffered medical problems, wanted to sell his huge collection and was dismayed to learn that most of it was just fodder. I was between jobs for a few weeks in about 2003 and Phil had me work in his store for a couple of days. Besides New Comics Day, hardly anyone would walk in and spend money.
My unemployment was very brief and my comic buying remained unaffected. However I was no longer buying old books-I pretty much had everything I originally wanted and prices were just too high for Golden Age. But otherwise I continued buying maybe 50 books weekly and only getting around to read a dozen of them. My OCD and silly desire to keep a complete run on titles made me waste so much money. I was accumulating maybe 6 long boxes every year. It had gotten to a point in the 1990s that I needed to rent storage space to house my collection. The most valuable owns remained at home, the rest went to a bedroom size warehouse by the Hudson River across town. The boxes were just stacked up one on top of the other. The last time I organized my collection alphabetically and numerically was in 1989. Since then each individual box was alphabetized but I would never be able to actually find a particular item, let alone a run of a title without an all day search that would leave me thoroughly exhausted.
I confided to Phil my growing dismay over the albatross of my collection. Phil was worried over his own business at the same time. Finally in about 2010, Phil closed his store. He had about a dozen or so, including me, regular customers and their pull lists. He would give his regulars a copy of the Diamond monthly Preview books and get their orders. We would go to his place to pick up the books. He lived in the same neighborhood as the store in a nice pre-war building. But no elevator. He lived on the top floor of a 5th story walk up. He also had a place in New Jersey, a modest home with a small back yard where he stored his collection in a specially made shed. His valuable books , I mentioned were in a safe deposit box.
I continued opining that I needed to do something about my collection. I was paying $350 a month for my store space, that was crazy!! Phil was scrimping and saving to get by on the limited money he was making too. He was now close to mid-60s, no children, a girlfriend but not married. "Phil-You can't take it with you. Sell some of your books. Enjoy the rest of your life with the money you can get for them. No one will care if you own Action Comics # 1 or not. He was always hesitant about the subject matter but finally something must have clicked
And so it was that Phil took his precious out of the bank. He knew a few private collectors who might buy the book. Phil was adamant to avoid an Auction House. It would kill him to let the auctioneers keep a high percentage of the purchase. Plus he wanted to keep the transaction as private as possible, unreported for tax purposes. Phil put the Action # 1 into a carry bag and went out to pay some visits to potential purchasers. It was a long day of travelling and dickering. Late that night he returned home and walked up the 5 flights to his apartment. Exhaustedly he opened the door, entered and within minutes he was fast asleep.
He left the carry bag with the Action # 1 outside his door, on the floor of his building's hallway
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Post by Hoosier X on Nov 27, 2015 16:46:12 GMT -5
OMG! This is so suspenseful!
Is this going to be like one of those 1940s serials where the bag goes into the furnace and you have to wait a week before they show the scene that was edited out that shows Jungle Jim taking Action #1 out of the bag before tossing it in the furnace?
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 28, 2015 13:46:58 GMT -5
Chapter 5-Panic
The last few years, I've been chiding Phil about his lapses in memory. His long term recall was still sharp as ever, his command of trivia never better. He could tell you who was the female co-star in any Charlie Chan movie off the top of his head or what issue # of Action Comics Metallo was introduced , but something that had happened the day before, not as good.
Phil woke the next morning, went through his usual routines and made a few phone calls. There was a potential buyer for the Action # 1 that he was scheduled to visit later that day. He then went to get the bag with the comic and found it missing from its usual spot. He looked around and panic slowly built within. Then he really looked around. Then he tore the house apart. Missing. What the hell did he do with it. Think hard, what was you're last memory of handling it. All he was absolutely sure was he had it with him when he had gone to the last potential buyer the night before. Did he leave it there? How could he? How could he even call that person and ask? Would they be truthful and say yes or think of him as an idiot for losing it. Did he leave it in a grocery store that he stopped into on his way home? He left the house and retraced his path home from the prior night. It was a long shot and no, nothing found.
Back home again. His heart was probably palpitating by this point and he couldn't share this experience with anyone. No one could offer any help and he's just come off as a fool. He was pretty sure he had it when he entered the building the night before but where was it? He finally did what he really did not want to do. He called the cops-911 about a potential robbery
When its not an actual emergency the cops do not respond right away, so he had time to think before they arrived. Does he tell the officers exactly what was stolen. He did not want his comic to become public knowledge. I can't imagine what was going through Phil's head by this point.
The police arrived and at his apartments doorway began to get Phil's report. there were 3 other apartments on his floor, all occupied by older people. At least 2 of them opened there doors to see what was going on. The police entered Phil's apartment and looked around. I'm not sure if Phil told them exactly what was missing or just described it as an old and valuable Superman comic. The police basically told him that there was no evidence of an actual break in, that possibly no crime was committed, that they would file their report but could not promise what the follow up might be. They soon left and Phil felt worse on their departure compared to before they arrived
Time was running out. The longer the missing comic remained unfound, the least likely it would be recovered. There was just 2 things to do
Continue to tear up his apartment
Think of what was the most logical answer to its location and be determined to act on it
He was fairly sure he came back to the building last night with the bag.
If it wasn't in the apartment, then he must have left it outside when unlocking the apartment door. That had to be it.
If that was so, what was the next step?
Only one thing to do, and be ruthless in doing it
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Nov 29, 2015 9:07:29 GMT -5
The suspense isn't literally killing me, but it's definitely keeping me on my toes!
That sinking feeling when we realize how we've f&$ed so ething up.. Aaaaaaaaaargh!!!
Great evocation of the comic book collecting field in the 70s, Ish! If you ever consider writing a book about it, I'm sure it would be successful!
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Nov 30, 2015 16:57:01 GMT -5
Chapter 6-The Only Thing To Do
Lets be clear about a few things here. I personally was not aware what was going on at this point. Phil was too embarrassed to call for help (except the cops which really was a waste). I was not a witness to what happened next and can only relate what I was told a few years ago. Also please forgive for me might subconsciously dramatize this encounter
Also, Phil is not a big man. Not an intimidating person at all. He's about 5 foot 7, a bit on the thin side but generally an average build. He was about 65 years old at this point. A normal person would not become scared of Phil, even if he was threatening them
The comic has been missing close to 24 hours by now. The quality of the remainder of your life is at stake (well, he did have plenty of other valuable books but this was the BIG one). There was just one last gambit of resort to try, otherwise its gone forever
The Reasoning-He lived on the 5th floor of a 5 story walk up. Thankfully that meant that just about the only people that would be on the level's hallway would be the folks that live there. It's funny, but he always, and with good reason, hated having to climb those stairs every day but it just might be rewarding Phil now by narrowing the possibilities.
There were 3 other apartments on Phil's floor. They were all elderly people-older than Phil if you can believe it. Another lucky break. 2 were ladies who were always pleasant with Phil. The 3rd was a man, a bit of a cantankerous loner who Phil never had much to deal with except a quick hello. That man poked his head out of his apartment when the cops arrived, listened very briefly, then shut his door. So Phil will start with him.
Phil will confront the man directly and forcefully. He will tell the man that he knows he picked up the bag either very late at night or early that morning. Phil will not take denial as an answer. He will inform the old man that the cops are looking for the item, that the man will face felony charges if he tries to sell it, that the item has been registered as well. Phil will downplay what the comic actually was, its true significance and value. He will keep re-iterating that attempting to sell it was tantamount to grand theft and the old man might spend the rest of his years behind bars. Phil had seen enough film noir movies to maintain the proper vocal intonations to drive his point home. Not Bogart nor Cagney but a Robert Mitchum style might be for the best, having the right hint of danger behind it
This was Phil's best and last hope. He was seriously doubtful the 2 ladies kept the bag-they were the type to ring his bell to give it to him. So Phil strode across the hallway and rang the bell. Its about 7PM. A brief wait and a voice from inside asking "Who Is It?"
"It's Phil, your neighbor. We need to talk"
Coming next-The outcome and final fate of the Action #1
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Dec 1, 2015 13:29:54 GMT -5
Chapter 7-Goodbye Action Comics #1
Phil girded up his loins ( I don't want to visualize that) and forcefully insisted to his neighbor that he knew he picked up the bag in front of his door the previous night and will call the cops back if it wasn't returned. Phil kept mentioning the key words, cops, cops, crime, felony, I know, jail, cops, other ladies witnessed it, prison showers etc. over and over. Phil was not going to take no as an answer. What did he have to lose? The old man sputtered then caved in. He had it. Its in his house. He thought it was just trash that was going to be disposed. "Please-I didn't know". Luckily the old man, believe it or not, had no clue how valuable the book was. He came back within the minute to the front door with Phil's carry case in hand. A huge gust of wind swept over Manhattan as Phil let out a deep exhalation of breathe. He grabbed the bag and without saying a further word went back to his place
And that's the end of that part of the story. But wait, wait there's more. For Phil went on the next day to meet with a potential buyer that he had to previously cancelled an appointment with due to the past crisis. And that buyer, while unable to afford the book himself, knew some man in Seattle that would be extremely interested in the book. So Phil was in conference with the Seattle man who was willing to come to New York City expressly for the purpose of the purchase. The Seattle Man already had a witness as to the condition and authenticity of Phil's book. He would arrive in New York in a few days
This is the part where I was informed as to what had happened and the possible upcoming sale. I could only shake my head to Phil, kid him about his bouts of forgetfulness and wish him the best of luck. What was the price Phil was hoping to get. A copy was previously sold at this point for close to $2 million. Now Phil thought his book was in better shape than that one but then again he wanted the sale to be under the radar as much as possible with alerting the IRS so he might have to take less to get that accomplished. But he also would be saving the money an auctioneer he grab which could be as high as 20%
Phil was coy with me as usual when it came to money. He wouldn't tell me what he would settle for but he did talk about the points I made in the previous paragraph so you can make your own guess what he was looking for. Seattle Man arrived as per scheduled. A very, very wealthy man indeed
Next-Slabbing and Selling
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2015 15:33:54 GMT -5
Next-Slabbing and Selling Gosh....that's like cussing people's mothers here  How on earth will they read that Action Comics now???  |
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Dec 1, 2015 16:48:54 GMT -5
Next-Slabbing and Selling Gosh....that's like cussing people's mothers here How on earth will they read that Action Comics now??? i was planning to dedicate the next chapter to you.  Still will |
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Post by berkley on Dec 2, 2015 5:20:27 GMT -5
The suspense isn't literally killing me, but it's definitely keeping me on my toes! That sinking feeling when we realize how we've f&$ed so ething up.. Aaaaaaaaaargh!!! Great evocation of the comic book collecting field in the 70s, Ish! If you ever consider writing a book about it, I'm sure it would be successful! Just caught up on this thread tonight, and I agree! All kinds of things I would like to ask about, but I'd rather wait till the story is done and then go back over it from the beginning. |
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Dec 2, 2015 13:53:34 GMT -5
Hello, my name is Action Comics #1 and it's only appropriate that I get to tell this part of the story from my own perspective. After all, I'm the Star
Chapter 8-I Feel Pretty, Oh So Pretty
I'm a mature lady and used to the best things in life. All those who have seen me say that I look so much younger than my age (which I'm not going to reveal even though it is printed on my forehead)
My early memories are very hazy, I must have partied hardy back then. But at some point, someone plied me with a dime and took me home. I let them fondle my pages lovingly and thankfully they never bent my spine or tossed me around. They kept me out of the direct sunlight (which is terrible for my complexion). I'm sure I was always in the New York City area and in the early 1970s Phil became my most recent husband. He bought me for cash and some younger golden age cousins of mine. Sounds fair, I am descended from royalty, a first of its kind.
Phil had given me a nice new plastic dress to wear, in fact every few years I get a new one. I also have an acid free backing board for support (as us girls get older we tend to sag a bit). There are long periods I'm kept in the dark which is fine since I'm a night owl. But most recently there has been a flurry of activity and I'm being shown to all these strangers and even taken on short rides to new surroundings. There was a harrowing 24 hours spent in the company of a very old man next door to Phil. He had a cat in the house which made me a bit nervous and I was preying the old man won't undress me since I saw he eat fluffernutter sandwiches and had sticky fingers. Whew-I'm glad Phil took me back. But all these other strangers-Am I being auditioned for something? This is so thrilling. I love the attention.
I hear Phil talking about a Seattle Man coming to see me and he might be the ONE. Oh my!! Seattle Man arrives. Phil is OK, I've no complaints but this Seattle Man is younger, kind of cute and looks like he has plenty of money. I put on my best face as Seattle Man sees me for the first time. I can tell by his expression that he's pleased. My staples get aroused
The next day, Seattle Man, Phil and I get on a plane bound for Florida. We are going to some place called CGC. This is so exciting. A quick cab ride and we are at CGC headquarters. Is this going to be like a beauty pageant? Phil and Seattle Man wait in a lobby. CGC was told about my arrival in advance and they are so happy to see me. I'm taken to another large room with multiple tables and apparatus. I've heard of operations like crack houses that look similar, with naked girls working in an assembly line fashion, only wearing plastic gloves and mouth filters, chopping and measuring and packaging the product. Well, this place is kind of like that but they keep their clothes on. I'm inspected all over (hey buddy-you can at least buy a drink fir a girl). There really is no place that they don't touch or peer at. Its so embarrassing. But at the end I'm rewarded with a brand new dress. And look, its got a nice designer label on it too. Except the label has all my measurements on it. Really-Can't a girl keep some secrets?
I'm brought back to Mr. Seattle and Phil as if I'm a new born baby. Phil is grumbling, something about only getting an 8.0 rating. He is adamant I deserve more, that I'm in better shape than Steve Geppi's edition which got a slightly higher grade. That CGC is playing favorites since Geppi's Diamond Distributors does plenty of business with CGC by slabbing their new comics (which I think is absolutely ridiculous, these are babies, they should stay in diapers, not slab designer dresses). Mr. Seattle though is fine with it. I meet his expectations. He proposes to me and Steve and I are now divorced.
So its off to the West Coast for me, darlings. Its been fun but Mr. Seattle is younger, cuter and rich. And I'm closer to Hollywood too. And Phil seems somewhat happy with the money he was given. Which shows me it was never true love to begin with.
Dedicated to the Queen Of Collectible Comics-Our Own Ultty Jez
Next-The Final Chapter
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How on earth will they read that Action Comics now??? 
