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Post by pinkfloydsound17 on Sept 23, 2020 12:54:14 GMT -5
Hi all, I posted this in another forum but thought I would pick the traditionally more classic minds here. I want to buy a display rack. It has pockets that are 7.25 inches wide which to me would indicate it could be from 1975 or newer (since that is when comics shrunk in width and could fit in such pockets). However, I have learned that the rack in question was made from 70's to the 2000's. I guess my question is whether or not there is another way to possibly date such a piece? I would prefer is to be old but if there is no other way then I guess it really would not matter.. Here is an image of the rack for reference. I appreciate any and all insight   |
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Post by pinkfloydsound17 on Sept 23, 2020 13:16:46 GMT -5
I also measure about 55 inches high if that plays any role in narrowing down a better age gap than 30 years lol.
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,328
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Post by shaxper on Sept 23, 2020 13:40:22 GMT -5
While I can't answer your question, I'm curious whether your interest in this particular piece is because of the size/shape, the perceived age, or just because it's a spinner rack for sale? I have a "modern" spinner rack I purchased off of Amazon (you can find it here). It looks like a traditional spinner rack only black, it holds a large number of books, and you can't beat the cost. I know some folks are throwing hundreds of dollars towards the vintage spinners, so I just wanted to offer my two cents. |
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Post by pinkfloydsound17 on Sept 23, 2020 15:02:56 GMT -5
While I can't answer your question, I'm curious whether your interest in this particular piece is because of the size/shape, the perceived age, or just because it's a spinner rack for sale? I have a "modern" spinner rack I purchased off of Amazon (you can find it here). It looks like a traditional spinner rack only black, it holds a large number of books, and you can't beat the cost. I know some folks are throwing hundreds of dollars towards the vintage spinners, so I just wanted to offer my two cents. Perfectly valid questions! I want a spinner rack. I’d prefer something older and I know stuff pre 1975 can be identified by the wider book slots and sometimes the ad on top. I’m not interested in a reproduction. This one is $145 Canadian which I think is fair. I’m just interested to know if it’s 40-50 years old or 20 years old. If there’s no way well I guess it doesn’t matter other than the fact that I know the slots on this rack won’t hold my books older than 1975. |
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Post by pinkfloydsound17 on Sept 23, 2020 15:04:03 GMT -5
The anal collector in me would be happier knowing I was displaying 1975-1980s era books on a correct era display. I’m picky aren’t I?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2020 22:10:05 GMT -5
I know there are different types of signage used atop spinner racks over the years. Not sure if they can be tracked by years in use or not, but if so, that could help narrow down the years it was from based on what the signage is on top. Some had headshots of characters-Richie Rich, Spidey, Supes, others said Hey Kids Comics not comics for all ages as the one pictured does, etc. Again, not sure if there is a chronological record of when signs went into and out of use, but if there is some record, it is a way to narrow it down.
-M
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Post by MDG on Sept 24, 2020 8:27:11 GMT -5
I know there are different types of signage used atop spinner racks over the years. Not sure if they can be tracked by years in use or not, but if so, that could help narrow down the years it was from based on what the signage is on top. Some had headshots of characters-Richie Rich, Spidey, Supes, others said Hey Kids Comics not comics for all ages as the one pictured does, etc. Again, not sure if there is a chronological record of when signs went into and out of use, but if there is some record, it is a way to narrow it down. -M There's a four-sided spinner that has the same sign as this one--I'm pretty sure it comes between "Hey Kids" and the headshot version. Also seen the headshot version on plastic, rather than metal. Pretty sure that's the last version of a spinner that come from the distributor. |
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Post by pinkfloydsound17 on Sept 24, 2020 9:35:56 GMT -5
I know there are display stands and racks that are definitely old based on the signage. This one from what I was told had a long production history, hence why I was trying to narrow it down if possible. At any rate, I know it is at worst 20 years old, probably 30 and could be 50 years old. It looks vintage and great and costs as much or less as a new reproduction one from what I can tell, so I am happy. It won't be in possession for a while as a friend is picking it up and storing for me until I can visit which given the current situation, could be a while. But something I've wanted and can look forward to when I get it |
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Post by beccabear67 on Sept 24, 2020 14:45:22 GMT -5
It looks great! I remember buying from ones like it in the early '80s, so I'm definitely envious. My ideal would be a spinner one with the maximum number of regular comics spaces. I was pretty annoyed I'd 'just missed' buying the one a shop had been using for their undergrounds when they had gone under (and liquidators were selling everything even fixtures). So close... argh.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Sept 24, 2020 15:01:56 GMT -5
I'm actually shocked that someone was producing commercial comic book racks in the 2000s.
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Post by pinkfloydsound17 on Sept 24, 2020 19:48:00 GMT -5
I'm actually shocked that someone was producing commercial comic book racks in the 2000s. That tidbit of info came from another collector who had a few racks. I assumed he knew what he was talking about but in reality, could have been made up. I mean pocket size makes sense to date them. There has to be more but if so, no one I’ve asked has a definitive answer. |
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Post by codystarbuck on Sept 24, 2020 21:25:02 GMT -5
I'm actually shocked that someone was producing commercial comic book racks in the 2000s. Might have been a multi-purpose rack that was sold to other outlets, with signage added or subtracted as needed. |
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 9,515 
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Post by Confessor on Sept 26, 2020 12:01:05 GMT -5
"Spinner rack" is a comic-related term I only encountered for the first time among this community, waaaaay back in the CBR days. It just wasn't something I ever associated with comics before. We had spinner racks, of course, but in newsagent shops they were more likely to have cheap toys, stationary, or Mills & Boon romantic fiction novels displayed on them. I don't ever remember seeing comics on a spinner rack as a kid. Comics over here -- whether they were homegrown fare like 2000 AD, Battle Picture Weekly, and the Beano and Bunty, or imported American Marvels and DCs -- were always displayed on the regular magazine shelves, usually near the bottom, along with children's magazines like Look-In or Twinkle.
Oh, and just to be a pedant, that comic rack pictured at the top of the thread isn't actually a spinner rack, is it? Because it doesn't spin.
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Post by beccabear67 on Sept 26, 2020 14:29:30 GMT -5
Oh, and just to be a pedant, that comic rack pictured at the top of the thread isn't actually a spinner rack, is it? Because it doesn't spin. I only thought of saying that. I find some strange satisfaction that somebody did however. The British style paper shop we had featured a long wooden magazine rack, with newspapers and oversized things on a flat shelf at the very bottom. Of course sometimes a British comic would have something taped to the cover! Sticky plastic tape that was a bugger to try and get off! My '90s Stingray #1 still has residue on it and a few flakes of color that came off onto the tape, and the free badge was a pain to try and clean. The worst thing I've heard about though for displaying periodicals is how some American newsstands stapled magazines, and maybe even comics, shut so people had to buy to look inside at all! I have an old '60s Rave magazine with a U.S. price sticker and you can see where the staple had been. Marred a nice Eric Burdon as a cowboy cover!  Okay, very off topic, but if nobody's complaining... |
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Post by codystarbuck on Sept 26, 2020 14:59:32 GMT -5
"Spinner rack" is a comic-related term I only encountered for the first time among this community, waaaaay back in the CBR days. It just wasn't something I ever associated with comics before. We had spinner racks, of course, but in newsagent shops they were more likely to have cheap toys, stationary, or Mills & Boon romantic fiction novels displayed on them. I don't ever remember seeing comics on a spinner rack as a kid. Comics over here -- whether they were homegrown fare like 2000 AD, Battle Picture Weekly, and the Beano and Bunty, or imported American Marvels and DCs -- were always displayed on the regular magazine shelves, usually near the bottom, along with children's magazines like Look-In or Twinkle. Oh, and just to be a pedant, that comic rack pictured at the top of the thread isn't actually a spinner rack, is it? Because it doesn't spin.Sure it does; just not very easily!  There were actually various display racks used around the country. The spinner rack was one type, while the one seen above is typical of freestanding wire racks used for comics, magazines, greeting cards, paperbacks and similar items, in a cascading display. Street vendors often had wooden display racks or had items in piles on counter-tops, while newsvendors in stores might have long banks of wooden or pre-fab material racks, with all kinds of periodicals on display, including comics. Wire spinner racks were used to sell greeting cards, paperback books (especially genre stuff) and toys. Whitman sold their bagged sets of comics (their own Gold Key/Whitman and their licensed DC comics) on wire display racks, with pegs, to hold a whole stack of comics, though some stores had them in wire spinners. When I started with Barnes & Noble, in 1993, we used wire racks not unlike that for displaying new paperback releases, though we eventually upgraded to newer fixtures. For some time we maintained a wire spinner rack for postcards (with various paintings and artistic photographs). Plastic spinner displays began appearing in the 80s, including the iconic ones used by Waldenbooks, to display Marvel's graphic novel line and their comics. B&N used plastic spinner for a certain type of children's book, referred to as "spinner books," with stories about the Berenstain Bears, Curious George, Mr Man and Little Miss, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and others. We had another for the Little Golden Books (before and after Western went bankrupt and Random House bought the rights to the books and reissued them). |
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