A lot of it is luck and timing, but a good part of it is that I've spent the last 12 years cultivating relationships among the comic con community here in my area. Sometimes they started as transactional, sometimes by happenstance, sometimes its just folks with a shared interest finding each other.

For example in 2012 I decided to sell off a bunch of stuff so I bought a table at Champion City Comic Con here in Springfield, then run by the owner of the now defunct comic shop here in town. I hadn't been active in comics for a while, pretty much taking a hiatus from comics that had lasted about 5 years. I was just sort of getting back into comics a little bit but my interests had changed so I was selling off stuff I no longer wanted or needed to create funds to pursue the stuff I was interested in. I thought it was a one time thing, no big deal. Mrs MRP and I set up our table and the table next to me happened to be Jesse, the organizer of Gem City Comic Con and his wife (who was very pregnant with their first child at the time), across from me was Tony and Jared of Super Fly Comics (my current lcs) and a few tables down was Aaron who runs Roma Collectibles (the vintage toy store here in town by back then he was simply a con dealer and didn't have a physical store front). But during set up I get to talking with all of them and as the day went along got to know them a little bit. Jesse was interested in some of my stuff and we set up a trade, starting a transactional trade relationship that continues to this day. He threw in a pair of passes to that year's Gem City Con for me and my wife as well. Through the owner of the defunct shop I met a bunch of local small press creators and did a little editing for some of them, meeting more people in the local comic scene. Through Jesse and Gem City I started to meet more dealers and grow more relationships in the local community. For example, Jesse knew I was collecting Conan and he had had dealer/small press creators friend who was looking to sell an extra low grade copy of Conan the Barbarian #1 to generate funds to print a small press comic he was doing, so he put us in touch and we made a deal. That was Dan of Jim & Dan's Comics & Games, and relationship grew from there. We had similar tastes and would often find books the other was looking for at various places etc. I would also put people I knew who were not part of the comic scene but trying to sell collections of their own or relatives in touch with Jesse or Dan who would either broker a deal or point them to a better option. But the net result is that I often get a shout when stuff I might be interested in comes in, or if I am buying from them at a show or shop I get a little better price than what they're asking, or if I need to sell or trade some stuff, I have a place to sell or someone who will point me to potential buyers. And through those relationships I met others. Dave, whose brother's comics he was selling and I bought in the 3/$1 sale, is a professional comic artist with credits at several big publishers. He's also Jesse's friend and local, so guests at several local shows both as an artist and a vendor. My first encounter with him was commissioning him to do a Biotron sketch on a blank cover at a Champion City Con circa 2015 or '16 I think, and it was a unique request for him but he was a huge Micronauts fan so he loved doing it. It started a con friendship and I see him at shows often and we always chat about stuff (like Super Powers Bugs and McFarlane doing Ambush Bug and Cheeks figures this time) while I browse through his long boxes, and buy stuff from them. They sell professionally but all of them have a passion for comics and they recognize that in others. "one of us" sort of thing. And they like dealing with those types of fans rather than the flippers, resellers, gatekeepers, fanatical know-it-alls etc. and it often shows up in the form of heads up, A-oks., better deals, first refusals on books they get in etc. But its a two way street and it takes a long time to establish, build and cultivate those relationships. When I talk to my wife about it, we refer to them as our Con-Kith. A big reason I go to shows is just to see folks among my Con-Kith and catch up, swap stories, etc. The buying and selling of books among us is often just a by product of that. But it does lead to me being in the right place and right time to find books, often at good prices, to achieve some of those hauls. But a good chunk of that luck has been made over the last decade. Other times you just walk into a new shop or a show. or hit ebay or Lonestar or what have you at just the right time, go to a 2nd and Charles or Half Price Books at the right time and find stuff. And sometimes its just knowing where to go and who to deal with to avoid those looking to exploit buyers for every last penny or cash in on the latest trend or rumor. I'm blessed to have had the opportunity and time to cultivate the relationships I have, and those relationships are a big reason why I spend as much time on this hobby as I do. Playing D&D for us has a similar dynamic, it's just as much about the people in our gaming circle, our kith and kin their, as it is about the games themselves.

-M

There was a thread in this forum that is now largely defunct, that was an exchange of comics by the members. I have sent books to people and have had some sent to me. It was only a few participants, so I guess that it lapsed. There were also members that we’re just takers and never sent anything forward.

Here's the old thread... Classic Comic Exchange

It had a decent run (2014-2022) but no one has posted in it for 2 1/2 years, and activity was pretty sparse towards the end.

A lot of the folks who used to participate are no longer active on the boards, but we've gotten a whole bunch of new folks, so maybe a new thread or a revival would work. I still do a lot of swapping with folks from the local community, usually when I see them at shows so postage isn't an issue there, but I do still mail stuff out here and there to some I know who aren't local I've got 2 longboxes of stuff going out to one con/dealer friend from Illinois who will be in town for Gem City next month that has been building up since I saw him last year at Gem City. He has a bunch of stuff for me too, and had sent along a box of stuff my way when he set up at one of Jesse's shows in Indiana last autumn and sent it back to Ohio with Jesse).

It can be tough though. People have different mindsets coming in to such things. Some just like interacting and swapping comics, with the understanding thigs will get paid forward, some like trading but want every trade to be balanced in some way (whether through equal quantities of books, similar FMV values or what have you), some just like giving and some are just looking to get. Some are looing for specific things others are just happy to participate and experience what people send along. I've found overall the generosity on display in those exchanges was amazing. I sent out a lot of books but on balance I think more were sent my way. There's still a few folks I'd like to repay for their generosity but haven't had the opportunity to yet for various different reasons (haven't found stuff that interests them, international shipping rates, lost contact, etc.).

If we were to revive it or set up some kind of new virtual swap meet, I'd be happy to participate on some level, but I am not sure what the interest level would be.

-M

Have you ever thought about getting a table and setting up at one of those local shows you attend to sell off the stuff you're purging?

-M

Not a purchase, but our very own tartanphantom sent me a very nice copy go DD#6. Thanks Rob !