Feedback Thread: Back Issue Spotlight #2

[David Akers]

I especially enjoyed the discussion of the online vendors, and I wanted to add a couple comments.

I've used all three of the vendors you mentioned and I agree absolutely with your comments on all three. I used Mile High for years to try to fill in my collection, starting even before they were online when the yellow page ads appeared in Marvel. In buying a lot of 80s books I realized that my definition of NM wasn't the same as theirs. Many of those 80s books came with dented or dimpled covers, which doesn't make them NM in my opinion. So their grading standards are overstated *throughout,* not just in the lower grades. And the reason is simple: they are big. Too big. But you can usually find the book you are looking for, which is their justification for the higher prices, etc. It also seems sometimes that their sales prices end up higher than or the same as the usual prices. I've watched issues, waiting for sales, and seen that the prices didn't change. I also used them for my new comics, but any mistakes that were made were treated as if they were my fault, so I switched to DCBS when I found out about them.

When I stopped using MH for most of my purchases, I moved to NewKadia. I thought they had a good selection and I liked that the prices reduced the longer they had been sitting. After ordering quite a bit from them, their grading seemed pretty accurate, and they use a nice system that gives you a pretty good idea what the issue will look like when it arrives. They give number grades to various aspects of the comic, such as cover condition, page color, etc. And you can easily call up the chart to see what the number represents and what it would take to move the number up or down. The other nice thing is that the more you buy, the better the free shipping becomes, and downgrading the shipping method gets you a better discount. They did ship me one book wrong, and they told me to keep the one I had gotten and shipped me the correct one. That's the kind of customer service I like.

Lastly, I've known about LoneStar for a long time, but I hadn't ordered from them until recently when you two talked about getting your orders from them. THat was good enough for me, so I placed an order. I was surprised that the books came unbagged, and like John I get concerned when there's that much sticky stuff floating around near my books when I'm unwrapping them (I have the same concerns when opening my new comics from DCBS). However, their prices were good and their sales are even better.

The discussion of Hard Travelling Heroes was great! I just read this series myself, in the reprint series from 1983. I liked it, and I understand that at the time it was groundbreaking, but now it seems like a ham-fisted attempt at being relevant. Everything was so overstated. But I still enjoyed it and the art is certainly some of the best he's ever done.

I do wish they had used Black Canary more effectively, and later writers have certainly expanded this period in the comic beyond what is shown here (such as in Green Arrow's current series, collecting Hal's things; a big deal was made out of the truck...which at the time I didn't realize had actually been lost in a lake...oops).

Anyway, another great episode, guys.

-David

[knightwingbk]

I'm listening to the Hard Traveling Heroes bit now. I've always read about this run, but never heard anything in-depth about it until now. I'm loving your show guys!

John, I hear ya about the eating thing, well sympathize anyway. My girlfriend has some severe allergies to Pecans, and whenever we go out to eat or buy something she has to ask or check the label. I tried to take her out to Carraba's Italian Restaurant a few weeks back, and when the waiter said they cooked on an Oak and Pecan-wood grill, she freaked out. Almost ruined out whole dinner because the things she was wanting to eat were all cooked on the grill. She had a really scary reaction last year when she was eating some "healthy organic cereal" that said cooked in the same facility with Tree nuts. She had to use her Eppy Pin on herself, and called me to take her to the hospital. The pin saved her life as she couldn't breathe after eating the cereal. It sucks for her, and that's not her only food allergy.

[JohnMayo]

I'm listening to the Hard Traveling Heroes bit now. I've always read about this run, but never heard anything in-depth about it until now. I'm loving your show guys!

John, I hear ya about the eating thing, well sympathize anyway. My girlfriend has some severe allergies to Pecans, and whenever we go out to eat or buy something she has to ask or check the label. I tried to take her out to Carraba's Italian Restaurant a few weeks back, and when the waiter said they cooked on an Oak and Pecan-wood grill, she freaked out. Almost ruined out whole dinner because the things she was wanting to eat were all cooked on the grill. She had a really scary reaction last year when she was eating some "healthy organic cereal" that said cooked in the same facility with Tree nuts. She had to use her Eppy Pin on herself, and called me to take her to the hospital. The pin saved her life as she couldn't breathe after eating the cereal. It sucks for her, and that's not her only food allergy.

My sister has a number of food allergies and carries an epi-pen with her as a result. Fortunately she hasn't had to use it yet.

The part that drives me crazy with the gluten reactions I have is that they can take days to hit and when they do I often have no idea what caused them. I've been having a reaction to something this week and I think it might have been something I had a only bite or two of a week ago. All in all, it makes going out to eat a bit of an adventure.

I've had a few times were going out to eat was a miserable experience because the place simply didn't want to be bothered with "fussy eaters". Fortunately most places are a lot more aware of food allergies, intolerances and reactions than they used to be.

[BobBretall]

I thought they had a good selection and I liked that the prices reduced the longer they had been sitting.

Agreed. In fact, after doing this episode, I went back and have made a few purchases @ Newkadia for the first time in years. I got some pretty great deal on some books they had sitting around for > 104 weeks.

The also have a great sale running right now where I got an extra 18% off my whole order:

Coupon code - Good now through Monday, Nov. 19
Save 5% orders $9 to $18.99
Save 15% orders $19 to $44.99
Save 18% orders $45 to $98.99
Save 20% orders $99 to $298.99
Save 22% orders $299 to $498.99
Save 25% orders $499 or more
Use code: 7kent8

Lastly, I've known about LoneStar for a long time, but I hadn't ordered from them until recently when you two talked about getting your orders from them. That was good enough for me, so I placed an order. I was surprised that the books came unbagged

Yeah, the fact that a lot of stuff from them comes unbagged is one of the only complaints I have about them as a vendor.

[BobBretall]

EXTRA ALERT on Newkadia.com

I just got my order in the mail from them, and I have issues with the grading on 3 of the 5 books I bought in the VG grade.

They have a "no questions asked" policy and will give me a refund, but it's a big pain in the butt to have to send stuff back.

I have not ordered from them in 2 years, and I now recall it was just this kind of thing that made me stop.

I will continue to buy from them to fill in newer stuff in higher grades, but I will never again order a book in VG or lower from them.

One of the books they even called VG+ and it was not even VG......They do have a very meticulous grading system, but do not seem to have been using it accurately, at least on the books they misgraded.

Also, I ordered JSA Classified # 30 &31, they sent JLA Classified #30 & 31.....mistakes happen, but gee, not a good way to get off on the right foot with me after a couple of years.

Anyway, pretty frustrating.

[David Akers]

Sadly, the one mistake in my orders that I know of from NewKadia was similar to your JLA/JSA mixup. I ordered an issue from the late-80s Spectre series and was sent the corresponding issue from the Ostrander Spectre series.

Now, though, you've got me wondering if they are even pulling the "version" that I ordered based on their matrix. If I ordered the book that had a specific pattern in the matrix, is that the one they pulled for me, or did they just pull the first in that grade that they came across? They sure aren't checking it if they don't even notice they have the wrong issue by title or series.

I think NewKadia has just moved down my list too.

-David

[WetRats]

I missed Hard-Traveling Heroes when it first came out, as it was about two years before I really got the superhero bug. but discovered it through a B&W reprint volume that was a regular paperback book.

Along with the other things that were groundbreaking in this series was Ollie & Dinah's relationship. They were clearly sleeping together. Unmarried superheroes sleeping together in 1970. That was huge. And yet it was handled in such a way as to not be in your face.

Of course, this version of Dinah was a widow. From Earth 2.

Man, I hope once all the Final Crisis hoohah is done we get a proper Multiverse back.