This weeks agenda is:

1.) Amazing Spider-Man # 1

2.) Narcos

3.) Jimmy Fallon's Best Show Ever

4.) Diecast Airplanes

1.) ASM # 1

I don't actually keep / collect too many of the things that find their way through our door. But a few years ago I had the opportunity to buy a run of the Amazing Spider-Man that started with # 2, and ended with # 500. It had every issue, including annuals and a few variants from # 2-500. So I got the idea to attempt to put together the rest of the run. It didn't take me too long to fill out #'s 501 - 700 as I finished that about 18 months ago. But until last Friday, I'd still never had the opportunity to buy an ASM # 1.

Long story short, I had a guy call me earlier in the summer saying he had one, but that he wasn't sure that he wanted to sell it. After being in this business for a while there's a natural "jaded" process that you go through after hearing hundreds of people tell you they have something over the phone that never turns up in reality. So I honestly wasn't that excited or moved by his claim that he had an ASM1. But I was nice and explained that I would certainly love to see it and make an offer, and to let me know if he ever decided to sell it.

Never gave it a second thought after we hung up, but I did take 20 seconds to add the guys # to my contacts as "Guys Name""ASM1".... just in case. Well, fast forward to last Thursday night at about 11PM, and my phone rang. It said "Guys name ASM1", so, I picked it up. I really didn't even remember much about the previous conversation, but apparently thanks to "past Jeff" I was assuming he had an ASM1.

He explained that we had talked a few weeks ago and that he had decided that he wanted to sell the book. I still wasn't that excited as it still wasn't in front of me. But I told him when and where he could meet me the next day, and just hoped for the best.

Believe it or not, the guy showed up, actually had the book, and after some pleasant negotiations, I was able to buy it. This book has easily been my white whale for the past 2-3 years, and I can't tell you how thrilled I was when I realized that this was actually happening. He brought it in nonchalantly in a ziplock bag (AHHH!) and it had enough small things wrong with it where I was able to get it for a small mortgage payment. It has since been photographed, correctly bagged and boarded, and placed into the "keep" box, safely nestled between my Hulk 1, TOS # 39, AF # 15, and Avengers # 1. Check our instagram page for family pictures of the whole group.

Moral of the story, stay steady, stay patient, keep working, and eventually the opportunity will present itself for you to live or buy your dreams. ASM # 1 - 700 DONE! Onto the next challenge!

2.) Narcos

I'm a sucker for a good "binge-worthy" Netflix show. And Narcos delivers on the beauty of what Netflix is. I'm also partial to mafia/gang related non-fiction, so this is/was right up my alley. The story of Pablo Escobar has been told many times by many people in many ways. But I don't know of a series, that's able to take it's time, and not just hit the headlines of his life, that documents this fascinating story so well. It has some content issues that may not deem it as family friendly, but what else would you expect from a show about Pablo Escobar.

The acting and story arc are very solid. The show simultaneously follows good and evil as the beginnings of America's war on drugs is chronicled. You see the perspective of Pablo Escobar, and his cohorts, presented wonderfully. While also watching the DEA's pursuit and ongoing realization of how bad of a guy Escobar actually was.

It's difficult to tell a story that's been told so often to the point that it's fairly common knowledge as to the ending, and yet still be invested so heavily in what's happening.

This show stands toe to toe with Netflix's other hits like House Of Cards, or Orange Is The New Black, and is definitely worth some binge action.

3.) Jimmy Fallon's Best Show Ever

I'm a Fallon guy. I know some people will go to their graves as Kimmel supporters or "Letterman guys", but Fallon is just fun. And like he said in his opening monologue last year on his first show. Life is hard, I'm just hear to entertain you for an hour, make you laugh a little bit, and hopefully help you forget about the difficulties of life. I'm paraphrasing, but that's the gist of it. And he delivers on that promise weekly.

Last nights episode didn't have my favorite bit, sketch, musical performance, guest, etc. But it was non-stop fun from intro to close. The episode started with Fallon & Justin Timberlake giving us "The Evolution of Hip-Hop vol. # 6" (always a solid bit). Then after a brief monologue jumped into a short, fun, back and forth between Fallon and Justin Timberlake.

Not only did we get an evolution of hip-hop installment, we also got a lip sync battle, with none other than the queen of daytime tv, Ellen DeGeneres. I wouldn't say I'm the worlds biggest Ellen fan, but she, like Fallon, is all about fun. And the back and forth "battle" (judged by Timberlake) was pure fun. The highlight for me, was Jimmy doing the "Whip/NeNe" and bringing the house down. Ellen was of course declared the winner in the "every guest leaves a winner" tradition at the Tonight Show. Don't get me wrong, she was great, just not quite as great as Jimmy.

The show wrapped with one of the most eclectic & fun songs / performances I've ever seen on the show, as Macklemore & Ryan Lewis performed their new hit "Downtown." Macklemore isn't my favorite, but you have to have respect for his ability to find the perfect person on all of his hits to take the song to the next level. He seems very aware that he is in the entertainment business, and that sometimes, having someone else perform a small part of the song, and crushing it, rather than doing the whole thing himself, raises the overall performance of the song to a level that he never could have achieved himself. A couple previous examples of this have been "Can't Hold Us" Feat. Ray Dalton, Or "Thrift Shop" Feat. Wanz. Well, Macklemore takes it to a whole other lever with "Downtown" bringing in 4 collaborators, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, Grandmaster Caz, and Eric Nally, to make this one of his best. Each one of these 4 guys crushes the part they are asked to play, and along with Macklemore, make this song interesting from start to finish.

I don't remember an hour of "live/real" television that I've seen that was more wonderfully executed from start to finish than last night's (9.9.15) tonight show. Hopefully you caught it, if not, fire up the on demand, or watch it bit by bit on YouTube. You can thank me later.

4.) Diecast Airplanes

About 2 weeks ago one of the stores we sell online for gave us a box of Herpa Wings Diecast Airplanes to sell for them. I was a bit baffled by them as we'd never sold one before, shoot, I'd never even known they existed before then.

I dragged my feet on listing them for a few days opting to list some comics and toys first. But once I finally made myself sit down and start listing them, I was pleasantly surprised at how valuable they were/are. The cheapest one we had looked like it was worth about $20, but they ranged all the way up to $140. For A 4-5 inch diecast airplane. Just goes to show you that you never know what some people will spend $ on. But we're always happy to connect the collectible, with the collector. Whether it's a toy, comic, diecast airplane, record, or poster. We continue to be your one stop shop for all things cool... and now diecast airplanes, lol.

KEEP COLLECTING!

Until next week,

-Jeff/////ACC