As 2015 comes to a close and we begin 2016, it's fun to look back on our accomplishments as well as look forward to tomorrow's challenges. 2015 brought more challenge, change, and growth to ACC than any year in our existence. We've settled into our location and made it actually feel like home. We've expanded our staff, inventory, and selection. Said goodbye to a founding father. And we've been able to take on 9 new consignments, and with them meet 9 incredible comic collectors.
We've heard their stories, listened to what motivated them to collect, and been able to share in their passion for comics as we help them turn what had been their collection, into an investment.
Yes, each of our 2015 9 consignees came from different places to acquire the books they accumulated. Some attained them via the passing of a loved one, some have had them forever and never really knew what to do with them. Some of their wives finally said "enough is enough, I want my closet back." Shoot, some of them just found them. But however our customers acquired the collections they've entrusted us to sell for them, one thing is the same in all of them. They all knew that these "funny books", these old paper magazines were more than that. They are history, they are our history. Our geek Bible's if you will.
They knew that they weren't worthless, they knew that someone out there would want them. Whether it was a Holy Grail issue like Amazing Spider-Man # 1, Fantastic Four # 1, Green Lantern # 76, or Incredible Hulk # 181, OR, a lot of 5 Sigil Crossgen Comic Books, collecting is what brings us all together. This is a space that we operate in with no judgement, no "collection shaming".
At least in our store, you'll never hear anyone putting anyone else down because their copy of Batman # 251 is only a mid-grade copy. THIS IS FUN! It's not a job, it's not hard. This, collecting, is a passion.
So as we move into 2016, we encourage you to set your sights high. Do your best to acquire the book you've been searching for for years. Who cares if it would grade a 1.0, it's still an Amazing Fantasy # 15! Go after your grails friends! Our guess is that you'll be able to spin quite the tale of how you found them.
And after you find them, stop on by, show us the picks, grab a chair, and tell us what creepy seedy weird guy's house you had to go to to find them, and let's share a few laughs.
Keep on collecting friends, tomorrow may be the day that you get that call out of the blue, where some stranger has a book you've been looking for for 10 years. They don't want too much $, and they're only an hour from you.
Go on an adventure, listen as the current owner tells you how he found what you've been looking for for a decade at a convention in Cleveland in 1975 at the Hilton. How he listened to Stan Lee talk about the "recent", but now old days at Merry Ole' Marvel. How that copy of Tales Of Suspense # 57 was in a box behind the table, when he asked the dealer if he had any older books the dealer groaned a bit as he bent over to grab it, and there, in an old shoe box, lay a stack of early 60's history. "$5 each" the dealer said, "just got these a few minutes ago", and he couldn't reach for that crumpled up old Abraham Lincoln in his pocket fast enough. You can almost see him transform back in to that 13 year old kid that had begged his mom to drop him off at the hotel because he heard about the convention at the newsstand from some of the older kids as he retells his tale. He'll tell you how he loved Hawkeye so much because he was just a regular guy, "no powers" he says, and how he know loves the recent Fraction / Aja run.
That's what it's all about.
Keep on the hunt friends. It's the best part.
-Jeff///ACC