Back in 1992, DC Comics announced they were killing off Superman in Superman #75 as part of a story arc the consisted of his death, replacements, and rebirth. But when he died, there was no telling when/how he'd be coming back- even if he WOULD be coming back. Needless to say, people started buying up that issue because it would be "collectable". The old school collectors knew better (DC would never kill off their biggest star) but speculators thought that this issue would CHANGE EVERYTHING FOREVER!

Well, it didn't. But the investors didn't know this when they were buying copies in bulk. In fact, I remember a woman telling me that she'd be able to put her kids through college on the money she'd make off selling them.

 We previewed an auction last week and there was a stack of copies to be auctioned off later that evening. We skipped the auction since the comics were pretty much the most interesting thing there.

 Three days ago, a copy sold for $2.50 on ebay. That's actually cheaper than a new, off the rack comic book at the 7-Eleven.

Why does Stephen King hate antique dealers?

I was watching Salem's Lot and Needful Things recently (yes I know they were Stephen King novels first) and I realized something: the villains were antique dealers in both.

Practically right off the bat, in 'Salem's Lot, King's second novel, the evil vampire antique dealers come to a small town to bleed it dry.   Barlow and his renfield Straker, masterfully over played by James Mason,  buy the old house down the road and set up shop, and pretty soon afterwards, the town is overwhelmed by vampires.

And in Needful Things, the name used by more than one real world shop, Leland Gaunt is the Devil.  Of course he is.  He sells Carnival Glass.  After seeing hundreds of antique malls with thousands of booths STUFFED with Carnival Glass and Milk Glass and Cranberry Glass and Depression Glass - we call it "depressing glass"- you can believe that collectible glass is Diabolically Inspired.   Gaunt is always ready to make a deal to get the good people of Castle Rock to sell their souls, in exchange for that special something, be it Carnival Glass or a baseball trading card.

Because you know how collectors are.
 (This coming from the guy with a Pyrex collecction.  And a Frankenstein collection.  And a Doc Savage collection.  And a Stephen King collection.)

When Storage Units Are Abandoned...

We've been watching some of the Storage Wars and similar shows lately, like Auction Hunters and Storage Hunters, and it's made us realize how often stuff at auction come from storage units, purchased at storage auctions then taken to auction galleries after being split into lots. It really becomes evident when you buy a box of books and buried under the books are framed photos, like these:
and this one:

That's when you realize... the line "when storage units are abandoned..." in the opening of Storage Wars is a little disingenuous. The units up for auction... they're probably behind in the payments, yes. That's why the storage companies are selling them. But the people who have put stuff in storage, they don't abandon them.

People are becoming aware of this, it seems- the Virginian Pilot recently did a story on the situation (click here to read).  


And yes, we've bought boxes of people's stuff, and sadly, disposed of  the things we couldn't monetize.  

But it still breaks my heart a little bit to see a wedding gown- in one of those special boxes- or a box marked "Chandra's school pictures" go to auction.

Like in an Emperor's Tomb

 Now, both Perry and I collect.  So we're the last people who could accuse someone of being a hoarder.  But this house sale we visited...  I realize people collect ceramic miniatures... and this woman had a few.  Actually, there were seven tables filled with these things.  I would have taken more pictures but the batteries gave out  before I could. (click picture to embiggen)

arleen brown antiques front royal

Party Central

We saw this... entertainment center at a house sale. (click picture to embiggen)

You know what would make that thing perfect? Some Barry White.

Arleen Brown Antiques Front Royal

Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein

So, Monday at the auction, I see this sitting in a stack of film cans. Just Sunday, I'd been talking about it with a girl who'd stopped by our fleamarket booth wearing a Frankenstein t-shirt. She said she'd been looking for the Lugosi Dracula tee and I told here to watch out for the dvd release of Abbot & Costello meet Frankenstein, since they meet Dracula and the Wolfman as well. In fact, despite having played a Dracula-like character in many movies, A&CmF was only the second appearance of Lugosi as Dracula in a Universal movie.(click image to see full picture)

And Perry bought it for me. Since I don't have a projector, I'm going to have to settle with watching this version from youtube, which is probably close to what I have in the film canister, until I pick up the dvd.

I have Don Draper's trashcan.

I have to admit, neither Perry nor I have cought the Mad Men bug.  We'll watch it for the furniture and the clothes, but the story hasn't really grabbed us.

The furniture is total eye candy.  And some of it is more accessible than you'd imagine.
Like that trashcan to the left of Don Draper's desk.

Now, look what we throw our crumpled paper work into:

 

Why, yes, it IS the same.  Ours has been painted. 

Eventually, I'm going to take it down to the bare metal and polish it. So it'll look good when I'm done fixing up my Norman Bel Geddes desk.