Yes...when it comes to looking at that vague title, your mind is most likely conjuring up a world of thoughts. It could be one of many things. How my parents view me?!? Maybe my “manhood”?!? Perhaps it’s something as simple as my blog posts here on the chain. While all those things are more than likely true, I’m talking about what I learned today at the shop.
A gentleman comes in today to buy some bags and boards (protective sleeves) for his comics. I’ve seen him before and he’s always a nice guy. His visits are short and he doesn’t chit chat much but our encounters are always pleasant enough.
Today as he was paying, he happened to ask if I had seen anyone in here trying to sell some books that fit a specific description. He apparently had a bunch of his books stolen from his pad. Middle aged man with a special needs son. Believe it or not, that description does not narrow it down. So he starts naming off some of the books. Nothing sounded familiar until he mentioned Star Wars. He said “I had 100 copies of Marvel’s Star Wars #1...all gone”. My face dropped and once he saw my reaction, his followed.
The “100 copies of Star Wars #1” was the ringer. Ya see...a couple of years back, a gentleman started coming in to my shop to buy bags and boards. Then he started asking questions about getting books pressed and graded, then started to submit books through me while also utilizing my pressing services. Some of the books I worked on for him were chunks of Star Wars #1’s...from a lot of 100 that he had.
His story was that he was selling these books for a family member and splitting the money. He was listing on eBay according to him. I never really thought anything odd about it besides the fact that his name is Kevin, and for the first few months he was coming in he told us his name was Ken. He confessed months in and gave a weird reason that I don’t really remember. Odd...but not the craziest thing that has happened at my shop.
Over the next couple of years, he brought plenty of books in for pressing and submitting. I even pressed the first Silver Age Wonder Woman for him that I fixed up nicely to where he made like 5k off of it. That was prior to me taking before and after shots of the books though.
Ken/Kevin continues coming in for years periodically...with his son...his special needs son. He was always nice to me and never a problem. I actually liked the guy and although I noticed his knowledge of comics a bit lacking, it really wasn’t anything to be alarmed about. He did mention that he was selling these books for a family member after all. He continued coming for years but it’s been a few months since I’ve seen him and his kid.
Back to today...
This gentleman sees my face drop and I ask him to tell me his story. Turns out he was renting out a room or section of his house to Kevin and his kid. One day he came home early and noticed a bunch of his comics on the table. When he confronted Kevin on why they were touching his comics, he blamed it on his son saying “I can’t control what he does”. That’s when he said he started to look through his books and noticed heaps and chunks missing. He said Kevin denied touching or taking anything and then shortly after he was booted out...but not before trashing the joint and breaking shit. He told me he has no way to contact him as he changed his number and has no idea where he went.
When I told him my bits and pieces, it filled in the gaps to his story and confirmed his suspicions. I did confirm that he never sold me any books but that he was moving them online from what I was told. I tried my best to think of a few other books that I distinctly remembered him bringing in and he just seemed like he was getting kicked in the nuts over and over again.
He said he had been collecting since the 70’s...stockpiling to sell for a chunk of change for retirement. Just to put it into perspective...out of those 100 SW books, I remember a bunch coming back from getting graded at 9.8’s. Those fetch about a grand a piece with 9.6’s at around $300. There were lots of them too.
As we went back and forth with information for each other, I just kinda felt gross. I mean...this guy I’ve known for years had been stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars of books from this dude who was just trying to help Kevin and his kid out by giving them a place to live. Then lying about it to me for years on end as I handled these stolen books for him in terms of pressing and submitting for grading. I just felt awful.
The gentleman and I exchanged information. If Kevin pops back in, my instructions are to try to help get information that may help him form a case. Maybe his eBay handle? Where he’s at now? Books he still has? I dunno. I’m going to try to get a list of the books that I remember submitting or pressing to see if they match up to things missing from his stockpile. Hoping I can help this dude recover some funds or something when the time comes. I fucking hate thieves so I’ll do whatever I can to assist.
What a bummer though. To learn that this nice guy that I’ve known for years and have assisted with in moving his books, is actually a thieving lying scumbag who made me an unknowing party to his shenanigans. Has anything like this ever happened to any of you? Learning after the fact that someone is NOT who they say they are?
Anyway...thanks for reading this. Just needed to vent for a sec as this one really rubbed me the wrong way.
Peace out homies
Blewitt