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#Post#: 6565--------------------------------------------------
Steven and Chloe Lamar and Austin (18), Travis (10) Bowie (10)
By: Jack Date: June 22, 2018, 4:35 am
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I first met Steve Lamar, as best I remember, just before
Thanksgiving last year, so I've known him about 8 months.
Steve was referred to me, because he was looking to sell a
rather large comic collection. "I've held onto it for years,
but my oldest son is starting college next fall, so I decided it
was time to sell it."
I hate hearing things like that. People really have a trumped
up idea of what comics are worth. What they don't understand is
that first of all, Goden Age comics (about 1938-1945 or 50) are
so valuable because recycling was huge during the war, so many
comics were given to paper drives. Also, from those early days
all the way up until... at least the 70s, comics were for kids,
and most of us didn't treat them like collectibles. They were
stuck in our back pockets, left lying around on tables, used as
coasters, or simply traced on repeatedly. The number of older
comics surviving just wasn't high. On top of that, consider
that there have been few major comics characters created since
the 70s. Almost all the major characters with which most people
are familiar (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America)
are from the late 30s and early 40s, and most of the rest
(Spiderman, Fantastic Four, Thor, Daredevil) are from the 60s.
Of the rest, you have Luke Cage and Ghost Rider from the 70s and
Deadpool, Cable, and Spawn from the early 90s. That's important
because it means few of the 'key issues' are ones where their
are many copies. However, the creation of those character and
the value of their early comics inspired people with the idea
that comics were worth something, so they started saving any and
all of them, which, in itself, greatly reduced their value.
So, I agreed to check out his collection. Since it was fairly
large, I also agreed to come to his house to do it.
When I arrived at their house, I was greeted by a somewhat
handsome, slightly geeky teen with glasses and braces. I later
found out that he's fairly athletic, but he was wearing baggy
sweat pants and a huge t-shirt, so you couldn't really tell.
"Hi, you're Mr. Wells? Are you Ethan's Dad? We have calculus
together. We were lab partners last year, but I'm taking bio
two this year, so we're in different classes, but he's still
okay, even though he's into robotics instead of something
interesting like biology that's what I'm going to major in."
I'm not positive he breathed during the same thing.
I think I stood there for a minute like I'd been hit in the head
by a 2X4 before I finally thought o nod, and admit that I was
both Mr. Wells and Ethan's Dad.
"Austin, you're not harassing the man are you?"
The boy blushed a bit before turning to face his dad.
"No, sir, but I go to school..."
"With his son Ethan. Yes, I think you've mentioned that."
About that time, two much smaller boys (I later learned they
were 9 at that time, and they were about average size for that
age - maybe slightly bigger than Connor) came scooting around
the corner, apparently just checking on what was going on. The
two of them were identical twins, both wearing glasses, with
hair slightly blonder than their big brothers.
As I looked through the comics, Steve shared the history of his
collection with me. Austin stayed with us, but he was mostly
quiet as I worked and his dad spoke.
Steve is about 5 1/2 years younger than me, and he never met his
father, who died in Viet Nam before he was born. Along with his
mother, he was really raised by his dad's father and younger
brother. His grandfather had been in WW2, (being born in 1925,
he didn't enlist until late 1943). He'd read comics before
joining the Army. While most of them had gone into the paper
drives, he's saved a few of his favorites. Both his sons had
been into them, and Steve and his uncle continued the
collection.
I'm not going to share all the details, but they'd taken very
good care of it. While the technology for preserving comics
wasn't advanced or easily available back then, they'd done what
they could, and the collection was in very good shape. It was
also more than 20 years older than most of the collections
people bring to me, wanting to sell to put kids through college
or buy a house or something.
I could have afforded to buy it, but I couldn't pay anywhere
near what it was worth. It took me several days to look through
it all. They'd never thought to catalog it, I visited their
house a number of times, and I got to know and like them. There
were times that Austin visited me when I was working - some to
make sure I was okay, but sometimes just to talk. He was more
than willing to talk about the fact that the twins got spanked,
and he didn't seem concerned that I could draw a lot of
conclusions about him from what he said about his little
brothers. While Dad mostly spanked the little guys with his
hand - never on real pants, but sometimes he'd leave them up if
they were just wearing pajamas or basketball pants - he
occasionally used a belt, which was all Austin had gotten it
with his last few times. He wasn't positive, but he knows his
last whupping was before he started high school, and he thinks
he might have still been in seventh grade, but he couldn't
remember for sure. While he didn't admit it, he did say his dad
never spanked bare, except for really serious stuff 'like
shoplifting'. From the way he said it, I just knew there was a
reason Austin used that as an example.
It was a pretty impressive collection. While he missed out on
the best of the 'Silver Age (1955 - 1965 or so), he did have
some comics from about 63 on, and it was what I'd call a real
collection (every issue of a title, instead of being scattered
around) by late 65. And there were thousands of them. Steve
had apparently kept the collection up until he went to college
himself, and even then, there were a few titles he'd followed.
When you see the 'value' of a comic, that's it's retail price.
Many people don't understand that. If you have a comic that's
'worth' a thousand dollars (assuming yours is in the proper
condition, which most people don't understand), you can't walk
into a comic store and sell it for a thousand dollars. Comic
stores are ran by people who actually want to make a living, so
if the comic is worth a thousand retail, they not only have to
consider how fast they'll be able to sell it (how long their
money will be tied up in it), but also they need to make enough
profit to keep their business running and feed themselves. If a
comic is worth a thousand dollars, most retailers would offer
you between one hundred and maybe $250, unless they're sure they
can sell it right away.
I couldn't do that to Steve. Not only had I come to like him
and Austin both (and Chloe's nice enough, though I didn't deal
with her as much), and the little guys are just plain cute, but
here's a guy wanting to put his son through college without
mounting up huge debt. So, I suggested another approach.
To start with, I provided them with some software so we could
get an accurate look at the collection. Austin spent a lot of
hours over the Thanksgiving holiday working on that.
Now we get into some esoteric comic stuff. I'm just going to
say that valuable comics can have their value increased
(sometimes greatly) by having them graded and preserved by an
independent service, but that service can be pretty expensive.
From here, let's just say that I saw Steve and Austin on a
regular basis. Not just that, but Austin's been working for me
now since before Christmas. Austin is also friends with Ethan,
Bruce, and Parker, and he and Ethan have that whole
robotics/biology thing going on, which can sometimes be pretty
cute (and sometimes just annoying). It turns out that Austin is
going to the same college Ethan is. We'll also say that we've
nearly paid for his first year at this point.
Oh, I should also say that, while talking with Austin, he let it
slip that he and Ethan had been paddled when caught returning to
campus - practically a family tradition at this point. He only
mentioned it to show that he had received CP since the last time
his dad had whupped him, and because he thought I already knew.
I had to promise I wouldn't mention it to Ethan (at least until
I can get Mr. Kirk to explain why he hadn't told me about it,
which turned out to be because it happened on a busy day).
Which brings us back to when I first mentioned Austin - though
not by name. It was the first week of summer vacation. Austin
was running late that day, and he came in and starting changing
into his swim trunks as he talked to me. He was disappointed,
because they'd planned on playing baseball and he'd really
wanted to be there, but the twins had been being pains. They
spend several days a week at a day camp, since all three adults
work (though Austin works evenings and weekends, so he is free
some weekdays). That day, they were dragging their feet, not
doing their chores, and finally flat out disobeyed him. He
actually bared their bottoms to spank - he claimed it was
because he didn't spank as hard as dad, but I'm not sure how
honest he was being with them, me, or himself. He does have
permission to spank, but it doesn't seem like he gets to use it
often. Still, it was just having a boy share that story while
undressing himself that really stuck in my head.
#Post#: 6569--------------------------------------------------
Re: Steven and Chloe Lamar and Austin (18), Travis (10) Bowie (
10)
By: Zyngaru Date: June 22, 2018, 9:00 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Jack link=topic=647.msg6565#msg6565
date=1529660106]
When I arrived at their house, I was greeted by a somewhat
handsome, slightly geeky teen with glasses and braces. I later
found out that he's fairly athletic, but he was wearing baggy
sweat pants and a huge t-shirt, so you couldn't really tell.
"Hi, you're Mr. Wells? Are you Ethan's Dad? We have calculus
together. We were lab partners last year, but I'm taking bio
two this year, so we're in different classes, but he's still
okay, even though he's into robotics instead of something
interesting like biology that's what I'm going to major in."
I'm not positive he breathed during the same thing.
I think I stood there for a minute like I'd been hit in the head
by a 2X4 before I finally thought o nod, and admit that I was
both Mr. Wells and Ethan's Dad.
Which brings us back to when I first mentioned Austin - though
not by name. It was the first week of summer vacation. Austin
was running late that day, and he came in and starting changing
into his swim trunks as he talked to me. He was disappointed,
because they'd planned on playing baseball and he'd really
wanted to be there, but the twins had been being pains. They
spend several days a week at a day camp, since all three adults
work (though Austin works evenings and weekends, so he is free
some weekdays). That day, they were dragging their feet, not
doing their chores, and finally flat out disobeyed him. He
actually bared their bottoms to spank - he claimed it was
because he didn't spank as hard as dad, but I'm not sure how
honest he was being with them, me, or himself. He does have
permission to spank, but it doesn't seem like he gets to use it
often. Still, it was just having a boy share that story while
undressing himself that really stuck in my head.
[/quote]
Yep. Mr. Jack Wells, knocks on a door and a boy he has never
met, opens it and spills his soul out to him.
Oh ya. Jack has got that something.
Later that boy strips naked in front of Jack and talks about
spankings.
Definitely Jack has that something. ;D ;D ;D
#Post#: 6570--------------------------------------------------
Re: Steven and Chloe Lamar and Austin (18), Travis (10) Bowie (
10)
By: db105 Date: June 22, 2018, 2:16 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
So are you selling the collection through the internet? That
seems more practical than selling them in a store in Bransom...
easier to find buyers for valuable old comics in the whole
world.
You should inform Austin that robotics is cooler than biology
:P
#Post#: 6576--------------------------------------------------
Re: Steven and Chloe Lamar and Austin (18), Travis (10) Bowie (
10)
By: Jack Date: June 22, 2018, 4:02 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Biology gets bonus points because it's 'old school' and cutting
edge at the same time.
I didin't go into detail of how we're selling the collection or
the details on the deal we have worked out, because I didn't
think anyone would be interested.
We listed some on eBay, some on my site, put some for sell in
the stores (rotating them, since we didn't want to put too much
online at once for the auctions), and we are selling one for
nice, complete collection through an actual auction house. I
also had Zack help them at the Dallas Fan Expo, and he will
probably help them at the upcoming Comic Con in Dallas and
Dallas Comic Show.
While they were missing a lot of the early (and more valuable)
Silver Age Comics, they did have a beautiful condition FF 48 -
52 (the Galactus Trilogy and the first appearance of the Black
Panther). Those, and Marvel Super-Heroes 18 (first Guardians of
the Galaxy) were probably the best things they had, and we did
get those graded and listed them early. They also had a lot of
really good late Silver Age, like when Iron Man and the
Sub-Mariner got their own comics, and the Jim Steranko Captain
Americas, and the first Captain Marvel and Conan and a complete
run of Silver Surfer, and some good DC comics, like the Justice
League with the first Red Tornado and the first JLA Satellite,
and the Detective Comics with the first modern Batgirl. Not all
of them were in great shape, but they were still snapped up
pretty quickly.
What was even better was their Bronze Age stuff (basically after
1970). This was the period where his uncle was really working
on the collection, before he was old enough to help, and they
ended up with complete runs of a lot of good stuff like Ghost
Rider, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, and a lot of key issues, like
the first Moon Knight, the first Woverine, the first Punisher,
the first Swamp Thing, or the first Thanos.
We're taking our time selling them, to try to maximize the
price. After all, his first year is paid for now, so we have
time to get the most we can for the rest.
[quote author=Zyngaru link=topic=647.msg6569#msg6569
date=1529676012]
Yep. Mr. Jack Wells, knocks on a door and a boy he has never
met, opens it and spills his soul out to him.
Oh ya. Jack has got that something.
Later that boy strips naked in front of Jack and talks about
spankings.
Definitely Jack has that something. ;D ;D ;D
[/quote]
Remember two things, Zyngaru - first, Austin was already friends
with Ethan (and he's more than a bit hyper and excitable), and
that the talk about spanking came after we'd known each other
for a while.
Actually, if I ever get caught up on everything else, I'm
planning to write an On Spanking Thread called 'Talking About
Spanking'.
#Post#: 6924--------------------------------------------------
Re: Steven and Chloe Lamar and Austin (18), Travis (10) Bowie (
10)
By: Adric Date: July 5, 2018, 11:17 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Zyngaru link=topic=647.msg6569#msg6569
date=1529676012]
Yep. Mr. Jack Wells, knocks on a door and a boy he has never
met, opens it and spills his soul out to him.
Oh ya. Jack has got that something.
Later that boy strips naked in front of Jack and talks about
spankings.
Definitely Jack has that something. ;D ;D ;D
[/quote]
Of course there is some exaggeration here but I think it is
still true that some people can inspire almost immediate
confidence and familiarity while others never could. I've known
a few such people, not many. It is a gift to connect quickly
with strangers on an intimate level.
#Post#: 8352--------------------------------------------------
Re: Steven and Chloe Lamar and Austin (18), Travis (10) Bowie (
10)
By: Jack Date: August 26, 2018, 8:46 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I got a phone call from Austin yesterday.
As I said, Austin is attending the same Texas private university
that Ethan is. The two of them aren't rooming together
(apparently didn't think about it), but they're in the same
dorm, and they did try to get some of the same classes. They
also have Intro to Tennis together.
Ethan, Mike, and I did see Steven and Austin on campus when Mike
and I took Ethan for his orientation a couple of weeks ago.
This time, he was calling to just check in and to tell me that
he'd used the gift cards I'd given him. He bought a big throw
rug for their dorm room, along with some bath room stuff he
needed. His room mate brought a Keurig, so Austin bought some
of the K-Cups for his own use, and a toaster, so the two of them
can have bagels. In return, the room mate paid for their
mini-fridge rental. Sounds like the two of them are getting
along, and that things are going well for him.
#Post#: 8355--------------------------------------------------
Re: Steven and Chloe Lamar and Austin (18), Travis (10) Bowie (
10)
By: kalico Date: August 26, 2018, 1:07 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
That’s great....
It’s kinda scary not really knowing who your roommate is when
going off to stuff like this but Its great they are getting
along....
Thanks for sharing
Hugs kal
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