Just back from San Diego Comic Convention... eBay Stores fees changed!

Well not until the end of August.... but still.....

Could have used the knowledge of the upcoming change so we would have picked different stock to purchase while at the convention, but we will re-read the official notice, and the discussion threads.... and then figure out what to do !

Anyway, GREAT time at the SDCC, but way TOOOOOOO many People !! They had to stop selling one day tickets on Saturday as the 'fire marshalls' called sales to a halt !!  All 4 days & 4 nights were the busiest we have ever seen, and we have been going for years !!

Only missed one program we really wanted to see, Ghost Rider & Spider-Man III, because of toooooo many people trying to get in the 6,500 seat hall H, but considering the masses of people we were lucky to miss just that BIG one, (plus the USPS unveiling the first day issuing of the DC Stamps because the room was too small for that crowd also !).

More to follow in upcoming days, plus pics.... still reeling from the fee increase announcement that was made while we were gone !!

Only hours to go before Preview Night....

We were asked how big is this convention and how long does it run?

It is the largest in North America, with 104,000 attendees last year.... and it runs from Wednesday afternoon/ evening (for 4 day badge holders only), and then Thursday a.m. thru Sunday July 23rd for the general public.

It has both day and night programming and events.

You can see for yourself by clicking the below banner:

We will be celebrating Michael's Birthday while at the Convention, it's his favorite place to be on his Birthday!! With his wife and son and comics and new movie trailers and comic history programs !! Who could ask for more???  LOL

Tomorrow is the start of the BIG convention..... Preview Night, but gotta get there early for parking in the early afternoon !!

We always pack the following:

Overstreet Price Guide (the latest edition of the BIG BIG Book which is spiral bound with LARGE print, which is easier to read on the convention floor).

The latest Comics & Games Retailer from Krause Publishing to see what retailers are saying are selling at their stores.

The latest Wizard to see what's HOT in modern comics.

Pocket single use flash camera, (for those impromptu snap shots).

The receipt(s) for our prepaid 4-day passes, and the last mailer which includes the bar code scan for printing out our passes at the badge pick up area on Preview Night.

Vitamin water, 3 per day, of which the plastic is good enough for refills from the bottled water dispensers throughout the program halls.

Starbucks cold coffee, ie. Frappucino.... for those sitting on the sidewalk in the early a.m. waiting for the door to open to go stand in line again, this time to enter the convention hall !

Also for those early attendees.... don't forget to stop off at McD's or J-in the Box, etc to bring breakfast to eat while sitting in line.... don't want to waste valuable convention floor time eating a late breakfast!

Packaged Snacks, for eating during the programs, and on the escalator, so more time is spent checking out back issues while on the convention floor !!  It's ok to stop for a 'real' lunch, the prices aren't that bad, and you can have a healthy salad during the day!

Short Comic Book Boxes, kept in the car trunk, to place the latest purchases, with plastic bags to keep purchases separate, along with comic book box dividers to also keep purchases separate.

Would also say 'bring a want list', which we now have on index cards for general titles we are looking for. We are no longer looking for single issues, but when i was upgrading the collection, would bring a xerox copy of the issues I wanted to possibly upgrade. Memory is not good enough when upgrading, purchased a few xtra NM- during the years trying to upgrade!

Cash !  Parking is limited under the SDCC convention parking area, so always bring singles in case you are shut out from using below convention parking, and have to park on the lots somewhere in Downtown San Diego!  No Kidding !! The main local parking lot company gouges on daily rates on the outside lots ! So use singles for outside parking, bring twenties for the convention floor..... nothing bigger than a '20' or you may spend time waiting for the larger bills to be changed for you...

Credit Card.... yes some of the bigger dealers there do have credit card machines, or access to them to run your credit card, so don't forget to use it when possible.... saving your 'cash' to buy from the little dealers who just might have want you want after you run out of spending cash !!

Contact solution if wearing contacts.... sitting outside in the morning, then moved inside to wait before opening, and then the over air-conditioned program halls affect contacts !!

Toothbrush & toothpaste, (ok that's on the list per Tina's request!)

Sneakers & Dress shoes..... one pair to wear during the day, and one for night more formal occasions.

Deodorant ! (Yeah, that's for you Fanboy!)

Handwipes.... seriously.... as the comic bags at some dealers are overly filthy / dusty/ etc.... when checking back issues...

T-Shirt - Your favorite tee shirt for each day, cartoon or comic character or lately even movie t-shirts, just make sure one for each day, with a spare in the car trunk in case of needing a change of shirts...

Your Business Card, or a personal card made up for this occasion.... you will meet a lot of people while waiting in lines, eating at communal tables, etc.  We have made many contacts during the years and it is surprising how often you run into the same people, even though there will be over 100,000 attendees this convention !!

Back Pack, to store all the above items.... when making purchases, be sure to get them down to the car trunk ASAP, before any are damaged in transit.... especially during the standing room only Saturday schedule !!

Whew!  Will add more as we double check our list.... (Could there be anymore???  LOL )

Getting ready for the 5 day SDCC - Comic Con International event that starts on Wednesday's "Preview Night".

With parking at  a premium under the Convention Center, we are arriving there earlier!!

Just turned on the vacation settings to the store, which read in part as:

Thank You for your interest in our listings! We will be checking emails during some of the next week, but will not be able to reply to all due to the long day & night hours at the con.... We should have a lot more comics to list after the SDCC !!  

Hopefully that should take care of the store pages.... individual listings just have a one line Warning Notice, but don't see a way of changing all 5,000+ listings easily...... we did change the store logo last business trip, but the banner area was too small to write everything in !!

For those that would rather see comic book covers to click on, instead of text links, we have finished generating the new Western Comic Book Covers custom page to our eBay store.

It can be found by clicking the below comic book cover:

It seems we get more traffic.... (and sales), when a picture is involved, instead of just a text link, so after the San Diego Comic Con is over at the end of this week, we will look to set up more custom pages, probably for our HoRRoR comics first, then other genres.

Well, the little SDCC has finally made it big time... by being the lead feature on the San Diego Union-Tribune Front Cover of the Sunday Newspaper !

Considering there were 104,000 attendees at last year's con, it's about time! 

Sure, there were some lead articles last year during the week of Comic-con, like people paying $400 a night to stay in San Diego... but today's issue had a lot more than usual about the Con.

Such as:

Article on Shel Dorf, founder of the SDCC...

By the Numbers - 970 exhibtors this year, 52 aisles lined with the exhibtors, 3 miles if you walked each aisle, etc.

Article on IDW....

etc....

PLUS coming on Thursday, an Eight Page Spread on what to see and do at the Con, in the Night & Day section of the Union-Tribune....

Have been reading other bloggers' entries as to whether or not anyone was viewing their posts....

Other than seeing comments posted, they were wondering how much of an impact their entries were having, or even if anyone was viewing beside the couple of comments posted.

Saw another blogger who added sitemeter to her blog, and she was very pleased to see how many visitors were checking out her daily entries.  And it appears had a 'write up' in another blog about how many viewers had seen it since she had added the counter.

Thought it looked sharp, so just added it to our previous posts, and now this one.

Whew !   Finished rennovating the custom pages..... Just in time before we head out to the SDCC.....

Rennovated the Store Front Page with new comic book covers, that when clicked will 'pop  up' a new browser window, taking the viewer to comics of that genre or of that specific title.

Also set up a new page, Grading System Explained, where we list for those that are not totally savvy, how the Grade Name and Numerical Equivalent line up.  These grades are used on our eBay listings, and now there is a reference page that shows how those listings stack up against each other.

The 'About Me' had a slight modification also...

GRADING SYSTEM page

ABOUT THE SELLER page

I, (Michael), just finished getting back from the Staples VIP Grand Opening in our area....

Loaded up with yellow dot labels to mark the comic book bags,  which we use to protect the comics that we ship. The bags also have backing boards inside that we use to protect the comics that we sell. Also purchased more Avery mailing labels to print addresses as my handwriting is so bad !!

(Note: The 3/4" round yellow dots have the grade of the comic and any special notes of the comic inside the bag.)

Just finished earlier this morning buying more #4 bubble wrap envelopes that we put the comics/boards/bags into, plus a reorder of the new cardboard inserts that we are now using as several buyers mentioned how sturdy the envelope was with those inserts !

Both of those purchases were from other eBayers... just couldn't resist buying the yellow dot labels and Avery mailing labels from Staples today as we were given a $15.00 cash card for a one day purchase spree !

Tina couldn't make it to the Staples VIP Grand Opening, so she isn't included in the pic below.... Sorry Tina !

Thursday July 20th, Carmine Infantino, who co-started the Silver Age of Comics with the Flash in Showcase #4, will be featured at a program at the Comic Con Int'l as follows:

3:30-4:30 Spotlight on Carmine Infantino— His career spans the Golden and Silver Ages of comics, but Carmine Infantino is best remembered for his incredible work at DC in the 50s and 60s. As an artist, he reenvisioned the Flash and jump-started the Silver Age. He reinvigorated Batman, redesigned Batgirl, and was the artist on such fan favorites as Adam Strange and The Elongated Man. In the mid-1960s he took over DC as editorial director, then publisher. The AACC’s David Armstrong interviews Mr. Infantino about his illustrious career. Room 2

We are hoping to take that program in, there are a few others that are running about the same time, but we have heard Carmine interviewed before, and he is a good speaker with a good memory of that era !

For those of you that are going to the SDCC - Comic Con International San Diego, don't miss out on this program, where Stan Lee is the special guest  on Friday July 21st !

11:30-12:30 Who Wants to Be a Superhero?— SCI FI Channel has joined forces with Nash Entertainment (Meet My Folks, For Love or Money, Who Wants to Marry My Dad?) and legendary comic book creator Stan Lee (Spider-Man, Hulk, The Fantastic Four, X-Men), to present an all-new competition reality series that challenges a lucky few to create their very own superhero and reward the winner with the best reality competition prize yet: immortality! All contestants need is an original idea, a killer costume, and some real superhero mojo. The winner walks away with his or her superhero character immortalized in a new comic book from Dark Horse Comics created by Stan Lee himself! The winning superhero will also be featured in an original SCI FI Channel movie. Get a sneak peak at Who Wants to be a Superhero? before its premiere on Thursday, July 27 at 9/8C! Panelists include Stan Lee, star/executive producer; Scott Satin, executive producer; and cast members Fat Momma, Cell Phone Girl, Major Victory, and Ty'Veculus. Room 6B

Scheduled to appear at SDCC - Comic Con International on Sunday July 23rd is:

10:30-11:30 Spotlight on Walter Koenig— What’s a Star Trek 40th anniversary celebration without a member from the original crew that boldly went where no man had gone before? Walter Koenig, Chekov on the original Star Trek series, joins Comic-Con as a special guest and shares his memories and tells what’s up next for this talented writer/actor. Room 6B

There are more Star Wars Programs at SDCC this year than Star Trek Programs, but wanted to make sure that this highlight was mentioned, as Sunday is usually the day for last minute bargains for comic books on the dealer floor, and this program could be overlooked!! 

We also have Star Trek comics for sale in our eBay store.... the program does not mention whether or not Mr Koenig would be signing or not....

Don't miss out on the SDCC - Comic Con International - San Diego ANNUAL JACK KIRBY TRIBUTE.... where Neal Adams, George Perez, and John Romita are scheduled to attend on Friday July 21st per the below:

2:00-3:30 The Annual Jack Kirby Tribute Panel— Every year, we remember the man they called "The King of the Comics" with a discussion of his life and times. On the panei this year are artists Neal Adams, George Pérez, John Romita, and Mike Royer, plus members of the Kirby family and a few surprises. Mark Evanier (who else?) moderates. Room 8

We, (Michael & Tina), catch this program every year. It is always a great time to learn more about the 'King' of comics!

For you Amazing Spider-Man fans out there, this appears to be a very hot program to attend if you are going to the SDCC - Comic Con International !!

10:30-11:30 Marvel: Spider-Man: Then and Now— Welcome, True Believers, to a once-in-a-lifetime event! In one room for the first and only time, join the men who have influenced Spider-Man's life from the beginning and those who are shaping him into the man he is today: Stan Lee, Joe Quesada, and J. Michael Straczynski! Find out what went into creating the world's greatest superhero and what the future holds for the wall-crawler. Room 6A

Don't Miss It !!

For those of you that are into Robert E Howard's creations, like Conan the Barbarian and more, this program at the SDCC is definitely one not to be missed !

2:00-3:00 100 Years of Robert E. Howard— The exciting characters Robert E. Howard created have been seen in comics, art, novels, toys, games, sculptures, and more! This panel discussion, followed by a Q&A session, will be moderated by Paul Sammon, author (Conan the Phenomenon), REH scholar, and the one man present on the sets of both Conan films with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Guests will include Kurt Busiek, Eisner Award–winning comics writer and REH enthusiast; Brian Saliba, editor at DK Publishing, currently readying the ultimate look at Conan in the upcoming Conan: The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Most Savage Barbarian; Jim Keegan, artist, author, and REH scholar; Jeff Mariotte, author of the upcoming young adult trilogy The Marauders in the popular Ace Fantasy book series, Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures; Dave Stewart, Eisner and Harvey award–winning comic colorist who colors Dark Horse’s celebrated Conan series; Paul Lee, featured comic artist for the Conan series; and Jorgen Tharaldsen, product director at Funcom, makers of the highly anticipated and award-winning MMO game Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. Let the adventure begin! Room 6B

For those that are going to the (SDCC) Comic Con - International and are interested in DC Comics and/or stamp collecting, don't miss the following program, that is to be presented on Thursday July 20th in San Diego at the Convention Center:

10:30-11:30 DC Comics Legacy: U.S. Postal Service First Day Stamp Issue— DC Comics president and publisher Paul Levitz and some of the greatest comic book artists of all time will participate in a ceremony dedicated to the official unveiling of the DC Comics Superheroes commemorative postage stamps, followed by a panel on the historical and cultural legacy of DC Comics superheroes. Room 5AB

Note: We continue to list DC Comics in our eBay store at:

The below photo was taken at the 2006 NYC Licensing show where Marvel had a booth and what appears to be a promo poster of their next FF Movie for June 2007.  If it has the Silver Surfer in the movie ...... can Galactus be far behind?? Even if he is only in a cameo???

Superman Returns was as follows, in our humble opinons:

Tina: Boring.... too much non-action 'flying', no chemistry between Superman and Lois Lane....Lex Luthor wasn't over the 'top'... expected more from a Bryan Singer production.

Michael: new actor Routh looked good as Superman.... Lois Lane just didn't appeal to me, and there was no chemistry between her and Superman, Liked the fact that TV's Lois & Jimmy characters had roles in this movie.... Lois' kid just didn't come across right... still enjoyed the movie but should have been much better, especially since it was a Bryan Singer production.....