That $3 comic grab bag at a con was a total bait and switch

I picked up one of those mystery grab bags from a vendor at a small con in Denver last weekend. Paid $3 for what they said would be a random mix of 'golden age reprints and indie titles.' Opened it up and it was 8 copies of the same issue from 1994 that nobody talks about. Learned that those mystery bags are just a way to unload dead stock that's been sitting for years. Has anyone else had luck digging through long boxes instead of falling for these promo packs?

2 comments

2 Comments

dixon.willow5d ago

Bought a $5 grab bag at a Chicago con a few years back and got three copies of the same forgotten Image comic from 1995. Those bags are definitely vendor junk removal, but I've dug up some amazing stuff from long boxes at the same dealers for a dollar or less. The gamble isn't worth it most of the time, but the boxes reward patience.

charlie_lane855d ago

Gotta disagree with you on the gambles though. Those grab bags are pure trap bait, but the long boxes you mentioned? That's where I've pulled some of my best finds too. Three copies of the same book is rough, but I've had grab bags where I got a mix of weird indie stuff I actually ended up liking. The key is knowing which dealers to buy from. Some treat them as junk removal, some actually toss in a few halfway decent books to keep you coming back. I've seen the same dealer charge $2 for a long box book and $5 for a mystery bag, and the bag had better stuff than the box sometimes. It's all about reading the room, you know?

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