Who remembers Robert Bell?

0

this is a good one

LORDY! I remember those days. But as cheap as the look today, it is all relative. 10g's for a mint Action #1was every bit as unobtainable as the same copy today. I was offered a vg copy for $300. About that time but couldn't swing it even then. I did pay $100. For a nice More Fun #52 but had to eat Top Raman and hitchhike for 6 months. It wouldn't even matter if you knew then what you knew now because that kind of money was just unobtainable then and who would believe you and lend it to you?

True. I asked my dad to lend me $450 for a Marvel 1 in 1970. Well, you can imagine how that story ended. I made him laugh though.

True. I asked my dad to lend me $450 for a Marvel 1 in 1970. Well, you can imagine how that story ended. I made him laugh though.

Its so true. A dealer at a local Philly con in the late 80s had an Action #1 that was $10,000. It might as well have been 10 million because there was no way that I was convincing anyone to buy that book for me.

When I was 14 Burrel Rowe had a Marvel 1 for sale for $4000. I told my dad about it. He thought it was cool. He bought it.

I remember the lady that lived next door had a 1956 Corvette for sale for $600. I had $400. but couldn't get him to lend me $200. for, as he called it, "an old used car". Too bad I didn't know Bedrock's dad...

I remember the lady that lived next door had a 1956 Corvette for sale for $600. I had $400. but couldn't get him to lend me $200. for, as he called it, "an old used car". Too bad I didn't know Bedrock's dad...

My freshman year in college my dad got a wild hair and bought a 1960 Bentley from someone he knew through the oil business. It was an import and had right hand drive. It was just a huge beautiful car, with mahogany dashboards, a partitioned driver's compartment, the works. He let me take it out whenever I was in town. The absolute best date wagon imaginable.

When my old man got a "wild hair" he bought wine with a cork instead of screw top.

He was an LAPD crime photographer. Tough, but fair and took a lot of from his buddies about his two sons with shoulder length hair and ripped up jeans. He left us alone and didn't say anything about it.

I started playing guitar at 14 on an old cheap Japanese guitar. I played the out of it and he noticed how much I was devoted to it. So, even though he hated it, on my 16th birthday he took me to a pawn shop and told me to pick out whatever I wanted. I chose an old beat-up white Stratocaster that he paid $150 for. That was some money at that time especially on a cop's salary with 4 kids. I still have it and play it several times a week. In those days it was a "used" guitar. Today, it's a 1959 "vintage" guitar.

I miss my dad too...

That's a great story! It makes me want to root for the Dodgers a little...which is very hard to do.

Flash back to 1980...the Astros and Dodgers finished tied for the NL West and have a one game playoff to decide the division champ. Young Ricky was a senior in high school and just couldn't imagine not being able to watch the game, an afternoon affair at Dodger stadium. What does Ricky do? Well he skips school and spends the day in his pick up truck in a grocery store parking lot listening to the game on AM radio. Final - Astros 7, Dodgers 1.

 

I started playing guitar at 14 on an old cheap Japanese guitar. I played the out of it and he noticed how much I was devoted to it. So, even though he hated it, on my 16th birthday he took me to a pawn shop and told me to pick out whatever I wanted. I chose an old beat-up white Stratocaster that he paid $150 for. That was some money at that time especially on a cop's salary with 4 kids. I still have it and play it several times a week. In those days it was a "used" guitar. Today, it's a 1959 "vintage" guitar.

 

I miss my dad too...

It's what dads do. (thumbs u

What does Ricky do? Well he skips school and spends the day in his pick up truck in a grocery store parking lot listening to the game on AM radio. Final - Astros 7, Dodgers 1.

Just think of what that boy might have accomplished if he had only stayed in school.

What does Ricky do? Well he skips school and spends the day in his pick up truck in a grocery store parking lot listening to the game on AM radio. Final - Astros 7, Dodgers 1.

Just think of what that boy might have accomplished if he had only stayed in school.

Awesome info, Ameri....... this is the type of stuff I never tire of reading. GOD BLESS.....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

+1

Yes, just love to read these stories about the early days of comic collecting from some of the pioneer collectors that were out there at the time.

this is a good one

 

 

 

 

Robert Crestohl was just as bad as Ripofsky

Overpriced books that were also over graded

I remember in 1988 I had my mom call Gerry Ross/ Robert Crestohl because they cashed my check and never sent me my books

Finally after my mom called, they sent me the books in grades. Not the Near Mint I had ordered.

Was happy to just get something I remember at the time.

this is a good one

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Crestohl was just as bad as Ripofsky

 

Overpriced books that were also over graded

 

I remember in 1988 I had my mom call Gerry Ross/ Robert Crestohl because they cashed my check and never sent me my books

 

Finally after my mom called, they sent me the books in grades. Not the Near Mint I had ordered.

 

Was happy to just get something I remember at the time.

 

It's sad how someone can be in the right place at the right time for the opportunity of a lifetime and still blow it. In the early/mid 70's, Crestohl was a first rate source for books. It seemed like around the time he started separating by grade that the shenanigans must have begun.... but my transactions with him were good. I called him on the phone back in the 90's and he said he was transitioning into sports magazines. GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

this is a good one

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Crestohl was just as bad as Ripofsky

 

Overpriced books that were also over graded

 

I remember in 1988 I had my mom call Gerry Ross/ Robert Crestohl because they cashed my check and never sent me my books

 

Finally after my mom called, they sent me the books in grades. Not the Near Mint I had ordered.

 

Was happy to just get something I remember at the time.

 

Weren't Gerry Ross and Crestohl also notorious for pawning off restored books as unrestored copies?

That's a great story! It makes me want to root for the Dodgers a little...which is very hard to do.

 

Flash back to 1980...the Astros and Dodgers finished tied for the NL West and have a one game playoff to decide the division champ. Young Ricky was a senior in high school and just couldn't imagine not being able to watch the game, an afternoon affair at Dodger stadium. What does Ricky do? Well he skips school and spends the day in his pick up truck in a grocery store parking lot listening to the game on AM radio. Final - Astros 7, Dodgers 1.

If memory serves you skipped a lot of school your senior year.

this is a good one

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Crestohl was just as bad as Ripofsky

 

Overpriced books that were also over graded

 

I remember in 1988 I had my mom call Gerry Ross/ Robert Crestohl because they cashed my check and never sent me my books

 

Finally after my mom called, they sent me the books in grades. Not the Near Mint I had ordered.

 

Was happy to just get something I remember at the time.

 

 

Weren't Gerry Ross and Crestohl also notorious for pawning off restored books as unrestored copies?

To finish my story, ordered a NM copy of FF 2 & 5

Paid close to $1,100 in 1988 money

The FF2 I received was VG

The FF 5 was VG restored

sold them both CGC sealed in 2000 for about what I paid

Soured on humanity ever since

this is a good one

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Crestohl was just as bad as Ripofsky

 

Overpriced books that were also over graded

 

I remember in 1988 I had my mom call Gerry Ross/ Robert Crestohl because they cashed my check and never sent me my books

 

Finally after my mom called, they sent me the books in grades. Not the Near Mint I had ordered.

 

Was happy to just get something I remember at the time.

 

 

Weren't Gerry Ross and Crestohl also notorious for pawning off restored books as unrestored copies?

 

To finish my story, ordered a NM copy of FF 2 & 5

 

Paid close to $1,100 in 1988 money

 

The FF2 I received was VG

 

The FF 5 was VG restored

 

sold them both CGC sealed in 2000 for about what I paid

 

Soured on humanity ever since

 

Scuzzy...... I didn't realize it had gotten like that. GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

this is a good one

 

 

 

Robert Crestohl was just as bad as Ripofsky

 

Overpriced books that were also over graded

 

I remember in 1988 I had my mom call Gerry Ross/ Robert Crestohl because they cashed my check and never sent me my books

 

Finally after my mom called, they sent me the books in grades. Not the Near Mint I had ordered.

 

Was happy to just get something I remember at the time.

 

 

Weren't Gerry Ross and Crestohl also notorious for pawning off restored books as unrestored copies?

 

To finish my story, ordered a NM copy of FF 2 & 5

 

Paid close to $1,100 in 1988 money

 

The FF2 I received was VG

 

The FF 5 was VG restored

 

sold them both CGC sealed in 2000 for about what I paid

 

Soured on humanity ever since

 

 

Scuzzy...... I didn't realize it had gotten like that. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

Humanity is the worst. Lesson learned.