Doing Business The Cryplectibles Way

So this isn't going to be one of my normal missives; I'm just passing along some information in case you've noticed his posts, considered buying from him, but weren't sure if it was worth taking the risk. If you're following @cryplectibles and see something you want, I'll make it easy for you:

DON'T HESITATE--BUY THE FRIGGIN' COMIC!

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This is an absolutely awful image, I know, but blame Image Comics and Valiant for making such ridiculously un-scannable cover art. Trust me, it looks a lot better in person.

This is the Deathmate Tour Book, the one part of the whole Deathmate package I was lacking. Now I'm nothing if not a completionist, so by golly if there's a major crossover event that essentially undermined the foundation of the house which was 'comic books' in the 1990's with how godawful it was, then I won't be happy until I own every single piece of that ruinous history.

Why do I want to own the whole Deathmate saga (and more to the point, why did I pay actual money to do so)? Well, look at it this way: when the Berlin Wall came down in November of 1989, they didn't just drive a few bulldozers and backhoes through it and call it a day. Oh no. They scooped up chunks of that rubble and put them up for sale so that anybody who wanted could own a piece. People scooped those bits of stone in droves: not because they were wistful for the days of the Iron Curtain, or nostalgic for the long food lines of Communist rule, but because they wanted a physical reminder of what once existed in the hopes it never happened again.

Turns out Germany's been united now for almost three decades and they're doing just fine. It's doubtful their country will ever have two separate and distinct capital cities again. So too is the comics industry in relatively stable health despite a decline from the highs of sales figures they'll never see again. Deathmate is the Berlin Wall of comic books: it split the hobby in half, and it eventually fell down. Those involved don't like to talk about it. I guarantee Jim Lee has never looked back on his contributions to Deathmate and thought, "Man, those were the days."

I do, but then again, I'm just an asshole on the internet. What do I know?

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But I digress. Back to @cryplectibles.

His price, at first, may seem high. I paid the Steem equivalent of $10 for this copy of the Deathmate Tour Book (I accidentally sent more than that, but he refunded me the difference down to the thousandth-of-a-Steem), but remember, particle beam technology isn't a thing yet, and it has to get from his hidden underground bunker in the far-off and desolate wastes he calls home (ie: Florida) to my doorstep somehow. He wisely uses the US Postal Service and their Priority Mail Flate Rate Envelope to do so.

Flat-Rate Envelopes cost $6.70 to mail in the US regardless of what you're shipping or where you're sending it, but it's nice. Priority Mail gets handled better than standard mail, comic books and magazines don't qualify for the "Media Mail" rate because of the ads they contain, and @cryplectibles will pack up to 10 issues into one envelope for the same $6.70. It's tracked, it gets there fast, and it's automatically insured for $50. I sent him money on Saturday, he mailed it on Monday, and by Wednesday, I was tearing open the envelope. This could not be smoother.

The Deathmate Tour Book came in a high-quality polypropylene sleeve with a self-adhesive flap and an acid-free backing board, packed between two slabs of cardboard to provide additional protection and to prevent bending or folding. The book's condition was pristine--I don't think the previous owner opened it more than once. It isn't graded, but the idea it could score less than a 9.4 in its current condition is laughable. It's Near Mint without reservations.

"But Michael, it was still $10.00 for a book worth way less than half that amount!"

You're right. So let's do a little comparison shopping, shall we?

Mile High Comics has an issue of Deathmate Tour Book in stock right now, in Near Mint condition, for $3.00. They're also willing to ship it to my house...for $8.00. If I want it insured, that's an extra $2.00 added to the cost. It's possible to qualify for free shipping from Mile High, but you need to order over $50 in product at one time to save that $8.00, so if you only want one issue of a book, it's not feasible unless you're buying something Golden or Silver age. For the price of shipping + insurance from Mile High, @cryplectibles sent me the book too. I'd call that a win.

Amazon has copies of it available from their marketplace sellers starting as low as $2.00 plus $3.99 shipping, but that issue is graded in 'very fine' condition. That's one step below 'Near Mint' on the word scale, or an 8.0 on the CGC scale. The issue @cryplectibles sold me was in better condition. There are more expensive copies available, but none of them are Near Mint. Still a better deal from @cryplectibles.

I could also go on eBay, where a copy in Near Mint condition of this book is currently on offer for $3.99 + $3.99 "economy shipping", which means I'd get it around April 20th if I ordered it tonight. I don't know what "Economy Shipping" translates to, as the seller doesn't explain, but I'm guessing it's not insured, may not have a tracking number, and it's slow as molasses since it'll take about seven days to reach me. If the seller doesn't pack it right, I could very well receive that book in less-than-ideal condition. It's worth the extra $2.00 to get it insured, tracked, and well-packed.

Finally, @cryplectibles is a small business. I like supporting small businesses when possible (the bookstore where I work is a family-owned affair), and I'm perfectly content to drop a little more money his way for that reason alone.

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I'm not being paid for this, I'm not a shill account, I'm just leaving a review the only way possible given his current business arrangements here on Steemit. I paid $10 for a copy of Deathmate Tour Book, and I got my money's worth and then some. I guaran-damn-tee that I'll use @cryplectibles again if I see something he's got that I cannot live without, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend you do the same if the situation presents itself.