Stop calling Silver Age runs 'Golden Age' in the shop

I overheard two guys last week arguing that Stan Lee's 1960s Fantastic Four was 'Golden Age' material, and the owner just nodded along. That confusion is how we end up with new collectors paying $80 for a 1968 reprint that's clearly labeled, so please check the cover date before you correct someone.

2 comments

2 Comments

wade_perez24d ago

Take it easy, man. Yeah, people mix up eras all the time, but I don't think it's some big shop problem. Golden Age is that pre-1950 pulp stuff, Silver Age is the 60s Marvel and DC boom, and most casual buyers just use "Golden" to mean "old and good." It's lazy, sure, but it's not worth getting hot over. If a new collector buys a 1968 reprint for 80 bucks, that's on them for not checking the label, not on the guy at the counter who didn't correct a stranger's slang. I'd rather save my annoyance for people who call anything from the 90s "vintage" and price it like it's a key issue.

keithharris22d ago

Used to bug me too until I started asking sellers to read the indicia out loud. Most of them laugh and go, "oh, yeah, that's a fourth printing." Saved me some cash more than once, so I figure it's half on them for knowing their stock, half on us for not checking.

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