So the other day, I realized as I looked on my shelves I had 2 books that were just sitting there. Both first volumes of The Darkness and Witchblade hardcover Compendiums. And I thought to myself, as I looked at them at how badly they were really printed. Not for nothing, I love Top Cow with a passion. I think Sejic, Finch, Silvestri, Keown and others are incredible talents and really made both of those series. But the quality of the books themselves. They're some of the worst printed books I ever seen in my entire life. Me, I'm a perfectionist when it comes to collecting. Unless that books brand new, like in brand new condition. I don't want it. However, I was in some city I never been to before and I was walking in that store. And as I'm walking in that store, I turn my head and I see the entire BPRD set brand new on the shelves. And I was like "What the hell!?!?!!?" Now you gotta remember how extremely rare the 3rd and 4th volumes are. As well as the first and second ones going out of print. Plus the new movie coming out is also a big deal, which sadly I didn't know about until like 3 days ago lol. So I'm thinking to myself, I have no money, cause I don't get paid until the end of the week. I'm looking at books, that in hindsight are worth a big bundle just sitting there and I'm sitting on books that are worth just as much. So I did something risky. But it was a worth it trade, I highly believe that.

Now, I learned a huge lesson as well. Never tell a comic shop to hold anything for you. Cause the owner, who owns the place. Will actually check the prices of the books or book he's holding. And if he wants, that same book you have on hold he can choose not to sell it to you. Which, I should've just waited until I had money. But then again, I'm not the only collector out there. So in most cases it's like do or die. That's basically how the comic collecting world works. But if you have something that's just as expensive as that. Then you're in the green. So in that shop I also saw the Valiant HC for Armor Hunters brand new. Which, I shouldn't have mentioned cause that was a loss. I say that because I own a copy I got off of eBay that was supposed to be new which it is. But the dustjackets all mehhh that guy didn't follow my instructions on how to pack a damn hardcover. But I'll just buy a brand new one later. Anyways, back to the story. So, I told my close buddy who works for this place to hold all 5 books. I won't mention his name to protect his identity. Now, I know he loves the Darkness, so since his birthday was coming up. And since I knew he just got a massive ass Darkness statue. All he needed was the book to accompany the statue. So as much as I could've gotten that book for. Which it was past almost $450, I sold it to my friend for $160. Cause he's my friend, and I didn't think about the price. I was broke as it was. And I needed gas money to continue working cause I travel a lot.

Needless to say, he was super excited and I was happy for him and I know that book I had for god knows how many years is in a good place. I hate selling stuff then the **** gets demolished or people do whatever with it. But here's the funny part about this. My dude offered to buy me all 4 BPRD's plus that Armor Hunters HC in trade for the Darkness. But I couldn't do that. I really did need the money. I thought about asking for the Armor Hunters, and the $160. But, I was also rethinking that cause it probably would've looked bad. So I said if I need it I'll just buy it from the $160 if I'm able to. However, for the Witchblade, I ended up getting all 4 BPRD's for it. However, the owner was onto me. Meaning, the books I held were of some significance to him cause I guess he doesn't check anything? Truth be told, I bought recently from him Hellspawn HC, Archer and Armstrong 1 Deluxe HC, Book of Death Deluxe HC, Harbinger Wars Deluxe HC, Quantum and Woody 1 Deluxe HC, Rai 1 Deluxe HC and Shadowman 1 Deluxe HC, I couldn't believe he had Armor Hunters. Anyways, he ended up checking all of the prices of every single book I had on hold. And here's where it really pissed me the hell off. He was extremely reluctant to trade Witchblade for the BPRD's but my friend told him he couldn't break the set since it came from his other shop. So he in a way got the owner to give me all 4 books. But the owner refused to sell me the Armor Hunters, citing that I got him for all he was worth and had to try to make the money back. So he ended up selling that book to some CGC guy, or so I heard.

Now, if I had waited and just had the money. I could've ducked all of that. But my friend before I even brought it up had told me people were looking for those books. Now, I love Witchblade and Darkness a lot. Those are 2 of my favorite series of all time. But since the books were printed so badly and actually were printed in China of all places and not South Korea super binding like Aphrodite IX. They just weren't worth keeping to me. I know for a fact, since my friend owned a set that he opened brand new that the glue binding is just atrocious. I'm telling you, that glue snapped like a cracker. It's the cheapest most **** binding ever. I honestly, can't believe Silvestri would even charge $100 for that garbage quality book. Rising Stars was a much better printed book, smyth sewn and it was mint. But those, knaw, you got naturally bent pages within them cause the books printed without care. You got banged up spines and dented in. It's frustrating, and I bought those brand new when they first came out and that's the condition they came in. Like it would make me mad seeing those on my shelf cause they were just books printed carelessly. I know some people don't care about the quality of a book, but I do, trust me. I'm 32 but I been a reader since I could even read. I learned reading, by reading comics. So I take my collecting super serious. Even my lady knows how picky I am with quality. That's why I love IST cause they put up with my **** 24/7 no hassle replacements lol.

So the owner seen the BPRD's were at least $500 as a set. But were worth even more since the movies coming out and he was really reluctant to give them up. He was going to take my Witchblade and asked for money on top of that. My friend talk him into it and sealed the deal that was the **** and I was thankful, hence why I didn't want to ask for anymore than the $160 for the Darkness. I was happy with just that. But the owner saw how much the Armor Hunters was and then sold it for more. Though, I did have the book on hold. He wasn't willing to give me cover price, even though he knew I spent a lot of money on the previous Valiant HC's he wanted to charge me $150. And like, I understand it's your shop that's cool. But that's just a bad businessman in my opinion. Not even my friend I've known for 20 years from the local comic shop would do a move like that. He had the entire 100 Bullets set and I got the entire set in HC brand new for like $175. From $250. That was a damn good deal. But this guy, claimed from the other HC's I cleaned him out. But it's not my fault he doesn't check his shops and see his inventory. The whole incident over that Armor Hunters just makes me mad. Cause I really feel, he didn't respect me before I came in to make my decision on the book. He automatically refused to sell it to me over the trade. I'll get over it I'm sure. But that was just a shitty experience. I learned my lesson not to mention anything anymore to anyone. If I see it, I'll just buy the damn book. I don't need no dude telling me I'm cleaning him out, when I'm the customer and I'm the one giving him the business to keep his business going.

But the owner and everyone respected me in the end cause they knew I'm not some regular guy, they knew I'm a dangerous customer cause I know what to look for. So from what I heard, since this happened, the owners doing a sweep of everything he's got in all his comic shops. And pulling stuff off of the shelves and eBaying everything that's worth more. So for me, I really got all his most expensive stuff. I got all of it, except that Armor Hunters. There's nothing worth of value that he's selling that's in the 100's. Well, he's got a few omnibuses that are pretty pricey now. But for the most part, I really cleaned him out. in the past 2 years. And everyone knew that, and he'd always watch me, when I'd come in. Cause he knows what I'm buying is worth a lot of value. And when he'd try to get more he'd find out they were all out of print. And take that loss seriously. I'd wait a few before I'd go back, then go a month later and get more stuff. It's like a chess game almost. But I think that BPRD deal was one of the best deals I ever gotten. True, I could've sold that Witchblade for way more. But to me it wasn't even worth selling. So getting my money's worth back and a lot more at that was worth it to me. Before I get off of this I will say Top Cow's Compendiums are some of the worst books I ever seen printed. Silvestri should've collected the books like McFarlane collects Spawn or like Rick Remender's HC's in those big editions. But thanks to God Sejic knows how to print a damn good book. If I'm paying $100 for anything at cover price cause those books were only available on the Top Cow store at the time. I actually expected to get my money's worth. And it's sad cause both Vol. 03's of each series never came out.