BEAUOLOGY 101: exactly how HUGH HEFNER contributed to MY COMIC book COLLECTION

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Comic books After Dark With Your Host—Beau Smith

by beloved Smith

REMINDER: Please note that the late 1960s was a much different world than the one we online in today.

The complying with phone conversation transpired between me as well as my grandma in 1967 when I was in the 7th grade:

My Grandmother: “Beau, what do you want for your birthday?”

Me: “A membership to Playboy Magazine”.

My Grandmother: …..Pause…..

Me: “Granny, you still there?”

My Grandmother: “Yes…a membership to Playboy? That’s what you truly want?”

Me: “Oh, Yeah. mom as well as dad won’t let me have a BB Gun, they believe I’ll shoot Mitch as well as gig (My younger brothers)…a lot.”

My Grandmother: “Well, we don’t want that, it wouldn’t be safe. Okay, I’ll order you a membership then. Don’t take them to institution or church.”

Me: “Okay. Thanks, Granny, I won’t. (Lie)

That was quite much the conversation. as well as my mom as well as dad were right, I would’ve shot my bit siblings a great deal with the BB gun. Years later, in college, I did get a BB gun, as well as I did shoot my siblings with it…a lot. parents understand everything.

I checked out The Articles….I Promise!

So, from 1967 with 1983, my Granny got me a membership to Playboy magazine every year on my birthday. I treated those problems like my comic books; I took care of them, had them organized, as well as proceeded to wallpaper my bedroom with the centerfolds, in addition to the ceiling. Ask any type of of my buddies, I had the coolest space ever – comic books, all the latest records, tons of sphere cards, as well as years worth of Playboy Magazine.

After a few years, it ended up being the norm. My friend’s parents all knew, as well as truly didn’t notice any type of deviant habits out of any type of of us, nobody at institution ever stated anything to my knowledge, it just ended up being the norm. I have to say, my intentions with the magazine at very first was purely for physical discovery, however after a bit, it ended up being mental as well, mental in the truth I truly did checked out the articles, evaluations , interviews as well as commentaries. I discovered more about politics as well as world news than I ever did from the regional newspaper or TV. Of program when composing institution papers, I lied as well as stated I referenced my findings from more socially accepted sources. I was no fool. keep your great thing under the radar.

Let’s take a pause right here for a second, one more reminder, 1967….it was a different time. It truly was.

Daredevil #115 exactly how Did I miss This In The 70’s??

Okay, back to the point. I have to say, when in Junior High, high institution as well as particularly college, my social life was rather active. Girls, sports, activities that I won’t mention here, even though the statute of limitations is on my side, I’ll just keep any type of possible criminal perceptions at a minimum. I didn’t buy as many comic books in the 1970s. I was as well hectic with other things. when the early 1980s rolled around, I was married, had a child, a routine task as well as the time to rediscover comic books. I still had my youth collection of comics dating back to 1958 though 1969, some smatterings of comics from the ‘70s, however not many. So I began to recollect comic books. By this time, there were actual comic book stores. growing up, I never believed that day would ever come. I was elated. I likewise found Westfield Comics. So I was able to not only shop brick as well as mortar stores, however mail order as well. It was great…..to a point. There was almost a decade of comic books that I kinda missed out on.

One day, in laid-back conversation at work, a co-worker told me that he had been downtown as well as saw there was a utilized book store in Huntington, West Virginia (my hometown) as well as he saw where they had some “old comic books” when he occurred by there. Needless to say, I inspected it out as well as he was more than right.

Fantastic four #5. I bought It For A Dime!

Star utilized book store was the name of the establishment. Small, hole in the wall location in historic Huntington. They offered mainly utilized paperbacks, popular with housewives at that time, as well as people dumping their dead relative’s junk. There were a few hardbacks, as well as then they had a tons of magazines as well as comic books. I bought a few comics, mainly from the ‘70s, as well as a few option books from the ‘60s like Avengers #5, remarkable Spider-Man #7, as well as great four #5. almost all the comic books were priced at 5 cents to a dime. If it was a quarter annual or special sized comic, then it was 15 cents. Each comic had a rubber stamped imprint near the book’s indica that read: star utilized book store as well as their address. next to that , in sphere point pen, was the price. It was like stealing. I bought as many as I could.

I ended up being a routine customer, got to understand the extremely nice woman that ran the place. She noticed that I would buy almost every new batch of comics that she brought in. I noticed that she offered a ton of Playboy as well as other “Men’s Magazines” in the section corded off in the back where only full grown, semi-creepy guy as well as younger guys would wander. You have to remember, I had more Playboy magazines than she did, so this was of no rate of interest to a suave continental like myself. someday when I was looking with the stack of utilized comics, she told me that she was getting in a big collection of old comic books on Friday from a regional person as well as wished to understand if I wished to buy all of them before she put them out. I stated I was interested as well as then asked her if she took trades. She believed I meant comics as well as told me that she was trying to offer comics, not get more, so I told her that I wasn’t speaking about comics, I was speaking about almost two decades of mint Playboy Magazines. She stated bring them in as well as we would make some kind of deal.

Adventure Comics #450. Jim Aparo Greatness For A Dime!

I did. My collection of Playboys, even without the centerfolds were like gold to her. She understood she might offer those as quick as she might set them on the shelves. I brought my collection in, took the huge collection of comics she had just bought, as well as I still had a big amount of store credit history on top of that. She was so happy, as well as I had just filled in a decade of missing comics in addition to key Silver Age books. It truly was a red letter day for me.

After a year or so, star book store went out of business. Waldenbooks, as well as other shopping center kinds of stores were spreading. She was getting less as well as less stock for her store. I will state that the Playboys I traded her went quick as well as she made a nice bit revenue from them before the closing of the doors. I brought The star book store their last Hurrah!.

Thank You Barbi Benton as well as Hugh Hefner!

So this week, with the passing of 91 year old Hugh Hefner, I just want to state say thanks to you to him on many different levels. since of him, many different, enjoyable worlds were opened up for me. You can insert all your snarky, “This seems funny to me” lines in here, however it’s the truth…”Hef” broadened my horizons…he likewise assisted me gather comic books.

I’m in his debt.

Rest In Peace, Hugh Hefner. You did me a fantastic favor.

Beau Smith

www.flyingfistranch.com

@BeauSmithRanch