Today I woke up in severe pain after spending the entire previous day helping a friend move into a new home. Thankfully, along with the pain I had a nice $50 spot which was given to me for the help. I decided the best way to spend the day was to visit the #2 attraction in all of Florida, the Swap Shop. I use to spend every weekend of my childhood going through baseball cards at several different spots in the Swap Shop with my mother so I figured I might finally get a chance to find something really special.
After about an hour of walking in the blazing Florida sun, I found a dealer who was selling baseball cards and comic books. Her name was “Annie” and she told me she was selling her son’s vintage comics and baseball cards because he was really sick. I wanted to do whatever I could to find something to buy so I spent the next hour going through box after box of baseball cards from 1987-1992 (all worthless) and a giant case full of D.C comic books.
There really was nothing I wanted but to be a nice guy I pulled out a 1995 Bowman Johnny Damon and got it for a buck. I am the furthest thing from a Damon fan but the card looks pretty sweet and it was either that or some 1992 Score. I mean, there were completed sets of 1989 Fleer & 1987 Topps but they were in pages and out in the sun for so long the cards were bent and the pages stuck together so this was clearly my best option.
After spending just one dollar I felt kind of bad so I went through over 100 comic books until I found something I sort of wanted. It was a classic issue of Iron Man in a large Zip Lock bag, like all of her other comics. The issue featured Spider Man and since I had just seen Spider Man 3 a few days ago, I figured it would be fun to read even though I don’t collect or even enjoy comic books.
After paying $2 dollars I said goodbye, wished her luck, and made my way home. In pain from the work the day before, I sat on my recliner and opened up my bag with the comic book. To my shock and dismay, the comic book was a fraud, a lie, and a scam. You see, this little old lady had placed the comic in a bag because in reality the cover was Iron Man but that was all the Marvel goodness I would find. It was an Iron Man cover hiding a boring, piece of crap DC Comic book called ‘Who’s Who?’.
You know, if you can’t trust a little old lady selling her son’s used collection of comic books to help pay for medical bills at a flea market, than who the hell can you trust these days? Needless to say, this comic book is not going to be read anytime soon, at least not by me. As far as the Swap Shop is concerned, next time I will just go to the nearest baseball card store.
It’s clear the flea market scene in South Florida is dead.
Wow, just wow. I can’t believe that. I hate those moments where people are exposed for the scum they are.
Maybe she really didn’t know. If she did, you should go to the nearest Retirement home and pay another old lady the remaining 48 dollars to kick her ass.
Weak! You expect a Spidey and Iron Man comic and you end up with a dictionary of obscure DC villains. Annie neglected to tell you that her son was sick because she sold one of his kidneys for crack.
Just go’s to show you can’t trust anyone!
It’s disgusting how dishonest people are. I know it’s not really a big deal. It was only a buck. But it’s just horrible how people in this world behave.
I hated the swap shop…not on my long list of thing i miss from florida..i got a flea market here Mario and a little old man has a “shop” set up lots of cheap stuff from the 80s and 90s..so if your up for a road trip?? Hey whats 12 hours for this hobby? LOL
I hate to be ‘that guy’ but that Damon card is actually from 1994 Bowman.
I probably would have done the same thing, but you didn’t bother to ask if you can open the Zip-Lock bag to check the contents after going through the baseball cards?
A scam at a flea market in Florida? Say it ain’t so. Just take a look at the Indian’s selling counterfeit jerseys, watches and knives.
ho-ho-ho-ho! …where are my ho’s? (S.C.)
Trust nobody man. You know I’m a flea market type of guy and it’s the same situation everywhere you go. Here is DR is getting tougher to find baseball cards but I think the whole experience is worth it as long as you don’t run into the old lady again
I guess I can’t really say much, since I like DC more than Marvel, so that a**hole switcharoo wouldn’t have bothered me a bit. >.>
I can remember the days when flea markets were just people that found stuff and sold at a resonable price just to make a buck on trash. I once picked up a 1934 Diamond Stars Ernie Lombardi for 8.00, it was a 800.00 card. Those days are over. I work in the storage industry and have many flea market people who store. They tell me they check e-bay for prices and will charge high end on stuff they think is good. Flea Markets are now a modern day stores without the overhead.