We’ve all seen these ads in our Marvel and DC books from the 70s and 80s – Howard (M or D, depending on the publisher he was advertising with) Rogofsky was going to sell you some back issues – sent him some measly quarters for a catalog!

In early comics fandom, Howard Rogofsky stood out for one reason: he sold back issues and made money doing it despite the fact he was just a teenager. This was before there were retail stores devoted to our favorite four-colored medium or price guides that would level the playing field a bit. Along with Phil Seuling and Ken Mitchell, he established the idea of paying more for a harder-to-find issue of, say, Sensation Comics #1 and subsequently gave false hope to millions of people who purchased X-Force.

Rogofsky was one of the first people to actually make a living selling comic books thanks to the Marvel explosion. At 16, he was placing ads in magazines like TV Guide to catch a prospective customer’s eye. A mimeographed three or four sheet list would be sent upon request, books would be ordered, and they’d get a package that would fill the holes in your collection. A couple of years after the Marvel line was in full swing, he was selling copies of Fantastic Four #s 1, 2, and 3 for a dollar each – that’s a 700% increase. One poster from the Collector’s Society message boards recalls buying a copy of Avengers #1 in ’66 or ’67 for $5, a massive sum at the time.

Rogofsky had one flaw: he had not a single clue about grading. That’s a lie: he did know the difference between Good and Near Mint, but he pretended he didn’t because he wanted to make sure that books flew from his “warehouse.” He’s famous in certain circles for declaring “Tape is not a defect,” especially if it was “well-placed” and “not obtrusive.” Many of his customers didn’t care at the time – they were just happy to get the books at all, but the venom is still quite strong among those who received slabs of pulp with extra staples and tape.

He’s still out there, selling books through ads in places like Comic Buyers Guide. He still shows up at San Diego Comicon, brandishing want lists and helping people get the books they “need,” usually without tape now. Next time you’re in awe of someone walking into your comics shop with a stack of cat-pissed soaked, restapled issues of Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters, think of Howard.

If you think you’d like to do business with this paragon of comic book commerce, you can still write for a price guide (he’s not online and probably never will be from what I can gather):
Howard Rogofsky
P.O. Box 107
Glen Oaks, N.Y. 11004