If you are a comic book dealer, you have every reason in the world to be in hog heaven, with a new comic book hero hitting movie screens almost every week. From IRON MAN, THOR, and GREEN LANTERN, to the upcoming CAPTAIN AMERICA and THE AVENGERS, there’s no doubt that comic book heroes are here, they’re now, they’re happening. And of course those who sell the comics on which they are all based stand to rack up record profits as fanboys old and new flock to pick up the classic tales of these beloved icons.
That is, unless you’re Kim Stevens, owner of Mostly Comics in Ontario, Canada. Instead of wheeling and dealing in superhero memorabilia, he’s down in his store room, trying to turn back and repair the damage to his store caused by a broken water main which flooded the street as well as local businesses. Stevens says the water poured into his shop and ended up settling in the basement, where much of his inventory is stored.
He estimates more than 200,000 comics were either damaged or destroyed as a result of the water, comics that could have brought in some serious cash had they remained in mint condition.
There is no known cause for the failure of the water main, but city engineers say it was an older construct and may have simply weakened to the point that it couldn’t handle the pressure any more. Furthering the problem was the fact that the flooding caused area sewers to back up, making an already bad problem even worse.
The city administrator has told businesses affected by the flooding that they may file a claim with the city’s legal department. Kim Stevens has done so, as well as filing through his own insurance, even though the maximum payout will still fall far short of his losses.
Comics can range in price from 10 cents to $5 or more per issue, to say nothing of higher-end graphic novels and other collectibles, he said. "If you even just say $1 per comic, I'm looking at 250,000 comics (damaged)," said Stevens, who will be holding a water damage sale June 25.
Of course you don’t have to own a shop full of valuable collectibles for water to cause tremendous damage. Just look around your living room and kitchen and imagine an inch of water covering the floor. Ask yourself just how much damage could be done by an inch of water. It’s a sobering thought.
The possessions in your home are just as valuable to you as an original first issue SUPERMAN comic is to a collector, and you don’t want to find yourself in the position of having to scramble to save your treasured items in the event you do get flooded out. And with the record storms, floods, and tornadoes we have seen this year across much of the US, you should be thinking hard on the matter.
Before disaster strikes your home or business, take action. Contact Water Damage Local.com to get connected with a professional, IICRC certified water restoration provider in your area. These outfits will be available 24/7/365, and offer a complete range of services designed to handle all aspects of your water damage problems. They can have a technician out to your home within an hour of your call, ready to assess the problem and begin the water removal process.
Contact Water Damage Local.com today for a free estimate!
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