EDitorial Comments

The Return of Pulp AdventureCon

Rich Harvey’s Pulp AdventureCon, traditionally the year’s final gathering of pulp and paper collectors in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, will be held on Saturday, November 10, at its usual location: the Ramada Inn on Route 206 in Bordentown, New Jersey.  Most if not all Pulp AdventureCon attendees drive to Rich’s show, and the Ramada Inn couldn’t be easier to find.  It’s literally just a few hundred yards off Exit 7 of the New Jersey Turnpike.  Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., although most dealers begin packing up an hour or so before the official closing time.  Admission is $5.00 per person.

Although this show is small compared to such events as PulpFest and the Windy City confab, it regularly boasts a number of active, long-time dealers in pulps, digests, paperbacks, hardcovers, pulp reprints, and other collectibles: Adventure House, Nick Certo, Mike Chomko Books, Brendan Faulkner, Martin Grams,  Paul Herman, Dave Kurzman, Walker Martin, Chuck Miller, David Saunders, and yours truly, among others. The dealer’s room isn’t large — it holds 40 to 45 tables — but the quantity and quality of material available for sale is usually pretty impressive.  Over the last 11 years I’ve found and added to my collection some choice items from Pulp AdventureCon dealers.  I’ve also picked up some real bargains.  One year I glommed onto a high-grade copy of a scarce girly pulp, Stage and Screen Stories, which I subsequently “flipped” on eBay for 12 times what I paid for it.

Even those collectors on tight budgets can find bargains at Rich’s show but, perhaps more importantly, Pulp AdventureCon offers hobbyists a chance to assemble and socialize without the hustle and bustle of a major convention, where auctions, programming, and guest stars vie for the time of attendees. This one-day event unfolds at a relaxed pace, and its relatively small size allows for plenty of “face time” with friends and customers alike.

As more details become available I’ll relay them.  Rich is retooling his website, and as soon as it’s ready I’ll post a link to it here.  Stay tuned.