What Would You Do for a Klondike Bar?

Except substitute "Comics" for the sweet deliciousness of chocolate-covered icecream. Bear with me, children, for I am going to speak of the Olden Days, before there were Comic Book Stores, or at least before there were very many. Mostly, you found your books at the drug store or the News stand from a spinner rack. The concept of "mint" hadn't even been thought of. Back issues were unbelievably hard to come by. They were still printed on crappy newsprint, and they had that unmistakeable "comic book smell".

What oh what lengths would you go to, to find comic books?

My most ridiculous caper, was when I was a mere freshman at college, attending the University of Connecticut out in Storrs. UConn was a cow college to a certain extent back then, out in the misty wilds, far from any night life. There WAS however, a seedy little bookstore right next to my dorm. My ALL-GIRL dorm...for this was indeed the olden days. We called it the Nunnery. And AT this little bookstore...were COMICS! Back Issues of Comics! I was deep in the steely grip of my love of Marvel's Thor at this particular time of my life, and finding back issues was well-nigh impossible, because I lived in Granby, Ct, yet ANOTHER small town! We didn't even have a McDonald's.

I soon managed to wipe out the proprietor's meager collection of old Thor's, when I learned to my delight, that this was but one of several bookstores, all owned by the same person. The next closest one was in Willimantic, which was about 8 miles away. I didn't have a car, and none of my roomies or friends had a car. Did I let that stop me? Deep in the madness of the thought of acquiring yet MORE old comics, I borrowed my roommates bicycle, and rode it the 8 miles to Willimantic, whereupon I bought a lot of nice old Thor books, and then rode the 8 miles back. I was at least, a helluva lot younger and thinner then, and certainly had more stamina, but still...this was a pretty crazy thing to do. But I had to scratch that particular itch...!

So...what was the most insane thing that you ever did in order to acquire a particular comic or comics? You'll all be graded later on.