Twin Cities Pedigree

I know what you're thinking...Marvel Tales 30, no biggie. That's just a reprint of Amazing Spiderman...right. Not quite, but before I go any further I must tell you that I was so intent on winning this auction that I started writing this journal a couple weeks before the auction even began...seriously, this is me writing, right now, and the auction doesnt start for 2 weeks. At the time I thought for sure I would end up in a bidding war with xfiles over this one so part of me was really hoping he didnt see it...just like I didnt see the Giant Size Fantastic Four CGC 9.6 copy that he won not too long ago, and for less than I would have paid. I figure this would make us even. Given the unbelievable price I won this book for I can only assume he didnt see it and I am definitely OK with that.

There are a few reasons why this book is so key for my collection of Bronze Age Xmen appearances...

Number 1. It has been EXTREMELY hard to find in high grade. I have been searching literally for years and it never comes up. The last copy...this same exact serial number in fact...last sold on 1.12.2012. Yeah, I missed it that time or I would have snagged it in a heartbeat. This is the highest graded copy on the census and there are only 8 graded copies out there. Not only that, but I have never even seen a NM raw copy come up for sale...sure, there are plenty of lesser grade copies lying around in dollar bins or whatever but thats about it. I can conclude from this that additional high grade copies just dont exist, or there are collectors who are having a really hard time letting go of their copies.

Number 2. Yes, it does contain a reprint of Amazing Spiderman 41 and 58, BUT unlike every other issue of Marvel Tales this issue also features an original story. Not just any story mind you, but one that was written by Jerry Siegel himself, the creator of Superman. How cool is that. This is part three of 3 featuring the Xmens Angel...the first two parts were in KaZar 2 and 3 which I also have copies of in 9.6 condition, giving me the complete story in high grade...insert happy dance here. What really perplexes me is that there is nothing about this on any of the CGC labels except for KaZar 3 which does make mention of it being an Angel story written by Jerry that concludes in Marvel Tales 30. Hopefully CGC adds similar notes to the other two books in the future.

Number 3. Whats this. Is that a pedigree. Yes indeed...Twin Cities to be exact. I have heard this name before, but didnt know anything about it until I checked out the Heritage Auction website. The collection of more than 6,000 comics was assembled by the late Gary Dahlberg of Minneapolis, MN...thus the name Twin Cities. Dahlberg, who passed away in July 2010, was a meticulous collector who also had the advantage of working at a bookstore as a high school student in the early 1960s, with the opportunity to buy new comics from the store owner before they were put out on the stands. The VP of CGC was astonished at how nice these books were, stating that once collectors see them they will understand why CGC decided to give them a pedigree designation.

I am VERY pleased to own such a cool piece of comic book history and it fits perfectly with the rest of my collection. Its very gratifying to find that book that has eluded you for SO long and the price was happy surprise...now, if I can just find a GS FF 4.

Til next time...

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