RCheli

I'll take it!

Details, details...

The bar code says 411, which means it's a first print.

This Sunday!

I'll take this too.

I'll take Batman 199, Thor 157, and the Action 310.

That sticker says to me, and I may have mentioned this earlier, that these were distributed to PXs and they were repriced (poorly) to match the other US cover prices of the time.

I would buy the #194. Higher grade, first appearance (vs. "last" appearance), more value potential. As others have said, though, buying both isn't a bad thing.

@Get Marwood & I You seem much more informed than I so I'm not sure if I would have any great input. I can't imagine CGC wanting to put that much copy on a label for what likely is a book not even worth its grading fee. I can easily see how this happened in the printing and binding process, and I suspect that it's merely a perfect storm of errors. I would keep it as a blue because it doesn't negatively affect the comic or its grade.

@Get Marwood & I You think it should be a green label?

I think you need to stop questioning its legitimacy. It was an error in assembly, no different than multiple covers or comics inserted upside down.

It has nothing to do with mixed plates. Covers, guts, and inserts were all printed separately and put together to make a comic. This was an error in assembly, simple as that. It came from a collection with many other MJ inserts, so I suspect that it should have been a normal price with an insert and the incorrect cover was used. I would also say this would be extremely difficult to fake; manipulating the staples and either adding in the insert or switching out a cover without detection from CGC. I also don't know why anyone would do it. It certainly wasn't for value, as I paid probably 5 cents for it and sold it for $3.

Well, they sell in my $1 bins eventually... I think it all depends on how you're trying to sell the books. For me, who does very little mail order, I would put the comics from a collection like this in my $1, $3, and $5 bins and they'd sell. If you're selling here or eBay, it may not be worth your while.

There are some semi-keys from that time, though. Firestorm #1 or Black Lightning #1. First Deadshot in Detective/Rogers and Englehart in that title, too. Joker #1 (though I think that's at 25-center). A VF Killing Joke #1 can get you $50. And Batmans from the late 70s sell pretty well. Not every collection needs to include a $100 book.

I can't seem to find a picture of it, but if I recall, it was a sticker with a hand written 75 cents on it. Perhaps someone saw the wrong price and put a correct price sticker over it. It had the same MJ insert as yours.

As the seller of the book, I can say with pretty much certainty that it was not manipulated. I sold the other copy I had to @FlyingDonut so we can ask him about that one.

I think that $35 is for all three days (and an hour earlier on Saturday and Sunday). I don't know if you can pay $20 at the door to get in on Friday night. It looks like you can load in on Saturday morning, too, though. So there could be some dealers who aren't even there on Friday night. Obviously, it's to get those people in early, getting first crack at the good stuff.

I always give Amazing Spiderman #14 as an example. That used to be a book, ten or so years ago, that was a nice but affordable key in mid grade. Still a few hundred bucks, but it was attainable. That's a $2000+ book in 6.0 now and that limits the vast majority of collectors. So they look for lower grades or Bronze and Copper keys now.

Great location, probably a lot of great dealers, but that Friday night is baffling to me. Why?

You people are overestimating the need for back issues to survive in this market. Go to most shops and ask how much their priced (non-wall) back issues do in business for them every month. (Not talking about dollar or 50-cent overstock; I'm talking about your regular back issues.) I suspect that for most shops, that number is less than 5% of their business. Very few people are walking into comic shops nowadays looking for Silver Surfer #85 or whatever. Most comic shops make their money on new comics/trades/CCG. That is their bread and butter. The fact that shops waste a lot of floor space on merchandise that doesn't sell has always been baffling to me. A lot of very good comic shops have little or no back issues. Case in point; the Fat Jack's here in Philly that is having money problems has a huge area for back issues -- probably close to 500 square feet. I never see anyone looking through those books. Never. Yet 1/3 of his shop is wasted on it. I don't think in any way this is a bad thing that this store has no back issues. What you're getting -- which is worth a lot more than the stock itself -- is the customer base. If you can maintain that base and find ways to grow it, then you have a successful business ahead.

It was the best show of theirs I've done. A ton of people showed up and they had money. I didn't really have a chance to look around, as I was stuck at my tables the entire time. That's a good problem to have, though. The best thing was that I sold mostly $1 and $3 books. It's nice turning over a couple of long boxes of that stuff.

But if you win it, you can do whatever you want. I think back issues, for the most part, is not the best use of floor space for a comic book store.

I'll be there with bells on!

At the shows where he and I have both set up, he's about 90% original art (and since I don't really buy that any more, I don't look). His comics tend to be a bit on the pricy side, and he's not the most personable guy. But he has terrific stuff. Also, I'm sure he can help you out with who to bet on the big game.

Did you go?