stagedoorjohnny

Oh yeah.... FUNNY PAGES.

I own a few Chicago Timelys and I can tell you that one of them has had its cover cleaned. It was fully disclosed when I bought it. Still, it's a beautiful book that I will never sell. I remember both times that Subby #3 went thru Heritage. I bid on it the first go around (didn't win it) and refused to bid on it the second time because of my suspicion it had been pressed. Not so sure about cleaning, but I do recall at the time when looking at the scans that it seemed pressed to me. Hence, no bid. Either way, we'll probably never know for sure. One thing I have noticed about Chicago's is that on a lot of them, the upper left hand corner has very slight creases or "crunches" with no color breaks that downgrade the book. That is where you usually find the flaws on them, And a lot of times, that is the only flaw on the book. I believe they were stored originally in file folders and maybe that is why this is the case? Overall, these books are incredibly gorgeous and are as desirable as they come. My point is this: because many are perfect except for this one particular defect, it would probably make them decent candidates for pressing by someone who's looking to make a quick buck and is not a collector. So if someone told me a small amount of Chicago books have been pressed, it would not shock me. One thing going for them, hopefully, is most of these books are parked in permanent collections by people who truly care about the books. That's why they're so dang tough to acquire. So maybe what I just hypothesized doesn't happen too much, if at all. Just my observation and random thoughts, nothing more.

My old copy of Action #61 I bought this from Gary Carter back in 1991 the same day I bought the Action #25 Mile High from him. West Don't worry, West. That #61 is in a very good place right now... my safe, nestled in between your old Action #59 and More Fun #68.

I'll take Amazing Man. To own the Church copy of a book that rare and that cool. On the other comparison, I'll take neither. I'll find another book for the $$$ that I like better than both of those choices.

You buried it underground?! Beats framing and hanging it up on the wall of your sunroom.

Is there a Sandman cover that isn't cool? Hey Steve, is that the Nova Scotia copy? Dennis

Very nice books, Jon. Is #29 the Nova Scotia copy?

I agree that on these rarer books, specifically GA's, the gap between what a 9.6 sells for in the market vs. a 9.2 will close dramatically as time goes on. Either sale prices of 9.6's will come down or the 9.0's and 9.2's will creep up, or a little bit of both. It's still early for the CGC reports, so people will currently not pay a much higher multiple for a 9.0 or 9.2 thinking there are still many copies out there better that have yet to be entombed. However as time bores out, I am of the opinion the numbers will show this not to be the case. In many instances a 9.2 will be the best existing copy. That is why many believe the 9.0 - 9.2 books, at least in GA, are currently the best value out there. They may represent the best or one of the three to five best copies in existence. Only time will tell. Stagedoorjohnny

I love Cap #29! Keep 'em coming!

Sweet book, Nearmint. What's the grade on that bad boy?

I would not be surprised if many books went unsold at this upcoming auction. Some of the bumps are borderline insane. But like you said, it just means the seller is not that interested in parting with the book and has little to do with the state of the market or lack of healthy bids. I'm sure Heritage hits up their friends and colleagues to fill up the pages of their catalog with nice books, even though they are not truly interested in selling. They have to in order to keep that "premier" status of the Signature auction going. It is always a great catalog to browse filled with trophy books. And that needs to continue for them to succeed.

Timely- I don't mean to pry and you don't have to answer this, but were there any MH DC copies you felt were so exceptional that you held on to them? Or were those last few sold at the July Heritage auction the last of them? Those were all exceptional books and I don't know how they could get much better than that. Thanks, just curious. Stagedoorjohnny

Awesome, Timely!!! Thanks for sharing those pics. I have a few books I know you'd appreciate as well, but unfortunately I have not motivated on getting the scanner. Stagedoorjohnny

Timely, those are some wicked books. Congratulations! Do you own copies of MM #40 and #44? I'd love to see the scans of those if you have them. Stagedoorjohnny

Supe #26 is pretty great also. I was never a fan of the #23 periscope cover. I like seeing Supe in a full pose down. But #14 is the ultimate, chalky answer but oh so true.

This thread has convinced me to go out and buy a scanner this weekend. All these books being posted here are amazing, keep it going!!! Anybody have any recommendations on scanners, which one is the best for the $$$? And Shield, I've been reading your posts on the "relationship of GA books to new collectors" thread and I could not agree with you more. I am a relative newbie to comic collecting and have absolutely zero interest in SA or BA books. The historical significance within our culture and history will always make GA books desirable and the cornerstone of the hobby. And as time goes on, GA books will become even scarcer than they are today. It's truly tough to find books you want, other eras don't have that problem in relative terms. And that will keep new collectors coming and converting to the GA. I personally will never understand how people can plunk down thousands of dollars on a Hulk #181 or an ASM #14. Do they look at the census reports??? And these reports are just the tip of the iceberg. I'll take a WWII Schomburg cover, where you can count the number of existing high grade copies on your hands, over those books any day of the week. But that's just me and to each his own. Shield, five stars for you.

I think the Bat covers are way cooler than the Superman covers as a whole. It doesn't get much better than Bats #1-11. Plus you get some Joker and Penguin covers sprinkled throughout the run who are both compelling villians. Supes don't have that element. Because of this, they are just more desirable. Just my two cents. As far as #1 vs. #1, I dunno. Are Supes #1 tougher to come by?

Some great books posted here. I'd love to partake, but how the %^#@*! do I get my digital camera to produce a shot under 150? In its worst resolution it's coming in at 165. Any help for this layman?

I agree with the last post on the DC's to a certain extent. I would be much more picky as to what issues of DC to buy and their condition. They, with Timely's, may seem fully/over valued. But IMHO they will always command a premium, especially in high grade. And when the market does soften, they will still be in demand where as with lesser pubs you may have a tough time moving them if you chose to. There are some great covers, though, from the other publishers. I am particularly fond of the Schomburg Nedors. Bottom line, collect what you like and have fun doing it. There is no right answer.

DC and Timely superheroes only, if you are buying only a couple of books. I would target mid-number high grades (VF or better only, unrestored) in those publishers, pre 1945. Go for covers that you like, minor keys, and classic icon covers. WWII covers are always great. My biggest piece of advice is to take your time and wait until a book comes up that really catches your eye. You can only get a couple books tops in this condition at this budget, so be picky and don't get frustrated. As always, buy only the books that you truly like. I, personally, would prefer getting high grade mid-numbers over any low grade key. Pedigrees will always seperate your book from others. Good luck!

I'd love to but this 150,000 byte max is shutting me down. My pics in the worst quality option still come in @ 160,000. Anybody have an ideas how to get around this? I am illiterate on this digital camera stuff. Stagedoorjohnny