DanCooper

According to Mike's Amazing World website, here are the DCs on the newsstand in July 1956 when Showcase 4 hits the stands: http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/main/features/newsstand.php?publisher=dc&type=cover&month=9&year=1956&sort=alpha Showcase 4 hits the stands on July 5th, 1956. The next Superman title to follow that date was Jimmy Olsen #15, which was on the stands around July 19th, 1956 (all the other Superman-related titles shown on Mike's site are on the stands after that July date) Excerpt from Jimmy Olsen #15:

As impressive as the final number for this Showcase 4 CGC 9.6 was, rumblings over in the Heritage thread in the Golden Age forum, alluding to it may have been sold privately over the past year for $1.5 million! If so, that would amount to a MASSIVE $750,000 LOSS! Considering Heritage gets 20% from the buyer side ($150,000 minus from the $900K) AND the seller didn't get hit with a commission from Heritage also.

$81,000 Especially considering that a similar CGC 8.0 with same OW/W pages sold at Heritage about 7 months ago (June 2023) for $132,000 and this current copy looked to have a better spine! $50,000+ difference in less than 7 months! Market sure is funky now!

It used to be a CGC 9.6

There were always whispers in the hobby whether that Cosmic Aeroplane Showcase 4 actually existed. The picture on the cover of the Overstreet (supposedly a Mint 99) looked more computer generated than an actual photo of the book (see below) Also, if one goes to the "Showcase #4 Club" thread over in the Silver Age forum and looks at the early days/beginning of the thread (page 2 forward), board member esquirecomics owned one of the CGC 9.2 Showcase 4s back then and there are conversations on it.

GREAT story Richard! Roger was a TRUE GENTLEMAN in every sense of the word! Roger, have a blast up there with Jerry, Billy Gaines, Uncle Forry and the "Witches of Wichita"!

Here's some info when some proofs of these sold at Hake's Auctions: https://www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDetail/203165/BATMAN-ROBIN-VILLAINS-1966-UNCUT-PIN-UP-PRESS-PROOF-PICTURE-PROOF

These high-end, unicorn Silver Age key books always seem to come to auction at not the right time. Mike Goldman was holding that "Newsboy" Showcase run for a long time (about 15+ years). I know there were personal reasons involved in finally bringing the run to auction in 2009, but there were more opportunistic times to sell it prior. 2009 was the year after the global financial crisis hit and the world was still recovering (financially and mentally). Like you mentioned Tim, we were just coming out of a once in a lifetime phase of the "go-go days" of 2020-2021. Those high tide years did not only affect the rise of comic prices, but other collectibles also. It was a unique period (especially to sell!) and probably will not be repeated in generations. Probably not best to put all the "good stuff" in one auction. With three major comic auction houses and what seems to be a major auction happening daily, timing (and spacing) probably should have been considered to auction individual high-end books. We've already seen the economic effects in other parts of the hobby already (i.e general comics pricing, Promise collection losses, etc.), so we may get to finally see where the high-end Silver Age market is at and what's going on in the deep end of that pool. It will interesting to watch and what a way to kick off 2024!

WOW! Coming soon to Heritage later this month! The famous "Newsboy" collection copy that Mike Goldman of Motor City Comics discovered in the 1990s! Sold originally at Heritage in the post-financial crisis year of 2009 for $179,250! Mr. Bedrock Richie Evans indicated earlier this year, in the Showcase 4 thread, that the book may resurface soon in the market. A Brave Bold 28 CGC 9.6 (I believe originally a 9.4) sold last year for $750,000 (BTW, that book looks to be also in the same auction as the 9.6 Showcase 4. That auction is looking to be an incredible high grade Silver Age auction with the books Heritage is starting to list) https://www.cgccomics.com/news/article/10307/brave-and-the-bold-28-cgc-9-6-soars-to-750000/ I believe that is the record for a DC Silver Age book! I don't think any DC Silver Age book has broke a $1 million dollars yet...BUT SOON!

I guess these cross the $1 million LOSS threshold for the Promise Collection resales. Don't know if MasterChief's Promise tracking has been updated recently, but this was the list from September:

When CGC first open it's doors in Parsippany, New Jersey, Jon Berk, myself and some other collectors were invited out to their facilities. CGC wanted to get a collector's perspective and feedback on the certification process. The subject of Mile Highs with small amounts of color touch and/or glue was brought up. It was highly debatable topic between the collectors and CGC. The collectors felt the books should be treated no differently for restoration, whether it was a Mile High or some nondescript book from the 1960s or 70s. Books should be in purple, restored slabs. CGC wanted those Mile Highs, with small amounts of restoration, in blue labels from the get go. Their sentiment was the books were from a historic collection and the work done was minimal. The common ground was that the books, at least, needed to have what was done on the label, whether it was blue or purple.

I guess these Showcases (Western Penn 34 & 35) are examples of the "mystique" of the original, small-print CGC labels - potential higher grades plus bump in page quality! (not to mention the high probability of an unpressed) Imagine if CGC stuck with putting those type of notes ("Date stamp on back cover") on the label? Sure would be a lotta Bethlehems out there with notes on the label!

HA! A smile still comes to me whenever I think back to that time when Keith Contarino came on the boards and told Tom H. (linmoth) that he made a mistake when he returned the Western Penn Showcase 34-36 (and also the WP Brave & Bold 34-36) back to Tom because they weren't high enough grade! (pre-CGC era) Both you and Tom were like "Keith what were you thinking??" Keith's response was something along the lines of "BIG Mistake - I lost my mind!"

WOW! Now, THAT'S a Showcase run Registry set! (THANKS for the heads up!) Showcase 4, 8 and 14 in 9.2. Showcase 13 9.4! Showcase 22 9.0 and #23 9.4! The 9.6 Showcase 34 is the Western Penn copy!

I believe Tom Brulato had owned this Slobodian Showcase 34 at one point (pre-CGC/1990s) It was during a brief time span, where I believe Tom was "experimenting" with collecting/investing in Silver Age DCs (didn't last long)

Yeah, the Slobodian copy. It is on Comic Connect for $225K and also on Reece's site again for $240K. Three different prices, same copy. At least with Comic Connect, one can probably work in free shipping with the "Make An Offer" option!

It sold for $5.3 million in 2022 as a CGC 8.0 and now resides in a CGC 8.5 pedigree label https://www.cgccomics.com/news/article/10085/cgc-graded-superman-1-sells-for-over-5-million-dollars/

The prices for the comics in these articles may be out of date, but some of the quotes in them seem to be timeless: "The 1951, 1952, and 1953 Tales of Terror Annuals are without a doubt the hardest EC items to come by" - 1967 The EC Annual Portfolio "It's just a hobby. I trade so I can buy what I want" - 1974 Burrel Rowe "Customers for the old comics include "kooks" " - 1964 Louis Cohen

Is Chris Pedrin still around? His Fortress holders will legendarily live on in comic collecting lore!

And for 15 bucks!

Normally, I would agree if this was a run of Spidey or Fantastic 4 But, there is a rumor/legend in Ye Old trade winds that a Tall Texan is gobbling up every DC in 9.0+ east and west of the MississipPIE! And he ain't taking prisoners!

It's going to be interesting to see where that 5.0 Tales of Terror Annual #1 ("Bobby Blue") on ComicConnect ends up at (currently @ $17,000 with 11+ days to go)

Such sad news. I first met Jon in the mid-1990s when he was president of the American Association of Comic Collectors (the AACC) and through Sotheby's, Comic Book Marketplace and the San Diego Comic-Cons. Quick witted, sarcastic (in a good, humorous way!) generous. A TRULY GREAT GUY! A couple of Jon memories - I remember at one AACC dinner for Golden Age artists in San Diego, held at the Kansas City Barbeque place across from the convention center, Jon running frantically across the trolley tracks to get one of the artist's wife a vegetarian meal, since KC BBQ didn't cater to that taste! Jon and I and some other collectors were invited out to CGC, when they first opened up their doors in Parsippany, New Jersey. CGC wanted to get a collector's perspective of what CGC was getting into. I remember when the subject of whether Mile Highs with glue or color touch, should be in blue labels came up. CGC felt unrestored labels was the way. The collectors had different opinions. I was just glad Jon was on our side arguing the case! Jon's favorite phrase was we are not collectors but "custodians" of history! He was absolutely right! Rest in peace JBcomicbox Here's a photo that was in the Comic Book Marketplace. Sums up Jon perfectly:

I tried doing a search on this, was the Marvel character (Star Thief) named after this collector Barry Bauman as a homage? https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Barry_Bauman_(Earth-616)