Bronty

I'd take the phantom lady any day of the week....

Very true, the hobby's been very healthy for a very long time now. You may not be able to collect everything Bill, but you're not doing too badly!! (Loved the group shot pics you put up when you first came on).

All American 61 is also a first appearance don't forget! Maybe it's just me but sometimes I just have to step back and shake my head at where prices are at these days (11 grand for a vf reform school girl? Jeesus.). Maybe I'm just bitter because all the good stuff costs as much as a car!

I would tend to pick cap 74 also because I think world's best is just not that exciting a title, but in my opinion the prices on cap 74 are pretty ridiculous these days. 5 grand for a mid grade late run timely superhero book that is really only notable because of the horror elements? Yikes! I'm not that far from a low grade or restored cap 1 at those price levels!

I loved the topolino reference...you were channeling BLB! I try, I try Here's a pic of the first digest for your enjoyment There was also a daily that preceeded in the mid 30s but alas I can find no pic. ...and which one would you choose, a vg TL1 (digest), or NM TL 706 with the first appearance of Paperinik? I know you'll probably stay up all night trying to choose

Hehe I knew you'd give me grief about topolino, that's why I put it there Not my fault if you didn't qualify your statement by saying *US* comic book Four Color - I meant issues not years. Same as topolino. But you already know that. If you've owned 70 ff1s, I can see where the shine would have gone off the apple by now I've only had one.

It is the first issue of the longest running comic book series in history. That says it all. Eh. That doesn't impress me as much as it does you. A) four color 1 beats it (sort of). You can complain that FC was a one-shot title, but hey, tec was an anthology title. B) Italian mickey mouse digest (topolino) is at what, issue 4000 or so? And I'm sure plenty of other european publications beat it hands down as well in terms of issues produced. C) I can buy the reprint of either tec 1 or FF 1 for a couple bucks. Which means I'm going to buy the one that tugs on the heartstrings... in this case the FF.

all the dc keys were reprinted in those millenium books - hunt them down, they are a great little set and pretty good as far as reprints go.

In general though, I agree with you. I do prefer un-reprinted material, and I know what you mean about the FF1, its kind of old hat. But for me, its THE marvel book, AF15 be damned. If the choice were FF1 vs tec 2,3,4 or something, I might feel differently. But to me tec 1 isn't worth that much more than any other pre hero Tec.

Err... like I mentioned two or three posts ago its been reprinted and will set you back a princely $3 at most. http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=fullsize&issue=24046353300%201

so buy a millenium edition for $3

I better this little poll would have vastly different results in the silver age forum

I'm going to have to buck the trend and say ff1. My favorite marvel key, and 8.5 unrestored is pretty damn nice.

ff1 definitely

Church copy. And let's just say I paid a "collector" price. But you know what, no buyer's remorse. As adamstrange elloquently put it in a PM to me a while back, my employer pays me in dollars every single month, but has never yet paid me in Church Centaurs. Until he does, I'm forced to purchase these things at retail prices. Great quote. Better book. All I can say is congrats!!

Holy flipping kee-rist! What pedigree and what did it set you back? Gorgeous!!!

Frankly I like the 35 cover better than the 31. But I would take the 31 just based on the historical relative prices.

Don't get me started on the suspense 3 150k for a nm, really? I mean yeah, its a killer timely and maybe you're right, but that's major key territory pricewise and I guess I always considered it more of a minor key.

I would have liked to pick the mm9 but 42,000 seems like a lot to me for an 8.0? What does that make a 9.4 worth? 150-200k? I can't see anyone shelling out that kind money for a NM, so without looking at the census or the gpa I have to think that it might be the sort of situation where the MM9 is "currently" the highest graded and has room to fall once other copies get slabbed. So even though I like MM9 I think the MF54 is the better value in this case.... again without any research though. Thoughts?

Now that is a brutally tough match up. I think I would take the more fun but man oh man if this were a real life choice I'd probably have to agonize about it for hours. Good choices steve.

Yes, that none of these comics is the kind I collect and I'm okay with that. And, therefore, that it's far easier to choose between these options than it is to make the choices I actually do make for my collection. Good point! I'm in the same boat but it's still an interesting exercise.

I think some patterns are emerging here. I generally find myself staying away from blue labels that have resto like 'very minor glue' and generally find myself picking lower grade keys vs higher grade non-keys, with classic covers also being a bonus if not priced into the stratosphere. It's been pretty interesting in terms of evaluating the choices I make. Anyone else noticing trends of their own?

Batman 1 and tec 38, but let's not cast aspersions on the duck. I'd rather have the tec, but I sure as hell know which book I'd rather read - the duck, in a landslide!

Action 3 for me too.

yeah, kid books are brutal. Newsboy Legion anyone?