PowderedH2O

Proof positive that books do not have to be 9's or better to be beautiful. I LOVE these TTA's and you should be excited to own them!

The chase to get a letter printed in a major comic book. I can't speak for current collectors, but the kids that I knew that collected comics in the 70's and early 80's always read the letter columns. Sometimes we read the letter and agreed with the writer and determined that the letter writer was clearly genius. More often, we read it and determined that we could certainly write better letters and that we should see our own letters in the comics. This, of course, coincided with our "we can write better comics than this" and "we can draw better comics than this" and "we have better ideas than this" campaigns. So, at the ripe old age of 8, I decided that it was time to write a brilliant letter and get myself printed in a comic. I wrote to Marvel Team-Up. I don't remember the exact letter, but it was something to the effect of: Dear Marvel, Could you please have a team-up with Spider-Man and Mister Fantastic? Thanks. It was brilliant! No wasted fluff. I got straight to the point. For some amazing reason, my letter did not get printed in Marvel Team-Up. I was shocked. So, I wrote another letter of similar caliber. And once again, I did not see my letter printed. Clearly, there had to be some sort of conspiracy. When I hit about 15 years old, I tried again. I wrote to Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. This time, my letters were actually long and had subjects and points. But, somehow they didn't see print. I couldn't figure this out. I tried a few more times, and never even got a sniff. When I was 18, I decided to take one more shot at this. How could I be 18, have collected comics for over a decade and not have seen my name in a single comic? I began to strategize. I knew that I had written good letters to Spider-Man and FF. But, when I started thinking about it, I had to figure that those editors got hundreds of letters every month. Those were the two hottest Marvel comics. My letters weren't going to have a very good shot, no matter how good they were. What if I wrote to some comics that were a little less popular? I decided to write ten letters. I also decided to type them, so they would look really nice. I picked out ten titles that I figured I had a better shot with. Then, I sent them out. A few months later, I checked the local Time Saver (hey, I bought most of my comics at drug stores and convenience stores) and I saw Conan the Barbarian. I checked the letter column. Drat! I didn't make it. How could I not? My letter was pure genius! And I even typed it! This sucks! Then, I flipped through the books and found the latest issue of Power-man/Iron Fist. I went to the letter column. And there it was. Right there in issue 101... my letter... my name... there it was... Woo Hooooooo!!!!! I bought the comic (which I still have) and took it home and showed my mom. Look! It's MEEEEEEEE!!!! She was naturally thrilled beyond belief (to quote her: "That's nice."). The following week I checked again to see if I had been fortunate to have any more success. Sure enough, I was printed in Jonah Hex, Green Lantern #173, and The Flash. Four out of ten. I couldn't believe it! Not only was I printed, but I was in both a Marvel and multiple DC's!!! It was right after this that I sold my collection, but I kept those comics. A few years later, I wrote a single letter to the editor of The Avengers and it got printed. I think it was issue #270. It was cool because I wasn't really expecting it, and The Avengers was one of my favorite books. It was the last letter I ever wrote to a comic. Do they even print letters anymore? Is the excitement still there for collectors? I really don't know. But, I can say that for a poor kid just getting ready to go off to college for his freshman year, seeing my letters in print was a thrill beyond belief. I wonder if CGC will allow me to sign them and get a Signature Series out of them. Hmmmmmmm..... Sam To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

A little something about why I love this title, and why it has such significance to me. I was born in 1965 and I purchased my first comic book in early 1972. I was a kid on a 25 cent allowance, so I was only buying four or five comics a month. So, these books were generally the characters that I knew from television: Superman, Batman, etc. But, occasionally my dad would bring home a comic for me, which was beyond my allowance. On one such day, I had gotten straight A's on my report card, so dad graciously offered to purchase ten comic books for me (this was 1973, so this would be about a $2 purchase). He asked me which titles I wanted, but I really had no idea, so I just told him to make his own choices. Dad brought home a variety of things. I got war comics, western comics, some Harveys, and something called Marvel's Greatest Comics featuring the Fantastic Four. Now, as a seven year old, I had never heard of the Fantastic Four. But, I read the comic fervently over and over. It was a reprint of an old Lee/Kirby tale from the 1960's, but to me it was fresh and exciting. When I received my next week's allowance, I went and purchased the latest issue of the Fantastic Four! Over the next few years, I bought a lot of the reprints and a lot of the new issues. Of course, my comics were coverless, because I read them each a million times. So, what issues did I have? Who knows? But I read them. Then, when I hit about ten or eleven years old, I sort of took a couple years off from comics. I maybe only bought five comics those two years. I guess a lot of kids reached that point in those days. Everyone read comics at 7 or 8, but most got out of them by the time they hit middle school. I was no different. I was in a drugstore waiting for my mom to pick up a prescription in 1978 (I was 13) when I wandered over to the spinning comic rack and the magazines and paperbacks. I noticed a pocket book that had the first six issues of Fantastic Four reprinted in them. I started reading it and eventually my mom agreed to purchase it for me. I went home and read that book cover to cover about a dozen times. Maybe more. I remembered how much I loved the FF! The next day, I walked up to that drug store and found the current issue of the FF on the rack (#195). And, I looked and found #'s 192, 193, and 194 on the rack as well. So, needless to say, I bought them all. As fate would have it, my dad came home a few nights later from work and mentioned that he had driven past an used bookstore that he thought had comic books in it. He offered to take me there on the following Saturday. I only had three dollars, but I was stoked! We went to the store, and I found Fantastic Four #100 sitting there (in fair condition)for two dollars. So, I snatched it up and grabbed a couple of mid 1970's FF's and I came home. Now I was hooked. Over the next couple of years, I went back to that store at least twenty times and bought every FF they had (which was mainly 1970's issues). I had a complete run for about a seven year span. Then, I got a job at the Sizzler when I turned sixteen, and I started having a decent amount of money to spend on comics. I grew up in New Orleans, and there were starting to be some bigger comic shops opening up. I was their best young customer. One day, in 1982, a local store called the Book Swap (which still exists as "BSI" now, but in a different location) got a copy of Fantastic Four #1. It was fair to good at best. But, it was the first time I had ever actually seen it in person. I couldn't believe it. So, I asked the owner (Carl) how much he wanted for it, and he said $350. I asked him if he would take payments over a two week term (when I got paid again) and he agreed since he knew me. And when I had gotten my paycheck, I owned my holy grail of comics. I had it for two years. I had it in a comic bag, then framed it on the wall. It was my prized possession. But, when I was 18, my dad lost his job, and we needed money for bills. I sold my entire collection to help the family, which included the FF #1, for $500. I quit comics on the spot. Over the past thirty years I've dabbled here and there. I haven't bought a new comic in at least twenty years. But, every now and then I'd buy a cheap book off of ebay just to read. A couple of years ago I came to this site for the first time. I bought some FF's and eventually sold them. But, I regretted it. So, recently, I bought some nice graded ones. Well, nice to me at least. I can't afford 9.8's, I am a school teacher. I decided to buy raw books from the 70's on, and graded books from the Kirby days. I just made a deal for a graded FF 1 a few days ago with a fellow forum member. I should have it in about a month. I can't believe the amount of money I am spending on a comic book. But, I have no regrets. And somewhere, my dad is looking down on me and smiling too, because he knew what that FF 1 meant to me once upon a time. To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Recently bought a graded FF from Ted. It was hassle free and I got my book fast. I am completely satisfied.

Isn't it funny how we all have different tastes? Photo covers: I love them. They were some of my favorites when I was a kid, and nothing has changed. So, I am one of the few that still picks up these worthless relics (including graded ones).

I bought a large lot of Metal Men from Sharon. It could not have gone any smoother. She even threw in some extra stuff. This, even after I bought the books at probably 25% of their value. I am very happy on this end. Sam

I wasnt referring to Alanna's books. Just my own, sadly.

Love the Fawcetts, but beginning to think I made a mistake in going after them. I ran into some unexpected bills so I've tried to sell my Marvel Family's and one issue of Captain Marvel Adventures on here and I can't get a sniff. Not even an offer. Nice books too. I'm thinking that it might not be a title worth purchasing at any price once these bills get taken care of. Sigh...

Well, I am jumping in. I bought a book (#15 CGC 5.5) from Tom here on the boards. I'll have it late next week. Hopefully it is the start of many more.

There's an issue of Batman from around that same time that has the same thing with sunglasses. Not sure which issue, but I do recall it being similar.

I have all of the Marvel Masterworks, so I can look at the stories without opening the books. I'm not into anything for the money. But, that being said, I don't want to be cheated either. So you think that those early books in 3-5 are worth going after?

Ok... maybe some stupid questions, maybe not. But you guys are the FF 'experts' here. I collected the heck out of FF from 1978-1983 or so. I had 80% of the issues including #1 and a bunch of early issues. I had to sell my collection to pay for college back in 1983. I still miss those issues and would love to get going again. I recently picked up a group of seven 12 centers from a board member just for the heck of it. I am a school teacher. My funds are not unlimited. I see FF's in high grades going for BIG BUCKS. I can't afford to spend that kind of money. I might be able to do the majority of the 12 centers in 7-8 (CGC graded) and the first 10-12 issues in 3-5. My questions are: Is that worth the effort? Is there any point to having them graded if they aren't of the pristine type when it comes to Silver Age? Any input would be appreciated. Sam

Those really are some beautiful Batmans. I remember the first time I ever went into a comic book shop (1978), that Batman 184 was the first book I bought. I paid $2 for a VG condition book and read it into oblivion. That beauty you have there is amazing!

OK, maybe I am just seeing things, but I have read a lot of Plastic Man stories and I know that Jack Cole had a clever sense of humour. On the second page of the Comet story that was posted here earlier, there is a moving truck shown. Is that a dirty word on the side of the truck? Did Mr. Cole slip one in there? Maybe I am wrong, but it sure looks like it. Sam

Mart Nodell was a personal friend of the family. I can't pick against the Green Lantern.

I've read this whole thread. Amazing photos, but even more amazing how you all have figured out which issues were in each photo. Some of the comics in those photos were TINY and yet, I think you nailed them. What a pleasure to read this. Sam

Thanks for the nice welcome. Another beautiful book you've got there. Well, I took the first leap today. I bought my first CGC Fawcett. I'll post it when I get it. Of course, I doubt I will ever have this many nice ones, but hey, gotta start with the first one.

I just found this site, so this is my first post. I've had a love for Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family since I was 7 years old, and the first DC Shazam came out. And then they put out the big Famous First Edition of Whiz Comics and of course reprinted a lot of the old stories in those "100 Pages for 50/60Cents" issues. Looking at all of these Fawcetts brings back some great memories of childhood and makes me want to dive in as well. Not sure I can afford those 9's, but I might be able to get some 6's and under. Thanks for posting all of these great covers. I am having a blast looking at them!!! Sam