Batko-migration

I guess almost everything has some value to someone. You might get a buyer on eBay for $20 or $30. Nostomania list FM #4 non-sticker version at a $40 value for 1.0/FR, and $28.50 for 0.5/PR. Although, based on your description this copy may go well below and off the chart! - Mike

You know it's a comic. I put a heads up regarding the advert here, because I'm familiar with this forum and know alot of posters here. If you don't want it ignore the post. And, don't worry. I won't bother putting up anything here again. - Mike

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=6997214#Post6997214 Since posting this under a seperate new topic was apparently "offensive" to some of our list member, I have moved it here. I have the Chicago Comic Con exclusive "The Walking Dead #1" up for sale in the "Mixed Age Threads & Miscellaneous." Click the link at the top of the page and check it out. - Mike

Now that I am up and running on the internet after the move, here are some pics of the "TALES TOO TERRIBLE TO TELL" comic mags that I picked up. Actually, the variant #10 (500 copies) was just picked up yesterday at the post office in my new location after being lost in the mail for 2 weeks between my old address and my new one (a massive expanse of 35.5 miles! ). Thank God the seller did a bullet proof packing job and it wasn't ruined by the gorillas masquerading as humans that work for the USPS. The first two fit into my collection of Number Ones. The #10 variant really doesn't, but it was in super condition and cheap. With only 500 copies printed I figured it was worth grabbing. I looked all over and only one was available. Since then another copy has come up for sale on eBay (a bit more expensive). TTTT #1 FIRST EDITION (NUMBERED) [/img] TTTT #1 SECOND EDITION [/img] ALL THREE TOGETHER

Why does everyone post such enormous photos of their mags??? It is really difficult to enjoy them and take them in when all you can see is about a quarter of the mag on a page. I like seeing the various material our members collect, but these GIANT pics take all the fun out of it. Just saying... - Mike

Nice! I look at your FM #1 and start debating in my mind if it might be a good idea to get some of my key FMs slabbed/graded by CGC. I understand that if you join CGC you get a coupon for the grading of 4 mags or comics for free. Then I start to think about the USPS losing or destroying my treasures Visions of crazed CGC graders pawing over my precious FMs start going through my mind. Am I crazy Wait, don't answer that!!! If I got four mags graded/slabbed for free, I would probably do my recently purchased super-duper U.S. variant FM #1. Also, my really high grade U.S. variant FM #2, as well as my British ##1 & 2. It would satisfy my curiosity and be a fitting tribute to the FM ##1 & 2 (the only issues to have a foreign variant). What should I do??? - Mike My British FM #1 [/img] OUR COUSINS FROM ACROSS THE POND!

FM 1971 YEARBOOK, CGC 8.5, FOR SALE I have a really sharp looking copy of the Famous Monsters of Filmland 1971 Yearbook slabbed and graded 8.5 by CGC on sale in the "Golden-Silver-Bronze Age Only" section. Check it out! http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=6913165#Post6913165 THANKS FOR LOOKING! - Mike

SALE CLOSED AS OF 8/2/2013 I have up for sale in the "Comics Market - Forum Only Selling Area Golden/Silver/Bronze Age Only" a very nice copy of the November/1960 Famous Monsters of Filmland #9 slabbed and graded 7.5 by CGC. Pages are "WHITE." Check it out at the following link: http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=6901393#Post6901393 - Mike

It depends on how old your son is and how cognizant he is of collector's items. There are adults who would just treat this mag poorly out of ignorance or just not caring. On the other hand, some kids who are collectors at heart would take great care of it. In any case, your copy looks like it is in higher grade condition and should not be exploited as a "reader" regardless of who is handling it. Guys, there are not that many older FMs out there in high grade condition. When you get one it is your duty as a collector to preserve it. There are plenty of crappy copies on eBay to buy cheaply and use as "readers." - Mike

The reason #13 went for that high a price is because it was the best issue ever. It says so right on the cover. Of course! How could I be so blind! - Mike

It looks like they have all come crawling out of the cracks since the success of Creature75's overgraded FM sales. Get a load of this one that has just popped up on eBay: For the low price of $499.99 Satch9680 will let you have a "NM" copy of FM #2 that appears to be restapled and, in general, mediocre to bad shape. (If you are going to restaple a mag or comic at least put the cover back on straight!!! ) http://www.ebay.com/itm/FAMOUS-MONSTERS-OF-FILMLAND-VOL-1-NO-2-1958-/171068553633?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item27d47af9a1 Then you have a handful of honestly graded copies that would sell quickly if they were listed as NM. Being relatively honest and listing as VG to F will get this seller a no sale. All he had to do was say VF+ to NM- and the bidding would have started! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Famous-Monsters-of-Filmland-7-/261239061827?pt=Magazines&hash=item3cd30fbd43 On the other hand, it looks like FM popularity is rising all of a sudden. Maybe, collectors are realizing that there are only a handful of FMs out there in truly nice shape! - Mike

The next time I sell a copy of FM it will be advertised as NM+ or M. Apparently, that's all that most bidders see. It would seem that an educated, insightful, detailed description and honest grade doesn't get the bids and the big money. - Mike

I recall the auction that Creatur75 referred to in his description. I think that was about a year ago and the FM 13 sold for around 3 grand. I don't recall if it was a CGC graded/slabbed copy or not. However, it was a legitimate Mint grade. Even so, I don't think it would have gone that high if a pair of bufoons didn't lock horns and bid it up to a ludicrous price. The same thing happened in Creature75's auction. Two yo-yos decided that they were going to have the mag no matter what. One of them should have got in touch with me and I would have let him have my copy for $500 (and it's better than Creature75's!). As a seller I never seem to get lucky and get a pair of stubborn mules with deep pockets who are wiling to pay five times what something is worth! On the other hand, your mention of possible "irregularities" may be, in fact, the reason some of these things go overboard. Or course, we can't prove anything, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was some "shilling" going on. After all, it is eBay! - Mike

UNBELIEVABLE! Creature75 just got $865 for FM #13!!! When I put high grade FMs up for auction it's like pulling teeth to get bids. For some reason the on eBay just seem to bid this guy's stuff up to ludicrous levels. I guess my copy of FM #13 must be worth at least $1,000! Unbelievable! And #13, in my opinion, is one of the ugliest FM covers ever. It certainly is the worst cover that Gogos ever did for FM! - Mike

Creature75's FM #17 just went for $267! Like I've said in the past, I simply do not understand bidders on eBay. The mag presented well, but those rusted staples tell me that this mag (and it would appear most of the FMs this guy is selling) have been exposed to high humidity or actually saw water. As tempting as some of his material may be, I would just hit myself on the hands with a hammer before they could touch a key to bid! I very well could be wrong, but I strongly suspect that there are surprises that will be waiting for the winners of most of Creature75's auctions. - Mike I was surprised by the price on the 17, as well. I guess that the bidders either didn't care (because the book was so otherwise nice or didn't know what they were looking at in the often blurry photos. Heck, someone might even feel that as long as they are not bleeding into the cover or pages yet, they could swap them out for nice staples from a vintage beater?? But, that would be a restoration which would devalue the mag if discovered. Also, there could very well be infection on the paper around the staples at this point. If so, changing out the staples would do nothing to halt a slow growing, insidious destruction of the paper by bacteria. - Mike

Creature75's FM #17 just went for $267! Like I've said in the past, I simply do not understand bidders on eBay. The mag presented well, but those rusted staples tell me that this mag (and it would appear most of the FMs this guy is selling) have been exposed to high humidity or actually saw water. As tempting as some of his material may be, I would just hit myself on the hands with a hammer before they could touch a key to bid! I very well could be wrong, but I strongly suspect that there are surprises that will be waiting for the winners of most of Creature75's auctions. - Mike

Anytime someone tells you a copy of an old comic or mag is MINT you should be suspicious. Copies straight off the news stand back in the day were rarely MINT. The word "MINT" is bandied about too much today. Any knowledgeable collector will ignore sellers that advertise like that. Regarding Creature75's mags, be really careful. I was looking at the spines and almost every copy for sale has badly rusted staples which would indicate to me that the mags were stored in damp conditions! FM ##1 & 13 have the staples under the front cover, so I can't say anything about those. However, the staples on the rest of the mags in the lot didn't look too kosher. Some of the material looks really tempting, but have you ever seen the end result of what I call "staple rot?" Big brown blotches eventually develop around the staples from bacteria that festered while the mag was stored in humid conditions. This can spread to other magazines and destroy your collection. (I also collect old postage stamps and this is a major concern among philatelists. If a stamp develops bacterial rot I isolate it and, eventually, toss it if I confirm the infection.) FRITZ, IT'S ALIVE! IT'S ALIVE! - Mike

Some of his material looks good, but be sure that you look closely. The FM #15 that he just put up sale has severely rusted staples and what looks like a split on the lower spine. Creature75 says that its the light, but it looks like a split (or the beginnings of one) to me. He grades this one at VF+/NM/9.0. Based on what I'm seeing I would give it around a VF-/7.5 at best. Also, do NOT take his grades as gospel. Whatever he says I immediately knock it down at least one or two grades in my head. His eyes seem to see NM and M everywhere! I'm looking at his FM #1 and it is in really good shape, but it is not "NM/9.4" In addition to the crease at the top tip (that Creature75 mentions) it has a severe crease or cut mark on the bottom front cover above "Collector's Edition" on Frankie's suit sleeve (which Creature75 doesn't mention). The spine is pretty solid, but the top and bottom tips seem to have wear. The back cover has a couple of rub marks kind of at the bottom right. This is a very nice copy of FM #1, but I wonder what else you will find that is not visible in the pics and was not mentioned by Creature 75. Offhand, I'd give it a VF+/8.5. Check out his FM #5 which he describes as NM. Look at the spine as best you can from the poor photos of it. The front cover has a couple of rub marks as well. Not a bad copy, but more like VF/8.0, NOT NM/9.4! The rest of the descriptions on his stuff follows the same pattern of exagerration of the grade. I'm not saying don't bid, just come to your own conclusions regarding grade. This guy is a bit of a dreamer! - Mike

What a relief that the interior is solid. The covers looked pretty good in the auction pics, but the interior pages were a concern. They look really nice in your photos. (thumbs u Definitely worth the 400 bucks. For that money you're not going to get anything near that quality. I would concur on a 6.5 grade. The wear appears average for a 54 year old magazine. If I remember correctly, the spine was in good shape. Now that we have determined the interior pages are in good shape 6.5 would be in the ballpark. This turned into a nice purchase! Congrats! Mike

I just checked out the 35 bids and, as so often happens in the world of FM auctions, the winning bidder did NOT make any bids until his one winning bid at the end! In retrospect, that FM 4 came up at the right time for me. If it had come out before I won the FM 1 and I won FM 4, I would not have had the bucks for FM 1. And, FM 1 is the issue that I needed to complete my collection up to #20. I have really good copy of FM 4, albeit not as nice as that baby! I guess what I'm trying to say is that FM 4 would have been an indulgence while FM 1 was a necessity! I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I'm a greedy sob and I really wanted that FM 4!!! All the above is akin to the Aesop's fable about the fox and the sour grapes! Mike

You gotta be kidding!!! That's a crying shame. I was watching it and it was $800 going into today. Going into the last two minutes it was $820 (if I remember correctly). If I had the bucks I would have throw down a personal high bid of $1,200 at that point. You may not have got sniped for that amount. Even if you paid $1,500 for that copy it would have been a good buy. Anyway, my hindsight is 20/20 and I don't want to make you feel bad. I was just hoping one of us won it so we could see some personal pics. As you know, I'm not a CGC slabber collector, but I know one of you guys would have sent it to CGC. I am really curious to know what the CGC grade would have been.

FM #4 GOES FOR $910 http://www.ebay.com/itm/1959-Famous-Monsters-of-Filmland-4-Rare-Movie-Monster-Magazine-/190855699951?autorefresh=true&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=0kTOCOSt7foycRxuieeyEyqsYos%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc#ht_6857wt_966 FM #3 GOES FOR $690 http://www.ebay.com/itm/1959-Famous-Monsters-of-Filmland-3-Rare-Movie-Monster-Magazine-/190855692602?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&nma=true&si=0kTOCOSt7foycRxuieeyEyqsYos%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc#ht_7412wt_966 I have to admit that I was a little surprised that the FM 4 did not sell higher. I wish I had some extra cash available - $910 was a really good price. I figured that it wouldn't go for less than $1,200. Congrats to the winner! Was it one of our forum members??? FM #3 sold for about what I had figured. I thought it might hit around $750-800. Did one of ours win this one??? - Mike

Nice mag! Try to collect all the material that FJA got involved in after FM. Most of it is not very expensive today, but these are the collector's rarities of the future. - Mike

Thanks, guys! The FM #4 has my mouth watering, but I'm truly tapped out after the purchase of FM #1. Unless something is not visible, that is the best copy of FM#4 to go up on eBay that I can remember. My #4 is really nice, but this one is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous! I don't think it was ever read. My prediction is that it is going to go for around $1,200 when the auction ends. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it went up to the neighborhood of 2 grand if a couple of bidders started some serious head butting. My #3 is about the same as the one up for auction, maybe better if there is some spine roll that I think I might have detected. Also, the front cover has a "bend" on your right as you look at it. It's also a super copy, but not in the league of FM #4. - Mike THERE IS NO COMPARISON WHEN LOOKING AT MY #4 SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE ONE UP FOR AUCTION - A 7.5, MAYBE 8.0 AGAINST A 9.4 OR BETTER! MINE [/img]

After vidman8 refunded my money for the 4 returned FMs we started corresponding and I came to the conclusion that he just didn't look over his old material and relied on memory of how the condition was. Whatever the cause, he refunded immediately and seemed to be an OK guy after getting to know him a better. In any case, he had a GORGEOUS copy of FM #1 up for auction. Originally, it was $1199, then he recently dropped it to $999. In the course of our correspondence I learned that he is leaving on an extended trip soon and lowered the price in order to sell the mag before he left. I offered him $850 immediately thinking that he would just decline. To my surprise he emailed me saying he would take $875 shipped and I just could not refuse. Well, I bought it and Fred sent it overnight Fedex in freaking IED proof packing. It literally took me 20 minutes to get the magazine out of this packing that could resist a Hiroshima strength atom bomb. I was worried about what I would find when I finally got to the magazine, but I pulled it out and almost took a dump on the spot! This is the best looking copy of FM #1 that I've seen out there on eBay. That includes the really high priced ones graded in CGC slabs. I viewed it from every angle in bright artificial light and in the natural afternoon light from my balcony, and the covers are smooth, bright, with good gloss. And, they are totally smooth with NO marks or little indentations whatsover. There is no dirt or smudges anywhere. Also, no dings or rubs. The only defect that I could find was a small fold on the top tip of the front cover. The interior pages are off-white, no foxing. Anyway, a picture is worth a thousand words and below are a few that will give you an idea. (I didn't tell my son or our parrot that I spent this kind of dough. They both would think that I'm crazy!) - Mike [/img] [/img] [/img] [/img]