Brock

The Dire Wraiths as a name pre-date Marvel, having been referenced (for example) in the original ROM TV ads (see YouTube). I suspect that Marvel's claim will revolve around the idea that the Dire Wraiths as depicted in the new IDW/Hasbro efforts are too derivative of the independent IP and backstory developed by Marvel.

These are U.S. Editions... "Parkes Run" was apparently a publisher/packager of colouring books in the 1980s. There are a number of Marvel Treasuries with their name on it... I assume these are like the Whitman books, printed at the same time as the standard editions, and not reprints per se. Having said that, the Parkes Run Empire treasury that I have seen elsewhere has a cover price, so yours is somewhat unusual, and I suppose it could have been printed for the international market. You can see some other Parkes Run editions here, including an Empire edition: http://www.treasurycomics.com/gallery/galleryMARVELlicensed.htm

I agree with these, though Space 1999 may be a bit too obscure these days... I picked up four Charlie Chaplins in a collection last year, and I was surprised at how little they were going for. Forgotten platinum characters like Mutt & Jeff or Moon Mullins going for nothing I can understand, but Chaplin seems different...

I like Gosh Comics... There's a small-ish back issue selection (maybe 20 boxes) in the basement, but the main level is chock full of quirky stuff that you just won't find in North American shops.

South American edition...

No, I would put early issues of Jumbo Comics from 1938 as the first. However, I think the books we're talking about here really grow out of the Golden Picture Story Book series from 1961... There were four issues (Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Disney's Babes in Toyland, and Disney's Ducks), and the format is virtually identical to the later DC treasuries (i.e. Saddle-stitched rather than sqaurebound, and card stock covers with colour newsprint interiors). Being earlier, they only had a cover price of 50 cents. These are gorgeous books, and very tough in higher grades. Thanks for the very informative post. They weren't, however, the first of the Bronze Age treasuries. Good call! Even on the Bronze side, though, Rudolph may not be first... Western published a number of treasuries in the late 1960s and early 1970s (e.g. King Kong in 1968). Some of these (like the later edition of The Jungle Book treasury) are difficult to date, so it's hard to say if they come before or after Rudolph. But if Rudolph came out from DC for Christmas 1972, it seems likely that the Giant Comic Album series (9 issues published by King Features in 1972) predates it. I will say that the Rudolph is one of my favourites! I also like the Archie Christmas treasury from 1975, another tough book!

No, I would put early issues of Jumbo Comics from 1938 as the first. However, I think the books we're talking about here really grow out of the Golden Picture Story Book series from 1961... There were four issues (Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Disney's Babes in Toyland, and Disney's Ducks), and the format is virtually identical to the later DC treasuries (i.e. Saddle-stitched rather than sqaurebound, and card stock covers with colour newsprint interiors). Being earlier, they only had a cover price of 50 cents. These are gorgeous books, and very tough in higher grades.

There's a UK version of this too, larger than the Marvel weeklies, but smaller than the US treasuries... It's not a Whitman, though... A UK publisher whose name escapes me at the moment.

This one isn't a Whitman, but comes from Modern Comics. I've always understood that these are the same folks who published Charlton reprints with a blue and white Modern logo, and sold them in packs.

Great book, quite rare. It is previewed in Guerilla Groundhogs 2 also. Thanks for the tip... I snagged one of these (GG#2) from a 10 cent box this week!

Alpha Flight #33 probably won't be far behind it. This one too . . . That would be the first Alpha Flight book ever worth more than a quarter. theres 1st Lady Deathstrike 1st Jim Lee Gay Northstar First(ish)/early Big Hero 6

I haven't been able to find one anywhere, and I've been looking. I've found sites that make claims about specific issues, but never with much evidence. In my own experience, I'd rank the top 5 (hardest to easiest) as: 1. DC Comics Presents #22 2. Sgt. Rock #329 3. Warlord #22 4. Justice League of America #179 5. Action Comics #508 That's purely anecdotal, though. And having said that, I have all 5, so I may be biased. I also think many are more common, but still very difficult in high grade. For example, I have a Superboy #1 that CGC gave a 9.2, and that must have been on a very lenient day - but it currently tops the census. I would actually be interested in working with some folks on a project to try to figure this out... Maybe some combination of census count, GPA values and an index of ebay listings over time? Plus a few e-mails with guys like Doug Sulipa?

That makes one of us... I was really disappointed.

Here's some wishful thinking: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harley-Quinn-1-1-25-Adam-Hughes-Variant-DC-New-52-2015-CGC-Graded-/141980944707?ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:CA:3160

I remember when the comic came out (2000 ish I think)I heard that the artist (Middleton) brought atleast 100 copies and sent it directly to CGC. He knew who was being introduced in the comic, that's the reason why he sent that many. He then sold all of them in eBay a few months/year after, for a good $$$...... atleast that's what I've heard I've never seem one for sale at LCS here or any conventions, It may not be "rare" but it isn't plentiful either. My guess is of the 40 k print run at least 50-60% is held by collectors. And who are the other 40-50% held by?

Oh, and thanks the RedHood for the post pointing out that it was going to auction. I was ignoring it at $5,000 and might have missed it otherwise.

Well it looks like it closed at less than a 10th of the original asking price. And im willing to bet that the offer he declined was higher than the auctioned price. Yikes. Agree, I'd take that bet. I'm the one who bought it, so I was pretty pleased with the price... I expected it to go much higher.

Take a book that's had fans for 25 years, and a first appearance (this mini) with a tiny print run... Factor in attrition and the fact that most surviving copies are probably buried in collections, and it's a recipe for heated bidding.

Another Hughes cover heating up: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=hughes+dirty+pair&_in_kw=1&_ex_kw=&_sacat=0&LH_Complete=1&_udlo=&_udhi=&_samilow=&_samihi=&_sargn=-1%26saslc%3D1&_salic=1&_sop=12&_dmd=1&_ipg=50

I think people are starting to realize that some of these long-running indie titles from the late 1980s/early 1990s are quite scarce. I think of things like Gold Digger, Cavewoman, Knights of the Dinner Table, Strangers in Paradise, Femforce, Ninja High School, Tarot, Hellboy and many others... they may not all be to everyone's taste, but they've been around for 25 years or more, and are still appearing at least semi-regularly. Many had very small print runs at the beginning, with few copies available for today's collectors. My personal perspective is that we could see very strong price increases in this area moving forward.

This is a pretty solid result... the 1992 Gold Digger miniseries (#1-4) finishes at $372.75. That's borderline modern, but feels sort of copper-y to me... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antarctic-Press-Fred-Perrys-Gold-Digger-1-4-of-4-set-1992-93-see-pics-/191841427594?nma=true&si=GyvoPIUkahK8oWUJvAsLK6GDJME%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Gwenpool

What is happening here? Best post on this forum ever. +1

It is because the pence symbol is so lame compared to a $ sign. The print run on the CDN newsstand edition is likely lower than the UK pence copies as the population of Canada was ~50% of the UK (still is), but I am not certain. I think I posted before that comic sales to Canada were likely 10% of what they were in the USA. Earlier newsstand variants should be easier to find as the newsstand print runs were probably in the 40% of total distribution range. The later $0.95 or $1.00 and up cover prices are the ones to get in high grade as the newsstand print runs had dropped significantly by then. Canadian books are definitely harder to find, but my issue is that these superheroes are U.S.A. superheroes (brainstormed, born, and bred), and the comics they appeared inside are for the big ole U.S.A. market. The books sent outside the border were "U.S.A. books for foreigners", which we didn't want in the first place, so I don't know why we'd want them back. I don't see any need to be a 100% USDA U.S.A. boy and spend my hard earned sawbucks on books what ya reckon was just made in the first place for all the dern foreigners. Now, before anyone accuses me of only being xenophobic, I'll just point out that I'm already a better CGC collectin' Canadian than all of you... because Canada's greatest hero is Wolverine, and Canada's first Canadian appearance of Wolverine was in a CGC graded Canadian book that I have... and every one of you don't. Canadian headline: USA boy wins Canada CGC comic competition with single book. 'Murican Mic Drop. You do know there's an English edition of that Editions Heritage book, eh? Made so even Americans will know how to read it...

LOVE Tim Powers Both he and James Blaylock, the kind of original PKD descendants. Two of my favourite writers! With all the great cross-references in their books, I'm hoping they team up for one some day... They worked together on several stories like "Fifty Cents", "Through and Through", "We Traverse Afar", and "The Better Boy". Those are just teases... I want a 500-page crossover between Declare and The Last Coin. Or something.