gozer

(Strange Worlds 8) >> I'll take it Thank you mucho.

One bump and then it's back to the closet-of-doom.

So giving these one bump, then it's back to the closet. Two books - Strange Worlds 8 (Avon, Aug 1952) === SOLD === The Saint 1 (Avon, Aug 1947) Payment is via check, MO, or PayPal. Shipping only to US addresses. Shipped insured and well-protected and boxed via USPS. You can return any book if not satisfied. You cover the cost of return shipping. If you're serious enough that you want pics of the back covers, let me know and I'll provide them. Thanks for looking. And so ... ---------------------- Strange Worlds 8 (Avon, 8/1952) Sold - and thank you. ---------------------- The Saint 1 (Avon, 8/1947) CGC 8.5 PQ: OW 34 in the census $ 2800 Shipping is $20 Terrific GGA/bondage cover ... yowza. Kamen cover, leggy blonde in a red dress being saved by the Saint (in a tuxedo of course!). High-grade GA bondage covers are not getting easier to find. Not all common in high grade -- in the census, there are 8 copies in 8.5 and up.

[Didn't there use to be a What Else do you Collect? thread somewhere?] [I searched extensively (well, 90 seconds worth) but couldn't find it. Anyway, onward and upward.] Besides comics, I collect FAs. Flossing Appliances. BELIEVE ME, I know this sounds a bit wacky (or just crazy), but once these things get started, they kind of take on a life of their own. Years ago, I was a member of the Found Floss Appliance Collectors Association - FFACA. Which was started partially as a joke, in Tulsa where we all lived. I'm pretty sure alcohol was involved too. It's just what it sounds like ... when you see one of the appliances on the ground or in a parking lot, that's a "find." I've been doing it for about 20 years. OCD? No doubt at all. The FFACA used to have about 40 members. That's how many were on the email list, anyway, in 2011. But the guy who ran the list (and frankly was the main reason the FFACA existed) died in 2014. And no one has stepped up to take the reins. So the organization, what there was of it, is probably defunct. Oh well, one less excuse to get together and drink beer. Here's the bulk of my collection: Condition doesn't really matter with FAs. Just so long as it's (mostly) complete. Unbroken string is a plus, and personally I find them more pleasing. (1) Not complete, so junk essentially. (2) A McAdams 04 (distinctive tip) - string broken, so not so collectable to some. (3) A nice Gloucester 93 - complete, with string. Worth saving. They're identified by the name of the plastics manufacturer, and the number is the year of the production run. Surprisingly, some of the plastics manufacturing companies that turn these out are small - almost mom-and-pop companies. The quantities needed are often so small that the big boys aren't interested. For example, the Gloucester 93 (3). It happens sort of like this: A small group of people (8 to 10?) became an LLC ("Gloucester Plastics") and rent the equipment-in-place from the Sonolite company, and take about 6 hours one night to turn out 200K of the blanks. Then Gloucester Plastics dissolves (pun intended). Almost all the stringing is done by one company, Cope, in Memphis. Also, where they were finally sold (e.g., Walgreens, grocery stores) is irrelevant. There's no way to track this information anyway. And really, who cares? (4) to (5) In the mid 1990s, someone came up with the idea of making the handle also a toothpick-like spikey thing to get food out from between your teeth. Ok, good idea I guess. And (5) why have a straight spikey thing when you can have a stylishly curved spikey thing? (5) is a Merrimac 09, with the distinctive dog-leg profile. (6) Nobody has come up with a good explanation why you would split the handle into two stubby, blunt pieces. These are all from a long-gone New York company, Calciana, and are pretty rare - I haven't seen one in a decade. What a dumb idea. They were made from 1999-2003, and no one has copied the design so they must have sold poorly. Now to the good stuff. (7) A change in design! This "Y" shape is the well-known Arcadia 00. Only one batch (~300,000) was ever made. It must not have been popular, because no one else has tried the Y shape. I'm lucky to have found this one, they are very rare. (8) and (9) Interesting if only for the color variation. 99% of all FAs are green or white, so to see one in any other color is a shock. (8) is a Simplex 05, and (9) is unknown. (10) A Nederwald 07. Some (ok, one guy) claim it's the most graceful FA of all. That's perhaps getting a bit carried away about this whole thing, but it does have nice clean lines. Unfortunately, it's also a bit weak, and tends to bend in your hand. (11) The one stand-out of all my FAs is from France (mais oui!). How this ever got to a parking lot in Amarillo is anyone's guess. This is an ISC 07 - the "design" built into the handle is ... jaw dropping. This particular model even has a name, it's the "Persist." This run had one other model, not quite as fancy, named the "Couture." Both came in hot pink and neon green. Art nouveau FAs in hot pink! Who knew? ------------------ So ... it's a dying, weird/stupid hobby, but so what? And once you start to notice FAs lying around, you start to see they're everywhere. And then you get a little curious about them and want to do a little research ... and then all hope is lost. Au revoir, and happy collecting.

Star Spangled War Stories #120 - 4-5/1965 Weird water creature grabbing a tank. CGC 9.2 with OW to W pages. $300 #137 - 2-3/1968 T-Rex pulling a sub out of the water! CGC 9.0 with OW pages. $250 Shipping is $12 dollars - boxed via USPS with insurance in the 48 states. All other locations pay exact shipping costs. Payment via PayPal (NOTE: add 3%) or check. Thanks for looking.

427Impaler posted a pic of the Strange Worlds run (Avon, early 50s). A very under-appreciated run, I've always thought. Classic sci-fi covers with the added spice of bondage and nudity! SW 4 (the best one IMO) has it all: a voluptuous woman in an evening gown (thanks, Wally), a naked women in a tube, a guy with a ray gun -- what more could you ask for? (someone needs to start a "Woman in a Tube" topic. e.g., Science Comics #2) SW 8 is also a classic - giant robot strangling a woman in a red dress (with a hint of decolletage). Startling 49 gets all the press, but this is right up there for the "robot menacing the girl" covers. And who could forget SW 5? Another voluptuous woman in a skimpy outfit, this time chained to a table. And a horrible alien monster about to do unspeakable things to her! OH NO! Of course, our stalwart hero (with ray gun of course) is coming to the rescue. Thanks for posting.

Rangers 24 - one of my favorites of the run.

The "Tom Corbett Space Cadet" series had an interesting run. Tom Corbett was on the radio (starting in Jan 1952) and TV (starting in Oct 1950). Willy Ley was the technical advisor on the TV series. Tom also appeared in comics and hardback books. I've seen some of the TV series, and, hmmm, they're ... well, they're awful. Right up there with Rocky Jones and Captain Video. But if you were 12-years old in the early 50s, these were great stuff. There are 3 books in the Dell Four-color run, #378, #400, and #421. Then Dell published an 8-book series, running from #4 (11/52 - 1/53) to #11. That's the run I have. Wonderful painted covers IMO. All these are file copies, stamped with: Return To: Editorial Department Western Printing & Litho Co Racine, Wisconsin

Wonder 15 - pics

Wonder 13 and 14 - pics I can't seem to get these to stay in order. There's one pic of #14, all the rest are of #13.

Three GA (and GGA) Wonder Comics - Schomburg Three Wonder Comics (13,14, and 15), two raw, one slabbed. Pictures to follow in another post. I accept checks, MOs, and Paypal. Shipping is $7 for raw books, and $15 for the slabbed one (insurance is going to be a factor) in the US 48. All others at exact cost. I ship boxed via USPS. I accept returns. If you're not happy, I'll refund your money, no problem. You have to pay shipping back though. ===================== Wonder 13 ================================ Wonderful, vivid colors on cover. Great eye appeal. Classic "brunette tied to a big, ... uh, well, electrode thingy" cover. One of the best covers in the series, IMO. The layout with the main diagonal and the art-deco styling ... wow. 1/2 inch tear on right side (Wonderman's left elbow) 1/2 inch tear on upper side (between W and O) Slight wear around both staples, both have some rust Back cover is ok, minor wear. About a VG-/VG. But ... and here's the heartbreaker, it's missing the centerfold. So, incomplete. And the wrap that is the new centerfold is loose at top staple. $100 ===================== Wonder 14 ================================ CGC 8.0 with off-white pages. No pedigree. Another classic cover, similar pose to Startling 49 with bad guy (or robot) with girl in his arms. Here's some of the census data: 27 Universal copies total 9 copies in 9.0 or above 0 copies in 8.5 3 copies in 8.0 Jumping Jehosophat - there are THREE COPIES of this book in 9.8. I can't believe it. A 70-year old book, and there's three in 9.8??? Amazing. $1000 ===================== Wonder 15 ================================ The classic dissection cover. Maybe the most hard-to-find of the Xela covers. This cover always makes me think of the 1958 masterpiece, Attack of the Puppet People. Thank you Bert I Gordon. A VG or VG+ copy. No tears, just assorted wear and tear. Spine stress marks, paper around lower staple has some wear. Not sure what to say about the bottom of the cover. It's about 1/8 inch shorter than the pages at the right edge. If it's been trimmed or was just printed this way, I'm not sure. One of the pictures shows this. $350 =============================================================== Thanks for looking. ALL SOLD - Thanks.

Here's a useful guide to most of the reprints out there. Hasn't been updated in a while. http://www.bipcomics.com/showcase/fakes/

Both books are spoken for. Hail Fiction House!