Moondog

I once owned all the DC Flash ashcans. My article in CBM 71 states it’s the most common of the DC ashcans. But it’s also one of the most popular - that’s why I assumed it he 9.0 would sell for around $20K. So there’s no provenance on the CCC? I assumed that Ian “had a guy” at DC who would help him with items like this.

Well done, Peter!

I found it fascinating that Ian created 30+ fake ashcans just to have them. He contacted me once in the early 2000s gauging my interest in selling. I mentioned I had doubles I would sell but he didn’t seem that interested. I just assumed he didn’t care about them, thinking that they weren’t real comics. Very strange. Why were there no bids on the Flash ashcan? It should have sold for $20,000+ Also, the Cancelled Comics Cavalcade was a bargain.

Prior to Heritage, Ed and I were partners traveling the country looking for collections. It was the late 90s and we had a blast. So happy for him when he went to Heritage. It was the perfect spot for him. My wife loved Ed too. I told her if anything ever happened to me to just call Ed - she wouldn’t have to worry about anything - Ed would take care of it. He was there every step of the way when I sold my ashcans. The cover to the Platinum auction catalog in the spring of ‘21 for the Action. Multiple full pages and descriptions for Superman in the Spring of ‘22. Record prices for each book. He made sure nothing was left to chance. Professional, honest and caring. Will truly miss his smile, his good humor and his generosity. Rest in peace, pal. You earned it.

If you considered donating last month but didn't, Larry can still use your help. Please follow the link and help out an industry veteran. Thanks. https://gofund.me/8b82abf7

I didn't invent the comic bag, but back in 1981 I standardized the sizes for the 4 most popular poly bags that collectors and dealers used. I was fed up with boards being too narrow or too wide. Bags too narrow or too wide. And spotty availability. So I created the ComiCare line of supplies. ComiCovers, ComiCards, and ComiCartons all under the ComiCare umbrella. From 1981 to 1995 I sold over 800 million ComiCovers brand sleeves. In 1995 I sold all the trademarks to Diamond. I ran a full-page ad on page 5 of the Comics Buyer's Guide every week for 14 straight years. The sizes I chose: Modern era 6 7/8" wide, Silver Age 7 1/8" Golden Age 7 3/4" and Magazine 8 3/4" were based on my experience as a retailer - what made the comics look best when bagged and boarded. I also color coded the packages to make then easy to spot: Modern - blue, SA - black, GA - green, Magazine - red. ComiCovers was also the first bag to be available in polyethylene or polypropylene. All were made right here in the USA as opposed to my competitors who imported them from China and Brazil. ComiCovers was the first brand name ever used in the hobby. Prior to ComiCovers they were just referred to as "comic bags". It's not difficult to control the widths of poly bags during manufacture, but if a mistake is made hundreds of thousands of bags can get by before the error is found. To protect against that, my tolerances for a SA bag were 7 1/8" minus 0, plus 1/8". It was always better to be a little too wide rather than too narrow. Here's a photo of Vince Smith and me at at an industry trade show in the mid-80s. The button was very popular back in the day. A couple of employees at the Moondog booth at a mid-80s Chicago Comicon. A 1988 package of Modern polyethylene. I'm pleased to see they're still available from Diamond.

We're only $800 away from our goal. Please check the fundraiser below for some cool content in the updates. If you're into comics history - this is for you! https://gofund.me/8b82abf7

Thanks for posting, Dan. Much appreciated. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Good luck, Brian. It's going to do very well. And whomever buys it will love it like we did.

Church Promise Allentown Windy City Riley

I have stated this before. This is the greatest thread in the history of the Internet. Thanks, BZ. I will never forget it.

So great to see this treasure again after 18 years, Brian. The sellers remorse kicked in immediately. Thankfully I'm finally over it!

Thanks for doing this, MC. You rock.

Thanks for the heads up on Master Chief's work sheet. Very solid work It appears that the initial purchases in 2021 came at one of the most advantageous times in history, while the subsequent sales timing couldn't be worse.

There are a ton of Promise books in the current Heritage auction. Is anyone going to do a price comparison from the initial auctions?

Hahahaha! This made my day! But I wasn't bidding on the Frazetta - I was bidding on Ogden Whitney's Herbie!

Yeah, a landmark day for comics. Chrisitie’s followed shortly after.

With the trimming and the extensive chipping, what did you hope to get back after paying $2,000 for restoration services? How much more could this book be improved?

When the 10 point scale was first discussed in 1999 in Baltimore, I proffered a similar scale. My goal was to have 9.0 as Near Mint. 9.5 for NM/M and 10.0 for Mint. The consensus was that this was too easy to follow and not complicated enough. The average collector would be able to understand it and the insiders would have no advantage. So it was nixed and the current scale adopted. OK, none of this was spoken out loud, but in essence this was what happened.

All 10 of the Godless Communism series...

Reed Crandall's Red Menace Opus. All 10 issues of This Godless Communism from Treasure Chest. Vol. 17 #2 (f-g), 4 (vg), 6 (vg), 8 (vg), 10 (vg), 12 (g+), 14 (g+), 16 (vg+), 18 (vg), 20 (g). All are complete. Obviously well-read. Crandall art in all. Not something you see everyday. Check the CGC census. All single digit populations. This is the only set I've ever owned. If you're a Crandall completist this may be your only chance. Purchased from the estate of a Catholic priest. $600 postpaid. US only. First gets them.

Agreed. It would cost no more than $10,000 a year for a million dollars in coverage, probably less.

Summer vacation 1958. My older brother Scott shows off the fish he caught in front of our cabin. Youngest brother Alan looks up in awe. Little 7-year-old Gary proudly shows off Action 245 he bought with his own money at the trading post in town.

That's funny - I don't even bother coming up with a lame excuse for not being available due to playing golf. I just tell sellers that "I'm playing golf that day but I can see you in the evening." Nobody has complained (at least not yet).

I guess when you've seen your 10,000th copy of Wolverine 1 you can get a bit jaded, Andy. But though I might not be excited by it, I still buy it if the price is right.