Surfing Alien

I like two-fers on my Pop Libs

Nice catch Pat - Signet was a great imprint - not as pulpy as Popular Library and Avon but it printed a lot of great classics, including some JD like this tough chick

I'll just drop this right here... Slightly provocative title about an oil change... I Guess... lmao

It's funny how we obsess about tiny defects when thinking about condition. That could make you lose the BIG picture

Thanks. It's funny because I commented on how nice yours was when you recently posted it and then this one popped up. I don't have an alert on it particularly but I look up Popular Librarys a lot and haven't seen a really sharp one for a decent price since I got back into collecting them a couple of years ago. I paid $33 and change for it, which was a steal considering the action this guys auctions were getting and how nice it was. Maybe other bidders looked at it more closely than I did. Just was bummed about that edge hit when it arrived. Anyway, i'll keep both my copies for now, it's a great cover.

Here's the offending copy... not a bad looking Dame but if you look close there's a tiny hit on the LRC. Otherwise I haven't seen a copy this nice in several years. I already have one but it has a bunch of the usual color breaking cover bends...

Whoa, yeah, i'd return that too. I wonder why they thought they could get away with not describing those defects while they never could with a comic book? I think it's one of the inherent difficulties with these " step-children" collectibles - maybe their lack of perceived value and semi-obscurity lead listers to not think or care too much about amateur restoration (or the consequences of non-disclosure). I remember a time in the 70's when it was super common for comic shop owners to hit black cover Marvels with markers all the time, as they were relatively worthless and it made them look new.

So I recently won a nice looking paperback on the 'bay and was kind of disappointed to see a hit of black marker on the edge of the cover. I've had a few books with marker hits on them over the years, but usually cheapies that i've found in the wild, not bought online. I'm debating whether I should return it or just chalk it up to the wild wild west nature of paperback collecting, lack of grading and the fact that it was a pittance compared to most comics. It's a tough book to find in nice shape and this was real nice but for the hit. I'm wondering if anyone returns books or pulps they buy that turn out "restored"? I'd think especially pulps, since they are pricier than paperbacks and might tempt evil-doers to hit them with markers etc. ?

I collect classic novels as well as JD and GGA - I've been looking for years for a nice copy of this first paperback edition of Lord of The Flies by William Golding, with the cellophane intact and finally got one. Not easy to locate....

Bookery's Guide has been the most comprehensive in the past. These days you gotta look at prices realized and things of that nature, and look on the Pound You To A Pulp thread...

The only difference between Farm Girl and Reform School Girl are one made it off the ranch to the streets...

Ouch!

Holy Bajeezus... This bidding is astonishing to me... https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-BRITISH-SF-Digest-THE-G-BOMB-by-VARGO-STATTON-1951-Scion-Book-EXCOND-/223480375642?_trksid=p2047675.m43663.l10137&nordt=true&rt=nc&orig_cvip=true

Some great blurbs on this JD/Dope classic...

I'm seeing a bit more bidding on vintage paperback auctions on the bay lately. I still pick stuff up when I think they're reasonable and often used to get decent stuff with tracking type bids but not so much any more. Of course they're such a relative pittance, "manning up" still doesn't cost much. There's still lots of bargains to be had, including BIN's, but the auctions seem to be getting better bids than many BIN's.

The cover blurbs are half the fun

Your copy of Overboard is great. That book is tough to find without a lot of wear/creasing

+1... Some Belarski JD goodness

Avon's are what first got me hooked - I found a few at a garage sale while looking for comics and music gear back in the '80's and got the bug for old paperbacks with such exotic covers

There are many runs of GGA, Headlights, Dope & JD Digests as well as classic mystery & Sci Fi that I think would have the widest appeal for slabs, especially due to the larger format visuals and the fact that they should fit right in an existing holder.

For sure! Slab worthy!

Nice colors on this copy

It's none of that stuff to me. It's all about the fun things like comparing copies, or having a nice uniform display medium - I look at some of my copies and think there can't be a better one out there or maybe there is, and grading gets people to put their copies up for comparison, look for different qualities like reflectivity and wrap and the whole host of other things that get revealed by grading books, like relative scarcity to value etc. - not to mention the "find" stories and sharing experiences/likes/dislikes. Many people slab their not-so-expensive comics just for the nice display. You could say that people can scan their copies raw and compare them and talk about them here or on some other such board but there's been no place and no incentive for that to happen quite like the curiosity of sending your books in, getting them back, and then the discussion on these boards that I've ever encountered.

Here's an all time classic cover both in composition and execution... i'd love to have this in a nice holder with all the issue info. It's in crazy condition...