Dr. Love

That's a good answer. And, btw, I wanted to clarify something I said. I don't go for a buyer's remorse policy. What I mean to say is I go for a first look policy, and scans aren't that. In person, if you inspect the book, and say I'll take it, and pay for it, then that's that. 5 minutes later, 5 years later, same difference, no backing out. But a book isn't "seen" until it's in the hand. For me. Additionally...that should be true for slabs as well, for one good reason. You can't see the dang spine the way scans are traditionally done. As if spines were irrelevant! But custom is slabs are done deals. Chain of provenance, or just sloppy customs, it is the way it is now.

And, change of topic. I figure you guys are looking over this book, brought to you by our good friends at Sparkle. But this is something new. I think it's worth kicking around. So previously, we looked to Sparkle for a few notable things: decent slabs, large scans front and back, what used to be free shipping, auction style low start vs BIN. Now it looks like they're making a move to capture a part of the market they had passed over, uncontested - raw books. Correct me if I'm wrong, but raw was really sporadic on their part until this latest auction ending next week, where there is a lot of raw, including this raw Baker, which would be a first for them, yes? Now all of a sudden we get to compare their selling practices to blissard's, that would be Dave Anderson's clan, apples to apples. With Sparkle, just a grade. With blissard, a grade, a description that includes relevant defects and PQ. Especially interior covers, which for some of us, can be a deal breaker. In other words, the things I can't see on the scan. Also, they note the current price in the guide. I have come to see blissard's grading as right on the money - and I know other very picky collectors who agree. And blissard's return policy is the most lenient that can be offered on ebay, the no hassle return policy. Buyer's remorse? No problem, just return it, they'll even pay for you to ship it back. Sparkle has had on the face of it a 14 day return, but that was only to conform to Ebay's best practices so they could be a power seller. In reality, you couldn't return the slab unless they shipped you the wrong slab by mistake. Their fine print only addresses slabs, even though they've added on raw, which is a whole new thing. So you guys who might be going for this book - none of this acts like a speed bump for you? If we're talking raw Bakers, the price could get up there. Brian of Sparkle has always run a customer oriented business, but grading raw is subjective. Very subjective. The slab based return policy doesn't make anyone else cautious? On the other hand, calling the book a VG/F leaves a lot of room for error, and the scans certainly don't suggest a lesser grade. so, full speed ahead? For me, a book deal aint final till I have it in the hand. It's a three dimensional exercise. Scans alone don't cut it. Scans and a detailed description are way better, but that doesn't cut it either. No questions asked return policy is the bottom line for me. Not you?

After years of sending out the printing to New York shops, in the late '40s Charlton set up operations in a 150, 000 square-foot building in Derby. The partners' philosophy, unique in the publishing industry, was that the cheapest and most efficient way to produce periodicals would be to to establish an "all-in-one" operation; that is, have everything under one roof—editorial, printing, distribution—eliminating any middle-man expenses and maximizing profit. The Charlton Building housed three sister companies: Charlton Press, Charlton Publications, and Capitol Distribution, with an off-site auxiliary concern, The Colonial Paper Company. At approximately 10:00 a. m., Friday, August 18th, 1955, a natural disaster struck that changed everything for the staffers at Charlton, and even threatened to close the company's doors down permanently. The aftermath of Hurricane Diane cut a swath of destruction through the Carolinas, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and, of course, Connecticut. Eleven inches of rainfall caused massive flooding that claimed the lives of hundreds of victims in the Connecticut Valley area. All 129 acres of the Charlton grounds were submerged in 18 feet of water. $300, 000 worth of paper inventory, mats, comics art work, and plates, among other things, were destroyed by the flood in minutes. "When the flood came through," Burton N. Levey, cousin to co-owner Ed Levy and Charlton executive, said, "we had to get on top of the building because the water was rising, and a helicopter landed on the roof and took us off—that's how I got out of there! I watched my car float down the river." "The press was entirely underwater, the building was underwater," Joe Gill said. "[Artist] Maurice 'Reese' Whitman had to be taken off the roof by helicopter. Cars were washed away. When the smoke cleared, Santangelo called a meeting of the artists and myself. He was an inspired speaker in his broken English, and said he was going to carry on (though, in the meanwhile, the guy had gotten umpteen dollars in flood relief from the government, for free; this was an enormous boost for him), but he couldn't continue to pay us the same 'high rates. ' He said that we could all continue working at half of what we had been working before. I was dropped to two dollars a page [a quarter of what the major companies were paying at the time]." The Charlton Empire

That is possible. On the other hand, one usually doesn't place a $100 backstop if they only want to spend $30 and would never consider going that high. And for two to do that simultaneously? I have a friend who loves that cover, having nothing to do with Baker. Thinks it is some of Colletta's best work. And my wife, who knows nothing about romance books except for what she immediately likes and doesn't like, told me I better not sell this book, that's how much she digs it. Makes her feel happy, she says. At least, looking at this copy

Tommy, and I don't know who he really is, was a nemesis of mine on ebay for many years for romance books. He gets my goat for beating me out and for some other small time issues. Since he probably doesn't read this it's a perfect place for me to get whiny I detest his lack of scans and description, just the grade: FINE, or whatever. That's it. But what I hate even more than that is how he seemingly gets rewarded for it by bidders. I've often thought that the more you treat the bidders like dirt the more they seem to want your book. Want to cause a bidder frenzy? Say you found your book in an attic, and give a fuzzy out of focus pic (not a scan, a pic) of the front cover only. Then stand back or you'll get trampled. Recently, he grabbed a couple of bound books that contained a magazine I've been collecting, Everyday Astrology. Schomburg, great stuff from the early 40's. He paid dirt cheap, and then ripped the books out of the binding and put them up as a group on ebay for $250. It got bought. He made a great return on his investment, and damaged these beautiful copies (the binding was in good shape too) in the process. That really ticked me off. Free country and all that.

Shaun Clancy is still cruising around snatching up rare copies of hard to find stuff. He's got quite the eye. I can see him after he's gone - "Clancy was here!"

talk about purty

The Exotic Romances is credited to Baker. As is this Heart Throbs. His contribution to Quality at the end of his career is not so obvious, and not his best work obviously. For a few romance titles, like Heart Throbs, he penciled the last issues as they called it a day, just before he went out into that good night.

Very sweet copy! No pot of gold at the end of that rainbow...just two single teardrops. Oh no!

either way, pretty nice copy though! Quality

Comics are a line drawn medium, as compared to magazines let's say. So in my mind it's only natural that the photo covers get discounted, depending on the nature of the image. And in a genre like romance, the photos make up at least 1/4 of the full total, so they're not a memorable departure from the norm either. Now if it's a particularly standout cover, that's different. But none of the St. John photos are risque, outrageous, hilarious, weird, etc. Only one commands a real premium, because it's Marilyn. Now if you had one of those...

The perception that this issue is a stone cold beotch to find is accurate. And the reality is my Canadian copy is the only one in the census. When I can't get a scarce book any other way I end up saying Go Canucks!

De nada, amigo buenas noches

This is supposed to be a selfie of Jack and Roz

Visions of Baker books dance in your head

Can't go floozing around in another thread and not come home at the end of the night. Not the most captivating work by LB, to be sure. But a heck of a hard book to find in grade. After all this time, still the only one in the census. Stumbled upon it on Ebay 10 years ago. O happy day! Also, A.C. Hollingsworth, credited as working on this book, is considered (after Baker) to be the second most significant black artist of GA. 2nd of 2, perhaps? He more or less hit his stride in horror before leaving comics around 1960 to teach and paint.

who's passing? Sqeggs, we barely knew ya. Leave those books of yours with me before you move on, buddy.

Plastic fantastic EC Group Shot. Missing Moon, Girl...Romance 12.