Mercury Man

I made mistakes of liquidating my entire collection 2 times. Once before I got married 16 years ago, trying to make space,and once a few years back to buy a classic car (still have the car). Even though I never owned mega keys like many of you, it's a pain going back and even trying to piece together stuff I used to have (Iron Man #1, Cap #100, Silver Surfer #1, Luke Cage #1 etc.). I keep hoping someday to stumble upon something significant at a yard sale or flea market, but those chances seem to diminish every passing month.

Oh man! Every Saturday morning from the ages of 5-8 was spent with me dragging my Guns Of Navarone playset down the stairs, setting it up, watching Bugs Bunny, eating breakfast, then going to battle. About 7 years ago, I saw on ebay, a basically unplayed with set, the soldiers and equipment were still in bags. I got outbid after it went to about $600. Remember the little comic that came with it?

I mean it would be hard to measure. We truly don't know how many people see a book for sale and move on because they don't like marked up covers. All we really see is sales results, we don't know the numbers of people who 'mentally pass'. Dollars to donuts, if there are two 5.0 FF #1's and one is cheaper than the other due to a Stan Lee SS mark up, I am aiming for the non signed one.

No, I think that is the majority, and that is what get's lost on the SS, and sketch on cover crowd.

Of course:

How much?

Listen, I have a Stan sig myself, and it's kind of a blob. I waited in line for 5 hours, standing in place for the most part, it was hell, and by the time he scribbled his name on my little 12" x 12" print, it was like 'eh..whatever'. You have a nice book, great cover, Alex Ross is the man! Enjoy it.

If you are happy, that is great. It's a 'win' for you. My personal opinion- that is a 'fugly' Stan Lee signature, looks like he was falling off the table while he signed it. But you are not in the minority these last few years. Quite frankly his sig has gotten worse and worse. Just my humble opinion.

Said it before----

To Answer OP's question- nope, never, nuh-uh, and not a chance. I always thought 251 is insanely over-rated.

Should have put on some Bat Boxers.

You're a good friend.....

Is that the same adding machine he uses to this day....the one that adds an extra zero to every comic price?

At least it's not Stan Lee. But all things being equal, I am not a fan of signed valuable comics. But it's your book.

We've gone the extreme now though. I went to a Flea Market a few months back, and they had some Bronze Age stuff, nothing spectacular. I picked up a Thor 232 for $5, and a Daredevil 151 was unmarked. I asked the lady----old enough to be everybody's Great Grandma, if the DD was $5 as well. Well she whips out her cell phone and jumps on ebay and searches for Daredevil 151. She said 'ok, just wanted to make sure it wasn't big money'. I was both amazed and confused. She took my $10 and I haven't seen her there since.

Irons are for kids!! I use one of these babies (I can press the entire Kirby FF run in one pass!) Making sure to put cardboard on top of course....

So I recently bought a collection, off the CL (and lived to tell). Nice gent who was getting rid of stuff because 'Dave Ramsey told him to'. There were 398 comics that I picked up for $380. Bronze and Copper with some Silver. The photos are pretty much what I am keeping, everything else I have either sold or in the process of selling. I have so far sold $237 worth of stuff, with 250 comics left over (including what I am keeping). So I am currently at a per comic price of about .57 each (down from initial per comic price of .96 when I purchased). I have been selling through the bay, garage sales, etc., I may do a small show soon. I am asking $1-$2 each for what is left. which includes a large COPPER run of Thor, including 1st Beta Ray Bill (some spine crimps, probably going to ask $5 for that one, and first Malekith same, about $5), and an Iron Fist #1 Bronze, probably going to ask $40 for that, in FN+ condition (I already own a copy). My goal is to get it down to ZERO, and so everything on top will be profit + what I am keeping. It is taking a lot of work, but has been a good experiment for me, as this is my first foray into trying this, a learning experience if you will. Not sure if I like putting on this 'dealer hat' yet.

This cover has nothing to do with the story, or the bad guy on it. It was a reprint of Amazing Adventures inside. Not sure if the editor commented as such, in the interior, they probably missed the deadline, but I will have to double check.

Give it a try, let us know your results.

Keep repeating that. That will be the common theme because the guy has been pumping out assembly line signatures for decades. There is no shortage, listen to the comments here, many people have multiple signatures, not just one. Stan signed anything and just about everything pushed in front of him. Hell, he signed my nephews frickin arm (who immediately got it tattooed) a few years back. He's holding onto his arm.

I don't care how many of these were printed. I still like this book, especially the black & silver cover.

I get that. I just remember last year my LCS bought 4 Longboxes off of a guy, and inside were 5 copies of NM 98. Plenty more to be had out in the wild. Not like this book is absent from most shops.

I don't think it had a high print run, I just think it's as abundant as the rest of the early 1990's Marvel/DC comics.