*paull*

Sfilosa, good luck with the Star collection.... Regarding page quality, I don't mind off-white or cream pages. My only problem with worsened page quality is that it usually accompanies a brittle spine which seems to be my biggest problem with pre-code books in low grade. I wouldn't really say that there are bargains in 8.0 pre-code books. But it certainly applies to Silver Age Marvels. Pre-code horror is hard as hell to collect in 8.0 or higher. I can't imagine what those Haunted Thrills books would have cost me if they were above 8.0. I don't think I would have gone for them since the HT #5 probably would have been $900-$1000. I'm perfectly satisfied with 4.0 books, but try to find slightly nicer copies (maybe 5.0 to 7.0) of my favorites. Some books would command ridiculous prices in high grade. I can't imagine what a Mistery Mystery #12 or Horrific #3 in 9.0 would go for...

I agree completely about issue numbers. A #1 has little significance in pre-code horror, unless it's Eerie #1 or Adventures Into The Unknown #1 or something similar. Also agree that there aren't enough copies to satisfy the demand for TOT #15 and BCM #50. But give me $900 to spend on a pre-code book, and TOT #15 wouldn't even get consideration from me. Regarding Horrific #3, I consider it seriously overrated. The cover is pretty bland... especially in comparison to some of Heck's other great covers, including Horrific #7. Somehow Horrific #3 got a reputation as being a classic pre-code book in light of so many other neglected classics.

Thanks! Sorry for the bad photo... the book is very flat, clean and glossy, with no tears or creases, just a little edge and corner wear. I need to get a cheapo scanner if only to scan books to show other people. I got this book for a very good price from a guy I had bought from previously... far below guide. I guess that makes up for the over-guide prices I've paid for other books recently

I think I feel that way because in a changing market, those issues will suddenly be available. For instance, let's say there's a sudden increase in prices and interest in pre-code horror like there was in circa 1995. Copies of Horrific #3, TOT #15, Black Cat Mystery #50 and others will suddenly see the light of day. I definitely think that there is a difference between true scarcity and hoarding.

Two things would scare me away from that auction.... the too casual grading done by the seller, and the fact that there are a bunch of Harvey file copies out there. $900 is just ridiculous, as far as I'm concerned. There are countless books that I would rather have at that price. I don't like to look at a book in isolation to determine its value. I compare a book to other books in its price range... do I want this one as much or less? In this case, definitely less... Another example is Horrific #3. That book doesn't even have one of the better Don Heck covers, as far as I'm concerned. Way overpriced, mainly because people are holding them in their collections and they aren't on the market.

Here's another recent purchase of mine... Startling Terror Tales #10 (1954) with a Cole cover, of course. I'd grade this at about a 7.0 which is, as we have discussed here, a pretty high grade for a Star book. There's nothing better than Cole's primary colors on a black background (as in Mask #1, Mask #2, Blue Bolt #111, etc.)

I hope that you're not trying hard to put together a collection of 8.0 Star Coles... you're not only going to go broke, but crazy also! Please tell me that no one here won this auction: http://cgi.liveauctions.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2266918825&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEDW%3AIT This qualifies as one of the most ridiculous auctions of the year.

Wow.... the condition of that book is ridiculous! Back cover crease or not, a Star book in that kind of condition is very rare. The books are usually not a problem to locate in the G to VG range, but anything VF or over is very, very tough.

Wow... that SMC #51 must be amazing... I'd love to see it. I don't want to go so far to say that it's scarce, but it seems to be a little tougher to find, maybe because they reside in collections (mine is a beater place-holder for now). I think the same can be said for Blue Bolt #115... I doubt this book was printed in any less quantity, but it's harder to find because people hold onto them.

That Thing cover is a beauty! I don't have any in my collection, but I have seen some really nice covers on a number of the books in the run.

I'm definitely not knocking ECs. Like I said, they are some of the greatest comics ever created. There's just too many for me to get involved in collecting them. I will say this about ECs... how much better would the covers have been if they were full bleed, and didn't have that annoying colored background behind the logo? That's probably the only thing I can fault Gaines for. The books are great and I wish I had a ton of them, but enough time, effort and money goes into the esoteric stuff that I can't get started with ECs. I have a few mid-grade ECs with Krigstein art that I love, but I'm not looking to expand at this point.

As much as I love pre-code horror, I have close to zero interest in EC books. They have been reprinted a million times and are very plentiful. Even though they are some of the best comics ever produced, I have no desire to add them to my collection. It's interesting how people claim that the smaller titles aped EC, yet I prefer collecting those "EC imitators".

20% over guide won't be enough, I don't think. I'd pay much more for the right books in VF, and so would many others. I'd say forget trying to find Suspense Comics with Cole covers in anything near VF. Those books often suffer from brittle covers or at least edges... it seems like the paper used for the covers was substandard. One thing to keep in mind about Cole's Star books is that they were probably some of the least important books that a printer would have handled.... nothing like the huge Fawcett, DC, Atlas, etc. books that were done at the time. I rarely see the Star (Startling Terror Tales, Terrors of the Jungle, Blue Bolt, etc.) in high grade. And when I do, they are going for a premium. There are some tough to find Cole Star books... Shocking Mystery Cases #51 comes to mind.

Nice Weird Mysteries #13, POV! I love that cover, too... don't have one in my collection yet. Here's another recent purchase of mine... Weird Mysteries #2 in VG-, which is still a decent grade for this title. This is one of my all-time favorite pre-code horror covers. The ghastly skulls and faces on this cover by Baily are just wild... and I love the green and purple coloring as well.

There are some scarce pre-code horror books, but I think it's also easy to confuse "scarcity" with "they are being held in collections". For instance, why can I find almost every issue of Mister Mystery for sale except for #12? Was it under-printed, or are they simply in collections? If that is the case, why isn't someone looking to sell when they know that they can get double guide for it? Are they waiting for guide to catch up? That book is absolutely difficult to find. My copy (the icon I use in my identity on the boards) is only Good, pretty worn complete with no pieces missing, but it's still going to be hard to upgrade.

Those are some nice ACG books with vibrant colors... definitely pre-code... you don't see that evil white stamp anywhere, do you?

I think L.B. Cole covers typically sell for about guide now, when they were multiples of guide during the pre-code mania a few years ago. Things were out of control during that time for books such as Cole covers and Atlas 50's hero books. The prices were many multiples of guide and people were scrambling for the books. I think the market has cooled a bit for Cole books, or at least back to normal with guide prices reflecting reality, but other pre-code horror books are still undervalued in the guide.

Keith, some of the non-reprint Star interiors are great. I really like the work that Jay Disbrow did for those titles. Even if you don't like the interiors, so many of those Cole covers are just unbelievable. rjpb, I find that the Farrell books are pretty tough to find in grades higher than 6.0 - 7.0 or so. I know Vinny has a HT #5 pedigree up for sale, but you might as well hand over your next mortage payment to him if you want it.

I'm definitely going to get the TTTTT set.... thanks for the recommendation a while back. Right.... early L.B. Cole covers come to mind.... Suspense Comics #8-#11, Mask Comics #1-2, etc. they had great horror covers but usually had crime-related interiors.

Thanks, Keith! By the way, that is a killer copy of Witches Tales #25. I need a copy like that for my collection. Nice job, POV! Thanks for sharing

Thanks, POV. I have to be honest.... I had other targets in mind in pre-code horror books when I first saw these. Seeing them up close made me realize that I had to have them for my collection. There was something about not only the condition of the books, but the production values, quality covers, and cover coloring that swayed me. As for the interior pages, I wish I could show them all, but my fingers would fall off by then... I do nothing all day but sit in front of a computer. I wish others would show more interior pages. Sometimes it's as if the covers (or is it the CGC label?) are the only thing that matters...

Here'a another splash page for a story in HT #5. Note the interesting and unusual color pallete. The Iger colorists did a great job with these books....

Here's an interior page to HT #5

And here's Haunted Thrills #10. Even though I typically don't like word balloons on covers, this one was too good to pass up. I just fell in love with that eggplant purple cover background... Farrell had some great colorist(s)... The interiors were uniquely colored as well.

Here's Haunted Thrills #8 with a beautiful cover... Someone should tell me why Ajax/Farrell books get such a bad rap... The green color gradation below the logo is really great...