Readcomix

@porcupine48 @Senormac @DR.X Sorry for delay, guys. Long day. This one came from an LCS that had let me dig through its convention stock. I'd seen the cover in passing once or twice before when scrolling eBay. It's part of a two-issue run from Irwin Rubin Publications. Gerber gave both issues a 7; there's only 9 of this one (#1) on the census. Oddly, I checked when I picked it up and there were two available on eBay. Maybe not much love due to not much awareness? Anyway, 1945 book with a WWII cover with racist caricatures is plenty to love if WWII covers are your genre.

@skypinkblu see above

This just in; LCS let me peruse their convention stock. Surprised to find it. Only 9 on census; a couple non-slabbed copies on eBay too though.

Congratulations! What a monster addition for you and your collection! Enjoy!

Fair enough; I only go so far as to say plausible because in my anecdotal experience I've seen a few collections come to market locally where the unfolding of the backstory reveals the heirs did not know/care about comics and were happy to sell them quickly with no knowledge they could have gotten more. Seems to me that happens enough for me to plausibly see this book as part of one of those types of collections. As to whether it's completely authentic, or an authentic sticker married incorrectly, or a counterfeit sticker, I have no clue. It's an interesting one!

Sadly, this is easy to explain. The knowing fraudster could have met an untimely death and had no heirs who knew anything about comics. They could have just dumped the whole thing cheap to the local antiques shop, who had no specific knowledge of comics either, other than that they move for him at $2 apiece whenever he gets some. Not saying that must be what happened, but that's a very plausible way for this to have ended up where it did, priced as it was.

Agreed; I'm extrapolating similarly and working from those same general assumptions. I think the character has the potential to have similar demand to characters who have debuted in books that likely exist in as great or greater quantities, which is why I like it in the long run. I just think it's a case where demand has potential to further outstrip a decent supply. As a $100 range NM raw, I suppose it's already doing that to some degree.

Thank you @RockMyAmadeus @Second Blight And @paul747 I did mix up what they were reporting, and I should have added the usual disclaimer language that the real numbers are not ones we can know with certainty. Paul747 gets at my real point better than I dd, which is based on what we can infer from these numbers, however loosely, it's likely not the most printed book out there either, though it would not be small by Modern standards even if that number were an exact one. I think the potential for greater demand is there (as @fastballspecial said, it needs another media boost, but that seems inevitable for this character) and it seems to me like a book whose existing quantity could easily get absorbed by demand. I had not heard about the 5 below packs before; thank you @Second Blight I have only checked my local one once and they did not have comics, but I have seen others mention on here that they have found comics in a 5 below. Who ever knows for sure, but I like this book's/character's potential in the long run.

Comichron reports the print run at around 74,000 -- seems like a fairly low print run to me, given the popularity and the push behind the character.

Isn't the Hulk #197 cover the only time Wrightson drew the Man-Thing?

It's a great day when a great boardie becomes a great seller! GLWTS Jim!

Thx @joeypost ! Mine is filed away somewhere, but I love it. Always regretted trading it away; got one back recently courtesy of @speedcake

Last call, closing tomorrow (Saturday). About 12 books left, #'s 113 (2 copies) and 125 on page 1, early bronze and silver on pages 3&4.

That's everything!

Giant-Size X-Men #2 VG loaded with great Neal Adams reprints $8

X-Men King-Size Special (aka annual) #2 GVG $8

X-Men #93 FN- I love how the cliffhanger ends promising the next half of the Avengers crossover reprint in Giant-Size X-Men #1...fun stuff to find. $15

X-Men #90 VG $10

X-Men #84 VG on lower right corner missing from cover and first page on what would have otherwise been a mid-grade book on general wear. $10

X-Men #82 VG on general wear $10

X-Men #70 GVG this baby's got it all -- tape along the spine, additional staples $10

X-Men #63 probably FVF but not the prettiest date stamp ever. Neal Adams art. $25

X-Men #48 also in FN range, probably FN- $20