jimbo_7071

Interesting book. I never knew anything about Disney characters being licensed to King. I've also never seen "O Tannenbaum" translated as "O Evergreen." I always see "O Christmas Tree." I wonder whether the "O Evergreen" version was more popular at that time.

Uncanny Tales pulp to Uncanny Tales comic book.

You jest, but that might reflect the attitude of "punishment bidders" in some of these auctions. I think some people put in high bids thinking, "If I don't walk away with this book, at least I'll make somebody else pay a stratospheric price for it." I think that some shill bidders have it down to a science; they watch to see how long the other bidder hesitates before entering another bid, and when it looks like the other bidder is slowing down, they stop bidding. Their goal is to be the underbidder. Some of them are good enough at it that they rarely get burned, but they probably set up bogus accounts so that they can default on the payment without consequences when they do get burned badly.

If you value brevity, then the phrase "I bought a book in the auction" should stand you in good stead.

Guy on a white horse shooting an arrow to guy on a white horse dodging an arrow.

Mid-grade '50s sci-fi dust jacket to low-grade 50's sci-fi dust jacket.

I like some of the Vigoda covers, but I've found the early '50s stories that I've read to be very boring (so I haven't bothered to read very many of them).

I'm glad you told us that; I was about to offer you $1,000,000 for your Dazzler no. 1, sight unseen, but instead I decided to spend the money on a NM copy of Muppet Babies no. 1. (It's raw, but the seller verbally agreed to give me a 5% rebate if CGC finds any restoration when I have it slabbed.)

That's an ambitious run to go after. Be sure to post some group shots when you complete it!

Did Joe ever get his Lone Ranger piece back? Were the thieves prosecuted? (I've never met Joe in person, but I bought a Diamond Run book from him way on eBay way back when.)

Caged people to caged people.

Massive, anthropomorphic frog to tiny frog.

I'm sure this isn't new, but I got a laugh out of this forgotten password message on the fourcolorcomics.com site:

As others have mentioned, the year isn't over, but I don't have my eye on anything else. This was my last pick up. I like the way the cover is designed, but I'm worried that the reindeer on the left might be giving some unsuspecting tot COVID.

Cuts Like a Knife to Straight from the Hearth.

I've been on the boards sporadically lately and just saw this thread. I'm very sorry to hear about your wife. I remember that several years ago you mentioned that she she had bought you a copy of Catman 32 for Christmas, and I remember thinking, "that's one cool wife!"

Speech bubbles on the cover to speech bubbles on the cover.

Female scientist to female astronaut.

Isn't it amazing how the auction houses have used psychology to manipulate collectors into paying stratospheric prices for books? They've done it with one disingenuous and downright inaccurate word: "win." No one "wins" an auction—somebody pays the most and buys an item, but no one "wins" anything. When I see a boardie say that he "won" something on one of the auction sites I want to puke. But the hucksters have convinced people that being willing to pay the most makes you a "winner." Everybody wants to be a "winner." After all, if you're not a winner, you're a loser—so prices keep going higher. To be clear, I'm not excluding myself; I've fallen for the con often enough; I probably will again; it's hard to fight that nagging voice inside telling you that you'll be a "winner" so long as you're willing to pay more than some other insecure dweeb who also wants to be a "winner."

This comic isn't rare, but only two copies have made it onto this census.

Donald Duck and a castle to Donald Duck and a castle.

This is what I get when I click on them.

I'm not able to see the pictures; maybe others aren't either.

Living marionettes to sentient rag dolls.

I would not pay. I think that there are a lot of shenanigans in these online auctions (starting with auction houses leaving books that sold for strong prices in their databases but scrubbing all records of weak sales, etc.). I don't know whether any of these sites are hack-proof, either.