flashlites

Nice book!! I think its in the 7.0-7.5 range.

Eeesh! They were tougher than I thought they would be, even with the paper quality cream to off white? Well now we know, with that much fade it probably knocks the grade down 2+ points. Lets say it was a 6.0 without the fade, that's a 2.5 hit. Thanks again for sharing, very informative!

I can agree with 6.5 depending on how much weight the CGC will give the spine stress more prominent on the back of the book and the light water damage on the front corner, it could bring it down to a 6.0 but I don't see it going lower than that. It's a great example of a Fine book IMO.

Its a great looking book and such a key book to have! I agree it would be in the 6.0-7.0 range but it looks like the cover has separated at the bottom staple. If this is the case I think it will hold the grade down to around 5.0.

I'm thinking the pages are tan or even brown with that much UV exposure. Still its a great book to own in any condition! I'm at 6.5 without the color fade and probable paper condition of the interior. I will guess 4.5 if paper is tan, 4.0 or lower if its brown. Please let us know when it comes back. I am curious as to how much of a hit CGC will give that fade. Thanks for sharing!!! Brings back memories of the early comic shops when dealers put the good stuff in the windows to draw you inside.

I'd give it an 8.0 with a chance at making 9.0 with a proper cleaning and press. I love this book! Every time I see one I wish I still had one

We've kinda stalled out here Flash fans. So lets just open it up to whatever or maybe move on to 125? The first cosmic tread mill! I love this cover and the story, it's one of my all time favorites!

For comparison, from my collection, the dreaded 'rat chew' defect! Yours is relatively minor. What puzzles me is how its seems confined to just the interior of the book. This lead me to speculate that it may have been some trimming error. As you can see my culprit was not so selective and seemed to like the cover just as much as the interior. As for the 'wet restoration/cleaning', this is the advantage of experience you get here on the boards! The discerning experienced eyes of real pros. Not much can get past these guys. I have no experience in cleaning or restoration but some of us do. It is something to keep an eye out for.

You're probably right it may be the dreaded rat chew defect. If that's the case it would push it under 7.0 I believe. Still its amazing to have a Larson!

Any more 123's or 124's out there?

One of the famous Larson books! It looks like a trimming defect to me. Probably during the folding and trimming process at the printers. I will take a stab at it and say its in the 7-7.5 range? Lets see what some of the veterans have to say about that bindery corner defect. In any case you have a true treasure there! I was just reading about Lamont Larson last year. Thanks for sharing!!!

Beautiful copy Bill!!! 9.4?? What do you think? I love how the inside cover ad says "Still the best value at any price." Hehehe knowing full well the price would be going up next month. Really just such an awesome sight to see your books Bill! Having it in hand do you think it could go higher than 9.4? Maybe 9.6, as I drool over it... er um look over it again?

Wow! Such an awesome book to have in any condition! I believe it would grade at 2.5. I don't think it could grade much higher as it has some water damage, a fairly severe roll to it and although the cover seems to be attached it looks as though some of the interior pages may be loose? Perhaps the centerfold? Great to see it, thanks for sharing!

Nice! Love that 3-D comic! Not too many of those in the underground.

Ahhh the memories of those first comic book stores. They were true pioneers in the trade! Two of my original go to's are still in business today. The Comic Book Warehouse formally Nostalgia in Albuquerque and of course Rich from Bedrock Comics who way back when used to live in Albuquerque and worked with the Brazil's at Nostalgia if I remember correctly? When I was visiting in Long Beach last month I almost made it out to Hi-De-Ho in Santa Monica. I understand it may be the oldest shop in the country but the Brazil's in Albuquerque weren't too far behind their first store must have opened in '78 or '79.

Very nice! Love that issue!

Calling on all 124's (the last 10 cent issue)! And any international 123's!!! Come on guys its time to dig into those boxes, dust off those comics and scan them in!

I love it!!! I think Terry has a version from Australia. On Ebay the other night I saw one from Italy. But this Spanish version is my favorite! I would love to own one! Any more international 123's out there??

It may have been. If I remember right it was on Lankershim I believe?

Just checked 4 more off my list 134,151,152&155! After double checking I am now just 69 issues away from completing the entire run 105-350! This is by far the closest I've ever been! I am looking for a 168, 170 and 172 next to fill in some little gaps. I will wait on posting the scans though, I want to leave more room on this page for 123's and discussion of this classic book. Come on Flash fans if you got a 123 this is the time to show it off!

This missing piece does interrupt the story, I do believe it would be graded as somewhat incomplete. Possibly grade at 1.0 because readability is mostly intact. If not for that missing corner it could get a 1.8 but...

We had mail order, which was iffy back then, used book stores, flea markets, garage sales and if you were lucky your town had a comic book shop. Whenever I was visiting some place new I would always check the yellow pages for the book stores. It was truly a quest in those days! Every year you'd get 3 or 6 of those little b/w photos that ran across the top of the page in the price guide. Sometimes you'd see one there, get out your magnifying glass and get an idea of what that issue looked like. LoL! My price guides were always cracked and would fall open to the Flash section ... 'CBG' was that the Comic Buyers Guide?

I remember seeing 123 for the first time in a North Hollywood comic shop. (early 90's maybe?) I was just starting my 2nd attempt at completing the run. It had been several years since I sold my last collection (I had sold everything even the GA stuff I sold it all). I was finally in a position where I could try again. The owner knew he really had a live one in me. I'd been shopping there for a few months buying every SA Flash he had. One day I walked in and he said do you have a 123? I had never seen one! He said this book is about to go way up in next years guide. I believe I paid $60 or $80 for it. It was in amazing shape! I graded it as in VF condition maybe a 7.0 - 8.0 today. A few months later I came across another one in G or VG probably 3.0-4.0 today and bought that one as well for about $20 or $30 (I had to have a reading copy ). Sure enough the next year the value jumped and I guess its been jumping ever since. It may seem strange now days for a collector of Flash comics to have never seen a 123 but in those days you'd go hunting for books you did not have, when you found one often times it was the first time you'd ever seen the cover! Any old timers out there remember those days?

I love that diorama Bill! And for those that don't know ... I believe it was you, wasn't it, that started a dedicated 123 thread earlier this year, something that had not been done yet but was needed. Will you give us the thread title again please so the new comers can go check it out.

For this special book how about we say a little something about it along with the scan? I loved this issue because of the reintroduction of Jay Gerrick. I'm a fan of both Flashes. And for me this book was important because now we'd get to see them both from here on out. With the prices the way they are I'm just so happy I was able to finally own a copy with a cover. Purchased this February after being with out a 123 for nearly 20 years!