This is Who We Are

On the topic of Skywalds:  Credit to Bounty_Coder and Jayman who was a significant contributor to this now archived thread below: This was nearly 20 years ago.  I love Warrens, don't get me wrong, but Skywald was the underdog and they managed to come up with some of the greatest, most terrifying artwork/covers.  To my understanding, from a collector's standpoint, these had lower print runs in comparison to Eerie, Vampi, and Creepy and the quality of materials and manufacturing QC wasn't as high (as Warren) making these a proverbial needle in a haystack in higher grades. If I’m mistaken on the above statement I’ll accept a verbal spanking

 Would love to see if there have been any changes in just how difficult these are to acquire.   If the experts here are open to a deeper dive, this probably isn't the correct thread, but with last night's auction thought it would be timely to request/bring up.  As an aside, by the grader's notes, looks like several of these from last night escaped someone's collection --were recently slabbed.  It makes sense because in these kinds of grades they either just don't by and large exist, or the owners are just not willing to let them out of their vice-like grip .  But Here's the link and an excerpt from Bounty: 

From 2004:
Here is my synopsis on the situation. Of course when it comes to grade they are all difficult to get in a solid VF8.0-VF+8.5 or higher. Near Scarce in NM 9.4 or higher. These books take patience to collect. Another thing I forgot was that 40% of these had black back covers as well! This means that you have double the chance of having problems with them.

Here are some particular issues that are hard to obtain in either High Grade due to specific covers or just because they had a lower distribution.

Psycho #2 - I do not know where all of these issues are, but they are hiding well. I've seen 2 pop up in over a VF/NM 9.0 during the past 2 years, and both went over guide price. Also has the First App. of the Heap. Also has 68 pages and was prone to binding defects I believe.

Psycho #8 - Squarebound issue. Rarely see them pop up.

Psycho #9 - Tough Black cover with Slithery Slime Man. Very prone to fingerprints and other abrasions.

Psycho #12 - All white cover with Jeff Jones Front peice. Art was suppossed to be for the Space Oddyssey title that got bagged. Tough book to find.

Psycho #14 - Classic Creeps cover with all black. Very prone to fingerprints. Anything wrong will show up on this issue!

Psycho #18 - Classic Eye Injury Panel cover with black border. Very prone to fingerprints and other abrasions. High Grade copies of this issue will bring retarded money.

Psycho #21 - All black cover and I believe that these later psycho's may have had cheaper paper. Which is likely since Skywald was beginning to fold under.

Psycho #22 1974 Fall special - Not only is this another tough black cover, but it may have been low distribution. I rarely see this pop up.

Psycho 1974 Yearbook - Rediculous to find! All black boarder cover. I have only seen 3 in the last 2 years. and 2 of them were Fine 6.0's. The otherthough was Bobcats NM- 9.2 and that went for bookoo bucks, $135+.

Scream #1 - This issue had a tough deep color cover. And I see a lot more high grade copies of the rest of the skywalds books compared to this issue.

Scream #8-#11 - A few board members have stated the low distribution in issue #10 & #11 with #11 being the real pain in the . But I think that it stretches from Issue #8 to #11. I've only seen 2 #8's and 2 #9's for sale in the last few years, but 3-4 of the #10's and #11's. Granted none higher than a VF/NM 9.0.

Nightmare #1 - Tougher to find than Psycho #1 (In my oppinion...may just be my geographic). It predates Psycho #1 by a few months or more. Was produced in 1970. Just don't see many of these available when compared to Psycho #1 (though Psycho #1 is still difficult to find in desirable grades).

Nightmare #2 - Boris cover, have seen less of these pop up than the first issue. For whatever reason it is, shares the same trait as Psycho #2.

Nightmare #15 - All black dracula cover. Rarely see them pop up. Plus it has a very hard to keep straight dark black cover.

Nightmare #20 - First John Byrne art, so it has a double market. John Byrne Fans are deep, so once they grab these they dont let them go. So I don't know if it was low distribution or just for the fact that no one lets them go that they are so hard to find. But they are tough!

Nightmare #21 - Summer Special - Dark cover For some reason the #20 and #21 are hard to locate. Maybe low dist. at the time...Have no Idea.

Crime Machine #1 - Possibly one of the Hardest Skywald books to obtain. I've only seen 1 for sale in 2 years. Tough darker cover also prone to defects.

On 3/23/2022 at 8:31 PM, lbcolefan said:

Tonight’s clink wins!

 

those are outstanding!!!

There was Skywald gold tonight!  These just so seldom if ever come up- 

they also had
Scream 1 9.2

psycho 2 1st Heap in 9.4 

nightmare 1 in 9.2  -kinda funny because the comments by Clink were for the wrong Nightmare 1--they referenced the 1952 Ziff-Davis cover

I just happened to come across a Nightmare 15. I’ve not come across a copy that cumulatively is this nice but maybe that’s because I don’t get out much😂. 
Ive posted more pics in the PGM section hopin a feel for grade can be achieved. I’ve had slabbed vf/nm mags in worse shape pass through my hands I’ll say that much- I’ve got more pics in the pgm forum if interested - 

For those that can only dream of owning that Vampi 1 CGC 9.6 above, I Saw this beauty just went up on Clink earlier last week...One of my favorite horror mag covers of all time.. I won't comment on the price because these just don't come up quite honestly, but this is listed as the highest grade (along with 2 others I believe),

I passed on a CGC 8.0 well over a year ago (which at the time was more in my price range) --I shouldn't have done that .  This is a beauty and unless my eyes are fooling me, the shading of the moon is darker than other copies --where it's more a blood orange.  Just had to pay this copy some respect.

At one point didn't a card grading company put a hold on submissions?  As a business I imagine that's the last thing you want to do, but seems like they will otherwise run this train off the rails.  If I understand correctly, you pay for Economy, it means someone able/willing to pay more, essentially gets to cut in line, thus pushing your TAT back...I guess they only have so many graders, but a parallel process seems in order (one for fast track, the other for Economy and they shouldn't intersect).  But as stated above, a 2 year wait is ludicrous and unsustainable IMHO and that is if even if one of the "corners" (quality) was there.  Wonder if people will eventually pick up there ball and go pay a visit to the other competitor(s)....in this case, I didn't but ask me in six months, a year or a year and a half if I'm happy I submitted my books to CGC?

This may be better in a thread reading. “This week in your dream magazine collection”

Eerie Tales 1 is a tough book and this guy has four.
What in the world?! 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/194816143327?hash=item2d5bf26fdf:g:O6UAAOSwjmdiBa9c