Ivan Ivanstein

Another fistful of fun just arrived! Also got an original EC Fan-Addict Club pin, and a 1st edition of Seduction of the Innocent in jacket (no biblio, alas).

A bunch of the books I posted are heading off to CGC for Express Service, so they will indeed be slabbed. I like to grade 'em first myself, then compare my grades to CGC. I'm generally half a grade stricter than CGC.

Thanks!! I'm really glad you got these beauties. I should point out that most of the comics in the pic I posted will be sent to CGC next week... I'm just waiting for another batch of books that are en route two arrive before I send the shipment to be slabbed!

I'll post in the sales threads when it's closer to auction time... the sale won't be until June 9th. I'm still hunting up consignments. These came from a longtime collector who started buying pre-Code horror decades ago. He's got loads of wonderful ECs as well, including pretty much every New Trend comic, and I'm hoping to do a single-owner sale of those sometime in the future... I've been a pre-Code fan for decades, ever since I was a teen, so doing a deep dive into this collection is a dream come true! I wish I could buy 'em all myself, but as an auction man my policy is not to get high on my own supply! That's the reason I have my boss create limited edition hardcovers of my comic sale catalogues: so I can have a permanent memento of all of the great comics that pass through my hands. For me, it's the next best thing to ownership... Here's my hardcover copy of our previous catalogue, with some of my reference library in the background.

Another big load of pre-Code goodies arrived yesterday! 160 comics, of which these are highlights.... More fun stuff is expected to arrive soon!

Hi gang, My latest auction for PBA Galleries is Thursday, February 3rd. It features 500 lots, including almost 400 lots of pre-Code horror, both raw and slabbed. I'm working on our next sale now, and as usual, the emphasis will be on pre-Code comics. If you've anything to consign, please let me know. Our sales have been gathering loads of positive attention. Robert Crumb says our catalogues feature "Some of the best commentary I've yet seen on the quality of the content of old comic books. I especially enjoyed the reviews of post-war horror comics. Great. Priceless... Your catalogue is in itself so ENGAGING." Here's a link to the online sale lots: https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/590/ Here's a link to an eBook version of the print catalogue, with clickable links (I think this is the best way to browse): http://pbagalleries.com/content/ecat/3022/index.html Limited softcover and hardcover catalogues are available for pre-Code fans who like to collect 'em as reference books. Cheers, Ivan

Here's my daughter perusing my latest PBA Galleries auction catalogue, packed with almost 400 pre-Code horror comics and loaded with data, lore and commentary. Sharp-eyed viewers may spy some of my PS Artbooks horror reprint collections in the background. I'm hoping to do a special auction catalogue soon showcasing every New Trend EC comic... fingers crossed!

And some Silver and Bronze Age Marvels, a few rare Undergrounds (like the silver foil edition of Slow Death #2), and an original Batman page by Irv Novick featuring Poison Ivy.

There's a selection of rare International versions of U.S. pre-Code horror mags. Some of these are many times scarcer than their American equivalents.

Some horror highlights (and one Matt Baker "Good Girl" classic)...

Loads of Pre-Code Horror and related categories in PBA's latest auction. PBA Galleries is a San Francisco Bay Area auctioneer that's been around since the 1970s, with a primary focus on rare books, maps, manuscripts, works on paper, and as of 2020, comic books. PBA's comic book catalogues blend sales and editorial content, and Robert Crumb says: "This is some of the best commentary I've yet seen on the quality of the content of comic books. I especially enjoyed the reviews of post-war horror comics. Great. Priceless." It's easy to register and bid, and PBA's client service is very service-oriented. PBA's grading of raw books is very exacting, with super detailed condition descriptions. Here's a link to the online listings: https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/590/ Here's a link to the eBook version of the print catalogue (recommended): http://pbagalleries.com/content/ecat/3022/index.html

That's fantastic! Congrats! I wish I'd kept the VF/NM Harvey warehouse copy I bought back in the '90s...

Here are the front and back covers of my latest pre-Code horror catalogue, which just arrived from the printer yesterday. Hard to believe I've been hustling pre-Code horror mags for 25 years, off and on!

Here are the front & back covers to the first pre-Code horror catalogue I did, back in 1997 when I was just a pup. It's scary to see how cheap key horror mags sold for back then!

Thanks! I should've caught that CGC error! I've added an addendum to the online listing.

Well, I'm expecting this catalogue to arrive in a week! 200 pre-Code comics are listed, plus 200 lots of Golden Age, Silver Age, Undergrounds and such. Well-researched catalogue, great reference tool!

Loads of pre-Code horror, plus GA, SA, BA, etc. Fully-illustrated catalogue: $30, or visit the website and view the online listings. Live auction on October 28th. https://www.pbagalleries.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/568/

Frazetta!

House ad for the Mexican equivalent of Black Cat Mystery #50.

For anyone jaded by the usual pre-Code horror, here are some rarities you don't see every day! Mexican versions of Harvey horror mags, published by La Prensa in 1954-55. I'd say you might expect to see 50 copies of the US versions for every copy of these ultra-obscurities. Handling these things makes you feel like you've entered a strange, eerie alternate reality!

I would, but I don't wanna run afoul of rules against promoting sales here. You can message me for details. Most of these are lower grades, though (VG or lower), so there might not be many upgrades for you.

Thanks! I'm Director of Comics for a West Coast auctioneer. Pre-Code is my specialty! I love putting together catalogues that combine editorial and sales content, for kind of a "sales-fanzine" effect. I picked up this crazy collection for my next sale. Lots more fun stuff is arriving weekly, and just last night I picked up half a dozen mags from a local consignor. The mags I got last night include 2nd copies of WEIRD MYSTERIES 5 and WEIRD TALES OF THE FUTURE 3, plus a rare copy of WORLDS OF FEAR 10. Here are some of the mags I picked up last night, along with a few sample pages from my previous catalogues. I've been a major pre-Code buff ever since my dad introduced me to the stuff when I was a kid, via Marvel's 1970s pre-Code reprint rags (you know the ones... Chamber of Chills, Dead of Night, Crypt of Shadows, Weird Wonder Tales, etc.).