TomG

Here are a few interesting links looking at the stamp hobby. Some of this is viewed as positive and some negative, but it does illustrate some interesting perspectives. In regards to stamps and many other collecting fields we are seeing a widening in the sense of the top tier items accelerating in value where as lesser items that are common and lower condition are selling for less and seeing less demand. This is due to demographical changes as to who is buying or interested in various categories. I think we could easily see a company like Rally acquiring key rare stamps like the inverted Jenny stamps for investment purposes like various other collectibles. https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardlehmann/2020/02/19/price-discovery-in-stamps/?sh=60893cd4430a https://www.financialpoise.com/investing-in-stamps/ https://amp.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/apr/11/post-modern-why-millennials-have-fallen-in-love-with-stamp-collecting https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/why-stamp-collecting-is-suddenly-back-in-vogue-11591358415

Smell can be an issue. I had a Golden Age collection a few years ago and it took forever to get the musty basement odor out of them as I had to store them separately from other comics or the odor would transfer to other comics. Also, the smell of a book can assist in identifying a pedigree book as I've done over the years with a few of the Church pedigree copies that turned up in the wild. There are still a few out there even today.

Secrets Behind The Comics CGC 9.6 White Pages SS Stan Lee 1947. This is the highest graded copy on the CGC Census both as Universal and Signature Series.

I'd leave it. Too many opportunities to damage it.

This Spider-Man 2099 #1 is qualified due to the interior of the book being bound upside down and backward. A few examples of this defect were discovered by me in a sealed case years ago.

As Gary@Moondog mentioned I was able to assist in seeing that Golden Age Ashcans finally received their due in The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. It was a process which at the time took a number of conversations with Bob over several years for me. As a collector who grew up seeing Gary's Ashcan ads I always had an appreciation for these unique comics that were amazing historical artifacts. I finally approached Ashcans to the closest example I personally knew of in another major hobby which has existed since the 14th century, which was coins. In coin collecting there are what is known as Pattern coins, these are experimental pieces struck to test a new design or material. Pattern coins for a variety of reasons were not issued and these in many ways they were similar to Ashcan comics. Pattern Coins are listed in The Office Red Book of Coins. Give the rarity and uniqueness of Pattern Coins it was comparable to price them in the same manner as Pattern coins which was to not price them, but instead note reported sales. The rest as they say is history...

It appears that the news was updated.

The slabs are not heat sealed they are sonically sealed. Third party grading companies from cards to coins to comics do not use heat in their process. Plastic components designed to be sonically sealed have a feature referred to as an energy director that is a raised feature on the welding surface that melts during the welding process that becomes the bond. Without this feature you would have to really put the pedal down to create a weld.

Hi, No there is no update that I am aware of at this time. The article was written by Thomas Andrae.

Ian Levine's collection is hitting the auction block with Sotheby's. https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/dc-complete-the-ian-levine-collection?locale=en

Very true about the mustache and hair. The eyes looked very much like his if you looked closely.

I was recently looking at a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #5 and upon closely looking at Dr. Doom I had to ask a question. Is that Stan as Dr. Doom on the cover? What do you think? The eyes and part of the mask almost look like a mustache.

If you're a fan of comic shows that are about comics. Baltimore is a great show to attend. Marc Nathan and company do a fantastic job running the show. As someone who has attended and set up at every show the past 20 years it's a solid convention. They do a great job regarding guests and also CGC will be offering on-site grading as they have for a number of years. Past guests include Dave Gibbons, Brian Bolland, Stan Lee, Lynda Carter, Mike Mignola, Herb Trimpe, and countless other. The show also features a large selection of comic dealers nationally.

ItIt I believe it maybe from this Fawcett toy.

Looking for a Bat #1 cover if there is one out there. Also, I have a nice clean coverless All Star #8 if anyone is searching for one. It's coverless and missing the cf.