The lips

Really really happy with todays mail call. Been after these 3 for a while do great to get them all in one go.

Only ever met one, and thankfully it was Stan Lee here in the UK. I was 13 years old and he was friendly, charming and charismatic. I’d never met an American before never mind the co-creator of all my favourite characters. He signed my Silver Surfer #1 and the 30 years of Marvel book by Les Daniels. an experience I’ll never forget.

I started collecting back in 1990 at the age of 13. Here in Newcastle in the north east of England used to be a great little comic shop called Timeslip. I remember vividly the first time I went in and saw all the wall books, back issues, new issues and could sense also the community of the customers. I was hooked. it was here where I fell in love with the Silver Surfer ( how could you not ! ) and bought a new release for the princely sum of 60p. I loved it Around a month or two later I called in again and there in the back issue section was a Silver Surfer 1 from 1968. I couldn’t believe it. It was a bit beat up and had a price tag of £5 which was too much for this young teenager but my mother bless her dug deep and saved the day. I couldn’t believe it being the proud owner. Fast forward a few months and Timeslip has now been bought out by the multi chain Forbidden Planet and on a visit there they had a sign in the window telling me Stan Lee was going to be there signing copies of his new book. Now this I couldn’t get my head around. Where I’m from, people didnt go to America, it was way too far and way too expensive, but more so than that, Americans certainly didn’t come to Newcastle and even if they did, it wasn’t my hero and creator of all these super hero’s. Stan to me was a super hero and here he was visiting my home town. Unbelievable So naturally I go and take of course my SS1. I was straight there from school so was one of the first in what developed into the biggest que I’ve seen. When it was my turn I approached him and presented him my book. I’ll never forget our small exchange of words. “geez kid, the first Silver Surfer. You be sure to look after her for me” Not only was this the first time I’d heard an American accent that wasn’t on TV, it was Stan Lee..talking and smiling to me…about my Silver Surfer 1. I can’t begin to articulate how surreal and wonderful this was. Its easily my most treasured possession and something that will stay with me always.

I very much see your point, but speaking as somebody who has never had a book encased, I offer my explanation why. For me, I don’t slab books as i like to take out and admire the same pages and get same experience from same medium as a kid did 50/60 years ago when buying from his local drugstore. Of course, you can still read via digital or reprints etc but personally I like the history involved in a comic book. I also collect vinyl and I much prefer pulling out a first pressing Beatles record and listening to the original a lot more than I do clicking play on spotify fully respect and get people’s reasons for encasing books but it’s not for me. I love too much the smell, authenticity and pleasure only an original can bring.

Wise choice imo. Usually I’d opt for a Ditko but 64 is far better cover of the two options.

Delighted to have added this, been on the hit list for a while. Certainly not high grade but hey, time are hard at the minute !!

Good !! I own all 3. I always had it in my head that 121 and 122 were minors with 50 scraping into the majors !! Only my opinion which is what I sort of based the thread upon, different opinions.

I definitely prefer 39 to 40, though love both.

Nobody. But it’s all about people’s opinions, which after all is what online forums are all about.

Yeah I definitely collect what I like and have no intention to sell and not interested in making a Buck. Only person who sees my collection is my 7 year old boy and he loves every single one regardless. only person who judges is myself and whilst I’d love a first appearance green goblin, I’m currently happy with the 2nd or the death of. Staying on the goblin, do issues 39 / 40 class as minor keys !! I love the story and the reveal of each other so maybe it is !!? it’s entertaining suppose trying to categorise !!

So…due to financial restrictions, I tend to class myself as a minor key collector, which got me thinking on what criteria meets being categorised as a ‘minor key’ and when does it become a major key ??! I predominantly collect ASM and in my collection I class my minor keys as first Rhino, Prowler, issues 17, 31, 33, 50, 121, 122, 238, 252 etc. What about issues such as 39,40 and are these classed as minors or not ? Also is 300 a major key or just a minor ?? To all you fellow minor key collectors, what’s your thoughts and favourites?!

Just picked up ASM 151 and loved contrasting it with my 33. Is 151 a homage or a classic in its own right ?

Thanks. personally I don’t slab as I still love to read, admire and get that sweet smell of decades old comics. I get a lot of satisfaction in taking pics of books together aswell !!

Love this 4 part Green Goblin story arc

I like to pick a villain, pull out covers they’ve been on and lay out on floor so I can just look at them throughout different decades !! more importantly, and this is a big pleasure. me and my 7 year old son now play comic shops with my collection !! he’s basically the store keeper, I come in and ask for books he knows I’ve got and I buy off him. He absolutely loves it and he loves flicking through boxes until he finds it. he’s named it the ‘Super hero planet’ !!

Ok…I’ll go FF 48.

FF 48- The look on the faces is mesmerising. SS4 - I could look at all day. ASM 50 - Simply iconic. ASM 33 - Beautiful, yet even more so inside

The main reason I don’t slab any of my books. I couldn’t not ever want to open a silver age book and not look at the work of these geniuses. Reprints just don’t do it for me.

Yeah that’s a good point. In my case, covid rekindled my love of comic books as opposed to simply being new. i collected a lot mid 80’s to mid 90’s then got sidetracked with life and adulthood. The comics got stored away in parents loft and whilst I never forgot about them, I never thought to re-engage. covid give me enough spare time to hunt them down and instantly the love affair reignited and that’s me now back in for the long haul as I no longer have as much other things to focus on. i imagine there’ll be a lot of others like me in that regard.

68 being Crisis on campus or do you mean 78 first Prowler ?? personally whilst there may not be a big key in that particular run there was still some fantastic covers, stories and art.

Cool idea for thread. Definitely can’t answer the question but look forward to the replies. likewise never knew about the Vision cover.

The FF will always come second to me ( behind Spidey ) and I love them dearly. That’s simply based on the Lee / Kirby run which I still firmly believe is the greatest run in comic history. FF51 is still the greatest single issue of the silver age imo and it’s down to this run and FF1 being the north of the silver age that they’ll always be very relevant even if popularity wanes at times.

1) ASM 14 2) complete my ASM run of 100-200. 3) a single digit ASM