LowGradeBronze

The FF1 takes the prize! I love that it even has a nickname. Shame it has interior damage too but it's a survivor. The iron man and Thor, I like that you aren't tempted to upgrade them. So long as it's readable and recognisable (and won't transmit anything nasty to the other books,) it takes its place in the collection. The Spidey 11 presents ok. It's their origin (as in how the comic came to be in your collection) that makes them special too. Such an important part of collecting, for me. (Although I am also enjoying picking up as many Gene Day MOKFs as I can right now. I stopped collecting for a while and missed them at the time.)

Certainly would have cost Steve Ditko less ink and time just to put something like Dear Joe, thanks for your letter, very best wishes Steve Ditko. Very strange! Hadn't realised we owe him for the indicia though. Quite literally iconic. Thanks for sharing your note from SD.

Weren't many (if any,) dedicated comic shops in the UK back in the early 1970s. Certainly not where I lived. I remember spinner racks though & the low shelf with all the children's comics in the newspaper & sweet shop. So when those colours caught your eye you knew you'd struck gold! Very few UK comics had glossy covers so those Marvel's (and DCs,) really stood out.

But would it be as dark as they've made Riverdale? Hmmm.....

I love the way spidey's colours pop against the grey tones of the background. A lot of SA Marvel covers have this kind of colour contrast between hero / villain. Appeals on an almost subconscious level.

Wow, as soon as I saw the title of this thread it made me remember I used to see this on TV many (and I mean many,) moons ago! Never connected it with being a comic though, until now, so thanks!

I hope when Subby does make his celluloid debut they give him a flat-top head.

Oh yes! They epitomise the moment you spotted the Marvels in the newsagent. All the more exciting when it was a newsagent you'd never been to before.

Here's another, but compared to ST107 this one's pretty good really.

No, I'm not being rude or personal. This has to be one of my worst condition comics, but it was only one pound plus postage in around 2010 so a bargain! Bits fall off it every time I look at it. It's got comic dandruff.

Some great replies here! My first mail order list was from a Paul Burton in Kent. Send 50 pence for 5 US Marvels and a list of items for sale he typed himself and reproduced on an old mimeograph machine. I remember the 5 US Marvels include a Where Monsters Dwell 13 with that lovely purple picture frame cover and a Frankenstein 15. And they were in lovely condition, maybe around VF. Elsewhere on this list you could have had ASM100 for 40 pence. Probably about a dollar. Well, you can see two thirds of the way down page 9 (my red ink from 1973,) under "9: Specials" that he had an AF15 in VG for £25. (I could barely muster £5 for an order to give you an idea.) So £25 was a lot of money and way beyond my reach. Paul Burton sold advance import marvel and DCs back issues, treasuries, UK editions as well as 45 rpm 7 inch singles. Later, possibly around 1977 a school friend had a Justin Ebbs catalogue that a few of us ordered from and he would bring them into school and dish out the orders. Got my X Men 137 that way as it was ND non distributed in the UK. Happy days!

I think that rust only continues to be active if given moisture to fuel its progress. Need to see the comic open at the centrefold to know how it has affected the paper. Keep it in a low humidity environment and it may progress no further.

Hi there Sgt Wilson, I'm really looking forward to seeing some of your comics. At 49 you can call yourself a mature kid. I'm one at 57 & I'm still as keen on my comics as ever. Welcome to the boards.

I stand corrected. Thanks for putting me right on that.

Low grade for sure but still very attractive with good colour gloss and eye appeal, so the moisture damage is what really hammers the grade. Max 3.5 for me. I'd leap at a chance to buy one like that.

5.0 to 5.5 for me, all those spine stresses bring it down. An attractive 5.5 since most of the visible defects are on the back cover, which is dark making them even more visible. (I grade my own comics as harshly, so please don't be offended.)

Too much wear at top left corner (on the 40c #125) for more than 6.0 but still a handsome copy.

That's a GD- 1.8 for me, which liberates it from all earthly cares and allows you to enjoy it on the sofa with a cuppa in an insouciant manner.

I'm at 5.5 fine minus, since missing pieces of any size are not allowed at 6.0 The nicer the book the harder this type of damage affects grade and that's a pretty nice copy. Wihout the damage it would be a 7.0

With the tape, top staple issue and so many colour breaking stress areas on the front cover, plus general wear, it barely makes 4.0 and 3.5 is much more realistic.

Interest tails off for me pretty much past about issue 60.

Zzutak, you have eagle eyes! I revise my grade downwards I'm afraid. Strictly speaking with a blown or popped staple the highest grade that can be given is probably around a 4.0 but book presents much nicer. Comicvt, can you confirm the cover is off the bottom staple? It does look that way.

The ink mark won't have any bearing at all on the grade. None. I'm up around 8.0 to 8.5 with only the colour breaking stress along the very top edge of front cover holding it back. A wonder to behold, you lucky fella...thanks for sharing!

Buying from MCS is very stress free from my many experiences over the years. They grade in house, very often undergrading and pack well enough to survive pretty much anything. Relax, you're in safe hands!