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Stolen Avengers #1 (splash) found at a garage sale

Started by Stronguy,

38 posts in this topic

vodou

vodou

Posted
Posted
Well known musician JD, KH, or GD?

 

This tale proves fact IS stranger than fiction. Similar to last year's lost/hidden/recreated Norman Rockwell tale.

 

Pretty sure these pieces are out of Danzig's collection.

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tth2

tth2

Posted
Posted
Was it stolen in luggage or out from under someone's nose while they were waiting for a plane?

 

Well known musician JD, KH, or GD?

Is well known musician GN completely out of comics and OA?

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clemso

clemso

Posted
Posted

 

Strange Tales 101 does exist as this was part of Tony Christopher's collection. I've seen a ST 115 (torch story) page on ebay recently (must be broken up)

I believe Tony had Avengers 1 complete minus 1 page. The Avengers 1 splash was used as part payment to a dealer for brokering the TC deal. Tony I believe bought both Jack Kirby and Ayers share of the returned book. A great deal of the Avengers 1 interiors pages that I have seen are signed by Jack.

 

The Avengers 1 splash is one ugly mf of a page and I recommend that that the big portrait of Loki's mugshot be sold to me for the $15-20K valuation mention earlier.

 

Clem...

 

I wasn't sure from the thread if people thought this was stolen from Marvel (back in the days) or more recently. In seeing the Avengers #1 splash, I have to assume it was stolen more recently.

 

Maybe my memory is failing me (every day that goes by, I'm getting older), but I thought the Avengers #1 splash was part of the Tony Christopher collection and, when the collection was sold, that splash went to one of the dealers involved with the deal. If all I remember is true, it would be odd to see it surface at a garage sale.

 

Additionally, if it's the same page I remember (and I seem to remember seeing it in person), the page had been professionally "cleaned" as some other early Marvel pages were to make the paper look really white.

 

As far as current value, I'd estimate $40k (more if it were cash + trade). The Kirby market is hot and regular Thor splashes are being priced in the $20k+ realm these days. Although it may not be the best piece Kirby & Ayers ever produced, it is a #1. As others mentioned, that counts for something! There aren't many other splashes from Marvel keys that have surfaced. As far as the Silver Age keys, here's my knowledge of what's out there (someone please correct me if I've incorrectly listed something):

 

AF #15 - Hasn't Surfaced

ASM #1 - Hasn't Surfaced

DD #1 - Splash doesn't exist (statted off cover?)

FF#1 - Hasn't Surfaced

FF #4 - Hasn't Surfaced

FF #5 - Primary splash was restored (top 1/3 was torn off); Chapter splashes exist

Hulk #1 - Hasn't Surfaced

JIM #83 - Exists and is broken up

JIM #85 - Exists and is broken up

Sgt. Fury #1 - Hasn't Surfaced

ST #101 - ?

ST #110 - Hasn't Surfaced

ST #115 - Hasn't Surfaced

TOS #39 - Exists, but hasn't been broken up

TTA #27 - Exists, but hasn't been broken up

TTA #35 -?

X-Men #1 - Has been complete (not sure if it will stay that way)

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TupennyConan

TupennyConan

Posted
Posted

Danzig's "Black Line Fever"...?

 

And that Rockwell was so obviously not the original that I am shocked the art world was so shocked to "discover" the fraud.

 

 

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fanfourforever

fanfourforever

Posted
Posted

Pretty sure these pieces are out of Danzig's collection.

 

Hope you're not planning on becoming a psychic or wagering a lot of money in Vegas anytime soon.

 

Well I heard JB sold it to MR who then traded it to YB for XXX amount in cash and 2 splash pages from books I cannot reveal at this time. Do you think BG and TM would be interested in this story? Because LR called me today and told me a completely different story. I guess only MR and RL would know for sure.

 

TJM

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TupennyConan

TupennyConan

Posted
Posted

Pretty sure these pieces are out of Danzig's collection.

 

Hope you're not planning on becoming a psychic or wagering a lot of money in Vegas anytime soon.

 

Well I heard JB sold it to MR who then traded it to YB for XXX amount in cash and 2 splash pages from books I cannot reveal at this time. Do you think BG and TM would be interested in this story? Because LR called me today and told me a completely different story. I guess only MR and RL would know for sure.

 

TJM

 

Yes & No.

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Crowzilla

Crowzilla

Posted
Posted

This case went to court yesterday and after losing on every way possible before the judge in trying to claim the stolen artwork as their own, the thieves actually asked if they could at least be granted attorney's fees and collect the reward money that had been offered for the artwork. The judge laughed.

 

So the art was returned to the owner and then immediately sold in a private sale, it will NOT be placed for sale with Heritage (unless the new owner does so in the future).

 

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Nexus

Nexus

Posted
Posted
This case went to court yesterday and after losing on every way possible before the judge in trying to claim the stolen artwork as their own, the thieves actually asked if they could at least be granted attorney's fees and collect the reward money that had been offered for the artwork. The judge laughed.

 

So the art was returned to the owner and then immediately sold in a private sale, it will NOT be placed for sale with Heritage (unless the new owner does so in the future).

 

Thanks for the update! Was wondering what the outcome would be. Were any criminal charges brought against the family that "found" the artwork? Wonder if they repeated that garage sale story in court...

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Stronguy

Stronguy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
This case went to court yesterday and after losing on every way possible before the judge in trying to claim the stolen artwork as their own, the thieves actually asked if they could at least be granted attorney's fees and collect the reward money that had been offered for the artwork. The judge laughed.

 

So the art was returned to the owner and then immediately sold in a private sale, it will NOT be placed for sale with Heritage (unless the new owner does so in the future).

 

So who is being branded the thiefs? Is it the guy and his wife that took it to Heritage or is it someone else?

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Crowzilla

Crowzilla

Posted
Posted

Thieves is probably a strong word - let's say the people who were found in possession of stolen artwork.

 

They were offered a reward at first, declined to go to court and try to win it that way. The people they claimed had the garage sale submitted an affidavit denying they had one, the exact contents were described in a police report at DFW, and the poster was still in the original mylar I had shipped it in. It was kind of comical that they asked for attorney's fees after losing and being denied that they asked if they could still claim the reward.

I don't think the judge was impressed.

 

And no, the OO's name never became public knowledge, his agent appeared in court for him.

 

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adamstrange

adamstrange

Posted
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It's good to hear that justice prevailed in a reasonably timely manner.

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