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DETECTIVE COMICS #27 found in attic

Started by Fan4Fan,

1,415 posts in this topic

comicdonna

comicdonna

Posted
Posted
I wouldn't be suprised if it was the real deal (unrestored) I would tuck the extra paper inside the book and submit it that way. CGC wouldn't slab it with the extra paper hanging over the edge of the book, and they wouldn't tuck it inside themselves.

 

It should already be tucked in, any extra bit's sticking out wouldn't of survived the printing press trimming in the first instance.

 

I was just going by the scan I saw of the book earlier in the thread. It was hanging out what looks to be for quite some time judging from the color of the paper.
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Foolkiller

Foolkiller

Posted
Posted

Guys,

 

Here's what I know, I was hoping to try and help Todd out by putting him on notice and hopefully giving him a chance to get to the original seller. The problem is, once the book is sold, the buyer will likely get it graded. If it comes back restored (as I think it might) then they try and return it to Todd. Todd then either honors the return or doesn't. Assuming he does, the original buyer may have disappeared or will refuse to take the book back saying you are the comics professional not me, and I didn't think it was restored.

 

The book was indeed at Tyson's Corner... book was shown by Todd around at the Tyson's show, so there's not two Tec 27s out there. The dealer I spoke to confirmed it was there and that it did look a little "small" but that was not a long inspection.

 

This is the same book as shopped to Eide's... also confirmed. Their opinion is that they thought it was trimmed. Especially in light of some of the other "inconsistencies" that existed with the story the seller was telling like, I found these in my great grandfather's attic and these are original owner. Don't know about comics, but asked $400k for the group. The other books in the lot shown to Eide's -- many were very obviously trimmed being noticeably smaller.

 

So here's what we have: collection of books brought in Pittsburgh to Eides. Some trimmed, some not. Many very noticeably. The seller is there with his wife/girlfriend. Eides says, these might be trimmed... value is decreased. Girl asks, what's trimming? Supposedly novice seller goes on to explain exactly what trimming is, how it's done and how it affects value. Then asks $400k for the lot, saying the Tec 27 is a $200k book. Eides passes on collection.

 

Todd McDevitt, local to Pittsburgh/Western PA is offered Tec 27, not the other more obviously trimmed books (can't confrim solo book). Based on the Newsarama story, it appears that there were two people who came into sell the book to him. They know the value, give another attic story. Todd buys the book. Brings it to Tyson's... where probably other dealers saw it. Todd is not a specialist in HG or vintage material, so it's possible he missed this when it was originally purchased.

 

I am hopeful that this information will at least reach other people. If it is unrestored, terrific, and I hope for the best for Todd, and truly hope that is the case. But if you look at what I've state above, you can see knowing this information why I might be a little bit alarmed.

 

Best thing to do is at least let CGC look at it. This is why they exist!

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JohnT

JohnT

Posted
Posted
Guys,

 

Here's what I know, I was hoping to try and help Todd out by putting him on notice and hopefully giving him a chance to get to the original seller. The problem is, once the book is sold, the buyer will likely get it graded. If it comes back restored (as I think it might) then they try and return it to Todd. Todd then either honors the return or doesn't. Assuming he does, the original buyer may have disappeared or will refuse to take the book back saying you are the comics professional not me, and I didn't think it was restored.

 

The book was indeed at Tyson's Corner... book was shown by Todd around at the Tyson's show, so there's not two Tec 27s out there. The dealer I spoke to confirmed it was there and that it did look a little "small" but that was not a long inspection.

 

This is the same book as shopped to Eide's... also confirmed. Their opinion is that they thought it was trimmed. Especially in light of some of the other "inconsistencies" that existed with the story the seller was telling like, I found these in my great grandfather's attic and these are original owner. Don't know about comics, but asked $400k for the group. The other books in the lot shown to Eide's -- many were very obviously trimmed being noticeably smaller.

 

So here's what we have: collection of books brought in Pittsburgh to Eides. Some trimmed, some not. Many very noticeably. The seller is there with his wife/girlfriend. Eides says, these might be trimmed... value is decreased. Girl asks, what's trimming? Supposedly novice seller goes on to explain exactly what trimming is, how it's done and how it affects value. Then asks $400k for the lot, saying the Tec 27 is a $200k book. Eides passes on collection.

 

Todd McDevitt, local to Pittsburgh/Western PA is offered Tec 27, not the other more obviously trimmed books (can't confrim solo book). Based on the Newsarama story, it appears that there were two people who came into sell the book to him. They know the value, give another attic story. Todd buys the book. Brings it to Tyson's... where probably other dealers saw it. Todd is not a specialist in HG or vintage material, so it's possible he missed this when it was originally purchased.

 

I am hopeful that this information will at least reach other people. If it is unrestored, terrific, and I hope for the best for Todd, and truly hope that is the case. But if you look at what I've state above, you can see knowing this information why I might be a little bit alarmed.

 

Best thing to do is at least let CGC look at it. This is why they exist!

 

Thanks for the updates, Foolkiller. All very interesting.

 

The big question I'd like an answer to is where these books came from in the first place.

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Moondog

Moondog

Posted
Posted
He also found (maybe 5 years ago) an All-American 16, same kind of deal. I'm sure the story is legit. He's in western PA, where people have lived in the same house for 70 years.

 

How true, Dan.

 

I've known Todd for 15 years. Very nice guy. Ambitious. Hard working and smart. I saw a little of myself in the guy when we first met in the early 90s and we became friends.

 

I run into him this summer at the Chicago show after dinner one evening and he's with a friend hanging out in front of the Sofitel. I sit down and have a drink with them to catch up on things and Todd's friend said he's a dealer/collector in the PA. He then goes on to tell me that when he was a young collector he actually attended the auction of the remaining books that did not make it into the Windy City collection! Other than Dave Anderson, this fellow was the only person I've met who attended that auction!

 

The Windy City collection was found in Uniontown, PA and the whole story is in the upcoming pedigrees book.

 

Congrats to Todd. He's earned this one (if indeed it's a legit deal).

 

Pennsylvania! What a state for old comics!

 

Allentown. Uniontown. And obviously a lot more! :cloud9:

 

 

 

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jools&jim

jools&jim

Posted
Posted

Assuming Foolkiller is onto something here, what I don't understand about all of this is how the guy who sold it to New Dimension and shopped it to Eides can be a completely unknown commodity in the hobby, especially these days, with a book/collection like that in his possession (unless he's brokering it for somebody else, which I guess is a possibility).

 

I was lucky to have the opportunity to observe the show circuit from the inside with some VERY knowledgeable dealers and collectors back in the pre-eBay/internet days, and what always amazed me was how quickly information travelled: everyone seemed to know everyone else's business, especially when it came to the big books, big collectors, and big money. So if this copy has been restored/trimmed/whatever, then odds are good that it's been IN the hobby at some point, so it follows that somebody else in the hobby knows about it, knows where it came from, and knows the whole and true story...

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maxstuf

maxstuf

Posted
Posted
He also found (maybe 5 years ago) an All-American 16, same kind of deal. I'm sure the story is legit. He's in western PA, where people have lived in the same house for 70 years.

 

How true, Dan.

 

I've known Todd for 15 years. Very nice guy. Ambitious. Hard working and smart. I saw a little of myself in the guy when we first met in the early 90s and we became friends.

 

I run into him this summer at the Chicago show after dinner one evening and he's with a friend hanging out in front of the Sofitel. I sit down and have a drink with them to catch up on things and Todd's friend said he's a dealer/collector in the PA. He then goes on to tell me that when he was a young collector he actually attended the auction of the remaining books that did not make it into the Windy City collection! Other than Dave Anderson, this fellow was the only person I've met who attended that auction!

 

The Windy City collection was found in Uniontown, PA and the whole story is in the upcoming pedigrees book.

 

Congrats to Todd. He's earned this one (if indeed it's a legit deal).

 

Pennsylvania! What a state for old comics!

 

Allentown. Uniontown. And obviously a lot more! :cloud9:

 

 

 

While the collection I went to Pennsylvania for is not in the same vien as those you mentioned Gary, I thought I would still post these pics so folks could see what you sometimes get yourself into when traveling to buy a collection. There were about 400 boxes of comics total in this basement.....

 

The last 2 pics were the guys office........

 

Hope you enjoy these.

Dscn1267a.jpg

Dscn1273a.jpg

Dscn1296a.jpg

Dscn1297a.jpg

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Moondog

Moondog

Posted
Posted
He also found (maybe 5 years ago) an All-American 16, same kind of deal. I'm sure the story is legit. He's in western PA, where people have lived in the same house for 70 years.

 

How true, Dan.

 

I've known Todd for 15 years. Very nice guy. Ambitious. Hard working and smart. I saw a little of myself in the guy when we first met in the early 90s and we became friends.

 

I run into him this summer at the Chicago show after dinner one evening and he's with a friend hanging out in front of the Sofitel. I sit down and have a drink with them to catch up on things and Todd's friend said he's a dealer/collector in the PA. He then goes on to tell me that when he was a young collector he actually attended the auction of the remaining books that did not make it into the Windy City collection! Other than Dave Anderson, this fellow was the only person I've met who attended that auction!

 

The Windy City collection was found in Uniontown, PA and the whole story is in the upcoming pedigrees book.

 

Congrats to Todd. He's earned this one (if indeed it's a legit deal).

 

Pennsylvania! What a state for old comics!

 

Allentown. Uniontown. And obviously a lot more! :cloud9:

 

 

 

While the collection I went to Pennsylvania for is not in the same vien as those you mentioned Gary, I thought I would still post these pics so folks could see what you sometimes get yourself into when traveling to buy a collection. There were about 400 boxes of comics total in this basement.....

 

The last 2 pics were the guys office........

 

Hope you enjoy these.

Dscn1267a.jpg

Dscn1273a.jpg

Dscn1296a.jpg

Dscn1297a.jpg

 

 

:o

 

What the heck is that sheet metal thingee with the holes in it?

 

Did you rent a truck, Max?

 

 

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maxstuf

maxstuf

Posted
Posted

Gary, I did rent a truck. My wife and I packed out the basement over 3 days and loaded the truck. It was snowy there and and I had to hand carry every box out this side door of the basement and up and over a pretty steep embankment to reach the truck. It was about 150 feet or more to the truck after I was out of the basement. Carrying all the boxes that far over partially frozen and slippery ground was a real adventure. My wife did the packing and I did the carrying. There was really no heat in that basement other than a space heater, and we did not trust that thing, So we did it in the cold.

The family of the original owner, then deceased, were wonderful and kept us stocked with warm coffee. The lady was a real gem. The collection had been her husbands and he had died in a car wreck some time earlier. As I remember it was almost 4 years earlier.

 

I still have not went through all those boxes yet. Maybe someday soon. Or not..

 

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Moondog

Moondog

Posted
Posted

How long ago did you do the deal? I've never been able to pull the trigger on a collection of this size. Probably because of the amount of work to process them properly.

 

And the physical labor involved sounded daunting!

 

So what was the sheet metal thingee with the holes in it? Did you get that too?

 

:)

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Ze-man

Ze-man

Posted
Posted

Hi Gary, you obviously know Todd and his comic resume

 

Question:What is your take on why he has not at least talked with Brian about the possibility of shenanigans surrounding his transaction? What safeguards did he take to protect his investment?, Who looked at the book?

 

I am still trying to wrap my brain around this entire Tec #27 situation.. but unfortunately I dont have enough facts. And if they are none of my beeswax then I can respect that.

 

Would love to hear your thoughts about the issues Brian raised.

 

The ever lovin

 

Ze-

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Catman-migration

Catman-migration

Posted
Posted

Todd was not the one who had the book at the Tysons show on Sunday, unless he gave it to another dealer to show around. John Haines had the book at Tysons. However, from talking to John I got the impression he had just picked up the book from the original owner. I could be wrong though.

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Foolkiller

Foolkiller

Posted
Posted
Todd was not the one who had the book at the Tysons show on Sunday, unless he gave it to another dealer to show around. John Haines had the book at Tysons. However, from talking to John I got the impression he had just picked up the book from the original owner. I could be wrong though.

 

I already knew John Haines had the book, but it was Todd who asked this other dealer to look at it. Haines is not the buyer, unless he co owns it with Todd.

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