DETECTIVE COMICS #27 found in attic

[Foolkiller]

I've also emailed with Todd, let's see if he responds -- laid out to him there essentially what I knew and asked him to contact the owner of Eide's. Let's see what happens and hope for the best. Also recommended he slab the book. But I know many others already advised him to do that.

[Pirate]

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..

 

Looks like alot of browning moderns, anything of note in collection?

[Scheradon]

Wow, now it's already hit my Yahoo news front page:

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071010/ap_on_re_us/batman_comic

 

I like the way they referred to it as "near mint".

 

I would have done a little due diligence before starting a public circus about the book. Now, if it turns out restored...well, can you say "egg on face"?

 

Hope it turns out well for him.

[The Black Hand ®]

I'm really curious as to how much he paid for that book. Say for instance that it's a vg/fine with cream to off white pages, how much would you expect a dealer to pay for it? What would Metropolis pay you for it?

[ft88]

The idea that Todd won't or doesn't plan on submitting the book to CGC is a huge red flag IMO. At the 1% rate it would cost anywhere from $1000 to $2000 dollars to CGC it, and a blue label would add real value to the book. I can appreciate the claim that "a true collector" keeps things raw, but at this level of dollars and unknown orgin of the book, it either needs to be submitted before the sale or contracted as part of the sale as guaranteed unrestored.

 

As mentioned before, this does not look good based on FK's comments so far.

[Mac Man]

The idea that Todd won't or doesn't plan on submitting the book to CGC is a huge red flag IMO. At the 1% rate it would cost anywhere from $1000 to $2000 dollars to CGC it, and a blue label would add real value to the book. I can appreciate the claim that "a true collector" keeps things raw, but at this level of dollars and unknown orgin of the book, it either needs to be submitted before the sale or contracted as part of the sale as guaranteed unrestored.

 

As mentioned before, this does not look good based on FK's comments so far.

 

I'm not a major proponent for slabbing books, but I think I'd have to agree with FT88 on this one. Buy it slabbed to avoid these headaches, then crack that slab!

[Scheradon]

The idea that Todd won't or doesn't plan on submitting the book to CGC is a huge red flag IMO. At the 1% rate it would cost anywhere from $1000 to $2000 dollars to CGC it, and a blue label would add real value to the book. I can appreciate the claim that "a true collector" keeps things raw, but at this level of dollars and unknown orgin of the book, it either needs to be submitted before the sale or contracted as part of the sale as guaranteed unrestored.

 

As mentioned before, this does not look good based on FK's comments so far.

 

I'd also have to think anyone willing to lay down the 6 figures it will take to buy this book from Todd, that they will require some sort of unrestored guarantee as part of the deal.

 

Heck, most of us buying $100 books won't pull the trigger with a dealer who doesn't offer that.

[october]

This story will not have a happy ending

 

Absolutely. This whole thing just reeks of BS. The forum jumps all over eBay scammers who claim they found a AF 15 in their attic, why is this story any different? The chances of someone randomly finding a single comic, and that comic being a Tec 27, is pretty much zero. I am surprised a full time dealer dealer fell for it. Now he won't send the book to CGC? Talk about warning bells...

[october]

Wow, now it's already hit my Yahoo news front page:

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071010/ap_on_re_us/batman_comic

 

I like the way they referred to it as "near mint".

 

I would have done a little due diligence before starting a public circus about the book. Now, if it turns out restored...well, can you say "egg on face"?

 

Hope it turns out well for him.

 

"It was a typical story of someone cleaning up junk in their attic and finding an old comic book and wondering if this was one of those ones that was worth a lot of money,"

 

ROFL! Yeah, the only thing "typical" about the story is that 99.999999% of the time the "old comic book" turns out to be a beat to hell Iron Man 78 or some other POS. Nothing "typical" about finding a single comic that turns out to be worth a quarter of a million dollars. If this book was on eBay with that story we would be screaming to high heaven.

[ft88]

And paratrooper brings up a good point that really hasn't been jumped on. Attics result in serious tan/brittle pages or deep brown "dust shadows". Basements often result in some sort of mositure damage, though not always and can be very nice storage conditions. Unless the attic was air conditioned for the majority or entire life of the book, it is doubtful it would survive in this shape. And the likelihood of the attic being airconditioned is slim to none. Most of the nicer issues like this and/or pedigrees had near perfect storage conditions in a dry basement or in a main room of the house (or in a museum as in the Curator Pedigree). Has there ever been a true attic find (and they exist) where the pages weren't tanning badly?

 

This is a picture I took shortly after purchasing a OO collection and I am pretty sure these were a true attic find. Notice the Lois Lane cover and the FF's with the tanning halo. How could the Tec 27 escape this affect?

 

[Comicdey]

And paratrooper brings up a good point that really hasn't been jumped on. Attics result in serious tan/brittle pages or deep brown "dust shadows". Basements often result in some sort of mositure damage, though not always and can be very nice storage conditions. Unless the attic was air conditioned for the majority or entire life of the book, it is doubtful it would survive in this shape. And the likelihood of the attic being airconditioned is slim to none. Most of the nicer issues like this and/or pedigrees had near perfect storage conditions in a dry basement or in a main room of the house (or in a museum as in the Curator Pedigree). Has there ever been a true attic find (and they exist) where the pages weren't tanning badly?

 

This is a picture I took shortly after purchasing a OO collection and I am pretty sure these were a true attic find. Notice the Lois Lane cover and the FF's with the tanning halo. How could the Tec 27 escape this affect?

 

 

Divad's tomatoe boxers....

[Ze-man]

This story will not have a happy ending

 

Absolutely. This whole thing just reeks of BS. The forum jumps all over eBay scammers who claim they found a AF 15 in their attic, why is this story any different? The chances of someone randomly finding a single comic, and that comic being a Tec 27, is pretty much zero. I am surprised a full time dealer dealer fell for it. Now he won't send the book to CGC? Talk about warning bells...

 

I agree Andy, did it strike anyone else as odd his comment about saving money since 1986 to buy a big comic if one appeared, exactly how much did he drop on that book?

 

I dunno, the whole thing just seems too weird to be true,(and yes I know sometimes the truth is stranger then fiction) but without knowing more its hard to really say for sure, which is why it's a shame he is choosing to not at least reply to Brian further. Even if Brian was way off in the points he brought up you would think he would want to discuss it at length with him, if only to dispel any rumors about his book.

 

Sorry but it sounds like he is putting his head in the sand and the damage control machine is in full swing, until he sells it to somebody who subs it to CGC that is.

 

Does this thread give happy endings?

 

 

Ze-

[codfish]

Has there ever been a true attic find (and they exist) where the pages weren't tanning badly?

 

Wasn't there a high grade Marvel Comics #1 discovered in the mid 70's in an attic? I would have to go searching through my Overstreet price guides again but this was big news back then. Of course I don't know if this was the "true" story but I never learned more about it in the ensuing years.

 

I doubt basement finds are that much better since they can often be cool and moist. I have seen pretty grotty books from both locations.

[Aman619]

there was an Action 1 found inside a LIFE Magazine way back when.

 

[ashrael]

The original seller's name didn't start with "E" and end with "wert" did it?

[Monstro]

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!

 

i don't know....sounds like your grasping for straws. and i mean that seriously.

[Monstro]

this statement, " 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."

 

 

it seems to me anyone with internet access could find any or all of that information in 5 minutes.

 

[divad]

All good points, but all attics and basements are not created equal . . .

And paratrooper brings up a good point that really hasn't been jumped on. Attics result in serious tan/brittle pages or deep brown "dust shadows". Basements often result in some sort of mositure damage, though not always and can be very nice storage conditions. Unless the attic was air conditioned for the majority or entire life of the book, it is doubtful it would survive in this shape. And the likelihood of the attic being airconditioned is slim to none. Most of the nicer issues like this and/or pedigrees had near perfect storage conditions in a dry basement or in a main room of the house (or in a museum as in the Curator Pedigree). Has there ever been a true attic find (and they exist) where the pages weren't tanning badly?

 

This is a picture I took shortly after purchasing a OO collection and I am pretty sure these were a true attic find. Notice the Lois Lane cover and the FF's with the tanning halo. How could the Tec 27 escape this affect?

 

[divad]

Divad's tomato boxers....

 

Were kept in a ground floor closet in my Mom and Dad's split level . . . thank you very much.

[Big Daddy]

For the kind of money dropped on that book you'd think he would have flown himself and the seller to CGC in Florida to do a walk thru inspection. If the seller said no you know something is up. For that kind of dough you'd be willing to make time in your schedule. Unless of course the buyer knows it was restred and got it for a fraction of what the seller wanted. If not I have a bridge I'd love to sell you, you can trust me I wouldn't screw ya.