Bronze-Age Spideys 12 12

[Webhead2018]

What folded subscription?

[Spider-Variant]

On 12/3/2022 at 8:45 AM, Webhead2018 said:

What folded subscription?

Marvel used to mail the subscription issues such that they could be folded to fit into mail boxes.

The result was the heavy crease down the center of the book, like this ASM 50.

When I had a subscription in the Bronze Age, the subscription books were mailed with a brown wrapper around it, but open at the ends.  No carboard, just the wrapper which had your mailing address on it.  I didn't have any creases, just blunt corners.  

[sledgehammer]

If I remember right, they started mailing them flat at the time that they started noting it in the ads for subscriptions.

I never thought about getting a subscription, because I had seen that damage on back issues a few years before.

I think it was a copy of #55. It was something I couldn't deal with on my comics.

They must have finally gotten enough bad feedback to finally care.

[MGsimba77]

So it was either a big subscription crease or mangled up corners with these copies back then. Or maybe both. If you had one of those small mail slots where everything gets jammed in it must've been a death sentence for these poor books 😱. I can't imagine people ordered these with high expectations back in the day. 

Edited December 4, 2022 by MGsimba77

[MGsimba77]

[Spider-Variant]

On 12/4/2022 at 12:35 PM, MGsimba77 said:

So it was either a big subscription crease or mangled up corners with these copies back then. Or maybe both. If you had one of those small mail slots where everything gets jammed in it must've been a death sentence for these poor books 😱. I can't imagine people ordered these with high expectations back in the day. 

Well, for me, subscriptions meant never missing an issue.  But once I got serious about collecting, it was game over for subscriptions.  

[NP_Gresham]

On 12/4/2022 at 7:27 PM, Spider-Variant said:

Well, for me, subscriptions meant never missing an issue.  But once I got serious about collecting, it was game over for subscriptions.  

That was it. I had a missing Hulk #200 and MTU #52 because of newsstand issues.

The gap bothered me no end. Sooo, it was damaged corners.

[Morganmi]

On 12/4/2022 at 3:35 PM, MGsimba77 said:

So it was either a big subscription crease or mangled up corners with these copies back then. Or maybe both. If you had one of those small mail slots where everything gets jammed in it must've been a death sentence for these poor books 😱. I can't imagine people ordered these with high expectations back in the 

Subscriptions were at least reliable. Newstands were not and in non urban areas it could be hard to find all the books you wanted. 

Also the newstand racks themselves caused plenty of damage if you didn't get them when they were first put out. 

[Morganmi]

On 12/3/2022 at 3:19 PM, Spider-Variant said:

Marvel used to mail the subscription issues such that they could be folded to fit into mail boxes.

The result was the heavy crease down the center of the book, like this ASM 50.

When I had a subscription in the Bronze Age, the subscription books were mailed with a brown wrapper around it, but open at the ends.  No carboard, just the wrapper which had your mailing address on it.  I didn't have any creases, just blunt corners.  

I have the next issue of this subscription.

[ThothAmon]

Romita inks on Romita pencils. Pretty sweet. 
 

[Spider-Variant]

On 12/7/2022 at 8:23 AM, ThothAmon said:

Romita inks on Romita pencils. Pretty sweet. 
 

I always thought that Spidey's head looked a little Ditkoesque on this cover.  Second Spidey I ever owned.

[NP_Gresham]

A couple of auction wins. Especially happy to get a nice raw copy of 149. Since Marvel ret-conned this into a Ben Reilly first appearance it has been slabbed more than most other books. So happy to get my raw copy without cracking a slab to do it

[MattTheDuck]

A few Spidey upgrades in today's mail from @drbanner

 

[ThothAmon]

Time to stop buying. 
 

[NP_Gresham]

On 12/17/2022 at 11:58 AM, ThothAmon said:

Time to stop buying. 
 

Nope, buy more of those books!!!

Nice pairing

[ThothAmon]

[sledgehammer]

150 was the first month's book I ever saw in a comic shop ( Joe Sarno on Lawrence Ave.)

I still hadn't found 149 at the newsstand.

I still remember the cool glass early century storefront, with all the new books mounted to see from outside.

[Spider-Variant]

On 12/18/2022 at 10:54 AM, sledgehammer said:

150 was the first month's book I ever saw in a comic shop ( Joe Sarno on Lawrence Ave.)

I still hadn't found 149 at the newsstand.

I still remember the cool glass early century storefront, with all the new books mounted to see from outside.

I remember my older brother and I buying two copies of ASM 150 off the stands back in the day because he knew it was going to be a collector's item, lol.  He was only 150 issues off.

[sledgehammer]

Before Joe moved, the address was 3816 W Lawrence Ave in Chicago. I remember him moving to the north side of Lawrence, and then to Irving Park Rd eventually.

Building has not been changed, and it's on google street view. Boarded up.

When they built it, storefront was steel. The storefront at 3818, next door has been changed to aluminum.

Whenever I see the "still .25 cents", and "30 cent" covers, it takes me back there.

The wonder, at 11 years old, of walking in to a store devoted to comics, is something  that has faded, but it was just very, very cool.

[MGsimba77]

I put these off for so long! Took some time but was able to find a 98 in WP that was decently wrapped. Happy new year!