I made a big trade at the local con this weekend

[CosmicBob]

I traded all the stuff I brought for:

 

http://www.avalonconsulting.biz/comics/images/supes001050a.jpg

 

http://www.avalonconsulting.biz/comics/images/supes001050b.jpg

 

It's got a bunch of restoration (EP - color touch, tear seals, cleaned and pressed, some stuff added). I've always dreamed of getting this comic, so I don't really care too much. It grades a 5.0, but has very good eye appeal. What do y'all think based on this scan?

 

A bigger scan reveals a lot of the restoration, like the pressing and some color touch. I always thought that the "Apparent" part of the grade was supposed to be what the thing looks like including all the restoration. I would guess this to look a 7.0, maybe 8.0. Dunno though.

 

I got it from Graham Cracker Comics. Traded 12 long boxes of modern [!@#%^&^] and about $12,000 worth of CGC stuff for it. I know I paid too much (he had it marked at $18,500!), based on historical Heritage sales, but it's a comic I always wanted.

 

It's very unnerving walking around a convention floor carrying a comic like that in a little plastic bag. Fortunately, it's now safely in the bank and I have these lovely scans to remind me of it.

 

So now, I basically have nothing left to sell and need to work on getting Superman 2 through 149 to complete the Supes run.

[BachelorOfComix]

Sweet! Nice pick-up. Restored or not, most of us can only dream of owning a Key like that.

[Aces]

 

Our local comicon is next Sunday.

 

I hope to do some trades too (on a much, much smaller scale).

 

Got to find a GVG FF 12 and maybe a Good FF 2 ...

[garthgantu]

That's a beee-yootiful book, Bob - I'm jealous! I'm also convinced that it won't be long before even extensively restored copies of GA keys like this are selling for a much higher % of guide, simply because they're nearly unavailable in mid-/high-grade. I'd say that looks like a solid F/VF 7.0 ...but you might want to take a couple of slices of Wonder Bread to it and bump it up to an 8.0 !

[CosmicBob]

I'm not planning on selling it any time soon, so I'm not going to pay the 2.5% Walkthrough fee for a regrade.

 

But I imagine it will be sold at some point, like when I kack. It's not like I'll be upgrading this puppy!

[supapimp]

what were the 12K CGC books included in the trade, nice book BTW.

[BachelorOfComix]

I've never seen the backcover before. What a striking image.

 

[TomG]

Nice copy. The back cover of Superman #1 and Batman #1 both were designed for kids to cut off the comics and hang on their walls.

 

Tom

[davidpg]

That is totally awesome...good for you!

[OldGuy]

That looks nothing like Chris Reeves. It must be a fake.

[shiverbones]

wow! what a super book! ooops....bad pun congrats!!!!

[Timely]

Excellent eye appeal!

 

Timely

[SilverAgeGuy]

Wow! Very cool.

[drbanner]

I'm psyched for you! Serious book there with great eye appeal, and I don't see any frankensteinish resto apparent from the scans...

[fantastic_four]

Something keeps whispering in the back of my mind that when my Marvel runs and upgrading have slowed down, that I'll end up trying to collect Superman and/or Batman. So, to bring that back-of-the-mind whisper to the front for a second--I'M VERY JEALOUS!

[ghoulaid]

Congratulations! What a wonderful book to own. It has great eye appeal and I think the back cover of yours looks a little better than mine. I'm sure this is giving you a tremendous sense of satisfaction. Cool!

[fantastic_four]

Anybody heard a rough estimate for how many of this one are still in existence? It's not under 50 like for Detective 27 and Action 1 is it?

[ghoulaid]

I'll take a stab at guessing around 350-400 copies exist. Certainly much more common than Action #1 or Tec #27. It's really hard to guess how many copies exist of any GA comic with any accuracy. Gerber made a bold first attempt at it with his rarity scale. Folks like Metropolis would probably have a better idea than me. You just never know how rare some books are.

[uluru]

Wow! cool

[Warlord]

 

Congrats!

 

The Apparent condition looks much higher than 5. What are we missing? I'd have thought a higher number than anyone has guessed... maybe 8.5 or 9.

 

But you haven't mentioned, is this a 1st print or 2nd or 3rd? Or is it a mystery?

 

Superman #1 printing differences

 

But you'd have to free it to find out!

 

"Superman #1, on its last interior page (not the inside back cover), bore a house ad for Action Comics #14. MicroColor's microfiche copy of Superman #1 advertised Action Comics #14 as being 'Now on Sale'. For some reason, I decided to compare the page with its reprints in Famous First Edition #C-61, and in Superman Archives Vol. 1. Both of those reprints said that Action Comics #14 would be 'On Sale June 2nd'."

 

"I think the most supportable statement we can make is that a copy with "Now on Sale" is definitely NOT a first printing, and that a copy with "On Sale June 2nd" is definitely NOT a third printing.

 

My understanding of this statement is an "On sale June 2nd" version would be a 1st or (maybe) 2nd printing."