Marvel Comics #1 PR 0.5

[ecfanman]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=715&item=3246506636

 

How bad do the "brittle pages" have to be for this book to get a grade of 0.5? If anything was missing, wouldn't they mention it on the label?

 

Prettiest looking "Poor" Marvel Comics #1 that someone is going to find, but I would dread ever taking it out of the slab.

 

ECFANMAN

[jonnydouble]

You would have to assume that anything missing would be listed on the label ...I've never seen a book with brittle pages before,....they must crumble to the touch,...plus it's a November copy...I think this was a second printing.......aren't the October copies supposed to be more valuable?

 

J.D.

[Perry-migration]

Based on the overall appearance of the book (way better than Fair), one can safely assume that the interior pages must be a disaster in waiting. Like a land-mine, just waiting for a read through like the library books on the shelf in 800,000 AD in the Time Machine!

 

CGC must have handled it in the grading like they were handling explosives. Timely pages tend to darken and brittle far more easily than DC pages. I've got my share of Timelys that have brittle pages and it's always an adventure just changing a bag or Mylar at times, not to break off pieces of the book that have become lifeless and completely dried out.

[supapimp]

that .05 has excellent eye appeal.

[ecfanman]

If you want to talk brittle pages, you should try collecting pulps.

 

Typically when I have had brittle comics, the covers aren't in as nice of shape as this Marvel #1. Usually if the inside pages are brittle, the cover is chipping. I've had exceptions, though.

 

Sometimes the covers are on different paper stock and while the interior pages are brittle, the cover is "okay". Depending on the PQ of the cover, this might be a great opportunity for someone with a coverless copy to get a cover for their book.

 

But without knowing how "brittle" the cover and insides are, it seems to me to be a big risk to buy this in the slab.

 

ECFANMAN

[1962]

If the pages are that bad to merit a Poor grade I feel sorry for anyone who wins the auction. This book could make for a horrible lesson in "Hot Potato". What is the value of any book that has brittle pages since at that point the book is on its deathbed.

[comicmankev]

Reserve not met! I say let metropolis sit on it for a couple of weeks and when the wind blows up in New York then the internals of the case will be dust!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just a thought

[dam60]

I saw that book in person about two weeks ago - stunning eye appeal for a 0.5; I couldn't tell why it graded so low unless the pages are a complete mess . . .

 

DAM

[metropoliscomics]

For the record, the brittleness of this book is at the spine. There are no pieces missing from the interior pages. The exterior edges of the pages DO NOT have chipping. What CGC graded it is what CGC graded. They are more than entitled to their opinion. On a book like this collectors have to make up their own mind.

[CosmicBob]

If you want to talk brittle pages, you should try collecting pulps.

 

Typically when I have had brittle comics, the covers aren't in as nice of shape as this Marvel #1. Usually if the inside pages are brittle, the cover is chipping. I've had exceptions, though.

 

Sometimes the covers are on different paper stock and while the interior pages are brittle, the cover is "okay". Depending on the PQ of the cover, this might be a great opportunity for someone with a coverless copy to get a cover for their book.

 

But without knowing how "brittle" the cover and insides are, it seems to me to be a big risk to buy this in the slab.

 

ECFANMAN

 

I have a question about Golden Age pages. The Superman #1 I just got has C-OW as page quality. I am wondering how long it might last? I plan to keep it in the slab and store it in a safe deposit box, so it will be in the dark and mostly climate controlled. What's the life expectancy of a comic like that with CO-OW pages?

 

Thanks!

[metropoliscomics]

The best conditions for storage, regarding page quality, are low humidity but more importantly, consistent humidity. Wide humidity fluctuations are not ideal.

[stagedoorjohnny]

 

What % would you consider humidity too high?

[garthgantu]

For the record, the brittleness of this book is at the spine. There are no pieces missing from the interior pages. The exterior edges of the pages DO NOT have chipping. What CGC graded it is what CGC graded. They are more than entitled to their opinion. On a book like this collectors have to make up their own mind.

 

I disagree vehemently...!!! CGC is NOT, I repeat NOT "*more* than entitled to their opinion." They're entitled to their opinion and that's it!

 

Clearly, Metropolis should be disappointed with this grade, especially if the brittleness is limited to the spine. Maybe it's soooo brittle at the spine that CGC basically couldn't open the book more than a couple of inches, and therefore was skittish about giving it a higher grade?

 

Also interesting, this seems to really fly in the face of the notion that for the most part, CGC determines grade and PQ separately. This seems to be a case where page quality dictated the overall grade of the book to a very significant degree. I mean, this looks a whole lot better than the VG- 3.5 Batman 1 in another current thread...

[Perry-migration]

JonnyD: "aren't the October's more valuable?"

 

Is this the unwritten or proven "law" on the Marvel 1? I've often wondered about this, but came to no definitive conclusion. Can anyone offer some sound logic on this issue, either way? Timely, Sean, Metro, etc.

[jonnydouble]

exert from Matt Nelson's article on Marvel #1 vs. Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1.....

 

 

In the making of Marvel #1 the art studio was Funnies, Incorporated, headed by Lloyd Jaquet, and the publisher was Timely Publications, headed by Martin Goodman. The contributing artists included Bill Everett (Sub-Mariner), Carl Burgos (Human Torch) and Paul Gustavson (Angel). The copyright was submitted in June 1939 and payments were made to the artists in late July 1939. Marvel #1 was officially published on August 31,1939 and copies reached the stands around September 15. 1939 (the arrival date on the Mile High copy). Also in September, the Library of Congress received copies of Marvel #1 and Marvel Mystery #2 (There is some speculation Marvel #1 was never copyrighted simply because of the title change to Marvel Mystery Comics with issue #2). The copies of Marvel #1 on the newsstand that month (and those in the Library of Congress) had a cover date of November, yet some copies exist with a cover date of October. These October issues were probably printed some time in August and distributed to a few test markets. After this, the October date was covered with a black circle and a second, larger print run was made in September.

 

 

If the October weer only distributed to a few test markets it would lead you to conclude that they were more limited than the November newsstand issue, therefore fewer in number and logically rarer.

 

 

JMHO

 

J.D.

 

 

[Thegoldenage]

I was recently speaking to a senior grader at CGC regarding a 1.0 Action Comics 1 with brittle pages that I was considering buying. He reported that for a book to receive the notation "brittle pages" the entire contents have to be brittle. Not just the spine, and not just the corners or an edge. I can understand slabbing the Marvel Comics 1. With pages that bad, it is better to sell the book without letting anyone peruse the interior. Metropolis would probably be better off de-slabbing the book and putting it in a mylar. Brittle pages is a kiss of death.

[Perry-migration]

[Perry-migration]

Possibly more advantageous from a marketing standpoint but it still wouldn't make the pages any less brittle to deslab it and stick it in a mylar, thereby exposing it to further handling and possible serious deterioration. It's not like this book is without a clear identifyer (the stain on the back cover).

 

I tend to lend more creedence to Metropolis' assessment that the majority of brittleness is at the interior page spine area. I looked at a pile of Harveys from the warehouse find in a moment of madness that seemed to have this feature (darkened interior pages but the severity of the brittleness in the spine areas).

 

Does anyone have any info on how CGC graded these? They looked like glossy, undistributed books but with very dark pages and what looked like cracks or fissures starting to form on interior pages and some of the covers themselves at the spine.

[Timely]

I do not believe there is a price difference in the October vs. November issues of Marvel #1, at least not in the past. There have also never been price differences between the different print versions of Batman #1 or Superman #1. Considering that titles like Superman & Batman had dates of Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall rather than months does suggest there may be 1st, 2nd and 3rd printings of each issue in every title, assuming more issues needed to be printed.

And really, what's the difference? A Superman #1 is a Superman #1. This is not like coins where each mint mark is different, changing the value by hundred's of thousands of dollars. IE: CC= Carson City Mint; D= Denver Mint: S= San Fransisco Mint.

 

Timely

 

PS I have a Novenber copy of Marvel #1, now I need an October copy to finish my collection. Would $10,000,000.00 be enough to aquire one? My November copy is only worth $100,000.00! Bummer!

[Shield]

PS I have a Novenber copy of Marvel #1, now I need an October copy to finish my collection. Would $10,000,000.00 be enough to aquire one? My November copy is only worth $100,000.00! Bummer!

 

So your November copy is an unrestored VF or better? If you don't mind me asking, Timely, what do you do for a living? Just curious...