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Just a nice story about the Fantastic Four

Started by PGCMint,

40 posts in this topic

PGCMint

PGCMint

Posted
Posted

I have been around a long time in the hobby and have seen my share of jewels. Found some great items and let go of them all. In regards to the Fantastic Four I have had my share of great issues pass through my hands. Of note was the White Mountain #5 in 9.4, a #4 9.4, #2 9.2, #16 9.6, and several others in 9.4 - 9.6. But they are all gone as they were bought to resell.

I have always enjoyed this title but was partial to Jack Kirby so my brother and I quit collecting when Kirby stopped.

 

A few weeks ago I found a two bound volume set for sale (issues #1 - 40). I considered it just for the pleasure of owning such an awesome run and thought about the pros and cons of collecting via bound volumes. I am well aware of the negative aspects but I personally have always enjoyed every bound volume I have ever owned.

After looking at a few scans I decided to purchase them.

I know the seller and he is a good man so I was not worried at all about any other problem except condition. My hope was for an average grade of Very FIne because that is about what you can expect with even the nicest bound volumes. I have owned nearly 100 different volumes over the years and the best of them always seemed to have beautiful appearance but little defects that kept them at a very beautiful VF or lower. If this was the case I would be pleased because they were to keep and not for resale. And to own such a run in VF would be wonderful.

He said they were near perfect and so I waited....

 

They finally arrived this past week and I spent a solid hour going through them, getting lost in nostalgia and remembering when and where I had first read them. But what overwhelmed me even more was the condition. I was not prepared for what I held in my hands.

If anything, the seller did not explain just HOW beautiful they actually were.

 

The #3 is a gorgeous 9.0 and the #21 is the best 9.2 you will see. This is the worst of the set :)

 

The #1 is a solid 9.4 (maybe a 9.6) and nicer than the 9.4 I helped to sell two years ago.

 

The rest? Solid 9.6 - 9.9. It sounds impossible but I have never seen in my life copies that are this nice. All super glossy, with deep inks and nice page quality.

 

The #12 is impossible to exist in such nice condition and yet here it is staring back at me with

zero wear and zero defects. My #16 rated a CGC 9.6 and yet this one is even better. The #2 and #4 look like reprints because they are perfect, And #5? My White Mountain would rate a grade or two below this gem.

You know how tough #11, 13, 17 & 18 are. Well these issues are as perfect as the most picky collector could hope for. And it is the same for every single issue.

Like a proud papa I can go on and on because it honestly is this unreal to see such repetition of Mint books in one collective set.

 

My thoughts are: Who was this collector? And where did he get these books?

The were bound in Utah back in the early days (probably 1966) but I know nothing else.

Whoever he was, he chose only perfection to be included in his set and at a time when perfection was not that important.

 

Anyway, this is not a hype for resale. This set is a keeper. I am just sharing this with you because #1, I am very excited about them and #2, it is very encouraging to know that there are still some tremendous deals in this highly competitive hobby.

 

 

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Aman619

Aman619

Posted
Posted

are they not trimmed on 3 sides? Does that not explain the super condition> After all, most books are really nice 1/4" in all around from the edges.

 

sorry for the dumb question, but I dont get how "nice" they could be in a bound volume

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catrick339

catrick339

Posted
Posted

Beautiful books indeed, and well worth keeping on the shelf...Yes, they're trimmed, but the covers pictured are top notch!

 

As this is a gorgeous set of readers, the fact that they're trimmed doesn't affect their readability in the least, and you get all the great letters pages and house ads, and get to watch Lee and Kirby build their reputation on what was at the time Marvel's Flagship Title.

 

Congrats on a great score!

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PGCMint

PGCMint

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I understand your point and did note this in my little article, the downside of bound volumes I mean.

However, the quality is amazing. Colors, gloss, sharpness.

I have seen 9.6's that do not begin to approach these in quality.

Obviously I would enjoy individual 9.4 or better copies of each one and I am not saying that these are on par with such issues. What I am saying is that the collection in a single set is quite amazing and that I, knowing the hobby since 1969, am very pleased to own them.

 

I did not get anywhere near the same feeling when I owned the single high grade issues that I mentioned in the article. The WOW factor was not anywhere near as potent.

 

So I am not banging a drum saying I want X amount of dollars for them, I am just saying that it was a fantastic find and a fantastic purchase. One that gave me fantastic feelings because after all, it is the Fantastic Four :)

 

 

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jimjum12

jimjum12

Posted
Posted

That is nice.I think it's cool that even after all these years you still have the passion and appreciation for this stuff.The color on these is what impresses me.I'd like to see as many as you feell like posting,especially the 8,11,13,16,and 18.GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

p.s. how's Gary doing?

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cloudofwit

cloudofwit

Posted
Posted
I have been around a long time in the hobby and have seen my share of jewels. Found some great items and let go of them all. In regards to the Fantastic Four I have had my share of great issues pass through my hands. Of note was the White Mountain #5 in 9.4, a #4 9.4, #2 9.2, #16 9.6, and several others in 9.4 - 9.6. But they are all gone as they were bought to resell.

I have always enjoyed this title but was partial to Jack Kirby so my brother and I quit collecting when Kirby stopped.

 

A few weeks ago I found a two bound volume set for sale (issues #1 - 40). I considered it just for the pleasure of owning such an awesome run and thought about the pros and cons of collecting via bound volumes. I am well aware of the negative aspects but I personally have always enjoyed every bound volume I have ever owned.

After looking at a few scans I decided to purchase them.

I know the seller and he is a good man so I was not worried at all about any other problem except condition. My hope was for an average grade of Very FIne because that is about what you can expect with even the nicest bound volumes. I have owned nearly 100 different volumes over the years and the best of them always seemed to have beautiful appearance but little defects that kept them at a very beautiful VF or lower. If this was the case I would be pleased because they were to keep and not for resale. And to own such a run in VF would be wonderful.

He said they were near perfect and so I waited....

 

They finally arrived this past week and I spent a solid hour going through them, getting lost in nostalgia and remembering when and where I had first read them. But what overwhelmed me even more was the condition. I was not prepared for what I held in my hands.

If anything, the seller did not explain just HOW beautiful they actually were.

 

The #3 is a gorgeous 9.0 and the #21 is the best 9.2 you will see. This is the worst of the set :)

 

The #1 is a solid 9.4 (maybe a 9.6) and nicer than the 9.4 I helped to sell two years ago.

 

The rest? Solid 9.6 - 9.9. It sounds impossible but I have never seen in my life copies that are this nice. All super glossy, with deep inks and nice page quality.

 

The #12 is impossible to exist in such nice condition and yet here it is staring back at me with

zero wear and zero defects. My #16 rated a CGC 9.6 and yet this one is even better. The #2 and #4 look like reprints because they are perfect, And #5? My White Mountain would rate a grade or two below this gem.

You know how tough #11, 13, 17 & 18 are. Well these issues are as perfect as the most picky collector could hope for. And it is the same for every single issue.

Like a proud papa I can go on and on because it honestly is this unreal to see such repetition of Mint books in one collective set.

 

My thoughts are: Who was this collector? And where did he get these books?

The were bound in Utah back in the early days (probably 1966) but I know nothing else.

Whoever he was, he chose only perfection to be included in his set and at a time when perfection was not that important.

 

Anyway, this is not a hype for resale. This set is a keeper. I am just sharing this with you because #1, I am very excited about them and #2, it is very encouraging to know that there are still some tremendous deals in this highly competitive hobby.

 

 

The collector? :think: 1966? Utah? Mitt Romney? :shrug:

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Foolkiller

Foolkiller

Posted
Posted

The books look beautiful and the volumes should be keepers. On the other hand, while the rich colors and wonderful gloss are nice, the fact that they have sharp edges is from trimming -- so while it's a wonderful item, for me, it would have little to do with grading the books since they are essentially worthless grades.

 

The page quality, gloss and colors are all far more important in bound volumes.

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Aman619

Aman619

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I understand your point and did note this in my little article, the downside of bound volumes I mean.

However, the quality is amazing. Colors, gloss, sharpness.

I have seen 9.6's that do not begin to approach these in quality.

Obviously I would enjoy individual 9.4 or better copies of each one and I am not saying that these are on par with such issues. What I am saying is that the collection in a single set is quite amazing and that I, knowing the hobby since 1969, am very pleased to own them.

 

I did not get anywhere near the same feeling when I owned the single high grade issues that I mentioned in the article. The WOW factor was not anywhere near as potent.

 

So I am not banging a drum saying I want X amount of dollars for them, I am just saying that it was a fantastic find and a fantastic purchase. One that gave me fantastic feelings because after all, it is the Fantastic Four :)

 

 

I was just surprised and confused, given your experience, just what you were so hyped up about. Having owned HG copies of all these books, Id think you would of course see these coies for just what they are... but, yeah, this was a pretty nice set of books at one time. Now? an interesting comic book type object.

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Davenport

Davenport

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Posted

Wow, what a cool artifact. Especially if you can verify they were bound in '66.

 

On the flip-side, it's a little chilling, and sad, to read the "oh, they're trimmed" nevermind-responses. It's like there's zero passion if highly preserved comics can't be commoditized.

Something's been lost along the way. :(

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Aman619

Aman619

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Posted

thats a tad harsh. What I am saying (not speaking for others) is that once you trim and glue-bind a pile of comics (no matter how nice they were) you no longer have comic books, you have a book made out of comics glued together and trimmed. Thats a cool artifact, but its also a fused pile of deformed comic books. Take your pick.

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