Just a nice story about the Fantastic Four

[Davenport]

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.

Weird. That's kinda how I feel (not speaking for others) toward HG slabbed comics that have been completely disassembled, reworked and reassembled. A cool artifact too, but they're also a restapled pile of reformed comic book parts. Take your pick.

 

The bound volumes strike me as one-of-a-kind fan made artifacts, created out of love for the material in a time before comics became 'coined'. Plus they survived through time in amazing condition. Or, in short: Wow.

[mar-vell]

great set! The condition of those books is so awesome i can see why you are happy. Usualy i spurn and ridicule bound volumes but i wouldn't mind owning a set like this at the right price - beats the heck out of marvel masterworks!

[Fazybones]

Hi Marc,

 

You might not remember me and I bought a couple of books from

you and we exchanged a few e-mails quite a while back about

religion.

 

I think this bound volume looks incredible and definitely is a

keeper with those unbelievable colors and what looks to be

perfect white pages.It is truly a beautiful piece of Marvel history.

 

Like someone previously stated your enthusiasm about this

set after so many years collecting and all the sweet books

you've seen come and go is very exciting.

 

Thanks for sharing this wonderful set with us.

 

 

fay

[Larryw7]

That is one beautiful volume.

[MutantKeys]

Very nice

[burntboy]

That is one beautiful volume.

 

You can say that again!!!!

 

while i think everyone realizes that the otherwise enormous Value of the books was destroyed by the Binding and Trimming, the sheer beauty of these otherwise perfect looking copies makes them quite collectible in my eyes...........

[CAMERANIAC]

Congratulations on the great find Marc. Glad to know that they are in good hands.

[Flash105]

Very nice. For a fan, a bound volume might be the ticket. You will enjoy those for years.

[CHAMELEOONCOMICS-migration]

Gorgeous collection. you should be proud!

[bluechip]

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.

 

 

Agreed.

 

And I think there is nothing wrong with "an interesting comic book type oject."

 

In fact, I think such items can in some cases be more cool than having mid-grade copies that you don't dare take from their slab. Or more cool than a copy you paid high grade money for which nonetheless doesn't really look as good as one that received the same grade.

 

Where people get screwed up in judging these is to forget they are a different type of item. You can't judge those copies as if they were a collection of loose low grade comics. If you did they'd be worth far less. If it's not the sort of thing that floats your boat, then fine. But don't expect the other party to value the item as if it was a low-value group of loose damaged comics, instead of higher-value "interesting comic book" object.

 

 

[rob_react]

Here is the #1 and I am really proud to own it. I know the downside but really, it is quite a stunner!

 

Gorgeous cover. I can see why you'd be excited...

[RickHigh]

Hey, Mark. You sound just like a kid finding these books on the stands for the first time. Can't we all identify with that feeling?

 

Great find! Sit back and enjoy.

 

— Rick

[COI]

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.

 

Where people get screwed up in judging these is to forget they are a different type of item. You can't judge those copies as if they were a collection of loose low grade comics. If you did they'd be worth far less. If it's not the sort of thing that floats your boat, then fine. But don't expect the other party to value the item as if it was a low-value group of loose damaged comics, instead of higher-value "interesting comic book" object.

 

"The cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."

 

- Oscar Wilde

[Aman619]

gee - - was Oscar Wilde a comic dealer too?

 

 

[trmoore54]

First off, that is one beautiful book of FFs! I'd be VERY PROUD to own it.

One has to understand this in the context it was created...back in '66 you could probably get any of these books for under $20 bucks from a dealer, if not under $10 bucks, if you could even find them all from your LCSs (I bought my FF 1 in approx. VG grade out of a fanzine in 1971 for 50-cents!)...but the owner/assembler cherry-picked these beauties very lovingly or more likely cherry-picked them (perhaps as second copies to his/her reader copy) from the newsstand.

 

To apply 2008 logic to this as some sort of crime is basically meaningless. Who cares if they'd be worth $XXXXX at this point, it's completely irrelevant. And to think of them as Franken-books is beside the point.

Again, bear in mind, this person probably had multiple copies of these books and in fact, what they did, was actually ahead of the collecting-curve...looking to preserve them in this manner to be cherished for years and years ahead...

[ft88]

Regardless of when they were actually bound, its clear that when sent to the binder, they were pretty much fresh off the rack. Then, being in a mostly airtight environment from being bound and most likely temperate as well from the look of the edges gives these books extra pizazz. Yeah you could make a bound FF collection buying up restored and low grade books, but no way would it look this nice. Isn't the usual price for bound books something like Good Guide, but these you could get a bit more I'd guess.

 

$100k for bound Spidey 1-100 anyone?

[Tatterdamillion]

I already have two of these

[jimjum12]

First off, that is one beautiful book of FFs! I'd be VERY PROUD to own it.

One has to understand this in the context it was created...back in '66 you could probably get any of these books for under $20 bucks from a dealer, if not under $10 bucks, if you could even find them all from your LCSs (I bought my FF 1 in approx. VG grade out of a fanzine in 1971 for 50-cents!)...but the owner/assembler cherry-picked these beauties very lovingly or more likely cherry-picked them (perhaps as second copies to his/her reader copy) from the newsstand.

 

To apply 2008 logic to this as some sort of crime is basically meaningless. Who cares if they'd be worth $XXXXX at this point, it's completely irrelevant. And to think of them as Franken-books is beside the point.

Again, bear in mind, this person probably had multiple copies of these books and in fact, what they did, was actually ahead of the collecting-curve...looking to preserve them in this manner to be cherished for years and years ahead...

 

Yeah,he probably had about $ 5 in the books.They might even have been his reader copies .GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[MyNameIsLegion]

Very ice book, I know the very idea of comic binding is blasphemy to most of you slabbing nuts, but this is about making something or acquiring something for its experiential value, not its commercial or collecting value.

 

Modern comics have become little more that teasers and test markets for the eventual bound volume by the publisher. In an era of masterworks, archives, absolute, omnibus editions, etc, self binding is the last frontier for personalizing ones collection.

 

THe binding hobby has taken off considerably in the last few year, thanks primarily to a few dedicated book binders and D.P. Banks, who reps several binders and has been help dozens of collectors make hundreds, if not thousands of books. Custom DJ's, lettering, metal dies for logos, clam-shell cases, the works. People will insert there own title pages, table of contents, etc.

 

Checkout the Binding Forum on the Marvel Masterworks Message board, which is probably the greatest resource on the internet for comic binding. John Petty of Heritage even reads and has posted there.

Marvel Masterworks Binding Forum

 

 

also, check out the hottest book binder currently being used by self-binders. Library Binding Co. in Waco, Texas. They are the most competitive on price for a sewn bound volume. Stating price of $15, upwards of $30 depending on options chosen.

Library Binding Co.

 

Here's a thread I started detailing my own experience with binding;

My boound books

 

I have ideas for tons of stuff in my collection, languishing in boxes, never to be collected by the original publishers, or not in the manner of my choosing. Plenty of stuff out there that has little if any monetary value but tremendous shelf appeal.

 

[jimjum12]

Very ice book, I know the very idea of comic binding is blasphemy to most of you slabbing nuts, but this is about making something or acquiring something for its experiential value, not its commercial or collecting value.

 

Modern comics have become little more that teasers and test markets for the eventual bound volume by the publisher. In an era of masterworks, archives, absolute, omnibus editions, etc, self binding is the last frontier for personalizing ones collection.

 

THe binding hobby has taken off considerably in the last few year, thanks primarily to a few dedicated book binders and D.P. Banks, who reps several binders and has been help dozens of collectors make hundreds, if not thousands of books. Custom DJ's, lettering, metal dies for logos, clam-shell cases, the works. People will insert there own title pages, table of contents, etc.

 

Checkout the Binding Forum on the Marvel Masterworks Message board, which is probably the greatest resource on the internet for comic binding. John Petty of Heritage even reads and has posted there.

Marvel Masterworks Binding Forum

 

 

also, check out the hottest book binder currently being used by self-binders. Library Binding Co. in Waco, Texas. They are the most competitive on price for a sewn bound volume. Stating price of $15, upwards of $30 depending on options chosen.

Library Binding Co.

 

Here's a thread I started detailing my own experience with binding;

My boound books

 

I have ideas for tons of stuff in my collection, languishing in boxes, never to be collected by the original publishers, or not in the manner of my choosing. Plenty of stuff out there that has little if any monetary value but tremendous shelf appeal.

 

That's a very cheap price for binding.My better half would love a bound set of Alien Worlds GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u