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How are there ultra high grade Golden Age books around?

Started by 1Cool,

36 posts in this topic

1Cool

1Cool

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I was scanning through some of ComicLink's comics for sale and some of the high grade issues are unbelievable. How does a comic from the 1950's survive the last 50 years and grade out to be a 9.2 (let alone higher). The comic would have had to have been stored in a dry area with absolutely idea conditions. It baffles my mind to think of maintaining a 9.4 comic with poor comic stock and no comic storage materials. Could any of the "older" board members fill me in on how its possible that these issues are around in this high grade in 2008?

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TheShadowKnows

TheShadowKnows

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Posted
I was scanning through some of ComicLink's comics for sale and some of the high grade issues are unbelievable. How does a comic from the 1950's survive the last 50 years and grade out to be a 9.2 (let alone higher). The comic would have had to have been stored in a dry area with absolutely idea conditions. It baffles my mind to think of maintaining a 9.4 comic with poor comic stock and no comic storage materials. Could any of the "older" board members fill me in on how its possible that these issues are around in this high grade in 2008?
:whistle:
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1Cool

1Cool

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Oh man . . did I just start up a pressing thread. Definetely was not my intent. I can't believe that all these issues have been pressed but its just crazy to see a 9.8 from the 1960's when I have a hard time finding a 9.8 from the 1980's.

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rob_allan

rob_allan

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Oh man . . did I just start up a pressing thread. Definetely was not my intent. I can't believe that all these issues have been pressed but its just crazy to see a 9.8 from the 1960's when I have a hard time finding a 9.8 from the 1980's.

 

Well, you sure did! The second I saw this post I thought "great question!" Immediately after, I thought "oh no."

 

Not even a week this time - lol.

 

It is pretty amazing, that issue aside. Even my 9.0 Crowley Boy 27 blows me away. I had bags/boards as a kid and my comics from then were probably 6.0s at best.

 

Truly amazing.

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Scrooge

Scrooge

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I believe it comes down to 3 phenomena:

 

1) idiosynchratic conditions for some of the high grade pedigrees: Church, Reilly, Gaines File, ...

 

2) luminary collectors who bought high grade books 10 to 15 years out and preserved them and

 

3) statistical artifact that when 200,000 copies are printed and distributed, it only take 0.002% of the print run to have 4 surviving copies in 9.2 or better.

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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Some anal retentive ultra-careful people like my brother didn't have siblings.

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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Menace1.jpg

Thank you.You are the man.I will save it this time.My favorite Everett covr.

Dennis

 

You're welcome. It's a new scan as I'd lost the old one -- which wasn't very good anyway.

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jimjum12

jimjum12

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One misconception that most folks have is that collectors pre '65 were all children...but a little research will reveal that almost all pedigree collections were amassed by adults or folks in their late teens who LOVED their collections.These scenarios are still very rare. It reminds me of a collection right down the street from my mother's house....a friend of mine's father.He had a barn that was turned into pack rat heaven.He had two diving suits with the bell type helmets, for example. He had built up a room inside that had book shelves lining the walls from floor to ceiling.By the time I got there the comics were gone....but I know who got them and there were many from the 40's and 50's that were 8.0 and higher.Probably 150 or more.An almost flawless Batman 25.The pulps,men's magazines (Stag,etc.),Popular Mechanics(VERY cool),and much more were still there ...in fine or better.It was mind boggling.It became even more mind boggling when we found about a half dozen bottles of Fleichman's Whiskey stashed throughout the room lol .GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

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brasseye

brasseye

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I still slap my head in astonishment when I see some books from the 70's in 9.8!! seriously!

Some books you just look at and think, just handling it will deteriate it from what you see inside your bag&board/slab.

 

Let alone the 40's, and 50's. :o:o

Restored books aside, there are a good number of examples where books are in pristine condition surviving what is now two thirds of a century. It is simply mind boggling the lineage of annal maticulous handling (or lack of any handling) over such an extended period required to preserve such condition.

 

Surviving one owner is easy enouhg but that only gets you 30 years in the most ideal of situations. But with the general flux's of moving, marrying, have children, collections would have to of been in sealed off rooms for any real shot at high grade status.

 

I've been in this game for a while now, and seen glorious books time, and time again, but I'm still impressed with each new example I get to see.

 

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