Searching for a Guiding Light

[tabcom]

I'm starting to wind-down my SA Marvel collection and join the august company of the GA collectors. I'm planing to sell all my SA Marvels after I read them in chronological order (I'm up to April 1965). It is Jack Kirby that is getting me interest in turning the clock back a couple more decades.

 

I'm trying to find a guide as a price point to start a building a collection. From this GA neophyte's point-of-view, it appears to me that Timelys sell for over guide in all grades. As do Actions. How about the rest of the GA DC line? Other publishers?

 

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Actually, war cover Timelys generally sell for over Guide in any grade, post war stuff is generally available under Guide.

[buttock]

Yeah, JTMF's comments are reflective of a general pattern in GA. Even within publishers, genres, characters, and time frames - many books values come on a case-by-case basis. There are few generalities. It will take you a long while to get a good feel of the market, but if you decide to just buy what you like you'll have a hard time going wrong.

 

Take some time to get to know many publishers & titles to increase the chances that you'll be successful.

[adamstrange]

I'm starting to wind-down my SA Marvel collection and join the august company of the GA collectors. I'm planing to sell all my SA Marvels after I read them in chronological order (I'm up to April 1965). It is Jack Kirby that is getting me interest in turning the clock back a couple more decades.

 

I'm trying to find a guide as a price point to start a building a collection. From this GA neophyte's point-of-view, it appears to me that Timelys sell for over guide in all grades. As do Actions. How about the rest of the GA DC line? Other publishers?

 

Welcome to the GA!

 

Your question is really too broad for you to likely get effective answers as there are mutts and pure breeds even among Actions and Timelys. There have been 3 major auctions in the last 30 days. No better place to get a sense of higher dollar GA market than to start there and then perhaps bring some more questions to the boards.

 

Buttock's advice is sound: buy what you like as the hot books of yesterday (e.g. ducks) may not be the hot books of tomorrow.

 

 

[Mac Man]

Tab, one of the things I'm finding really enjoyable about GA is that there is SO much to learn about (being an SA and later collector myself). As when I started getting into SA full-time, I'd suggest finding one or two buddies who are GA collectors who you can go to for advice on pricing, availability, etc. I've found this to be a really helpful way to begin making my way into the "deep section of the pool!"

[jimjum12]

I'm starting to wind-down my SA Marvel collection and join the august company of the GA collectors. I'm planing to sell all my SA Marvels after I read them in chronological order (I'm up to April 1965). It is Jack Kirby that is getting me interest in turning the clock back a couple more decades.

 

I'm trying to find a guide as a price point to start a building a collection. From this GA neophyte's point-of-view, it appears to me that Timelys sell for over guide in all grades. As do Actions. How about the rest of the GA DC line? Other publishers?

 

Unless you're shooting for early Captain America or Marvel Mystery, Kirby's GA work isn't all that prohibitive as far as cost goes. Boy Commandos has some excellent work and they can be had for half guide on the right day.Adventure Comics 73-80 all have 2 Kirby stories in each plus Burnley Starman and Baily Hourman. They only turn up sporadically but aren't too high, sometimes less than guide. Only problem is that the lower grades rarely change hand...usually it's mid to high grade that come up for sale. A 76 in CGC 7.0 just went for $ 550 on Clink which was less than guide.The 73,75, and 79 would be the most expensive. 75 has Kirby's first attempt at Thor. A neat GA book with Kirby is Detective Comics 76 which has a cool Joker cover and a Kirby Boy Commandos with a Sandman and Guardian crossover. What kind of grades are you looking at ? GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

 

[143ksk]

Another cool thing about Kirby is there's GA work in virtually every genre: hero, crime, horror, romance.

 

As to valuations, auction results are very useful, but I will often just send a PM to a boardie that knows the market for a particular book, series or company very well. Most are very helpful and I've avoided overpaying a few times because of boardie input (thumbs u

[ft88]

The other decision is grade and restoration . In SA restored books other than the mega-keys are really frowned upon. While restored is still a fraction of price, it's much more accepted and sometimes the only option. To get a top 10 book unrestored in VG or above, 10k would be your starting point.

 

What's also neat is that the multiples aren't as bad with GA. if an 8.0 sells for $1000 then a 9.0 sells for $2500. And this may be on highest graded copies. Compare a SA 9.2 to a 9.6 where prices are getting really tough even with multiple copies of a book. How many Iron man #1's are there in 9.6 and above anyway?

 

I like going against the grain but if Kirby art is your thing I'd really think Captain America has to get a look, plus it has crossover collecting appeal to the SA world. These are pretty common too, just a little pricey right now.

 

Ed

 

 

[adamstrange]

Another cool thing about Kirby is there's GA work in virtually every genre: hero, crime, horror, romance, western, sci fi, mystery, adventure, kid gangs...

 

 

Fixed that for you. (thumbs u

[Scrooge]

... AND funny animal

[adamstrange]

 

What's that from?

[Scrooge]

It's from an issue of Punch & Judy (thumbs u

[shiverbones]

that is AWESOME!

[Jayman]

Another cool thing about Kirby is there's GA work in virtually every genre: hero, crime, horror, romance.

 

[Scrooge]

Adventure Comics 73-80 all have 2 Kirby stories in each plus Burnley Starman and Baily Hourman. They only turn up sporadically but aren't too high, sometimes less than guide. Only problem is that the lower grades rarely change hand...

 

Jimbo,

 

you'll be interested to know that DC has just announced that they are soliciting a reprint of Simon & Kirby's Sandman stories in one trade in August. Here's the info:

 

"THE SANDMAN BY JOE SIMON & JACK KIRBY

Written by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby

Art and cover by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby

 

At last, the classic 1940s Super Hero series by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby is collected from the pages of WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #6-7, ADVENTURE COMICS #72-97, #100-102 (1942-1946) and SANDMAN #1, the comic that reunited Simon & Kirby in 1974!

 

In the capable hands of Simon and Kirby, the Sandman left behind his trademark green suit, fedora and gas mask to become a brightly costumed adventurer on the trail of crime in the big city with the help of his sidekick, Sandy the Golden Boy. With a strong element of the fantastic in the form of haunted dreams and foes claiming to be figures of myth, these stories were perfect examples of the fast-paced, slam-bang adventures that made Simon & Kirby the most celebrated comics talents of the 1940s.

 

Advance-solicited; on sale August 12 - 304 pg, FC, $39.99 US"

[tabcom]

This is awesome news! Thanks for posting.

[jimjum12]

Adventure Comics 73-80 all have 2 Kirby stories in each plus Burnley Starman and Baily Hourman. They only turn up sporadically but aren't too high, sometimes less than guide. Only problem is that the lower grades rarely change hand...

 

Jimbo,

 

you'll be interested to know that DC has just announced that they are soliciting a reprint of Simon & Kirby's Sandman stories in one trade in August. Here's the info:

 

"THE SANDMAN BY JOE SIMON & JACK KIRBY

Written by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby

Art and cover by Joe Simon & Jack Kirby

 

At last, the classic 1940s Super Hero series by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby is collected from the pages of WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #6-7, ADVENTURE COMICS #72-97, #100-102 (1942-1946) and SANDMAN #1, the comic that reunited Simon & Kirby in 1974!

 

In the capable hands of Simon and Kirby, the Sandman left behind his trademark green suit, fedora and gas mask to become a brightly costumed adventurer on the trail of crime in the big city with the help of his sidekick, Sandy the Golden Boy. With a strong element of the fantastic in the form of haunted dreams and foes claiming to be figures of myth, these stories were perfect examples of the fast-paced, slam-bang adventures that made Simon & Kirby the most celebrated comics talents of the 1940s.

 

Advance-solicited; on sale August 12 - 304 pg, FC, $39.99 US"

 

This is wonderful....sometimes dreams DO come true ...although this will probably make the prices for those back issues go down a bit. I guess it doesn't matter as I'm not really trying to sell my 75 anyway.GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u