Why no love for New York World's Fair Comics?

[twmjr]

I've always thought the 1939 issue in particular was very cool, what with the Sandman debut and blonde Supes on the cover. I think I'm going to break down and buy myself a copy. I may eventually get the 1940 issue also.Yet for whatever reason these books just don't seem to ever be in high demand. How come?

[esquirecomics]

Darn good question. I've struggled with that one for years myself as I've owned and sold several copies of both.

 

The 1940 issue is the first joint cover appearance of Superman and Batman (and Robin) at a time when both characters were at the top of their game individually. Yet together - - this issue receives little respect.

 

The Church 1940 copy, though I believe only a 5.5 or 6.5 (which is still respectable for this issue), sold at a ridiculously low price in the last CL auction.

[G.A.tor]

I have always enjoyed them both, and like mark, have bought and sold multiple copies of each (thumbs u

[ft88]

From an outsiders view, ie someone who thinks it's a cool book but never had an interest in buying one.

 

They seem relatively common.

 

Most are restored. Which you'd think would make the unrestored issues go for big bucks but sometimes it seems like the typical restored issues taint the specific issue overall. Anyone else notice this?

 

No continuation of a regular series. Worlds Finest sure, but not the same dynamic as Marvel Comics 1 or AF 15.

 

Team up books always suffer relative to singular character.

 

Sandman isn't on the cover, and it's the sweet covers that make the Adventures so pricey.

 

One shots overall can be ignored by the collector. Fawcett and DC get hit with this mostly but so do some of the Dells and other publishers. There are the long full run collectors and collectors who like the small runs; but very few one shot collectors.

 

The cover for the 1939 issue is pretty weak and the 1940 issue is a specifically common book, no?

 

But there's a price point for everything and you can pick up a pretty nice restored 1939 for under a grand.

 

[VintageComics]

I happen to love the book and appreciate it's importance. I'd love to pick up a nice higher grade unrestored copy one day.

 

R.

 

 

[G.A.tor]

From an outsiders view, ie someone who thinks it's a cool book but never had an interest in buying one.

 

They seem relatively common.

 

Most are restored. Which you'd think would make the unrestored issues go for big bucks but sometimes it seems like the typical restored issues taint the specific issue overall. Anyone else notice this?

 

 

well ed, I agree with you on the "relatively common" statement... not that there are really any more of them out there than other books from the period, but they just don't see the demand, relative to supply, so they seem "abundant" by comparison...

 

however, your restored statement of "most" couldn't be further from the reality... I would guess less than 1 in 5 are restored, making unrestored copies still very common... in fact, a quick check of the cgc census supports this (about 1 in 4 are restored) ....but, you see tons of these "raw" for sale at cons, etc...

 

I think there was a time 20+ years ago, when these books had demand (like All stars, etc) but this market is cyclical and right now, folks pass them up...

[G.A.tor]

also, I should mention, that HG copies do tend to sell pretty well, because so few HG exist (due to the cardstock/cardboard covers and assembly technique)

[Point Five]

My off-the-cuff guess is that similar to Tough Kid Squad 1 and other sought-after GAs of yesteryear, the high Guide prices have helped to cool interest that was already a bit shaky, and made the WF books seem like poor investments when they consistently finish at fractions of guide. My two-year-old OS Guide says the '39 World's Fair book is $2100 in 2.0... when's the last time a Good copy sold for that much?

 

Like some of the posters who have chimed in already, I'd like to own them but am not desperate to. And for $1000+ there are certainly other books I'd rather own. But I do think they're cool. I love the blond Superman and the pricing story with the 1939 book, and as an early DC enthusiast and as someone who loves vintage NYC items, these are right up my alley.

[G.A.tor]

well, to be fair to OSPG, the only top 100 book that decreased in value, was the 1939 NYWF

 

so, like any basic economic model, where demand is lacking relative to supply, once the "price" gets adjusted down enough ( I would expect the downward trend to continue), then folks will again, have interest and pick it up relative to "price guides" etc (thumbs u

[Straw-Man]

i once had the '40, as part of my ill-fated one-of-each-ga-dc-title run.

 

i never enjoyed it like i did the day i boxed it for mailing.

[G.A.tor]

i once had the '40, as part of my ill-fated one-of-each-ga-dc-title run.

 

i never enjoyed it like i did the day i boxed it for mailing.

[MrBedrock]

From an outsiders view, ie someone who thinks it's a cool book but never had an interest in buying one.

 

Most are restored. Which you'd think would make the unrestored issues go for big bucks but sometimes it seems like the typical restored issues taint the specific issue overall. Anyone else notice this?

 

 

 

however, your restored statement of "most" couldn't be further from the reality... I would guess less than 1 in 5 are restored, making unrestored copies still very common... in fact, a quick check of the cgc census supports this (about 1 in 4 are restored) ....but, you see tons of these "raw" for sale at cons, etc...

 

Those big square bound, glued spine DCs can't be disassembled for restoration, so actually fewer of them are restored in relation to other comics. But the '39 World's Fair is very prone to blue color touch. To the guy with the blue Bic Banana in the '70s it must have looked like the simplest thing to do.

 

 

[G.A.tor]

From an outsiders view, ie someone who thinks it's a cool book but never had an interest in buying one.

 

Most are restored. Which you'd think would make the unrestored issues go for big bucks but sometimes it seems like the typical restored issues taint the specific issue overall. Anyone else notice this?

 

 

 

however, your restored statement of "most" couldn't be further from the reality... I would guess less than 1 in 5 are restored, making unrestored copies still very common... in fact, a quick check of the cgc census supports this (about 1 in 4 are restored) ....but, you see tons of these "raw" for sale at cons, etc...

 

Those big square bound, glued spine DCs can't be disassembled for restoration, so actually fewer of them are restored in relation to other comics. But the '39 World's Fair is very prone to blue color touch. To the guy with the blue Bic Banana in the '70s it must have looked like the simplest thing to do.

 

true, but that 70 bic is a defect, not restoration

[MrBedrock]

From an outsiders view, ie someone who thinks it's a cool book but never had an interest in buying one.

 

Most are restored. Which you'd think would make the unrestored issues go for big bucks but sometimes it seems like the typical restored issues taint the specific issue overall. Anyone else notice this?

 

 

 

however, your restored statement of "most" couldn't be further from the reality... I would guess less than 1 in 5 are restored, making unrestored copies still very common... in fact, a quick check of the cgc census supports this (about 1 in 4 are restored) ....but, you see tons of these "raw" for sale at cons, etc...

 

Those big square bound, glued spine DCs can't be disassembled for restoration, so actually fewer of them are restored in relation to other comics. But the '39 World's Fair is very prone to blue color touch. To the guy with the blue Bic Banana in the '70s it must have looked like the simplest thing to do.

 

true, but that 70 bic is a defect, not restoration

I am pretty sure a Bic Banana color touch with the corresponding bleed through is going to garner a purpel label. Especially on a '39 World's Fair where most of the color touch is going to happen on corner creases, which are much more noticable on a heavy paper stock cover. The blue on the back cover creases a little, it shows a lot. Bingo, hit that bad boy with a little bit-o-Bic...Good as new.

Fast-forward to 2001 - PLOD!

[bhhooks22]

From an outsiders view, ie someone who thinks it's a cool book but never had an interest in buying one.

 

Most are restored. Which you'd think would make the unrestored issues go for big bucks but sometimes it seems like the typical restored issues taint the specific issue overall. Anyone else notice this?

 

 

 

however, your restored statement of "most" couldn't be further from the reality... I would guess less than 1 in 5 are restored, making unrestored copies still very common... in fact, a quick check of the cgc census supports this (about 1 in 4 are restored) ....but, you see tons of these "raw" for sale at cons, etc...

 

Those big square bound, glued spine DCs can't be disassembled for restoration, so actually fewer of them are restored in relation to other comics. But the '39 World's Fair is very prone to blue color touch. To the guy with the blue Bic Banana in the '70s it must have looked like the simplest thing to do.

 

 

 

I thought you were banned , er , I mean suspended .

Welcome back ! (thumbs u

[G.A.tor]

so far, only 44 of the 39 NYWF have been submitted...9 are restored...so, that is 20% (my 1 in 5 speculation supported)

of the 9 restored, 1/3 (3) are "amatuer" (richard 70's bic) and 2/3 (6) are professional (non bic, I presume) ...

 

just the facts, ma'am, just the facts

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

i once had the '40, as part of my ill-fated one-of-each-ga-dc-title run.

 

i never enjoyed it like i did the day i boxed it for mailing.

 

Curious as to why your ga-dc title run search was ill-fated. I am informally working on a collection like that myself. What were the grails in that run??

[Straw-Man]

i was avoiding grails. my criteria was pre-'50, large logo where applicable, and try for a good cover [easier said than done on some of those runs]. i did have a nice 'tec 33, and a pretty bat 11, which i guess are both grails, especially the 'tec.

 

i'll-fated cuz since i don't really care much for the vast majority of d.c.'s, it turned out i had little inrerest in thumbing the books up after i owned them. practically forgot i had them, so off they went. only a couple left.

 

good luck on your hunt.

[VintageComics]

i was avoiding grails. my criteria was pre-'50, large logo where applicable, and try for a good cover [easier said than done on some of those runs]. i did have a bat 11, which i guess is a grail of sorts.

 

good luck on your hunt.

 

Mr. Parker do you ever fall of the chair laughing at some of your own posts the way I do when I read them?

 

 

 

[Straw-Man]

i was avoiding grails. my criteria was pre-'50, large logo where applicable, and try for a good cover [easier said than done on some of those runs]. i did have a bat 11, which i guess is a grail of sorts.

 

good luck on your hunt.

 

Mr. Parker do you ever fall of the chair laughing at some of your own posts the way I do when I read them?

 

 

 

thanks, sir. but anyone can see that a few of those runs are awful offal.