What would it take for pulps to make a QUATUM LEAP in price?

[dekeuk]

 

I don't know much about pulps, but I looked through all 110 pages of the "POUND YOU TO A PULP" thread

 

 

My conclusion ............. wow, these pulps look cool

 

If these covers were on 1930s and 1940s comics (instead of on pulps), there would be a massive demand for them as comics. So many of them would get that "classic cover" designation, especially any cover with some girl in great danger.

 

Because I see old pulps sell for $10 that would sell for $100 if on a golden age comic, and some of these $500 pulps would sell for $10,000+ as a high grade golden age comic.

 

The rise of CGC made true high grade comic prices shoot upwards.

 

But given that CGC has implied they will NEVER slab pulps, will there ever be a catalyst for pulps that gets them to make that huge leap in prices?

 

I know the Gerber Golden Age books in 1989 created demand for certain comics with great covers, that had previously been under-appreciated.

 

Would a similar book for pulps cause pulp prices to shoot up for the best covers?

 

Or are pulps and pulp prices destined to stay as the low-priced half-brother of comic books?

 

 

[agro23]

Part of the problem with pulps I think is that much of the interior is text, so they're collected for short stories as much as for the covers. Also, their printing process had them come out with ragged edges so it seems like it's pretty hard to find them with pages in good condition.

 

(Now that I think about it, maybe the psychology of comic books always made them collectible because they began as albums of collected Sunday strips: you threw away the newspaper, here's the story all in one place... )

[Cimm]

I don't understand why there isn't a third party grading service for pulps... make the slab deeper, and the outer shell slightly thicker in the middle than at the edges to hold the pulp in place, and you wouldn't have to worry about the overhang. There are high grade pulps (see the BangZoom collection... just WOW!)... The covers are what draw you into the world of pulps. The stories are what make you stay, and come back, again and again... CGC flat out refuses to consider pulps, PGX will grade them if they are less than 7 mm thick (not very many pulps fit inside that range, but there are a few)...

 

There needs to be a completely different company, or subsidiary section of an existing company, that would perform this service for the full range of pup sizes and shapes, from bedsheets to digests. I have hope that someone will realize this need and start it up. It would be ideal if that someone were CGC, but I ain't holding my breath on that one.

 

The only thing that argues against this, is the inability to read them once they are encapsulated. Maybe a GAUK for pulps?

[dekeuk]

 

I don't understand why there isn't a third party grading service for pulps...

 

 

The only thing that argues against this, is the inability to read them once they are encapsulated. Maybe a GAUK for pulps?

 

 

I'm sure if someone thought there was good money to be made from slabbing them, then a service to slab them would exist. We have slabs for everything else ....... coins, sports cards, even boxed toys, etc.

 

As for reading them, you can say the same thing about comics.

 

Solution ....... high grade slabbed copy, plus a low grade reader copy.

 

 

 

[TheEyeSees]

I for one hope pulps stay under the radar for a long time to come... with GA prices what they are, pulps are my only affordable refuge!

 

Even with the Bookery price guide, pulps have not made that price jump. Maybe a Gerber-type guide would take care of that... all of a sudden, certain issues would become impossible just due to their cool cover art alone.

 

In the last six months in particular, the pulp market on ebay has become very soft... great time to buy!

[MrBedrock]

The only thing that argues against this, is the inability to read them once they are encapsulated.

That is exactly the same argument that kept any kind of comic grading service from ever gaining wide acceptance.........oh, wait

[The Troll King]

I'm seeing an ever increasing interest in pulps.

 

It has been said that when people of a certain age range grow old and die that no one will care about the things they collected. I don't see that with pulps.

 

There are far too many of us collecting them, even if just for the covers, for pulp collecting to go away any time soon.

 

The great part is that if you attend a pulp convention you'll see peoplek of all age ranges with the same interest!

 

As far as price... I agree that unless someone starts grading them and sealing them up there probably won't be too much more increase in price.

 

At least I hope not until I get the ones I want!

 

With the now grading of Playboy's all of those massive collections that pop up in the newspapers and on craigslist now will have legs. (Not to mention signature series opportunities like we've never seen before)

 

Off subject but I also see a need for another type of collectible to be graded.

 

Albums.

 

 

[dekeuk]

The only thing that argues against this, is the inability to read them once they are encapsulated.

That is exactly the same argument that kept any kind of comic grading service from ever gaining wide acceptance.........oh, wait

 

 

[dekeuk]

 

 

Off subject but I also see a need for another type of collectible to be graded.

 

Albums.

 

 

 

That would be interesting, but you would have to grade the album cover, the sleeve, and the record separately. Which will lead to "marriage" of a high grade album cover, with high grade sleeve, with high grade record.

 

This "marriage" would be even more controversial than pressing (yes, album covers will also get pressed).

 

Now don't turn my thread into another pressing thread, we have plenty of those already

 

 

[Scrooge]

The only thing that argues against this, is the inability to read them once they are encapsulated. Maybe a GAUK for pulps?

 

I am sure you know and use this site but for all unaware of it -

 

Pulpgen - The GAUK for Pulps

 

... and there are other files floating around too as well as files at the Project Gutenberg.

 

And for dekeuk and the comment about having a high grade copy in slab and a low grade reader ... most everyone would just have a reprint instead of a low grade reader in the pulp world. For example, the first Buck Rogers has been reprinted many times and one can simply get a high grade pulp version to go with the reprint.

[catrick339]

The only thing that would spark the price of pulps would be the sudden influx of another 20,000 rabid collectors. The simple fact is, the pulps' day has come and gone, and the vast majority of original pulp collectors are dead. The second generation is a pack of geezers, and the third generation is just forming up, and may not ever reach critical mass.

 

With no way of even SEEING a pulp magazine the huge majority of people just don't know they ever existed. Comics, at least, are still being printed, even if they're more and more a niche item. The last true pulp (Except for a couple abortive attempts with Weird Tales and Black Mask...any others in the last 30 years?) was printed better than half a century ago.

[Ze-man]

For example, the first Buck Rogers has been reprinted many times and one can simply get a high grade pulp version to go with the reprint.

 

Like comic reprints without the adds, does a pulp read the same in reprint form? I know it is mainly text, but isn't holding an original pulp part of the experience/enjoyment for most pulp collectors?

 

And I am asking because I am ignorant, are most pulps even available in reprints?

[shrunkenhead]

For example, the first Buck Rogers has been reprinted many times and one can simply get a high grade pulp version to go with the reprint.

 

Like comic reprints without the adds, does a pulp read the same in reprint form? I know it is mainly text, but isn't holding an original pulp part of the experience, enjoyment for most collectors?

 

And I am asking because I am ignorant, but are most pulps even available in reprints?

 

 

I've seen some of the tamer pulp stuff getting recently reprinted---doc savage, the shadow, etc. I've even seen these for sale at Barnes & Noble.

 

But the juicy, dark stuff rarely earns a reprint. So, the answer is basically "no"---to my knowledge, at least.

 

Adam Parfrey put out a wild book of covers called "It's a Man's World." Most of it is later-day stuff, though.

 

Linky: http://www.amazon.com/Its-Mans-World-Adventure-Magazines/dp/0922915814/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251650906&sr=8-1

[agro23]

The only thing that would spark the price of pulps would be the sudden influx of another 20,000 rabid collectors. The simple fact is, the pulps' day has come and gone, and the vast majority of original pulp collectors are dead. The second generation is a pack of geezers, and the third generation is just forming up, and may not ever reach critical mass.

 

With no way of even SEEING a pulp magazine the huge majority of people just don't know they ever existed. Comics, at least, are still being printed, even if they're more and more a niche item. The last true pulp (Except for a couple abortive attempts with Weird Tales and Black Mask...any others in the last 30 years?) was printed better than half a century ago.

Pulps are still being printed and reprinted. You can get quality reprints of Doc Savage, The Spider, Planet Stories, The Shadow and more from your local comic shop or book store.

 

My magazine TRIPWIRE just ran an article on the pulps in our 2009 annual written by a guy (Neil Mechem from Giraso www.girasolcollectables.com) whose company makes quality reproductions and sells originals. His business is doing quite well.

 

The pulp conventions are growing. The time is coming for the pulps very soon!

[dekeuk]

 

With no way of even SEEING a pulp magazine the huge majority of people just don't know they ever existed. Comics, at least, are still being printed, even if they're more and more a niche item.

 

 

Why is it always assumed that people have to have exposure to new items to get interested in old items?

 

Did you know some people collect glass insulators? (the devices used to insulate electrical devices like lightning rods in the old days)

 

I guarantee you that nobody that collects insulators played with them as a kid.

 

They collect them because they find them beautiful and decorative.

 

And with all the sci-fi and horror movies being made with the latest CGI these days, is it that hard to believe new collectors would be drawn to old pulp mags with great sci-fi and horror covers?

 

Here is what glass insulators look like:

 

 

 

 

 

[agro23]

Like comic reprints without the adds, does a pulp read the same in reprint form? I know it is mainly text, but isn't holding an original pulp part of the experience/enjoyment for most pulp collectors?

People are making nearly-exact replicas that give the same effect to reprints that holding the original has (minus that old paper smell).

[The Troll King]

 

 

Off subject but I also see a need for another type of collectible to be graded.

 

Albums.

 

 

 

That would be interesting, but you would have to grade the album cover, the sleeve, and the record separately. Which will lead to "marriage" of a high grade album cover, with high grade sleeve, with high grade record.

 

This "marriage" would be even more controversial than pressing (yes, album covers will also get pressed).

 

Now don't turn my thread into another pressing thread, we have plenty of those already

 

 

I've thought quite a bit about this subject and your statements are correct.

 

Go into any Half-Priced Books store or one like it that sells old albums and there are always plenty of people going through them.

 

 

[shiverbones]

I hope it never happens. I hope they stay status quo for a long time.

[Ze-man]

Like comic reprints without the adds, does a pulp read the same in reprint form? I know it is mainly text, but isn't holding an original pulp part of the experience/enjoyment for most pulp collectors?

People are making nearly-exact replicas that give the same effect to reprints that holding the original has (minus that old paper smell).

 

Old paper smell.

 

I worked on a Saucy Movie Tales Pulp the other day, it had a definite smell to it. Made me wonder where it had been.

 

[aardvark88]

Cgc will go where the money is. It does not make much economic sense for pulp collectors to spend $20 to slab pulps that retail for $20 or less. There are long boxes of vg- (due to fragile page edges) sci-fi type pulps that retail for $10 that are slow to sell. Also, it would take Cgc too long to do the page count for each pulp as they are fragile and some illos may have been spliced out of a 244 pg pulp.