The Humanization of Church Books

[adamstrange]

I have a couple of books which glow in the dark!

 

I vociferously disagree!

 

You have several dozen that glow in the dark!

[ciorac]

well, I am inadequate with a marvel 1

 

You are just plain inadequate. You don't need the lack, or presence, of a book to make that assertion

[G.A.tor]

well, I am inadequate with a marvel 1

 

You are just plain inadequate. You don't need the lack, or presence, of a book to make that assertion

[MrBedrock]

I would not say Gaines books are a "better" pedigree because Gaines kept them vs Church keeping his for his reasons. In fact, Al Feldstein told me over dinner that Gaines had no "master plan" of keeping all those books because he knew they would be something special one day, he kept them for legal reasons! Each time a publisher started a new title it cost a lot of money to secure that title. Feldstein said Gaines was being a cheap businessman! Gaines wanted to have proof that his books were already published in case he was recharged a fee to secure a title he was already using! Nothing more.

 

Why did Gaines keep the original artwork?

Probably with the thought that he could reuse it at some point.

[swapto]

I think it depends on the title. Action Mile Highs would sell for a premium over a regular Action in the same grade. Maybe even double it. Same with Timelys if they ever come on the market.

 

So people are irrational?

 

Why would anyone pay more for a book that is the same quality as another book?

 

The only way this would make sense is if the grade awarded by CGC for the non-Mile High book was generous and they weren't actually of the same quality.

 

But, from what I read here, CGC tends to be laxer in their grading of "pedigree" books, especially in overlooking writing on the cover. So it may well be that any book that actually got, for example, a 9.8 from CGC without a pedigree would actually be a better book than a Mile High example.

 

Maybe I can understand paying a premium of some OO book that is fresh to the market just to ensure you own something that half the board can't say used to be in their collections. But, the Mile High books (I'm talking generally) have been in the market now for 33 years.

 

if you were a car collector, would you pay a bit more for a certain lincoln town car convertible, vintage '63, that a president was shot in than you would for another of "the same quality?"

 

obviously the analogy is off-kilter toward the historical car--but to many of us, the fact of the book coming from church's collecition gives it an extra "oomph" that another, similar book does not have. i won't pay crazy mulitples, but i will pay more than i will for a similarly graded book.

 

and, in virtually every situation in which i've seen a church book of a given grade, and compared it against another copy of that particular issue that got the same assigned grade, the chuch book has stood out in it's freshness. they simply have better eye-appeal.

 

but to answer even more directly, hell, yes i am irrational! i'm consumed with collecting 10c items from decades ago that were meant for kids, and i pay thousands and thousands of dollars for them. not for the investment, which they incidentally are, but because I CAN'T HELP MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Moondog]

When I was buying a lot of GA in the 80s, I preferred Mile High "Equivalents".

 

I just got more for my money.

[1koko]

I think the days of 3x - 10x guide for Church books, other than significant keys and a few titles, is likely over, at least for the near future. I would say there are several generic reasons for this including, but not necessarily limited to:

 

(1) The existence of the collection has become more historical than special to many. As such, it doesn't carry the weight or novelty that it used to.

 

(2) More and more Church books are becoming available on the open market thus eliminating the seeming "rarity" the pedigree once had (which is astonishing given 22,000 books are in the collection).

 

(3) When many of the books became available for the first time in years on the open market collectors/dealers likely paid a higher price than the books were "worth" because of the timing, i.e., "I need to have that book" or the desire to try and put together a run means someone paid more than they normally would have to ensure they had "that" copy.

 

(4) Numerous other pedigees have since been discovered, and the existence of many designated "collections", which some collectors do not view as having a distinction from "pedigree", have also minimized the previous luster that existed.

 

(5) Economic downtown always has an impact on the market in general, but this may be temporary.

 

Just a thoughts.

 

...and my 4 cents is the recent Diaspora scattering of former Church runs....Something awesome about a run which cannot be duplicated. I have hung on to some of my runs (Mystery Men, Fantastic, Wonder/Wonderworld). Somehow "Church books" use to imply having a run of the books. But like all things, even that is not immune the inevitable change, dictated in no small part by the present cost.

 

Other stray thought of Church books is that they are the only books that look better OUT of the mylar than in it. I have a couple of books which glow in the dark!

 

jb

 

If you ever decided to sell your Mystery Men as a run

 

A great run of books that I would be proud to own

 

I have been trying over the last couple of years to put together a Church run but with the diaspora it is a prolonged labour of love.

 

 

[Straw-Man]

I think the days of 3x - 10x guide for Church books, other than significant keys and a few titles, is likely over, at least for the near future. I would say there are several generic reasons for this including, but not necessarily limited to:

 

(1) The existence of the collection has become more historical than special to many. As such, it doesn't carry the weight or novelty that it used to.

 

(2) More and more Church books are becoming available on the open market thus eliminating the seeming "rarity" the pedigree once had (which is astonishing given 22,000 books are in the collection).

 

(3) When many of the books became available for the first time in years on the open market collectors/dealers likely paid a higher price than the books were "worth" because of the timing, i.e., "I need to have that book" or the desire to try and put together a run means someone paid more than they normally would have to ensure they had "that" copy.

 

(4) Numerous other pedigees have since been discovered, and the existence of many designated "collections", which some collectors do not view as having a distinction from "pedigree", have also minimized the previous luster that existed.

 

(5) Economic downtown always has an impact on the market in general, but this may be temporary.

 

Just a thoughts.

 

...and my 4 cents is the recent Diaspora scattering of former Church runs....Something awesome about a run which cannot be duplicated. I have hung on to some of my runs (Mystery Men, Fantastic, Wonder/Wonderworld). Somehow "Church books" use to imply having a run of the books. But like all things, even that is not immune the inevitable change, dictated in no small part by the present cost.

 

Other stray thought of Church books is that they are the only books that look better OUT of the mylar than in it. I have a couple of books which glow in the dark!

 

jb

 

If you ever decided to sell your Mystery Men as a run

 

A great run of books that I would be proud to own

 

I have been trying over the last couple of years to put together a Church run but with the diaspora it is a prolonged labour of love.

 

 

g.a.tor--he's saying, since they got loose, it's hard to herd them all back in.

[Straw-Man]

I think the days of 3x - 10x guide for Church books, other than significant keys and a few titles, is likely over, at least for the near future. I would say there are several generic reasons for this including, but not necessarily limited to:

 

(1) The existence of the collection has become more historical than special to many. As such, it doesn't carry the weight or novelty that it used to.

 

(2) More and more Church books are becoming available on the open market thus eliminating the seeming "rarity" the pedigree once had (which is astonishing given 22,000 books are in the collection).

 

(3) When many of the books became available for the first time in years on the open market collectors/dealers likely paid a higher price than the books were "worth" because of the timing, i.e., "I need to have that book" or the desire to try and put together a run means someone paid more than they normally would have to ensure they had "that" copy.

 

(4) Numerous other pedigees have since been discovered, and the existence of many designated "collections", which some collectors do not view as having a distinction from "pedigree", have also minimized the previous luster that existed.

 

(5) Economic downtown always has an impact on the market in general, but this may be temporary.

 

Just a thoughts.

 

...and my 4 cents is the recent Diaspora scattering of former Church runs....Something awesome about a run which cannot be duplicated. I have hung on to some of my runs (Mystery Men, Fantastic, Wonder/Wonderworld). Somehow "Church books" use to imply having a run of the books. But like all things, even that is not immune the inevitable change, dictated in no small part by the present cost.

 

Other stray thought of Church books is that they are the only books that look better OUT of the mylar than in it. I have a couple of books which glow in the dark!

 

jb

 

If you ever decided to sell your Mystery Men as a run

 

A great run of books that I would be proud to own

 

I have been trying over the last couple of years to put together a Church run but with the diaspora it is a prolonged labour of love.

 

 

george, i have 2 of the 4 church yankees. i'd LOVE to get #'s 1 & 2 to make it a sweep, but i doubt i''ll ever have the chance. short run, but a run nonetheless.

[G.A.tor]

I think the days of 3x - 10x guide for Church books, other than significant keys and a few titles, is likely over, at least for the near future. I would say there are several generic reasons for this including, but not necessarily limited to:

 

(1) The existence of the collection has become more historical than special to many. As such, it doesn't carry the weight or novelty that it used to.

 

(2) More and more Church books are becoming available on the open market thus eliminating the seeming "rarity" the pedigree once had (which is astonishing given 22,000 books are in the collection).

 

(3) When many of the books became available for the first time in years on the open market collectors/dealers likely paid a higher price than the books were "worth" because of the timing, i.e., "I need to have that book" or the desire to try and put together a run means someone paid more than they normally would have to ensure they had "that" copy.

 

(4) Numerous other pedigees have since been discovered, and the existence of many designated "collections", which some collectors do not view as having a distinction from "pedigree", have also minimized the previous luster that existed.

 

(5) Economic downtown always has an impact on the market in general, but this may be temporary.

 

Just a thoughts.

 

...and my 4 cents is the recent Diaspora scattering of former Church runs....Something awesome about a run which cannot be duplicated. I have hung on to some of my runs (Mystery Men, Fantastic, Wonder/Wonderworld). Somehow "Church books" use to imply having a run of the books. But like all things, even that is not immune the inevitable change, dictated in no small part by the present cost.

 

Other stray thought of Church books is that they are the only books that look better OUT of the mylar than in it. I have a couple of books which glow in the dark!

 

jb

 

If you ever decided to sell your Mystery Men as a run

 

A great run of books that I would be proud to own

 

I have been trying over the last couple of years to put together a Church run but with the diaspora it is a prolonged labour of love.

 

 

g.a.tor--he's saying, since they got loose, it's hard to herd them all back in.

whew, I thought he meant he needed some pepto bismal

[Straw-Man]

I think the days of 3x - 10x guide for Church books, other than significant keys and a few titles, is likely over, at least for the near future. I would say there are several generic reasons for this including, but not necessarily limited to:

 

(1) The existence of the collection has become more historical than special to many. As such, it doesn't carry the weight or novelty that it used to.

 

(2) More and more Church books are becoming available on the open market thus eliminating the seeming "rarity" the pedigree once had (which is astonishing given 22,000 books are in the collection).

 

(3) When many of the books became available for the first time in years on the open market collectors/dealers likely paid a higher price than the books were "worth" because of the timing, i.e., "I need to have that book" or the desire to try and put together a run means someone paid more than they normally would have to ensure they had "that" copy.

 

(4) Numerous other pedigees have since been discovered, and the existence of many designated "collections", which some collectors do not view as having a distinction from "pedigree", have also minimized the previous luster that existed.

 

(5) Economic downtown always has an impact on the market in general, but this may be temporary.

 

Just a thoughts.

 

...and my 4 cents is the recent Diaspora scattering of former Church runs....Something awesome about a run which cannot be duplicated. I have hung on to some of my runs (Mystery Men, Fantastic, Wonder/Wonderworld). Somehow "Church books" use to imply having a run of the books. But like all things, even that is not immune the inevitable change, dictated in no small part by the present cost.

 

Other stray thought of Church books is that they are the only books that look better OUT of the mylar than in it. I have a couple of books which glow in the dark!

 

jb

 

If you ever decided to sell your Mystery Men as a run

 

A great run of books that I would be proud to own

 

I have been trying over the last couple of years to put together a Church run but with the diaspora it is a prolonged labour of love.

 

 

g.a.tor--he's saying, since they got loose, it's hard to herd them all back in.

whew, I thought he meant he needed some pepto bismal

 

 

hee hee. i see what you mean; sometimes prolonged, but rarely a labor [not going to go brit, even for george] of love.

[comicdonna]

I think the days of 3x - 10x guide for Church books, other than significant keys and a few titles, is likely over, at least for the near future. I would say there are several generic reasons for this including, but not necessarily limited to:

 

(1) The existence of the collection has become more historical than special to many. As such, it doesn't carry the weight or novelty that it used to.

 

(2) More and more Church books are becoming available on the open market thus eliminating the seeming "rarity" the pedigree once had (which is astonishing given 22,000 books are in the collection).

 

(3) When many of the books became available for the first time in years on the open market collectors/dealers likely paid a higher price than the books were "worth" because of the timing, i.e., "I need to have that book" or the desire to try and put together a run means someone paid more than they normally would have to ensure they had "that" copy.

 

(4) Numerous other pedigees have since been discovered, and the existence of many designated "collections", which some collectors do not view as having a distinction from "pedigree", have also minimized the previous luster that existed.

 

(5) Economic downtown always has an impact on the market in general, but this may be temporary.

 

Just a thoughts.

 

...and my 4 cents is the recent Diaspora scattering of former Church runs....Something awesome about a run which cannot be duplicated. I have hung on to some of my runs (Mystery Men, Fantastic, Wonder/Wonderworld). Somehow "Church books" use to imply having a run of the books. But like all things, even that is not immune the inevitable change, dictated in no small part by the present cost.

 

Other stray thought of Church books is that they are the only books that look better OUT of the mylar than in it. I have a couple of books which glow in the dark!

 

jb

 

If you ever decided to sell your Mystery Men as a run

 

A great run of books that I would be proud to own

 

I have been trying over the last couple of years to put together a Church run but with the diaspora it is a prolonged labour of love.

 

 

g.a.tor--he's saying, since they got loose, it's hard to herd them all back in.

Do you work on a farm Billy?

[Straw-Man]

I think the days of 3x - 10x guide for Church books, other than significant keys and a few titles, is likely over, at least for the near future. I would say there are several generic reasons for this including, but not necessarily limited to:

 

(1) The existence of the collection has become more historical than special to many. As such, it doesn't carry the weight or novelty that it used to.

 

(2) More and more Church books are becoming available on the open market thus eliminating the seeming "rarity" the pedigree once had (which is astonishing given 22,000 books are in the collection).

 

(3) When many of the books became available for the first time in years on the open market collectors/dealers likely paid a higher price than the books were "worth" because of the timing, i.e., "I need to have that book" or the desire to try and put together a run means someone paid more than they normally would have to ensure they had "that" copy.

 

(4) Numerous other pedigees have since been discovered, and the existence of many designated "collections", which some collectors do not view as having a distinction from "pedigree", have also minimized the previous luster that existed.

 

(5) Economic downtown always has an impact on the market in general, but this may be temporary.

 

Just a thoughts.

 

...and my 4 cents is the recent Diaspora scattering of former Church runs....Something awesome about a run which cannot be duplicated. I have hung on to some of my runs (Mystery Men, Fantastic, Wonder/Wonderworld). Somehow "Church books" use to imply having a run of the books. But like all things, even that is not immune the inevitable change, dictated in no small part by the present cost.

 

Other stray thought of Church books is that they are the only books that look better OUT of the mylar than in it. I have a couple of books which glow in the dark!

 

jb

 

If you ever decided to sell your Mystery Men as a run

 

A great run of books that I would be proud to own

 

I have been trying over the last couple of years to put together a Church run but with the diaspora it is a prolonged labour of love.

 

 

g.a.tor--he's saying, since they got loose, it's hard to herd them all back in.

Do you work on a farm Billy?

 

sheep lie!!!!!!!!!

[jimjum12]

I think the days of 3x - 10x guide for Church books, other than significant keys and a few titles, is likely over, at least for the near future. I would say there are several generic reasons for this including, but not necessarily limited to:

 

(1) The existence of the collection has become more historical than special to many. As such, it doesn't carry the weight or novelty that it used to.

 

(2) More and more Church books are becoming available on the open market thus eliminating the seeming "rarity" the pedigree once had (which is astonishing given 22,000 books are in the collection).

 

(3) When many of the books became available for the first time in years on the open market collectors/dealers likely paid a higher price than the books were "worth" because of the timing, i.e., "I need to have that book" or the desire to try and put together a run means someone paid more than they normally would have to ensure they had "that" copy.

 

(4) Numerous other pedigees have since been discovered, and the existence of many designated "collections", which some collectors do not view as having a distinction from "pedigree", have also minimized the previous luster that existed.

 

(5) Economic downtown always has an impact on the market in general, but this may be temporary.

 

Just a thoughts.

 

...and my 4 cents is the recent Diaspora scattering of former Church runs....Something awesome about a run which cannot be duplicated. I have hung on to some of my runs (Mystery Men, Fantastic, Wonder/Wonderworld). Somehow "Church books" use to imply having a run of the books. But like all things, even that is not immune the inevitable change, dictated in no small part by the present cost.

 

Other stray thought of Church books is that they are the only books that look better OUT of the mylar than in it. I have a couple of books which glow in the dark!

 

jb

 

If you ever decided to sell your Mystery Men as a run

 

A great run of books that I would be proud to own

 

I have been trying over the last couple of years to put together a Church run but with the diaspora it is a prolonged labour of love.

 

 

g.a.tor--he's saying, since they got loose, it's hard to herd them all back in.

Do you work on a farm Billy?

 

sheep lie!!!!!!!!!

 

Yes....but do they lie still..... GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[esquirecomics]

I think the days of 3x - 10x guide for Church books, other than significant keys and a few titles, is likely over, at least for the near future. I would say there are several generic reasons for this including, but not necessarily limited to:

 

(1) The existence of the collection has become more historical than special to many. As such, it doesn't carry the weight or novelty that it used to.

 

(2) More and more Church books are becoming available on the open market thus eliminating the seeming "rarity" the pedigree once had (which is astonishing given 22,000 books are in the collection).

 

(3) When many of the books became available for the first time in years on the open market collectors/dealers likely paid a higher price than the books were "worth" because of the timing, i.e., "I need to have that book" or the desire to try and put together a run means someone paid more than they normally would have to ensure they had "that" copy.

 

(4) Numerous other pedigees have since been discovered, and the existence of many designated "collections", which some collectors do not view as having a distinction from "pedigree", have also minimized the previous luster that existed.

 

(5) Economic downtown always has an impact on the market in general, but this may be temporary.

 

Just a thoughts.

 

...and my 4 cents is the recent Diaspora scattering of former Church runs....Something awesome about a run which cannot be duplicated. I have hung on to some of my runs (Mystery Men, Fantastic, Wonder/Wonderworld). Somehow "Church books" use to imply having a run of the books. But like all things, even that is not immune the inevitable change, dictated in no small part by the present cost.

 

Other stray thought of Church books is that they are the only books that look better OUT of the mylar than in it. I have a couple of books which glow in the dark!

 

jb

 

If you ever decided to sell your Mystery Men as a run

 

A great run of books that I would be proud to own

 

I have been trying over the last couple of years to put together a Church run but with the diaspora it is a prolonged labour of love.

 

 

g.a.tor--he's saying, since they got loose, it's hard to herd them all back in.

Do you work on a farm Billy?

 

sheep lie!!!!!!!!!

 

Yes....but do they lie still..... GOD BLESS....

 

[MrBedrock]

sheep lie!!!!!!!!!

[1koko]

I think the days of 3x - 10x guide for Church books, other than significant keys and a few titles, is likely over, at least for the near future. I would say there are several generic reasons for this including, but not necessarily limited to:

 

(1) The existence of the collection has become more historical than special to many. As such, it doesn't carry the weight or novelty that it used to.

 

(2) More and more Church books are becoming available on the open market thus eliminating the seeming "rarity" the pedigree once had (which is astonishing given 22,000 books are in the collection).

 

(3) When many of the books became available for the first time in years on the open market collectors/dealers likely paid a higher price than the books were "worth" because of the timing, i.e., "I need to have that book" or the desire to try and put together a run means someone paid more than they normally would have to ensure they had "that" copy.

 

(4) Numerous other pedigees have since been discovered, and the existence of many designated "collections", which some collectors do not view as having a distinction from "pedigree", have also minimized the previous luster that existed.

 

(5) Economic downtown always has an impact on the market in general, but this may be temporary.

 

Just a thoughts.

 

...and my 4 cents is the recent Diaspora scattering of former Church runs....Something awesome about a run which cannot be duplicated. I have hung on to some of my runs (Mystery Men, Fantastic, Wonder/Wonderworld). Somehow "Church books" use to imply having a run of the books. But like all things, even that is not immune the inevitable change, dictated in no small part by the present cost.

 

Other stray thought of Church books is that they are the only books that look better OUT of the mylar than in it. I have a couple of books which glow in the dark!

 

jb

 

If you ever decided to sell your Mystery Men as a run

 

A great run of books that I would be proud to own

 

I have been trying over the last couple of years to put together a Church run but with the diaspora it is a prolonged labour of love.

 

 

g.a.tor--he's saying, since they got loose, it's hard to herd them all back in.

whew, I thought he meant he needed some pepto bismal

 

 

hee hee. i see what you mean; sometimes prolonged, but rarely a labor [not going to go brit, even for george] of love.

 

 

[generic user]

it shouldn't "entitle" it I agree, but the lure of owning a "mile high" as been part of the hobby as long as i can remember...it is an intangible desire, one that is not quantitatively equated over qualitatively identical books... in other words, folks just like to pay more (or at least are willing to pay more) to have a Mile high... at least most folks (thumbs u

 

I'm a dedicated low-grade collector that owns a total of one Rockford book and a bunch of water damaged and incomplete D-copies (and if that's a pedigree, I want no part of them). I never chase books higher than Fine, but that hasn't stopped me from bidding on many lower-value Church books in the hopes I get just one of them to hold in my hands and say "this is what a comic book looked like when my grandfather bought them off the stands".