Toughest Bronze Age Marvels?

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Hey all,

 

As I begin to shift my collecting focus from Silver Age to Bronze books, I'd like to get some input as to what the toughest Bronze Age Marvels are to locate. Whether you are a price variant, reprint, western, love, or just oddball title collector, I'd appreciate some feedback as to what books are really tough to locate in high grade, based on the collecting experiences of fellow Forumites. Feel free to post scans of holy grails, or just books that you finally found after much diligent hunting. Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[kryptonitecomics]

From a tough in high grade stand point:

 

I don't know if it's considered rare, but I don't see as many high grade Iron Man 55's as I do a lot of the other Bronze Age Key's. Also I would say most of the black cover Bronze Age books are tough in high grade, but I am sure the same holds true for all black covers regardless of the age. ASM #151 is another toughy as is #194.

 

From a just generally rare to find in any grade, maybe Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #1 , All Star Western #10, Cerebus #1........TMNT #1

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Thanks, but I wasn't thinking along the lines of superhero stuff (except for the reprint issues), though I would agree the black cover books are very difficult in high grade.. From my understanding, circulation for '72-'73 Marvels was at an all time low, but Spidey and the other superhero books were still far more common then the oddball titles. I'd like to hear about those books....provided they exist at all!

[Rocketeer]

but I am sure the same holds true for all black covers regardless of the age. ASM #151 is another toughy

 

I don't know about that....

 

[joe_collector]

Other than the usual variant stuff, one book that was hella hard to find in strict NM 9.4 or higher was:

 

Captain America 155

 

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Yeah, I'm not willing to concede ANY Bronze Spidey being scarce in high grade...ASM had the highest circulation of any Marvel of that era by far.

 

Here is the kind of book I had in mind. Where Monsters Dwell # 21, reprinting the famous Fin Fang Foom issue of Strange Tales # 89. Interestingly, Overstreet does not note this fact in the Guide....somewhat odd considering Finny is the most famous of the Marvel Monsters.

 

Anyway, after a decade of rumaging through long boxes, I can honestly say I don't recall ever seeing a copy of this book, in any grade. I've always loved the Fin Fang Foom cover and story, so I'm sure it would have stuck out for me if I had, heck, I probably would have bought it as a reader if I did. Then I come upon this book in a recent find of original owner 70s books, and I bought it. I'd welcome input on the book, maybe its a common issue afterall (though a search of current and completed items on eBay doesn't yield one, in any grade).

[Mephisto]

That book is awsome I have the ST 89 and the reprint in Fantasy Masterpieces but I have never even seen that book before.

[awe4one]

Yep, I'd say that #21 is tough but you can find it. I found it much harder to find #23 for some reason.

 

Tough Marvel Bronze (Superhero)?

 

Hell you can find them all pretty easily. The tough ones are the Marvel romance, Archie clones, and selected reprint titles (monster and western).

 

I'm having the damnest time finding true NM-/NM copies of Gunslingers #2 and 3 if that helps......

 

Jim

[osborn_fr]

but I am sure the same holds true for all black covers regardless of the age. ASM #151 is another toughy

 

I don't know about that....

 

 

Anyone has kept the picture of forum's member NativeNewYorker, with several high grade copies of this book ?

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

I'm having the damnest time finding true NM-/NM copies of Gunslingers #2 and 3 if that helps......

 

It does, and I've been itching to find some nice 20-cent westerns (Red Wolf, Gunhawks, Gunslinger, etc.).

 

But I think at least one Forum member would disagree with you on whether 70s superhero Marvels are easy to find or not, at least the reprints. I think if more people start taking interest in these books, they'll find the reprints are far harder to locate then some of the originals.

[greggy]

Yep, I'd say that #21 is tough but you can find it. I found it much harder to find #23 for some reason.

 

Tough Marvel Bronze (Superhero)?

 

Hell you can find them all pretty easily. The tough ones are the Marvel romance, Archie clones, and selected reprint titles (monster and western).

 

I'm having the damnest time finding true NM-/NM copies of Gunslingers #2 and 3 if that helps......

 

Jim

You mean this book? I do agree with the Gunslingers also.

 

[Metarog]

Nice book. Some of those Beware and Wyatt Earps are tough to find also.

[awe4one]

[You mean this book? I do agree with the Gunslingers also.

 

 

Are there any hard to find comics you don't have?

 

Jim

[awe4one]

I'm having the damnest time finding true NM-/NM copies of Gunslingers #2 and 3 if that helps......

 

It does, and I've been itching to find some nice 20-cent westerns (Red Wolf, Gunhawks, Gunslinger, etc.).

 

But I think at least one Forum member would disagree with you on whether 70s superhero Marvels are easy to find or not, at least the reprints. I think if more people start taking interest in these books, they'll find the reprints are far harder to locate then some of the originals.

 

If you're talking strictly HG, I agree the reprints, Marvel's Greatest in particular, are tough. I was talking more in general with finding ANY grade Marvel superhero issue....

 

Jim

[drbanner]

More Bronze rarity discussion...

[buena_vista]

The Steranko "Our Love Story" is very hard to find (I believe it was #10).

 

I've been looking for a VF or above copy for ages...

[greggy]

[You mean this book? I do agree with the Gunslingers also.

 

 

Are there any hard to find comics you don't have?

 

Jim

I don't have all of the Harveys or the L'il Pals!

[blowout]

More Bronze rarity discussion...

 

Thought I remebered some talk of this before. Didn't you also run a poll DrB?

 

Silly question really....of course you did

[FFB]

I can check when I get home, but I think that 1977-78 was the low water mark for Marvel's circulation. That's when it was getting so bad that Cadence Industries (then-owner of Marvel) was considering scuttling Marvel's comics publishing entirely and just licensing out the characters for T-Shirts, lunch boxes, etc. Jim Shooter took over in 1978 and gradually turned things around, but it took a while and publishing numbers in the 77-78 period were abyssmal.

 

Thanks, but I wasn't thinking along the lines of superhero stuff (except for the reprint issues), though I would agree the black cover books are very difficult in high grade.. From my understanding, circulation for '72-'73 Marvels was at an all time low, but Spidey and the other superhero books were still far more common then the oddball titles. I'd like to hear about those books....provided they exist at all!

[blowout]

The 72-73 Marvels seem tougher also because of the colored cover border which all books had and exagerates the numerous production flaws of the time. Try finding nicely centered NM books from this time period.