Golden Age Time Capsule

[burntboy]

i was going through boxes of books looking for my ASM #'s 10 & 11, when i stumbled across a mailing that i've kept for 40 years in a big box of assorted comics and magazines.

 

a four page legal sized flyer sent to me by Phil Seuling in december 1964 from Coney Isalnd NY with a 5cent stamp!!!!

 

even though it is his January 1965 list of back issue comics for sale, it pretty much contains nothing but GA stuff.

 

there are lists of big-little books, tarzan/flash gordon/buck rogers/prince valiant related material, hard cover books and, of course comics.

 

here's an interesting and nostalgic Special Note that he included on the first page:

 

i would like to see comic book collecting grow as a hobby, and so, to spread some information and put as many of you in contact with as many others as possible, i'm adding the data below. i have dealt with each of the following people and each to me has been prompt and honest. Contact them to get a wider view of the field, and more opportunity for yourself. no one asked me to do this, and i have no agreements of any sort with these people. Medals honoring my nobility will be blushingly accepted.

 

DEALERS: claude heil - buffalo, ny

bill thailing - cleveland, ohio

howard rogofsky - roseland, ny

 

Further info: The Rockets Blast is a fan magazine for comic collectors.

 

 

he then goes on to list the comics and their prices. all comics were touted as being Good or better. (i suspect the grading was niether the art/science it is today and good meant something different than what we think today.)

 

some examples;

 

action 9 - $12.50

action 25, 28, 29, 31, 34, 35, 36, 39 - $4.00

adventure 45, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57,etc - $12.50

all-flash 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, - $5.00

all-select 11 - 1.50

all-star 13, 18, 19 20 - $12.50

all-winners 9, 10 - $6.50

batman 8 - $7.50

blackhawk 10, 11 - $3.50

black hood 13, 14, 15 - $3.00

blonde phantom 12-22 - $.50

capt america 53 - $3.00cvat-man 2, 3, 5, 7 - $5.00

daredevil 6, 8 - $10.00

detective 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 - $6.50

marvel mystery 43, 46 - $4.00

mystery in space #1 - $3.00

planet 24-30 - $4.00

strange adventures #! - $3.00

superman 4, 5 - $9.50

whiz 30, 34 - $2.50

wonder woman 17, 19 - $2.00

young allies 10, 12, 13, 14 - $3.00

 

AND a newly arrived copy of ACTION #1 going for the unheard of price of $75.00!!

 

keep in mind that this was a full 5 years before overstreets first price guide in 1970 where the action #1 in VG was listing for $250.00!!!

 

what a trip down memory lane

[CentaurMan]

detective 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 - $6.50

 

Oh my @#!$ing God.....

[Red Hook]

I don't know if you saw my thread regarding the Conventions Phil put on in the NYC area in the late sixties..... Grandpa Opens the Scrapbook. Did you ever get to any of these Burnt?

[drbanner]

Scan please!!

[garthgantu]

keep in mind that this was a full 5 years before overstreets first price guide in 1970 where the action #1 in VG was listing for $250.00!!!

 

Very cool stuff, Burnt - I've got a copy of Robert Bell's little pink catalog from 1975 somewhere in one of my many comic book boxes, and it's similar in terms of jaw-droppingly low prices... I think FF # 1, in NM mind you (all Bell's books were guaranteed "NM," which by today's standards ranged from VF+ to NM+), was I think $50...!

 

BTW, Are you sure the first Overstreet listed VG prices? I'm pretty certain it listed prices for G, FN and NM (or maybe Mint) ?

 

Regardless, that is good stuff... we should look this Phil Seuling up and see if his prices have risen at all

[burntboy]

I don't know if you saw my thread regarding the Conventions Phil put on in the NYC area in the late sixties..... Grandpa Opens the Scrapbook. Did you ever get to any of these Burnt?

 

no i didn't, unfortunately. great thread, though and having those old programs, etc., is just great. about the only other thing from that era that i kept was an original copy of Alter-Ego # 4 which contained the very first Alley Awards for 1961.

all the winners were DC but Roy Thomas in his editorial said " in division 9 (best adventure-hero group) came the largest victory margin, however, with the justice league winning 70% of the votes cast. second was the fantastic four which may well prove to be a stronger contender next year. ( i guess he got that right).

 

i also have copies 7 and 11 of the original The Comiccollector and some Comic Reader Bulletins. all this stuff is pretty cool to look at from time to time.

[jimm94]

Regardless, that is good stuff... we should look this Phil Seuling up and see if his prices have risen at all

 

Absolutely! I would send in your order form ASAP, burntboy. Maybe it's not too late!

[burntboy]

keep in mind that this was a full 5 years before overstreets first price guide in 1970 where the action #1 in VG was listing for $250.00!!!

 

Very cool stuff, Burnt - I've got a copy of Robert Bell's little pink catalog from 1975 somewhere in one of my many comic book boxes, and it's similar in terms of jaw-droppingly low prices... I think FF # 1, in NM mind you (all Bell's books were guaranteed "NM," which by today's standards ranged from VF+ to NM+), was I think $50...!

 

BTW, Are you sure the first Overstreet listed VG prices? I'm pretty certain it listed prices for G, FN and NM (or maybe Mint) ?

 

Regardless, that is good stuff... we should look this Phil Seuling up and see if his prices have risen at all

 

you are absolutely correct about the guide. when i looked it up i saw fine but was thinking VG. so that is the Fine price, Good went for $200 and Mint went for $300 - my how the relationship on the pricing has changed!!!! and now i have to squeeze it back into it's too tight plastic bag...........

[burntboy]

keep in mind that this was a full 5 years before overstreets first price guide in 1970 where the action #1 in VG was listing for $250.00!!!

 

Very cool stuff, Burnt - I've got a copy of Robert Bell's little pink catalog from 1975 somewhere in one of my many comic book boxes, and it's similar in terms of jaw-droppingly low prices... I think FF # 1, in NM mind you (all Bell's books were guaranteed "NM," which by today's standards ranged from VF+ to NM+), was I think $50...!

 

BTW, Are you sure the first Overstreet listed VG prices? I'm pretty certain it listed prices for G, FN and NM (or maybe Mint) ?

 

Regardless, that is good stuff... we should look this Phil Seuling up and see if his prices have risen at all

 

oh, and Robert Bell had the full page add on the back of the first price guide. he was selling his "Marvel Comic Bags" made especially for marvel comics if you've ever seen one (recently) they have turned a sick yellow/green - i've always wondered if they did more harm than good???

[Zonker]

Regardless, that is good stuff... we should look this Phil Seuling up and see if his prices have risen at all

 

Phil Seuling passed away in 1984

[garthgantu]

I still have a couple of those Bell bags - very thick polybags for the time. Yes, they get pretty scary-looking after 25 - 30 years! I recall ordering his bags, 100 at a time, for I think $3 per hundred...

[burntboy]

Regardless, that is good stuff... we should look this Phil Seuling up and see if his prices have risen at all

 

Phil Seuling passed away in 1984

 

thanks Zonker - i never bothered to read that despite all the time i've spent browzing bud's site. in fact the price guide number 1 that i'm referencing was purchased from Bud about 5 years ago.

[PUNYHUMAN]

I Love reading threads like these on the early days of Fandom,Dealer prices, Cons. ETC.

[Red Hook]

I agree. Our hobby has such a rich history connected to it. And it's very much trans-generational. Of course I think the silver age was the best, but I think everyone considers the period in comics that they came of age in to be the best.

 

It's very gratifying to see a lot of the characters I grew up with, still around. I recently picked up the TPB of Ultimate Spider-Man and got my nose into it. It was fun. I mean, it totally reconstructed the mythology I grew up with, but it was smart, and had some real depth to it. It was refreshing to see the artists and writers retooling the old stuff. It needed it.

 

As much as I love Silver Age, I real admire some of the high end projects going on now in the field. Lots of tired drek too, but there are some great talents out there.

 

Red, aka Mr. "I Bought it Off the Rack in '66!"

[joe_collector]

I Love reading threads like these on the early days of Fandom,Dealer prices, Cons. ETC.

 

I agree, and it must have been wild to be part of the real period of fandom. I came in on the [!@#%^&^]-end (Bronze), but even then, it was so full of vitality and innocence, I can't imagine what it would have been like in the 60's.

 

Now, much like the hobby, it's all about the $$$ and little else.

[FFB]

Not everyone. I started reading comics in the late 70s and early 80s, and the Silver Age is my favorite too! There's just something about Silver Age Marvels that have always appealed to me.

 

I agree. Our hobby has such a rich history connected to it. And it's very much trans-generational. Of course I think the silver age was the best, but I think everyone considers the period in comics that they came of age in to be the best.

[joe_collector]

Yeah, me neither. I started buying in the mid/late-70's, and I still think the Marvel books from 71-74 are the very best.

 

Not everyone. I started reading comics in the late 70s and early 80s, and the Silver Age is my favorite too! There's just something about Silver Age Marvels that have always appealed to me.

 

I agree. Our hobby has such a rich history connected to it. And it's very much trans-generational. Of course I think the silver age was the best, but I think everyone considers the period in comics that they came of age in to be the best.

[underthebigw]

I Love reading threads like these on the early days of Fandom,Dealer prices, Cons. ETC.

 

I agree, and it must have been wild to be part of the real period of fandom. I came in on the [!@#%^&^]-end (Bronze), but even then, it was so full of vitality and innocence, I can't imagine what it would have been like in the 60's.

 

Now, much like the hobby, it's all about the $$$ and little else.

 

I'm in the same position as you, JC. The late 70's were still pretty naive and fun, but you were always aware that the innocence was being lost. I think, in some ways, the real turning point was the Church collection. All of a sudden, multiples were being paid, the bar was set so much higher than ever before, and books were worth "real" money. I wish I was old enough to have participated in the earliest days of fandom. It's one of the reasons I enjoy my other hobby, collecting character glasses, so much. Meetings consist of a bunch of guys throwing their stuff into the back of their vans and bringing it just to talk about glasses, comics and cartoons.

[joe_collector]

It's one of the reasons I enjoy my other hobby, collecting character glasses, so much. Meetings consist of a bunch of guys throwing their stuff into the back of their vans and bringing it just to talk about glasses, comics and cartoons.

 

Stop it, or I'll be forced to buy some cartoon glasses and join in the fun.

 

Now that comic fandom has been replaced by dollar-dom, I really feel the need to get back to basics.

[Timely]

action 9 - $12.50

action 25, 28, 29, 31, 34, 35, 36, 39 - $4.00

adventure 45, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57,etc - $12.50

all-flash 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, - $5.00

all-select 11 - 1.50

all-star 13, 18, 19 20 - $12.50

all-winners 9, 10 - $6.50

batman 8 - $7.50

blackhawk 10, 11 - $3.50

black hood 13, 14, 15 - $3.00

blonde phantom 12-22 - $.50

capt america 53 - $3.00cvat-man 2, 3, 5, 7 - $5.00

daredevil 6, 8 - $10.00

detective 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 - $6.50

marvel mystery 43, 46 - $4.00

mystery in space #1 - $3.00

planet 24-30 - $4.00

strange adventures #! - $3.00

superman 4, 5 - $9.50

whiz 30, 34 - $2.50

wonder woman 17, 19 - $2.00

young allies 10, 12, 13, 14 - $3.00

 

 

 

 

If I buy them all can I get a 25% discount?

 

Timely