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Mark Jeweler Inserts... when did they really begin?

Started by Weird Paper,

16 posts in this topic

Weird Paper

Weird Paper

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I was grading through a stack of books over the weekend, getting them ready for Oafcon. Most of them were comics that I haven't looked at in ten or more years. Anyhoo, I realized that I had a copy of Fantastic Four 14 with a Mark Jeweler insert. I spent a chunk of my comic-buying childhood living on base, overseas, so I never considered MJ inserts to be unusual, but it occurred to me that I had never seen one this old. I usually think about them being in comics from the mid-early 70s on.

I did a brief search online, and could not find any reference to them before the early 70s. Anybody seen one from that far back or older? Just wondering... (shrug)

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Weird Paper

Weird Paper

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What is Mark Jewlers>
It's the four-page card stock insert that was put in comics that were sent to be sold at military exchanges overseas. They were done at the printers, so it was not something added later.

As far as whether this one could have been added, I need to look at it tonight at home. I doubt it... I mean, why would somebody do that? I have had the comic for almost 20 years, and have no recollection of where it came from.

I'm in San Antonio, which is a military town, so we probably see these more than most parts of the country. It's generally not even a variant I would find remarkable, other than the curiosity of this book being almost ten years older than the other ones I have seen.

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BrianR

BrianR

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If its the thicker stock. It could have been added to provide additional support to the book, like a backing board. I grew up on bases as well so most of my books from my youth have the MJ insert. That plus I am a FF collector; I would love to see this book. I find it interesting to say the least.

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Weird Paper

Weird Paper

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Do you recall it having a small star stamp or some other variation on the cover?
I always look for the star stamp. I know they used that at the Stars & Stripes in Nuremberg where I lived. I don't think this book had one, but I have a number of bronze books with the inserts that don't. I will check the ad against the codes on the site that Greggy linked (thanks, Greggy), and see if I can find a date or a code anywhere on the ad. I also need to carefully look at the staples to make sure that they haven't been removed and replaced. My gut tells me it's legit, but we'll see...
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BrianR

BrianR

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Do you recall it having a small star stamp or some other variation on the cover?
I always look for the star stamp. I know they used that at the Stars & Stripes in Nuremberg where I lived. I don't think this book had one, but I have a number of bronze books with the inserts that don't. I will check the ad against the codes on the site that Greggy linked (thanks, Greggy), and see if I can find a date or a code anywhere on the ad. I also need to carefully look at the staples to make sure that they haven't been removed and replaced. My gut tells me it's legit, but we'll see...
:wishluck:
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Black Lantern

Black Lantern

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Can somebody please explain to me why these Mark Jeweler inserts books are so sought after? I have lots of them and I don't know why they should be in demand. As a variant, it's not interesting because the book itself is the same. Why should I be interested in the ad? (shrug)

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This is water

This is water

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Can somebody please explain to me why these Mark Jeweler inserts books are so sought after? I have lots of them and I don't know why they should be in demand. As a variant, it's not interesting because the book itself is the same. Why should I be interested in the ad? (shrug)

 

For me it adds to the intrigue of the book since it was only distributed in specific areas.

 

But they don't demand premium in relation to their normal counterparts per se, until a rare copy is at auction ( such as ASM #129).

 

I enjoy to collecting them. I find they are harder to obtain in high grade. That's just me though. (shrug)

 

Also, if you go to the link Greggy posted you can read up. There are different types of MJ inserts. Numbered, colored..etc.

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Black Lantern

Black Lantern

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Can somebody please explain to me why these Mark Jeweler inserts books are so sought after? I have lots of them and I don't know why they should be in demand. As a variant, it's not interesting because the book itself is the same. Why should I be interested in the ad? (shrug)

 

For me it adds to the intrigue of the book since it was only distributed in specific areas.

 

But they don't demand premium in relation to their normal counterparts per se, until a rare copy is at auction ( such as ASM #129).

 

I enjoy to collecting them. I find they are harder to obtain in high grade. That's just me though. (shrug)

 

Also, if you go to the link Greggy posted you can read up. There are different types of MJ inserts. Numbered, colored..etc.

 

Ok, thanks for the info.

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