Windy City Pedigrees- What Did They Sell For?

[Moondog]

Here's my Windy City.

 

That was my copy for many years Loved it when I was centaur centric

 

And here it was more than 25 years ago...

 

 

Western Action Thrillers 1 - 9.0, c/ow - $150

Whirlwind 1 - 7.0 (dust shadow), c/ow - could not find pricing info

Wham 1 - based on my notes and the scan above, I would have thought this closer to 9.0 - is there some dings on the back cover? - $700 in trade

Joe Palooka 1 - 7.5 (dust shadows), ow - no pricing info

War Victory 1 - 8.5, ow/w - $300 in trade

Super Spy 1 - 6.5 (dust shadow, back cover soiled), c/ow - no pricing info

Captain Courageous 1 - 7.5 (ding at bottom of spine), ow/w - no pricing info

Clare Voyant 1 - 5.0 (scuff at bottom of spine, dust shadow), c/ow - $40 in trade

Famous Stories 1 - 8.0, ow/w - I kept this in my collection until last summer and sold it at Wizard World for $150.

 

 

 

 

[Moondog]

Here's a different pic showing the Famous Funnies 1. He sold this book along with probably 20 or 30 others before selling me the collection.

 

 

I graded the Detective Ace King, but it was gone when I bought the collection. I noted at the time it was a FINE, but the insides were very brown. Probably 6.0 today with tan pages.

 

The Detective 1 was graded FINE with slight dings at the top and bottom of the spine and a slight dust shadow. Pages were c/ow. I think this book is a 6.5 or 7.0 today. Sold for $5,200.

 

The New Comics 10 was sold prior to my grading. Looks pretty good here!

 

 

[Moondog]

When I met the seller for the first time it was September 1978. He walked into my store on my opening day with an envelope under his arm. Inside were Detective 1, Captain America 1, Daring Mystery 1, Marvel 1 and this book.

 

 

You can see the stains on the front cover beneath the Superman image. The stains made their way through the top 4 pages and the spine was split about 1/3 of the way up. I called it a FAIR when I bought it, but it's probably a 4.0 today! Sold for $3,100.

[esquirecomics]

Quite an impressive collection!!

 

Thanks for sharing Gary!

[red rocks-migration]

 

did you ever consider just putting these away and forgetting you had them?

 

Nice foresight by the seller to actually collect them back then

 

[Moondog]

 

did you ever consider just putting these away and forgetting you had them?

 

Nice foresight by the seller to actually collect them back then

 

I invested $82,500 in these books in 1986. I reinvested the profits from the sales of these books to grow my business from two stores to six, eventually selling the stores to a public company. My buying and selling and reinvesting the profits wasn't on Chuck's level with the Church books (there were only 2,000 or so Windy Citys), but my goal was to grow my business to a size that would attract a deep-pocketed buyer (if/when I ever decided to sell).

 

Had I been a single guy with just one store and no ambitions, I'd still have all these books.

 

Believe me, when I see the prices that some of these books have sold for since CGC's inception, pangs of remorse start to creep in (at least they aren't the size of Chuck's!). They pass quickly fortunately, but you can't ignore them. I guess I'm just human in that regard.

[Moondog]

Nice foresight by the seller to actually collect them back then

 

Andy Wallace (the fellow who amassed the Windy City collection - not the seller I purchased the books from) was interviewed in the July 7, 1955 edition of the Uniontown PA Evening Standard. Here's the text of the article. Unfortunately no photos accompanied the text.

 

Mail Carrier Collects Magazines' First Issues

 

A Uniontown mail carrier for the past 32 years, Andrew Wallace of 63 Lebanon Ave, created a fascinating hobby after house cleaning in the attic 20-odd years ago. An inveterate reader, Andy has been collecting Volume 1, Number 1 of magazines, now possessing a collection of 2,200 different ones. About three dozen of the first issues he found in his attic.

 

With this new-found interest to spur him on, Andy started to browse around book stores and newsstands and even hail the help of persons along his route. And he takes pride in the fact that he has never paid more than the advertised selling price for any of his magazines, although the 180 volumes of Southwestern Pennsylvania History ran into high prices.

 

“I found out an interesting thing about publishing," he says. “There's many a publication that gets beyond its first issue and a great many more cease after the first few issues."

 

What does Andy think of his hobby after all these years? “I highly recommend it as a means of passing the time pleasantly," he said.

 

***************************************************************************************

 

Of all the reasons I've ever heard as to why one should collect something, I think Andy's reasoning rings the truest for me.

 

[ciorac]

Here's my Windy City.

 

That was my copy for many years Loved it when I was centaur centric

 

And here it was more than 25 years ago...

 

 

 

Wham 1 - based on my notes and the scan above, I would have thought this closer to 9.0 - is there some dings on the back cover? - $700 in trade

 

 

 

 

 

In your picture of the Wham, it doesn't seem to missing the chip out of the lower right corner. Perhaps that happens later.

[buttock]

Here's my Windy City.

 

That was my copy for many years Loved it when I was centaur centric

 

And here it was more than 25 years ago...

 

 

 

Wham 1 - based on my notes and the scan above, I would have thought this closer to 9.0 - is there some dings on the back cover? - $700 in trade

 

 

 

 

 

In your picture of the Wham, it doesn't seem to missing the chip out of the lower right corner. Perhaps that happens later.

 

There's a Roy joke in there somewhere.

[G.A.tor]

What is also interesting is that I paid about the same for it as Gary sold it for 25 yrs ago

[cheetah]

Here's my Windy City.

 

That was my copy for many years Loved it when I was centaur centric

 

And here it was more than 25 years ago...

 

 

 

Wham 1 - based on my notes and the scan above, I would have thought this closer to 9.0 - is there some dings on the back cover? - $700 in trade

 

 

In your picture of the Wham, it doesn't seem to missing the chip out of the lower right corner. Perhaps that happens later.

 

Yep, it was off when I got it. I paid $837 for it about a year ago.

[Moondog]

Here's my Windy City.

 

That was my copy for many years Loved it when I was centaur centric

 

And here it was more than 25 years ago...

 

 

 

Wham 1 - based on my notes and the scan above, I would have thought this closer to 9.0 - is there some dings on the back cover? - $700 in trade

 

 

In your picture of the Wham, it doesn't seem to missing the chip out of the lower right corner. Perhaps that happens later.

 

Yep, it was off when I got it. I paid $837 for it about a year ago.

 

Well, that explains the discrepancy on the grades (if they're the same book)...

[jimjum12]

Here's my Windy City.

 

That was my copy for many years Loved it when I was centaur centric

 

And here it was more than 25 years ago...

 

 

 

Wham 1 - based on my notes and the scan above, I would have thought this closer to 9.0 - is there some dings on the back cover? - $700 in trade

 

 

In your picture of the Wham, it doesn't seem to missing the chip out of the lower right corner. Perhaps that happens later.

 

Yep, it was off when I got it. I paid $837 for it about a year ago.

 

Well, that explains the discrepancy on the grades (if they're the same book)...

 

Your original picture appear to show a small corner crease right where the missing piece now is....probably the same book. Love the stories Gary.....keep 'em coming. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[pastandpresentcomics]

Gary,

Thanks for sharing. What a great X-mas present for us comic lovers.

 

[supapimp]

Gary,

Thanks for sharing. What a great X-mas present for us comic lovers.

 

+1

[thehumantorch]

When I met the seller for the first time it was September 1978. He walked into my store on my opening day with an envelope under his arm. Inside were Detective 1, Captain America 1, Daring Mystery 1, Marvel 1 and this book.

 

 

You can see the stains on the front cover beneath the Superman image. The stains made their way through the top 4 pages and the spine was split about 1/3 of the way up. I called it a FAIR when I bought it, but it's probably a 4.0 today! Sold for $3,100.

 

Walked into your store on opening day? What a way to open up. I'd expect

a collection to walk in every day.

[Moondog]

When I met the seller for the first time it was September 1978. He walked into my store on my opening day with an envelope under his arm. Inside were Detective 1, Captain America 1, Daring Mystery 1, Marvel 1 and this book.

 

 

You can see the stains on the front cover beneath the Superman image. The stains made their way through the top 4 pages and the spine was split about 1/3 of the way up. I called it a FAIR when I bought it, but it's probably a 4.0 today! Sold for $3,100.

 

Walked into your store on opening day? What a way to open up. I'd expect

a collection to walk in every day.

 

Believe me, it had to be the greatest opening day in the history of the direct market! I kept wondering what day 2 would bring...

[nochips]

Tell them about the comics you bought in Homewood or Flossmoor, all those high grade Marvels in the brown shopping bags! That guy walked up to your table and asked if you "still bought comics"...something along that verbage...I remember AF 15, Spidey 1, TOS 39 multiple copies.....I think it was 1975 or 76??

[comicartfan]

 

did you ever consider just putting these away and forgetting you had them?

 

Nice foresight by the seller to actually collect them back then

 

I invested $82,500 in these books in 1986. I reinvested the profits from the sales of these books to grow my business from two stores to six, eventually selling the stores to a public company. My buying and selling and reinvesting the profits wasn't on Chuck's level with the Church books (there were only 2,000 or so Windy Citys), but my goal was to grow my business to a size that would attract a deep-pocketed buyer (if/when I ever decided to sell).

 

Had I been a single guy with just one store and no ambitions, I'd still have all these books.

 

Believe me, when I see the prices that some of these books have sold for since CGC's inception, pangs of remorse start to creep in (at least they aren't the size of Chuck's!). They pass quickly fortunately, but you can't ignore them. I guess I'm just human in that regard.

 

Thank you for sharing this stuff Gary ! In a hobby that is notorious for being secretive, it's wonderful to read this stuff.

 

As a side note, I wasn't involved in the hobby back then, but it seems these books went for a decent amount for the time. True they weren't the prices you would get now, but think how Chuck must feel with the Mile Highs.....had those books been discovered in 2003 or now, the prices would be insane !

[Moondog]

Tell them about the comics you bought in Homewood or Flossmoor, all those high grade Marvels in the brown shopping bags! That guy walked up to your table and asked if you "still bought comics"...something along that verbage...I remember AF 15, Spidey 1, TOS 39 multiple copies.....I think it was 1975 or 76??

 

Ah, that's a story for another time, Stuart!