*paull* Posted September 9, 2004 Author Share Posted September 9, 2004 (edited) Nice Weird Mysteries #13, POV! I love that cover, too... don't have one in my collection yet. Here's another recent purchase of mine... Weird Mysteries #2 in VG-, which is still a decent grade for this title. This is one of my all-time favorite pre-code horror covers. The ghastly skulls and faces on this cover by Baily are just wild... and I love the green and purple coloring as well. Edited September 9, 2004 by paull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfilosa Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 I think L.B. Cole covers typically sell for about guide now, when they were multiples of guide during the pre-code mania a few years ago. Things were out of control during that time for books such as Cole covers and Atlas 50's hero books. The prices were many multiples of guide and people were scrambling for the books. I think the market has cooled a bit for Cole books, or at least back to normal with guide prices reflecting reality, but other pre-code horror books are still undervalued in the guide. I will pay at least 20% over guide for almost any L.B. Cole cover in CGC 8.0 or higher. I have a list of 50 L.B. Cole cover books that I would like to own. They are all from Star Publications. Of those fifty books (i.e. Shocking Mystery, Blue Bolt, Startling Terror Tales, etc.) anyone want to make a guess how many CGC copies are graded VF- or higher. . . . . . About 70 total. In other words, they are IMPOSSIBLE to find in high grade. Yes, low and mid-grade copies are not scarce but HIGH-GRADE is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*paull* Posted September 9, 2004 Author Share Posted September 9, 2004 (edited) 20% over guide won't be enough, I don't think. I'd pay much more for the right books in VF, and so would many others. I'd say forget trying to find Suspense Comics with Cole covers in anything near VF. Those books often suffer from brittle covers or at least edges... it seems like the paper used for the covers was substandard. One thing to keep in mind about Cole's Star books is that they were probably some of the least important books that a printer would have handled.... nothing like the huge Fawcett, DC, Atlas, etc. books that were done at the time. I rarely see the Star (Startling Terror Tales, Terrors of the Jungle, Blue Bolt, etc.) in high grade. And when I do, they are going for a premium. There are some tough to find Cole Star books... Shocking Mystery Cases #51 comes to mind. Edited September 9, 2004 by paull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrunkenhead Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 Nice Weird Mysteries, Paull! That was on ebay recently, yes? Vaguely remember seeing it offered for sale... I've noticed that mid-grade EC horror is coming waaay down in price, in part due to the recent availability of Gaines Files which are, by contrast, priced to the stratosophere. You can even get great deals on ECs CGC'd at 8.5 thanks to the Gaines File demand. I agree that some of those Weird Mysteries and Mister Mystery books are damn near impossible to find, but probably because people hold onto 'em as opposed to "actual" scarcity. Speaking of scarcity, I've been warned by certain collectors to stay away from Harvey File Copies as the prices can be high and there's so many out there in high grade. Do you guys find this to be true? Some of those Harveys are so great looking, I may end up picking up a few more even if I know I'm getting fleeced. I'm not parting with my Witches Tales, they're so deliciously sleazy! POV, I've got that Anti-Hitler comic and it is great. Two stories, one is from Great Comics #3 and I forget where the other one comes from. Some good "liner notes" in that book too. Woo hoo! More precode talk!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*paull* Posted September 9, 2004 Author Share Posted September 9, 2004 As much as I love pre-code horror, I have close to zero interest in EC books. They have been reprinted a million times and are very plentiful. Even though they are some of the best comics ever produced, I have no desire to add them to my collection. It's interesting how people claim that the smaller titles aped EC, yet I prefer collecting those "EC imitators". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
precodekeith Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 As much as I love pre-code horror, I have close to zero interest in EC books. They have been reprinted a million times and are very plentiful. Even though they are some of the best comics ever produced, I have no desire to add them to my collection. It's interesting how people claim that the smaller titles aped EC, yet I prefer collecting those "EC imitators". I'm with ya 100%, brother!!! Give me the "other guys" any day! Don't get me wrong, EC was king, with the best quality all around. Like you said though, they were reprinted out the wazoo and easy to acquire for like $1 a pop via that route. If I'm going to drop say $35 for one low/mid grade pre-code, it's going to be on something from the "little imitators." They were often more garish and over the top in order to make up for their shortcomings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takeyourlemons Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 very nice books! Outside of HOM I currently don't purchase other GA books--I expect to do what you have done--that is I will purchase mid-grade books for affordability so I can "experience the genre" and then perhaps, in the future, "attempt" to get some high grade examples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrunkenhead Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 I dunno, I like the ECs a lot.....generally speaking, they ain't my favorite of the genre, as I do like the crazier "knock-offs" too, but I certainly think that a mid to high grade EC is worth owning. I've got a few slabbed. TFTC #33 is one of my all time favorite comics, period (origin of cryptkeeper story, and a gorgeous cover). I remember reading a reprint of that book to shreds when I was a kid. I can see why the constant reprinting is a turn-off to some, but I don't see how frequent reprints detract from collectability...though I know and understand that a lot of people feel that way. But still, are copies of Action Comics #1 or early spideys rendered less collectible because they've been reprinted a bazillion times? I just don't see it... Surely I'm not the only one out there who'd plunk good money down on an EC? Are you trying to tell me that ALL those heritage sales aren't REAL??!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonds25 Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 Surely I'm not the only one out there who'd plunk good money down on an EC? Are you trying to tell me that ALL those heritage sales aren't REAL??!? Nope, you're not the only one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*paull* Posted September 9, 2004 Author Share Posted September 9, 2004 I'm definitely not knocking ECs. Like I said, they are some of the greatest comics ever created. There's just too many for me to get involved in collecting them. I will say this about ECs... how much better would the covers have been if they were full bleed, and didn't have that annoying colored background behind the logo? That's probably the only thing I can fault Gaines for. The books are great and I wish I had a ton of them, but enough time, effort and money goes into the esoteric stuff that I can't get started with ECs. I have a few mid-grade ECs with Krigstein art that I love, but I'm not looking to expand at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PUNYHUMAN Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 Awesome looking books !!! Really sharp,esp. the colors on those covers!!! again great books!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjpb Posted September 9, 2004 Share Posted September 9, 2004 I definetley own fewer ECs than I would if they had not all been reprinted. Currently the only originals I have are a couple of Crime Suspenstories, a VG 20 and a F/VF 22. I've traditionally been a cover collector when it comes to pre-code books, but I've been picking up more books for their interiors lately - and ebay has definetly brought the prices down on non-classic cover horror books. I just picked up a solid VG+ Thing 6 for the 2.0 guide price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PovertyRow Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 I just picked up a solid VG+ Thing 6 for the 2.0 guide price. Well done! Can you share a scan or pic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddog4063 Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 this thread has almost singlehandly made me a horror fan in a single day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PovertyRow Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 this thread has almost singlehandly made me a horror fan in a single day. That is the best thing I have heard in a while! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrunkenhead Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 Heya rjpb check yer PMs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjpb Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 Here's a scan of the Thing #6 I just bought on ebay. While the front cover looks alot better than a VG, the book has had a spine roll pressed out, leaving a big crease in the back cover, and has tanning in the page margins, as well as a nearly 1" tear at the bottom of the last few pages. All this was aknowledged by the seller in his listing. The book looks far glossier in person than it did in the listing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*paull* Posted September 10, 2004 Author Share Posted September 10, 2004 That Thing cover is a beauty! I don't have any in my collection, but I have seen some really nice covers on a number of the books in the run. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrunkenhead Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 I agree, that Thing book looks great, certainly would have graded way higher if not for the tears you mentioned. Still, fantastic stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
precodekeith Posted September 10, 2004 Share Posted September 10, 2004 I dunno, I like the ECs a lot.....generally speaking, they ain't my favorite of the genre, as I do like the crazier "knock-offs" too, but I certainly think that a mid to high grade EC is worth owning. I've got a few slabbed. TFTC #33 is one of my all time favorite comics, period (origin of cryptkeeper story, and a gorgeous cover). I remember reading a reprint of that book to shreds when I was a kid. I can see why the constant reprinting is a turn-off to some, but I don't see how frequent reprints detract from collectability...though I know and understand that a lot of people feel that way. But still, are copies of Action Comics #1 or early spideys rendered less collectible because they've been reprinted a bazillion times? I just don't see it... Surely I'm not the only one out there who'd plunk good money down on an EC? Are you trying to tell me that ALL those heritage sales aren't REAL??!? I didn't say EC's weren't collectible! Nowhere did I state that! There's a huge market for 'em. I sometimes set aside an entire area to report EC sales alone in the Market Mania column of my fanzine. What I said was that for MY money, if I have a choice between an EC reprint for a dollar, an EC LG original for say $35, and a low/mid "other guy" for about $35, then I am going to buy the "other guy" and the reprint, and take a pass on the original EC. Simple. More bang for the buck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
