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What GA runs are impossible to complete?

Started by reddog4063,

51 posts in this topic

Mister_Comics

Mister_Comics

Posted
Posted

I actually look for near impossible to collect comics.

 

The hardest to finish was DETECTIVE COMICS. Near impossible because of price and some of those early issues are so scarce. But it is doable.

 

I'm finding out that trying to complete a high grade collection of TREASURE CHEST (Did he say Treasure Chest?) is the absolute hardest to do. A lot of the early issues are hard to find. And most issues have writing in them because of puzzles. Another thing TC's will have peoples names written on the covers. Thats because they were given out at class during school. The teachers or whoever would write the name of the person that the book was going to. Made it easier for them to distribute. The ones that were sent directly to home had the address label affixed right to the cover. Other reasons why TC are hard to complete is because of low print runs. They only printed what they had orders for. No extras were printed. If there were ten kids in class to get TC. That was it. ten comics were given to those ten. No more, no less.

 

I'm also working on my FOUR COLOR series. I don't find them that hard to find. Four Color may actually be easy to do. Its just that there are so many issues. So far I have all the movie and TV show books. Working on the funny ones now, but I can't seem to really get into the collecting of this series. I'm actually more interested in the TC's.

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Rip

Rip

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Giant Comics Editions, Detective, Four Color, Adventure.

 

Catman is up there, Maybe I've been lucky over the years but I've seen every copy, most of them Migh Highs. (Showcase New England had em) I used to be really big into Cat-Man. I've owned some of the LB Cole Mile Highs (most of the others LB Coles above VF) and the tough no 13. There are a few other tough ones. The 8 and the Hitler headlock cover. Another tough thing to get is the Overseas Australian copies. I've heard that they even continued the numbering on some of the issues. I've also heard LB Cole did a cover or two for Australia but I've ever been able to conferm.

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Metarog

Metarog

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Totally agree with RIP on the GCE... I have been looking for several issues for years and they never turn up. The first 3 issues may be non-existent! Also a complete set of The Funnies is very difficult and in fact #22 has yet to be seen.

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jbcomicbox

jbcomicbox

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Jon, take a look at this thread:

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=539491&page=1&fpart=1&vc=1

 

It would be great to get your views on what are the rarest DC's and Fox's. As I recall, you would be one of the most knowledgable people regarding these two publishers.

 

Always the fascinating question as to rarity. Myth and reality become blurred.

 

As to that pre-hero DC list you mention, Double Action is sort of a separate animal since it was not on the newsstand....New Adventure 13 is definitely tough (I have a knock out VF/NM)....As to the New Funs, i think New Fun 6 is the hardest (and certainly the most important) of the six....The two is around. Also the More Funs 7-9 are tough....

 

As to rarity, some books are rare because there is no demand. If a book changes from 100 dollars to 1000 that will tell if it is rare. Example....Keen Komics 1 (Centaur)...mine is the only copy I have ever seen for sale....If it was "more valuable" could be get a better idea? Sure. I find the early Keen Detective Funnies (like 10 and 11) tough (then again,,,i have had them for so long I do not keep good tabs) Centaurs can be tough, but their demand has been weak over the last several years (Is that in part because they are so tough to find?). Note if there is an ad with a Centaur there is usually several.

 

For the record, i.e. information for those who want to know, I have a complete "Centaur" collection from Comic Magazine 1 (McMahon) to the CMO giveaways....

 

Fox Publications I finally completed my run of pre-war Foxs

 

The middle numbers of the runs from mid1941 are the toughest. For a number of these books there are no mile highs (sorry Church) books of the following

 

Fantastic 17-19 (Yup, the 3 is 'fantastic', but many copies have been scooped up by one collector)

 

Mystery Men 21-23

 

Wonderworld 23, 24

 

Flame 3-5, 7 (Flame 7 is a tough Fox acquisition)

 

Big 3 2-4

 

Green Mask 4 (I think 2 and 5 are tough also)

 

Weird 11, 13- 15 (I think 20 is very tough...but maybe it is because of the neat cover people do not sell them)

 

Samson 4, 5

 

My point is without some DEMAND for the book, rarity is truly tough to guage. But for non-DC and Timelys, if it is "rare" and therefore there will never be a "big demand" that translates into price increases which truly reflects population a book.

 

Last example.....Take a look at Four Favorites 5....great cover....How many of you out there have one????? Or Rocket Comic 3 or Our Flag 5? Not high demand books, without which their rarity cannot be appreciated....or determined.

 

I have rattled on enough, but I hope you get my drift......Jon

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lou_fine

lou_fine

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As to that pre-hero DC list you mention, Double Action is sort of a separate animal since it was not on the newsstand....New Adventure 13 is definitely tough (I have a knock out VF/NM)....As to the New Funs, i think New Fun 6 is the hardest (and certainly the most important) of the six....The two is around. Also the More Funs 7-9 are tough....

 

Hi Jon;

 

It's good to see you back on these boards again.

 

With respect to the New Comics and New Adventure run, would issue #13 be the toughest of the lot to find? Any opinions as to how tough it is to find issue #2 or issue #26 or any of the other issues you deem to be rare?

 

As for the Centaurs, would you happen to know if there are any Church copies of Funny Pictures Stories V2 #5? For some reason, this issue does not appear in the MH catalogue listing. Doubt this one would have sold prior to the catalogue since there is really nothing special about the cover.

 

Thanks again; thumbsup2.gif

 

Lou

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jbcomicbox

jbcomicbox

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Here is the problem with "my opinion" on rarity. Once I get it I do not pay much attention to the availability of the book. Has it taken me years to find books. Absolutely. For the higher visibility books such as pre-hero DC for which there is a discreet market, the best sources of 'rarity' would be folks like Steve Fishler or Joe Vereneault--who has been asked to find these books and have been in the hobby for so long they have had---or been offered these 'rarities'. I think collectors like myself can only give ancedotal info based on their 'limited experience" I observed serveral posts or adds where people have asked "Needed to complete my DC run....or New Adventure run".....The desireability of a New Adventure 13 to many collectors many make it appear to be 'rarer' than Speed 6.

 

Motion Picture Funnies Weekly....has a good read on it, because they all came out of the same time.

 

Having said this, there are books that are genuinely rare (less than 10). But other than a 'sense' from the long view of the collecting world and long time retailers, it is, at best, still a guessing game.

 

I think that New Fun 6 is rarer than New Fun 2, because I see the 2 for sale more than the 6 (if ever offered). But is that because the 6 will move quickly below the retail market because of its increased desireablility? Don't know..... And while we are at it how about the Big Book of Fun Comics?

 

Speculation, controversy, dialogue....the grist of collecting juices.....jon

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Ian_Levine

Ian_Levine

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I'd be most impressed with a complete run of New Fun / More Fun Comics.

Christine & Ian have theirs. The Carter brothers have theirs. Any others known?

 

 

Well I certainly have every issue from 1 to 127.

 

But the Carters sold theirs years ago to a Japanese father and son.

 

I'm very proud of that run - my favourite of the whole collection. Those covers in the fifties and sixties are breathtaking

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Ian_Levine

Ian_Levine

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I actually look for near impossible to collect comics.

The hardest to finish was DETECTIVE COMICS. Near impossible because of price and some of those early issues are so scarce. But it is doable.

 

Do you have the whole run ???

Where does it end ???

 

Mine goes from 1 to currently 802. It was the second hardest run - the hardest is still incomplete of course, being, as said earlier, the full run of Adventure Comics.

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Ian_Levine

Ian_Levine

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As to that pre-hero DC list you mention, Double Action is sort of a separate animal since it was not on the newsstand....New Adventure 13 is definitely tough (I have a knock out VF/NM).

 

How very very fascinating.

Who are you ???

I didn't know about your New Adventure 13. I've had mine for thirty one years.

 

Do you have the 26 ????

 

 

And Double Action 2 WAS on the newsstands. It's the number 1 that wasn't. I now know of eleven copies of the number 2. That's a lot more than New Adventure 13 or 26.

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