Collecting Star Comics 2 2

[MAR1979]

There is story behind the only Star back issue I ever purchased that is also the only Star I've ever sent for grading but it's even less interesting that the first part of this sentence

Edited November 6, 2021 by MAR1979

[Jesse-Lee]

On 11/5/2021 at 10:26 PM, MAR1979 said:

There is story behind the only Star back issue I ever purchased that is also the only Star I've ever sent for grading but it's even less interesting that the first part of this sentence

Let's hear it! I love stories!

Edited November 7, 2021 by Jesse-Lee

[Jesse-Lee]

Found this for cheap at an LCS today:

[MAR1979]

On 11/6/2021 at 8:35 PM, Jesse-Lee said:

Let's hear it! I love stories!

At the time I picked up the Heathcliff, I had not purchased any raw Comic back issues in nearly 5 years as I directed all my collecting attention to 1970's Comic Art.  As I completed  an art trade at a 2004 con, I figured let me look at the Comic dealer next door. Thought I'd see if I still had knack of spotting high grade books. In the first box came across the Heathcliff, figured I'd quit before the OCD demons came back, paid for the book and left.  Added it to my next CGC submission. 

Since then I pick up raw back issues every now and again.  Not as afraid of the OCD as much since I eliminated new comic purchases in 2011. 

As I said Boring!

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by MAR1979

[Jesse-Lee]

On 11/6/2021 at 8:06 PM, MAR1979 said:

When I picked the book up in 2004, I had not purchased any Comic back issues in nearly 5 years as I directed all my collecting attention to 1970's Comic Art.  As I completed an art trade in 2004 I figured let me look at the Comic dealer next door. Figured I'd go through long box or 2 and see if I still had knack of spotting high grade books. In the first box came across the Heathcliff, figured I'd quit before the OCD demons came back, paid for the book and left.  Added it to my next CGC submission. 

Since then I pick up raw back issues every now and again.  Not as afraid of the OCD as much since I cut new comic purchases out in 2011.

As I said Boring!

 

Nah, every story is fun, that's the fun part of collecting! I've run across a few of your posts, and it sounds like you absolutely had a knack for identifying high-grade stuff, even at a young age; that's pretty cool - thanks for sharing!

[MAR1979]

I place the minimum opening bid this for book as a joke then won it, which was not my intention. Even though my final win order included other books the added shipping almost cost exceed this slabs cost. 

There are no 9.8's, this 9.6 is 1/1, its the Last/Final Issue and probably a rather low printed Star Comic, but if demand for this book ever increases it will signal the end of days.

Books	CGC Label	CGC Total	Avg. Grade	10	9.9	9.8	9.6	9.4	9.2	9.0	8.5	8.0	7.5	7.0	6.5	6.0	5.5	5.0	4.5	4.0	3.5	3.0	2.5	2.0	1.8	1.5	1.0	0.5
1. Hugga Bunch 6 (8/87, Marvel Comics)	Universal	1	9.60				1

I do realize after posting this I've lost all my street cred on this forum  :sigh:

Edited March 10, 2022 by MAR1979

[Jesse-Lee]

On 3/9/2022 at 10:15 PM, MAR1979 said:

I put in the bare minimum bid for this book as a joke then won it, which was not my intention. Even though I was purchasing other books the added shipping almost cost exceed the slabs cost.  There are no 9.8's, this 9.6 is 1/1, its the last issue and probably one of the very lowest printed Star Comics, but if demand for this book every increases it likley signals the end of days.

I do realize after posting this I've lost all my street cred on this forum  :sigh:

 

 

 

Just for fum, I found that there is a Hugga Bunch movie, and it's on YouTube. And it looks nightmare-inducing. Although, if you're someone who partakes in certain substances, it could be fun/interesting to watch while partaking, just saying:

 

[Qalyar]

On 3/9/2022 at 10:27 PM, Jesse-Lee said:

 

Just for fum, I found that there is a Hugga Bunch movie, and it's on YouTube. And it looks nightmare-inducing. Although, if you're someone who partakes in certain substances, it could be fun/interesting to watch while partaking, just saying:

 

This was aired as a TV movie with no theatrical release. And... managed to win a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Visual Effects. Given the nightmare fuel that those visual effects represent, I'm horrified to consider what might have lost to it for that award.

Regardless, the Star books are probably never going to substantially appreciate because they are pure kidlit, but assembling a complete high grade set would be surprisingly challenging, I think. Hugga Bunch, in particular, is unlikely to ever cycle back around. After the success of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, it's clear that all it really takes is one visionary to revitalize old children's programming franchises, but this one was a partnership between Kenner Parker Toys (now Hasbro) and Hallmark. Both companies have more appealing product lines, so I think it would be an uphill battle for even someone of Lauren Faust's caliber to even have the opportunity to reboot it.

But you never know.

[djzombi]

I have a soft spot for the Star books.  Regarding print run, I think I read somewhere (statement of ownership?) that some later issues of Heathcliff or the oddball titles (not to be confused with Madballs) had a print run as low as 3,000.  Three thousand!  For a Marvel comic in the '80s!  For upper management to let things still be published with that low a run when other titles were getting the axe for dropping to 100k, the line must have been somebody's pet project.    

Edited March 11, 2022 by djzombi

[Qalyar]

On 3/10/2022 at 6:50 PM, djzombi said:

I have a soft spot for the Star books.  Regarding print run, I think I read somewhere (statement of ownership?) that some later issues of Heathcliff or the oddball titles (not to be confused with Madballs) had a print run as low as 3,000.  Three thousand!  For a Marvel comic in the '80s!  For upper management to let things still be published with that low a run when other titles were getting the axe for dropping to 100k, the line must have been somebody's pet project.    

And since they're unquestionably kidlit titles, average condition of surviving copies skews, um, lower. And add to that, a truly comprehensive collection of Star books might well include both direct market and newsstand copies. I am 100% certain that there are Star books I have never physically seen as newsstands (but then, there are Star books I have never physically seen at all -- Visionaries #6 comes to mind.

Plus, CPVs! Star could easily be harder to hunt down than many better-known options, but with absolutely none of the resale value!

[djzombi]

On 3/10/2022 at 8:56 PM, Qalyar said:

Star could easily be harder to hunt down than many better-known options, but with absolutely none of the resale value!

THIS!  

[MAR1979]

Yep both supply and demand are required and demand on most of the Star's is nil. 

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by MAR1979

[Jesse-Lee]

On 3/12/2022 at 9:15 PM, MAR1979 said:

Yep both supply and demand are required and demand on most of the Star's is nil. 

 

Kind of. I find Stars at shows/antique fairs/LCS's all the time for $1-3 that I end up selling for $10-20 on eBay. Just sold a Strawberry Shortcake 1 (it's actually a few posts up on this thread) last month for $15, paid $2. Had Madballs 1-3 that I bought for $3 total and sold for $20. I'm not getting rich off it, but I buy and sell a lot of books to fund my personal collection purchases, and I always buy cheap Star comics when I find them, because I know that if I can get them for a couple bucks and they're in decent shape, I'll get 5-6x money back or more.

Edited March 13, 2022 by Jesse-Lee

[Warlord]

On 3/12/2022 at 11:37 PM, Jesse-Lee said:

Kind of. I find Stars at shows/antique fairs/LCS's all the time for $1-3 that I end up selling for $10-20 on eBay. Just sold a Strawberry Shortcake 1 (it's actually a few posts up on this thread) last month for $15, paid $2. Had Madballs 1-3 that I bought for $3 total and sold for $20. I'm not getting rich off it, but I buy and sell a lot of books to fund my personal collection purchases, and I always buy cheap Star comics when I find them, because I know that if I can get them for a couple bucks and they're in decent shape, I'll get 5-6x money back or more.

This may be a trend.  I've seen a few Star comics in the last year in dealers box for $20 or so which I found shocking.  And I'm seeing sales on ebay (Ewoks, Droids, Thundercats, etc) that used to be easy buys for a few bucks a copy are now readily going for $10 a pop or more.  I found a few issues of Peter Porker at the last show and was happy to grab them for cheap because I know they were a bargain. Maybe Royal Roy and Top Dog aren't going to escape the dollar boxes, but I think some of the titles and issues are making their move.  

Edited March 13, 2022 by Warlord

[MAR1979]

On 3/13/2022 at 12:05 PM, Warlord said:

This may be a trend.  I've seen a few Star comics in the last year in dealers box for $20 or so which I found shocking.  And I'm seeing sales on ebay (Ewoks, Droids, Thundercats, etc) that used to be easy buys for a few bucks a copy are now readily going for $10 a pop or more.  I found a few issues of Peter Porker at the last show and was happy to grab them for cheap because I know they were a bargain. Maybe Royal Roy and Top Dog aren't going to escape the dollar boxes, but I think some of the titles and issues are making their move.  

Top Dog ain't the top dog.

The Star Wars stuff  and Thundercats has a decent audience, hope you folks realize that certainly was not part of my nil demand comment.

Edited March 13, 2022 by MAR1979

[jdandns]

Dead properties are dead (Royal Roy, Wally, the Wizard, and Planet Terry ain't comin' back), but I enjoyed the Star line, regardless of the title. When the line was new, it reminded my teenage self of the Harvey comics I read as a little kid. Can't say I ever read many of them to this day, but from a collecting standpoint, I tried to get at least the first issue of each title. I store them right along with my other juvenile Marvels from Bronze & Copper such as the early 70s reprints (Homer Ghost, Peter Pest) through the Hanna Barbera cartoon comics up to the early 90's Mighty Mouse, Ren & Stimpy, and Beavis & Butthead titles.

[MAR1979]

On 3/13/2022 at 4:08 PM, jdandns said:

Dead properties are dead (Royal Roy, Wally, the Wizard, and Planet Terry ain't comin' back), but I enjoyed the Star line, regardless of the title. When the line was new, it reminded my teenage self of the Harvey comics I read as a little kid. Can't say I ever read many of them to this day, but from a collecting standpoint, I tried to get at least the first issue of each title. I store them right along with my other juvenile Marvels from Bronze & Copper such as the early 70s reprints (Homer Ghost, Peter Pest) through the Hanna Barbera cartoon comics up to the early 90's Mighty Mouse, Ren & Stimpy, and Beavis & Butthead titles.

The 90's Marvel Mighty Mouse was excellent!  Myself I'm partial to the Perez cover in which he swipes his own Crisis 7 cover.  Wish that series had lasted longer but guess it just wasn't the era for fun comics.

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 3/13/2022 at 5:15 PM, MAR1979 said:

The 90's Marvel Mighty Mouse was excellent!  Myself I'm partial to the Perez cover in which he swipes his own Crisis 7 cover.  Wish that series had lasted longer but guess it just wasn't the era for fun comics.

Yes indeed! Mighty mouse was hopping!

[Jesse-Lee]

On 3/13/2022 at 5:15 PM, MAR1979 said:

The 90's Marvel Mighty Mouse was excellent!  Myself I'm partial to the Perez cover in which he swipes his own Crisis 7 cover.  Wish that series had lasted longer but guess it just wasn't the era for fun comics.

I grabbed this one last year:

[Legion HQ]

Gat dang! Heathcliff #12 in 9.8 sold for $600 on ComicLink tonight!  

https://www.comiclink.com/auctions/item.asp?back=%2FAuctions%2Fdefault.asp%3FFocused%3D1%26pg%3D12%23Item_1554058&id=1554058&itemType=0