L.B. Cole cover thread! Post your favorites by the master! 40 40

[PUNYHUMAN]

Nice solid book,great colors!! Congrats!! I be happy to have that in my collection!!

[Forbush-Man]

Nice book! Beautiful cover & colors!

[sfilosa]

Would you mind sharing how much you paid for it?

 

I was high bidder on a CGC 9.0 copy of that book on eBay, but didn't make reserve (and my bid was over $1K).

[*paull*]

Thanks for the compliments... I paid $160 for it. That's close to guide for this copy. I don't like re-buying books (I had hopes of coming home with something new today), but when I saw this one, I had to upgrade.

 

I saw that 9.0 on eBay... stunning.... and it's for a book that doesn't turn up in high grade often. It doesn't even turn up in the condition that the above book is in.

Edited January 10, 2005 by paull

[shrunkenhead]

I saw that one...pretty ridiculous reserve!

[sfilosa]

I saw that one...pretty ridiculous reserve!

 

 

It's a B*[#@$%!!!] being a high grade (CGC 8.0 or higher) L.B. Cole collector. There are probably 10 Star books on my want list that don't have even one copy certified 8.0 or higher.

 

The only reason I didn't bid higher (and $1K seemed high to me) was that there are actually two 9.0's and one 8.0 in the census. I would be more than happy with the 8.0 copy (assuming it has nice eye appeal which the 9.0 really didn't), for half the price.

[*paull*]

No offense, but I think you're a glutton for punishment looking for Star books over 8.0. I think it would still be tough to have a collection of them at 6.0 or 7.0.

[sfilosa]

No offense, but I think you're a glutton for punishment looking for Star books over 8.0. I think it would still be tough to have a collection of them at 6.0 or 7.0.

 

No offense taken.

 

But I've tried to collected them in the FN range and didn't get any thrill from buying / owning them. I love the covers, but if the cover is not in nice shape, it ruins it for me.

 

That's why I collect HG books.

 

Regarding Star books in CGC 8.0, I'm happy if I can get 1 every three to four months.

[drbanner]

I was pretty surprised you didn't meet the reserve...perhaps an email to the seller is in order?

[sfilosa]

was pretty surprised you didn't meet the reserve...perhaps an email to the seller is in order?

 

 

I was actually hoping he would email me (and then see what we could work out).

 

I probably wouldn't have bid that high, but I know the underbidder very well (we have traded /sold L.B. Cole to each other for a decade).

[rjpb]

sfilosa,

no need to justify collecting high grade - I'm guessing the difficulty in finding what you want has the effect of actually making it affordable to collect HG. If I could wait 3 to 4 months between comic fixes I would consider looking for nicer books myself. Unfortunately , if I go more than a month without adding something to my GA/Atom Age collection I start to get the shakes and begin hallucinating.

[sfilosa]

sfilosa,

no need to justify collecting high grade - I'm guessing the difficulty in finding what you want has the effect of actually making it affordable to collect HG. If I could wait 3 to 4 months between comic fixes I would consider looking for nicer books myself. Unfortunately , if I go more than a month without adding something to my GA/Atom Age collection I start to get the shakes and begin hallucinating.

 

I've added over 70 High Grade (CGC 9.4 or better) Silver-Age Marvels to my collection in the past six months. Basically, that keeps me going (and takes most of my money away).

[*paull*]

sfilosa... I wish you luck with the collection. A 8.0/9.0 Star collection would be amazing. I started grabbing Star books a while ago in low grade (G/VG, VG, VG+) thinking that they would be enough to satisfy my need to collect them, but I think I would like to upgrade a number of them. I think the peak for me would be at about 6.0 for these books, because the key books in higher grades are priced higher than I would pay. For instance, Startling Terror Tales #11 in 8.0 and up is probably a $2500 book.

[sfilosa]

For instance, Startling Terror Tales #11 in 8.0 and up is probably a $2500 book.

 

Metro's got an 8.5 for $2,900 and it's been there a LOOOONG TIME.

[shrunkenhead]

Sfilosa, what do you find the premium is generally for LB cole in 8.0 or better? I'm thinking double guide for a slabbed 8.0 would be about normal.....am I on target, or too high?

[sfilosa]

Sfilosa, what do you find the premium is generally for LB cole in 8.0 or better? I'm thinking double guide for a slabbed 8.0 would be about normal.....am I on target, or too high?

 

In general it seems to be about 20-30% above guide. But of course if the book is from a pedigree collection it's probably closer to 50% just for an 8.0. Obviously, the higher the grade the higher the premium.

 

The Thrilling Crime Cases was at 3X the 9.0 price (and didn't meet reserve).

[*paull*]

I think that Thrilling Crime Cases is one of the few L.B. Cole covered books that is undervalued in guide.

[shrunkenhead]

Wow, I'm surprised the premium is only 20-30%. I guess the LB craze is on "cool" at the moment, comparatively speaking, as a few years back they were running really hot. The cycle will cycle as cycles do, and my guess is that things will pick up again in another couple years...

[sfilosa]

Wow, I'm surprised the premium is only 20-30%. I guess the LB craze is on "cool" at the moment, comparatively speaking, as a few years back they were running really hot. The cycle will cycle as cycles do, and my guess is that things will pick up again in another couple years...

 

Remember that we are only talking CGC 8.0 (VF) books. Many GA/SA books don't really get any premium in the VF range (unless it's some type of key).

 

Also, I'm only talking about books I have been able to obtain (which is not many). I can go months not seeing ONE new L.B. Cole book being sold anywhere. Metro has a few that have been there a while (and I'm pretty sure those are the copies that were bought off of eBay about a year ago).

 

Plus, it depends on the title and how classic the cover is.

 

I would be more than happy to pay 50% or more of guide for many issues in CGC 8.0 (but there not available).

[*paull*]

sfilosa, what Cole books do you own in 8.0 or higher?

 

I have only one in my collection, Great Comics #1, which if submitted, would probably grade at 8.5 or 9.0. Other than that, my highest is maybe a couple of non-key Star books in 5.0 - 6.0.