Comics, Pulps, and Paperbacks: Why such a discrepancy in values? 25 25

[Sarg]

On 2/24/2023 at 7:59 PM, Surfing Alien said:

You are really working those MMM's! When I started my first collection I aimed to get them all. I got about half way there. I have fewer now but you're whetting the appetite again. They have a great look with that nappy skull colophon.

How many Avon MMMs are in the series? What are the most desirable ones?

[Surfing Alien]

On 2/25/2023 at 6:00 PM, Sarg said:

How many Avon MMMs are in the series? What are the most desirable ones?

There are 49. Here's a decent checklist with pics of all except one:

http://www.philsp.com/pulptrader/web/pulp_mag_table5918.html

Desirable depends on what you desire. Sci Fi collectors only go after the Merritt's, but those are probably the most common. All the rest are mysteries. There are several "true first editions", including two of the Chandlers (#19 & 28) and two of the William Irish (#31 & 42). The last three are super tough to find and probably the rarest (note that the missing pic is one of those). The Chandlers and last numbers in high grade are going to be a couple hundred bucks apiece from an established bookseller. Like all vintage paperbacks though, there are still bargains to be had on the web but they're becoming less frequent from what I see. OtherEric finds some out in the wild so they're out there too but they're not getting any younger or better looking, just like us lol!

 

[OtherEric]

On 2/25/2023 at 3:37 PM, Surfing Alien said:

There are 49. Here's a decent checklist with pics of all except one:

http://www.philsp.com/pulptrader/web/pulp_mag_table5918.html

Desirable depends on what you desire. Sci Fi collectors only go after the Merritt's, but those are probably the most common. All the rest are mysteries. There are several "true first editions", including two of the Chandlers (#19 & 28) and two of the William Irish (#31 & 42). The last three are super tough to find and probably the rarest (note that the missing pic is one of those). The Chandlers and last numbers in high grade are going to be a couple hundred bucks apiece from an established bookseller. Like all vintage paperbacks though, there are still bargains to be had on the web but they're becoming less frequent from what I see. OtherEric finds some out in the wild so they're out there too but they're not getting any younger or better looking, just like us lol!

 

To be fair, only about half of mine have been in the wild finds... and some of those were at KAYO books, where the rules are different than at most bookstores.

I think the last three might be better considered as a separate, short-lived continuation.   They came out later and are slightly different format both in cover layout and binding.

None of these are mine, they're just scans of the last three issues I located online:

[Blorgon scum]

Here are an assortment of Tolkien books. I readThe Guide to Middle Earth so much back in the day that when it started to fall apart I mistakenly used Scotch tape to hold it together.  I have a hardcover edition now that includes The Silmarillion.

[Surfing Alien]

So I dug through my boxes and I remembered correctly that I had one of the last three. The last one and probably the most collected author. Edward Aarons. I paid good coin for this in an auction. The cover art is classic Avon. Borderline VG but 

[Surfing Alien]

Got in another box from the High Grade collection. Snapped a few quick pics to share some while I sort 'em. 

A sweet Day Keene Pyramid #138. Cover by Carl Bobertz

Gold Medal 961. GGA cover art by Charles Binger signing as "Charles"

Bantam 1294. Cover art by Charles Binger signed as "Binger" The guy could paint anything, including many great movie posters. Ruben and I may do a show on him as we both love his art and there hasn't been any articles or checklists we could find on him.

Ace K114. Bare breast cover. I'd never seen this book before. I guess if it was a "native" it slipped through back then.

 

More to come as I go through these...

[Surfing Alien]

Some more nice MacDonalds. I'll have to compare but I'm pretty sure these are all upgrades.

Popular Library 737. Cover art by Raymond Johnson. Just gorgeous colors on this, one of my favorite Johnson covers. Has a few wisps of crease but i'm not complaining.

Popular Library 830. Cover art by Raymond Johnson. I don't think this one is improvable.

Dell First Edition B121. Cover art by Victor Kalin. I have to check but I might not have this one.

[OtherEric]

On 3/1/2023 at 4:10 PM, Surfing Alien said:

Some more nice MacDonalds. I'll have to compare but I'm pretty sure these are all upgrades.

Popular Library 737. Cover art by Raymond Johnson. Just gorgeous colors on this, one of my favorite Johnson covers. Has a few wisps of crease but i'm not complaining.

Popular Library 830. Cover art by Raymond Johnson. I don't think this one is improvable.

Dell First Edition B121. Cover art by Victor Kalin. I have to check but I might not have this one.

If those are your upgrades, let me know what you do with your undercopies, please!

[Surfing Alien]

On 3/1/2023 at 7:16 PM, OtherEric said:

If those are your upgrades, let me know what you do with your undercopies, please!

PM me if you want. This collection probably upgraded 10 of my MacDonald pbs, you'd get 1st dibs and the friendliest pricing.

[Surfing Alien]

CheckerBooks #5. I've never had a copy before this one from the High Grade collection.

Tiny corner chip on that thin paper cover but I'm not complaining about this one. The covers feel like a comic book cover.

Plus there's a rare Woolrich story waiting for me when I need to scratch that itch. It's a pretty impressive roster overall...

 

[moonpool]

[Surfing Alien]

On 3/1/2023 at 9:55 PM, moonpool said:

Gorgeous copies of colorful rarities. Par for your course Moonpool!

[Surfing Alien]

Some friday fun...

Cover art by Robert Stanley

Whit Harrison = Harry Whittington. One digest you seldom see. Cover art Uncredited

Cover art by George Gross. Love the giant blue hand! Only need two Phantoms to complete the run now 

Cover art uncredited. This is a tough little book to find nice.

Cover art by Barye Phillips

Cover art uncredited

 

 

[Randall Dowling]

On 3/3/2023 at 5:25 PM, Surfing Alien said:

Cover art by George Gross. Love the giant blue hand! Only need two Phantoms to complete the run now 

 

This is a difficult book in any condition.  Nice snag, SA!  I have one of those last 2 missing Phantoms for you. 

[moonpool]

On 3/2/2023 at 7:21 AM, Surfing Alien said:

Gorgeous copies of colorful rarities. Par for your course Moonpool!

I bought them for $5 each. Basically a "If you insist."  I learned fast enough with my British collection to just buy them, even if condition isn't great, because you likely won't get a second shot. So sometimes they aren't great, such as

Edited March 4, 2023 by moonpool
punctuation

[Blorgon scum]

I really love The Harold Shea & Dr. Chalmers stories that appeared in Unkown magazine in the 40's.  The first Ballantine edition was The Complete Enchanter and it was not published 1975.  I am posting one hardback edition that includes the Wall of Serpents. (Sorry).  I am missing "The Green Magician."

[frozentundraguy]

I picked up several books from Uncle Hugos recently.  Since the fire he has far few vintage PB's, except for Ace sci-fi doubles and I'm set with those.

Originally penned in (1932 1961 ed.), "Invaders from the Infinite" was the third book in the Morey and Wade series.

I also acquired "The Tritonian Ring" by de Camp (1951 1977 ed.).

Two more from Heinlein, "Between Planets" (1951 - 1984 ed) and Citizen of the Galaxy" (1957  1977 ed).

Finally "Delusian World" (1961) by Dickson and "Spatial Delivery" (1961) on the back, also by Dickson.  I also included the forward to Delusion World. I like the home town references.

 

Edited March 5, 2023 by frozentundraguy

[Surfing Alien]

On 3/3/2023 at 9:30 PM, moonpool said:

I bought them for $5 each. Basically a "If you insist."  I learned fast enough with my British collection to just buy them, even if condition isn't great, because you likely won't get a second shot. So sometimes they aren't great, such as

100%. I've come around to that way of thinking anytime I'm confronted by rare books I want. I've never seen that Archer version of White Slave Racket. It's spectacular!

[moonpool]

On 3/5/2023 at 7:22 PM, Surfing Alien said:

100%. I've come around to that way of thinking anytime I'm confronted by rare books I want. I've never seen that Archer version of White Slave Racket. It's spectacular!

Generally speaking, with comics, if I can afford it, I can find it.  With paperbacks, if I can find it, I can afford it.  $75, but took 25 years to find a copy.

Edited March 6, 2023 by moonpool
failure to finish thought

[Randall Dowling]

On 3/5/2023 at 7:09 PM, moonpool said:

Generally speaking, with comics, if I can afford it, I can find it.  With paperbacks, if I can find it, I can afford it.  $75, but took 25 years to find a copy.

100% this.  There are titles that I've read about but can't find a single image of on the internet.  Perhaps as more demand builds for paperbacks, more material will shake out.  But for the last couple of years, the real problem has just been finding quality material.  Which, frankly, makes collecting them more fun for me. 

I like the challenge and I'm not in a rush to be finished.