Five items that you would keep forever?

[Cat-Man_America]

Board Member Yecul asked a great question on the Ask Gator Thread:

 

You can only keep 5 items from your personal collection. You will never be allowed to sell these items and everything else is lost, so ignore value. What are they?

 

...So, for you, what are these five items and why?

 

 

Man, that's a tough call.

 

Personal attachments notwithstanding, most comic collectors look for upgrades ...and I'm no exception.

GA comics lovingly handled and kept for decades can often be replaced by equally nice copies and loved just as much.

So in my case, even though I cherish every comic I've acquired, that's not where I'd gravitate for a "forever" list.

 

My top five mostly comes down to OA from masters whose work I revere, especially those who are no longer with us...

 

1. Alex Schomburg (cover for MM #66 recreated)...

 

 

 

2. George Rozen (Shadow pulp cover)...

 

 

 

3. Hannes Bok (acquired from the Jerry Weist Collection)...

 

 

 

4. Al Williamson (Secret Agent Corrigan syndicated comic strip)...

 

 

 

5. And of course, that very special forever comic book...

 

[font:Comic Sans MS][/font] [font:Times New Roman]...Hey, I have to keep some secrets![/font]

 

 

[jimbo_707]

That's a tough call! I think I'd go with these 5, though. The Four-Color because it's the first 40s comic book I ever had (received as a Christmas gift in '84 or '85), the other 4 because I think I'd be unlikely to find fresher copies available for sale. (I care about freshness & page quality more than numerical grade.)

 

 

 

[batman_fan]

Mine would be in no particular order

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ciorac]

Mine would be in no particular order

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hard to argue with your choices Greg Considering two of them are also two of my favorites and I was underbidder on one of the others when you acquired it.

[batman_fan]

great minds Bill, great minds (thumbs u

[Twistty1]

Here are some of mine.

 

 

 

 

 

[comixcroz]

Here are my Top 5 keepers and why:

 

No order.

 

1) John Romita Original Art from Menace #11 - This is the final page in the 5 pager that introduced M-11, the Human Robot. This is my second favorite Atlas Horror story and I love this page in particular because it transcends the story from a sci-fi robot motif, to a much darker, pre-code horror story. Original art from my favorite Atlas story does not exist as far as I know (and even if it did, I couldn't afford it). It's only icing on the cake that it's early Romita pre-super hero work and rare Atlas era original art.

 

 

2) George Petty Original Painting from 1947. This comes from peak period Petty and was the published featured pin-up as Sept in the True Magazine Calendar. This is a widely published image, making its way to drinking glasses, advertisements and articles and books about the artist. Petty was one of the most influential pin-up artists of the era and the predecessor to Vargas' reign at Esquire Magazine.

 

 

3) Menace #5 - I looked long and hard for a nice copy, I've owned 5 or 6 over the years and this is the best copy I was personally able to acquire. I doubt I'll find a nicer copy, especially since the prices have jumped quite a bit from when I found this copy and was more active in the market for this book. I think the Everett Zombie short in this book is the greatest horror story of all time.

 

 

4) The next 2 books are very important to me as the only run of comics I collect is MLJ's Suzie Comics. These are my two favorites.

 

Laugh Comix #46 - Mile High Pedigree - Very tough & rare book with an incredible Harry Sahle cover. This isn't the first solo Suzie cover but it's the first issue of Laugh Comix and my favorite cover that features Suzie. I hardly ever see copies of this book in any condition, I've owned a Poor copy that I reluctantly let go of when I got this copy.

 

 

5) Top Notch Laugh Comics #28 - This is the 1st appearance of Suzie in comics, she appears on this Bob Montana cover and the issue also includes a story inside. This issue pre-dates Archie Comics #1 on the newsstands and some of the later issues I collect in this run, feature ads for the upcoming title. In this condition, likely impossible to replace.

 

 

 

[comixcroz]

 

 

 

Sick Hitler Covers! Both look very nice for their grade.

[walclark]

Here are five that I think will be mine until I die. In reverse order:

 

5. This space is reserved for the last GA Hitler cover that I obtain. I'm close to completing the full run of GA Hitler covers with about a dozen left. I don't know if or when the space will ever be filled, but it is an open slot for now.

 

4. As many of you know from reading some of my posts, I have a special place in my heart for the Cookeville collection. It's kind of my "hometown" collection. Add in the fact that I like the Sandman and that I actually bought this copy from an LCS in Cookeville and it stays in the box. Looks better than a 1.0:

 

 

3. My favorite Red Skull cover (barely edging out Cap #3 and YA #1). I've got two copies of this book. One I keep for the number in the upper right (yeah, I know, stupid, right?). The other I keep because, in hand, it looks WAY better than the its higher grader brother:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Back in the 80's, I looked long and hard for this book. In those dark times, before the Internet, eBay, and auctions, it could be a challenge to find a particular book. To me, the quintessential Hitler cover:

 

 

 

1. Needs no explanation:

 

[comixcroz]

Amazing books! That Young Allies #4 CGC 3.0 does look incredible for its grade. Maybe it's time for another submission...

[walclark]

Amazing books! That Young Allies #4 CGC 3.0 does look incredible for its grade. Maybe it's time for another submission...

 

Maybe. I actually think the 4.5 is the one that is way off on the grading. The eye appeal is lousy and it has extra staples added. That's probably why I got it for significantly under the FMV for a 4.5.

[telerites]

This is my only keeper. Bought off the stands, my first book. Nothing else in my collection compares.

 

[CrocHntr]

This is my only keeper. Bought off the stands, my first book. Nothing else in my collection compares.

 

 

Love it! That's what I expected out of this post. Books that have some kind of emotional connection with the OP. Though I obtained some SA keys from my Dad (still looking to replace the ToS1...), my first purchased book was a Last Starfighter 1. Worth nothing, but fueled my interest in comics and launched my collecting hobby. I'd sooner part with my AS8 than my LSF1. Emotionally, I just connect with my childhood (life experiences) more than I do some key comic with decent grade and high value.

 

That said, AS8 and Sen1 aren't too bad to parade around at times . I can always make new memories!

[Twistty1]

This is my only keeper. Bought off the stands, my first book. Nothing else in my collection compares.

 

 

Great! there's some books in your collection I've been meaning to ask you about.

 

JK, nice pick, can't say I blame you . I think sentimental value means a lot in this hobby considering most of us got into it as children.

[Twistty1]

 

 

 

Sick Hitler Covers! Both look very nice for their grade.

 

Thank you. I was lucky enough to purchase both off the boards...

 

That Romita piece you posted is incredible, definitely a keeper.

[Vision75]

That's a tough call! I think I'd go with these 5, though. The Four-Color because it's the first 40s comic book I ever had (received as a Christmas gift in '84 or '85), the other 4 because I think I'd be unlikely to find fresher copies available for sale. (I care about freshness & page quality more than numerical grade.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

That Catman 31....

[Larryw7]

Mine would be in no particular order

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hard to argue with your choices Greg Considering two of them are also two of my favorites and I was underbidder on one of the others when you acquired it.

 

All great choices. No question that Batman 1 would be on my keeper list if I had one. I nearly put my Batman 3 on my top five(it's probably as close to #1 as I'll ever get), but I chose 37 instead for sentimental value.

[eman13]

I have 3 books that I would never get rid of, and none of them technically comics. I will explain.

 

These three books were the first three publications (all in 1939) by Isaac Asimov, Who is probably my favorite modern author. I have read a few hundred of his books and even more of his short stories throughout the years and they have provided great influence over me since I was a kid. His ideas extraordinary and huge and gleaming in their scale but all possible within the realm of physics; he was known as the master of hard science fiction. To own a piece of his history like this means more to me than a large pile of green slips of paper with dead presidents on them. He was prolific in writing (over 500 books and 90,000 letters and postcards) and to have his first steps in publication, one can feel the history within the pulp pages.

[batman_fan]

I have 3 books that I would never get rid of, and none of them technically comics. I will explain.

 

These three books were the first three publications (all in 1939) by Isaac Asimov, Who is probably my favorite modern author. I have read a few hundred of his books and even more of his short stories throughout the years and they have provided great influence over me since I was a kid. His ideas extraordinary and huge and gleaming in their scale but all possible within the realm of physics; he was known as the master of hard science fiction. To own a piece of his history like this means more to me than a large pile of green slips of paper with dead presidents on them. He was prolific in writing (over 500 books and 90,000 letters and postcards) and to have his first steps in publication, one can feel the history within the pulp pages.

 

very cool !

[Pat Calhoun]

Hey, for that matter, the Jul 1939 Astounding is Van Vogt’s first published story, and ‘Black Destroyer’ is a classic of first contact gone awry - with a memorable alien monster. Van Vogt would pen many other worthies, including his mutant masterpiece, Slan, and his underappreciated novel of an alien superman, 'The Book of Ptath’. ‘Black Destroyer’ got woven into the novel ‘The Voyage of the Space Beagle ‘.