What's that 'one that got away' or that 'one you can't believe you did'? 2 2

[ft88]

I did the paper route money thing up in Mass. and bought from Outer Liimits in Waltham during the mid 80's. I still have most of the prices from the Katy Keene price guide memorized. He was selling Spideys from 21-40 for $4-$7 each and I gradually bought them all. I kept them in the original bags with price tags for over 10 years. In the 90's I was amazed at how little they cost. I also bought a #3 whihc graded at 5.5 for $75 and distinctly remember regretting it after I bought it since it cost so much.

 

In the late 80's I stopped collecting at issue 300 and the buddy I collected with wanted to buy the Spidey run from me. We figured they were worth $1500 and he offered $900 which I turned down. The run was issue 3, 5-300 standard VG-VF in the early issues and VF-NM in the later issues. So they sat in a box during college and the Army and then ebay and CGC came along and started back up.

 

The rule for myself was that I wouldn't pay more than $100 for a comic so many key issues and high quality were passed up.

 

Recently I bought a run of 1940's Walt Disney's from 1-80 for a decent price. He also has 81-200, Uncle Scrooge, Donald, Mickey .... etc. It was a large purchase at a good price for both of us (about 70-80% guide), but now I can't get a hold of him to buy the rest of the issues. Its like I have an empty fishhook and I'm quickly re-baiting. We'll see how that turns out.

 

Ed

[linmoth]

Hi All: My addition to the thread. Back in the late 80's I started buying books from a collector who placed adds in the CBG. I purchased a beautiful GL 1 and some others. When I spoke to him on the phone it was as if he and I had been friends forever. Well, we decided to get together and check out each others collections. After looking thru a gazillion Church MLJ's, Full HG runs of every Marvel title, etc I knew I was out of my league so I went home with my tail between my legs.

 

A short while later we talked and he had decided to sell his FF run. I was offered the FF 1 for 3X guide which at the time was around $4K. I passed as I was off to Canada to buy some real comics, DC's.

 

Years later the collection has become known as the Western Penn Pedigree. Who knew, besides it was a Marvel!

 

Tom

[goldust40]

Hi All: My addition to the thread. Back in the late 80's I started buying books from a collector who placed adds in the CBG. I purchased a beautiful GL 1 and some others. When I spoke to him on the phone it was as if he and I had been friends forever. Well, we decided to get together and check out each others collections. After looking thru a gazillion Church MLJ's, Full HG runs of every Marvel title, etc I knew I was out of my league so I went home with my tail between my legs.

 

A short while later we talked and he had decided to sell his FF run. I was offered the FF 1 for 3X guide which at the time was around $4K. I passed as I was off to Canada to buy some real comics, DC's.

 

Years later the collection has become known as the Western Penn Pedigree. Who knew, besides it was a Marvel!

 

No question, we have a winner. At least you're philosophical about passing on a pedigree.....

[Hobgoblin]

Here's one that got away:

 

I originally had a McFarlane Spidey #1 Gold Edition (with UPC) back in the day, but I bought it with money which wasn't mine

 

So my dad sold it to a friend of his for $5. Later he learned what it was that he sold that day.

[fingfangfoom]

File under I can't believe I did it:

 

In 1974, having a fascination with Giant Size Marvels, I was always disappointed that my favorite storyline had not been saved for an Annual or Giant Size...so I spent roughly ten minutes converting my Hulk 180 and 181 by removing the covers, stacking the interiors and then re-wrapping the covers with the 180 cover on top. After carefully realigning the staple holes I popped two new staples in. My own Giant Size Hulk! And every kid in the neighborhood wanted to trade for it...Needless to say I have since left the Frankenstein work for the Hammers of the world.

[ComicSupply]

This story happens in 2000.

 

I went to Wizard World Chicago and it was one of the first shows that CGC was at. The buzz about CGC was mixed but that didn't stop dealers from clamoring about selling their slabbed books.

 

It was the strangest thing, in a second, in one sheer moment books that were not slabbed had their prices slashed while books that were slabbed were just crazy in price. This was 2000 and I remember seeing a Hulk #181 9.0 for $1200 and a ASM #122 8.5 for $225

 

Well, to make a short story long, a lot of dealers really didn't know at the time what made a 9.0 a 9.0 or an 8.5 an 8.5. I think it was too early.

 

There was a dealer there who had a few great things I passed on. Among them, at least 5 copies of Hulk #181 that were generally VF/NM "but not cgc'ed" and he wanted $1000 for all. I think that at the time it was just desperation. He didn't have many sales, or lookers. He also had, of which I did buy, a stack of DD #181 for $2 each. That was the only shining part of the story. I did pass on the Hulk #181's but most likely should not of.

[Thegoldenage]

For me it was finding the Spokane Collection (1997) and not buying the whole thing for 100k. I did buy and keep some of the Mister Mysteries, Wierd Mysteries and Startling Terror Tales. Stunning books...

[tth2]

Tom, when are we going to get the full story?!

[tth2]

Hi All: My addition to the thread. Back in the late 80's I started buying books from a collector who placed adds in the CBG. I purchased a beautiful GL 1 and some others. When I spoke to him on the phone it was as if he and I had been friends forever. Well, we decided to get together and check out each others collections. After looking thru a gazillion Church MLJ's, Full HG runs of every Marvel title, etc I knew I was out of my league so I went home with my tail between my legs.

 

A short while later we talked and he had decided to sell his FF run. I was offered the FF 1 for 3X guide which at the time was around $4K. I passed as I was off to Canada to buy some real comics, DC's.

 

Years later the collection has become known as the Western Penn Pedigree. Who knew, besides it was a Marvel!

 

No question, we have a winner. At least you're philosophical about passing on a pedigree.....

 

Since Tom ended up with quite a few of the Western Penn DCs, I imagine there's a reason why he's able to be philosophical about it.

[Hobgoblin]

Hi All: My addition to the thread. Back in the late 80's I started buying books from a collector who placed adds in the CBG. I purchased a beautiful GL 1 and some others. When I spoke to him on the phone it was as if he and I had been friends forever. Well, we decided to get together and check out each others collections. After looking thru a gazillion Church MLJ's, Full HG runs of every Marvel title, etc I knew I was out of my league so I went home with my tail between my legs.

 

A short while later we talked and he had decided to sell his FF run. I was offered the FF 1 for 3X guide which at the time was around $4K. I passed as I was off to Canada to buy some real comics, DC's.

 

Years later the collection has become known as the Western Penn Pedigree. Who knew, besides it was a Marvel!

 

No question, we have a winner. At least you're philosophical about passing on a pedigree.....

 

Since Tom ended up with quite a few of the Western Penn DCs, I imagine there's a reason why he's able to be philosophical about it.

 

This whole Pedigree deal is way too confusing for me

[FFB]

Most of you know my "one that got away" story. It was the AF#15 CGC 9.6 Slight (P) from ComicLink. I missed it by about an hour, but thought I had bought it.

 

Then I found out that the guy who beat me to the book was Danny Dupcak.

 

And of course, he likes to post scans of it every now and then to taunt me with it.

 

Like this:

 

 

[BradleyX2]

 

 

 

 

That's a PLOD I'd be proud to have in my collection.

[FFB]

 

That's a PLOD I'd be proud to have in my collection.

 

Me too.

 

My second "just missed it" story was the Bethlehem copy of ASM#1. I missed it at Metro by about a day or two. Metro had it graded at 9.2 with (if I recall correctly) a tear seal and a clean/press. The buyer, who snatched it up a day or two before I called Vincent, sent it to CGC and it came back slabbed as a 9.4 Slight (P). It sold on ebay within weeks after that as a BIN for $12,000, which I thought was too high for the book (it was on Metro for $6K, if I recall).

[tth2]

it came back slabbed as a 9.4 Slight (P). It sold on ebay within weeks after that as a BIN for $12,000, which I thought was too high for the book (it was on Metro for $6K, if I recall).

 

That's an insane price for a PLOD 9.4, even taking into account my bias against PLODs!

[FFB]

it came back slabbed as a 9.4 Slight (P). It sold on ebay within weeks after that as a BIN for $12,000, which I thought was too high for the book (it was on Metro for $6K, if I recall).

 

That's an insane price for a PLOD 9.4, even taking into account my bias against PLODs!

 

Yeah, that's what I was thinking and that's why I didn't hit that BIN. I was amazed when someone hit it. I figured $8K was the high water mark for that book.

[Captain_Pike]

Back in 1979, I was at a CON at the Hotel Toronto. There was a dealer who had (6) ASM# 33s for $3 apiece (unbagged & unboarded). At the time I scrutinized over the six ASMs and just bought two copies.

Fast forward to 2004, both copies were graded by CGC and the results were 9.4 and 9.8.

I'm positive the other four copies were at least 9.4s - 9.6s.

[spendthrifty-migration]

In high school I bought a few golden age comics -- Blue Bolt, Sensation, Planet, Jumbo (all in fabulous shape for the most part) from a kid in my algebra class, ostensibly 'duplicates' from his dad's collection. (I would fantasize about what the full collection looked like.)

 

Asked him to bring the comics to school. One day in Algebra, there he is with a lovely 15-cent golden age DC -- probably a Comics Cavalcade, early number -- and by the end of the class he has mishandled it so much that the cover detached. Crime of crimes! Still gets me!

[Norrin_Radd]

In 8/02, I bought a USM #1 White CGC 9.8 for $304. Immediately resold it for $456. They now sell for $1000-$1200.

[blowout]

In 8/02, I bought a USM #1 White CGC 9.8 for $304. Immediately resold it for $456. They now sell for $1000-$1200.

 

Just be glad you didn't hang on to it for another 5 years, selling it for a mere 5 bucks would really have hurt.

[Norrin_Radd]

In 8/02, I bought a USM #1 White CGC 9.8 for $304. Immediately resold it for $456. They now sell for $1000-$1200.

 

Just be glad you didn't hang on to it for another 5 years, selling it for a mere 5 bucks would really have hurt.

 

Yeah. I just got off the merry-go-round too early. I wasn't crazy enough to hang on.