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Strange Tales value question

Started by DavidTheDavid,

25 posts in this topic

DavidTheDavid

DavidTheDavid

Posted
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My main title is Strange Tales, and my question concerns the price difference in high grade issues from 101 to 134 and 135 to 168.

 

Tossing out keys like 110, 115, and 126, high grade issues of 101 to 134 command a lot more money, than the Nick Fury / Dr Strange issues. What's the difference? Was the Human Torch's presence that much of a determining factor as these books have accreted value over time?

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mysterio

mysterio

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That's a good question. I watched some nice copies of the later books close at some very low numbers in the Clink auction a couple of nights ago. Check out some of these results:

 

#147 CGC 9.4 white for $79

#162 CGC 9.2 OW-W for $65

 

The #157 in 9.4 white did do $155, but even that seems low compared to what titles like Tales of Suspense would get in the same age and grade range.

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namisgr

namisgr

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I think prices for the Nick Fury issues vary a lot from issue to issue. Some are Mile High II finds, like the 147, and are extremely common in high grade. Others are remarkably tough to find better than NM, like 136, 139, 142, 146, 148, 151, 155, and 166.

 

There are some great covers among the later issues (by Steranko and Adkins in particular) and awesome interior art, no matter the scarcity.

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DavidTheDavid

DavidTheDavid

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Ya, if you're patient on the 135+ you can get good deals. I finally found a 136 recently, a 9.0 at $150 so I snagged it. The Don/Maggie Thompson ones selling at Heritage, including several this time, are doing well, relative to the typical costs of 135 and up.

 

It's not like 101 to 134 were highlights of silver age storytelling or Stan Lee's genius.

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ChicksCosmiComics

ChicksCosmiComics

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I don't really know but I would kind of bet 101 - 134 likely are a tad more scarce being @63 thru 65...The later issues likely had larger production runs and were competing against more main stream established Marvel titles into the late 60s

 

The interesting thing is both Titles Fury and Doc then went into there own titles and only lasted @18 issues tops

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jimjum12

jimjum12

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Around 1966 ads for buying and selling back issue comics at more than cover price began to appear in the comics....and were selling like hotcakes. Several Nationwide mail order dealers were steadily amassing very large inventories for resale... right off the stands. Marvel had also successfully raised the bar with the age of it's target audience.... older readers taking care of their stuff. It's really no wonder that HG copies suddenly become more plentiful. Nick Fury was still a fairly new character that Marvel hoped would ride the wave of James Bond's phenomenal success. MANY were speculating on his staying power.... and rightly so, apparently. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

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jimjum12

jimjum12

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I started ordering from Comic Sales Company and H Rogofsky as early as 1969. Any books ordered that were published from around late '65 on were almost always NM ..... and often VF from '64. The most recent issues.... only a few months old at the time were usually 50 cents.... which is a 400 % profit margin. A strong reason for dealers to stockpile. It was about the only way to get back issues that you missed back then. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

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porcupine48

porcupine48

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I started ordering from Comic Sales Company and H Rogofsky as early as 1969. Any books ordered that were published from around late '65 on were almost always NM ..... and often VF from '64. The most recent issues.... only a few months old at the time were usually 50 cents.... which is a 400 % profit margin. A strong reason for dealers to stockpile. It was about the only way to get back issues that you missed back then. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

Very nifty recollection in time jimbo...i love hearing stories like this..reading a stack of SA last week I was looking at the Rogofsky adverts and considered starting a thread asking who if any had ordered from him or others.fantastic.

Jimmers

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jimjum12

jimjum12

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One dealer from back then who has a very bad rep now was actually my favorite.... his name was R Crestohl and his books were always REAL nice. He was the first dealer I recall who offered books in different grades. He had a different price for VG, F, and NM..... and would give you a discount on every order after you exceeded 50 dollars for the year. I got a NM copy of FF 48 from him for 75 cents. Comics were a fairly cheap hobby then.... mainly just for fun.... although I did pay the princely sum of 5 bucks for a 9.0 copy of X-Men 1 and a staggering 20 bucks for a NM copy of FF 5 ..... wish I still had 'em :sorry: GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

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PeterPark

PeterPark

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I don't really know but I would kind of bet 101 - 134 likely are a tad more scarce being @63 thru 65...The later issues likely had larger production runs and were competing against more main stream established Marvel titles into the late 60s

 

The interesting thing is both Titles Fury and Doc then went into there own titles and only lasted @18 issues tops

 

This one is the truth. This title just happened to have more of a visible break in story during the change in print runs...

 

Strange Tales is my favorite non spider-man title of Marvel's silver age regardless. Second is FF....

 

Third...wait for it...

 

Tales to Astonish.

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Rosland

Rosland

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I looked through some old DD reader copies and it looks like the old

comic book ads all asked you to send some money to get a catalogue

mailed back. I see ads by Robert Bell, Grand Books Inc., Howard Rogofsky, etc...

 

Does anyone still have any of these old catalogues?

 

 

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porcupine48

porcupine48

Posted
Posted
One dealer from back then who has a very bad rep now was actually my favorite.... his name was R Crestohl and his books were always REAL nice. He was the first dealer I recall who offered books in different grades. He had a different price for VG, F, and NM..... and would give you a discount on every order after you exceeded 50 dollars for the year. I got a NM copy of FF 48 from him for 75 cents. Comics were a fairly cheap hobby then.... mainly just for fun.... although I did pay the princely sum of 5 bucks for a 9.0 copy of X-Men 1 and a staggering 20 bucks for a NM copy of FF 5 ..... wish I still had 'em :sorry: GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

Thank you again jimbo,i always really enjoy your tales and posts.your love and passion for comics always helps me see the light through the murk.And I will never forget my first purchase from you...Menace...as you have always said certain books are priceless due to sentimentality.The four armed man agrees! :shy:

And of course I love reading everyone else's stories and posts as well.

My first over five hundred comic purchase included a ST #1....now under thirty to completing the run due to this wonderful place.sorry to get off topic gang,carry on,

Jimmers

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jimjum12

jimjum12

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:o wow Jimmers....I had no idea you were knocking down the ST's like THAT. A full run of ST would be something to be very proud of..... those early ones are so difficult. As far as those old catalogs.... I believe The_Leader_Knows may have a few salted away.... if he could be persuaded to share them.... GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

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makeminemego

makeminemego

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I would guess the price difference is due to the relative scarcity of pre 1966 books. Not that they are really scarce or anything, but compared to the post 1966 books, they probably are a bit harder to come by, in high grade at least. The Torch issues have a certain silver age vibe to them that I think the series lost starting with 135, at least in my opinion.

 

Also, the last 20 issues or so of the series didn't feature Dr. Strange by Ditko. That may have something to do with it as well.

 

But honestly, Strange Tales is a great series to collect.

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budsbundy

budsbundy

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Post '65 tends to be more common than pre '65. That might be the only

reason. Else maybe there are lots of Human Torch fans...

 

Plus The Thing also appears in several of those issues(101-134) as well as the whole FF a couple times.

 

If you're an FF collector like me, than you will be wanting those for your collection.

 

I could care less about Dr.Strange and actually mildly resent him for jacking up the prices on 110, 111, 115, and 126.

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KirbyJack

KirbyJack

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The FF is what brought me to Strange Tales, but Ditko's Dr. Strange stories are as about good as SA comics get! I also love the Torch, but even I have to admit that the move to SHIELD was an upgrade.

 

Add in the amazing monster books, some annuals, the curious post-code-pre-Kirby era, and the world class Pre-Code Horror of the early issues, and you've got one helluva comic book series.

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