Second Action 1 9.0 to hit the census

[DanCooper]

Ebay has a page up announcing the sale. There's a video with Darren Adams and Matt Nelson discussing the book's history and significance. A lot of it's a sales pitch, but there's some interesting information in there.

 

Ebay Action 1

 

Watched the video clip on the origin story of this copy and the timeline certainly sounds interesting and a bit confusing!

 

Book was purchased in 1938 by the OO and placed in a wooden cedar chest until the late 70's or early 80's. Then discovered by a gentleman who had placed an ad for purchasing comic books. This gentleman kept the book for a few years before selling it to a prominent dealer a few years later. This prominent dealer then apparently kept the book for about 30 years before selling it to Darren Adams.

 

The timeline does not sound correct as this basically meant the this particular copy of Action Comics #1 was sold raw to Darren within the past few years. Does it make sense for a prominent dealer to be selling this kind of book raw as it does not appear to be previously graded based upon the census information which we have.

 

I would assume the timeline from their little story is probably off by 10 years or so, otherwise it really doesn't make much sense given today's market conditions with respect to grading.

 

It is amazing that this book was in the hands of a "prominent dealer" for 30 years without a buzz in the hobby that it had existed all these years.

 

Also, raw or graded, suprising that it would be sold by the original dealer directly to basically another dealer without going the route of an auction (or sale to a collector/celebrity/investor)

[clarkkentdds]

I agree ....

 

It's very peculiar that one of the top 2-3 books in our hobby went under the radar- yet exchanged hands within the past few years? And a "prominent dealer" had this?

 

If a prominent dealer had this book (even 20 yrs ago) why haven't we heard anything about this book previously? Doesn't Rob React have a list somewhere of the top books, and we have pretty good accounts of all the top Actions.

 

The book almost looks unreal...

 

I really want to hear some more background behind this, a provenance, and would love to know who the "mystery dealer" is who had this for 30 yrs. Yet sold it to "Magic-Pristine Comics"?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rip]

I agree ....

 

It's very peculiar that one of the top 2-3 books in our hobby went under the radar- yet exchanged hands within the past few years? And a "prominent dealer" had this?

 

If a prominent dealer had this book (even 20 yrs ago) why haven't we heard anything about this book previously? Doesn't Rob React have a list somewhere of the top books, and we have pretty good accounts of all the top Actions.

 

Trust me when I say there are more "under the radar" mega books held by prominent dealers/collectors. If I know of more than one, then I suspect the list will likely get a lot bigger over the years.

[woowoo]

Would love to see some pics of Metro at SDCC here they got @ action 1s and Tec 27?

[VintageComics]

I briefly stopped by metro booth today. Didn't have much time and did not shop anywhere else. They had two A1s and a D27 on display and were not overly impressed by the new A1 as compared to their record sale.

 

I would have liked to have met you. (thumbs u

 

Are you around tomorrow?

 

Yep. I look forward to meeting folks.

 

Keep on the look-out for a sharp dude with a spectacular mane of hair; you'll have a 50/50 chance of greeting Vintage Roy. (thumbs u

 

...and here I thought you were talking about yourself!

 

 

 

[Marvel Zombie]

Ebay has a page up announcing the sale. There's a video with Darren Adams and Matt Nelson discussing the book's history and significance. A lot of it's a sales pitch, but there's some interesting information in there.

 

Ebay Action 1

 

Watched the video clip on the origin story of this copy and the timeline certainly sounds interesting and a bit confusing!

 

Book was purchased in 1938 by the OO and placed in a wooden cedar chest until the late 70's or early 80's. Then discovered by a gentleman who had placed an ad for purchasing comic books. This gentleman kept the book for a few years before selling it to a prominent dealer a few years later. This prominent dealer then apparently kept the book for about 30 years before selling it to Darren Adams.

 

The timeline does not sound correct as this basically meant the this particular copy of Action Comics #1 was sold raw to Darren within the past few years. Does it make sense for a prominent dealer to be selling this kind of book raw as it does not appear to be previously graded based upon the census information which we have.

 

I would assume the timeline from their little story is probably off by 10 years or so, otherwise it really doesn't make much sense given today's market conditions with respect to grading.

 

It is amazing that this book was in the hands of a "prominent dealer" for 30 years without a buzz in the hobby that it had existed all these years.

 

Also, raw or graded, suprising that it would be sold by the original dealer directly to basically another dealer without going the route of an auction (or sale to a collector/celebrity/investor)

 

yeah ... sounds a little shady

[DanCooper]

Ebay has a page up announcing the sale. There's a video with Darren Adams and Matt Nelson discussing the book's history and significance. A lot of it's a sales pitch, but there's some interesting information in there.

 

Ebay Action 1

 

Watched the video clip on the origin story of this copy and the timeline certainly sounds interesting and a bit confusing!

 

Book was purchased in 1938 by the OO and placed in a wooden cedar chest until the late 70's or early 80's. Then discovered by a gentleman who had placed an ad for purchasing comic books. This gentleman kept the book for a few years before selling it to a prominent dealer a few years later. This prominent dealer then apparently kept the book for about 30 years before selling it to Darren Adams.

 

The timeline does not sound correct as this basically meant the this particular copy of Action Comics #1 was sold raw to Darren within the past few years. Does it make sense for a prominent dealer to be selling this kind of book raw as it does not appear to be previously graded based upon the census information which we have.

 

I would assume the timeline from their little story is probably off by 10 years or so, otherwise it really doesn't make much sense given today's market conditions with respect to grading.

 

It is amazing that this book was in the hands of a "prominent dealer" for 30 years without a buzz in the hobby that it had existed all these years.

 

Also, raw or graded, suprising that it would be sold by the original dealer directly to basically another dealer without going the route of an auction (or sale to a collector/celebrity/investor)

 

yeah ... sounds a little shady

 

No, I'm not referring to that. This all seems legit.

 

I'm only giving my personal astonishment that a book of this magnitude can be kept under wraps for all these years without hearing a thing within the hobby! (especially being in the hands of a secondary source - dealer or collector)

 

Kudos to previous owner/current owner!

 

And best with the auction. It's going to be awesome to watch!

[peewee22]

I think Ill bid 1 mil for the fun of it.

 

There's a 100% chance I won't win it.

[General Zod]

I agree ....

 

It's very peculiar that one of the top 2-3 books in our hobby went under the radar- yet exchanged hands within the past few years? And a "prominent dealer" had this?

 

If a prominent dealer had this book (even 20 yrs ago) why haven't we heard anything about this book previously? Doesn't Rob React have a list somewhere of the top books, and we have pretty good accounts of all the top Actions.

 

Trust me when I say there are more "under the radar" mega books held by prominent dealers/collectors. If I know of more than one, then I suspect the list will likely get a lot bigger over the years.

 

I have to agree with him that it is amazing how this particular copy was kept under wraps so well for so long. The people involved in all transactions on this book had to be super-mum on the knowledge of this book and that's part of what's making this unveiling a little amazing. Usually somebody knows somebody in these cases and ze Germans come in and make them talk.

 

I briefly stopped by metro booth today. Didn't have much time and did not shop anywhere else. They had two A1s and a D27 on display and were not overly impressed by the new A1 as compared to their record sale.

 

I would have liked to have met you. (thumbs u

 

Are you around tomorrow?

 

Yep. I look forward to meeting folks.

 

Keep on the look-out for a sharp dude with a spectacular mane of hair; you'll have a 50/50 chance of greeting Vintage Roy. (thumbs u

 

...and here I thought you were talking about yourself!

 

 

 

You two should have a mane-off. Hair: The Untold Story.

[Aman619]

the description "prominent dealer" doesn't necessarily refer to one of the core large national dealers. Most of us have never heard of the "somewhat less prominent dealer" who now owns the book, so the phrase was used merely local or anecdotally, and respectfully to the shmoe who sold it raw. WHy insult him now by saying "unknown low rent dealer out there.?" Its all in the marketing of the book anyway… "prominent" lends credulity to the backstory.

[lou_fine]

Ebay has a page up announcing the sale. There's a video with Darren Adams and Matt Nelson discussing the book's history and significance. A lot of it's a sales pitch, but there's some interesting information in there.

 

Ebay Action 1

 

Watched the video clip on the origin story of this copy and the timeline certainly sounds interesting and a bit confusing!

 

Book was purchased in 1938 by the OO and placed in a wooden cedar chest until the late 70's or early 80's. Then discovered by a gentleman who had placed an ad for purchasing comic books. This gentleman kept the book for a few years before selling it to a prominent dealer a few years later. This prominent dealer then apparently kept the book for about 30 years before selling it to Darren Adams.

 

The timeline does not sound correct as this basically meant the this particular copy of Action Comics #1 was sold raw to Darren within the past few years. Does it make sense for a prominent dealer to be selling this kind of book raw as it does not appear to be previously graded based upon the census information which we have.

 

I would assume the timeline from their little story is probably off by 10 years or so, otherwise it really doesn't make much sense given today's market conditions with respect to grading.

 

It is amazing that this book was in the hands of a "prominent dealer" for 30 years without a buzz in the hobby that it had existed all these years.

 

Also, raw or graded, suprising that it would be sold by the original dealer directly to basically another dealer without going the route of an auction (or sale to a collector/celebrity/investor)

 

yeah ... sounds a little shady

 

Actually, my personal take on the matter is that they may have inadvertently added in an extra 10 years into the telling of their story by mistake.

 

This would then back it out to the prior sale taking place just before the comic book auction houses and CGC came onto the scene.

[Silver Surfer]

Just speculating but the timeline does seem to be a bit odd. One would only assume that a dealer would have had the book graded first before he sold it just to validate its awesomeness and value? So presumably if he sold it privately while graded it must have been north of $2M, no? The pages really are snow white.

[lou_fine]

Just speculating but the timeline does seem to be a bit odd. One would only assume that a dealer would have had the book graded first before he sold it just to validate its awesomeness and value? So presumably if he sold it privately while graded it must have been north of $2M, no? The pages really are snow white.

 

Not possible since this book should then in theory have shown up on CGC's census population.

[Mmehdy]

Ebay has a page up announcing the sale. There's a video with Darren Adams and Matt Nelson discussing the book's history and significance. A lot of it's a sales pitch, but there's some interesting information in there.

 

Ebay Action 1

 

Watched the video clip on the origin story of this copy and the timeline certainly sounds interesting and a bit confusing!

 

Book was purchased in 1938 by the OO and placed in a wooden cedar chest until the late 70's or early 80's. Then discovered by a gentleman who had placed an ad for purchasing comic books. This gentleman kept the book for a few years before selling it to a prominent dealer a few years later. This prominent dealer then apparently kept the book for about 30 years before selling it to Darren Adams.

 

The timeline does not sound correct as this basically meant the this particular copy of Action Comics #1 was sold raw to Darren within the past few years. Does it make sense for a prominent dealer to be selling this kind of book raw as it does not appear to be previously graded based upon the census information which we have.

 

I would assume the timeline from their little story is probably off by 10 years or so, otherwise it really doesn't make much sense given today's market conditions with respect to grading.

 

It is amazing that this book was in the hands of a "prominent dealer" for 30 years without a buzz in the hobby that it had existed all these years.

 

Also, raw or graded, suprising that it would be sold by the original dealer directly to basically another dealer without going the route of an auction (or sale to a collector/celebrity/investor)

 

yeah ... sounds a little shady

....

 

 

wow....

[VintageComics]

I'm only giving my personal astonishment that a book of this magnitude can be kept under wraps for all these years without hearing a thing within the hobby! (especially being in the hands of a secondary source - dealer or collector)

 

I don't understand what is shady about everyone not knowing about the existence of a particular comic? Aren't we surprised every time something special pops up out of existence?

 

It happens all the time.

 

There is no mandate to shout from the hilltops if you own a nice Action #1.

[DanCooper]

I'm only giving my personal astonishment that a book of this magnitude can be kept under wraps for all these years without hearing a thing within the hobby! (especially being in the hands of a secondary source - dealer or collector)

 

I don't understand what is shady about everyone not knowing about the existence of a particular comic? Aren't we surprised every time something special pops up out of existence?

 

It happens all the time.

 

There is no mandate to shout from the hilltops if you own a nice Action #1.

 

Vintage,

 

Where did I say this is shady?

 

In fact, it's the other way around - I believe this is all on the up and up. With all the "gossip' in the hobby over the history of fandom and how tight a community the comic hobby is, I just think it is incredible that an Action 1, in this unrestored shape, wasn't known about in the hobby all these years. This was not an original owner find, but has passed through hands (including collector & dealer) before it landed in its current home. A GREAT story/find/secret!

[tth2]

the description "prominent dealer" doesn't necessarily refer to one of the core large national dealers. Most of us have never heard of the "somewhat less prominent dealer" who now owns the book, so the phrase was used merely local or anecdotally, and respectfully to the shmoe who sold it raw. WHy insult him now by saying "unknown low rent dealer out there.?" Its all in the marketing of the book anyway… "prominent" lends credulity to the backstory.

[jimjum12]

.... owning an Action 1 may not be the type of thing one would want to be common knowledge on the internet..... it sure is a pretty copy and will leave a huge void in the present owner's collection. I'm really curious to see where it goes.... though an eBAY auction isn't how I'd handle it. GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[jimjum12]

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=7881281#Post7881281

 

I made the mistake of checking out the General thread about this book. That was 20 IQ points I lost that I'll never get back.

you didn't need them anyway.

 

..... I lost over 900 IQ points in the 70's..... probably for the best.... I thought I knew it all GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[DarrenSmith]

Ebay has a page up announcing the sale. There's a video with Darren Adams and Matt Nelson discussing the book's history and significance. A lot of it's a sales pitch, but there's some interesting information in there.

 

Ebay Action 1

 

Watched the video clip on the origin story of this copy and the timeline certainly sounds interesting and a bit confusing!

 

Book was purchased in 1938 by the OO and placed in a wooden cedar chest until the late 70's or early 80's. Then discovered by a gentleman who had placed an ad for purchasing comic books. This gentleman kept the book for a few years before selling it to a prominent dealer a few years later. This prominent dealer then apparently kept the book for about 30 years before selling it to Darren Adams.

 

The timeline does not sound correct as this basically meant the this particular copy of Action Comics #1 was sold raw to Darren within the past few years. Does it make sense for a prominent dealer to be selling this kind of book raw as it does not appear to be previously graded based upon the census information which we have.

 

I would assume the timeline from their little story is probably off by 10 years or so, otherwise it really doesn't make much sense given today's market conditions with respect to grading.

 

I watched the video yesterday and afterwards I had a shady feeling about the book. Adding up the timeline presented, it sounds like the seller bought it right around the time it got graded (which makes sense if you are going to flip the book) but the 'prominent dealer is problematic for me for two reasons (1) Any time people use 'prominent dealer' or similar words to describe someone with expertize and not include a name it sets off alarm bells. (2) If it was a prominent dealer who sold it to Darren Adams in the last year would have known about the Metropolis sales, so why wouldn't have that dealer gone to Metro for assistance? Or was Darren competing with Metropolis over the book and Darren won out. I also wonder if the unnamed prominent dealer is someone like the guy who ran Fantasia considering the condition of the book. And why they left money on the table that the book could be flipped within a year for profit.