My proximity to "The Big Comic" find

[MW1]

I'm sure everyone has his or her story about surreptitiously finding a large hoard of vintage comic books or just missing out on a fantastic collection...here's mine:

 

About 10 years ago, I was contacted by a gentleman who had some early Bowman football cards and Leaf Boxing cards for sale. When we met a few days later I found that he had some pretty nice (NM to NM/MT) 1951 Bowman football and some EM-ish 1948 Leaf boxing. After I purchased the cards, he also mentioned how he knew someone (a neighbor, I think) who had a garage full of old comic books from approximately the same time period (he later told me that the sports cards came from the same person). I asked him if he had a list of the comics in the collection and he told me he would prepare one.

 

About two weeks later, a list arrived in the mail. It included somewhere on the order of several thousand comics including Marvel #1. I remember pulling out an Overstreet and looking up some of the values -- there were quite a few comics in the $500+ range and even a fair quantity in the $1000+ category. I later met with this gentleman again and took a look through some of the boxes he had brought with him. I recall looking at a few old Detective Comics that appeared to be in the F-VF range and some other odd titles in approximately the same condition. When I asked about the location of Marvel #1, he seemed to be somewhat unclear as to its whereabouts. It was definitely on the list (not a misprint), but there were so many comics, he wasn't completely positive of its existence.

 

It's really too bad I wasn't more interested in comics back then, otherwise I would have made an offer on the group. To this day, I have the feeling that some or all of the comics are still available. If I am able to get in contact with this individual again, I will provide an update to this story. Stay tuned....

[Crowzilla]

My first thought since he said that they were all from that time period (48-51), is that it might be a Marvel Boy #1 - it came out in 1950.

 

But so what? a couple of thousand late 40s, early 50s books is a fantastic find with or without a real Marvel #1 being in there.

Go find that guy!

 

[MW1]

I should also mention that there were a fair number of comics from the early to mid-1940s and a few nonsports (card) issues that I purchased from the late-1930s, so I had no reason to believe the list wasn't accurate. In fact, if I do some digging, I bet I could find it (the list, not Marvel #1).

 

Also, I clearly recall the gentleman telling me about some old, odd-sized, "thicker" comics on the phone. At the time, I had no idea what he meant.

[Crowzilla]

Okay - i take it back then.

 

Odd-size thicker comics...hmmm...off hand, it could be anything from Couples & Leon books - to the first couple of More Funs or even the oversize Masters/New Funs... or something else - who knows.

 

Good luck.

 

[PovertyRow]

I'm sure everyone has his or her story about surreptitiously finding a large hoard of vintage comic books or just missing out on a fantastic collection.

 

Truth be told - there may be a story for everyone here but maybe 10% of them would be true!

 

Those collections are a heck of a lot more uncommon than you would thing. I remember finding in my attaic a shoebox full of baseball cards going back to the Boston Braves. There was also an original 1-sheet to Lon Chaney Sr's HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. I kept the cards and the poster in "my cabinet" - until my mother decided to clean out "my cabinet" - the baseball cards? not sure what they may have been worth. The poster? an easy 30-40K - and it WAS in nice grade.

 

But the only comioc book found was a Katy Keene whatever - single copy - pok shape but not an earth shaker. Comics, due to their bulk, were sent to the boneyard a lot more readilly than cards. The 1-sheet I found? ell - it was actually rolled up and did not take a lot of space.

 

PS - the house was biult about 1890 - the attic had been untouched when my folks bought it in 1950 - when we finally celared it out and refurbished the attic about 1962 there was a ton of old stuff - but mainly clothes, shoes etc.

 

Even after the attic was refurbished I used to crawl up there with a flashlight and pull 19th century newspapers from the flooring!

[dam60]

My one "great find" was anything but - this summer I bought 6 long boxes of really Marvels from 1980-1990 at a antique show for $300 cash. The guy had no illusions of what he was selling or what not - he was going to use my money to buy 1 golden age book (if that!) HE was a self-proclaimed Marvel zombie and kept them all is his warehouse and now (1) wanted to clear up space (2) wanted the money.

 

It was definitely worth it for me! He had some great copies in there, although no #1 issues of anything. I still got a cool run of Transformers 2-79, Daredevil 270-300, Rom 4-55, Hulk 340-380 (this is the real tragedy - the Hulk 340 was the nicest I have ever seen and in repacking the books once I decided that I wanted them all it got crushed. Arrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!) etc. that was the clincher for me - all those full runs! Some books had some slight water damage, but heh, it let me fill a few holes and start on a few runs. I ended up buying a Transformers 1 and 80 and now have them all!

 

DAM

[Rickdogg]

What are the grades on the Trans?

[dam60]

VF-NM for the most part. The #80 that I bought off of ebay for strict "NM" for $30 turned out to be a solid VF 8.0 (raw, my grade). The Transformers 1 I bought a FN copy cheap ($1). Some of the mid issues are solid NMs if I recall correctly . . .

 

DAM

[Rickdogg]

Sweeet A #80 CGC 9.4 sold last night I was watching it since I want a white paged copy, but it went a lil too high for my tastes right now.

[dam60]

What did it sell for? I seem to remember a 9.2 going for $80 over the summer . . .

 

DAM

 

[Rickdogg]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2159196273&category=35764

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2156656137&category=32764

[dam60]

That does it! I just can't buy comics anymore - every time I do, I always find that they are worth far less than I paid for them. Sigh,

 

Thanks for the links,

 

DAM

[Rickdogg]