Early Action Comics

[nearmint]

Ray Belden, a collector out of Chicago, adverstised several Action Mile Highs in CBG many years ago. I purchased the #33 and #46 from him. A few years later, Dave heard through the grapevine that I had them, and we arranged a trade. For the two books, I got his high-grade non-pedigree copies of the same two issues, plus the Church copy of Action #55, and a stack of other DC Golden Age. I also had the Church copies of #86 & 87, but don't have any of them anymore. Although, I've been able to visit the #55 every year at San Diego since I parted with it, at a different dealer's table each year.

[tth2]

Although, I've been able to visit the #55 every year at San Diego since I parted with it, at a different dealer's table each year.

 

What's wrong with it, that it keeps turning over so much?

[nearmint]

Nothing at all. It's a beautiful 9.6. I think last year Metro had it, the year before Bill Hughes, etc...

 

Never should of sold it.

[Timely]

I remember your ad in CBG for that book, $5500 if I remember corectly!

 

West

[tth2]

Nothing at all. It's a beautiful 9.6. I think last year Metro had it, the year before Bill Hughes, etc...

 

Never should of sold it.

 

Jeff, not directed at you, but so much for all the holier-than-thou spiel about GA collectors being "true collectors, not flippers or speculators" .

[Thegoldenage]

Jeff, not directed at you, but so much for all the holier-than-thou spiel about GA collectors being "true collectors, not flippers or speculators" .

 

What's a true collector?

[tth2]

Jeff, not directed at you, but so much for all the holier-than-thou spiel about GA collectors being "true collectors, not flippers or speculators" .

 

What's a true collector?

 

Beats the hell out of me, but if you read some of the postings from GA collectors sometimes, you'd get the impression that GA collectors are more pure because they buy their books and then stash them away forever, never to emerge again, because of their pure love of their comics, as opposed to the mercenary SA and later "collectors" who are just in it to make a quick buck and aren't "true" collectors. I'm exaggerating, of course, but you get the gist. So I like to poke at this rather sanctimonious attitude every now and then.

[nearmint]

I owned that book for for about ten years. When I bought it, it guided for $225 and Church books were going for about 3x guide. West is absolutely right about my asking price, although in the end I think the buyer talked me down $100 to $5400. So yes, I made a few bucks from it, all of which was used to buy other books, of course.

 

The guy I sold it to sold it to a dealer, and I think it's leaped from dealer to dealer ever since. I haven't seen it since the SD Con last July, so it may be in a collector's hands at this point.

 

Luckily, I've hung onto some books from those days. The Action #43 9.0, Thrilling #19 9.4, and Exciting Comics #31 9.6 that I've posted a million times in different threads all came from Mark Wilson back in the World's Finest days.

 

Used to love getting his catalogs. Great stuff.

[lou_fine]

Luckily, I've hung onto some books from those days. The Action #43 9.0, Thrilling #19 9.4, and Exciting Comics #31 9.6 that I've posted a million times in different threads all came from Mark Wilson back in the World's Finest days.

 

Used to love getting his catalogs. Great stuff.

 

Nearmint;

 

I am surprised that some of these books didn't come back with a PLOD since they originated from Mark Wilson. I also loved his catalogues and ended up picking up the odd book here and there from him. Back in the days when GA was still nice and cheap compared to now.

 

Unfortunately, Mark always had a reputation of not being able to leave a book alone no matter how nice it already was. The assumption in the marketplace was that a book had to be restored if it came from Mark even if they could not find the actual restoration.

 

As a result, I was usually very very careful whenever i brought books from Mark and asked him in 15 to 20 different ways whether there had been anything, anything at all done to the book. In virtually all cases, I passed on the book when he told me there had been some work done to them. In a few cases, however, I still brought the book since the work was just so minor and the book was still so absolutely gorgeous. Go figure.

[nearmint]

These were all purchased in the last couple of years of World's Finest's existence, after he had stated very clearly in one of his catalogs that he had a new policy of disclosing all restoration. But, like you, I always asked the question anyway.

[Harvey Dude]

Jeff, not directed at you, but so much for all the holier-than-thou spiel about GA collectors being "true collectors, not flippers or speculators" .

 

What's a true collector?

 

Beats the hell out of me, but if you read some of the postings from GA collectors sometimes, you'd get the impression that GA collectors are more pure because they buy their books and then stash them away forever, never to emerge again, because of their pure love of their comics, as opposed to the mercenary SA and later "collectors" who are just in it to make a quick buck and aren't "true" collectors. I'm exaggerating, of course, but you get the gist. So I like to poke at this rather sanctimonious attitude every now and then.

 

It is hard to generalize but I have to agree that Golden-Age collectors appear to hold on to their core collections. I would consider myself a golden-age/early silver age collector and I have held onto a majority of my books for circa twenty years. I did make one mistake when I moved in 1991 and sold about fifty of my key books (several were low number GA pedigrees) for substantially less than I paid for them. I blame that sale on the stress of moving. I sometimes look at the list of books sold to remind me not to sell again, at least in the foreseeable future. I will probably sell as I approach retirement in another decade.

[skybolt]

Jeff, not directed at you, but so much for all the holier-than-thou spiel about GA collectors being "true collectors, not flippers or speculators" .

 

What's a true collector?

 

Beats the hell out of me, but if you read some of the postings from GA collectors sometimes, you'd get the impression that GA collectors are more pure because they buy their books and then stash them away forever, never to emerge again, because of their pure love of their comics, as opposed to the mercenary SA and later "collectors" who are just in it to make a quick buck and aren't "true" collectors. I'm exaggerating, of course, but you get the gist. So I like to poke at this rather sanctimonious attitude every now and then.

 

It is hard to generalize but I have to agree that Golden-Age collectors appear to hold on to their core collections. I would consider myself a golden-age/early silver age collector and I have held onto a majority of my books for circa twenty years. I did make one mistake when I moved in 1991 and sold about fifty of my key books (several were low number GA pedigrees) for substantially less than I paid for them. I blame that sale on the stress of moving. I sometimes look at the list of books sold to remind me not to sell again, at least in the foreseeable future. I will probably sell as I approach retirement in another decade.

 

Over the past year I have made the transition from collecting SA to GA books. Unlike SA books, some of the GA ones (even in mid grade) are impossible to find. Now I know why so many GA collectors hold on to their books. Once you sell it, you may never get it back again.

[FlyingDonut]

Here are a couple of early Action Comics I purchased last year.

 

 

 

I used to own the Church copy of Action #33, until "the dentist" made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Also had a nice Action #30 with a Joe Shuster autograph. Kinda miss them both.

 

I think I owned that 30 at one point. Autograph was in the bottom right corner, correct?

[nearmint]

Yep. In the grassy area.

[lou_fine]

It is hard to generalize but I have to agree that Golden-Age collectors appear to hold on to their core collections. I would consider myself a golden-age/early silver age collector and I have held onto a majority of my books for circa twenty years. I did make one mistake when I moved in 1991 and sold about fifty of my key books (several were low number GA pedigrees) for substantially less than I paid for them. I blame that sale on the stress of moving. I sometimes look at the list of books sold to remind me not to sell again, at least in the foreseeable future. I will probably sell as I approach retirement in another decade.

 

Harvey;

 

Surprised to hear that you lost substantial money on your GA pedigrees. I guess the early 90's was a slow time for the GA books since I was able to pick up some nice gems at reasonable prices back then.

 

You probably should have been a little bit more patient since dealers were running over each other offering multiples of guide for HG GA books, especially for pedigrees, keys, and classic covers by the mid-90's.

 

I guess the market always goes in cycles similar to right now, as GA seems to be out of favor relative to the other time periods at the moment.

[shrunkenhead]

 

I guess the market always goes in cycles similar to right now, as GA seems to be out of favor relative to the other time periods at the moment.

 

Very true, and this is one of the major reasons I decided to sell most of my bronze this year. Bronze is super-hot right now, and the multiples achieved are amazing to me. I'm using the bronze dough I realize to make nice GA purchases. Pre-CGC, such a thing could never happen.

 

Case in point: last month I sold (online and off) around ten bronze books, all of which guide in the $20 to $40 range. I was able to take in over $1500. And what was I able to buy with this sudden influx of cash? This!

 

 

To me, this is a quirk of the market that will eventually correct itself. The fact that I was able to flip somewhat common bronze books in highgrade and buy a key All-Star in VF with the cash, well, that's just not an opportunity that comes around every day. So yes, I definitely think GA is "cold" right now, but that'll change, once people realize that the spread between what they're paying for highgrade BA and the prices realized for highgrade GA is getting increasingly, and shockingly, narrow.

[Larryw7]

That's a beautiful book! Congrats!

[Forbush-Man]

Nice All Star and good job there, Flipper!

[shrunkenhead]

Nice All Star and good job there, Flipper!

 

 

[rjpb]

You got rid of 10 comics and only got one in return - and it's not even Mint! How is that a good deal?