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Charlton, Dell, Gold Key, and Harvey...

Started by comicalgems,

371 posts in this topic

Jeffro.

Jeffro.

Posted
Posted
Charlton horror is under appreciated. If you like HOM or HOS from DC, Ghostly Tales is in the same vein. They even had their version of Cain and Abel before DC did. Some decent work by Ditko, Mastroserio, Giordano, Boyette, Palais and probably others I am forgetting. The early stuff (12 cent) was as good as the DC stuff.

 

I'm not a fan of Boyette's work, except for his painted covers which I find exceptional.

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Icculus308win

Icculus308win

Posted
Posted

Love Gold Key & Dell painted covers and even some photo covers.

HUGE fan of Ben Bowies and Gold Key one shots. Also Dell & Gold Key movie Classics.

(Scope out my sets)

I would agree with your LCS though, these books aren't the hottest commodity for most.....but for me they are treasures and joy.

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Brock

Brock

Posted
Posted

It depends what you mean by "actively"...

 

I'll agree that I won't normally buy them at full Guide prices, but I will pick them up.

 

I think truly high grade Charltons can be rare, and I'll pick up titles that were later published by DC (like Blue Beetle), or that have specific artists (like Byrne or Ditko).

 

I love Gold Key, and will often buy those, but I focus on certain series (like Scooby Doo) or stick to the rare Whitmans and variants. I will often pay well over Guide for things like the Whitman 75 cent variant covers (most recently $6 for a VG copy of Winnie the Pooh #33 with a 75 cent cover).

 

With Dells and Harveys, they either have to be both old and really high grade, or feature characters/concepts that are still relevant. For example, I recently snagged a copy of Dell's Universal Pictures Presents Dracula, The Mummy Plus Other Stories #1. I also have a weak spot for Barks Ducks.

 

This makes me think that some titles are still in demand. Some, like Gold Key's Scooby Doo, are even hot. But there are huge quantities of material that just don't resonate with today's market. Most LCS' will have sold the good stuff ages ago, and have been left with the drek.

 

Having said that, my son is 9, and while he doesn't have the same passion for comics as his Dad, he does enjoy them. We struggle to find stuff in today's market that meets the twin tests of his level of interest and my sense of suitability for his age. What he does love - and will buy on sight if I let him - are Dell/Gold Key titles including Super Goof, Zorro and Tom and Jerry. He actually gets excited now when he sees the Gold Key logo on books...

 

 

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RCheli

RCheli

Posted
Posted

At my latest show set-up, a young guy (20s) came up and asked -- almost ashamed -- if I had any of the Charlton hero books, like Judo Master.

 

I pulled out a near complete run, and also Blue Beetles, Son of Vulcans, Sarge Steel, etc. I've never seen anyone happier at a show.

 

He came back twice more to buy another few issues.

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Hepcat

Hepcat

Posted
Posted
Were these just over produced?

 

Dells had large print runs up until 1961 because they were big sellers. Harveys and Charltons though had comparatively low print runs.

 

Not that good?

 

Well the Charltons had even shoddier production values than did Atlas/Marvel comics.

 

Under appreciated by the collecting world at large?

 

Bingo! Now you've hit the nail on the head.

 

When I talk to comic shop owners they say there's very very few people that collect these.... Does anyone actively collect these books?

 

I do! But I'm one of the few, the proud....

 

When I talk to comic shop owners they say there's very very few people that collect these, and the ones that do want to pay very very little for the books.

 

Welcome to the real world. Little demand means that buyers can hold out for low prices since other collectors won't be snapping them up.

 

;)

 

I'm wondering because I'm sorting some books I picked up recently and discovering that I've got quite a few of these publishers mixed in....

 

What do you have in nice condition? I can be tempted by Charlton Westerns, War and Science Fiction with ten and twelve cent covers, Gorgo, Konga, Reptilicus, Captain Atom and Blue Beetle. Harvey just about anything other than Richie Rich and Sad Sack, and Dell Funny Animals. The Dell photo covers don't interest me but those are the ones that seem to be most popular with other collectors. Gold Key basically just Total War and Phantoms at present.

 

???

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Hepcat

Hepcat

Posted
Posted
As far as Harvey, I did buy some off the rack growing up but while I can usually identify childhood purchases on site, I couldn't pick those out of a line up if my life depended on it. They all look the same to me.

 

Agreed! A real problem with Harveys; I know I bought/read a few from 1959-61 but I haven't a clue as to which. I know I preferred the Hot Stuff and Spooky titles to many of the others but that's all I really remember.

 

(shrug)

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Hepcat

Hepcat

Posted
Posted
Does anyone actively collect these books?

 

Have you not seen the threads on these publishers? There are many:

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=4610166&fpart=1

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=6097522&fpart=1

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=6001089&fpart=1

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=6621320&fpart=1

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=6267345&fpart=1

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=6285652&fpart=1

 

:)

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EwanUK

EwanUK

Posted
Posted

I love Charlton - have done since a teenager in the 1980s

Here's my Ditko hero books :)

 

Blue Beetle no.3 Western Penn Pedigree, white pages CGC 9.6

Blue Beetle no.4 white pages CGC 9.6

Strange Suspense Stories no.75 Massachusetts Pedigree, ow pages CGC 9.0

Captain Atom no.81 Massachusetts Pedigree, ow to white pages CGC 9.6

Captain Atom no.82 Northland Pedigree, ow pages (double cover) CGC 9.0

Captain Atom no.83 Boston Pedigree, cream to ow pages CGC 9.0

Captain Atom no.85 Rocky Mountain Pedigree, ow to white pages CGC 9.2

Captain Atom no.86 Massachusetts Pedigree, white pages CGC 9.6

Captain Atom no.88 Massachusetts Pedigree, white pages CGC 9.2

Captain Atom no.89 Massachusetts Pedigree, white pages CGC 9.4

Captain Atom no.89 Rocky Mountain Pedigree, ow to white pages CGC 9.2

Mysterious Suspense no.1 Bethlehem pedigree, ow to white pages CGC 9.4

 

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mystrymachine

mystrymachine

Posted
Posted

The many Ghosts of Doctor Graves, Space Family Robinson. Boris Karloff, The twilight Zone, Richie Rich, Sad Sack, Fightin' Army, those were the books I was buying when I first learned how to read.

I have a lot of Gold Keys on my want list I just keep putting them off for the Big Two. But the time will come my friendly snipers. The time will come..

 

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Sqeggs

Sqeggs

Posted
Posted

I think it's fair to say that interest in these books tends to be concentrated in high-end graded copies, copies with collectible artists, and some oddball titles.

 

The Barks duck books are certainly collected, but they were printed in such huge numbers that mid-grade and lower copies almost always sell for well under guide. Bugs Bunny seems to have had a bit of a surge lately, particularly for higher grade copies.

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Hepcat

Hepcat

Posted
Posted
I love Charlton - have done since a teenager in the 1980s

Here's my Ditko hero books :)

 

Blue Beetle no.3 Western Penn Pedigree, white pages CGC 9.6

Blue Beetle no.4 white pages CGC 9.6

Strange Suspense Stories no.75 Massachusetts Pedigree, ow pages CGC 9.0

Captain Atom no.81 Massachusetts Pedigree, ow to white pages CGC 9.6

Captain Atom no.82 Northland Pedigree, ow pages (double cover) CGC 9.0

Captain Atom no.83 Boston Pedigree, cream to ow pages CGC 9.0

Captain Atom no.85 Rocky Mountain Pedigree, ow to white pages CGC 9.2

Captain Atom no.86 Massachusetts Pedigree, white pages CGC 9.6

Captain Atom no.88 Massachusetts Pedigree, white pages CGC 9.2

Captain Atom no.89 Massachusetts Pedigree, white pages CGC 9.4

Captain Atom no.89 Rocky Mountain Pedigree, ow to white pages CGC 9.2

Mysterious Suspense no.1 Bethlehem pedigree, ow to white pages CGC 9.4

 

But if you love Charlton, why only the Ditko books?

 

???

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