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I don't know the definition of rare anymore.

113 posts in this topic

As a person that has devoted his comic life to finding the rarest comics on Earth, I am deeply insulted on what is called rare these days. I watch shows like Comic book men and Pawn stars and see how they all call Spider-man # 1 rare. And I'm like there aren't any truly rare silver age comics. I have even seen dealers interviewed at the San Diego con calling books rare that aren't. I regularly call out people on Ebay. This one guy was selling Strange tales 97 and he called it extremely rare even though there were 5 other people selling the same comic!!!!! lol So I contacted him and he said it is rare because everybody wants it. I told him to go look up the word rare in the dictionary. This just does not apply to silver age. Any expensive golden age book gets the rare title too. To the staff of Pawn stars, Wonder Woman # 1 would probably be the rarest book in the world to them. I find throwing the word rare around to be quite disgusting. Let me give you some examples.

 

This book is a real rare book. No bull about it. You can go to 10 large conventions and never see this book. Is it in demand? I don't know but it certainly is rare.

 

 

AmzAdvpromo001_zpsd08a9ac8.jpg

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I concur. Rare is rare

 

Very Rare Anti-Communist tract with Bernie Kreigstein attributed art with accompanying letter from the publisher

 

IMG_2054_zps020f41f3.jpg

 

IMG_2055_zps92318bf8.jpg

 

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Rare Teachers Variant editon of Picture Parade

 

IMG_2061_zps46929b2f.jpg

 

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The Sad Case of Waiting Room Willie. Very rare anti-socialist tract with Will Eisner art

 

IMG_2064_zps84120586.jpg

 

IMG_2065_zpsc20332bb.jpg

 

Two Faces of Communism CGC 9.0

 

IMG_2066_zpsb1fa16f3.jpg

 

Donald Duck and the A-Bomb CGC 7.0

 

IMG_2067_zpsf8fd650e.jpg

 

Both Canadian versions of Is This Tomorrow. NOTE: the copy to the right does NOT have the banner "Communism in Canada" on the bottom of the cover :o

 

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Now for the most exciting piece:

 

Proof Strips (complete) for Joe Worker by Sheldon Moldoff that were never used with a letter of rejection.

 

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To view all of these proof strips from # 73-160 (Shelly Moldoff) go to below link. My album contains ALL of the proof strips and the rejection letter:

 

http://www.ajcarchives.org/main.php?GroupingId=3400

 

CdnWhitesCGC1_zps1d59bde3.jpg[/img]

 

photo_zpsf30e1bba.jpg

 

 

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Donald Duck and the A-Bomb CGC 7.0

 

IMG_2067_zpsf8fd650e.jpg

 

I don't know that this book is really that rare, at least not in the way Bo is thinking of rare. Tough, but not exactly rare.

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rare

 

adjective, rarer, rarest.

1. coming or occurring far apart in time; unusual; uncommon: a rare disease; His visits are rare occasions.

2. thinly distributed over an area; few and widely separated: Lighthouses are rare on that part of the coast.

3. having the component parts not closely compacted together; not dense: rare gases; lightheaded from the rare mountain air.

4. unusually great: a rare display of courage.

5. unusually excellent; admirable; fine: She showed rare tact in inviting them.

 

 

scarce

 

adjective, scarcer, scarcest.

1. insufficient to satisfy the need or demand; not abundant: Meat and butter were scarce during the war.

2. seldom met with; rare: a scarce book.

 

 

uncommon

 

adjective, uncommoner, uncommonest.

1. not common; unusual; rare: an uncommon word.

2. unusual in amount or degree; above the ordinary: an uncommon amount of mail.

3. exceptional; remarkable.

 

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I understand what you are saying. I don't get upset about it because I and probably anyone who will be spending their money knows better. As you know, I've been doing this a very long time. I like truely rare books that a lot of others don't really care about. I feel I've got my finger on what is truely rare in the GA world. I won't start posting all my "rare" books since it is only my opinion anyway and you probably don't really care anyway. I did just post one over in the giveaway thread and got nary a comment on it. Why? because it is pretty off most people's radar and the character is in low demand.

 

The average person who does not see a lot of books might thing that something is rare to them because they haven't seen many or any where some one like me might have seen a lot of them. You also have the people with an ajenda that want to pimp and sell a book. They think some fool is going to buy their logic and pay them a lot for their book.

 

Rarity is in the eye of the beholder...

 

 

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The average person who does not see a lot of books might thing that something is rare to them because they haven't seen many or any where some one like me might have seen a lot of them.

That was me the first few years I got serious about collecting. I drooled and got heart palpitations over stuff that I now look at and yawn.

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Rare: 1931 Four Immigrants graphic novel

 

photo-8.jpg

 

Rarer: 1948 The Nightingale (only "good comic" according to SOTI - now owned by SOTIcollector)

 

DSC04802.jpg

 

Rarest (unique?): Oregon Ducks recruiting comic book (but does anyone besides me care?)

 

oregon-comic-cover.jpg

 

 

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rare

 

adjective, rarer, rarest.

1. coming or occurring far apart in time; unusual; uncommon: a rare disease; His visits are rare occasions.

2. thinly distributed over an area; few and widely separated: Lighthouses are rare on that part of the coast.

3. having the component parts not closely compacted together; not dense: rare gases; lightheaded from the rare mountain air.

4. unusually great: a rare display of courage.

5. unusually excellent; admirable; fine: She showed rare tact in inviting them.

 

 

scarce

 

adjective, scarcer, scarcest.

1. insufficient to satisfy the need or demand; not abundant: Meat and butter were scarce during the war.

2. seldom met with; rare: a scarce book.

 

 

uncommon

 

adjective, uncommoner, uncommonest.

1. not common; unusual; rare: an uncommon word.

2. unusual in amount or degree; above the ordinary: an uncommon amount of mail.

3. exceptional; remarkable.

 

 

 

medium rare

 

1. not fully cooked by definition; pink center,

2. pink center applies to interiors of late 40's Fox Comics.

 

very rare

 

1. not fully cooked in Canada, also defined as blue

2. blue center may also apply to cool interiors of Fox Comics

 

 

:kidaround:

 

 

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Ebay and any tv show's descriptions of comic books should be taken as hyperbole.

 

It only seems to matter when "official" collecting resources like overstreet or grading services use rare or scarce, and even then if they're not updated regularly (gerber photo journals) the information becomes obsolete.

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rare

 

adjective, rarer, rarest.

1. coming or occurring far apart in time; unusual; uncommon: a rare disease; His visits are rare occasions.

2. thinly distributed over an area; few and widely separated: Lighthouses are rare on that part of the coast.

3. having the component parts not closely compacted together; not dense: rare gases; lightheaded from the rare mountain air.

4. unusually great: a rare display of courage.

5. unusually excellent; admirable; fine: She showed rare tact in inviting them.

 

 

scarce

 

adjective, scarcer, scarcest.

1. insufficient to satisfy the need or demand; not abundant: Meat and butter were scarce during the war.

2. seldom met with; rare: a scarce book.

 

 

uncommon

 

adjective, uncommoner, uncommonest.

1. not common; unusual; rare: an uncommon word.

2. unusual in amount or degree; above the ordinary: an uncommon amount of mail.

3. exceptional; remarkable.

 

 

 

medium rare

 

1. not fully cooked by definition; pink center,

2. pink center applies to interiors of late 40's Fox Comics.

 

very rare

 

1. not fully cooked in Canada, also defined as blue

2. blue center may also apply to cool interiors of Fox Comics

 

:kidaround:

Well done! :applause:

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I concur. Rare is rare

 

 

Rare Teachers Variant editon of Picture Parade

 

IMG_2061_zps46929b2f.jpg

 

IMG_2062_zps9a3ad202.jpg

 

 

 

I have one of these so it can't be that rare ;)

 

I purchased it with the outer cover folded back around and didn't realize for a couple of years that they didn't come that way. lol

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Donald Duck and the A-Bomb CGC 7.0

 

IMG_2067_zpsf8fd650e.jpg

 

I don't know that this book is really that rare, at least not in the way Bo is thinking of rare. Tough, but not exactly rare.

 

I've got a copy, so it can't be rare. :D

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I concur. Rare is rare

 

 

Rare Teachers Variant editon of Picture Parade

 

IMG_2061_zps46929b2f.jpg

 

IMG_2062_zps9a3ad202.jpg

 

 

 

I have one of these so it can't be that rare ;)

 

I purchased it with the outer cover folded back around and didn't realize for a couple of years that they didn't come that way. lol

 

I own one as well. Mine came folded over too, so it was a happy surprise when it arrived.

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Sellers will hype anything to make a sale to the unsuspecting and ignorant masses. That's just the way it is with any antique product. Those of us who know the hobby might get annoyed when an ebay seller lists a common book as "rare", but this is nothing compared to what ignorant environmentalists and academics do with certain common species of reptiles and amphibians. The reason they can get away with it, and their "rare" listings get quoted over and over in the press and books is because the public is ignorant of the facts and doesn't really care. But, money is the real driver in any situation, and with old comics the word rare means a sale, and with state protected listings of common reptiles it means federal money for whatever dept. regulates those animals, and the "scientists" benefit because of study grant money received to study the "rare" animals. It's all a money-driven crock...money drives everything, not common sense, not altruism, not intelligence, not facts, ...just MONEY...

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I love rare items. Rare items SOMETIMES mean big money. Trouble is, with no demand, the rarest of the rare ain't worth much money to most people...

 

The items that have been pictured so far are all "Rare" (and in my opinion very cool). Trouble is, most of them have very limited interest to most people so translating them into big money could be challenging.

 

At the end of the day buy what you like, spend what it is worth to you and enjoy your purchase!

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This book has been called rare all because of the salacious cover and it was taken off the newstand

 

It was? Do you have documentation of this? I'd be most interested.

 

but you can buy this anywhere. This is not rare by any means.

 

 

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There's nothing salacious about this, except to the salacious mind. A child isn't going to look at it, and think "mommy, why is Alf trying to rape that seal?" The "safety seal" is clearly trying to get away from Alf, and Alf is holding it back...hence, do not buy if safety seal is missing.

 

 

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