I just bought my first golden age comic!

[jimbo_707]

If we're including Atom Age, the first 1950s book I remember buying was a Muggsy Mouse #1, from a comic book shop in Ft. Collins, Colorado. I sold it years ago...sort of wish I hadn't.

 

The first 1940s book I ever owned was a Christmas gift (in 1985, I think, when I was 11). I was this Four Color 102 from 1946 (so maybe not true GA), which I still own. It has some pretty major tanning, but I'm still fond of it. In fact, I think I'll re-read it tonight!

 

In all honesty, the tanning probably added to the allure of it for me when I was a kid because it made it seem ancient. That was before I learned about grading, page quality, etc.

 

[Gotham Kid]

How I WISH I had gotten into GA tecs in 2006 . A Tec 29 for 3k !!

Pre-Robins have hit stratospheric prices since then

 

Instead I waited until Jan 2014 to buy my first GA book. An here it is:

 

 

I am happy to own 3 books (47,48 and 49) from an OO collection that had several books rank highest or second highest in the early Tec run. They all have a "W" marking on the cover. Hoping to one day find a couple more.

[walclark]

Purchased at the LCS in 1983 for $10 (and probably still worth about the same). I still have it.

 

The reason I bought it...come on, Jr. is surfing on a shark. How could you not want to buy that?

 

[Tri-Color Brian]

A 9.0 Tech 48 is not shabby at all for your first GA book. Those of us who lived way back when just cringe at what this stuff goes for today (and kick ourselves for not consulting a crystal ball on the matter when we could have bought a lot more), but it just increases the thrill of the hunt when we can come up with something we don't have. Good luck on the Tech collection.

[Tri-Color Brian]

I like that Master cover, so I figured I'd look for one online and see if I could get it for $10...but, I couldn't even find one...

[vaillant]

This would likely be one of my favorite threads if more boardies post. I like looking back at everyone's feelings, reactions, experiences, etc. Should be some great stories out there. Waiting to hear about a major GA collection find hehe..

I agree. Here’s mine – Daredevil Comics #12, and here’s my story:

 

When I started collecting comic books in original edition, around 1989-1990, I stared enchanted at the early GA comic book covers, in the small reproductions provided on the Overstreet Price Guide.

Those which intrigued more were the more eerie and mysterious: the early Timelys were great but for me the few early Daredevil covers from Lev Gleason had something entirely unique to them. Seeing the prices they remained a distant dream for me, as they initially were the early Marvels.

 

Around 2011, while I was continuing on and off a research/collecting curve on italian comics of the 1930s/1940s (with a specific interest on the wartime years, catholic associationism of the time and the fascist regime, children's periodicals etc.) out of curiosity I looked on eBay.com

In previous years (I stopped actively collecting Marvels around 2003) I found that the availability of comic books, especially GA, was still somewhat limited through online resources.

But then, all of a sudden, while doing a search I stumbled about this issue, which costed around $110 and was among the earliest on eBay at that moment. That was intriguing: considering also the more favorable exchange rate I said myself: "wow, an early Daredevil book for slightly above $100?" and in short I bought it.

 

When I had it in hand it was a very strange experience: as an italian I am accustomed to all formats/paper quality/printing, etc. (also having collected italian Disney books of the 1930s since I was 16) but this was totally new: the low quality paper, the book format, the thickness (64 pages), the period contents which immediately carried me within the magic of the period and the context… I was hooked.

Little by little I looked for lower grade copies and now I have a small quantity of them (excluding #2 which I sold, and #1 which is somewhat expensive for me, I have all the early issues up to #12 minus a pair) and then I delved into the richness of the GA of american comic books, my favorites being the works by Lou Fine, and the Eisner/Iger studio, aside from Biro, of course.

 

This book had some color touch and was pretty delicate, so in order to scan it (my initial intent) I removed the staples (I believe this was one staple, but had two staples added). Now I have to find a period staple to put it together once again!

 

[ciorac]

This would likely be one of my favorite threads if more boardies post. I like looking back at everyone's feelings, reactions, experiences, etc. Should be some great stories out there. Waiting to hear about a major GA collection find hehe..

I agree. Here’s mine – Daredevil Comics #12, and here’s my story:

 

When I started collecting comic books in original edition, around 1989-1990, I stared enchanted at the early GA comic book covers, in the small reproductions provided on the Overstreet Price Guide.

Those which intrigued more were the more eerie and mysterious: the early Timelys were great but for me the few early Daredevil covers from Lev Gleason had something entirely unique to them. Seeing the prices they remained a distant dream for me, as they initially were the early Marvels.

 

Around 2011, while I was continuing on and off a research/collecting curve on italian comics of the 1930s/1940s (with a specific interest on the wartime years, catholic associationism of the time and the fascist regime, children's periodicals etc.) out of curiosity I looked on eBay.com

In previous years (I stopped actively collecting Marvels around 2003) I found that the availability of comic books, especially GA, was still somewhat limited through online resources.

But then, all of a sudden, while doing a search I stumbled about this issue, which costed around $110 and was among the earliest on eBay at that moment. That was intriguing: considering also the more favorable exchange rate I said myself: "wow, an early Daredevil book for slightly above $100?" and in short I bought it.

 

When I had it in hand it was a very strange experience: as an italian I am accustomed to all formats/paper quality/printing, etc. (also having collected italian Disney books of the 1930s since I was 16) but this was totally new: the low quality paper, the book format, the thickness (64 pages), the period contents which immediately carried me within the magic of the period and the context… I was hooked.

Little by little I looked for lower grade copies and now I have a small quantity of them (excluding #2 which I sold, and #1 which is somewhat expensive for me, I have all the early issues up to #12 minus a pair) and then I delved into the richness of the GA of american comic books, my favorites being the works by Lou Fine, and the Eisner/Iger studio, aside from Biro, of course.

 

This book had some color touch and was pretty delicate, so in order to scan it (my initial intent) I removed the staples (I believe this was one staple, but had two staples added). Now I have to find a period staple to put it together once again!

 

 

That's a great story.

 

Like yourself, I'm sure many of us were hooked for life by our first GA book.

[Marty Mann]

Never get tired of showing this...my first comic bought off the newsstand in 1942.

 

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2938/14171886545_f1d87ce66d_z.jpg' alt='14171886545_f1d87ce66d_z.jpg'>IMG ALL WINNERS #4

 

mm

[walclark]

Never get tired of showing this...my first comic bought off the newsstand in 1942.

 

[Chicago Boy]

Never seen that cover before...... who's the artist on that?

[Marty Mann]

Never seen that cover before...... who's the artist on that?

 

The cover art is credited to AL AVISON.

 

mm

[vaillant]

That's a great story.

 

Like yourself, I'm sure many of us were hooked for life by our first GA book.

Thanks Bill.

Actually I cheated a bit, because in the early 2000s I was able to get a Daredevil #45 (from 1947), but that is a late issue, the format was already smaller and at the time I was somehow disappointed when I had it in hand, as the artwork and the insides were more homogenized compared to what I have seen was the style of Biro and the other authors in the early 1940s.

 

@Marty: I believe you showed the All Winners in another thread. Great thing it’s still your original copy!

[Marty Mann]

 

@Marty: I believe you showed the All Winners in another thread. Great thing it’s still your original copy!

 

You're right...I show it when ever I get the chance...thanks!

 

mm

[gino2paulus2]

I have greatly enjoyed seeing everyones first books and for some of you that picked them up off the newsstands that is incredible and so awesome that you still have them!! Peter you 9.0 is silly cool!!! and DK that 29 is unreal for a 1st GA book and at that price it makes it even neater!! Claudio you know I love those Biro DD books and yours is great!! Here is my first...I searched and searched for an appropriate copy and have been all in for GA books ever since...it was only a few years ago and I have learned so much in that time with so much more to go and I absolutely look forward to every second...from HarleyYee!!

 

[vaillant]

That is very intriguing: I have never owned any early DC book, and never read stories of the original Green Lantern or Flash – Solomon Grundy appears as a truly groundbreaking character.

 

I guess it’s fair game to show what was my very first purchase of the Golden Age period equivalent for Italy (which here is called "Pre-War", up to 1943).

This is a 1937 issue from the "Nel Regno di Topolino" title, which presented a mixture of syndicated shorter story arcs and Sunday pages, Silly Symphonies and the very first italian story ("Donald Duck and the Mystery of Mars", published recently in USA but not from the original plates). I bought it when I was 16, paid roughly 15.000 Lire at the time (which was half of its market value) and it seemed like a lost time treasure to me. Well, in fact they are!

 

[vaillant]

Purchased at the LCS in 1983 for $10 (and probably still worth about the same). I still have it.

 

The reason I bought it...come on, Jr. is surfing on a shark. How could you not want to buy that?

 

I forgot to tell that I love the Fawcett books as well.

My first was a Marvel Family #77 – love the Cold War themed cover, and the stories are excellent. My earlier is probably a Captain Marvel Adventures.

 

And the Detectives shown are such a beauty… both Peter's high grade copy and that #29.

[Sqeggs]

A 9.0 Tech 48 is not shabby at all for your first GA book. Those of us who lived way back when just cringe at what this stuff goes for today (and kick ourselves for not consulting a crystal ball on the matter when we could have bought a lot more), but it just increases the thrill of the hunt when we can come up with something we don't have. Good luck on the Tech collection.

 

I did consult a crystal ball about future prices of GA books, but all it said was, "Outlook cloudy."

[Sqeggs]

Happy 4th of July! Congrats on your first GA book. I think I'll join in the fun and show my first GA comic. I bought it in 1966 at Cherokee Bookshop in Hollywood for the vast sum of $3. I also bought some early Mad Magazines and comics at the same time, but I don't remember which ones. But, I do remember this Superman (and still own it, although I think it was in a little better shape back then ). I also remember reading it and noticing how different it was from the 1960s comics I bought at the drugstore. Good times...

 

 

Great first book!

 

I probably bought my first GA book about the same time, but I'm having trouble remembering what it may have been. Probably a Detective, Batman, or Superman. I remember having copies of some of those very early on.

[Tri-Color Brian]

You must have had a defective one...

[tomo]

For me, I made the crazy decision about 10 years ago to collect as many Superman books as I could get a hold of. For the longest time, my oldest was AC#215 from 1956.

 

When I finally decided to liquidate the books in my collection hoard that I no longer had an emotional attachment to, I had the funds available to start dabbling into Golden Age books. Fortunately, this was around the same time my LCS decided to get into the auction business.

 

The result of those two occurrences, was my first golden age purchase...Superman #11

 

 

It's a little rough around the edges, with some erased pencil scribbles, and I'm sure the staples aren't original...but I love it just the same!

 

Such an iconic Superman pose. and as near as I can tell, the 1st time the breaking chains motif was used on a cover!

 

Since then, I have about a half dozen more, but this one will always be my favorite.