The Ultimate Dennis the Menace Thread 5 5

[mlansdown]

On 9/6/2024 at 11:06 PM, Tri-Color Brian said:

#5...not high grade...

 

Eye-popping yellow!

[Tri-Color Brian]

On 9/6/2024 at 10:09 PM, mlansdown said:

Eye-popping yellow!

Thanks.  I think the book could use a press.   I assume you've been collecting Dennis comics for a long time (like me).  Which issue would you say was the most difficult for you to find?  For me, it was #50.  I have no idea why #50 never showed up in the places I searched for comics until sometime in the late 90s (pre-ebay days). 

[Topnotchman]

My collection of Dennis books are all from an original owner collection.  I didn't assemble them, I'm just keeping the collection intact.  I also have near complete runs of the Giants and bronze issues.  I do not have issue #1, I still have books 2-5 from the original run.  I can pivot into the square bounds also to keep things interesting for a while. 

[Tri-Color Brian]

On 9/6/2024 at 10:47 PM, Topnotchman said:

My collection of Dennis books are all from an original owner collection.  I didn't assemble them, I'm just keeping the collection intact.  I also have near complete runs of the Giants and bronze issues.  I do not have issue #1, I still have books 2-5 from the original run.  I can pivot into the square bounds also to keep things interesting for a while. 

I don't know if you were just making a statement or replying to me.  My question above was directed at mlansdown though.  I already know where your excellent books came from.  I can't wait to see the giants, but let's save that for when we finish the countdown here...

[mlansdown]

On 9/6/2024 at 11:36 PM, Tri-Color Brian said:

Thanks.  I think the book could use a press.   I assume you've been collecting Dennis comics for a long time (like me).  Which issue would you say was the most difficult for you to find?  For me, it was #50.  I have no idea why #50 never showed up in the places I searched for comics until sometime in the late 90s (pre-ebay days). 

I've been collecting Dennis books since the 1980s.  The bulk of my Dennis run was acquired from the IRS collection in the 1990s, but I've been relentlessly upgrading my early Dennis books after CGC opened for business.

Dennis 4 was the toughest one for me to find in grade, and it rarely appears in any grade.  Some of the early Dennis Giants are also unicorns in higher grade. By the way, you have the coolest Flickr account ever: comic books, snakes, and birds!

[Tri-Color Brian]

On 9/6/2024 at 10:58 PM, mlansdown said:

By the way, you have the coolest Flickr account ever: comic books, snakes, and birds!

Thanks.  I love Flickr.  It's so easy to organize stuff.  But, don't forget my scenics, butterflies, and turtles...

I've been collecting Dennis comics since 1964, but I am not a completest, so my run stops at #108.  My giants are mostly 50s and 60s issues, and mostly lower grade because I don't care. 

Edited September 7 by Tri-Color Brian

[Tri-Color Brian]

And, because you mentioned it (mlansdown), here's my #4 to help speed up Topnotchman.  I would say this is a pretty decent copy...

 

Edited September 10 by Tri-Color Brian

[Topnotchman]

On 9/7/2024 at 12:58 AM, Tri-Color Brian said:

I don't know if you were just making a statement or replying to me.  My question above was directed at mlansdown though.  I already know where your excellent books came from.  I can't wait to see the giants, but let's save that for when we finish the countdown here...

A little of both plus I didn’t want to get to issue #2 to say I didn’t have #1 🤓

 

[Tri-Color Brian]

On 9/6/2024 at 11:24 PM, Topnotchman said:

A little of both plus I didn’t want to get to issue #2 to say I didn’t have #1 🤓

 

Don't worry...I'll provide the #1...

[tth2]

On 9/7/2024 at 1:09 PM, mlansdown said:

On 9/7/2024 at 1:02 PM, Topnotchman said:

Isn't this a Bethlehem copy not identified on the label.   An impressive grade, single highest graded!

I have a number of Dennis Bethlehem books (like the #6) that are not properly annotated on the label.  Years ago, I bought the Bethlehem copies of Dennis #24-#30 that I still need to slab.  These are all mid-grade copies but I want to get them slabbed to preserve the pedigree.

Why didn't CGC note them as Bethlehems on the label?

[mlansdown]

On 9/7/2024 at 10:29 AM, tth2 said:

Why didn't CGC note them as Bethlehems on the label?

I bought them from the collector who had them slabbed.  I guess he didn't submit them as a pedigree?  I would re-slab these books to get the Bethlehem designation, but these books are easy to identify, and I would rather spend money on old comics instead of new plastic holders.  

[Topnotchman]

Dennis #5 May 18th 1954 stamped, with Ketcham cover art.   Nice strong red logo with the bright yellow background.  White pages and an overall condition around an 8.0.  Top census is a 9.2 with an 8.0 as the second highest.  Wiseman and Toole did the stories and art in the book. 

[tth2]

On 9/8/2024 at 3:52 AM, mlansdown said:

On 9/8/2024 at 12:29 AM, tth2 said:

Why didn't CGC note them as Bethlehems on the label?

I bought them from the collector who had them slabbed.  I guess he didn't submit them as a pedigree?  I would re-slab these books to get the Bethlehem designation, but these books are easy to identify, and I would rather spend money on old comics instead of new plastic holders.  

It's curious that CGC didn't flag the books to the submitter as potentially being Bethlehems.  Back in the old days, they were good at spotting pedigrees and would sometimes follow up with the submitter on books possibly being pedigrees even if the submitter hadn't identified them as such in the submission form.

[adamstrange]

On 9/7/2024 at 12:29 PM, tth2 said:

On 9/7/2024 at 1:09 AM, mlansdown said:

On 9/7/2024 at 1:02 AM, Topnotchman said:

Isn't this a Bethlehem copy not identified on the label.   An impressive grade, single highest graded!

I have a number of Dennis Bethlehem books (like the #6) that are not properly annotated on the label.  Years ago, I bought the Bethlehem copies of Dennis #24-#30 that I still need to slab.  These are all mid-grade copies but I want to get them slabbed to preserve the pedigree.

Why didn't CGC note them as Bethlehems on the label?

Because reasons! 

They didn't identify this one of comick1's either.

[Tri-Color Brian]

On 9/7/2024 at 9:15 PM, Topnotchman said:

Dennis #5 May 18th 1954 stamped, with Ketcham cover art.   Nice strong red logo with the bright yellow background.  White pages and an overall condition around an 8.0.  Top census is a 9.2 with an 8.0 as the second highest.  Wiseman and Toole did the stories and art in the book. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice!

[Topnotchman]

Dennis #4 date stamped April 12th 1954, Ketcham cover with Dennis causing a traffic jam.  The logo is peach colored on this issue while many of the recent issues are red.  I wondered if it was faded, but it looks original.  This book has clean edges but some creasing, around a 7.0.  The three page story about Dennis vs the Baby sitter is a classic. 

[mlansdown]

Dennis #4 is one of the key books of the series to find in any condition.  The white pages of your book are spectacular.  I have a nice copy as well although it suffers from cover wrap issues that are unfortunately quite common with these early Standard books.

[mlansdown]

Also, here is the original final printer's proof for the back cover of Dennis #4.  Years ago, I bought a collection of early printer's proofs and hand-colored Dennis pages from a warehouse find.  Grail stuff for a diehard Dennis collector like me!

[Topnotchman]

On 9/9/2024 at 3:23 AM, mlansdown said:

Dennis #4 is one of the key books of the series to find in any condition.  The white pages of your book are spectacular.  I have a nice copy as well although it suffers from cover wrap issues that are unfortunately quite common with these early Standard books.

Is this also a Bethlehem, single highest graded 🥳 

[Morganmi]

On 9/7/2024 at 1:58 AM, mlansdown said:

I've been collecting Dennis books since the 1980s.  The bulk of my Dennis run was acquired from the IRS collection in the 1990s, but I've been relentlessly upgrading my early Dennis books after CGC opened for business.

Dennis 4 was the toughest one for me to find in grade, and it rarely appears in any grade.  Some of the early Dennis Giants are also unicorns in higher grade. By the way, you have the coolest Flickr account ever: comic books, snakes, and birds!

I remember Bruce Ellsworth telling me about that IRS collection. If I remember correctly (and that's a big IF ) the IRS commissioned him to assess its' value after some poor dude got in big tax trouble. Can't remember if he was the guy who ended up selling them but he wrote about the contents of the collection in one of the Overstreet Update guides. I think I might have a copy of the article somewhere if you haven't read it already.