AJD Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Another Australian Scarpa reprint from the 1960s. This is my favourite Scarpa story. I wrote to Gemstone and suggested they run it - no luck so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norrin_Radd Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 WELCOME TO THE BARKS AUTOMOTIVE SHOWCASE. Here you will see the beautiful, flowing lines of custom-built automotive dream machines designed by the master, Carl Barks, for his clients. First up, we have a car built for Uncle Donald Duck and his three nephews after they found the Maharajah's ruby on the beach. Next up, is the beautiful automobile designed for the formerly-rich Maharajah of Howduyustan. Here is a large, specially-built car to accomodate all six of the nouveau-riche Beagle Brothers. Uncle Scrooge knows how to travel in style in this luxurious chauffeur-driven limosine. If you want to travel in style, then the Roadhog V24 is the automobile for you. Priced at $50,000 in 1952 dollars, plus an additional $50,000 if you want the optional ermine seat covers. We hope you've enjoyed your visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB-Gun Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Donald duck in his car by Don Rosa. bb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transplant Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 I don't think we ever heard if he won, but here's the Soupline Eight: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronty Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 thanks for posting that norrin radd. I never really made that connection before.. he did draw some very imaginative cars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiverbones Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 awesome posts! I always loved the Barks cars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moondog Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Moondog, do you know if the run of file copies that were offered at Sotheby's or Christie's around 1994 was from this set? I remember it included all 12 issues from V5 with an average grade around NM-. Also, do I understand correctly that this collection had multiple file copies of most of the early issues of WDC&S? That would be very interesting indeed. I believe most of those were from this lot. It's my understanding that Jim Payette (or one of his customers) ended up with the hand-picked copies I segregated. Regarding the multiples of the WDC&S - There was only one # 1, but multiples of the others some of which were very nice. I was there for the magazines as I was collecting them at the time. These issues today would be 9.4 through 9.8 - they were that nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tb Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Thanks, moondog. The prices for these books are getting so high that it is extremely valuable to have this kind of background info. I wish everyone in the hobby were as forthcoming and helpful towards new collectors as you have been. I know many wonderful people who collect these books for all the right reasons and I'd hate to see them get burned by a false perception of scarcity. I envy collectors of Timely, DC, and even EC books where the supply situation seems much easier to figure out. Over the last few years, I've lost several record-breaking auctions only to see more copies of the same issues emerge shortly after. Books like March of Comics 20, WDCS 2, and numerous later issues of WDCS and US in 9.4-9.6 are examples of this. I lost a WDCS 19 (9.4) at 12 x guide last August and now a second copy in the same grade is suddenly for sale. I don't like this at all and am seriously considering moving completely to original art and other comics as a result. Norin Radd: thanks for the fun car page. There are other examples for your showroom in WDCS 275, US 45, and US 58 but unfortunately I don't have time to scan them in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tth2 Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 Over the last few years, I've lost several record-breaking auctions only to see more copies of the same issues emerge shortly after. Books like March of Comics 20, WDCS 2, and numerous later issues of WDCS and US in 9.4-9.6 are examples of this. I lost a WDCS 19 (9.4) at 12 x guide last August and now a second copy in the same grade is suddenly for sale. I don't like this at all and am seriously considering moving completely to original art and other comics as a result. Well, you should be grateful you lost those auctions, then. If you feel this disspirited, imagine how you'd feel if you had won the books! I think the moral of the story is that there are likely multiple HG file copies of issues that many had considered to be scarce to non-existent in HG, and collectors should bid accordingly. I personally have been most stunned by the number of 9.6 copies of MOC 20 that have emerged, and am very happy that I did not bid up after the book, even though I would say it is a fairly significant Barks key. Maybe one of these days I'll win one of those copies at a reasonable price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 thanks for posting that norrin radd. I never really made that connection before.. he did draw some very imaginative cars Ditto on the thanks, Norrin. Barks was clearly riffing on the trends toward extra long hoods/trunks and tail fins that were coming into showrooms. Very much Mad magazine-worthy satire! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Thanks for the story pages for the different duck artists. I still don't see anything I like better than Rosa but I'd be first in line if they started reprinting (in an organized fashion) more of the European duck work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worldsbestcomics Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Thanks for the story pages for the different duck artists. I still don't see anything I like better than Rosa but I'd be first in line if they started reprinting (in an organized fashion) more of the European duck work. I agree. I think they could probably fill 100 issues with reprints of good European stuff that has never been printed before in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronty Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Probably a lot more than that. Just italy alone has had a wide array of disney/duck books for 60 years now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transplant Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Over the last few years, I've lost several record-breaking auctions only to see more copies of the same issues emerge shortly after. Books like March of Comics 20, WDCS 2, and numerous later issues of WDCS and US in 9.4-9.6 are examples of this. I lost a WDCS 19 (9.4) at 12 x guide last August and now a second copy in the same grade is suddenly for sale. I don't like this at all and am seriously considering moving completely to original art and other comics as a result. Well, you should be grateful you lost those auctions, then. If you feel this disspirited, imagine how you'd feel if you had won the books! I think the moral of the story is that there are likely multiple HG file copies of issues that many had considered to be scarce to non-existent in HG, and collectors should bid accordingly. I personally have been most stunned by the number of 9.6 copies of MOC 20 that have emerged, and am very happy that I did not bid up after the book, even though I would say it is a fairly significant Barks key. Maybe one of these days I'll win one of those copies at a reasonable price. I don't play in the upper eschelons so temper what I say. But if not in the last 2 years then when can we expect to see many of these once scarce, potentially numerous copies. The thinking is usually that the record prices we saw would drive out these hidden gems. I'd be a lot more concerned if I were a Harvey HG collector. You just know there are pallets full of those books in a certain collector's warehouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moondog Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Over the last few years, I've lost several record-breaking auctions only to see more copies of the same issues emerge shortly after. Books like March of Comics 20, WDCS 2, and numerous later issues of WDCS and US in 9.4-9.6 are examples of this. I lost a WDCS 19 (9.4) at 12 x guide last August and now a second copy in the same grade is suddenly for sale. I don't like this at all and am seriously considering moving completely to original art and other comics as a result. Well, you should be grateful you lost those auctions, then. If you feel this disspirited, imagine how you'd feel if you had won the books! I think the moral of the story is that there are likely multiple HG file copies of issues that many had considered to be scarce to non-existent in HG, and collectors should bid accordingly. I personally have been most stunned by the number of 9.6 copies of MOC 20 that have emerged, and am very happy that I did not bid up after the book, even though I would say it is a fairly significant Barks key. Maybe one of these days I'll win one of those copies at a reasonable price. Especially the ECs. Mark Zaid bought a 9.8 Mad 1 and later found that there were two or three others, and now a 9.9 appears. Crazy. I believe I may still have this list somewhere. I know there were multiples of everything except # 1. MOC 20 is DEFINITELY a major key! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tb Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 (edited) I'd be extremely thankful if you could post the list. It would be great if this information was available to everyone. tth2: I do indeed have no complaints that I lost most of those auctions. I was later able to pick up some of the books for a fraction of what I originally bid. It has been nice to see prices go up and the supply improve. However, I am starting to doubt whether even the books that I always heard were "impossible" in high grade really are rare enough to justify prices of 10-30 x guide for 9.4 up. I had never seen any issue of WDCS 1-22 for sale in strict NM until 6 months ago, but since then there have been 5. Edited January 4, 2009 by tb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tth2 Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share Posted January 5, 2009 I don't play in the upper eschelons so temper what I say. But if not in the last 2 years then when can we expect to see many of these once scarce, potentially numerous copies. The thinking is usually that the record prices we saw would drive out these hidden gems. In fact, I think it's been happening over the past 3-4 years, as HG WDCSs have slowly but steadily come onto the market in response to the higher prices. When I visited Metro back in 2002, they had a bunch of nice pre-100 file copy WDCSs (unfortunately I only purchased 2, but they both graded out at 9.6), some of which have reached the market now. Then Paul Gambaccini (Execsec) started releasing a bunch of really nice WDCS and Four Color file copies on eBay, and then over the past couple of years, some really nice pre-100 WDCSs have been coming onto Heritage, and then in the past year some unbelievably nice really early WDCSs have been coming onto Heritage. If you check the WDCS census today compared to just 2 years ago, I think you'll see how much the higher grades have filled out. I'd be a lot more concerned if I were a Harvey HG collector. You just know there are pallets full of those books in a certain collector's warehouse. The suspicion is that there are file copies of Dells in this same collector's warehouse, although probably not pallets worth, and many of the most recent HG early WDCSs are from him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tth2 Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share Posted January 5, 2009 Especially the ECs. Mark Zaid bought a 9.8 Mad 1 and later found that there were two or three others, and now a 9.9 appears. Crazy. ECs are a whole different ballgame because the depth and quality of the Gaines file copies is unprecedented. I've always been astounded by the fact that people continue to buy Gaines file copies at the crazy prices that Halperin/Heritage asks for. The one anomaly that I've identified is Weird Science & Fantasy 29, which has much lower Census numbers than many other comparable ECs (although with 2 9.6 and 3 9.4 copies, its numbers still dwarf any non-Gaines book from the period). These ultra-HG copies never seem to come to market either, which I guess is typical since it's the only EC that I really covet. I believe I may still have this list somewhere. I know there were multiples of everything except # 1. I'll echo tb and say I'd love to see this list too. MOC 20 is DEFINITELY a major key! (thumbs u Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moondog Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 If I can find it I'll post it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tth2 Posted January 5, 2009 Author Share Posted January 5, 2009 I am starting to doubt whether even the books that I always heard were "impossible" in high grade really are rare enough to justify prices of 10-30 x guide for 9.4 up. I had never seen any issue of WDCS 1-22 for sale in strict NM until 6 months ago, but since then there have been 5. Totally agree with you. I don't think we'll see the number of multiple ultra-HG copies that we've seen from the Harvey files or Gaines files, but my guess is that more copies exist than previously thought. Maybe with the strengthening of the USD and the increase of supply, the multiples might moderate a bit, because they've been really whacky for the past couple of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
