A Noob's Guide to GA Books

[Michelangelo]

Hey Guys,

 

Aside from the GA superhero books, I know next to nothing about the Golden Age of comics.

 

Being at a flea market/antique show, I wouldn't know a $1 book from a $10,000 book

 

In a nutshell, what do I need to know?

 

-publishers?

-characters?

-runs?

-pre vs. post comic code?

 

Thanks & please enlighten my (also pardon my ignorance)

[Flex Mentallo]

I'd find a couple of well illustrated books, see what really grabs you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You could also join Heritage for free and browse their archives.

 

Heritage

 

 

As you realize, there is a tremendous amount of knowledge on the boards, and just browsing threads here is a unique primer.

 

If one thread stands out from all the rest,it is bangzoom's. Begin at the beginning, and have a wonderful trip!

 

golden age collection

[FineCollector]

We're talking picking for resale? Simple, everything sells, so buy everything.

 

Wait... avoid Fawcetts with Captain Marvel. I buy them, but they're terrible. Yuck!

[AnkurJ]

Buy an overstreet guide. While some prices are obsolete, the info is not. It's s great starting point.

[jimjum12]

Gerber Photo Journal 2 volume set (Golden Age).............. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[retrocomics]

Half naked ladies in distress and decapitation covers are always a hit!

[Michelangelo]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I'm not really interested in resale at all, this is more for general knowledge.

 

I have an Overstreet Guide - I'll browse through it.

 

With GA hero books, SA, CA, etc. it's safe to say #1's and first appearances dictate value over the rest (with other factors at play as well... i.e. grade, PQ, # printed, etc)

 

however, with most GA books (ones with soldiers on covers, half naked women, horror covers ,etc) they aren't necessarily #1's or first appearances of any particular character.

 

Is it safe to say most/all GA books are very collectible?

[BB-Gun]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I'm not really interested in resale at all, this is more for general knowledge.

 

I have an Overstreet Guide - I'll browse through it.

 

With GA hero books, SA, CA, etc. it's safe to say #1's and first appearances dictate value over the rest (with other factors at play as well... i.e. grade, PQ, # printed, etc)

 

however, with most GA books (ones with soldiers on covers, half naked women, horror covers ,etc) they aren't necessarily #1's or first appearances of any particular character.

 

Is it safe to say most/all GA books are very collectible?

 

I'd be careful with Classics and True. Disney's don't sell at the guide price. Westerns may not sell either. Superheroes do better. Fawcetts are at one end and Timely is at the other end of the scale. DC comics seem interesting to everyone but not everyone buys them.

Timely collectors are hoarders and usually have several copies of the same book and don't want to sell them.

Romance sells if it has a Baker cover.

Crime can sell if it is especially gruesome. Speaking of gruesome, horror does reasonably well and is pretty nice to find. Centaurs are hard to find. Batman is easily found but overpriced. Early Action sells better than Superman. Detective without Robin is very expensive but some of the best villians are found in Batman and Robin stories.

Buy a copy of the Comic Book or All in Color for a Dime and see what you like. I like everything but buy Disney comics and Westerns when I can't afford anything else.

[Gotham Kid]

Detective without Robin is very expensive but some of the best villians are found in Batman and Robin stories.

 

[Cat-Man_America]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I'm not really interested in resale at all, this is more for general knowledge.

 

I have an Overstreet Guide - I'll browse through it.

 

With GA hero books, SA, CA, etc. it's safe to say #1's and first appearances dictate value over the rest (with other factors at play as well... i.e. grade, PQ, # printed, etc)

 

however, with most GA books (ones with soldiers on covers, half naked women, horror covers ,etc) they aren't necessarily #1's or first appearances of any particular character.

 

Is it safe to say most/all GA books are very collectible?

 

All are collectible dependent upon interests & artistic tastes, about half have significant enough value to be worthy of speculation (maintaining value with good potential for growth).

 

If you want to learn more about GA and the passion that 2nd, 3rd & 4th generation collectors have for 'em it would be worthwhile to hunt down a few well researched books on the subject, like All In Color for a Dime, Steranko's History of The Comics Vol. I & II, etc.

 

The annual Overstreet Guide is good for general pricing information (conservative, not always current, but it should keep a GA novice out of trouble) and the two volume Gerber Photo Journals are great for researching the broad spectrum of cover art. There are also genre histories and biographical books on artists and publishers that are well worth reading. My

 

Hope that helps!

[TimelyFinds]

+1 on Gerber Photo Journal 2 volume set golden age- every collector should own these

[jimbo_707]

 

With GA hero books, SA, CA, etc. it's safe to say #1's and first appearances dictate value over the rest (with other factors at play as well... i.e. grade, PQ, # printed, etc)

 

 

I guess it depends on who the buyer is. I only buy a book if I like the cover art. Some "key" books also have great covers, but I don't usually go after those because I know I'd be paying a premium for something I don't really care about.

[IngelsFan]

Mike Benton's series of books are great too, because he breaks the titles out for each genre (crime, horror, science fiction and superhero for golden age books), and gives mini-reviews. He reproduces a look of cool covers as well so they are a nice way to get an overview without spending a lot of $$.

[Sqeggs]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I'm not really interested in resale at all, this is more for general knowledge.

 

I have an Overstreet Guide - I'll browse through it.

 

With GA hero books, SA, CA, etc. it's safe to say #1's and first appearances dictate value over the rest (with other factors at play as well... i.e. grade, PQ, # printed, etc)

 

however, with most GA books (ones with soldiers on covers, half naked women, horror covers ,etc) they aren't necessarily #1's or first appearances of any particular character.

 

Is it safe to say most/all GA books are very collectible?

 

If you are getting interested in GA, the Gerber guides are a must.

 

These days, covers drive most of the market. There are handful of artists -- Schomburg, Raboy, Baker, Cole -- almost all of whose covers are highly collectible. Most Good Girl Art covers are widely collected, as are WW II covers, particularly those featuring Hitler.

 

The importance of covers can be seen in the often dramatic difference in collectibility (and price!) between certain issues and the issues surrounding them. Headline Comics 8, for instance. Or Real Life Comics 3. Both feature dramatic Hitler covers and are sought after by collectors who have no interest in any other issues in those runs.

 

If you get into GA collecting, I think you will find that the challenge of locating books is much more fun than with SA, BA, or later books.

 

Welcome aboard!

 

 

[Cat-Man_America]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I'm not really interested in resale at all, this is more for general knowledge.

 

I have an Overstreet Guide - I'll browse through it.

 

With GA hero books, SA, CA, etc. it's safe to say #1's and first appearances dictate value over the rest (with other factors at play as well... i.e. grade, PQ, # printed, etc)

 

however, with most GA books (ones with soldiers on covers, half naked women, horror covers ,etc) they aren't necessarily #1's or first appearances of any particular character.

 

Is it safe to say most/all GA books are very collectible?

 

If you are getting interested in GA, the Gerber guides are a must.

 

These days, covers drive most of the market. There are handful of artists -- Schomburg, Raboy, Baker, Cole -- almost all of whose covers are highly collectible. Most Good Girl Art covers are widely collected, as are WW II covers, particularly those featuring Hitler.

 

The importance of covers can be seen in the often dramatic difference in collectibility (and price!) between certain issues and the issues surrounding them. Headline Comics 8, for instance. Or Real Life Comics 3. Both feature dramatic Hitler covers and are sought after by collectors who have no interest in any other issues in those runs.

 

If you get into GA collecting, I think you will find that the challenge of locating books is much more fun than with SA, BA, or later books.

 

Welcome aboard!

 

 

These are all good points. It is a cover driven market. In fact, that's how a lot of folks collect GA these days. I don't want to undercut great interiors, but there are good sources for copies and archive editions that won't break the bank. These allow for greater appreciation of GA interiors while maintaining a slabbed collection (reproductions are rarely a satisfying alternative to the real deal, but they can supplement it). It all depends on his preferences and collecting interests.

 

One thing I can say definitively, if Michelangelo wants to hold onto most of his cash, he'd best stay away from Timelys!

[drotto]

I just started myself, and bought my first issue (still waiting to get in hand) about 10 days ago. I have been really drawn to the GGA (yeah I know typical) for the most part. And the desirability of most issues is directly tied to the cover. As an example of how cover drives book prices, look at Wings Comics. Lubbers did a run that was mainly GGA and bondage covers. The famous bondage covers (89,90,91,94) sell for 3 or 4 times what the covers immediately around them go for, and after he left the book and they returned to airplane covers and the prices goes way down.

 

Even with less well known publishers, high grades in GGA or bondage will mean big money. So do not set your expectation based purely on grade. You can often find stuff that still looks good, but may only grade as a 4 or 5. I personally look for colors and how the cover pops, as opposed to how many spine ticks there are. I would take a colorful 4 over a faded 7 almost every time.

 

Otherwise, great advice here, and similar to what I received a few weeks ago.

[Mr. Lady Luck]

I just started myself, and bought my first issue (still waiting to get in hand) about 10 days ago. .

 

What did you get?

[BitterOldMan]

Some of the defunct publishers can be found in scanned CBR format (jpg placed into a zip file) at the digitalcomicmuseum. Only public domain comics can be found there, but there are plenty. Worth looking at before purchasing using your hard earned dollars..

[drotto]

I just started myself, and bought my first issue (still waiting to get in hand) about 10 days ago. .

 

What did you get?

 

I will show scans once it comes in. All I will say is that it is Fiction House. It was a nice balance between price, grade, and a nice cover.

[Mr. Lady Luck]

I just started myself, and bought my first issue (still waiting to get in hand) about 10 days ago. .

 

What did you get?

 

I will show scans once it comes in. All I will say is that it is Fiction House. It was a nice balance between price, grade, and a nice cover.

 

Looking forward to seeing it!