What is your rarest acquisition this year?

[Sqeggs]

I've been getting into promos, many of which -- as Boot knows well -- aren't listed in Overstreet. Most are inexpensive and can be a fun. Their scarcity can be hard to gauge because, I think, they are particularly prone to having substantial warehouse/file stocks surface.

 

I picked up this one very cheap on eBay. That art is by Joe Simon. Kind of interesting that although it dates from 1960, Keating is shown using an old-fashioned dip pen.

 

 

 

Nib pens were still considered "real pens" long after ballpoints became dominant, and certainly in the 1960s, anyone with a pretense to sophistication would use one to publicly sign documents. It's telling that Truman routinely used a ballpoint, while most later presidents, including Obama, still used nib pens at at least some public signings.The tapered end of Ken's pen would indicate a dip pen over a fountain pen, but the artist may have just been generically drawing a pen.

 

Keating came from the tradition of moderate/liberal Northeast who completely dominated NY politics in the early 1960s.

 

 

I remember as a kid, the desks we used in elementary school had holes where inkwells had been.

 

The back cover of this promo has an endorsement of Keating from Jacob Javits. Keating ended up being knocked off for reelection in 1964 by Bobby Kennedy. Not the last time a non-New Yorker was elected to the Senate from New York.

[Scrooge]

My guess: the discovery of Shangri-La and the suits are to be able to breathe at high altitude while the locals don't need them.

[rjpb]

I've been getting into promos, many of which -- as Boot knows well -- aren't listed in Overstreet. Most are inexpensive and can be a fun. Their scarcity can be hard to gauge because, I think, they are particularly prone to having substantial warehouse/file stocks surface.

 

I picked up this one very cheap on eBay. That art is by Joe Simon. Kind of interesting that although it dates from 1960, Keating is shown using an old-fashioned dip pen.

 

 

 

Nib pens were still considered "real pens" long after ballpoints became dominant, and certainly in the 1960s, anyone with a pretense to sophistication would use one to publicly sign documents. It's telling that Truman routinely used a ballpoint, while most later presidents, including Obama, still used nib pens at at least some public signings.The tapered end of Ken's pen would indicate a dip pen over a fountain pen, but the artist may have just been generically drawing a pen.

 

Keating came from the tradition of moderate/liberal Northeast who completely dominated NY politics in the early 1960s.

 

 

I remember as a kid, the desks we used in elementary school had holes where inkwells had been.

 

The back cover of this promo has an endorsement of Keating from Jacob Javits. Keating ended up being knocked off for reelection in 1964 by Bobby Kennedy. Not the last time a non-New Yorker was elected to the Senate from New York.

 

Hah! I didn't realize that ® spelled out was "spooned" by CGC. I'm guessing (D) is as well.

 

Another Senate fun fact. In the outgoing class, there are 10 Senators born in NY state, including the two that currently serve NY.

[Johnny545]

This by a good margin:

 

[ft88]

Awesome AMF v2#2

[BOOT]

I've been getting into promos, many of which -- as Boot knows well -- aren't listed in Overstreet. Most are inexpensive and can be a fun. Their scarcity can be hard to gauge because, I think, they are particularly prone to having substantial warehouse/file stocks surface.

 

I picked up this one very cheap on eBay. That art is by Joe Simon. Kind of interesting that although it dates from 1960, Keating is shown using an old-fashioned dip pen.

 

 

Your observations about promos are right on the money. However, I can only think of a couple actual warehouse finds. For example, Major Inapak and all the Harvey titles (Trapped!, etc.). Can you think of any other big finds?

 

Because of how the promos were sometimes distributed, there may still remain small "pockets" or "stacks" of multiple copies. Packs were often sent to schools or stores for distribution, and some may still be found untouched. For example, I picked up 30 copies of Wonder Book of Rubber in the original mailer. But I have encountered fewer than a dozen of these finds.

 

So while there is a slim risk there may be untouched caches somewhere, the opposite is also true. I'm pretty sure some of the promos I've uncovered are the only existing copies. As you wrote, scarcity can be hard to gauge.

 

BTW, here's a tip. With their wide range of topics, many promos can be found from other-than-comic-dealers. If you find a scarce promo (or any other comic), be sure to ask the seller if they have additional copies or other comics. Sometimes that "cache effect" can work to your benefit. One seller turned out to be a former WW II-era printer and sold me a stack of comics, seemingly prototypes, which I had never seen before or since.

 

BTW, here are a couple other Joe Simon political comics...

[BOOT]

My guess: the discovery of Shangri-La and the suits are to be able to breathe at high altitude while the locals don't need them.

That makes perfect sense!

[Point Five]

My guess: the discovery of Shangri-La and the suits are to be able to breathe at high altitude while the locals don't need them.

That makes perfect sense!

+1

 

 

[Point Five]

Here's another candidate for my rarest pickup in 2016. Never thought I'd own this one.

 

 

 

[RareHighGrade]

Here's another candidate for my rarest pickup in 2016. Never thought I'd own this one.

 

 

Historically important book. Contains the first appearance of a masked hero in DC Comics. Predated Batman by several months.

[Chicago Boy]

back cover to my All American 16 My one and only Frankenbook. Still need the coupon

[Sqeggs]

Your observations about promos are right on the money. However, I can only think of a couple actual warehouse finds. For example, Major Inapak and all the Harvey titles (Trapped!, etc.). Can you think of any other big finds?

 

Because of how the promos were sometimes distributed, there may still remain small "pockets" or "stacks" of multiple copies. Packs were often sent to schools or stores for distribution, and some may still be found untouched. For example, I picked up 30 copies of Wonder Book of Rubber in the original mailer. But I have encountered fewer than a dozen of these finds.

 

Ah, ha! So you're the one responsible for the Wonder of Book Rubber gusher!

 

June of 2015, a copy pops up in a Heritage Sunday night auction. A 9.8 OW-W promo from 1947! Let me at it! I win it for $262.90. Then another 9.8 OW-W shows up the following week : $95.60. And another one the following week: $69. And another one the week after that: $62. And the week after that: $60.

 

When the flood finally ebbed in August and September, 9.6 copies were selling for $20-$30.

 

So, yeah, I'm a little leery of of overpaying for promos!

[Robot Man]

Other than the anti drug or VD type books I have rarely paid very much for this very reason. I got a bit screwed on Trapped many years ago. I had no idea how many copies the guy had. I just can't see paying big bucks for a book like Wonder Book of Rubber though. Really? I was shocked at the prices Bedrock was getting for giveaways recently. They are more of an off shoot curiosity to me.

[Sqeggs]

Other than the anti drug or VD type books I have rarely paid very much for this very reason. I got a bit screwed on Trapped many years ago. I had no idea how many copies the guy had. I just can't see paying big bucks for a book like Wonder Book of Rubber though. Really? I was shocked at the prices Bedrock was getting for giveaways recently. They are more of an off shoot curiosity to me.

 

It seemed like a good idea at the time!

[MrBedrock]

Other than the anti drug or VD type books I have rarely paid very much for this very reason. I got a bit screwed on Trapped many years ago. I had no idea how many copies the guy had. I just can't see paying big bucks for a book like Wonder Book of Rubber though. Really? I was shocked at the prices Bedrock was getting for giveaways recently. They are more of an off shoot curiosity to me.

I got mad skilz...and customers with good taste.

 

BTW, there are literally hundreds more (all different) coming very soon.

[sacentaur]

Here's another candidate for my rarest pickup in 2016. Never thought I'd own this one.

 

 

Historically important book. Contains the first appearance of a masked hero in DC Comics. Predated Batman by several months.

 

+1; that's a nice score.

[creaturefan95]

I got this last Friday for 20 bucks:

 

 

[comicjack]

Bill E

[rjpb]

I got this last Friday for 20 bucks:

 

 

 

My favorite Everett PCH cover! A good deal even for a beater.

[rjpb]

Other than the anti drug or VD type books I have rarely paid very much for this very reason. I got a bit screwed on Trapped many years ago. I had no idea how many copies the guy had. I just can't see paying big bucks for a book like Wonder Book of Rubber though. Really? I was shocked at the prices Bedrock was getting for giveaways recently. They are more of an off shoot curiosity to me.

 

It seemed like a good idea at the time!

 

I have to admit, whenever I see a vintage NM promo comic listed for sale, I start to think there are at least a couple dozen more of them where that came from.