Detroit Trolley Collection

[BEAUMONTS]

The History Of The Detroit Trolley Collection

[the_Kingpin]

sweet link!

[supapimp]

After returning home from the war, the comics were boxed for safe keeping and pretty much forgotten until the 1960’s when it came up in a conversation with a neighbor. This neighbor knew a collector who came and looked over his collection and offered to purchase all of them for $68,000. This was the first time that this now family man realized the potential value of his treasures. Fortunately, he didn’t sell them!

 

$68K in the 60's was a lot of $$$ back then.

[Jokerman]

$68K in the 60's was a lot of $$$ back then.

 

 

 

Gotta agree with that!. Who would've had the foresight (and the cash) to

offer $68,000 bucks for some old comics in the '60's?

 

Joker--

[ComicSupply]

Probably nobody would of offered that back then. The backissue market wasn't even established, nor was a priceguide.

[ComicSupply]

Not to mention, this must of been done a long time ago, because I am in Detroit and know all the dealers around here, and have heard nothing about it until now.

[rjpb]

68K for 300-400 books is at least $170 apiece. From what I've read you could pick up most if not all the major keys for that much in the 1960s.

I doubt anyone would have offered even $6,800 for this collection back then.

Sounds like someone's pulling numbers out of their butt.

[tilleycs]

$68K in the 60's was a lot of $$$ back then.

 

Maybe it's just me, but $68K is still a lot of money NOW.

[FlyingDonut]

Probably nobody would of offered that back then. The backissue market wasn't even established, nor was a priceguide.

 

This is untrue - there has been a back issue market at least since the very early 60s, with RBCC providing a rough approximation of prices throughout the 60s. I have a couple RBCCs from 1968 with sale ads for Action 1 in them - $200 for Action 1 in 1968. I'm not saying somebody offered $68K, I'm just saying we tend to miss the origins of the back issue market.

[FlyingDonut]

After returning home from the war, the comics were boxed for safe keeping and pretty much forgotten until the 1960’s when it came up in a conversation with a neighbor. This neighbor knew a collector who came and looked over his collection and offered to purchase all of them for $68,000. This was the first time that this now family man realized the potential value of his treasures. Fortunately, he didn’t sell them!

 

$68K in the 60's was a lot of $$$ back then.

 

$68,000 in 1967 is the same as $393,545 now, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.

[rob_react]

Probably nobody would of offered that back then. The backissue market wasn't even established, nor was a priceguide.

 

This is untrue - there has been a back issue market at least since the very early 60s, with RBCC providing a rough approximation of prices throughout the 60s. I have a couple RBCCs from 1968 with sale ads for Action 1 in them - $200 for Action 1 in 1968.

 

There have been a few hand-written sales lists, mimeographed ads/ flyers, and zine ads from that period posted here. Cool stuff... Especially since at least one of the guys around back then is still going strong (Jerry Weist who pulbished Squa Tront and sold ECs.)

 

Phil Seuling had conventions in NYC starting in 1968, I believe.

 

Overstreet didn't CREATE the back issue market. The guide was a reaction to an existing market.

[tth2]

After returning home from the war, the comics were boxed for safe keeping and pretty much forgotten until the 1960’s when it came up in a conversation with a neighbor. This neighbor knew a collector who came and looked over his collection and offered to purchase all of them for $68,000. This was the first time that this now family man realized the potential value of his treasures. Fortunately, he didn’t sell them!

 

$68K in the 60's was a lot of $$$ back then.

 

$68,000 in 1967 is the same as $393,545 now, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.

Regardless, it would have been an unfathomable amount to spend on comics back in 1968.

[Ze-man]

After returning home from the war, the comics were boxed for safe keeping and pretty much forgotten until the 1960’s when it came up in a conversation with a neighbor. This neighbor knew a collector who came and looked over his collection and offered to purchase all of them for $68,000. This was the first time that this now family man realized the potential value of his treasures. Fortunately, he didn’t sell them!

 

$68K in the 60's was a lot of $$$ back then.

 

$68,000 in 1967 is the same as $393,545 now, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.

Regardless, it would have been an unfathomable amount to spend on comics back in 1968.

 

 

And what family would have scoffed at almost $400K for a box of comics?

 

But I guess the story is more romantic written that way..

 

 

Ze-

[DiceX]

[*paull*]

That is complete and total compostable_fertilizer. To include something so stupid in a press release completely undermines the validity of anything else stated within.

[Ze-man]

That is complete and total compostable_fertilizer. To include something so stupid in a press release completely undermines the validity of anything else stated within.

 

 

This is Marnin we are talking about .. remember. As always you can take what you want from his posts/site.

 

 

Not that there is anything wrong with that!

[nik]

After returning home from the war, the comics were boxed for safe keeping and pretty much forgotten until the 1960’s when it came up in a conversation with a neighbor. This neighbor knew a collector who came and looked over his collection and offered to purchase all of them for $68,000. This was the first time that this now family man realized the potential value of his treasures. Fortunately, he didn’t sell them!

 

$68K in the 60's was a lot of $$$ back then.

 

$68,000 in 1967 is the same as $393,545 now, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator.

 

Thats what I'm trying to figure out. My dad bought his 3 Family house in 1973 for 57k, so I just cant see anyone plunking down 68k for comics back then.

[nearmint]

DarrenSmith posted this in the Golden Age forum, but I think it deserves the added exposure it'll get in general. This is a quote from Marnin's site regarding this collection:

 

"Safeguards have been put in place to protect the integrity of these books from ever being compromised by various undisclosed methods of restoration which have become commonplace in today’s comic book marketplace."

 

I would want to know exactly what safeguards have been put in place, as well as how CGC is going to grade books with these safeguards, before even considering buying any of these books.

[DiceX]

DarrenSmith posted this in the Golden Age forum, but I think it deserves the added exposure it'll get in general. This is a quote from Marnin's site regarding this collection:

 

"Safeguards have been put in place to protect the integrity of these books from ever being compromised by various undisclosed methods of restoration which have become commonplace in today’s comic book marketplace."

 

I would want to know exactly what safeguards have been put in place, as well as how CGC is going to grade books with these safeguards, before even considering buying any of these books.

 

It means he's having the books encased in a solid brick of lucite.

I've never met Marnin, but I have a hard time believing anything he says.

[deathlok]

Since he has such a vendetta against CGC, I suppose he will sell the books raw on his site. Should be interesting to see his sale prices compared to GPA for slabbed copies.