kav Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 (edited) Based on another thread I thought it might be worthwhile to categorize key books. This is my rough first attempt, feel free to modify/add to it. A key book is a significant first appearance or book that has some other unusual quality that makes it desirable, for instance Strange Adventures #79. A book is not key based solely on value. It also has to have some significant quality. One characteristic of keys is the issues before and after them are significantly lower in value. Key: $50-$300 book Super key: $301-$1000 book Mega Key: $1,001-$5,000 book Ultra key: $5,001-$10,000 book Super Mega Key: $$10,001-$50,000 book Pinnacle key: over $50,000 Some thought should be put into what condition these values are based on-I'll leave that to others. Edited January 18, 2020 by kav Hollywood1892, Steelrain41, 1950's war comics and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollywood1892 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 11 minutes ago, kav said: Based on another thread I thought it might be worthwhile to categorize key books. This is my rough first attempt, feel free to modify/add to it. A key book is a significant first appearance or book that has some other unusual quality that makes it desirable, for instance Strange Adventures #79. A book is not key based solely on value. It also has to have some significant quality. Key: $50-$300 book Super key: $301-$1000 book Mega Key: $1,001-$5,000 book Ultra key: $5,001-$10,000 book Super Mega Key: $$10,001-$50,000 book Pinnacle key: over $50,000 That is a good "key" grade scale I haven't broke through the threshold of super keys yet 1950's war comics 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADAMANTIUM Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Spoiler but This thread is my grail thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kav Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 This is a key thread for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADAMANTIUM Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 I use key loosely as I interpret it loosely when others use the term.... I dont necessarily need to define or label that, but as most things with comics it's a personal choice and decision! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kav Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 2 minutes ago, ADAMANTIUM said: I use key loosely as I interpret it loosely when others use the term.... I dont necessarily need to define or label that, but as most things with comics it's a personal choice and decision! That's the problem and why I started the thread-the term is too loose. Some standardization I believe is needed. JollyComics, ADAMANTIUM and 1950's war comics 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADAMANTIUM Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 I wonder where the term "key" came from? As in "key to the city?" "Key to unlocking pertinent stories?" Of so maybe 1st appearances aren't all that apply? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James J Johnson Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 20 minutes ago, kav said: Based on another thread I thought it might be worthwhile to categorize key books. This is my rough first attempt, feel free to modify/add to it. A key book is a significant first appearance or book that has some other unusual quality that makes it desirable, for instance Strange Adventures #79. A book is not key based solely on value. It also has to have some significant quality. Key: $50-$300 book Super key: $301-$1000 book Mega Key: $1,001-$5,000 book Ultra key: $5,001-$10,000 book Super Mega Key: $$10,001-$50,000 book Pinnacle key: over $50,000 Some thought should be put into what condition these values are based on-I'll leave that to others. What a great cover! The covers on these late Golden/early Silver age Mystery In Space, Strange Adventure, Tales of the Unexpected, etc., Scifi-horror books are simply spectacular, IMO. kav, Hollywood1892, frozentundraguy and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kav Posted January 18, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 18, 2020 Just now, James J Johnson said: What a great cover! The covers on these late Golden/early Silver age Mystery In Space, Strange Adventure, Tales of the Unexpected, etc., Scifi-horror books are simply spectacular, IMO. Big fan of DC Sci Fi books-the covers are spectacular. You browse em and ya want em all! That snowman cover became a key merely because it is so absurd and it went viral. Ken Aldred, frozentundraguy, 1950's war comics and 3 others 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kav Posted January 18, 2020 Author Popular Post Share Posted January 18, 2020 4 minutes ago, ADAMANTIUM said: I wonder where the term "key" came from? As in "key to the city?" "Key to unlocking pertinent stories?" Of so maybe 1st appearances aren't all that apply? Old English cǣg, cǣge, of unknown origin. The word “key,” which comes from the Old English word meaning “serving to open or explain,” has always had metaphorical associations, as in a means to uncover ideas or emotions that are hidden or blocked. Used in collecting it began as 'something you have to have'. Hollywood1892, ADAMANTIUM, Badger and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADAMANTIUM Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 1 minute ago, kav said: Old English cǣg, cǣge, of unknown origin. The word “key,” which comes from the Old English word meaning “serving to open or explain,” has always had metaphorical associations, as in a means to uncover ideas or emotions that are hidden or blocked. Used in collecting it began as 'something you have to have'. That's interesting as it's sort of a metaphor in my understanding, so I can see that as something quantifiable or on levels of quality. As in the key of IH 181 is more quantifiable than that of omega men 3, given the history and probable future. "Have to have" hints on likability or popularity, which can be vague or more a personal choice idk, I'm rambling 1950's war comics and kav 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hollywood1892 Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 14 minutes ago, kav said: Old English cǣg, cǣge, of unknown origin. The word “key,” which comes from the Old English word meaning “serving to open or explain,” has always had metaphorical associations, as in a means to uncover ideas or emotions that are hidden or blocked. Used in collecting it began as 'something you have to have'. True But keys 'open' too so those books open the comics universe like say ironman 55 1950's war comics 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kav Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 Just now, Hollywood1892 said: True But keys 'open' too so those books open the comics universe like say ironman 55 Plus there's also the Florida Keys and stuff- Hollywood1892 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
707comics Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 (edited) Can we just use Epizeuxis?? "key" key = $50 - $300 "key key" key = $301 - $1,000 "key key key" key = $1,001 - $5,000 "key key key key" = $5,001 - $10,000 "key key key key key" key = $10,001 - $50,000 "key key key key key key" key = $50,000+ Edited January 18, 2020 by 707comics 1950's war comics and kav 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1950's war comics Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 DC's Strange Adventures is a great example of a series that has plenty of great keys that are not first appearances ... here is another example of a key from the run.... FineCollector, Ken Aldred, ADAMANTIUM and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Aldred Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 2 hours ago, kav said: Pinnacle key: over $50,000, and Marvel Premiere 31 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frozentundraguy Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 2 hours ago, James J Johnson said: What a great cover! The covers on these late Golden/early Silver age Mystery In Space, Strange Adventure, Tales of the Unexpected, etc., Scifi-horror books are simply spectacular, IMO. Speaking of Tales of the Unexpected Keys, issue 43 is the first in the title with the Space Ranger on the cover. The thought occurs to me, might there still be undiscovered keys out there? I'm thinking of books like Tales to Astonish #13, which popped up as a key just a few years ago when the Guardians of the Galaxy movie came out. kav, Ken Aldred and 1950's war comics 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JollyComics Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 Great concept! How's about rarest, hardest, scarce or extreme rare? kav 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frozentundraguy Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 6 minutes ago, JollyComics said: Great concept! How's about rarest, hardest, scarce or extreme rare? I'm not sure if this book is currently considered a key, though it's the first issue in a short lived title. I have been looking off and on for several years, since I was lucky enough to snare a copy of #6 of World of Mystery. There is one copy on Ebay right now. So cool cover IMHO, pretty tough to locate, and #1 in a title. Is that enough to be considered a key? https://www.ebay.com/itm/WORLD-OF-MYSTERY-1-3-5-THE-LONG-WAIT-1956/233385990117?hash=item3656e397e5:g:so8AAOSwFiNdr17r kav 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JollyComics Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 16 minutes ago, frozentundraguy said: I'm not sure if this book is currently considered a key, though it's the first issue in a short lived title. I have been looking off and on for several years, since I was lucky enough to snare a copy of #6 of World of Mystery. There is one copy on Ebay right now. So cool cover IMHO, pretty tough to locate, and #1 in a title. Is that enough to be considered a key? https://www.ebay.com/itm/WORLD-OF-MYSTERY-1-3-5-THE-LONG-WAIT-1956/233385990117?hash=item3656e397e5:g:so8AAOSwFiNdr17r Maybe we should use CGC Census to see how rarest the books are. BTW, there are 19 graded copies World of Mystery #1 on the census. What was the total circulation for this copy? kav 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...