35 cent Variant List-Help wanted

[Darthdiesel]

Now I'll try to lower the price---If you all want some evidence that the 35 cent variant market is at its peak, Motor City has decided to crack open the vaults and has started listing its 35 variants. I guess they've decided these issues will never be worth more. (I don't agree with this, by the way).

 

Personally, I think they actually want to sell something on EBay, instead of just relisting their overpriced VF lots.

 

good one, JC - now how does that make all of us feel who've seen them (MotorCity) at cons and asked them if their variants were for sale, only to be told never in a million years?

[Guest]

OK, time to unleash the hounds. I just confirmed that this is the same copy I used to check it off the list, and the seller is the guy that sent the scan to me last spring. So, it may very well be the only copy known to exist. That would put it in the same realm as the western issues. Open up your wallets....Put on a good show, everyone.

 

Is everybody happy now tha we've had a show?

[Darthdiesel]

Glenn - it ended where we all thought it would? The Rawhide 141 will be ending slightly higher as daffy and cosmic renew bidding strategies..I'm surprised friendly_andy didn't jump into the mix?

 

The top 3 on the bid history are probably the closest to completing a collection. You guys can all take turns on the more common ones but the "one-of-a-kind"'s will be every man for himself.

[Guest]

Glenn - it ended where we all thought it would? The Rawhide 141 will be ending slightly higher as daffy and cosmic renew bidding strategies..I'm surprised friendly_andy didn't jump into the mix?

 

The top 3 on the bid history are probably the closest to completing a collection. You guys can all take turns on the more common ones but the "one-of-a-kind"'s will be every man for himself.

 

Probably it ended as expected. I actually think a little bit of collusion, even on the rarer books would not be a bad thing. If we are all really "trying to help each other", it would be far better to get one of four or five at a reasonable price than being top dog at 3-500 a crack. I mean, I think it's a little silly that anybody thought they would actually put on a bid higher than Cosmic Spider-Man (whom I happen to like a great deal). So what was the net result of mine and other bids like daffy06 other than to force Csmic Spider-Man to pay over $300? I'm not sure I can answer that

 

The thing with the 35 centers is that my approach from the start has been that a complete run is not really the key to the kingdom. Finding the rare books in high grade will ultimately be the direction of my collection. While it would be nice to have the rare issues (sour grapes?), I don't see it as being possible except with a lot of luck. I've had my share, so I don't discount the possibility.

 

In any case,like any other run, a complete run means nothing except for personal satisfaction and the accolades from the collecting community for having done it. But a complete run adds no value at all whatsoever to the value of any single book. Indeed the sale of the whole collection would probably need to be made at a discount. On the other hand, individually high grade variants and rare issues will always command top dollar. All you need to do is look at the Hulk 200 in CGC 9.4 that hit $310 and did not meet reserve! That was 10 times regular guide!

 

But the 35 cent run has some odd issues, many more so than the 30 cent issues. You have the Flintstones and Scooby Doo, almost impossible to find. You have Irion fist 13, a fortune when found. Then of course you have Star Wars, the compltete edition of which was shilled up to $10,000. This is a run , that in my opinion will not bve complete within 5 years. If it is completed before than it will probably be an entire collefction that turns up.

 

I have spent my share of big money on a few 30 cent books. Nevertheles, I have always felt that the downside was minimal. I can't say if I spent $10,000 for 4 Star Wars issues that I would be so sanguine. Maybe because I just don't see as much exposure. If I have all 186 30 centers in very high grade at $100 each, my maximum downside is $18,600. On the 35 centers I could have more than half that downside in just 4 issues.

 

If we get the great crash that Joe Collector is preaching, you will potentially see some collectors sell some valuable issues at fractions of the dollar. The entire 35 cent collection in high grade could easily top $40,000 in investment dollars.

 

Incidentally, Daethwalker discovered 5 more 35 centers in a box he had forgotten to look at. As such, his collection will have totalled 99 issues. We have an agreement, in principal to do a deal on the last five as well.

 

Congratulation in any case go to Cosmic Spider-Man. I only wish I had enough money to bid up to his level and not feel like I might miss the money. If anybody completes the run, it will almost surely be him.

[realitytrip]

Incidentally, Daethwalker discovered 5 more 35 centers in a box he had forgotten to look at. As such, his collection will have totalled 99 issues. We have an agreement, in principal to do a deal on the last five as well.

 

 

Glenn - Nice. What books were they? Any super rarities? You can wait until the deal is finalized to provide any details, of course.

[Guest]

 

 

 

Glenn - Nice. What books were they? Any super rarities? You can wait until the deal is finalized to provide any details, of course.

 

I'm not sure how particularly rare they are. But I don't mind giving the titles:

 

Marvel Super-Heroes #65,66

Marvel Presents #11,12

Kull, The Destroyer # 23

 

None of these is easy as you know!

[realitytrip]

 

I'm not sure how particularly rare they are. But I don't mind giving the titles:

 

Marvel Super-Heroes #65,66

Marvel Presents #11,12

Kull, The Destroyer # 23

 

None of these is easy as you know!

 

Thanks for sharing. Hmm, well Paul's list doesn't have the Marvel Super Heroes 66 checked off and it doesn't even list the Marvel Presents Title, much less have the issues marked off, so I think those might qualify as somewhat rare.

[Guest]

I had mentione dpreviously that I had two copies of Dr Strange 14 with two different color starbursts. I finally got my scanner and si I present for your pleasure what I believe is a variant within the variant:

[Guest]

Apparantly I don't know how to attach the files I have with the scans. So here is how to get them:

 

For the Dr Strange 14 with the Yellow Starburst go here;

 

http://members.aol.com/gmalloy/drstrange14yellow.jpg/

 

For Dr Strange 14 with the Orange Starburst go here:

 

http://members.aol.com/gmalloy/drstrange14orange.jpg/

 

Darth had thought one might be faded or something like that. Look for yorselves and see what you think. They both look pretty fresh. Both are at least Fine+

 

Could somebody give me a brief tutorial on how to get the image on the post itself?

 

[Darthdiesel]

excellent find Glenn - appears to be a variant within a variant! to post attachments directly into a post...while posting, click on the "image" option in the lower right corner (where it says Instant UBB code) and a window will pop up[ for you to enter the web address. That is one way. another is to check the box above the "Continue" that says : I want to preview my post and/or attach a file" you can pull it directly from your desktop if it is less than 165kb in size

 

[underthebigw]

Apparantly I don't know how to attach the files I have with the scans. So here is how to get them:

 

For the Dr Strange 14 with the Yellow Starburst go here;

 

http://members.aol.com/gmalloy/drstrange14yellow.jpg/

 

For Dr Strange 14 with the Orange Starburst go here:

 

http://members.aol.com/gmalloy/drstrange14orange.jpg/

 

Darth had thought one might be faded or something like that. Look for yorselves and see what you think. They both look pretty fresh. Both are at least Fine+

 

Could somebody give me a brief tutorial on how to get the image on the post itself?

 

That looks legit to me, which in all probability means that there are 4 versions of this book, because I'm sure the 25 cent version also will have the same variation. More importantly, it begs the question "Were the variants really simply printed at the end of the run?" If they were, why the difference--why bother to change the color? Were all Marvel books printed on the same presses? At the same plant? Regardless, very cool.

[underthebigw]

You have Irion fist 13, a fortune when found.

 

I won't make you sick telling you about my 9.6 raw IF 13 variant. Got it along with my IF 14 VF- variant from a seller who though he was screwing me selling me the whole run for $160. The 13 was actually the only true NM in a run he swore was all NM.

 

Do you know of a confirmed sale of this book, Glenn. If so, I'd love to get a sense for what people have paid.

[joe_collector]

Glenn - it ended where we all thought it would? The Rawhide 141 will be ending slightly higher as daffy and cosmic renew bidding strategies..I'm surprised friendly_andy didn't jump into the mix?

 

I think he did, but those two guys and their high bids probably made many potential snipes irrelevant and came back "below required amount".

 

I know mine did.

[Darthdiesel]

Good point Joe - I've had the same exact thing happen with my snipes too Damn these big money snipers! The only pitfall in that, and this still makes me leery of doing this, but if you have two like minded bidders that decide to bid $1,000 (or $10K, $100K, some obscene exorbitant amount etc) just to insure the win...someone will caught with their pants down, bent over without a tube of K-Y in sight

[joe_collector]

That's called a Monster Snipe Collision, and you don't want to be anywhere near it...

[lighthouse]

Yeah, like the copy of Adventure 462 in Fine that sold on eBay for $212.50...

 

Book fetches over guide... but sheesh...

[buena_vista]

Now I'll try to lower the price---If you all want some evidence that the 35 cent variant market is at its peak, Motor City has decided to crack open the vaults and has started listing its 35 variants. I guess they've decided these issues will never be worth more. (I don't agree with this, by the way).

 

Personally, I think they actually want to sell something on EBay, instead of just relisting their overpriced VF lots.

 

good one, JC - now how does that make all of us feel who've seen them (MotorCity) at cons and asked them if their variants were for sale, only to be told never in a million years?

 

I agree on that Darth. They have been very nasty and condisending to me when I discussed variants with them at cons. Phrases like "like gold in the bank" and

"we'll sell --- maybe in 10 years" were commonplace. I hope anyone who needs their books gets what they want -- at minimum price!!

[Guest]

I agree on that Darth. They have been very nasty and condisending to me when I discussed variants with them at cons. Phrases like "like gold in the bank" and

"we'll sell --- maybe in 10 years" were commonplace. I hope anyone who needs their books gets what they want -- at minimum price!!

 

I spoke with the owner Michael at length a few weeks ago and actually had quite a pleasant exchange. I explained what I had seen going on in the market pricewise and he seemed to be quite taken aback. I don't think he had any idea prices were where they are now. Borrowing from stock market jargon, I suggested he ought to "scale in" and see what happened. He seemed quite open to following that strategy. I don't think you can gauge his behavior until you see what he does after all the auctions are over.

 

He did confirm his ownership of the Scooby Doo and I think he had the Flintstones. He is the one who mostly aquired Fred McSurley's collection as Fred worked for him at one time. Still, I don't think he claimed to have a complete run either. But I did get the impression he had several hundred 35 centers.

 

I haven't had much expeience with Motorcity otherwise. But to defend him, I did not get the "we'll never sell routine". Maybe we'll see more.

[rob_react]

In response to a question about the possible availability of other 35 centers, they said

 

"We are testing the waters right now. But we are not sure if we will be selling any of the other variants, so we do not want to disclose what issues we have right now. If the variants do well, we will be putting more up in the next few weeks. Keep an eye out or them! "

[buena_vista]

I spoke with the owner Michael at length a few weeks ago and actually had quite a pleasant exchange. I explained what I had seen going on in the market pricewise and he seemed to be quite taken aback. I don't think he had any idea prices were where they are now. Borrowing from stock market jargon, I suggested he ought to "scale in" and see what happened. He seemed quite open to following that strategy. I don't think you can gauge his behavior until you see what he does after all the auctions are over.

 

He did confirm his ownership of the Scooby Doo and I think he had the Flintstones. He is the one who mostly aquired Fred McSurley's collection as Fred worked for him at one time. Still, I don't think he claimed to have a complete run either. But I did get the impression he had several hundred 35 centers.

 

I haven't had much expeience with Motorcity otherwise. But to defend him, I did not get the "we'll never sell routine". Maybe we'll see more.

 

This is certainly a change in behavior as far as they are concerned. I think Darth will vouch for this very unfriendly behavior in the past.

 

I talked to them numerous times regarding both 30 & 35 cent variants and got the "when hell freezes over" attitude. I also got the impression that they had hundreds of 35 cent variants.

 

The fact that they will not share what issues they have (at least to confirm their existence), clues you in on how much they are willing to help the collecting community.

 

I don't think there is anything more annoying than a dealer flaunting the possibility he might have a book you're looking for and just will not bother to look or sell to you at any price.

 

I hope he gets peanuts for his sales.