The Whitman Thread 15 15

[bellrules]

On 11/21/2023 at 7:28 PM, stormflora said:

So... The white W variants are cheaper direct variants and the typical yellow W variants are newsstand/comic store?

I wonder why the white variants seem rarer than the yellow ones. Could it be because not many people bothered to order them directly?

The Whitman comics with the 50 cent and 60 cent covers are the most common of the bunch. Both white logo and yellow logos are plentiful. (With perhaps a few exception) 

[stormflora]

My heart legit skipped a beat for a second. I just casually did a search for #330, and it popped right up. @bellrules

Praise the Sun.

[OtherEric]

On 11/23/2023 at 9:27 AM, stormflora said:

My heart legit skipped a beat for a second. I just casually did a search for #330, and it popped right up. @bellrules

Praise the Sun.

Nice! 

There are simply lots of sellers who simply don't know about the late 1980 Whitmans, beyond perhaps the US 179 and Black Hole 4... and a fair number don't even seem to know about those two.  For whatever reason, Gold Key/ Whitman is still a blind spot for a lot of people.

I don't have that many of them, actually, but about half of the ones I do have were from dollar bins.

[stormflora]

On 11/23/2023 at 12:44 PM, OtherEric said:

Nice! 

There are simply lots of sellers who simply don't know about the late 1980 Whitmans, beyond perhaps the US 179 and Black Hole 4... and a fair number don't even seem to know about those two.  For whatever reason, Gold Key/ Whitman is still a blind spot for a lot of people.

I don't have that many of them, actually, but about half of the ones I do have were from dollar bins.

Yeah, it's quite possible that this is a dollar bin sale or old stock liquidation. But on a platform like eBay? Felt more like "I can't be bothered to check the price and I need the space so I'll just list it cheap and get rid of it quickly."

The Whitman publication gap is a bit of esoteric knowledge, so I can't blame people for not knowing about it. It's not too well-documented on the Internet either, as only a handful of sites talk about it in detail. Gold Key/Whitman itself isn't super popular as it mostly focused on non-superhero stuff back in the day, and most comic book sellers are superhero-oriented. Some people/companies gobble up large estate/liquidation lots to sell and come across these random issues that they don't know much about, and since it would cost them more in time and labour to categorize and sort them, they price it similarly to other issues in the series that they priced them at, figuring it wouldn't be much different.

The only key issues that tend to be worth their time with unfamiliar series are usually #1's, since those are always going to be in high demand. Or maybe Golden Age vintage (primarily Dell).

Edit: I just looked through the seller's listings, and it seems that they are a comic seller, but most of their Gold Key/Whitman are priced similarly. So my suspicions were probably correct: they don't value Western all that much and are just quickly liquidating them.

Edited November 23, 2023 by stormflora

[stormflora]

@OtherEric I'm on a roll. Might as well just go through the entire rare Whitman list and see what's being sold for cheap.

Edited November 23, 2023 by stormflora

[OtherEric]

On 11/23/2023 at 11:26 AM, stormflora said:

@OtherEric I'm on a roll. Might as well just go through the entire rare Whitman list and see what's being sold for cheap.

You really should.  I sometimes do spot checks but have never done an organized look for everything

[stormflora]

On 11/23/2023 at 2:31 PM, OtherEric said:

You really should.  I sometimes do spot checks but have never done an organized look for everything

At the moment, asking one seller for combined shipping on three rare Whitman issues. If it works out, I'll have acquired them at about $10 USD each after shipping + taxes.

Below is what I found at prices that are either cheap or don't break the bank. If anyone wants them for their collection, you can find them on eBay or MyComicShop now. I'm not really interested in them myself.

Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #483-484. Uncle Scrooge #180-182. Super Goof #63. Mickey Mouse #207. Little Lulu #262. Huey, Dewey and Louie #67. Donald Duck #221 and #224-225. Daisy and Donald #45. Daffy Duck #129-130. Bugs Bunny #223.

That's all for now. I took a few more too; they're shown in the attachment below. They aren't super rare though, just low supply. Came out to be $12.13 USD each after fees. I originally found this seller through the Tweety issue, but since they had two more rare issues, I figured I'd pick them up as well. (The other two sellers above had no other rare issues from what I could tell.)

Edited November 23, 2023 by stormflora

[bellrules]

On 11/23/2023 at 12:37 PM, stormflora said:

At the moment, asking one seller for combined shipping on three rare Whitman issues. If it works out, I'll have acquired them at about $10 USD each after shipping + taxes.

Below is what I found at prices that are either cheap or don't break the bank. If anyone wants them for their collection, you can find them on eBay or MyComicShop now. I'm not really interested in them myself.

Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #483-484. Uncle Scrooge #180-182. Super Goof #63. Mickey Mouse #207. Little Lulu #262. Huey, Dewey and Louie #67. Donald Duck #221 and #224-225. Daisy and Donald #45. Daffy Duck #129-130. Bugs Bunny #223.

That's all for now. I took a few more too; they're shown in the attachment below. They aren't super rare though, just low supply. Came out to be $12.13 USD each after fees. I originally found this seller through the Tweety issue, but since they had two more rare issues, I figured I'd pick them up as well. (The other two sellers above had no other rare issues from what I could tell.)

Nice, be aware that there are two versions of Bugs 222, and 223, WDCS 484, Scrooge 182, Super Goof 63, Lulu 262, Huey Dewey and Louie 67, Donald Duck 225. The rare versions of those books have 40 cent cover prices. The more common ones are priced at 50 cents. Great finds though! Congrats!

[stormflora]

On 11/23/2023 at 8:50 PM, bellrules said:

Nice, be aware that there are two versions of Bugs 222, and 223, WDCS 484, Scrooge 182, Super Goof 63, Lulu 262, Huey Dewey and Louie 67, Donald Duck 225. The rare versions of those books have 40 cent cover prices. The more common ones are priced at 50 cents. Great finds though! Congrats!

Apart from the Tom & Jerry, Road Runner, and Tweety & Sylvester finds, the rest aren't as meaningful to me, but it wouldn't hurt to keep a single issue inside of a binder. Maybe I'll slap on a higher price for them and see if it'll flip after a year.

I just checked my Bugs Bunny #222, and it does indeed have a 40c tag on it. So I scored right. I wasn't aware about the reprint price variants for those.

[sd2416]

On 11/19/2023 at 9:18 PM, Warlord said:

Fantastic list!  There are 2,202 Whitman version issues on the list for Gold Key issues! (assuming it's accurate, I'd be amazed if there aren't some omissions.)   

It would be an ambitious undertaking to even try to collect a single version of each Whitman!   And then you'd also want to collect both the white and yellow Whitman logo versions!

 

 

Im just looking for things to keep it fun and to keep looking for.  Losing interest in new books, and looking to cull down some stuff and refocus.  

[stormflora]

Question for you Whitman experts: The same seller I'm looking to buy a Tom & Jerry lot from has a bunch of other lots as well, especially for Gold Key/Whitman. I'm thinking it is a liquidation/divestment by the seller. At this time, I'm only interested in Tom & Jerry, but these other lots look incredibly tempting from a ROI perspective. Hard to pass on. Of the lots I believe I could secure, it would only cost $1-2 per issue (before shipping). Pretty much guaranteed to take them.

The lots that interest me a bit are: Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, and Mickey Mouse. There are some other large lots too, but with aggressive bidding which I am not interested in bothering with. Perhaps they have key issues or something to warrant such behaviour. Note: The Woody Woodpecker one has a few duplicates within, while the rest do not.

Are any of those series worthwhile? Do they have any resale value? Considering that they do not have aggressive bidding, I would wager that they do not contain any key issues. But it would still cost less than $1-2 per issue, which I can accept for the resale potential. Grade-wise, they seem to be G/VG.

[Brock]

On 11/19/2023 at 1:02 PM, bellrules said:

Happy you found some. Had I known you were there, I might have driven down from Edmonton. If you’re still in YYC on Sunday, check out the Hillhurst market 

I was only in Alberta for about 12 hours, but I'll be around a fair bit in 2024... I'm in Grande Prairie in February, and in Edmonton in June and October. Maybe I can but you a drink on one of those Edmonton visits...

[Brock]

On 11/24/2023 at 4:35 PM, stormflora said:

Question for you Whitman experts: The same seller I'm looking to buy a Tom & Jerry lot from has a bunch of other lots as well, especially for Gold Key/Whitman. I'm thinking it is a liquidation/divestment by the seller. At this time, I'm only interested in Tom & Jerry, but these other lots look incredibly tempting from a ROI perspective. Hard to pass on. Of the lots I believe I could secure, it would only cost $1-2 per issue (before shipping). Pretty much guaranteed to take them.

The lots that interest me a bit are: Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, and Mickey Mouse. There are some other large lots too, but with aggressive bidding which I am not interested in bothering with. Perhaps they have key issues or something to warrant such behaviour. Note: The Woody Woodpecker one has a few duplicates within, while the rest do not.

Are any of those series worthwhile? Do they have any resale value? Considering that they do not have aggressive bidding, I would wager that they do not contain any key issues. But it would still cost less than $1-2 per issue, which I can accept for the resale potential. Grade-wise, they seem to be G/VG.

It's a tough call... I buy any of the 8-12/80 Whitmans and any of the 75 cent variants pretty much on sight. However, I still don't think the market really values these as much as it could. They are slow movers on eBay, for example, with a few exceptions (Uncle Scrooge 179, etc.). If they're in really high grade, they sell a bit better, but even then the price isn't always what one might expect.

Given that context, I'm less inclined to go big on the more common issues. If the true rarities struggle in the market, why scoop the more common stuff up?

I do think the situation will eventually change, but how long will that take? Maybe 5 years, or 10? Do I really want to sit on large volumes of lower grade materials that is a marginal seller, waiting for "the day"?

In the meantime, I put together sets of what I like, focus on the tougher books, and scoop the occasional high grade copy if the price is right.

I spent years amassing a massive collection, but now I focus more on curating what I acquire, with an eye to those books with the highest potential (whether that be the highest potential enjoyment or the highest potential value).

[stormflora]

On 11/24/2023 at 4:48 PM, Brock said:

It's a tough call... I buy any of the 8-12/80 Whitmans and any of the 75 cent variants pretty much on sight. However, I still don't think the market really values these as much as it could. They are slow movers on eBay, for example, with a few exceptions (Uncle Scrooge 179, etc.). If they're in really high grade, they sell a bit better, but even then the price isn't always what one might expect.

Given that context, I'm less inclined to go big on the more common issues. If the true rarities struggle in the market, why scoop the more common stuff up?

I do think the situation will eventually change, but how long will that take? Maybe 5 years, or 10? Do I really want to sit on large volumes of lower grade materials that is a marginal seller, waiting for "the day"?

In the meantime, I put together sets of what I like, focus on the tougher books, and scoop the occasional high grade copy if the price is right.

I spent years amassing a massive collection, but now I focus more on curating what I acquire, with an eye to those books with the highest potential (whether that be the highest potential enjoyment or the highest potential value).

Very good points made. So you would lean more towards just letting the next guy take it as opposed to having a ton of stock sitting in the basement to have to trickle-sell.

Some others in another auction-related thread also stated that they'd rather not deal with all of the resale. If there is something you need, then go for it, otherwise, it is not worth the trouble.

I just took a look through the rare Whitman comic list, and only the Mickey Mouse lot has one, #207. But it is also coincidentally the more expensive auction of the bunch.

Thank you for your insight

Edited November 24, 2023 by stormflora

[OtherEric]

On 11/24/2023 at 1:52 PM, stormflora said:

I just took a look through the rare Whitman comic list, and only the Mickey Mouse lot has one, #207. But it is also coincidentally the more expensive auction of the bunch.

It may just be me, but I think Mickey Mouse #207 is possibly the most common of the "rare" late 1980 Whitmans.

[stormflora]

On 11/24/2023 at 5:15 PM, OtherEric said:

It may just be me, but I think Mickey Mouse #207 is possibly the most common of the "rare" late 1980 Whitmans.

Yeah, from my personal observations, it feels like the Mickey Mouse comics are not particularly valuable. It's definitely the lowest on my list.

I might pick up Woody Woodpecker and Bugs Bunny for a low bid, but that's all. I'll skip Mickey Mouse.

[bellrules]

On 11/24/2023 at 2:39 PM, Brock said:

I was only in Alberta for about 12 hours, but I'll be around a fair bit in 2024... I'm in Grande Prairie in February, and in Edmonton in June and October. Maybe I can but you a drink on one of those Edmonton visits...

Would love to meet up and talk nerdy. Keep me posted !

[bellrules]

On 11/24/2023 at 3:15 PM, OtherEric said:

It may just be me, but I think Mickey Mouse #207 is possibly the most common of the "rare" late 1980 Whitmans.

Yeah it is one of the more common ones (along with Donald 221) I’ve found multiple packs with those books still inside (often with books from earlier months) I think the 009 dated issues might be the toughest.

[bellrules]

On 11/24/2023 at 9:46 PM, stormflora said:

Yeah, from my personal observations, it feels like the Mickey Mouse comics are not particularly valuable. It's definitely the lowest on my list.

I might pick up Woody Woodpecker and Bugs Bunny for a low bid, but that's all. I'll skip Mickey Mouse.

Mickey Mouse 208 being the exception. That was one of the original “big books” having the higher values

[stormflora]

On 11/25/2023 at 9:51 AM, bellrules said:

Yeah it is one of the more common ones (along with Donald 221) I’ve found multiple packs with those books still inside (often with books from earlier months) I think the 009 dated issues might be the toughest.

On 11/25/2023 at 9:53 AM, bellrules said:

Mickey Mouse 208 being the exception. That was one of the original “big books” having the higher values

"009 dated issue"? What does that mean?

This particular lot does not have #208 for Mickey. It's very much a common lot, albeit without any duplicates. Same goes for the other two lots.

I will bid on these three lots by offering a value of $1 per comic after shipping. Basically consider them to be dollar store buys. Anything higher and someone else can take them.

What I've learned from these lots is that these cartoon comics are basically worth nothing to people, outside of key issues. That'll influence my buying decisions from now on.

Collecting gaps in runs, I can understand paying the increased premium to fill them, but I would still avoid fetching too many duplicates in a lot unless the total price is still cheap for the ones I need.