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How about the best 5 copies of Marvel Comics #1?

Started by Aman619,

39 posts in this topic

murph0

murph0

Posted
Posted

I can't say I've seen such a copy. Is it mid-grade? In the mid-90's I was interested in purchasing this book as purely an investment. So I went around looking at a few of the nicer copies, and one or two midgrade copies. Long story short, I never went through on actually buying one. Probably would've turned a pretty good $$ too frown.gif

 

Brian

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PovertyRow

PovertyRow

Posted
Posted

I used to own the Carson City copy.

 

Is there an interesting story about your acquiriing it? Were you seeking it and stumbled on it? Caught it out of the corner of your eye at a con? Such tales always interesting and also add to the provenance!

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sborock

sborock

Posted
Posted

Sorry, I am not very interesting frown.gif I bought the Marvel from PCE.

 

The only really cool part of the story is that I had a change jar (10 gallon plastic water cooler bottle, full no pennies) that I had been saving for many years and I paid for most of that Marvel with it. Paying with coins, it felt like I did not really pay that much for the Marvel.

 

The bottle was so heavy that I had to lie on my back and push it over with the bottom of my feet, still, I could not get the coins out. Finally I just bashed it open with a hammer. I had thousands of coins all over my kitchen floor. shocked.gif

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PovertyRow

PovertyRow

Posted
Posted

The bottle was so heavy that I had to lie on my back and push it over with the bottom of my feet, still, I could not get the coins out. Finally I just bashed it open with a hammer. I had thousands of coins all over my kitchen floor.

 

I hope you had access to a Coins-For-Cash machine! grin.gif

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tb

tb

Posted
Posted

There was an interesting discussion on the print runs for the Oct/Nov

variations of Marvel #1 a while back. Quote below is from Scoobly;

Zillatoy had some interesting comments afterwards. I can't remember

whether the Pay Copy or any of the other pedigrees are October copies(?)...

 

"In 1983, I went to the office of Marvel Comics to have lunch with Art Goodman, the brother of Martin Goodman. Art worked at Timely in 1939 and gave me the story behind the October/November Marvel #1 printings. In 1939, Goodman had mixed feelings about getting into the comic business. They decided to publish Marvel #1 with a total print run of just under 90,000 copies. That 1st printing had a date of October. They hoped the book would sell well but their expectations were not that great. They were shocked when the book sold out within a few days. A immediate decision was made to go back to press with an additional print run of 800,000 copies. That print run had the November cover date. Nuff Said!"

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Board=comicgen&Number=43144&page=&view=&sb=&o=

 

---------------------------------------

 

Here is an interesting painting re. the October/November issue. I found it in an auction catalog with the

following caption:

 

"Bill Everett - Marvel Comics No. 2 Prototype cover, 1938-39, Craftint Doubletone no. 206, watercolor and gouache, signed lower right corner, dated December upper right corner. The original is of great historical significance because it was undoubtedly done by Everett when the Marvel Comics title was being created. Why it was never used after the November No. 1 issue is unclear. Because of the lack of any surviving originals from this early period of time in comics, and due to the popularity of Everett's character Sub-Mariner, this painting is pivotal in comics history, condition excellent. 11 in. by 18 1/2 in. $10,000-20,000". Sotheby's 1991.

 

 

 

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Arty

Arty

Posted
Posted

This quote is from Greggy's San Diego report

 

**INTERESTING TIDBIT** - While choking at Comic Heaven's price on a CGC 9.4 Superboy 185 ($450 - 6 times guide for a COW paged book), I overheard John Verzyl speaking with another collector about the Church copy of Marvel Comics 1. He said that the books is a 9.6/9.8 and that he bought it from Steve Geppi in 1988 for over 6 figures. Must be a sweet book!

 

It seems that Church copy is the best existing Marvel #1.

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Timely

Timely

Posted
Posted

I am close friends with Verzyl and can tell you he does own the MH copy, but here is something he told me no one knows, except the people who were in the room when the deal was made 17 years ago.

Verzyl bought the MH from Geppi and he wanted a HUGE multiple on the book. Geppi graded the book Mint. Verzyl knew he could get the multiple down if he could find a defect somewhere on the book to complain about. He spent 40 mintues solid looking for 1 defect to find and complain about, he found no defect and had to pay full blow on it.

 

By the way I have a CGC 9.0 copy, it was a Fine but was restored to the 9.0 it now is,it looks great!

 

Timely

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metropoliscomics

metropoliscomics

Posted
Posted

The Larson copy has a bit of glue at the spine. The person who bought it out of the 91 auction kept it in a frame on the wall. By the time it was re-sold a number of years later and it seemed a bit faded.

 

The Allentown copy had some color touch on the front cover.

 

Have never seen the Mile High in person so I can't comment on this book.

 

Sold a non-pedigree November copy about 10 years ago. The buyer still has the book. It was incredible but is raw. I would grade it at a 9.2.

 

What is the best October copy? The nicest unrestored October copy I have seen is VG/F.

 

 

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rjpb

rjpb

Posted
Posted
1. Pay Copy

2. Non-pedigree 8.5

3. Allentown? 8.5

4. D Copy 6.0

5. Non-pedigree 6.0

 

Not positive on 3-5 tongue.gif

 

Brian

 

 

The Pay copy ? - Lloyd Jaquet scribbled all over the cover - VG+ at best, I don't care what CGC says wink.gif

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