Remember the days when people paid huge money for old comic books? 2 2

[LowGradeBronze]

On 10/3/2023 at 4:57 AM, tth2 said:

For the cheapskates and wimps, they just become "Woulda coulda shoulda" stories that they bore us with ad nauseum.

I bore myself sometimes with woulda coulda shoulda thoughts! I have enough to be thankful that I did buy to mostly, mostly keep those thoughts at bay!

[Shazam500]

On 9/12/2023 at 5:19 PM, lou_fine said:

Well, still not quite as good as Nvidia where you would be sitting on around $325 million if you had brought it when it first came out in 1999.  One of the much vaunted Magnificant 7 this year and also one of the very small handful of trillion dollar companies, and most of all, one which some financial experts thinks will have no problem doing another double in the years to come with AI coming in like a storm.  

Then again, you could have invested the $180K into something like Enron, Worldcom, or for the Canuckleheads on these boards here, Nortel, whereby if you did, you would be sitting on a big pile of toxic smelling doggie dodo to show for it.  Yeah, I still remember all of the financial whiz kids spouting Nortel as a Strong Buy when it already had a bigger market cap than all five of Canada's chartered banks combined and its market cap also represented more than 30% of the entire Toronto Stock Exchange all on its own.    

Yes good points, most investors do not know the far future. Companies have to prove themselves in a lot of ways before being seen as blue chip. And by that time, their common shares are usually up quite a lot in value.  And, most of us probably would need some of that $ during the duration of 20-30 years.  Related to comics.. who knows how much they will be worth in 30 years? 

[Shazam500]

On 9/19/2023 at 10:48 AM, N e r V said:

In no way is it the same business these days but one of the most visited head shops for me as a youth was about 15 miles away. It carried all sorts of cool items from underground’s to black light posters including all those Third Eye Marvel posters/postcards/puzzles and an assortment of the “hip” t-shirts and on and on. Fantastic place I could spend a lot of time in. It opened in 1969 and actually still stands today as a smoke and vape business. I like to occasionally drive by and remember what is was…

 

 

 

 

Cool, love the Keep on Truckin' is this from the early 70's? 

Edited October 4, 2023 by SuperBat5000

[Robot Man]

Anybody ever buy from Robert Bell? How about a Batman #1 for $250? Those early Superman’s, were also quite tempting. Or a Submariner #1 for $85.?

I bought some ECs from him back in the day and some of those new fangled “comic bags”. 

[Tri-Color Brian]

[Tri-Color Brian]

On 10/2/2023 at 8:57 PM, tth2 said:

The article is a great example of how comics very rarely ever appear to be a bargain at the time they are up for sale.  It's usually only in retrospect, for those who were bold enough to take the plunge, that they became bargains.  For the cheapskates and wimps, they just become "Woulda coulda shoulda" stories that they bore us with ad nauseum.

Hey...I resemble that remark...

[Robot Man]

Howard Rippofsky in the early to mid ‘70’s. $110 for Spidey 1, $75. For Jim 83 and $16 for X-Men 1. Who paid those crazy prices?

But even more wild was Marvel Mystery 1 for $1200 and $1500 for Red Raven 1. And these were from a guy that considered tape not to be a defect…

When was the last time you saw these on a web site with a price on them? Never…

[tth2]

On 10/7/2023 at 11:46 PM, Robot Man said:

Howard Rippofsky in the early to mid ‘70’s. $110 for Spidey 1, $75. For Jim 83 and $16 for X-Men 1. Who paid those crazy prices?

But even more wild was Marvel Mystery 1 for $1200 and $1500 for Red Raven 1. And these were from a guy that considered tape not to be a defect…

If I recall, these guys rarely had the advertised keys in stock, which is why they always wanted you to list alternates.  Invariably, what you got were the alternates.

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

On 10/8/2023 at 12:46 AM, Robot Man said:

Howard Rippofsky in the early to mid ‘70’s. $110 for Spidey 1, $75. For Jim 83 and $16 for X-Men 1. Who paid those crazy prices?

But even more wild was Marvel Mystery 1 for $1200 and $1500 for Red Raven 1. And these were from a guy that considered tape not to be a defect…

When was the last time you saw these on a web site with a price on them? Never…

His reputation really got around. There was a flea market in Central New Jersey called Collingwood Auctions; it was the low rent equivalent of the Englishtown auction a bit further inland. Both had sources of vintage comics in permanent stands. At Collingwood a dealer seemed to have an endless supply of newstand returns but they were priced per Rogofsky and we never bought them. They did have cheap Harvey giants and Warren magazines by the score; I picked up lots of Spirit issues from them. At Englishtown a guy named Herman Neuberger (sp?) from Brooklyn had somehow come upon a huge stash of mid to late sixties Marvels and doled them out to drooling fans like a stingy pharmacist. Prices were all sub $1. though so you always went there for a weekly comic fix. Good times, the Englishtown auction went up in smoke in 1977 so lots of those books burnt down in that fire. You can almost smell them burning in the photo below!

[plady69]

On 10/7/2023 at 8:56 PM, 50YrsCollctngCmcs said:

His reputation really got around. There was a flea market in Central New Jersey called Collingwood Auctions; it was the low rent equivalent of the Englishtown auction a bit further inland. Both had sources of vintage comics in permanent stands. At Collingwood a dealer seemed to have an endless supply of newstand returns but they were priced per Rogofsky and we never bought them. They did have cheap Harvey giants and Warren magazines by the score; I picked up lots of Spirit issues from them. At Englishtown a guy named Herman Neuberger (sp?) from Brooklyn had somehow come upon a huge stash of mid to late sixties Marvels and doled them out to drooling fans like a stingy pharmacist. Prices were all sub $1. though so you always went there for a weekly comic fix. Good times, the Englishtown auction went up in smoke in 1977 so lots of those books burnt down in that fire. You can almost smell them burning in the photo below!

Wow, I didn’t know it burned down!  I left New Brunswick in 1974.

I found a guy at Englishtown with a great Golden Age collection.  I bought a run of Marvel Mystery from roughly issue 70-90 from him.  Always found other great books there, too.

[Professor K]

On 10/7/2023 at 11:56 PM, 50YrsCollctngCmcs said:

His reputation really got around. There was a flea market in Central New Jersey called Collingwood Auctions; it was the low rent equivalent of the Englishtown auction a bit further inland. Both had sources of vintage comics in permanent stands. At Collingwood a dealer seemed to have an endless supply of newstand returns but they were priced per Rogofsky and we never bought them. They did have cheap Harvey giants and Warren magazines by the score; I picked up lots of Spirit issues from them. At Englishtown a guy named Herman Neuberger (sp?) from Brooklyn had somehow come upon a huge stash of mid to late sixties Marvels and doled them out to drooling fans like a stingy pharmacist. Prices were all sub $1. though so you always went there for a weekly comic fix. Good times, the Englishtown auction went up in smoke in 1977 so lots of those books burnt down in that fire. You can almost smell them burning in the photo below!

I didn't know it burned in 1977. I went there a few times in the 1980's. Collingswood I liked. It was about a 40 minute ride North of where I grew up. I remember that space with all the magazines, it was quite large. I never found any comics there that I can remember but I still think sometimes that I wish I could go back in time and search through all those magazines. There was another similar place a little South of it called Peddlers Village ( a few circles down). Used to buy baseball cards there off a guy name Fred but I don't remember any comics there. 

Edited October 8, 2023 by Professor K

[KCOComics]

On 10/7/2023 at 11:46 AM, Robot Man said:

Howard Rippofsky in the early to mid ‘70’s. $110 for Spidey 1, $75. For Jim 83 and $16 for X-Men 1. Who paid those crazy prices?

But even more wild was Marvel Mystery 1 for $1200 and $1500 for Red Raven 1. And these were from a guy that considered tape not to be a defect…

When was the last time you saw these on a web site with a price on them? Never…

I know we don't know condition,  but Sgt Fury 1 for almost 2xs Xmen 1. 

The more recent #1s seemed to command a pretty good premium compared to many back issues. WWBN #1 was $10 when Xmen 1 was only $16. 

Agree the MM1 really jumps off the page at $1200. It looks so cheap today,  but imagine the laughs and eye rolls that got from parents in the mid 70s? 

 

[Jayman]

On 10/8/2023 at 3:05 PM, Professor K said:

I didn't know it burned in 1977. I went there a few times in the 1980's. Collingswood I liked. It was about a 40 minute ride North of where I grew up. I remember that space with all the magazines, it was quite large. I never found any comics there that I can remember but I still think sometimes that I wish I could go back in time and search through all those magazines. There was another similar place a little South of it called Peddlers Village ( a few circles down). Used to buy baseball cards there off a guy name Fred but I don't remember any comics there. 

Ah, Englishtown, Collingswood Auction and Peddlers Village. I used to go to all three, great memories! I remember buying a bunch of pre-hero Marvels from a guy at Englishtown but Collingswood was my go-to place for loads of BA horror books and Warren mags. I used to spend hours there digging through those narrow shelves loaded with boxes. I used to know the guy by name as a kid, but it’s faded into memory. I only remember he had a beard now. I bought a Giant Size X-Men from him the last time I went which was probably about 30 yrs ago. Used to like to play the slot cars there too! Peddlers Village was a fun place to go but never had any good or large amount of comics.

[plady69]

On 10/8/2023 at 2:55 PM, Jayman said:

Ah, Englishtown, Collingswood Auction and Peddlers Village. I used to go to all three, great memories! I remember buying a bunch of pre-hero Marvels from a guy at Englishtown but Collingswood was my go-to place for loads of BA horror books and Warren mags. I used to spend hours there digging through those narrow shelves loaded with boxes. I used to know the guy by name as a kid, but it’s faded into memory. I only remember he had a beard now. I bought a Giant Size X-Men from him the last time I went which was probably about 30 yrs ago. Used to like to play the slot cars there too! Peddlers Village was a fun place to go but never had any good or large amount of comics.

Great memories y’all.  My dad used to take me to Englishtown with 100. budget and I would wander for hours.

Thanks guys, I miss him…

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

On 10/8/2023 at 7:52 PM, plady69 said:

Wow, I didn’t know it burned down!  I left New Brunswick in 1974.

I found a guy at Englishtown with a great Golden Age collection.  I bought a run of Marvel Mystery from roughly issue 70-90 from him.  Always found other great books there, too.

I worked through through high school; ten hour days on Saturdays and pulling in about $30 for the day slinging hot dogs. That money allowed me to build up my initial Barks collection along with a bunch of other Silver Age DC's. I was a senior when it burned down which cost me my job for a couple of months until the owners put up a trailer in the parking lot and got back to work. Good times but hard work.

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

On 10/9/2023 at 6:55 AM, Jayman said:

Ah, Englishtown, Collingswood Auction and Peddlers Village. I used to go to all three, great memories! I remember buying a bunch of pre-hero Marvels from a guy at Englishtown but Collingswood was my go-to place for loads of BA horror books and Warren mags. I used to spend hours there digging through those narrow shelves loaded with boxes. I used to know the guy by name as a kid, but it’s faded into memory. I only remember he had a beard now. I bought a Giant Size X-Men from him the last time I went which was probably about 30 yrs ago. Used to like to play the slot cars there too! Peddlers Village was a fun place to go but never had any good or large amount of comics.

That guy at Collingswood still had piles of bronze age magazines through the early 2000's; wish I'd picked some up. The last time I was in town about two years ago there was nothing left but the memories.

[Professor K]

On 10/8/2023 at 8:35 PM, 50YrsCollctngCmcs said:

That guy at Collingswood still had piles of bronze age magazines through the early 2000's; wish I'd picked some up. The last time I was in town about two years ago there was nothing left but the memories.

 

On 10/8/2023 at 5:55 PM, Jayman said:

Ah, Englishtown, Collingswood Auction and Peddlers Village. I used to go to all three, great memories! I remember buying a bunch of pre-hero Marvels from a guy at Englishtown but Collingswood was my go-to place for loads of BA horror books and Warren mags. I used to spend hours there digging through those narrow shelves loaded with boxes. I used to know the guy by name as a kid, but it’s faded into memory. I only remember he had a beard now. I bought a Giant Size X-Men from him the last time I went which was probably about 30 yrs ago. Used to like to play the slot cars there too! Peddlers Village was a fun place to go but never had any good or large amount of comics.

I'm so glad this came up. So the guy at Collingswood did have comics? I remember the guys space and if I remember correctly it was pretty big and just packed with magazines. Lot's of boxes. Once in a while I think about it and wonder if there was a Golden Age Goldmine in there back then, but this was about 84 to around 91 when I would go there. I would think if he had GA stuff hidden somwhere in there it would have been harvested by then. I don't know but he seemed to have an endless supply of inventory. 

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

On 10/9/2023 at 2:35 PM, Professor K said:

 

I'm so glad this came up. So the guy at Collingswood did have comics? I remember the guys space and if I remember correctly it was pretty big and just packed with magazines. Lot's of boxes. Once in a while I think about it and wonder if there was a Golden Age Goldmine in there back then, but this was about 84 to around 91 when I would go there. I would think if he had GA stuff hidden somwhere in there it would have been harvested by then. I don't know but he seemed to have an endless supply of inventory. 

He didn’t have Golden Age back in the seventies and anything he had was priced like Rogofsky. I knew my comics then and I would have remembered.

[Jayman]

On 10/9/2023 at 1:35 AM, Professor K said:

 

I'm so glad this came up. So the guy at Collingswood did have comics? I remember the guys space and if I remember correctly it was pretty big and just packed with magazines. Lot's of boxes. Once in a while I think about it and wonder if there was a Golden Age Goldmine in there back then, but this was about 84 to around 91 when I would go there. I would think if he had GA stuff hidden somwhere in there it would have been harvested by then. I don't know but he seemed to have an endless supply of inventory. 

I can also vouch for him not having any GA. Not that I was looking for any back then, but I was a pretty efficient mole that dug through his inventory. The earliest stuff he had was from the 60’s. Unless he kept some in a box behind his counter, but he was a friendly guy who always asked me what I’m looking for. I think he would have asked if I was interested in any “older” comics.

[tth2]

On 10/9/2023 at 3:45 AM, KCOComics said:

I know we don't know condition,  but Sgt Fury 1 for almost 2xs Xmen 1. 

The more recent #1s seemed to command a pretty good premium compared to many back issues. WWBN #1 was $10 when Xmen 1 was only $16. 

Agree the MM1 really jumps off the page at $1200. It looks so cheap today,  but imagine the laughs and eye rolls that got from parents in the mid 70s? 

 

It's hard for people today to remember/realize that there was a time when X-Men was a 3rd tier title for Marvel.  It was so unpopular that from #67 in 1970 until #93 in 1975, it became a reprint title and took a 3-month hiatus between #93 and #94 until Marvel decided to give the title one more try by allowing Dave Cockrum to reboot it in the style of the popular Legion of Super Heroes that Cockrum had revamped over at DC.