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

[jimbo_7071]

On 9/4/2023 at 1:13 PM, Robot Man said:

It all depends on the movies and how the comic book market progresses. I would go out on a limb and say flatter. But I have been wrong as long as I have collected. And I probably won’t be around in 20-30 years to find out...

I think 20 years is too short of a time frame, but I think it will get much flatter over the next 40 years. Buying comics off the rack and having them be a significant part of the average boy's childhood was a moment in time. Once the Boomers and Gen-Xers are, gone, comics will fade. The oldest Gen X-ers are just starting to become empty nesters with a decent amount of discretionary income, though, so comics still have some good years left.

[tth2]

On 9/5/2023 at 12:02 AM, BitterOldMan said:

Back in 1967, I didn’t have $25.  Hourly wage was $1.40 per hour.☹️

$25 for a comic in 1967 seems really pricey to me.

Just imagine how many copies of AF 15 you could've bought for $25! 

[Professor K]

On 9/4/2023 at 11:07 PM, tth2 said:

$25 for a comic in 1967 seems really pricey to me.

Just imagine how many copies of AF 15 you could've bought for $25! 

Maybe 5 or 6? 

[tth2]

On 9/5/2023 at 11:20 AM, Professor K said:

Maybe 5 or 6? 

At least!

[Telegan]

On 9/4/2023 at 7:54 AM, Bird said:

I would suggest that may be Mumy's home, the WW looks like the same issue from the previous picture

(sorry for a bit of a derail on the thread, but ...)

This article talks about that meeting and how it came about.  It apparently happened around 1987.  It's kind of cool that Mumy and Hamill met, not because of acting, but because of their love of comic books.

In this old article Hamill talks about how much he loves the history of comics, but eventually gave them up when "life" became more important.  He said he tried getting back into it, but said the collecting wasn't the same once prices/price guides came about.  It wasn't about trading comics anymore and the thrill was gone for him.  That article was back from 2011.

[Flex Mentallo]

On 9/4/2023 at 7:57 PM, MattTheDuck said:

The "old" articles always have either an overt tone of "what a maroon" or that's the subtext.  Today, we might shake our heads in amazement at a $3 million Action #1 but I doubt there are many people laughing behind the buyer's back.  

Anyone above the age of 10 who owned up to collecting comics in the 1970's was a maroon by the standards of the time. ( I recall purchasing a copy of an early pre-UK distribution Adam Strange appearance for the princely sum of £5 from a second hand bookstore in Central London in the late 70's and the fellow art student I was with thought I was absolutely nuts. )

[woowoo]

On 9/4/2023 at 11:24 AM, HouseofComics.Com said:

Does someone have the CBG article to post circa 1987 or 1988 about someone (I think in Grand Rapids, Michigan) trading a Detective 27 for a house? Valued at about $40,000 IIRC.

I was selling every week in the CBG in 1987-1988 I do remember that article. I had hopes on selling my Tec 27 for a house myself.

I had all the CBG for those years since I was selling the thing was, I was still living with my parents and brothers and when I was leaving home, I left all that behind and stayed here and there.

I got straight and grew up and when I got back into comics 1997ish I was glad that my mom had held all my comics but threw away my stacks of CBG.

I was happy that this was in one of my boxes.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

 

good job Harold. And I’m glad your mom saved the right pile

[Mmehdy]

On 9/4/2023 at 7:09 AM, Robot Man said:

Back in 1967 the “hardest to find EC comics” were worth an astounding $25. each! 

 I think 1953 is  one is the least hardest. But coming for the 1970's those annuals, especially for CA collectors were just impossible. I think NY collectors were able to buy them off the newsstands much easier. TTA1 is a truly rare book and I think I the Ha copy coming up for auction is a great opportunity to get it.

[Jesse-Lee]

On 9/3/2023 at 9:07 PM, Professor K said:

Love this stuff. I saw a picture once of Billy (Bill) Mumy, the actor, with some pretty good stuff. Found it. Well no Action or Sup 1's but maybe he had them as well. Probably got these cheap back in his Lost in Space days. Pic is from 1979 I believe.

 

Oof, the way he's perched above those books, ready to fall on them...

 

[AJD]

On 9/6/2023 at 10:54 AM, Jesse-Lee said:

 

Oof, the way he's perched above those books, ready to fall on them...

 

Crush, crease, destroy!

[PopKulture]

On 9/5/2023 at 9:36 PM, AJD said:

Crush, crease, destroy!

Now there’s someone who knows their Lost In Space!! 

Edited September 6, 2023 by PopKulture

[thehumantorch]

On 9/3/2023 at 8:07 PM, Professor K said:

Love this stuff. I saw a picture once of Billy (Bill) Mumy, the actor, with some pretty good stuff. Found it. Well no Action or Sup 1's but maybe he had them as well. Probably got these cheap back in his Lost in Space days. Pic is from 1979 I believe.

Bill Mumy posts in  GA facebook group I belong to.  He still has a large collection of amazing books.

[HouseofComics.Com]

On 9/5/2023 at 8:47 AM, woowoo said:

I was selling every week in the CBG in 1987-1988 I do remember that article. I had hopes on selling my Tec 27 for a house myself.

 

Nice!

[Crowzilla]

On 9/5/2023 at 11:47 AM, woowoo said:

I was happy that this was in one of my boxes.

Fantazia had several of those...

[woowoo]

On 9/6/2023 at 12:17 AM, Crowzilla said:

Fantazia had several of those...

As a kid with a full set of hair back than I was happy to get this 

This was when comics were great and fun, and I had no worries or real responsibilities. 

I will say I loved reading those CBG looked Forword for that next one to be waiting for me when I got home and saw black and white pictures of comic's great times back than.

[Robot Man]

[shadroch]

On 9/4/2023 at 6:46 AM, Dr. Balls said:

I follow his Facebook ‘Bill’s Book of the Day’ posts - his collection is unreal.

Mumy's quest for an Adventure 210 was epic, and I think he was responsible for Overstreet adjusting the prices on an almost non-existent book.

[lou_fine]

On 9/6/2023 at 9:30 AM, shadroch said:

Mumy's quest for an Adventure 210 was epic, and I think he was responsible for Overstreet adjusting the prices on an almost non-existent book.

So, I imagine he must have finally hooked up with Fishler who must have fleeced him for his BSD deep pockets because he claimed that he was personally responsible for that seemingly ridiculous valuation that Overstreet had in his guide for the first appearance of Krypto (whoTF????)    

[Tri-Color Brian]

On 9/4/2023 at 8:07 PM, tth2 said:

$25 for a comic in 1967 seems really pricey to me.

Just imagine how many copies of AF 15 you could've bought for $25! 

In 1966 there was a copy of Batman 11 in the window of Cherokee Book Shop for $25.  It sat there for years until it was extremely faded by the sun.  In 1966, if you could find a copy of Action #1 it would have been $100.  I saw one at Collector's Books that year, but $100 might as well have been a million dollars for me back then.