Golden Age group shot 21 21

[CentaurMan]

My real name is Win Murray. I bought a number of More Funs from you, primarily via e-mail, a few years ago. The biggest book was your More Fun 73, which was in beautiful shape, other than having a small bindery chip filled at the bottom of the spine. If I remember correctly, you sold your More Fun 52 to Ian Levine, didn't you?

 

Are you coming up to Chicago for the con this year?

 

Hey Win! I remember it well. You are correct Ian did buy the MF 52 and some others from my run.

 

I will indeed be in Chicago this year, and I can't wait!

 

If you're free Saturday night of the con, or if you've got plans you can cancel, I urge you to attend the CGC forum dinner. Joe Sarno, Gary Colabuono (I don't know how to spell Moondog's last name), Michelle Nolan, Steve Borock, Larry Charet, myself, and dozens more will be there. We've done it for a few years now, and it's a blast. It's at Gibson's, right across from the convention center, and although the nominal payment is $60, if you can attend your meal's on me. It'll be worth it to have you there talking comics with us.

 

Here's the thread all about it:

CFC Forum Dinner

[ciorac]

Those Disney books are unbelievable!!!! They look like they were just printed, I am stunned! And that includes the dumbo from the 1st four color series, I've never seen a nice copy of that. ... Staggering around my room....

 

They were just unbelievable! So were the DC comics. Some of which never made it to Geppi.

 

We just HAD to scoop some books out of the collection for ourselves before offering them out didn't we??

 

[ciorac]

My real name is Win Murray. I bought a number of More Funs from you, primarily via e-mail, a few years ago. The biggest book was your More Fun 73, which was in beautiful shape, other than having a small bindery chip filled at the bottom of the spine. If I remember correctly, you sold your More Fun 52 to Ian Levine, didn't you?

 

Are you coming up to Chicago for the con this year?

 

Hey Win! I remember it well. You are correct Ian did buy the MF 52 and some others from my run.

 

I will indeed be in Chicago this year, and I can't wait!

 

If you're free Saturday night of the con, or if you've got plans you can cancel, I urge you to attend the CGC forum dinner. Joe Sarno, Gary Colabuono (I don't know how to spell Moondog's last name), Michelle Nolan, Steve Borock, Larry Charet, myself, and dozens more will be there. We've done it for a few years now, and it's a blast. It's at Gibson's, right across from the convention center, and although the nominal payment is $60, if you can attend your meal's on me. It'll be worth it to have you there talking comics with us.

 

Here's the thread all about it:

CFC Forum Dinner

 

thanks Win, that is very generous of you. We, my comic geeks and I, also have a Friday night dinner at Mortons every year. It would be great if you would attend with us. Lots of great old war stories get swapped at that table. (sometimes comics too)!

[batman_fan]

My real name is Win Murray. I bought a number of More Funs from you, primarily via e-mail, a few years ago. The biggest book was your More Fun 73, which was in beautiful shape, other than having a small bindery chip filled at the bottom of the spine. If I remember correctly, you sold your More Fun 52 to Ian Levine, didn't you?

 

Are you coming up to Chicago for the con this year?

 

Hey Win! I remember it well. You are correct Ian did buy the MF 52 and some others from my run.

 

I will indeed be in Chicago this year, and I can't wait!

 

If you're free Saturday night of the con, or if you've got plans you can cancel, I urge you to attend the CGC forum dinner. Joe Sarno, Gary Colabuono (I don't know how to spell Moondog's last name), Michelle Nolan, Steve Borock, Larry Charet, myself, and dozens more will be there. We've done it for a few years now, and it's a blast. It's at Gibson's, right across from the convention center, and although the nominal payment is $60, if you can attend your meal's on me. It'll be worth it to have you there talking comics with us.

 

Here's the thread all about it:

CFC Forum Dinner

 

thanks Win, that is very generous of you. We, my comic geeks and I, also have a Friday night dinner at Mortons every year. It would be great if you would attend with us. Lots of great old war stories get swapped at that table. (sometimes comics too)!

 

Wasn't John Fairless (Great Escape) part of the Cresant City find as well?

[Mephisto]

10. Suspense 3 that I bought at a dead show in Oklahoma City

 

 

Sounds interesting...

 

At first I thought he meant he bought them at a Grateful Dead concert in Oklahoma City in the 70's. All I could picture is some hippie in a van going up to people and offering some old comic books for sale.

[ciorac]

Yes. John Fairless, Harley Yee, Rob Hughes and myself were the buyers.

[tb]

I've collected Disney comics all my life and these pictures are literally the most amazing I've ever seen! If those books were 9.0 on average they would still be so far off the scale that ... well, nothing I've ever seen or heard of would compare to them. I'm stunned, speechless, and very thankful for getting a glance at them.

 

I guess Geppi would be the only potential buyer for the WDCS 1, but the breadth of the rest of the collection is much more impressive to me. The demand for these books would be crazy today. I lost a WDCS 2 CGC 9.0 with a $15,000 bid earlier this year and several post-war Four Colors in the 9.2+ range have sold privately for well into 5 figures. Any WDCS < 100 in CGC 9.4 would easily break $1K on eBay. I've spent the past 6 years assembling a set of WDCS 1-31 in CGC 8.5 or better and still only have 12 books.

 

Did Snyder/Geppi tell you anything about the Poughkeepsie file copies, which I guess is the only thing that might come close? Many of us are afraid that the market suddenly would get swamped with dozens of NM copies of the Duck Four Colors etc. I know one New England seller ended up with all the FC 9s, most of which were later dispersed, but I believe Geppi bought a large fraction of the other PKs?

 

Btw., is this the Crescent City copy? It is on display at Diamond Galleries; the picture is from the CGC gallery.

 

[october]

10. Suspense 3 that I bought at a dead show in Oklahoma City

 

 

Sounds interesting...

 

The show was so dead, that I just left my booth and walked around. There was this guy at a small table with a half box of comics. I started flipping through it and lo' and behold, there was a Suspense #3. I took it out and looked through it to see if it was complete. It was. I asked him how much he wanted and he said $600. I nearly broke my wrist getting my wallet out. As I walked back to my booth, Harley and Mike Goldman saw me with it and swooped down on me trying to pry it from my hands. Since the show was so awful I ended up selling it to Mike. I had sellers remorse the entire long drive home. Haven't had another one since.

 

When you said "dead show" I thought you meant a Grateful Dead concert.

[Mephisto]

10. Suspense 3 that I bought at a dead show in Oklahoma City

 

 

Sounds interesting...

 

The show was so dead, that I just left my booth and walked around. There was this guy at a small table with a half box of comics. I started flipping through it and lo' and behold, there was a Suspense #3. I took it out and looked through it to see if it was complete. It was. I asked him how much he wanted and he said $600. I nearly broke my wrist getting my wallet out. As I walked back to my booth, Harley and Mike Goldman saw me with it and swooped down on me trying to pry it from my hands. Since the show was so awful I ended up selling it to Mike. I had sellers remorse the entire long drive home. Haven't had another one since.

 

When you said "dead show" I thought you meant a Grateful Dead concert.

 

Look about 3 posts up and you'll see you werent' the only one.

[CentaurMan]

10. Suspense 3 that I bought at a dead show in Oklahoma City

 

 

Sounds interesting...

 

The show was so dead, that I just left my booth and walked around. There was this guy at a small table with a half box of comics. I started flipping through it and lo' and behold, there was a Suspense #3. I took it out and looked through it to see if it was complete. It was. I asked him how much he wanted and he said $600. I nearly broke my wrist getting my wallet out. As I walked back to my booth, Harley and Mike Goldman saw me with it and swooped down on me trying to pry it from my hands. Since the show was so awful I ended up selling it to Mike. I had sellers remorse the entire long drive home. Haven't had another one since.

 

When you said "dead show" I thought you meant a Grateful Dead concert.

 

You picked the right avatar, Towelie Man.

[Thegoldenage]

Looks like a decent Action 12 peeking out from that pile.GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

I own the More Fun copy of Action 12. Unfortunately it, along with several other books from the Action run were restored in one manner or another.

[Thegoldenage]

I bought it.

 

I recall that Nick Kronfeld and Dan Greenhog had something to do with that collection before you purchased it. Can you clarify? It has been a loooong time and my memory is foggy.

[ciorac]

I bought it.

 

I recall that Nick Kronfeld and Dan Greenhog had something to do with that collection before you purchased it. Can you clarify? It has been a loooong time and my memory is foggy.

 

Actually no they did not. We were involved from the very beginning. There were several deals that led up to the purchase of the More Fun deal. First was a collection from a New Orleans collector who knew the owner of the More Fun collection. He had several hundred Golden Age books. A full run Sensation, Wonder Woman, Big All-American 1, full run of Comic Cavalcade, full run of Popular Comics, full run of Super Comics, etc.

 

I bought that set.

 

Next was a Fox comics collection linked to the More Fun Collection. Full run of Mystery Men, etc.

 

I bought that set.

 

At long last an appointment was made with the collector who had the 2200 golden age books that would become the More Fun Collection. The go-between guy (the owner of the first batch I bought) was working two sides of the street. He invited Robert Rogovin in to see the books before us. He and the collector did not see eye to eye, and the collector nearly cancelled our appointment. We were able to convince him that he should still see us. He agreed after several days of negotiating with go-betweens in California.

 

Finally we got to see the books and a deal was struck. Once we acquired the books (in two stages about three months apart), Dan Greenhalgh and Nick Kronfeld (may he rest in peace), came down to New Orleans to have first crack at the books. The bought quite a few. The books then went with me to Detroit (Motor City show) and folks started buying them.

 

After many months, one of the go-betweens contacted me again about yet another collection. This one was a high grade set of Marvel Silver age, every book. however, we passed on this collection.

 

A couple of months later still, he contacted us again and he led us to the collection that would become the Crescent City Collection.

 

Most of these collectors were older gentlemen that bought books from Cherokee book store in Hollywood during the 60's, and that is how they all knew each other.

 

Hope this chronology helps fill in the blanks and clears some misconceptions.

[ciorac]

Looks like a decent Action 12 peeking out from that pile.GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

 

I own the More Fun copy of Action 12. Unfortunately it, along with several other books from the Action run were restored in one manner or another.

 

Would you like to sell it back to me??

[Thegoldenage]

Thanks for clarifying the origin. Nick told me that he was going to fly to California to view the collection but, that Dan had screwed him out of it. Of course with Nick, one never really knew if he was telling the truth.

 

I looked long and hard to find a sweet copy of Action 12. Can you tell me what was wrong with it prior to the restoration? The book doesn't appear to have had much work done.

[ciorac]

The restoration was done prior to my buying the book. If I remember correctly that book had very little work. The collector had a few of his books restored and I assume he also bought some that were restored by others.

[FlyingDonut]

My real name is Win Murray. I bought a number of More Funs from you, primarily via e-mail, a few years ago. The biggest book was your More Fun 73, which was in beautiful shape, other than having a small bindery chip filled at the bottom of the spine. If I remember correctly, you sold your More Fun 52 to Ian Levine, didn't you?

 

Are you coming up to Chicago for the con this year?

 

Hey Win! I remember it well. You are correct Ian did buy the MF 52 and some others from my run.

 

I will indeed be in Chicago this year, and I can't wait!

 

If you're free Saturday night of the con, or if you've got plans you can cancel, I urge you to attend the CGC forum dinner. Joe Sarno, Gary Colabuono (I don't know how to spell Moondog's last name), Michelle Nolan, Steve Borock, Larry Charet, myself, and dozens more will be there. We've done it for a few years now, and it's a blast. It's at Gibson's, right across from the convention center, and although the nominal payment is $60, if you can attend your meal's on me. It'll be worth it to have you there talking comics with us.

 

Here's the thread all about it:

CFC Forum Dinner

 

thanks Win, that is very generous of you. We, my comic geeks and I, also have a Friday night dinner at Mortons every year. It would be great if you would attend with us. Lots of great old war stories get swapped at that table. (sometimes comics too)!

 

PM sent!

[*paull*]

Ciorac,

 

Did Nick Kronfeld pass away? I remember his auctions in the early 90s. He had a lot of amazing stuff.

 

Thanks,

Paul

[tth2]

At any rate, the collection consisted of mostly Disney comics. However, there were a few stunning golden age DC comics in there as well...

 

The disney's were astounding. They looked like they had just rolled off the presses. The crown jewel of the collection was a Walt Disney Comics and Stories #1 that was flawless. I don't know what it would slab for, or if it has ever been slabbed, but in my opinion it was 9.6 with an argument for 9.8. All of the comics had bone white pages.

 

I'll see if I can dig up any of those old crappy pictures. Steve Geppi bought the entire collection and to my knowledge he still has them all.

Wow! You've got my undivided attention now. The pictures of all the great looking Duck books are awesome!

 

I immediately had the same thought as tb had, whether the WDC&S #1 that you sold to Geppi is the one that he slabbed as a 9.4. It's hard to believe that there might be 2 9.4 copies of that book in existence.

 

Ciorac, are there any distinguishing characteristics of the Crescent City books? I have a few high grade slabbed copies of some of the books that are shown in your pictures and I am just wondering they might be from the collection.

[tth2]

Dan Greenhog