Detroit Trolley Collection Is Definitely Worth Checking Out

[esquirecomics]

Marnin Rosenberg is offering a fantastic new OO GA collection that has not received the attention it deserves. It has been discussed every once and a while on the boards but because these are raw books and Marnin is not one for these boards, for the most part the collection seems to have slipped through the cracks. No doubt the fact that Marnin is very slowly releasing the books onto the market rather than dumping the entire collection on us at once has contributed to this fact, but it also makes the collection more mysterious.

 

I highly recommend everyone check it out, at the very least just to admire an excellent OO GA collection that has some key books. A whole new crop of the collection was added this weekend to Marnin's site and many sold immediately! Many of Marnin's BIN prices are quite reasonable. He has a beautiful All American #16 that he graded as a 5.5 (the highest CGC grade is a 5.5 and Marnin's looks significantly better than at least one of those copies). I should say HAD because someone popped the BIN right away at a steal of a price. Ironically Marnin had just asked me whether I thought the price was too low (though it was still nearly $30k which few can afford!) and I said YES. From an investment standpoint, this book is awesome. Too late. The book sold before my e-mail reached him. Unlike most dealers Marnin is not looking to rake buyers over the coals and he starts many of his auctions, including for key books, at reasonable prices. Good for him! Reveals a lot of character on his part. Although this is his livelihood (unlike those such as myself who just sell on the side and have a day job), his actions continue to demonstrate a love for the hobby and an enjoyment in sharing comics with others. A copy of the AA#16 is below for all to see. DISCLOSURE : I consider Marnin a friend and he does have some of my books posted on is site.

 

Detroit Trolley Collection

 

Here is the background Marnin wrote for the collection:

 

A horse drawn milk wagon, a trolley car conductor switching tracks for a yellow and green trolley car, and a young boy all paint the picture of simpler times, the end of the Depression Era, and a time in Detroit when a young teenage boy first discovered comic book collecting. In his neighborhood, he remembers picking up the latest issues of his favorite comics along the turn-around route of the Trumble Trolley. He recalls his anticipation as he opened each new adventure, while he sipped on a soda, at the corner soda shops, Richs’ and Cunningham's, then retreating to his own room to devour them all. He didn’t consciously plan to be a collector. He just kept each issue, so he could re-read them and experience their adventures again and again. He used them to help improve his own sketching skills and his drawing perspective. He stored each treasured copy in an orange crate that he kept safe in his room. On December 7th, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and at age 17 he joined the Navy to serve his country and he was trained in underwater demolition. The orange crates full of comics and his easel, stayed home with his mother and father. Now this 65 year old collection of adventures has been brought out of storage to be experienced again! All books are raw, uncompromised and completely unrestored in their original state of preservation. It is with great pride that CollectorsAssemble.com introduces the original owner DETROIT TROLLEY pedigree collection comprising only books from the very early classic years of the Golden-Age Of Comics!!

 

[nearmint]

Sheesh. Really nice color on that book.

[Darrell F]

That is a beautiful book.

[14 of spades]

that is one frikken tough book...

[esquirecomics]

Compare Marnin's 5.5 to this CGC 5.5 that Heritage sold in 2002. I don't know what the graders at CGC were thinking when they slabbed this one. That left side is simply horrible looking.

 

 

This CGC 5.5 sold last year for nearly $35,000.

 

[CGCMINT]

How many books from the Trolley collection?

 

John

[Norrin_Radd]

How many books from the Trolley collection?

 

John

 

300-400.

 

Check out my original thread for more info...

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/sho...part=1&vc=1

[ft88]

Thanks Mark,

 

I picked up the Flash 13 off the site. Since buying the Flash #7, I've really like those early Shelly Moldoff Hawkman covers. Plus this fits the bill for my collecting, an otherwise 9.0 to 9.6 with an unobtrusive flaw making it affordable (relatively).

 

Ed

 

[comicdonna]

Mark: Are you going to be picking up any More Fun Comics for your collection?

[Silver Surfer]

Wow gorgeous book FT.

[Bronty]

AWESOME book. Can I ask how badly you got bent over price wise? That book is a great choice. Unbelievable eye appeal.

[FFB]

Marnin Rosenberg is offering a fantastic new OO GA collection that has not received the attention it deserves. It has been discussed every once and a while on the boards but because these are raw books and Marnin is not one for these boards, for the most part the collection seems to have slipped through the cracks. No doubt the fact that Marnin is very slowly releasing the books onto the market rather than dumping the entire collection on us at once has contributed to this fact, but it also makes the collection more mysterious.

 

"Myterious" is not necessarily a good thing in terms of generating collector interest. I think a better plan (if he wanted to highlight how special the collection is) would have been to release an overall inventory list of title, issue number, and grade all at once so that people could get an overall sense of whether this collection was really something special. He wouldn't have had to offer them for sale all at once -- just release the list at the beginning to show what a great collection it is. He would have built anticipation for future offerings that way. If he's just doling out a few books at a time while keeping the rest of the inventory a secret (I don't know if he did it this way or not; it just sounds that way), I don't think it makes the individual portions of the collection that he is doling out any more interesting or noteworthy than any other small run of nice books that comes up for sale every now and then.

[ft88]

The price is on the site at $1250. My 2003 guide shows $600 at Fine and $1250 at VF. I am sure the Overstreet bump up has risen this a bit and any GPA slaes are probably also higher. All in all I think its fair. I trust the promotion that it has white pages doesn't overstate, and that gives it an edge in my eyes. Freshness of look, feel, and smell add a lot. Throw in a near perfect spine, sharp corners and clean cover, I can (almost) look over the 1 inch tear.

[esquirecomics]

Mark: Are you going to be picking up any More Fun Comics for your collection?

 

Thinking about it, but I have my sights on some rarer books that come up far less often than the MFs in the Trolley Collection so may have to pass for now.

 

P.S. Thanks to Timulty for being my incessent spell checker! Am I spelling incessent correctly Tim?

[Bronty]

Not sure if you're being serious or not, but if so it's "incessant."

[Timulty]

Mark: Are you going to be picking up any More Fun Comics for your collection?

 

Thinking about it, but I have my sights on some rarer books that come up far less often than the MFs in the Trolley Collection so may have to pass for now.

 

P.S. Thanks to Timulty for being my incessent spell checker! Am I spelling incessent correctly Tim?

 

No, you are not spelling incessant correctly. Besides it was more a semantical fault than spelling. You spelled site correctly.

[esquirecomics]

Not sure if you're being serious or not, but if so it's "incessant."

 

I was, but Timulty was supposed to address this. Didn't invite anyone else!

 

Would be nice if CGC installed spell checks.

[esquirecomics]

Mark: Are you going to be picking up any More Fun Comics for your collection?

 

Thinking about it, but I have my sights on some rarer books that come up far less often than the MFs in the Trolley Collection so may have to pass for now.

 

P.S. Thanks to Timulty for being my incessent spell checker! Am I spelling incessent correctly Tim?

 

No, you are not spelling incessant correctly. Besides it was more a semantical fault than spelling. You spelled site correctly.

 

[Dark Knight]

Marnin updated his website with some new Trolley books. Check it out!

 

http://www.collectorsassemble.com/auction_new_arrivals.php

[telerites]

I've already picked one up, although not in hand yet but another Super-Mystery comic coming to join my others. Marnin is a top notch guy to deal with.