To Be A Gerber "9" Or Not To Be, That Is The Question!

[Larryw7]

Just picked this up recently. Thank you very much to forum member DarrenSmith for alerting me to the sale!!!! (thumbs u

 

This is a really interesting "book". It is, actually, a wealth of treasure 1 1/2" thick, so to speak, of 16 comics bound together in a 1948 hardback book version.

 

Listed as "rare" by Overstreet and a Gerber "9".

 

Anyone else have a copy or know of any for sale?

 

 

 

Never seen that one before! Congrats :thumbsup:

[Scrooge]

Never seen this book before!!! Hardback version??? The comics bound together don't have covers of any kind, or is this like the St. John 100 pagers, just bigger???

 

Also would like to see more cover scans if anybody else has a copy!!!

 

Inquiring minds want to know!!!!

 

Funny you should ask if this is like St John's 100 pagers since the book Mark posted is a St John book! What Mark has is the 1948 version. There was also a 1947 version: A Treasury of Comics # 1.

[showcase4]

Just picked this up recently. Thank you very much to forum member DarrenSmith for alerting me to the sale!!!! (thumbs u

 

This is a really interesting "book". It is, actually, a wealth of treasure 1 1/2" thick, so to speak, of 16 comics bound together in a 1948 hardback book version.

 

Listed as "rare" by Overstreet and a Gerber "9".

 

Anyone else have a copy or know of any for sale?

 

 

Mark, it is safe to say this book is "very rare" rather than "rare" (thumbs u

[Scrooge]

Never seen this book before!!! Hardback version??? The comics bound together don't have covers of any kind, or is this like the St. John 100 pagers, just bigger???

 

Also would like to see more cover scans if anybody else has a copy!!!

 

Inquiring minds want to know!!!!

 

Funny you should ask if this is like St John's 100 pagers since the book Mark posted is a St John book! What Mark has is the 1948 version. There was also a 1947 version: A Treasury of Comics # 1.

 

Let me rephrase this. St John also produced a comic book titled A Treasury of Comics # 1 in 1947. It was however a regular sized comic, not an anthology as the book Mark posted. The 1947 version reprinted some Abbie and Slats strips. Early on St. John was reprinting United Features Syndicate (UFS) strips.

[Blind Owl]

So is this is a reprint book??? Or just a collectoin of St. John titles that were out at that time and combined to make one title instead of the 16 titles!!!

[esquirecomics]

From what I can tell these are previously published St. John's comics combined into a book form. No covers. There was a 1948 and 1949 version, both of which are listed in Gerber. Overstreet also notes a 1950 version but it is not pictured or listed in Gerber.

[Scrooge]

So is this is a reprint book??? Or just a collectoin of St. John titles that were out at that time and combined to make one title instead of the 16 titles!!!

 

As Mark said, these are 16 St John comics combined into one title. The preceding St John comic that shares the title was a reprint book.

[Blind Owl]

Thanks Guys!!! I like these early St. John books!!! Some of them reprinted Chesler stuff!!!

[BB-Gun]

Just picked this up recently. Thank you very much to forum member DarrenSmith for alerting me to the sale!!!! (thumbs u

 

This is a really interesting "book". It is, actually, a wealth of treasure 1 1/2" thick, so to speak, of 16 comics bound together in a 1948 hardback book version.

 

Listed as "rare" by Overstreet and a Gerber "9".

 

Anyone else have a copy or know of any for sale?

 

 

Mark, it is safe to say this book is "very rare" rather than "rare" (thumbs u

 

I noticed that a piece of the Abbott and Costello #3 cover is on the cover of theTreasury comic. Is the outer space story also on the inside?

 

I have a beat up copy of the Mighty Mouse comic which consists of 12 or so St. John issues bound together. They are mostly Mighty Mouse and Terrytoons but some other funny animal comics are included. Is this very rare too?

bb

 

 

[selegue]

 

i heard she put madeline kahn to shame when she hit that note on "sweet mystery of life, at last i've FOUND YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU."

 

 

"sweet mystery of life, at last i've FOUND YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU."

 

Jack

[Blind Owl]

Just picked this up recently. Thank you very much to forum member DarrenSmith for alerting me to the sale!!!! (thumbs u

 

This is a really interesting "book". It is, actually, a wealth of treasure 1 1/2" thick, so to speak, of 16 comics bound together in a 1948 hardback book version.

 

Listed as "rare" by Overstreet and a Gerber "9".

 

Anyone else have a copy or know of any for sale?

 

 

Mark, it is safe to say this book is "very rare" rather than "rare" (thumbs u

 

I noticed that a piece of the Abbott and Costello #3 cover is on the cover of theTreasury comic. Is the outer space story also on the inside?

 

I have a beat up copy of the Mighty Mouse comic which consists of 12 or so St. John issues bound together. They are mostly Mighty Mouse and Terrytoons but some other funny animal comics are included. Is this very rare too?

bb

 

 

Hi BB!!! Nice copy to have I'd say!!!! I think a lot of these Oversized Giants by St. John are fairly rare!!! I know as far as Gerber rankings (I discussed this once in a different thread) St. John is in the top five of all comic publishers for the most Gerber 7 or higher books. I thought that was a surprise when I discovered that!!!

 

Also if you notice St. John books are very difficult to find in decent grade as well. I don't really know about your Mighty Mouse book, but I'd say that it is probably rare!!! Somone else with more knowledge on these boards might know a little more about it!!! How about a scan of the cover of this baby!!!

[Guest]

Gentlemen, I have a couple of questions of you that have more knowledge and more books than I.

 

1. Gerber states that Crime and Justice #' 22 thru 26 may not exist", yet gives them a SR of 8. I don't understand that. Is that an illustration that he just guessed on some books? Overstreet questions that #'s 23 thru 26 "exists?". I have 23 and 26, and have seen #24 on Ebay.

 

2. Gerber does not have an entry for Romeo Tubbs #27 (actually under "My Secret Life" in his guide). He only lists #26. Overstreet lists #27 and states who did the artwork and when it was printed (1950), but then questions whether or not it "exists?" That does not make much sense either. I have a Canadian Edition of Romeo Tubbs #27. It is the only CGC'd copy thus far, of either U.S. or Canadian editions. Does anyone know if the U.S. edition exists? Does that mean my Canadian Edition might be a Gerber 8 or 9?

 

Hope so, but doubt it.

 

I have run across many Gerber rated books that are not as designated by him, as ya'll have mentioned. I have also searched for a few 6's and 7's that I can not find at all.

 

Ernest Gerber did a fantastic job considering that he had to travel to put this compilation together. No internet and probably did not trust phone calls. I know people that he actually visited and went through their collections with them, compilling his notes and taking pics.

 

A little off the subject, but in Gerbers guides, "True Crime Comics" #6 is the wrong pic. I have the book and it has a different cover. His pic must be of a Canadian Edition. Does that mean that he assumed they both had the same cover, and or does that mean that it may be rarer than the "5" he gives it?

 

Now, don't get me started on the True Comics run from #'s 80 to 84. I have multiple copies of some, and at least one of all. I wonder if any copies exist that do not have subscription labels. I have at least one that does not (my memory sucks lately) (and CGC did not even note that on their label, even though that was the only way those books were sold, through the mail with labels, according to the guide).

 

I could go on and on, but I'll stop.

 

Except to say that I also assumed Gerber's books were pretty much spot on when I started with Golden Age book collecting, and bought some books that maybe I should not have, because of their 7 and 8 ratings. Live and learn. Oh well, if they are only a 6's I can live with that.

[CAMERANIAC]

[esquirecomics]

Gentlemen, I have a couple of questions of you that have more knowledge and more books than I.

 

1. Gerber states that Crime and Justice #' 22 thru 26 may not exist", yet gives them a SR of 8. I don't understand that. Is that an illustration that he just guessed on some books? Overstreet questions that #'s 23 thru 26 "exists?". I have 23 and 26, and have seen #24 on Ebay.

 

2. Gerber does not have an entry for Romeo Tubbs #27 (actually under "My Secret Life" in his guide). He only lists #26. Overstreet lists #27 and states who did the artwork and when it was printed (1950), but then questions whether or not it "exists?" That does not make much sense either. I have a Canadian Edition of Romeo Tubbs #27. It is the only CGC'd copy thus far, of either U.S. or Canadian editions. Does anyone know if the U.S. edition exists? Does that mean my Canadian Edition might be a Gerber 8 or 9?

 

Hope so, but doubt it.

 

I have run across many Gerber rated books that are not as designated by him, as ya'll have mentioned. I have also searched for a few 6's and 7's that I can not find at all.

 

Ernest Gerber did a fantastic job considering that he had to travel to put this compilation together. No internet and probably did not trust phone calls. I know people that he actually visited and went through their collections with them, compilling his notes and taking pics.

 

A little off the subject, but in Gerbers guides, "True Crime Comics" #6 is the wrong pic. I have the book and it has a different cover. His pic must be of a Canadian Edition. Does that mean that he assumed they both had the same cover, and or does that mean that it may be rarer than the "5" he gives it?

 

Now, don't get me started on the True Comics run from #'s 80 to 84. I have multiple copies of some, and at least one of all. I wonder if any copies exist that do not have subscription labels. I have at least one that does not (my memory sucks lately) (and CGC did not even note that on their label, even though that was the only way those books were sold, through the mail with labels, according to the guide).

 

I could go on and on, but I'll stop.

 

Except to say that I also assumed Gerber's books were pretty much spot on when I started with Golden Age book collecting, and bought some books that maybe I should not have, because of their 7 and 8 ratings. Live and learn. Oh well, if they are only a 6's I can live with that.

 

Some excellent questions and great contributions!!! Plus, welcome to the boards!

 

No doubt you saw the various Gerber reassessment threads I started. I hope you will contribute to those as it sounds your collection is in sync with mine. In your honor I started a Crime & Justice #25 thread. I share the query you noted. Makes no sense. Wish we could ask Gerber but alas that isn't going to happen.

[selegue]

 

Some excellent questions and great contributions!!! Plus, welcome to the boards!

 

No doubt you saw the various Gerber reassessment threads I started. I hope you will contribute to those as it sounds your collection is in sync with mine. In your honor I started a Crime & Justice #25 thread. I share the query you noted. Makes no sense. Wish we could ask Gerber but alas that isn't going to happen.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Thanks Mark.

 

It would be a huge task to "re-write" the scarcity ratings that Gerber completed, but not nearly as difficult as it was for him. It would be vastly more accurate now though, with the advent of the internet.

 

There actually are, IMO, many Gerber 5's that are probably 8's. Just to name a couple: Cannonball Comics #1 and Captain Flight Comics #1. I could list more. They are "5's" and tough to find.

 

Anyone have a thought about those two? I believe I have the two highest graded, but I have not checked in awhile. Sometimes I am surprised in that regard because one would assume that all of the MIle High books have been graded and slabbed, but there are many that have not been.

 

Ernest Gerber's guide books are great as a resource, but they are just that, a "guide", and have to be used in conjunction with other resources, as has been stated here by those with more knowledge than I. I use his books for the pics a lot more than I use them for the Scarcity Index's. Now anyway. I started out using them as the Bible of Comic scarcity and learned quickly. I purchased a Atomic Thunderbolt with much glee early in my collecting but them observed the same person on Ebay selling one a week for a few months. Obviously a "warehouse" find, or at least a "stack" find. The ones up for sale were all in the F/VF range. I emailed the seller and asked did he have a NM or close for sale and he never responded back.

 

I purchased an "alleged" set of the covers only of Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #'s 2, 3 and 4. Then found out through a bonafide source (consultant for Sotheby's) that a whole stack of them was "found" in a prrinting shop several states away from where the original copies described by Overstreet were located (in the originators estate). I have watched closely to see if the Overstreet Guide ever updated their descriptions of these covers. It has not. But, I must admit that I was probably "taken" by forgeries in that transaction. I am still unsure and no one can tell me I was or I was not positively, but most experts state that "more than likely" my copies were forgeries by a dealer that realized that he was dying and he wanted to get together some money for his heirs or whatever. I could give names and such, but what is the use. He is deceased now. His collection was highly touted on Heritage, yet Heritage is one of the experts that I consulted concerning these (my copies were through Ebay and not through Heritage). Their statement was that "I was probably taken by a guy who was dying and had nothing to lose". Over a thousand bucks down the drain. Oh well. On with the quest.

 

Speaking of that. I seem to recall that somewhere in his Gerber's guide books there was a statement that you could send for a free update of his ratings, and it gave an address. Did anyone "out there" ever do that? Just curious.