*GULP* I think I want to start collecting EC's!

[Shield]

Well, collecting Archie/MLJ since 1978 (Age 5) has been fun, but I bought a stack of the EC reprints. 12 books in full color. I loved all of them.

 

Now, I see quite a few people selling reprinted EC volumes, but many say the covers are color but the interiors are B&W. Does anyone know where to find these in full color?

 

By the way, I bought my first "real" EC tonight on EBAY.

 

It was the Haunt of Fear #19...

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2181588516&category=70&rd=1

 

Anyway, I can't explain it, but I love these spooky 1950's stories!

 

[Lofwyr]

I hope you have VERY deep pockets if you plan on buying VF and above EC's. I've been doing that for awhile now and i've spent oodles of money but it's all been worth it. ECs are significantly undervalued when you compare it to some other golden age books. No modern series has come even CLOSE to paralleling the quality of EC's horror or fantasy line so far. They are still great books and the stories aren't completely cornball like some other golden age runs.

 

Also the quality of the art is still amazing and pretty "non-PC" even for today's standards.

 

 

 

 

[FlyingDonut]

ECs slabbed are a SPECTACULAR deal right now - you can get nice looking 5.0-9.0 copies for under Guide, INCLUDING the slabbing fees. They also have been reprinted a zillion times, so you can always grab a great reading copy. Haunt of Fear 19 is one of my very favorites, you'll really enjoy it!

[sfilosa]

The bound copies (that are hard back) are in black and white. The reprints are in color. I would recomend these as I have lots of them and they are fun reading.

 

Regarding EC's being undervalued, I disagree.

 

1) Because of the Gaines File Copies, most issues have 8-12 very high grade copies available.

 

2) Books have been reprinted a thousand times, so a completionist doesn't need to buy low or mid grade reading copies.

 

3) Lastly, and most importantly, EC was the "joint" in the fifties for young boys and therefore, many did not throw away there copies. There were EC collectors and fan clubs back in the day. Doesn't mean there are necessarily a lot of high grade copies from these collections, just mean there are more total copies available.

 

Just the way I see it.

[Shield]

I hope you have VERY deep pockets if you plan on buying VF and above EC's. I've been doing that for awhile now and i've spent oodles of money but it's all been worth it. ECs are significantly undervalued when you compare it to some other golden age books. No modern series has come even CLOSE to paralleling the quality of EC's horror or fantasy line so far. They are still great books and the stories aren't completely cornball like some other golden age runs.

 

Also the quality of the art is still amazing and pretty "non-PC" even for today's standards.

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I collect MLJ comics, so I can't imagine them being much more expensive in comparable grades. I'm a VG-VF collector; if I can't sit down and read it why have it? Not saying I wouldn't pass up a great deal on NM copies, it's just the books I collect aren't available in super high grade. Heck, I'm having enough trouble finding them at all. MLJ spans 1939-1947.

 

So...here's my question to you EC guys:

 

If I end up collecting mid grade EC's (4.0 - 8.0) copies, where is the best place to find them reasonably priced? Any EC dealers you recommend?

[buttock]

Hey Shield, as a fellow C-bus EC collector I recommend Bookery-Fantasy down in Fairborn. He usually has a decent selection and his prices are pretty reasonable. It's really hard to get a good deal on E-bay, they always seem to go for around guide - regardless of condition.

[seank]

Mid-grade EC books are definitely a bargain when compared to some mid-grade golden age or Marvel books. I do agree, however, at the high end they can get pricey, especially when dealing with the Gaines file copies. But even most raw VF ECs are a great deal.

[Zonker]

I've noticed on eBay I can get great deals and good selection on the Kurtzman war and even the later MAD comics. The SF and Shock/Crime books are also reasonably easy to come by, as are Haunt and Vault. But I'm having a dickens of a time finding a bargain on Tales from the Crypt, probably because it is seen as the EC flagship and because of the cross-over appeal from the TV show.

 

Oh, and let me second the plug for the color reprints from Gemstone. Great way to test-drive the ECs for the issues you might want to collect as originals!

 

Cheers,

Z.

[sfilosa]

The reprints are the best way to go if you want to read the books. As a person who has probably read 80% or all the EC stoires in the Horror, Crime and Sci-Fi genre, the stories do get somewhat repetiitive.

 

What I mean, especially in the Horror books, is that there are only so many times I need to read a story:

1) Where someone murders someone else for money

2) Buries body

3) Corpse comes back to life, and kills murderer

 

I find the Sci-Fi stories more original, then the Crime and lastly the Horror.

 

Still fun to read.

 

[Bonds25]

Here is a really good deal, and the quality of the EC Classics is top-notch:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2181401315&category=35777

[Shield]

Here is a really good deal, and the quality of the EC Classics is top-notch:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2181401315&category=35777

 

Those are the 12 I have, as I mentioned in my first post. Do you know where to get more exactly like this (in full color)?

 

Thanks!

[Bonds25]

Those are the 12 I have, as I mentioned in my first post. Do you know where to get more exactly like this (in full color)?

 

Thanks!

 

Well, exccccuuusssseeee me!

 

Just kidding. I didn't know which 12 you had. Those are the only 12 they ever made, but you can buy the Gladstone EC reprints (they're comic book sized), and they're also in color. I'm sure there are some on Ebay right now.

[Zonker]

 

Those are the 12 I have, as I mentioned in my first post. Do you know where to get more exactly like this (in full color)?

 

Thanks!

 

Not exactly like those 12 (oversize, card-stock covers), but Gemstone has reprinted each and every one of the New Trend books (well, excepting MAD) during the late 1990s. See for example this auction and others from the same seller.

 

Cheers,

Z.

[Zonker]

The reprints are the best way to go if you want to read the books. As a person who has probably read 80% or all the EC stoires in the Horror, Crime and Sci-Fi genre, the stories do get somewhat repetiitive.

 

What I mean, especially in the Horror books, is that there are only so many times I need to read a story:

1) Where someone murders someone else for money

2) Buries body

3) Corpse comes back to life, and kills murderer

 

I find the Sci-Fi stories more original, then the Crime and lastly the Horror.

 

Still fun to read.

 

I know what ya mean regarding the horror books. The cliche sometimes carries over to the SF books as well, for instance...

 

1) Humans encounter aliens

2) "My God... turns out we are the test subjects/breeding stock/food"

3) The Ironic End

 

In order of originality, I would rate the New Trends as follows:

 

1. Kurtzman MAD (most original)

2. Kurtzman War books

3. S-F books

4. Shock & Crime Suspenstories

5. Horror books (most formulaic; but still damned fine)

 

Cheers,

Z.

[Lofwyr]

The bound copies (that are hard back) are in black and white. The reprints are in color. I would recomend these as I have lots of them and they are fun reading.

 

Regarding EC's being undervalued, I disagree.

 

1) Because of the Gaines File Copies, most issues have 8-12 very high grade copies available.

 

True, there are high grade gaines file copies but being gaines file doesn't always mean they are in the NM range. I've seen plenty of VF condition Gaines File EC books. I once saw a complete boxed collection of gaines file being sold that was at least 35% VF. This was a SIGNED certified collection.

 

When it comes down to it the number of high grade copies available isn't much at all. Look at the census and compare it with some other golden age books. The demand is still there for ECs which waxes and wanes according to collector trends.

 

2) Books have been reprinted a thousand times, so a completionist doesn't need to buy low or mid grade reading copies.

Quite a few of those sets are in black and white. Also, quite a few fans of the series aren't going to want reprints. How many collectors of uncanny would be satisfied with classic X-men filling in gaps?

 

3) Lastly, and most importantly, EC was the "joint" in the fifties for young boys and therefore, many did not throw away there copies. There were EC collectors and fan clubs back in the day. Doesn't mean there are necessarily a lot of high grade copies from these collections, just mean there are more total copies available.

That's pretty debatable. I've had a dickens of a time scaring up high grade copies of certain issues. Oh they're available but even at this level of the hobbyist game i'm seeing repeat auctions of the same books every few years. The census for graded EC horror/fantasy isn't high at all. I think most books average in the 20-30 total graded copy range with a few exceptional gaines file copies above 9.0.

 

 

[Shield]

Those are the 12 I have, as I mentioned in my first post. Do you know where to get more exactly like this (in full color)?

 

Thanks!

 

Well, exccccuuusssseeee me!

 

Just kidding. I didn't know which 12 you had. Those are the only 12 they ever made, but you can buy the Gladstone EC reprints (they're comic book sized), and they're also in color. I'm sure there are some on Ebay right now.

 

 

I just said that to get a rise out of you. Seriously, for all I know there are 20 companies that reprinted these.

 

Big thanks to all you guys; I think for now I'm going to get a few more reprints before I decide to go in with both barrels. I do see what you mean about the horror stories being sort of repetetive; but aren't most/all comics? That's why I quit buying any Archies post-1950...they homogonized the characters (Wilbur, Suzie, Wilkin Boy, Ginger, et al) far too much.

[Shield]

Got my first "real" EC in! Haunt of Fear #19! I can't believe how much smaller these are than the reprints. Anyway...off to read!

[Bugaboo-migration]

Got my first "real" EC in! Haunt of Fear #19! I can't believe how much smaller these are than the reprints. Anyway...off to read!

What do you mean by "smaller"......in what way?

[Shield]

The Gladstone reprints are much, much larger than this copy. This EC book is like silver age sized. Heck, the Gladstones are bigger than my gold stuff!