RE: Blazing Combat #1 question

[alecholland]

I just bought a copy of Blazing Combat #1 which I posted scans of in the grading forum. I know what the OS guide has this book listed at, but I've had a few people tell me that it's a fairly rare book and OS may not be correct in terms of value. Other than the fact that it has a Frazetta cover and that I used to love the old Eerie and Creepy mags published by Warren, I don't know very much about this publication.

 

If someone with a little more expertise in this area could enlighten me in terms of rarity and whether OS is correct on value, it would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[ninanina]

Don't think Overstreet has it right for Eerie 17 either. That's another very rare Warren book. Wondering if Blazing Combat #1 is as rare as Eerie 17. I think it is, but I'm not sure.

 

Anyone care to draw comarisons?

 

I know why Eerie 17 is rare, but why is Blazing Combat rare? Was it simply the number that was printed?

[Sal]

Blazing Combat #1 is a super tough book in any grade. Anything FN or better is truly a find.

 

They do pop up ebay, but usually no better than VG.

 

Why? The reasons are low-printing and general popularity of the book. Of course, the black cover makes high grade next to impossible.

 

Shep

 

post by bigfiver69 from Feb of 2006

[alecholland]

Thanks for the info Sal, I truly appreciate it. I may PM Shep and see if he can give me any more details. Thanks again.

[RedRaven]

Throw out overstreet on this one.

Warren collectors go nuts for Blazing Combat #1.

Low print run and copies rarely ever leave collections.

[action1kid]

Yeah, there great covers.

[Freddy-G.-migration]

I have GOT to get my copy graded. Looks like a 9.2 to me.

[Paratrooper]

I have to disagree on the scarcity, I've seen it at least a dozen times up for sale on ebay within the past 12 months. Granted about half of them were below FN, but there were a bunch in 6.0-8.0 condition. I don't think this book is as scarce as people like to think.

[ecfanman]

This was one of the first Warren's that was sold out in the early day of Captains Company (Warren's mailorder group). The reason for few high grades is that there were no warehouse copies. It has always been one of the hardest Warrens to find (much harder than Vampirella 3 or Eerie 17).

 

I don't know about print runs, but I think Warren went out on a limb with this first issue and it's likely he didn't overprint it. I don't think it (or any Warren) is "rare".

 

Great art in the entire run and well written stories by Archie Goodwin.

[RedRaven]

Rare Warrens IMO

 

House of Horor #1, 400 issues printed

 

Vampirella Special HC 500 printed,.

About half were destroyed when they arrived from the printer. Warren had them printed as cheaply possible in Mexico and the results were that the binding split on many of the books in transit. Very hard to find a copy of this in decent condition.

 

Spirit Special HC. 1500 printed.

 

Illustrated History of Heidi Saha 500 printed.

 

Blazing Combat #1. I see the same ads on ebay for the beater copies. As a Warren completist (meaning I spend a lot of time hunting these lil darlings )it is my opinion that this is a rare book. Not as rare as the ones I mentioned above but still a hard find in decent shape.

 

Lots of others rares such as After Hours #1, certain issues of Help, several issues of Famous Monsters as well. And then there are the impossibly rare issues such as some of the convention specials.

[Forbush-Man]

I have to disagree on the scarcity, I've seen it at least a dozen times up for sale on ebay within the past 12 months. Granted about half of them were below FN, but there were a bunch in 6.0-8.0 condition. I don't think this book is as scarce as people like to think.

 

I had a conversation with Al Stoltz of Basement Comics (a very knowledgable fellow) & he said the same; it's not as scarce as people think.

[RedRaven]

I have to disagree on the scarcity, I've seen it at least a dozen times up for sale on ebay within the past 12 months. Granted about half of them were below FN, but there were a bunch in 6.0-8.0 condition. I don't think this book is as scarce as people like to think.

 

I had a conversation with Al Stoltz of Basement Comics (a very knowledgable fellow) & he said the same; it's not as scarce as people think.

 

I would love to know how many copies of this issue were printed. Maybe I'll write Jim Warren a letter and see if he responds. I had his address a few years ago....

[precodekeith]

I remember seeing these over & over again at shows during the 80's.

[Freddy-G.-migration]

Wouldn't the fact that only 20 copies of Blazing Combat #1 have been graded, and that the majority of that number is below 9.0 provide some indication that it it is rare, even in low grade? Interestingly, only sixteen copies Eerie 17 have been graded, but 4 of them were graded 9.0.

[RedRaven]

Wouldn't the fact that only 20 copies of Blazing Combat #1 have been graded, and that the majority of that number is below 9.0 provide some indication that it it is rare, even in low grade? Interestingly, only sixteen copies Eerie 17 have been graded, but 4 of them were graded 9.0.

 

I'd say so. Not proof by any stretch of the imagination but definitely a good indicator in my mind.

[bigfiver69]

For what it's worth, I spent four full days at the 2003 San Diego convention hunting war books, and at every booth I asked for a copy of this in any grade (I was looking for a friend). No one had one, and none were sold at the con according to my impromptu research.

 

It's a very hard book to find in any grade above 7.0

 

Shep

[bigfiver69]

One other thing... of the four issues, #1 is by far the weakest. Yes, the cover is killer and it is the #1, but in terms of pure storytelling and art, #3 and #4 are by far the better issues.

 

Just one man's opinion!

Shep

[RedRaven]

I called Doug Sulipa (the nicest man in comics ) and picked his brain for a bit regarding Blazing Combat #1 and the general scarcity of Warrens.

 

Blazing Combat #1

Doug estimated that around 250,000 issues were printed. By 1970 all issues of Blazing Combat #1 were sold from the Warren back-issue bins. Using his rule-o-thumb he estimated that about 5000 issues of Blazing Combat survived and judging by the number of issues coming to market, most likely far less than 5000. Definitely one of the tougher Warren mags and harder to find than Creepy 17.

 

Heidi Saha HC

Doug described this as one of the rarest Warrens with only 5 coming to market in the last 10 years (to his knowledge).

 

Warrens in General.

The back issue bins at Warren contained roughly 1000-5000 of each issue (those that didnt sell out), at the time of the Warren Bankruptcy. He then stated that the amount per issue trended to higher volumes for the earlier issues and smaller volumes for the later issues, meaning you were likely to find 5000 issues of Creepy 10 and 1000 copies of creepy 100 due to lower print runs in the later issues.

 

I think Ive got what Doug told me basically correct. As always, It was a pleasure talking to Doug and he was very helpful and polite...great guy!

[Fandango]

Doug's a great dealer; thanks for sharing his thoughts, much appreciated.

[50 Cent #II (1st)]

less than 5,000 from an original quarter million run?