Bronze, going for the Gold.

[whetteon]

For those of you who know me, I'm typically a BA collector but recently I've been trying to find a way to expand into the GA. My only real requirement is that the books be about super-hero's. Questions:

 

1) I know restored books are generally despised throughout our hobby but I'm pretty impartial to known restoration. Especially if a restored book means a much cheaper purchasing price. But I'm shocked when reading this forum that more GA collectors don't share this view. I would of thought that many of the GA books would of had some type of restoration done to them being 70-80 years old. Why are GA restored books still typically frowned upon?

 

2) Is there any type of thing I should stay away from other then brown or brittle pages?

 

3) Are married books typical in this age and how do other GA collectors feel about this?

 

4) It seems to me that there are more collectors into SA books then typically GA books. Is this an incorrect statement?

 

I'm sure I'll have a hundred other questions but this is a good starting point. Thanks for allowing a noobie like me to take part in your threads.

[Norrin_Radd]

For those of you who know me, I'm typically a BA collector but recently I've been trying to find a way to expand into the GA. My only real requirement is that the books be about super-hero's. Questions:

 

1) I know restored books are generally despised throughout our hobby but I'm pretty impartial to known restoration. Especially if a restored book means a much cheaper purchasing price. But I'm shocked when reading this forum that more GA collectors don't share this view. I would of thought that many of the GA books would of had some type of restoration done to them being 70-80 years old. Why are GA restored books still typically frowned upon? You'll find that many GA collectors here don't mind resto if it's an expensive grail that they can't afford in unrestored condition.

 

2) Is there any type of thing I should stay away from other then brown or brittle pages? To me, and many others, page quality is very important. I try to stick to Off-white or better unless it's a total beater. Browning and brittle pages are a sign that the comic is going to disintegrate at some point.

 

3) Are married books typical in this age and how do other GA collectors feel about this? I've seen several key GA comics with married covers. I personally don't care for this type of frankenbook.

 

4) It seems to me that there are more collectors into SA books then typically GA books. Is this an incorrect statement? I think there will probably always be more SA collectors than GA. But I think a lot of sophisticated collectors ( ) are moving to GA because the comics are rarer and neater than SA comics we've all see a hundred times before.

 

I'm sure I'll have a hundred other questions but this is a good starting point. Thanks for allowing a noobie like me to take part in your threads.

[CentaurMan]

1) I know restored books are generally despised throughout our hobby but I'm pretty impartial to known restoration. Especially if a restored book means a much cheaper purchasing price. But I'm shocked when reading this forum that more GA collectors don't share this view. I would of thought that many of the GA books would of had some type of restoration done to them being 70-80 years old. Why are GA restored books still typically frowned upon?

 

2) Is there any type of thing I should stay away from other then brown or brittle pages?

 

3) Are married books typical in this age and how do other GA collectors feel about this?

 

4) It seems to me that there are more collectors into SA books then typically GA books. Is this an incorrect statement?

 

1) I think most GA collectors are perfectly fine with disclosed resto, especially on lower grade books. In fact, I don't think a lightly restored Good book sells for much less than an unrestored Good. High grade GA collectors do care, and everyone has things about resto they like to avoid (for me it's cover cleaning), but generally I think tolerance for disclosed resto is high.

 

3) I don't think married books are typical at all. Again, disclosure is the key. I'd probably steer clear. On the other hand, I just bought a Mile High Centaur missing its centerfold, knowing that I have a low grade copy (with nice pages) I can use to fill it out, so who am I to talk?

[thedude]

well, come on into the GA pool, the water's fine...

 

I think with restoration, the overall feeling is that unless the book is a MAJOR key, like Action 1, Tec 1, 27, Supes 1, Pep 22, Marvel 1, etc.. that most collectors will hold out for non restored books for non-key issues...

 

other than that, what I look for when buying is,...

 

Page Quality- you will see so many different variations on this than just the few simple CGC categories,...I've seen beautiful WHITE pages, that have just a hint of cream on the outside edges,.. or overall off-white/cream pages, that have an even color throughout the book..or totally white pages, with dark tan inside covers.. which is a mystery to me..you'll have to decide your own standards on what is acceptable to you on PQ.

 

Spine Splits, Creasing, hold the book up to the light and look at it from an angle to see any slight non color breaking creases..

 

stains, inside cover tanning,.. and of course, any detectable restoration.

 

look for books that have an overall freshness to them , no matter what the technical grade may be...but that is a personal preference and varies from collector to collector.

[ft88]

1. Unrestored GA are just that much more rare. That said, I imagine the price percent is higher in Gold than in Silver with the exception of the major keys. These were so commonly restored that causes such a huge drawback.

 

2. In some cases the only way to get a book is to have brown or brittle pages. especially pre hero keys or if you are on a budget.

 

3. Same as Silver. Fewer pinups except in some giants. I think a married cover is not nearly as frowned upon in Gold as it is in silver. Still a GLOD for high grade, but usually a married cover is going to be G/VG or less anyway.

 

4. You are correct which is why an X-men 1 can equal the price level of a classic EC book

 

5. Mid grade books of some titles work in GA that don't in Silver or Bronze. Westerns, GGA, Even some cartoon books like Archie, WDCS, Casper, Richie Rich, Walt Kelly/Barks books can command premiums at the CGC 7.0 or better range. It pretty much takes a 9.4 for a silver or bronze esoteric title to be collectible. I think this aspect of Gold is the most interesting. Just try and collect the Advetentures of Bob Hope or Sugar and Spike in 7.0 or better. Good Luck.

 

Ed

[thedude]

4) It seems to me that there are more collectors into SA books then typically GA books. Is this an incorrect statement? I think there will probably always be more SA collectors than GA. But I think a lot of sophisticated collectors ( ) are moving to GA because the comics are rarer and neater than SA comics we've all see a hundred times before.

 

.

 

I think the internet has changed some collectors perception of SA books, mine at least, I remember in the 80's thinking that Amazing Fantasy #15 was rare,.... it's rare in grades above 9.0, but it's not that rare in general... as to where some GA books are truly rare,..

[drbanner]

I agree with many of the sentiments above, and as someone who did migrate from BA to GA several years ago, I can tell you that it seems restoration is much more accepted (to me anyway) on GA books than SA or BA books. The selection of a particular GA book in the grade and price range you're looking for is going to be much smaller than for a SA or BA book, so if you are ok with a little resto your chances of success (and a good deal) are much better.

 

I'm okay with things like glue on spine, cover reinforced, centerfold reinforced, possibly a couple hits of CT, etc.,. as long as the price reflects the degree of restoration. I probably wouldn't want a book with a married cover, piece replacement, trimming, extensive CT, in-filling, etc.,. I wouldn't buy a restored SA or BA book (maybe an expensive or tough to find book), but resto is not a show-stopper for me when looking at GA books.

[Comicdey]

Truthfully I like restored books of all genres and at all price points.

 

 

 

1) I know restored books are generally despised throughout our hobby but I'm pretty impartial to known restoration. Especially if a restored book means a much cheaper purchasing price. But I'm shocked when reading this forum that more GA collectors don't share this view. I would of thought that many of the GA books would of had some type of restoration done to them being 70-80 years old. Why are GA restored books still typically frowned upon?

 

 

 

Give the choice, I'll always take the unrestored, but getting a book for the restored reduced price is always nice for the budget minded collector, especially when the books are infrequent to come to market.

 

 

2) Is there any type of thing I should stay away from other then brown or brittle pages?

 

Yes stay away, unless so cheap, and a reader that you have a better copy of. As long as you don't mind the damage you will cause while reading it. Brown and brittle comics are just not enjoyable to hold.

 

3) Are married books typical in this age and how do other GA collectors feel about this?

 

I wouldn't say common, but yes, they are around, and they get the qualified lable from CGC. Value them as a restored book, and pay accordingly. I don't mind as long as I'm aware of the fact that they are married.

 

4) It seems to me that there are more collectors into SA books then typically GA books. Is this an incorrect statement?

 

Probably 10x...but the GA waters are deep with all kinds of startling discoveries....especially if you read them.

 

As stated by others....come on in, the water is fine. Consider GA the deep end of the pool. You can dive without fear of getting your head bumped.

[Norrin_Radd]

2) Is there any type of thing I should stay away from other than brown or brittle pages?

 

 

I misread that. Other than page quality, I'd stay away from the usual defects... miscuts, bad miswraps, foxing, fanned books, and my pet peeve sun/dirt shadows (which seem quite common on GA Detectives).

[whomerjay]

For those of you who know me, I'm typically a BA collector but recently I've been trying to find a way to expand into the GA. My only real requirement is that the books be about super-hero's. Questions:

 

1) I know restored books are generally despised throughout our hobby but I'm pretty impartial to known restoration. Especially if a restored book means a much cheaper purchasing price. But I'm shocked when reading this forum that more GA collectors don't share this view. I would of thought that many of the GA books would of had some type of restoration done to them being 70-80 years old. Why are GA restored books still typically frowned upon? You'll find that many GA collectors here don't mind resto if it's an expensive grail that they can't afford in unrestored condition.

 

2) Is there any type of thing I should stay away from other then brown or brittle pages? To me, and many others, page quality is very important. I try to stick to Off-white or better unless it's a total beater. Browning and brittle pages are a sign that the comic is going to disintegrate at some point.

 

 

3) Are married books typical in this age and how do other GA collectors feel about this? I've seen several key GA comics with married covers. I personally don't care for this type of frankenbook.

 

4) It seems to me that there are more collectors into SA books then typically GA books. Is this an incorrect statement? I think there will probably always be more SA collectors than GA. But I think a lot of sophisticated collectors ( ) are moving to GA because the comics are rarer and neater than SA comics we've all see a hundred times before.

 

I'm sure I'll have a hundred other questions but this is a good starting point. Thanks for allowing a noobie like me to take part in your threads.

 

these would be my answers, except I'm more tolerant of page quality, partly because CGC is so capricious (or should I say imprecise) with PQ. Most books COWP or better are OK with me, the occassional LTOWP is OK if it's a tough book or otherwise an exceptional copy. less than that I avoid. Never Brittle pages.

[Straw-Man]

For those of you who know me, I'm typically a BA collector but recently I've been trying to find a way to expand into the GA. My only real requirement is that the books be about super-hero's. Questions:

 

1) I know restored books are generally despised throughout our hobby but I'm pretty impartial to known restoration. Especially if a restored book means a much cheaper purchasing price. But I'm shocked when reading this forum that more GA collectors don't share this view. I would of thought that many of the GA books would of had some type of restoration done to them being 70-80 years old. Why are GA restored books still typically frowned upon?

 

2) Is there any type of thing I should stay away from other then brown or brittle pages?

 

3) Are married books typical in this age and how do other GA collectors feel about this?

 

4) It seems to me that there are more collectors into SA books then typically GA books. Is this an incorrect statement?

 

I'm sure I'll have a hundred other questions but this is a good starting point. Thanks for allowing a noobie like me to take part in your threads.

 

i prefer to pursue books merely living together.

[*paull*]

I agree with the other suggestions here...

 

I will add:

 

I try to buy solid books (cover firmly attached, no brittle or split spine) as long as the price allows me.

 

Another thing I will suggest is this... don't jump in with two feet and buy books right away. I've been collecting GA for only about four years, but have had an interest in them for about ten years. I thought that certain books were a lot tougher to find than they really are. I ended up buying lower grade books at prices that weren't very favorable and ended up finding better books later. Of course, you can learn by making small mistakes, but I think with patience, you can minimize them. Shop around and see what's out there. Not everything is scarce. In fact, there are quite a number of GA books that are very plentiful.

[seank]

If you're going to dive into the GA waters, I suggest you abandon the super-hero requirement and sample the extensive buffet that was the golden age. You get super-heroes, funny animals, good girl art (stay away from that), adventure stories, science fiction, fantasy, romance, etc. Once you've seen what's out there, you can then focus on what you like. (But stay far far away from good girl art*.)

 

Scan the threads in the GA section to see what people are posting.

 

And as far as restoration goes, GA collectors seem to be more open to it. All I ask is that the restoration is disclosed.

 

 

 

* I don't need any more competition for the nice books out there.

[*paull*]

How dare you forget HORROR!

 

(stay away from that, though)

[Point Five]

Welcome Whet!

 

Plenty of good advice here. I much agree with Paul...shop carefully, as it's easy to buy a bunch of pricey GA books right out of the gate and later regret your purchases. I wrote this in Anfield's "1st GA book" thread a month ago:

 

When you're starting out, there are so many cool GA books you've never seen that I think it often becomes tempting to jump at the first good deal out there (there's seemingly always a "now or never" book/offer in front of you) and then later realize that there's other books you like even more, or that the book is available elsewhere in nicer overall condition or without some irritating defect. Take some time browsing the different titles & genres, and have some patience (not an easy thing with GA), and find something you really love and will enjoy looking at all the time.

[*paull*]

I'll add to .5 :

 

You might think that a book from 1945 MUST be scarce, so you buy the first one that you can find. However, that's not always the case, and you could get burned by jumping too early. Watch eBay, look at some dealer sites, browse the Gerber books, talk to people here, and learn about the relative scarcity of GA.

[Theagenes]

Welcome to GA! I made the transition a few years ago myself. Everyone here has already given you great advice, but let me give you one warning - once you go Golden Age you never go back!

 

One general rule of thumb for me is to focus more on the structural integrity and overall eye appeal rather than technical grade, especially on expensive books. Look for bright colors, tight binding, good page quality, etc. and don't worry so much about small defects, like minor spine stress, corner wear, small tears, etc.

 

Since there seem to be two main markets in GA - HG and LG - you can often find nice deals on MG books. 5.0 to 7.0 is the range I like to shoot for on my favorite books.

 

Also, if you don't already have them, pick up the GA Gerber volumes and look through them before you jump in. You will be amazed at what's out there!

[*paull*]

In my opinion:

 

Good defects that don't bother me that much and can reduce price:

 

small tears, small pieces missing on edge of cover that don't mar image, pieces missing on back cover, maybe a coupon cut

 

Bad defects that make me think twice unless it's a really tough book:

 

brittle spine, missing pages, replaced staples, detached cover, cream or brown pages

[Theagenes]

In my opinion:

 

Good defects that don't bother me that much and can reduce price:

 

small tears, small pieces missing on edge of cover that don't mar image, pieces missing on back cover, maybe a coupon cut

 

Bad defects that make me think twice unless it's a really tough book:

 

brittle spine, missing pages, replaced staples, detached cover, cream or brown pages

 

Totally agree on "good defects." On "bad" I would add rusted staples, especially if there's migration, as well as foxing and water damage. Ick.

[whetteon]

Wow, this is some good advice. (y) I was even thinking about hitting up eBay and placing some bids on books but now I'm just going to spend a couple of months researching the topic. I've been bit by the GA bug but it's probably best to be cautious before jumping in even if the pools deep. Last thing I want to do is belly flop.

 

So to reiterate what everyone is saying above, look for well structured and eye appealing books. Keep in mind flaws like cover splits and staple rust, brittle and missing pages. Do some research on what's rare and what's not. Have fun.