Happy Valentine’s Day. It’s mid-February and the cold still has a nice bite to it. I love a crisp cold minus 10 day if it is sunny and clear; hate those dreary grey cold days! I hope everyone enjoyed the game last night: I was cheering for the underdog, glad I didn’t bet on them though.
I had a great time going through next week’s eBay listings. I’m trying not to force anything, if something interesting catches my eye I will note it on a paper and at the end, I’ll pick the four or five things that I found more interesting. I was counting the pages and checking for coupons on a Marvel Premiere #28, the one with the great Legion of Monsters cover when I saw this ad. Huh? Is this real? Why don’t I know everything there is to know about this? I honestly do not remember this ad as a 12-year-old and I’m certain I’ve never heard any of these songs. Am I the only guy who sees Stan as a guy that liked show tunes…? Does anyone have this album? I want one!
Do you all remember Mr. Clippings from a few months back? He was the guy that brought me all those ad clippings, the ones that he cut out to remind himself of books he needed to pick up. Well, now I might have to change his name to Covers Malone because last week he brought in a smattering of loose Golden Age covers. I have to thank the comments field for putting me on to those cheesy World’s Finest covers: look at the cover to #30!!
My save of the week has to be the US1 #1-12 complete set from 1983 to 1984. I was writing this lot up when I noticed the great covers and then I dug a little deeper and discovered that this title has the first appearance of Mary McGrill, waitress at Short Stop Diner by night and the villainess Midnight by the other part of the night. Midnight has a mind-controlling bullwhip, which, by the way, is the only kind I thought there was!
So the big game is on last night and I’m checking the condition of a second print Batman #608 when I spy the back cover ad for milk with Mr. Super Bowl ring himself, Tom Brady. Tom has seven as of this post but back in 2002 he had just won his first and was fast to cash in on the win; good for him.
I’m always trying to create good exciting lots for the auction and sometimes even though a book will be something good it still may not be good enough to hog up a whole lot. For next week I threw a bunch of good #1 issues that would not merit a lot on their own and created a #1 grab bag from the Bronze and Copper age. I think this lot will see some good action next week.
I was worried that the Super Bowl might steal a little of the internationalcollectiblesexchange weekly eBay auction but I don’t see much evidence that it did. I was particularly impressed with the way our raw lot of the Punisher Limited Series finished. The set sold for $178 which for me is an example of the power of time: once was that these were all over the place and tough to sell, now they are a coveted set and rightfully so, just look at those Zeck covers.
That Spidey record Stan is trying to cash in on isn’t Krantz is it? Love those corny DC late 40’s, 50’s covers! Wait…your saying the Super Bowl was LAST night??
I wonder just how many times Stan was rendered in comic form over the years. I can think of a couple of FF appearances at least as well as stuff like Not Brand Echh! It would be intersting to have a selection of them in one place. Jack too has had his share of appearances, the best of which was FF #511 where the team goes to heaven to bring Ben back and actually have a visit with the Almighty who turns out to look just like Jack Kirby! I think Overstreet should cite that book for special consideration. I know I have a few in perfect condition stashed away for when the penny finally drops. Jack as God! You bet! Who woul;dn’t want a piece of that action?!
Mel, I’ll add one: I was selling a nice X-Men #98 last week and revisited the 2 panels that Jack and Stan appeared in: both gentlemen witness Scott and Jean passionately kissing and Jacob says ‘Hey Stan, you know who THEY were? I tell ya, they never used to do THAT when we had the book.’ Stan replies ‘Ah, Jack, you know these YOUNG KIDS–they got no respect’.
It was such a fun, inside joke when reading it the first time!
Walt: did you see the AF#15 cover is shocking condition sold for $6665us on ebay. Keep those covers! Only thing I thought was: whoever bought that better not show his wife!!! ‘Hey Hon, look what I just got! half a cover…$7000!!!!’ – if that happened in my house I’d be bunking with Gerald in no time flat!!!
But think of the good time you would have going thru my comic boxes! Well I have a 6 issue Valentines display of Romance comics up as well as a 6 issue very early 60’s Archie display. My big 22 comic display has Bronze Spiderman issues… including 96-102, 121/122, 129 and 135, the entire original clone saga and the intro of the Hobgoblin…#338 I believe. Felt like spring somehow.
Gerald, I have to say that I think it’s so cool that you make a point of actually displaying your comics where other people get to enjoy them. I have always tried to share my books as often as possible, if for no other reason than to let non-comic folks know how wonderful and diverse this artform is!
And Spider, any Stan and Jack lore is welcome in the canon. Now, go find yourself a copy of FF #511 and be prepared to be blown away. Waid and Weiringo rule! Oh, and, while you’re at it, pick up FF Vol.3 #56 for one of the first issues that actually deals with Ben Grimm’s Jewish heritage, and it’s almost as touching as FF #51 “that single issue story that tore everybody’s heart out.” These are afew of my favourite Things. Sorry. Really couldn’t help that.
Oy, was THAT an aside!..
RE: AF #15 sales
A seller on ebay appears to have sold two REPRODUCTION copies of Amazing Fantasy #15 for some serious money.
A copy sold on December 29 for $12,300 USD [ 31 bidders ] & again on January 13 for $27,134 USD [37 bidders ]. There have been no complaints [ yet !]
To view these amazing sales, go on ebay.com , type AMAZING FANTASY 15 ESTATE into the search box & select “sold items”. They will pop right up on your screen.
Call me crazy, but these things do not look real. Let me know if I should go see a doctor !
Spider: what is the url for the half cover AF15?
Live Frog, I don’t have to look to know you need to go see a doctor.
I saw that crazy AF 15 cover sale, I have no idea how far this can go.
The Ozzie and the Yank! I like the sounds of that.
For those who care-
The two copies [ same copy ?] of AF15 that was sold as an original on ebay for $12,300 & $27,134 may have been the reprint that came with the MARVEL LEGENDS action figure.
I have a Captain America figure from this series that came with a reprint of Captain America #109. Looking at images online, the Spidey figure has a AF15 reprint included that looks like the ebay copy.
It is bad enough that people are buying fragments of original comics for silly prices, now they are also buying reprints of classic comics for silly prices !
If you are a newbie to this field with lots of money, wouldn’t it be beneficial for you to do some research before spending that money ???
Until some of these new speculator donkeys try to unload their ‘investments’ & learn a hard lesson, this stupidity will continue.
The seller of this book still has an ebay store, but it is empty. No doubt, he has fled with his money.
Live Frog
i looked at those ebay auctions you mentioned , they are definitely reprints . i feel REAL sorry for the poor souls who spent what they did . this hurts our hobby we all love . i , too , noticed his ebay store had nothing else for sale . i agree with you . can you say Cut and Run Comics . just a sad day for our hobby .
Thanks Chris
This situation quite clearly describes what is wrong with our hobby right now…
Too many uninformed people with WAY too money making STOOPID purchases that simply make no sense !!!
It amuses me that some people are tracking all these nonsense sales & are trying to figure out what the next ‘hot’ book will be.
You CAN’T track stupidity, folks !! It just happens. Just throw up your hands ! None of this makes any sense.
Somebody out there is going to take this sale seriously……we will soon see loose Spiderman pages from Marvel Tales #1 slabbed & graded & sold off as original pages from AF15 !!! Just watch !
Amazing Fantasy cover sale at $7,575:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/363718738349?hash=item54af5381ad:g:v10AAOSwJPpiAV-L
Oh the humanity, the humanity! What are these people thinking?! It’s like a comic book cover is the new Mona Lisa and a CGC slab is the new gilt frame?! Just think of all the really great complete comics you could buy for that money! I’m afraid the hobby is being overrun by fools, and these are the people who will drive the prices. Gord help us!.
I gonna start looking for chips fallen off comics in some if my older boxes and start amassing my retirement fund!!
Guys, I may be able to help you…..
I don’t have too many comics that are flaking….but I have been collecting pulps for about forty years & have access to all kinds of pulp flakes !
I may be able to supply a wide range of flakes, from coarse, medium & small, even fine paper powder! I may even be able to throw in a staple or two !!
Let me know- I am willing to trade for nice golden age books. Don’t let this investment opportunity pass you by !!!
The largest single of collection of pulp flakes that I have ever seen was held by David T. Alexander of DTA collectibles fame. He had this collection with him
at one of the Pulp-cons that I went to back in the early 1990’s in Dayton, Ohio. It was contained in a single magazine sized comic bag, & out of this dense collection of flakes
protruded the top half of a Shadow #1 pulp from 1931. He was asking $5000.00 USD for this collection of flakes, but I was a newbie at the time & did not see the investment
potential of a bag of loose chips! I still thought that the market centered on complete, healthy books ! Foolishly, I spent my money on complete & sound Spicy’s, Weird Tales &
various adventure pulps, none of which were flaking or incomplete! Boy, am I kicking myself now !!!
I have since learned the error of my ways & will start investing heavily in brittle, poor & incomplete books !!! Am currently looking for the top half of a Hulk #1 cover, as my otherwise nice
copy is missing most of the top half of it’s cover! If you have such a thing available, I am willing to trade you a bag of pulp dust for it !!
Excelsior !!!
Sorry, LF, I only collect Marvel chips, a very lucrative market with endless potential. Excelsior! Good choice of words under the circumstances!
Ummm… you wouldn’t have the bottom half of the back cover of a Hulk #3 by any chance? Just asking.
Hi Gerald- Yes, I do. Unfortunately, it is still attached to the top half of the back cover, which is still attached to the rest of the book !
If our market continues to support the butchering & selling of comic books by their individual parts, I will cut it off & give you a call. Tally Ho!
PS- what grade is your top half ? My Hulk #3 is only VG. If your top half is not VG, it’s gonna look funny attached to my VG half.
Both halves have to be the same grade in order for it to work. Dang !!