Comic Book Collecting

[horrorhunter]

I picked up a Vampirella Scarlet Legion pinback button from an eBay seller pretty cheaply.



Here's a pic of the merch from the Scarlet Legion Fan Club from 2002.



I never took the Harris Vampirella stuff too seriously like I do with the original Warren Publishing mags and other items. I didn't join the Scarlet Legion Fan Club, though I do have most of the items from it including the pinback now. The Harris stuff is okay, but I wouldn't pay much for any of it except for issue 113 of the magazine which I bought several years ago in the VF range.

[horrorhunter]

I'm glad I preordered the new Vampirella figure from Frazetta Girls. It's already Sold Out according to the website.









I preordered the new Conan figure from Frazetta Girls. It's supposed to ship in June but who knows what will happen with this tariff nonsense.

Here's a video I did covering the first part of my Vampirella run from Warren.

[Rex fury]

I just looked over this week's comics. The new Supergirl book was a fun read, but probably of interest to folks here is los-monstruos.
Set in the 1950's it has some interesting takes on the classic monsters. Creature shows up wearing purple overalls (He must have the same tailor as the Hulk), and the Bride is dressed fashionably for the time. The Werewolf looks like an Aurora monster model come to life. It was entertaining, if for no other reason than the art.
If you need something to fill a little time, take a look!
RF

[Rex fury]

I just learned Jim Shooter passed away. He was 73. Shooter was a controversial figure as Marvel's Editor in Chief, but love him or hate him, there's no denying he had a huge impact on the comics industry.
RIP tall man, RIP

[horrorhunter]

Picked up a DC lot of 5 for a good deal.



I discovered I didn't have Super DC Giant S-20 (House of Mystery), so I started poking around on eBay to see what was available. Found this lot with a min. bid $15 and that's what I ended up getting it for. The S-20 is in FN (6.0) and all of them range around 5.0-6.0. That's a sweet spot for me these days since the collecting community has been brainwashed by slabbing and high-grade mania (often misgraded). These great old books in mid-grade can sometimes be bought very inexpensively even on eBay. Took forever to get here but they were packed well and arrived undamaged. More reading awaits.

Btw, I focus on Horror/Monster comics these days and Bronze Horror from DC is tough to beat with great art by the likes of Neal Adams and Bernie Wrightson. The S-20 is mostly reprints but it has the beautiful Adams cover and it's become pricey. Getting a nice copy cheap with some cool throw-ins is very welcome.

[Rex fury]

I'm glad to see this topic getting some love again! Great find Horrorhunter, that's a nice lot for 15 bucks!
I couldn't agree more about slabbed comics. Unfortunately people think that's where the money is and try to price accordingly. It's a drag to buy a comic that you can only see the cover ( a smart person once said never judge a book by its cover....). If I have to buy a slab to get a comic I'm looking for I read it online first to make sure it's something I really want.
Just bought a "raw" Liberty Comics 10 (1945) for about 100 bucks. Slabbed copies were listed for much higher but weren't exactly flying off the shelf- ha ha. The book is a reprint of Hangman comics 8 with a new cover, no reference to "Japs and Nazis" like the original Hangman covers featured. Also picked up a Secrets of Haunted House 5 with the cool Wrightson cover and a Ridley's Believe It Or Not featuring an excellent painted cover.
Keep on collecting!
RF

[horrorhunter]

I don't mind buying slabbed books. I just won't pay any extra for it being slabbed and I crack it out and toss the plastic and regrade it according to Overstreet guidelines which I'm familiar with. It goes into Mylar and an acid free backing board and goes into my collection without taking up unnecessary room in a slab.

It's best to examine a book in person and count the pages but if you can't do that like with an eBay listing then examine the pictures and description as well as feedback and make a judgement call. Some great deals come along with eBay auctions these days if you can sniff them out. It's fortunate for some of us that the collecting community is dazzled by the current slabmania and high-grade mania in that it takes their attention and $ away from the truly good deals that are out there for books in the FN-VF range or lower.

[Mike Scott]

I don't mind buying slabbed books. I just won't pay any extra for it being slabbed

Oh yes you will!!! 

I have a card on eBay for $10 wiith no takers. Same card, same condition, in a slab, sold for $50.

[horrorhunter]

Oh yes you will!!! 

I have a card on eBay for $10 wiith no takers. Same card, same condition, in a slab, sold for $50.

No, I won't.

Most people will but not me. I was speaking for myself, not the herd.

[Mike Scott]

Most people will but not me.

I don't know why, but people go crazy for the slab! 

[horrorhunter]

I don't know why, but people go crazy for the slab! 

At first it was a novelty, now it's ingrained into the hobby. Slabs are expensive, take up extra space, get damaged easily, the grading can't be trusted, etc. The crack-and-resubmit crowd are the most pitiful. They keep resubmitting the same books hoping to get a better grade. Slabbers are getting rich taking advantage of these feeble-minded victims. It's a con.

[Mike...In 3-D!]

I don't know why, but people go crazy for the slab! 

We can thank collectors, not readers for that. Having worked at a comic shop I had the opportunity to poll CGC buyers on why they bought them. It basically comes down to "you can't argue with the grade".

If you had ten different people grade the same book, you're going to get 3-4 different grades. If you buy a slabbed copy, you "know" it's the grade it claims to be.

Personally, I don't buy slabbed books. I've had a couple graded in the past, but if I own a comic, I want to be able to read it. That is the primary function it, after all.

[horrorhunter]

CGC grading is suspect which is why people keep cracking and resubmitting for a higher grade. The brainwashed buy the label instead of the book. They just want the higher graded label whether the book is that grade or not so they can display the slab and brag about the number. It's nonsense.

[Rex fury]

Mike,
 I totally agree! I'm a comic READER first, and a collector second. I can read just about any comic ever produced  online, but I still like to touch, smell and see the book. Looking at pieces of thick plastic seems to me to be a weird way to enjoy a comic.

In what area was your comic shop located? I travel a lot and try to visit local shops every trip,
RF

[John Pertwee]

https://keenspotshop.com/products/mark-spears-monsters-the-monster-the-wolf-1?srsltid=AfmBOorTqCWMSnt06M66toVd4chPfVXgMNJkZZYMtQFdy1-lNTpzsuGo

These blind bags are all the rage this week. I bought one and got the Famous Monsters cover so I was thrilled.