JohnH19

I assume you have already contacted the seller privately about this discrepancy.

More than 5 bucks. But seriously, folks, it's been more than a 25 year process to get to my Vol 1 run of 2-441 plus the GRR reprint of #1. I got back into buying ASM, and other random nostalgia books, in 1992 when I discovered the Marvel Masterworks hardcover reprints. Then I bought Marvel Tales reprints of silver and early bronze age issues that the Masterworks hadn't covered yet. At the same time, I started buying current issues of ASM and related Spidey titles with crossovers like Maximum Carnage and the endless Clone Saga. I quit again around issue 408 when the material became intolerable and I lost interest. My goal was never to finish the run, it just kind of happened. The first "expensive" book I picked up was ASM 50, with the greatest comic book cover of all time. I paid about a 100 bucks for a beautiful 7ish copy about 15 years ago. Other than that, I was picking up much less expensive books where and when I could find them, whether it was locally or on ebay. Then, six or seven years ago, I was looking through a pile of early bronze age Spideys at a LCS when I came to his 129. It was raw and it was spectacular! (You can see it in the PGM thread if you go back a few months.) I wasn't looking for a 129 because of the value but I had to have this one. He gave me a price that was basically half book so I took it. That's when I first thought of finishing the run but it was still just a pipe dream. Then, about a year and a half ago the LCS closest to my home got in a collection with a full run of early issues. I bought #2 from him and a few others. Then he got another mostly gorgeous raw run in several months ago and I got a bunch more which I've been showing off on this thread. I have also picked up a few nice ones here on the boards in the little over a year I've been active. I've had to sell some sports related collectibles to finance the expensive books that I've purchased but that's what you have to do when you're not wealthy. All in all, it's been great fun.

It was issue 81 that made me quit collecting ASM as an almost 11 year old back in late '69. I started with issue 54, picked up most of the back issues to #20, and purchased spinner rack copies every month up to this Kangaroo issue. I was so disappointed in how much the quality of the book had slipped in the 2+ years that I collected that I sold my 48 issue collection, including all King Size Specials, to a buddy for the princely sum of $5. Hey, I got almost full cover price for them! Needless to say, I now have every issue of ASM that I used to have back again, plus several hundred more.

A couple of beauties there, Jordy!

I had the original set, too. Wish I still did.

Congrats on a great addition to your collection!

That is one crazy effin book!!!

Don't worry you'll get there. It just takes time and patience. As I've mentioned before, I only need one to complete my Vol 1 set of 1-441 but it's the big kahuna. My 9.0 Golden Record Reprint will have to do for the foreseeable future.

I think all private carriers like DHL and UPS charge their own customs fees. It’s a very expensive additional cost for Canadians to receive a package of any value. USPS First Class International is the best way to ship to us Canucks. It’s just as quick as Priority International and more cost effective.

At least you didn't do it! The book still looks very nice.

I also posted these in the 10 cent thread. No. 127 actually came out in December 1958 but it has a 1959 cover date.

I have it at 4.5-5.0. Beautiful book!

I agree with 3.5.

I just traded emails with the owner of my LCS. He’ll take it back. Thanks for your comments, guys!

The top copy was purchased from my LCS on Saturday as an "upgrade" for the bottom one. I'm not so sure that it is an upgrade, though. The bottom copy is nicer except for the tape pull on Molten Man's shoulder. Thankfully, it isn't on the black. The only other notable flaw is the white spot close to the spine. It's centered perfectly, the edges and corners are nice, and the cover is smoother and slightly glossier. The top copy has that diagonal crease that would be helped by a press, the bump at the top corner, creasing along the top and bottom, it's off-center, and the staples are on the back cover which creates gutter loss in the second half of the book. Despite all of that, it's still a nice copy of the notoriously delicate 28. Which one do you all think is the keeper? Is the tape pull the deciding factor? How much does a tape pull affect the grade? Thanks all!