Aman619

yes, Stan always sought the limelight, but this would have only invited more criticism and underscored his greed. Im projecting, but I dont think thats where he wanted it to go at that point in his life.

My reasoning is whatever Stan did building his career wasn't the same man looking back at 90 and thinking of his legacy. Sure he chased every buck and grabbed every spotlight, but he had weathered a lot of criticisms over the last half of his life about all this decisions he did regarding his artists and credit for the work. And I phrased my ideas from a Selfish point of view on purpose to jibe with how he led his life beforehand.

Definitely. But this was 2008, they didnt have nearly the control they did a decade later. I had trouble thinking who Stan would have delegated the contact with the Smithsonian for these reasons too. But I think Stan had his wits about him back then

from all Ive read here and elsewhere, and the above post, my guess is that Stan donated the art. It seems plausible to me that at some point (if it weren't let out the back door already) that it would have been offered to Stan, or brought to his attention, and he secured it as his "right" as editor and publisher etc. And that this happened before the 80s when the art returns controversy happened. (the way so much art disappeared from Marvel offices, Id place the data Stan got the pages was after a move between 1965 and 1970 (maybe when Goodman sold to Cadence?) As the 70swore on It would have been too late. Artists rights were gaining steam, and art was also disappearing! Any of the thiefs who saw these pages would have swiped them immediately. I believe bit was Stan because, 1) only someone financially secure would give them away, 2) anyone afraid of legal title to the artwork issues would give it away, and 3) anyone afraid of the potential for embarrassment and scorn at the reveal that he had it in his possession would opt to give it rather than sell it. I think all three apply to Stan Lee... and hardly anyone else. I think as Spider-Man grew into one of Stan's greatest claims to fame before 1980, he would have felt entitled to it. Marvel was considered the owner of all the art, artists never fought that assumption as yet, and companies kept art that was bought for use in their advertising and marketing all the time back before corporations set rules about such things. (I had a friend whose family owned Arrow shirts. Their ads in the 1920s and 30s used paintings by Leyendecker and Norman Rockwell. The family took them home to display thinking they were theirs to keep. But when the company was sold and the existence of these amazing pieces surfaced, they were forced to give them back as the purchaser of the company now legally owned them as company property.) Assuming Stan had the artwork all these years, its possible at some point as Marvel art was being listed and distributed back to the pencillers, inkers and writers, Stan (as the writer) got these pages, even though splitting them 50/50 with Steve would have made better sense given their value and importance.... Or if Stan already had them, that at some point he spoke to Ditko who flatly refused them out of indifference, or even truly believing he had no right to them at all. This may tie in with Romitamans story of Stan having sold the Surfer art and getting bad press/reactions ... Stan may in fact have come to realize the pages would end up an albatross around his neck to his reputation. So Stan put them back in his files. Years later Stan made a decision: since Ditko who rightly deserved them had passed on it, and they couldn't be sold without creating a stink, Stan chose to gift them anonymously to American history for posterity. And be done with them. Possibly knowing or thinking that his action would someday become public, shining a fresh benevolent glow on his memory.

I like to point out that growing up in the 59s and 60s and college in the 70s when so many people today swear comics were universally read and loved… well I knew maybe a handful of friends who read and collected comics in all that time. we were geeks. It was like a guilty pleasure, You never read them in public. Especially as you hot older. Friends and cousins laughed at you. (Not anymore though) I believe comics collectors have always been a small group. In many ways comics popularity is much bigger now, more widespread, and way cooler. I don’t think this makes comics and collecting bulletproof, or generation proof, time will tell cause they are already 80 years old ,,, but the characters really feel like they will maintain their place in popular culture.

Reading the scary warnings in the legalese I kept substituting Apple Computer for Rally. All of it pertained to Apple too in the beginning. And Microsoft. “We state that there is no guarantee that this thing will work out as planned!” Duh

Mothers just never got it.. my argument was trying to convince her to buy a leftover 10 cent Action Comics after the price went up to 12 cents. I did not prevail. I also threw out a small box of comics just to please her. It lasted a day… just some Actions, Adventures Jimmys and Loises no doubt. Not a big loss! ,

So many Rally Road questions this week. If only there was a boards member well seasoned at explaining the process! Undeterred by the cynicism of the naysayers. Hmmm. What if??

Just a little older Already in college for the big 20 cent era. And working for 60 cents. But by then k wasn’t buying much anymore

But still, literally pennies on the dollar.

Kinda sounds like when playing poker with strangers and you keep trying to figure out who is the fish at your table!

frankenbok

Others here can speak to the various reasons one or the other is now considered scarcer or scarcer in grade. What I remember from the advent of Direct sales copies is that before then, all copies were newsstand. Then came a period where Direct sales was the scarcer new thing. At a point after that, as many more stores preferred the advantages of nonreturnable copies, tables had turned. By the 90s, with one or more comic shops hear by, newsstand copies were scarcer as most comic collectors bought direct copies. For many years afterwards, we were all aware that newsstands were much scarcer, but so were collectors who cared! I would guess now, there’s momentum toward seeking out the scarcer of the two copies especially for the biggest Copper key books: direct sale for early issues and newsstand for later ones. It’s all part of the fun of collecting

Seriously. That’s all misdirection. Fact is valuable books zip through CGC and CCS pretty well, even with all the other stuff that comes in by the truckload. If they’re worth more, you pay more, but wait less.

ugly? Sure. Like most comics graphics. Created in-house by bullpen “designers”. but the assignment em was just to differentiate the two distribution copies. I think it worked fine. And depending on where you lived, you really only ever bought one or the other by shipping in candy stores and newsstands, or the ne exciting direct market Comicbook stores.

It’s not a one year wait for the valuable books. Just economy. The valuable tiers come back lickety split compared to the weaker stuff.

I take it for granted that big book buyers all use GPA or have access to it. And that CC would like repeat business when dealing with sellers and buyers. But what am I thinking!

Maybe it’s stories of children it tight clothes>

Brothers from another mother?

Go figure that record breaking sales are invisible to those looking to gauge a books market value when selling. I get the proprietary info argument, but do dealers really want their sellers finding out later how much money they left on the table due to one sided sales information?

Does this copy not have Oct or Nov?

It would have got you AlL of them !

so the auction ends and poof! all lots disappear? thats no fun.

maybe it was the absence of true first-level superhero first appearances regardless of Parrino's ill timed exit? The top ten comics look different now than in the first 20 years of Overstreet. Books rise and others fall as collectors' focuses change. But a 2M sale of this copy would change some rich youngsters eyes back toward the first Marvel comic. Still falls behind the DC first appearances though as a 9.2, not to mention AF15. I get the feeling that Metro must have shopped it around without getting that big number offer... so an eye popping auction sale could do wonders, unless it turns out to be another Parrino type record sale that no one else will touch.

Don’t sell any AF15s! You lucked out. Todays record sale price is just a steal for the buyer. Glassman left 50K on the table selling at a record price.