What would it take for pulps to make a QUATUM LEAP in price?

[PokerKid]

 

With no way of even SEEING a pulp magazine the huge majority of people just don't know they ever existed. Comics, at least, are still being printed, even if they're more and more a niche item.

 

 

Why is it always assumed that people have to have exposure to new items to get interested in old items?

 

Did you know some people collect glass insulators? (the devices used to insulate electrical devices like lightning rods in the old days)

 

I guarantee you that nobody that collects insulators played with them as a kid.

 

They collect them because they find them beautiful and decorative.

 

And with all the sci-fi and horror movies being made with the latest CGI these days, is it that hard to believe new collectors would be drawn to old pulp mags with great sci-fi and horror covers?

 

Here is what glass insulators look like:

 

 

 

 

 

I had no idea about the glass insulators until I toured Alaska. They showed us a couple power poles that still had them but explained that they are disappearing quickly as people will climb the ancient power poles to steal them and get up to a few hundred each, depending on color and style.

 

As for the pulps, as comic book collecting becomes more and more about the cover than the content, I can see the appeal continuing to grow for pulps. I don't know what would cause a quantum leap in price, but I can certainly see a slowly increasing collector base growing. The art is just too good to think people won't care any more. And, with the limited number of them if the number of collectors reaches a certain level, it could start to dramatically move prices.

[dekeuk]

 

I worked on a Saucy Movie Tales Pulp the other day, it had a definite smell to it. Made me wonder where it had been.

 

 

 

 

[rjpb]

As for the pulps, as comic book collecting becomes more and more about the cover than the content, I can see the appeal continuing to grow for pulps. I don't know what would cause a quantum leap in price, but I can certainly see a slowly increasing collector base growing. The art is just too good to think people won't care any more. And, with the limited number of them if the number of collectors reaches a certain level, it could start to dramatically move prices.

(thumbs u - As with GA comics in the last twenty years, the biggest potential for dramatic gain will be with keys, widely aknowledged esoteric rarities, covers that stand out as exceptional for the genre/title (a higher bar than with comics for sure), and of course ultra high grade examples of in-demand titles. However, I don't see pulps catching up to comic books in relative value any time soon - there are no characters associated with the pulps with the kind of widespread appeal of Superman, Batman and Spider-man (and yes, I'm aware of Tarzan's pulp origins - but few people are aware of this - and his appearances largely pre-date the peak era of pulp interest.)

 

The values of the major superhero titles of the Golden Age of comics have a ripple effect throughout the era, regardless of genre. Does anyone really beleive that books like Suspense #3 or Reform School Girl would achieve the values they have if there had been no superhero books created in the Golden Age? Unless the Shadow and Doc Savage suddenly become as popular as Batman and Spider-man don't look for pulps to reach comic values.

 

[catrick339]

The only thing that would spark the price of pulps would be the sudden influx of another 20,000 rabid collectors. The simple fact is, the pulps' day has come and gone, and the vast majority of original pulp collectors are dead. The second generation is a pack of geezers, and the third generation is just forming up, and may not ever reach critical mass.

 

With no way of even SEEING a pulp magazine the huge majority of people just don't know they ever existed. Comics, at least, are still being printed, even if they're more and more a niche item. The last true pulp (Except for a couple abortive attempts with Weird Tales and Black Mask...any others in the last 30 years?) was printed better than half a century ago.

Pulps are still being printed and reprinted. You can get quality reprints of Doc Savage, The Spider, Planet Stories, The Shadow and more from your local comic shop or book store.

 

My magazine TRIPWIRE just ran an article on the pulps in our 2009 annual written by a guy (Neil Mechem from Giraso www.girasolcollectables.com) whose company makes quality reproductions and sells originals. His business is doing quite well.

 

The pulp conventions are growing. The time is coming for the pulps very soon!

 

Well, there's the third generation I was talking about. I was unaware of the availibility of replica pulps, are they a relatively new item (say the last five years)?

If so they've been flying below my radar. I've had my fair share of pulps over the years, read what interested me, and moved them out, I simply can't afford to collect pulps AND comics. Kudos to the third generation, I hope they reach critical mass and save the hobby, and even invigorate it.

[Thegoldenage]

The only thing that would spark the price of pulps would be the sudden influx of another 20,000 rabid collectors. The simple fact is, the pulps' day has come and gone, and the vast majority of original pulp collectors are dead. The second generation is a pack of geezers, and the third generation is just forming up, and may not ever reach critical mass.

 

With no way of even SEEING a pulp magazine the huge majority of people just don't know they ever existed. Comics, at least, are still being printed, even if they're more and more a niche item. The last true pulp (Except for a couple abortive attempts with Weird Tales and Black Mask...any others in the last 30 years?) was printed better than half a century ago.

 

This is the best response I have read so far. It hits the nail right on the head. The era of the pulps has passed. Most collectors are in their 60's and up, and there are very few new collectors coming into the market. Couple that with the explosion of availability that ebay caused, and voila! Pulp prices haven't gone anywhere in a decade, and aren't going anywhere again.

[Thegoldenage]

The pulp conventions are growing. The time is coming for the pulps very soon!

 

Don't hold your breath.

[agro23]

The pulp conventions are growing. The time is coming for the pulps very soon!

 

Don't hold your breath.

Another Conan movie is in the works. A Solomon Kane movie is in the can looking for a distribution date. Sam Raimi has the rights to the Street & Smith characters with them in his sites for after Spider Man 5. Shooting is nearly ready on John Carter. There is a Buck Rogers movie in preproduction. Sales on Dynamite's adventure comics (Lone Ranger, Zorro, Red Sonja) are doing quite well. DC is doing stuff with the pulp characters beginning with Doc Savage. Some of Dark Horse's top-selling non-Star Wars books are Conan and Kane.

 

Interest in the pulp-originated characters is on the rise. It is a simple step for fans to move to the pulps if they discover them.

[mrmyst]

I've collected pulps for a long time. I recently had thoughts of offering a few choice ones here on the GA for-sale thread. They are expensive ones (relative to pulp prices.) My asking prices might get me laughed at!!

[mrmyst]

Maybe Thegoldenage will buy 'em. Heh heh...what's up Bri?

[batman_fan]

Actually, I think what happened with pulps is happening with GA comics. What were once "king of the crowd" books are no longer in. A great example of this is Captain Marvel and Whiz (actually all the Fawcetts). Many of these books have great covers, but given CM and the other heroes are not still in the limelight has made interest drop. That doesn't mean people don't still collect them, just not to the same degree. Lesser know heros will continue to drop in popularity and therefore price. Only the most popular will coninue to maintain and increase in value.

[*paull*]

I haven't yet been to a pulp show, but I would imagine the average age of the collectors that attend to be over 50 years old. I doubt there are enough young collectors coming into the field to make up for the ones that are either passing away or selling their collections. I'm marginally interested in pulps, but there are some books I'm looking to get, and I'm patient if the prices are too high now. I don't think prices on the books I'm looking for will increase, in fact I expect the prices to be out-paced by the rate of inflation in the overall economy.

[rjpb]

Actually, I think what happened with pulps is happening with GA comics. What were once "king of the crowd" books are no longer in. A great example of this is Captain Marvel and Whiz (actually all the Fawcetts). Many of these books have great covers, but given CM and the other heroes are not still in the limelight has made interest drop. That doesn't mean people don't still collect them, just not to the same degree. Lesser know heros will continue to drop in popularity and therefore price. Only the most popular will coninue to maintain and increase in value.

 

The cover conciousness of many collectors seems to counter this argument. Even with Fawcetts "classic covers" generally sell for more than surounding issues - and sell more readily as well, while run-of-the-mill issues of Superman and Batman titles from the late 40s/early 50s are pretty cheap compared to some of the more esoteric superhero books of the Golden Age. If there are enough great covers in the run - even less interesting issues of an esoteric title can see a ripple effect - Suspense and Catman being prime examples.

[PokerKid]

I've collected pulps for a long time. I recently had thoughts of offering a few choice ones here on the GA for-sale thread. They are expensive ones (relative to pulp prices.) My asking prices might get me laughed at!!

 

I don't think most of us know enough to realize whether the price is laughable or a bargain on most pulps. I usually know only whether it is a price I am willing to pay to add it to my collection.

[rjpb]

I haven't yet been to a pulp show, but I would imagine the average age of the collectors that attend to be over 50 years old. I doubt there are enough young collectors coming into the field to make up for the ones that are either passing away or selling their collections. I'm marginally interested in pulps, but there are some books I'm looking to get, and I'm patient if the prices are too high now. I don't think prices on the books I'm looking for will increase, in fact I expect the prices to be out-paced by the rate of inflation in the overall economy.

 

You may be right - 35 tears ago I bought Shadow pulps from 1932/33 for around $40 each in roughly VG shape - about $200 in today's money - and if ebay is any indication - I could find them for that or less much of the time.

 

 

 

[detective35]

I have been heavily involved in the Golden Age and now the pulp market.

 

The problem is, it is a matter of supply and demand. There is just not enough pulps, let alone high grade pulps. Only when you have a number of high grade pulps coming up over and over, do you create a frenzy or do you keep people's interest (as in the silver and bronze age).

Right now the hottest comics on the market are the silver and bronze age, because people that are heavy hitters in the market are buying what they grew up on, and multiple high grade copies are available, creating a frenzy.

 

Pulps with overhangs will never be slabbed, and as we move father away from the years the pulps were made, the overall interest will dwindles.

On the boards, there has been a slight rise in interest, but that has not necessarily been for high grade ones, but rather for copies that are affordable.

 

As far as slabbing, it does't matter how you slab them, the overhangs will still get damaged with any kind of pressure or movement as they can be much more brittle than comic book covers. The pages can be brittle, quality control varies on each pulp for decision on trimming..let alone grading, a page count would take forever, and would make the cost prohibitive for any profit.

(Let's not kid ourselves and be realistic, slabbing is big business and they need to generate hundreds of thousands of dollars or millions to make it economically feasible (which is why companies slab), for companies such as the CGC ...not because a few people think it would be neat to do so.

Also, many people who collect pulps and have pulp collections read them, and do not want them slabbed (I know they overcame this in the comics, but comparing comics and pulps is like comparing apples and oranges).

 

Another reason for the acceptance and neccessity of slabbing of comics was the high value that people were spending on comics: thousands, tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars, with collectors/investors getting burnt because of undisclosed restoration, along with shady and inconsistent grading . This is NOT the case in the pulps in respect to the values and the money spent and to the motive of restoring for the intention of not disclosing it in order to make tens of thousands of dollars, or more.

 

I have listed high end Shadow pulp doubles and various other high end pulps for 50% of what I paid 3 years ago an they just sat. The spike in the pulps came about 7-9 years ago when some comic dealers tried to get into selling them hardcore, and the prices then went up briefly, but when the delears found out there was not alot of money to be made, they got out.

Many pulp collectors (not all) who buy pulps, buy or bought them to read and do not care about condition. Now some of us go for high grade stuff, but no one wants to pay a crazy price and then never have an "out" with them

 

I love the pulps and continue to buy high end ones, but the prices are down, but so is supply and demand. I do not buy pulps to make money, I understand that when I pay alot for Shadow pulps, I do so because I love the pulp hobby, and that it is not an investment, and that I will probably lose some money on them, but I do have a heck of a good time buying them.

 

I still pay record prices for high end Shadows (especially for a #1), but I realize that they are not for investment, but rather for the challenge of putting together a high end Shadow run.

 

As we move further away from the pulp era, less and less interest in them will occur (other than the odd key which I think might go up in value), but I don't think the market will completely die, as the dime novels did.

Overall, Pulps will not shoot up in value, and will probably even drop slightly in value in the future; but if you have fun collecting them, that is the point.

 

The best Rule of Thumb: "Buy what You Like" and "Buy what you enjoy Collecting".

 

Dwight

[rjpb]

Nicely put - though I do think your search for the nicest copies is a wise investment in the long run- regardless of whether most pulp collectors care much about condition - acquiring the best available has generally been rewarded in the collectibles market.

 

There's also something perversely satisfying in knowing that crumpled overhangs on even the nicest copies of most pulps will likely preclude the mania of paying multiples for extremely incremental improvements in condition.

 

With private school tuition to pay, my comics budget has been severly curtailed of late - but some day I'd love to pick up more pulps, so stagnant prices are just fine with me in the meantime.

[Point Five]

There's also something perversely satisfying in knowing that crumpled overhangs on even the nicest copies of most pulps will likely preclude the mania of paying multiples for extremely incremental improvements in condition.

I know what you mean... and while I don't chase the HG books per se, I've thought this too. There's something comforting about the combination of the lower prices and more relaxed grading of the pulp market, where you don't have to obsess over pinpointing a book's grade so precisely due to the money that's at stake. From my relatively newbie perspective, it almost feels like collecting GA comics some 15 or 20 years ago.

[Scrooge]

There's also something perversely satisfying in knowing that crumpled overhangs on even the nicest copies of most pulps will likely preclude the mania of paying multiples for extremely incremental improvements in condition.

I know what you mean... and while I don't chase the HG books per se, I've thought this too. There's something comforting about the combination of the lower prices and more relaxed grading of the pulp market, where you don't have to obsess over pinpointing a book's grade so precisely due to the money that's at stake. From my relatively newbie perspective, it almost feels like collecting GA comics some 15 or 20 years ago.

 

This is exactly what goes through my mind every time I attend a pulp show. Even though I have not attended a comic show 15 or 20 years ago, but a pulp show today feels like what I think an old comic show used to be. Very relaxed, no frenzy and the meeting of like-minded collectors. (thumbs u

[GACollectibles]

For example, the first Buck Rogers has been reprinted many times and one can simply get a high grade pulp version to go with the reprint.

 

Like comic reprints without the adds, does a pulp read the same in reprint form? I know it is mainly text, but isn't holding an original pulp part of the experience/enjoyment for most pulp collectors?

 

And I am asking because I am ignorant, are most pulps even available in reprints?

 

Comics had neurobehavioral developmental disorders?

[GACollectibles]

 

The best Rule of Thumb: "Buy what You Like" and "Buy what you enjoy Collecting".

 

Dwight