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FAMOUS MONSTERS #4 / GHOUL'S EYE STICKER VARIANT

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Last Thursday afternoon I logged on to eBay to check out the new auctions for Famous Monsters of Filmland, and staring me in the face at the top of the list was a copy of FM #4 with the Ghoul's Eye sticker!

 

From time to time I've seen a copy come up for auction, usually in pretty poor condition. This one looked really nice and I was about to move down the list thinking that I wasn't going to torture myself in an auction I could not afford and had no chance of winning. Then I almost fell off my chair when I noticed that the mag was on a Buy-It-Now for $149!!!

 

Apparently, it had only been just put up for auction less than half an hour before I found it and no one had spotted it yet. I quickly looked at the pics the seller posted and decided to just go for it. As I hit the "BUY" button and then the "COMMIT TO BUY" button my hand was trembling and my heart was racing knowing full well that this treasure could disappear before my very eyes if someone was doing the same thing faster than me.

 

Anyway, I won the auction and received the magazine today. It seems that the seller's friend passed away and his brother had no interest in the magazines so the seller got them. Not realizing the value of FM #4 with the Ghoul's Eye sticker he somehow came up with the $149.00 Buy-It-Now price. (Nostomania lists this issue in FINE + / 6.5, not slabbed at $2,700).

 

I had to brag and sent an email of to Steve Dolnick (SDMonster) who congratulated me on a "GREAT deal." As Steve said, "That's the fun part of collecting. Everyone has a story like that, but not one with a FM #4 sticker variant!"

 

Below are some photos. The magazine lays completely flat, still has some gloss, off-white pages, good spine with medium wear-NO splitting. The only issue is that the previous owner stamped a small rubber stamp on the back cover of the magazine (see pic). I would give this one a FINE + / 6.5.

Please feel free to give it a grade.

 

MY BRAGGING IS OVER! THANKS FOR TOLERATING ME!! lol

- Mike

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/160874578253?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

 

Go directly to the link of the auction. 8 photos are there. I can't believe this nonsense. The photos I took and the photos from the auction are too "big" to put here. This system they use to put photos on posts stinks. Half the time I try to post a pic it is "too big>."

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In my correspondence with him he mentioned that the FM #4 was the only really old issue he had come across. The rest started from around FM #30 and up. I put him in my "Saved Sellers" list and have been checking a few times a day since I won the auction, but nothing that interests me has turned up.

 

He had a few FMs up for auction (the earliest being FM #32/1965 for $29) and a bunch of comics that I never heard of. Also, he must have got some info from someone, because it appears that he revised his auction prices upwards on the comics that were left.

 

I just looked and the only comics he had left were 5 issues of "KONGA" for $75 (revised upward from a couple of days ago). I'm not famliar with "KONGA," but since it has a 10 cent cover price I am assuming the comic is from the early 1960s or late 1950s. He has issue #1 in the lot and they look like they are in really good shape. This could be someone's FM #4 sticker variant!

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

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After my adrenaline finally subsided and I was able to get control of my bragging over my FM #4 Ghoul's Eye sticker variant, I started to wonder what the actual "Ghoul's Eye" ride looked like

 

I found the photo below on the internet. It's not exactly what I expected from the sticker advertisement on the cool FM #4 variant cover.

 

By the way, the FM #4 cover does not picture a "Ghoul's Eye." I believe it is an artist's rendition of one of the Martians from H.G. Wells' "WAR OF THE WORLDS." - Mike

 

 

 

"THE GHOUL'S EYE" RIDE IN WILLOW GROVE AMUSEMENT PARK, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, CIRCA 1959

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Very cool!-- Not to take away from your amazing snag on ebay but I was thinking if you're on a roll luck wise, could you please go out and find one of these to show off to us all---

 

http://myweb.wvnet.edu/e-gor/mtgraves/fm6cover.html

 

Now, thats rare!

 

Yep, FM #6 with MT Graves sticker is the rarest of all issues of FM ever printed with FM #4 sticker variant and FM #4 coming in second and third. There are only 5 or 6 legitimate copies known to exist. This issue was distributed only in the Miami area.

 

However, the true HOLY GRAIL of the Famous Monster of Filmland legacy is FM #7 with the LUCKY 7 handstamped on one of the interior pages. There are NO copies known to be in existence.

 

For those who do not know, 100 to 200 copies of FM #7/June 1960 had one of their interior pages handstamped with a LUCKY 7. The reader who had an issue with the stamp could tear out the page and mail to FM in order to receive a free life time subscription to the magazine. The fact that the page had to be torn out all but insured that no copies with the LUCKY 7 survived.

 

Be that as it may, I'm going to check my FM #7 variants to see if any have the LUCKY 7. Anyone out there with a copy should do the same. You never know. The magazine would be more valuable than Action Comics #1!

 

Mike

 

 

 

THE RAREST ISSUES OF FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND

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I remember talking about Lucky 7's on the boards here a while back. They sound like the ultimate FM prize. There has to be at least a few that are rolling around in collections. If anyone out there in CGC forum land knows of anyone who has seen one, I for one would love to see or hear about it.

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I think I hate you.

 

haha!

 

That is a ghoulishly good score, sir! (I tried a Forry line there)-- Seriously, impressed. My crappy 2.0 copy cost me a lot more.

 

 

i have a beautiful copy with the ghouls eye sticker. My problem is that i sent it in to be graded and they returned it saying they could not authenticate the sticker so they would not grade it. Does your 2.0 have the variant aknowleged on the label?

 

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First off, nice score on the FM #4 with the Sticker!!!

 

After going thru the thread I had to jump up and check my FM stash to see what my #7 had in store. No Stamp inside and not surprising as it was one of 4 issues that I backordered sometime around late 1961. I got a beautiful #2 (which was available on backorder for years for some reason) and a very nice #8.

 

Numbers 6 and 7 actually had tape on the spines!! (Apparently they were reselling more than just their excess copies).

 

Question; why is a regular copy of # 4 still one of the most valuable??

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There's another copy of FM 4 up on eBay right now, and it looks like it's getting quite a bit of activity:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Famous-Monsters-of-Filmland-4-August-1959-Rare-/330791276915?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item4d04b25173

 

That one doesn't have the Ghoul's Eye Sticker Variany, and the price is zooming up!

 

Good score on your part! kidu.gif

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Look at that issue of FM #4 closely. The front and back covers look pristine, but there is a serious deformation of the spine (bulge line on front cover going from the top staple down to below the bottom stapel). The seller wouldn't give me a straight answer and said it was from reading the magazine.

 

The seller also has a FM #1 up for auction. On first glance the front and back covers appear almost pristine. Look a bit closer and you will see really serious spine roll. Both of these mags probably come from the same collection. While neither was abused or read much, both were stored improperly and have defective spines.

 

Compare the FM #4 from my collection below to the FM #4 in the auction. My issue's front cover has a few more "ticks" near the spine and probably is not quite as "pristine" looking as the issue on auction. However, it lays perfectly flat and has no spine issues. It was properly stored for over 50 years. - Mike

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FM #4 not only had a lower number of issues printed, it was especially delicate and easily destroyed. The black covered older issues of FM were especially susceptible to spine splitting and just plain falling apart. FM #4, FM #3, and FM #6 are probably the 3 rarest non-variant FM issues.

 

Mike

 

P.S. My all-time favorite cover is FM #3! It may be because it was the first issue of FM that I ever had as a kid. lol I LOVE all the FM #7 variants mainly because they have my name in them!!

 

 

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I think I hate you.

 

haha!

 

That is a ghoulishly good score, sir! (I tried a Forry line there)-- Seriously, impressed. My crappy 2.0 copy cost me a lot more.

 

 

i have a beautiful copy with the ghouls eye sticker. My problem is that i sent it in to be graded and they returned it saying they could not authenticate the sticker so they would not grade it. Does your 2.0 have the variant aknowleged on the label?

 

I'm going to stick my two cents in this one. I don't have any of my material graded by CGC (or anyone esle), but I frequently check out their census. They don't have the FM #4 or FM #6 variants recognized the way the three FM #7s or British ##1 & 2 are recognized. If an FM #4 Ghoul's Eye or FM #6 MT Graves variant were graded they would not be listed separately from what I can dedeuce. They would be stuck in with the rest of the census and not distinguishable.

 

Someone should call CGC out on this situation. Apparently, CGC does NOT recognize the two rarest and most valuable issues of Famous Monsters of Filmland.

 

Mike

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i have a beautiful copy with the ghouls eye sticker. My problem is that i sent it in to be graded and they returned it saying they could not authenticate the sticker so they would not grade it. Does your 2.0 have the variant aknowleged on the label?

 

This is insane! :o

 

Does CGC expect you to get a sworn affidavit from James Warren to attest to the fact the Ghouls Eye sticker is authentic?

 

Perhaps it may be worthwhile to write an email to Mr. Warren? You have nothing to lose. Explain your situation and include the written response of CGC.

 

Jim Warren has a website: http://jimwarrenpublishing.com/

 

He may take an interst in this extremely unique situation.

 

 

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I'd be more concerned with those "Production" creases (or whatever they are) on the #1 and the considerable edge tanning on the #4.

 

Still, I wouldn't kick either of them out of bed... :)

 

and another question; does the stamped pence prices on those sent over to the british market, affect the price much?? (My # 3 has the black Pence stamp on it).

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