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Comics, Pulps, and Paperbacks: Why such a discrepancy in values?
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6,538 posts in this topic

58 minutes ago, damonwad said:

I really like Dell's mapbacks. Some maps are better than others but they all beat a standard book back.

Wow, great books! That copy of "The Broken Vase" is immaculate! Is there a temporal wormhole operating somewhere that I don't know about dumping all these fresh Dells on your laps?? hm

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Hey, I was just noticing that some of the cooler books that I track are getting scarcer.  Is the market tightening up?  A low grade copy of Marihuana used to cost $100 and now they're closer to $200.  This is not wishful thinking...I have a long, long, want list and this is going sort of frustrating!  Just wondering what you all are observing.

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3 hours ago, Westy Steve said:

Hey, I was just noticing that some of the cooler books that I track are getting scarcer.  Is the market tightening up?  A low grade copy of Marihuana used to cost $100 and now they're closer to $200.  This is not wishful thinking...I have a long, long, want list and this is going sort of frustrating!  Just wondering what you all are observing.

I don't think so. They were about $200 25 years ago, if not more.  More will pop up so just wait for a price you like.

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14 hours ago, moonpool said:

I don't think so. They were about $200 25 years ago, if not more.  More will pop up so just wait for a price you like.

Interesting.  I’m kind of a noob. Maybe when I started prices were softer than normal. Could also be that I have a nose for finding bargains. Or perhaps my grading is poor. Book collectors seem to fixate on odd things relative to comic book people and a “fine” book is a high grade.  But then, a “fine” is a pretty nice GA book. It’s like their scale needs expansion. 

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2 hours ago, Westy Steve said:

Interesting.  I’m kind of a noob. Maybe when I started prices were softer than normal. Could also be that I have a nose for finding bargains. Or perhaps my grading is poor. Book collectors seem to fixate on odd things relative to comic book people and a “fine” book is a high grade.  But then, a “fine” is a pretty nice GA book. It’s like their scale needs expansion. 

With paperbacks I usually go with the "looks pretty good" scale. :bigsmile:

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Does anybody have a preference for the more highly illustrated paperback covers versus the earlier, more graphic-design dominated first printings? Authors like Caldwell and Spillane certainly come to mind:

16564579.a96ef16c.800.jpg

In my earlier days, I zipped right past them in favor of the earlier editions. Now, I rather prefer them in many cases. 

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18 hours ago, moonpool said:

I don't think so. They were about $200 25 years ago, if not more.  More will pop up so just wait for a price you like.

Yeah, the market seems all over the place right now. Remember this is a market for cheapskates who want everything for $5 or $10 lol! That said, some books like Marihuana, most people know what it is so it never goes for way cheap. I bid on a nice one a couple months ago in an auction and am glad I didn't win it, it went really high. I find for the most part that BIN's with make offer, and scouring the various multi-book lots that come up are your best opportunities.

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9 minutes ago, PopKulture said:

Does anybody have a preference for the more highly illustrated paperback covers versus the earlier, more graphic-design dominated first printings? Authors like Caldwell and Spillane certainly come to mind:

16564579.a96ef16c.800.jpg

In my earlier days, I zipped right past them in favor of the earlier editions. Now, I rather prefer them in many cases. 

Yeah, I used to only go for the 1st's but there is no doubt that many later printings have cooler covers, Especially books like Signets where the earlier issues have stylized covers and later prints have Avati, Maguire or others in that style. I'll always pick them up if they look good and the price is right

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5 minutes ago, Surfing Alien said:

Yeah, I used to only go for the 1st's but there is no doubt that many later printings have cooler covers, Especially books like Signets where the earlier issues have stylized covers and later prints have Avati, Maguire or others in that style. I'll always pick them up if they look good and the price is right

It's neat to have the later printing with the Avati cover next to the earlier ones by Jonas. Such a difference in approach, and I like them both. :cloud9:

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On 1/14/2020 at 8:10 AM, Surfing Alien said:

Populars are probably my second fave small format paperback after the Avons. Lots of dames looking over their shoulders

20200114_090345.jpg

I was looking back a few pages and realized that I've never seen The Chuckling Fingers in hand. Even if I can't afford them, I've seen all the top golden age grails in person. How is it a Popular in the 200's is comparatively more elusive?  :nyah:

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Popular Library in the 200's (back into the 100's a bit and extending into the lower 300's) is in it's sweet spot with Belarksi and Bergey.  Then the color palette darkens and its just not quite as awesome to me.

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2 hours ago, PopKulture said:

I was looking back a few pages and realized that I've never seen The Chuckling Fingers in hand. Even if I can't afford them, I've seen all the top golden age grails in person. How is it a Popular in the 200's is comparatively more elusive?  :nyah:

Maybe no one wants to give up that incredibly suggestive sweater shot? :grin:

Seriously, without having print run/sales information, it's hard to say. It's the first one i've had or seen in hand.

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1 hour ago, moonpool said:

Popular Library in the 200's (back into the 100's a bit and extending into the lower 300's) is in it's sweet spot with Belarksi and Bergey.  Then the color palette darkens and its just not quite as awesome to me.

Without a doubt this is the "Golden Age" of Popular Library. I'll take one of each :cloud9:

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1 hour ago, moonpool said:

Popular Library in the 200's (back into the 100's a bit and extending into the lower 300's) is in it's sweet spot with Belarksi and Bergey.  Then the color palette darkens and its just not quite as awesome to me.

That does ring true with me as well - all those greens yielding to greys and browns. The art is still good on the Populars, but the title is always the same blocky font, whereas Avon kept doing custom typography.

Recently, I was doing some mental gymnastics as to whether Popular is my favorite or Avon. A straight-up comparison of the first five hundred or so is impossible for me, so I broke it down a 100 at a time. Avon won the first hundred, that I know. I'll figure out the other centuries today! 

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59 minutes ago, Randall Dowling said:

Was going through some of the books I've had for years and found this little gem.  Although it's from 1975, I figured I'd post it anyway as it has one of the most confusing cover illustrations I've ever seen.  I'll let you, the viewer, decide what the illustrator was trying to show you.

I think more disturbing than confusing :eek:

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16 hours ago, Westy Steve said:

I figured I’d buy this one to read and collect. I like the idea of a compendium of short stories since I don’t have much time to read. After I opened the package I realized I will still need a reader copy.  I’m conflicted. 🤔

4382FF87-D7C2-4DA1-AB84-4D7B766C3F2F.jpeg

Great book, great Charles Binger cover & great copy. Yes, you need a reading copy now  :baiting: the Giant size books just can't be read if they look this nice.

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