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Comics, Pulps, and Paperbacks: Why such a discrepancy in values?
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Started by Reno McCoy,

6,861 posts in this topic

Surfing Alien

Surfing Alien

Posted
Posted
On 4/14/2020 at 3:47 PM, PopKulture said:

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! 

Agree on the 1st 100 for sure. Avons had a much wider range of both story type and artwork in its 1st 100, so are more generally interesting.

Popular's 1st 100 were almost all mystery with a few westerns near the end and the art was a progression through various stylized formats ending up with the "Frame" style with the banner across the top near the end. Not sure which was the first with the banner, I know Fatal Descent by John Dickson Carr, #87 was an early one.

One thing for sure - the Popular "Frame" look is amazing for group shots. Unfaded spines in a row on a bookshelf look awesome too :)

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Westy Steve

Westy Steve

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16 hours ago, Surfing Alien said:

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.

Thanks. The spine makes it look unread, so I did order a reprint of this reprint (for less than $5!).   I was trying to figure out who did the cover art.  Couldn't read the signature.  From the seller's picture, I thought it was Bergey until I got it in hand and realized it wasn't his signature.

Some elements of the cover art kind of reminds me of the art on the book "Black Opium" from the same period.  Wonder if the same artist did both?

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Surfing Alien

Surfing Alien

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1 hour ago, Westy Steve said:

Thanks. The spine makes it look unread, so I did order a reprint of this reprint (for less than $5!).   I was trying to figure out who did the cover art.  Couldn't read the signature.  From the seller's picture, I thought it was Bergey until I got it in hand and realized it wasn't his signature.

Some elements of the cover art kind of reminds me of the art on the book "Black Opium" from the same period.  Wonder if the same artist did both?

Black Opium was by Robert Maguire. Binger did quite a few covers for Bantam. He was a realist but his best work has a dreamlike quality to it. Brave New World is one of my favorites by him.

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Westy Steve

Westy Steve

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Posted

Cool art! Hey, I thought everything you owned is at least a Fine. :baiting:  Does that mean these are hard to find in high grade?  I'm figuring out the thicker books like Bantam Giants are harder to find without spine curvature. (Really enjoying the challenge of these PBs)

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Surfing Alien

Surfing Alien

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1 hour ago, Westy Steve said:

Cool art! Hey, I thought everything you owned is at least a Fine. :baiting:  Does that mean these are hard to find in high grade?  I'm figuring out the thicker books like Bantam Giants are harder to find without spine curvature. (Really enjoying the challenge of these PBs)

I try :foryou: I have another copy that *might* be better but neither one is unopened. No doubt the fat books are tougher to find unopened. The curvature is somewhat inevitable, even on an unread copy because the glue dries up and shrinks. But when you find one of these fatties that is pristine, they are something to behold. Your copy of Fancies & Goodnights has "that look" from what I can see of it.

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Westy Steve

Westy Steve

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1 hour ago, Surfing Alien said:

I try :foryou: I have another copy that *might* be better but neither one is unopened. No doubt the fat books are tougher to find unopened. The curvature is somewhat inevitable, even on an unread copy because the glue dries up and shrinks. But when you find one of these fatties that is pristine, they are something to behold. Your copy of Fancies & Goodnights has "that look" from what I can see of it.

I'll edit my initial post to include a spine picture tonight if I get a chance.  I know that the book isn't necessarily rare or important, but after seeing that spine, it made me want more like it.

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frozentundraguy

frozentundraguy

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  • Popular Post
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:insane:

On 4/7/2020 at 8:33 PM, frozentundraguy said:

Yes 75 and one half.  I still insist on skipping the half.lol so its 75 for me.   I had 74 books in my list, so I went through my spreadsheet and discovered I had missed an issue.   Instead of needing two more books to finish my run I now need three. I had made a minor miscue and ordered a later edition for one of the books. :makepoint:    I just finished reading The World Swappers by Brunner and it was quite interesting, so I'm looking forward to Sanctuary in the Sky.

 

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Cry FOUL if you must, but my collection of Ace "D" series sci-fi doubles is complete, for me at least. :bigsmile:  I had thought I was three books short, as I did not have D-205, "The Earth in Peril" and "Who Speaks of Conquest", on my spreadsheet. However I have the book and have adjusted my list. Ace D-413 is a special treat with two books by Harlan Ellison. Last but not least is D-403 with the "Pirates of Zan" and "The Mutant Weapon". By odd chance both of these books were also by the same author, in this case Murray Leinster. The cover for Pirates was done by Emsh, but for the flip side no artist is given. 

Control of this channel will now be turned over, and your normal programming will resume. :insane:

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moonpool

moonpool

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Posted
11 hours ago, Westy Steve said:

All erudite, book-collector appreciation not withstanding, My God I Love Women!

It's a great Heade cover.  I have not seen a British equivalent that many of the Archer Book series have.

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OtherEric

OtherEric

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29 minutes ago, Westy Steve said:

Hey, I was scrolling through ebay today looking at books and I happened to notice the MyComicsShop is selling books.  Is that a new thing?  I don't remember running across their listings before.

Steve

It's not new, but it's inconsistent.  I've actually got a stack of SF digests I just ordered from them yesterday when they went back on line that I'll show here once they arrive.

Most of the MCS listings were removed when they were shut down, so there is an unusually high number of "new listings" from them as they went back up starting yesterday.  They're probably more visible right now because of that.

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Westy Steve

Westy Steve

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6 minutes ago, OtherEric said:

It's not new, but it's inconsistent.  I've actually got a stack of SF digests I just ordered from them yesterday when they went back on line that I'll show here once they arrive.

Most of the MCS listings were removed when they were shut down, so there is an unusually high number of "new listings" from them as they went back up starting yesterday.  They're probably more visible right now because of that.

Makes sense.  Some of their listings had multiple entries of the same books, but in different grades.

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Westy Steve

Westy Steve

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Posted (edited)

Ya'll are going to have to indulge me for a second.  It's late, my interest in books is stronger than usual right now, and so "books" are swimming through my thoughts.

The original topic of this particular thread is the discrepancy between the price of pulps and books vs. comics.  (I know we've hijacked that to share general appreciation for books and pulps, but let me finish my point)

Anyway, I was just looking through the comic book sales thread here on the forums, and it really struck me just how big of a $$$ discrepancy it is today.  I mean...for example, take Matt Baker art.  I'd like to have a nice Matt Baker comic at some point, and if the price was right and the situation was right, I'd likely snag one.  I'm sure I will some day.  Secondarily, I'm "hard wired" to appreciate the female form, and so I enjoy "headlight" comic book covers and I have a couple nice examples in my collection.   All that being said, after spending the evening looking at various paperback covers by some of the master artists in the Sleaze/GGA paperback genre...well...I don't get it.  The discrepancy between prices has likely quadrupled since this thread started.  

I mean, the artwork on some of those paperbacks (IMHO) blows away the finished product of some of the best comic book artists for some logical reasons.  I fully understand that they were drawing for their audience, which was predominantly young teenage boys with vigilant mothers, and they were cranking their work out quickly.  Heck, ever see the difference between Carl Barks typical (and admittedly great) works and then compare it to what he could do in other mediums like painting ducks with oils?  Yes, I'm sure that Matt Baker, if he took the time and used the same materials probably could have rivaled the work of Robert Maguire and Earle Bergey (and so many others that I have yet to discover)  but the reality is that Baker didn't do that.   Yet some of his Comics sell for 100 times more money for his cover art that is comparably as rare, in comparable grade, and comparably as old.  I don't get it.  I mean, the only variable left is demand, and I CAN wrap my brain around that economic fact, but I don't understand how human nature can be so stilted. There truly is one he!! of a chasm in price between books and comics, but it seems that the quality of work (to me) actually runs in the other direction.  I have some sexy illustrations of Betty and Veronica, but they can't approach enticing photorealistic art calculated to be alluring instead of something non-photorealistic that has limited allure hidden in plain site so as not to alert the parents (though that is part of their charm).   In the final analysis, I truly can't justify spending several hundred $$$ on a comic book for just the cover art anymore.  Not when I could use that money to buy so many fascinating/interesting books.  Understand that I'm happy with the status quo since I have to watch my pennies to enjoy the thrill of the hunt.  But I just don't understand it.

To the OP's original, insightful point, why indeed?  The discrepancy has gotten even more ridiculous.

Sorry for the rant.

Edited by Westy Steve
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PopKulture

PopKulture

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Westy Steve said:

In the final analysis, I truly can't justify spending several hundred $$$ on a comic book for just the cover art anymore.  Not when I could use that money to buy so many fascinating/interesting books.  Understand that I'm happy with the status quo since I have to watch my pennies to enjoy the thrill of the hunt.  But I just don't understand it.

Ssshhhhhh... Keep it our dirty little secret.  :gossip:  :cloud9:

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