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Sci-Fi before the Space Age
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95 posts in this topic

...so seeing #12 listed on the boards had my blood pumping for a minute. Until I saw the rusty staples, that is :(.

 

you and me both brother, even sat and thought "do I want to get the staples replaced with age-correct staples that arent rusted and have a "conserverd" book?

 

 

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With last night CLink auction behind us I have one new addition to the collection.

 

LB Cole has created some of the most dynamic and striking covers of the GA, and he did some great ones that were Sci-Fi themed. I've missed out on a few (including the |#106 Crippen one offered here on the boards a few years ago). I cant think of another time in the last 5-6 years that a mid-grade Cole sci-fi cover has come to market, so when I saw the #108 with its outer space cover listed in CLink I knew that it would be my number one target for the auction.

 

Cole's understanding of outer space (full sealed suits, helmets) is far ahead of some of his contemporaries .

 

Two big color breaking creases on the cover are the main condition issue, but beyond that the book looks great and I cant wait to get it in hand...

 

xLkgbOR.jpg

 

but just cause I've got one Cole cover now, it doesnt mean I dont want more! His work on Flight #11 is one of my all time favorites...

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I just stumbled on to this thread. Based on your signature line, I'd say we have similar interests.

 

I know that you said no EC but I think a WF15 is a must.

 

Is Contact 12 on your list to purchase? (It's one of my personal favourites in my collection)

 

I'm surprised that we don't have a thread in Gold about this...

 

Nonetheless, I look forward to you posting some more books!

 

Cheers,

 

John

 

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Great pickup on the 108 (thumbs u

 

my wallet is glad there werent more Sci-Fi books, the rest of me is sad... The Startling 50 went for a strong price, I thought hard about the Captain Science 5, since it's my favorite in the series, but I decided to pass...

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I just stumbled on to this thread. Based on your signature line, I'd say we have similar interests.

 

I know that you said no EC but I think a WF15 is a must.

 

Is Contact 12 on your list to purchase? (It's one of my personal favourites in my collection)

 

I'm surprised that we don't have a thread in Gold about this...

 

Nonetheless, I look forward to you posting some more books!

 

Cheers,

 

John

 

Thanks John,

 

I think there is an old thread in Gold somewhere about Sci-Fi... There are a ton of great EC Sci-Fi books for sure... I think I fight the urge because they are a little easier to find than everything else on my list... I dont think my wallet could keep up with the available inventory on the market... luckilly the other sci-fi books are harder to find!

 

Contact 12 is an interesting book for sure, it's an outlier in the Cole style, a little more pop-art-y than his other stuff.

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It's been 10 months since I've updated this! Yikes. Well the last year has allowed me to do some buying, but it seems the market, and other collectors are also going after many of the same books as I am, leading to me getting out bid on some books, and watching prices skyrocket for other books that I sold off for 1/2 the price just a year ago... oh well!

 

on with the show.

 

Space Adventures 12 is a great book for many reasons, and it seems like I've just missed out on the few that were offered on the boards over the years, but this year I was able to snag one during an infamous charity/support thread. Regardless, it's a great book.

 

PXlCHN6.jpg

 

Some classic Ditko GGA, and most of the condition issues are relegated to the corners and the spine leaving a nice clean center image of our damsel in distress (even if she doesn't know it yet). Probably the key book in the Space Adventures run, I'll probably send this in for grading once I get some time to enjoy it in hand.

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Another Sci-Fi classic that's been on my list forever is the Brick Bradford #6.

 

The giant robot. The yellow background giving the image a lot of "pop." The reds. There's so much right with this cover. Feels very Flash Gordon-y. Not sure if it's definitive, but it seems like an Alex Schomburg cover. Would love to see this done in the painted/airbrush style of his other famous covers from the era.

 

Another raw I was able to get here on the boards, and again nice condition with few striking defects beyond some crinkling and creasing. Most of which might benefit from a pressing (outside of that lower right side color breaking crease). .

 

Again, just a well designed cover with nice colors.

 

AgwKA20.jpg

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Ok lets make this a three-fer! Another raw purchase. Another book I remember trying to win from time to time as far back as when I started collecting GA Sci-Fi. As always I'm drawn to the black of space type covers (but alas they show damage so easily!)

 

This one, Speed Carter Spaceman #1 is a nice VG copy with not to much stress damage. Most of its around the spine and some color rub off at the top edge. But the main image is nice and clear and undisturbed. The composition of the shot between the moon/planet rise over the horizon line, and the diagonal of the rocket ship just make for a nice balanced image by Bil Everett. Lots of Maneely art inside as well as a Romita drawn story.

 

I got a Spaceman #6 years ago (it's been in my sig line ever since), and Spaceman #1 was the only other issue of the title that I knew I just HAD to have.

 

 

ByyMD1A.jpg

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Well fell asleep and missed the live bidding for the Blue Bolt 106 that was in this weeks Heritage Auction. There was a small run being auctioned of mid grade 106, 107 and 108 Sci-Fi issues. Already having an 108 in similar grade (5.5) I was most interested in the 106, and put in a GPA level bid (or so I thought).

 

Long story short, the 106 went for almost $400, while the 108 went for under $300. I paid a little less for half a grade less this past year on the 108, so the pricing was fine, but I was surprised that the 106 went so high.

 

Census on 108 is 16 Universals in census, with 12 of the issues between 5.0 and 7.0

meanwhile

Census on 106 is 14 in Universal in census with 11 of the copies grouped between 4.5 and 7.5 (a little more spread)

 

So is the fact that 106 is the "first"of the small run of Blue Bolt Sci-Fi covers? They're all LB Cole covers...and the 107 sold in line for what the 108 did... Maybe just two bidders needing the book. Oh well. On with the show.

 

In other 50s Sci-Fi action... the last few auctions were flush with Space Adventure Books, though a lot of them were slabbed non-CGC. Which usually suppresses prices for all but the most desirable books...

 

I missed on SA13 in 9.6 last month on CLINK (went for $300 and I was thinking it was more of a price starting with a 2. But with that info I readied for last months ComicConnect auction. There were a range of pedigrees (mostly Bethlehem and River City) but the grades were mostly in the 7s and 8s, so I planned to pass on them unless they went cheap (they didnt). Was interesting to see the SA27 9.4 Bethleham go for $285 (I have a White Mountain in 9.6, so I was happy to see the result). Early SA books went pricey, SA3 in 7.5 went for $454, SA8 in 7.5 went for almost $200. SA10 in 8.5 with the Ditko cover went for $850 (yowza).

 

I was only interested in one book, SA32 in 9.4, both the highest copy, and the Bethlehem copy. Knowing the SA13 went for $300, I bid up, but in the end lost cause it went for $353, which again, in comparison to the SA13 was very strong pricing (and made me wish I'd gone harder for the SA13).

 

So fast forward to this month's CLink offerings, and there was the lovely SA17 in 9.4 from the Bethlehem Pedigree. Knowing recent outcomes I knew that my days of $200 copies were behind me I put my tracking bid, and then once all the tracking bids were in I popped in a big number to see who would follow me. One other bidder joined me in the clouds and put a bid past me, and there I knew my competition. In the end I got the book for $300, which I felt was fair and still a decent deal, in line with the other winning bids in the last few months.

 

6yoVpvR.jpg

 

 

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Realized I never shared this beauty

 

I dont think I realized that the girl on the cover had wings for years after first seeing the cover... not kidding.

 

A nice complete attached VG copy. Right in my wheelhouse. Nice enough, but not to nice to keep raw and enjoy thumbing through. Picked up here on the boards. An Avon classic cover. One shot/no number book. Im not sure who the "earth man" is on the cover since everyone (including the ant) has antennae! From 1951 (man how I love those 50s books!) with a Gene Fawcette cover.

 

BK4Nwh0.jpg

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I've continued buying, lots of raws of late. 

I've been wanting a decent mid-grade copy of Space Detetective #1, but it has continued to ellude me. I've never been a big fan of the cover art for issues #2 (too guesome) or #3. Two midgrade copies were in a CLink auction a few months back, but went far higher than I was interested in chasing. A CBCS 5.0 went for $326, while a CGC 6.5 went for $751! I was amazed at the price hike for the 1.5 grade improvement. A CGC 4.0 went for $231 about 6 months earlier, so the book looks to be steady to slightly rising in mid grade (4.0-6.0). 19 on the census with 6 in F/VF or better. 

So a nice looking copy of Space Detective #4 came up here on the boards recently so I decided to pull the trigger. Not as sweet as the #1, but a nice book for sure. 

Like the damsel in distress aspect as well as the fact that all the females (alien or otherwise) are in pretty skimpy clothes while our hero is fully covered with a space helmet. Attack of the Wasp Women for sure!

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8 hours ago, AJD said:

Another great book. I really like the collection you're pulling together here. (thumbsu

Thanks! It's a fun genre for sure and there's still a (relatively) affordable market out there for mid-grade copies of a lot of sci-fi books. 

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And one more book to start today. I remember loving this cover from back when I first started collecting sci-fi and have been keeping an eye out for a nice looking mid grade copy. 

 

Space Action 1, the first issue of the title that only spanned three issues from Ace Magazines.  Ace Magazines specialized in the non-hero flavor of comics, covering horror, crime, romance, and just a bit of sci-fi.  Jim Gray attributed the cover art to Lou Cameron "I am almost certain that the cover to Space Action 1 is by Lou Cameron; the pose of the guy throwing the punch is pure Cameron. I think it's early, before his style really developed." Cameron also did other work in the 3 issue series. I really like the composition of the cover. Between the big looming planet in the background with its diagonal ring to the same diagonal direction of the action of the hero punching the villain on the cover its a great "big"cover, without feeling cluttered. 

 

B9QC8RG.jpg

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That Space Detective 4 is a neat book.....and while not any Wood art, that Fawcette cover always  grabbed me....I believe he may have done some interior work as well...  GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(A friend of jesus)(thumbsu

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10 minutes ago, jimjum12 said:

That Space Detective 4 is a neat book.....and while not any Wood art, that Fawcette cover always  grabbed me....I believe he may have done some interior work as well...  GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(A friend of jesus)(thumbsu

Hey look one of my dealers showed up in my thread! Everyone should have a jimbo in their hobby life... he always has the most interesting books... 

 

I also just realized that between my Earth Man on Venus and Detective #4 I went back to back with winged pixie alien covers (though I think the ones on Venus look far more inviting)!

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