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How many complete copies of Tec 27 and Action 1 exist?
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Started by twmjr,

60 posts in this topic

Gotham Kid

Gotham Kid

Posted
Posted

MSU, I'm sure of. LoC, I think. UC Riverside, I don't think so. tOSU, no idea. Could be anywhere, though.

 

Can you explain these acronyms for non-Americans ?

 

LoC is Library of Congress, got that one.

 

Thanks.

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Bronty

Bronty

Posted
Posted

tOSU would be the Ohio State University with the idea that superman started in cleveland, ohio.

 

I'm canadian so I am guessing but I think UC riverside is california and MSU michigan state.

 

Not sure what their connection would be. UC riverside perhaps for the entertainment connection with california?

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sfcityduck

sfcityduck

Posted
Posted (edited)

MSU, I'm sure of. LoC, I think. UC Riverside, I don't think so. tOSU, no idea. Could be anywhere, though.

 

Can you explain these acronyms for non-Americans ?

 

LoC is Library of Congress, got that one.

 

Thanks.

 

Michigan State University has an extensive comic connection.

 

The Library of Congress has a copy.

 

University of California at Riverside has a large comic collection but not an Action 1.

 

The Ohio State University is famous for its comic art collection, and hascomics as well.

 

Many other Universities without any specific emphasis on comic books have them. The University of Oregon, for example holds Gardner Fox's papers, including 600 comics. It would not shock me if some of the highly endowed University libraries with rare book collections have some valuable comics.

 

I would also not be shocked if museums like the Smithsonian or Lucas' new LA museum have an Action 1.

Edited by sfcityduck
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Mr. 10%

Mr. 10%

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Posted

 

IF the gut feeling actually holds up, ie. that there is indeed 300 copies of tec27 and 300 of A1. Then we are looking at a rather amazing collector 'discipline are'nt we?'. I mean if there is a total of 600 books in existence; and an average holder of one of these books could cash in around 400 Kish (average price for 1 item of the population) - then it is rather amazing that almost no one seems to be actively looking to sell any of these 600 items? If I had 400 K lying around I wouldnt be posting here. I'd be on the phone to Comic Connect or Heritage. Thats for sure

 

 

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G.A.tor

G.A.tor

Posted
Posted

IF the gut feeling actually holds up, ie. that there is indeed 300 copies of tec27 and 300 of A1. Then we are looking at a rather amazing collector 'discipline are'nt we?'. I mean if there is a total of 600 books in existence; and an average holder of one of these books could cash in around 400 Kish (average price for 1 item of the population) - then it is rather amazing that almost no one seems to be actively looking to sell any of these 600 items? If I had 400 K lying around I wouldnt be posting here. I'd be on the phone to Comic Connect or Heritage. Thats for sure

 

it's all relative, that's for sure. Many copies I suspect are restored , bringing that "value" down 50+%....and many are in the hands off older/long time collectors that probably value the book more than money, or already have plenty of money that the value doesn't play into their decisions at the moment ...then again dozens and dozens of each have Come to market so clearly some are cashing in
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koollectablz

koollectablz

Posted
Posted

Everything is relative.

 

Excluding my house (as I need somewhere to live and store my belongings) if I cobble together everything i own and sell it then I'd have a fair chunk of change.

 

What what I do then?

 

Buy pretty much everything back again?

 

Or maybe just change it into various coinage, deposit the lot into some kind of large square container (say for argument lets call it a bin), then sit in it and throw the coins up into the air and let them hit me on the head, or swim and dive in them like a dolphin?

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sfcityduck

sfcityduck

Posted
Posted

IF the gut feeling actually holds up, ie. that there is indeed 300 copies of tec27 and 300 of A1. Then we are looking at a rather amazing collector 'discipline are'nt we?'. I mean if there is a total of 600 books in existence; and an average holder of one of these books could cash in around 400 Kish (average price for 1 item of the population) - then it is rather amazing that almost no one seems to be actively looking to sell any of these 600 items? If I had 400 K lying around I wouldnt be posting here. I'd be on the phone to Comic Connect or Heritage. Thats for sure

 

 

I think your comment illustrates the fault line between a "collector" and an "investor." Most of the old time "collectors" I have met are, when it comes to comics, hoarders. They aren't investors. They could cash out for big bucks, but most would rather take it to their graves. They can't even understand why anyone would want to sell the items that they put so much effort into finding and which cause them so much pleasure. Which is probably why some of the more prominent collections recently sold at Heritage have been estate sales (Roberts' original art sale, Weist, etc.).

 

I also think that's why you see some books coming on the market repeatedly. They haven't found a home with a true collector yet. They are just flitting from investor to investor.

 

 

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buttock

buttock

Posted
Posted

IF the gut feeling actually holds up, ie. that there is indeed 300 copies of tec27 and 300 of A1. Then we are looking at a rather amazing collector 'discipline are'nt we?'. I mean if there is a total of 600 books in existence; and an average holder of one of these books could cash in around 400 Kish (average price for 1 item of the population) - then it is rather amazing that almost no one seems to be actively looking to sell any of these 600 items? If I had 400 K lying around I wouldnt be posting here. I'd be on the phone to Comic Connect or Heritage. Thats for sure

 

 

I think your comment illustrates the fault line between a "collector" and an "investor." Most of the old time "collectors" I have met are, when it comes to comics, hoarders. They aren't investors. They could cash out for big bucks, but most would rather take it to their graves. They can't even understand why anyone would want to sell the items that they put so much effort into finding and which cause them so much pleasure. Which is probably why some of the more prominent collections recently sold at Heritage have been estate sales (Roberts' original art sale, Weist, etc.).

 

I also think that's why you see some books coming on the market repeatedly. They haven't found a home with a true collector yet. They are just flitting from investor to investor.

 

 

Not to mention if you sell then A) you no longer have a book and likely won't replace it and B) if you sell now, you lose out on future gain in value.

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path4play

path4play

Posted
Posted

There is an interesting statistical phenomena called wisdom of the crowd,

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_of_the_crowd

 

A statistician at a county fair in the early 1900's observed the average of all guesses for the weight of a cow was actually nearly correct, and much closer to correct than individual guesses.

 

Sooooo if we take the average of the guesses of the experts experience here, we might be close to reality.

 

 

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pemart1966

pemart1966

Posted
Posted
There is an interesting statistical phenomena called wisdom of the crowd,

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_of_the_crowd

 

A statistician at a county fair in the early 1900's observed the average of all guesses for the weight of a cow was actually nearly correct, and much closer to correct than individual guesses.

 

Sooooo if we take the average of the guesses of the experts experience here, we might be close to reality.

 

 

Except in this case we won't be able to test that theory...

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path4play

path4play

Posted
Posted (edited)

For what is worth, on a back of a napkin, I estimated about one-tenth (0.1%) of published books from the war/pre war Golden Age survive to this day.

 

An analysis of Action Comics #1 from Comichron (with quote from our own Mr. Bedrock) states”only about 100 copies Action Comics #1 remain in existence..” “So the issue was still one of 200,000 — 202,000, specifically — with sales of 130,000.”

 

Depending on if you want to use the printed or sales figures, that is a survival rate of between 0.05% and 0.08%. So 0.1% might actually be closer to reality, based on comments here.

 

Now to apply a bit of statistics. Using CGC graded counts of non-restored Action #1 books the average and median grade is 4, with a standard deviation of 2.5. If you consider a normal distributed curve, this means 68% of books fall between grades 6.5 Fine + and 1.5 Fair/Good. Roughly just 15.8% of copies would be above 6.5 (and as few as 2.2% a 9 and above).

Edited by path4play
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