Do these books exist? (Adventures of) Peter Wheat #65 and #66 0

[OtherEric]

Do these books exist?

Specifically, has anybody ever seen a copy of (Adventures of) Peter Wheat #65 or #66?

Overstreet and the Fort Mudge Most both claim the series made it to #66.  But the GCD doesn't have scans of #65 or #66.  The Digital Comic Museum doesn't have scans of #65 or #66.  (Admittedly, most of the scans there are of my books.)  I've never seen a copy of either issue for sale anywhere.  And this lot on Heritage

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/peter-wheat-group-of-54-bakers-associates-1947-56-total-54-comic-books-/a/121724-12477.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515

has 54 of the issues of the series but doesn't have the last two.  To be fair, the later issues do seem to be scarcer than the ones near the middle of the run, presumably as bakeries dropped the series.  But I'm pretty much ready to declare these books don't exist unless I hear of somebody actually having seen a copy.

 

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by OtherEric

[Sqeggs]

21 hours ago, OtherEric said:

Do these books exist?

Specifically, has anybody ever seen a copy of (Adventures of) Peter Wheat #65 or #66?

Overstreet and the Fort Mudge Most both claim the series made it to #66.  But the GCD doesn't have scans of #65 or #66.  The Digital Comic Museum doesn't have scans of #65 or #66.  (Admittedly, most of the scans there are of my books.)  I've never seen a copy of either issue for sale anywhere.  And this lot on Heritage

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/peter-wheat-group-of-54-bakers-associates-1947-56-total-54-comic-books-/a/121724-12477.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515

has 54 of the issues of the series but doesn't have the last two.  To be fair, the later issues do seem to be scarcer than the ones near the middle of the run, presumably as bakeries dropped the series.  But I'm pretty much ready to declare these books don't exist unless I hear of somebody actually having seen a copy.

 

 

Was there an article in FMM that discussed the issue?  If so, did the author offer any reason to believe those last two issues exist?

[OtherEric]

The Fort Mudge Most article says they're getting the 66 from Overstreet.  I suspect the 66 is actually accurate for Peter Wheat News, given that we're sure it reached at least #65, and would need the #66 to finish the story.  But Overstreet still says 30 on News, and even the FMM article only increases that number to 36.

Peter Wheat is just, in general, still a horribly poorly documented set of titles despite featuring work by one of the giants of the hobby.

[jimjum12]

I know almost nothing about this..... how about turning this thread into a showcase vehicle.....? Perhaps someone will turn those two up who might have otherwise passed them by, due to the exposure. GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[Get Marwood & I]

This kind of thing always interests me and I've just spent 30 minutes trawling every comic site, Google etc. I had a similar thing with Amazing Spider-Man #42 and #43 which many leading comic sites and figures insisted existed as pence copies. My research over 10 years proved to me at least beyond reasonable doubt that they didn't.

Once one leading site / comic figure makes the claim something exists, many others trust them and follow suit. The inaccuracy becomes the norm. Look at overstreet and the ASM promo in the Eye / Esquire magazines for another historical widespread inaccuracy. 

Trust your judgement @OtherEric If you haven't seen a copy in all the time you've been looking, and every single time the pictures stop at 64, then 65 and 66 almost certainly don't exist.

In my case, I note my records 'not proven to exist'. The possibility of being corrected is slim to none. But putting the question out here can only help flush them out if they do (if you change the thread title to include peter wheat 65 66 it will show up better to potential searchers). 

But I think they don't! ?

[comicstock]

I read somewhere many years ago that Price Guides will intentionally print some items that they know do NOT exist so if a new competitor includes those items in their new publication, the established Price Guide can sue them for copying their material.  

[Sqeggs]

4 hours ago, comicstock said:

I read somewhere many years ago that Price Guides will intentionally print some items that they know do NOT exist so if a new competitor includes those items in their new publication, the established Price Guide can sue them for copying their material.  

My understanding is that Overstreet does (or did) do this.  It's the equivalent of map sellers (in the old days of paper maps) including on a city map a couple of small streets that don't actually exist.

Edited June 11, 2017 by Sqeggs
Typo

[Sqeggs]

3 hours ago, jimjum12 said:

I know almost nothing about this..... how about turning this thread into a showcase vehicle.....? Perhaps someone will turn those two up who might have otherwise passed them by, due to the exposure. GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

I believe @Marty Mann may have some. I think this may be my only copy:

[OtherEric]

5 hours ago, Marwood & I said:

This kind of thing always interests me and I've just spent 30 minutes trawling every comic site, Google etc. I had a similar thing with Amazing Spider-Man #42 and #43 which many leading comic sites and figures insisted existed as pence copies. My research over 10 years proved to me at least beyond reasonable doubt that they didn't.

Once one leading site / comic figure makes the claim something exists, many others trust them and follow suit. The inaccuracy becomes the norm. Look at overstreet and the ASM promo in the Eye / Esquire magazines for another historical widespread inaccuracy. 

Trust your judgement @OtherEric If you haven't seen a copy in all the time you've been looking, and every single time the pictures stop at 64, then 65 and 66 almost certainly don't exist.

In my case, I note my records 'not proven to exist'. The possibility of being corrected is slim to none. But putting the question out here can only help flush them out if they do (if you change the thread title to include peter wheat 65 66 it will show up better to potential searchers). 

But I think they don't! ?

I think "Not proven to exist" is as good a note as I can think of!

Once I get home from work tonight, I will probably showcase what issues I do have, like @jimjum12 suggested, as well.  My collection isn't quite as impressive as that auction lot, but it's 49 compared to 54... I'm not doing too badly.

[Get Marwood & I]

5 minutes ago, OtherEric said:

I think "Not proven to exist" is as good a note as I can think of!

Once I get home from work tonight, I will probably showcase what issues I do have, like @jimjum12 suggested, as well.  My collection isn't quite as impressive as that auction lot, but it's 49 compared to 54... I'm not doing too badly.

Good idea from jimjum - the more info you put out, the more chance someone will stumble across them and surprise you. Plus we get to see all your lovely books 

[Get Marwood & I]

3 hours ago, Sqeggs said:

4 hours ago, comicstock said:

I read somewhere many years ago that Price Guides will intentionally print some items that they know do NOT exist so if a new competitor includes those items in their new publication, the established Price Guide can sue them for copying their material.  

My understanding is that Overstreet does (or did) do this.  It's the equivalent of map sellers (in the old days of paper maps) including on a city may a couple of small streets that don't actually exist.

A long time back I wrote to Overstreet with a list of errors and omissions - there were some Spidey titles that were absent completely.  I can't recall the exact response but none of the suggestions ever appeared, even though I said I would back them up with evidence. I think if everything was included, e.g. newsstands vs directs, the book would be three times the size! But I do love the Overstreet.  Relevant or not, it's part of the fabric. 

[OtherEric]

13 hours ago, Sqeggs said:

I believe @Marty Mann may have some. I think this may be my only copy:

Nice one!  For some reason, there are a lot of file copies of #33.  Still a beautiful book.  Mine was a 9.6, but I broke it out of the slab and probably slightly damaged it scanning it.

[OtherEric]

And, as promised, I'm going to turn this thread into a showcase vehicle.  That lot of 54 issues sold on heritage for $5, 258; at 49 issues my run isn't quite as impressive, at least until I start including some of the other Peter Wheat books I have.

Here's the 1st two issues:

[OtherEric]

Issues 3 and 7, I'm missing 4-6

[OtherEric]

8 and 11.  I have an incomplete copy of 10, but it's so ugly I'm not scanning it, and don't count it when I say I have 49 of the issues.

The #8, by the way, is the one Walt Kelly issue that was missing from that lot on Heritage.

More issues tomorrow.

[sacentaur]

Not familiar with these books at all, thanks for sharing.

[Bronty]

I heard Peter Wheat #66 "barley" exists.... nyuk nyuk

[OtherEric]

One other possible reason for the claim #65 and #66 exist:  As you will see as I post the covers, the issue number is frequently almost impossible to read.  I can't point to a specific issue causing the problem, but I could easily see somebody misreading a different issue as #66.

Here's 12 and 14:

[OtherEric]

4 hours ago, sacentaur said:

Not familiar with these books at all, thanks for sharing.

Glad you're enjoying them!

Here's 15 and 18; and from here on out the holes get a lot fewer:

[OtherEric]

4 hours ago, Bronty said:

I heard Peter Wheat #66 "barley" exists.... nyuk nyuk

  (I was always more of a Marx Brothers fan, myself.)

19 and 20:

More tomorrow.