• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Turtlemania #1 Question
0

12 posts in this topic

Posted this in Ask CGC a few days ago, nothing but crickets so I figured I'd ask here.

There is in existence a gold variant of Turtlemania #1. Apparently there are only ten copies of this variant in existence, and each was released with signatures and sketches from the creators. This is how they came, and there are no gold copies that do not feature this. As such, should these sketches/sigs not be considered part of the production process, as that is how they were released? I believe all CGC copies are green labeled due to unwitnessed writing/drawing, but since they are an inherent part of the production of these issues, should they not receive blue labels? These are extremely valuable books, and I'm very curious why CGC considers them qualified.

Edited by mackenzie999
spelling
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, mackenzie999 said:

Posted this in Ask CGC a few days ago, nothing but crickets so I figured I'd ask here.

There is in existence a gold variant of Turtlemania #1. Apparently there are only ten copies of this variant in existence, and each was released with signatures and sketches from the creators. This is how they came, and there are no gold copies that do not feature this. As such, should these sketches/sigs not be considered part of the production process, as that is how they were released? I believe all CGC copies are green labeled due to unwitnessed writing/drawing, but since they are an inherent part of the production of these issues, should they not receive blue labels? These are extremely valuable books, and I'm very curious why CGC considers them qualified.

If it's not printed...and it's not witnessed...it has to be green label.

There are other books which are similarly signed and/or sketched and/or numbered, and they were all produced that way (like the Maxx ashcans, for example.)

To be consistent, CGC must green label (or discount the grade and blue label) all of them.

Speaking of which, I think there was some Turtlemanias that were on ComicLink, or ComicConnect, or one of those a while back..? I wonder how those did.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They did crazy well. At Comic Link. The Gold with a sketch and signatures that was limited to 10 copies sold for $58,000

The Silver with just signatures - no sketches - limited to 100 copies sold for $8100

Both graded CGC 9.0. Green label due to the unwitnessed signatures. 

I sent the books to CGC on the behalf of a client  I had only seen the common white edition before this.  When she first contacted me, told me what she had and what she thought they were worth, I was skeptical. A bit of reading on the 'net showed they were valuable. And what she thought they were worth was about 1/2 of what they sold for.  She had a private offer of about $30,000 for the pair, but I encouraged her to send them to an auction house as the few sales I could find a record of were private transactions. You had to know someone that knew someone that might have a copy for sale.  Her's would be the first in an auction. 

Mycomicshop wasn't interested. Told her she should  take the offer BAHAHAHAHA. I don't know if she contacted anyone else  - I gave her a list of the auction houses and contact info - but CL was interested. 

BTW, she also own's a sample gold cover (cover only) Again, a bit of research indicates that there were just a few sample Gold edition covers created.  CGC  encapsulated that cover a few days ago and it's headed for CL as I type this. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good for her for sticking to her guns, but it just makes me much, much less reticent...and I already WAS reticent...to be cutting anyone any "deals" on books. When the market says "yeah...$58,000 for this 1988 1986 book is fair"...then it has the money to pay close to asking price for my stuff. 

:D

I had the opportunity to buy a silver I want to say in 2001 or so? Bought it, it was badly water damaged. Sent it back. Right decision at the time, but I wish I'd not had some dbag seller jerk me around on it. 

Edited by RockMyAmadeus
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

$58,000....?

That's insanity.

Crazy, insane $$ is still REAL $$. :flipbait:

But yeah. Did better than she or I expected.  And putting it in perspective, the highest price paid so far for a TMNT #1 1st print is $38,240 for a CGC 9.8. Last year. The Gold Edition - published two years later in 1986 graded 9.0 - blew way past that.

Edited by Tony S
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Funny thing is the lady offered the silver and gold to me for 20k. But I countered with 12k for both. She politely declined and said she would be sending them in to Clink to auction. I thought great because as Tony mentioned above these have all been done through private transactions. I needed a recorded sale price to happen. I fortunately own two Gold. Number 6 and number 10. Each graded 9.2 and 9.6 respectively. No one had ever seen the back sketchon number 10 until last year.  It is the last book in that set and in my opinion has the best sketch on the back out of the nine that are known to exist. 5/10 seems to be a mystery. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, sagekilz said:

FWIW, your question was answered by CGC and you replied back in that thread.  They also gave you the same exact answer as you've received here

Not quite sure what you're still looking for.

Not quite sure what you're looking for either, but if you need an explanation CGC had not answered my question until after I had reposted it here (which was mentioned before I even got to the question). If something confuses you, try reading more carefully.

Edited by mackenzie999
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So this is the highest price realized for any TMNT item, ever? Incredible. I'm not sure about the history of original art sales, but I've never heard of a single TMNT OA piece selling for this high. Maybe the cover of issue 1 would sell higher. To me, a longtime Turtles collector, the Turtlemania variants never had a very high appeal. Maybe because it's not a Mirage book and it's more of a "preview" book. The book has always been an odd bird to me. It blows my mind that they would sell this high, especially in these times where the Turtles' popularity seems to have cooled. High congrats to the seller!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
0