Folio Society's "Marvel: The Golden Age 1939-1949" 0

[woowoo]

1 hour ago, Cat-Man_America said:

  

[Cat-Man_America]

4 hours ago, woowoo said:

Cheers!  

[Knightsofold]

This thread failed to make me buy the folio, but I did just have a beer, so cheers!

[woowoo]

9 hours ago, Cat-Man_America said:

Cheers!  

 Yours looks Better

[fifties]

So my question is; what's to stop some less than unclean hands eBayer from degrading the condition of one of these reprints just enough to make it appear as the genuine article, and posting it for auction as such?

[Illustrious]

1 hour ago, fifties said:

So my question is; what's to stop some less than unclean hands eBayer from degrading the condition of one of these reprints just enough to make it appear as the genuine article, and posting it for auction as such?

I don't think it's a question of if it will happen, but when. The main question of authenticity is going to come down to the dimensions, since the facsimile is 10x7, and Primetime said the original was 10x7.5.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Illustrious

[Cat-Man_America]

2 hours ago, fifties said:

So my question is; what's to stop some less than unclean hands eBayer from degrading the condition of one of these reprints just enough to make it appear as the genuine article, and posting it for auction as such?

Scam artists will do what they do regardless.  These replica copies apparently have enough in the way of minor flaws reproduced to allow easy detection by third party grading services and most serious dealers/collectors (the 1/2 inch width reduction being just one example, assuming pressers can’t manipulate another half inch onto a book, ...but that would be a real stretch).  

The investment cost of the set seems sufficient enough to dissuade most shady “entrepreneurs” from trying to pass the replica comic off as original. Also, the Oct. date is rare, so that’s a red flag too (not that the Oct. date couldn’t be stamped over and the Nov. date substituted on top, but then there’s the Oct. publishing info on the inside front cover that I assume is different on authentic Nov. copies.  

Still, this is an entirely reasonable concern.  That said, MC#1 being a major key of high monetary value, a raw copy popping up anywhere is going to raise suspicions and be under a lot of scrutiny.  I’d think the greatest risk of duplication fraud would come from highly valued SA books that aren’t necessarily rare, but in high demand in grade..

Edited October 18, 2019 by Cat-Man_America

[Cat-Man_America]

On 10/13/2019 at 6:48 PM, Illustrious said:

Anyone else pick this up when it was released a few weeks back? For those not familiar with this, it's a 272 page treasury-sized, high-end hardcover reprint of four Golden Age Timely stories selected by Roy Thomas. The issues reprinted in the book are Sub-Mariner #1, Human Torch #5, Captain America Comics #10, and All Winners Comics #19. The paper stock is a thicker, semi-gloss type, but the pages themselves retain the cream to off-white color of the comics being reprinted. Also included is a 10x7 print by artist Marco D’Alfonso. The real centerpiece of the whole collection to me is a true-to-size, facsimile reprint of Marvel Comics #1, printed to look, feel, and smell like a vintage comic from 1939. The pages themselves are some type of aged newsprint that is eerily close to the cream color and "musty smell" of some actual Golden Age comics I have from around the same era. All in all, it's an awesome package for Timely fans and Golden Age fans alike, and I highly recommend picking it up.

https://www.foliosociety.com/usa/marvel-the-golden-age.html

Having just received this beautifully conceived set as a wrapped present 🎁 🌲 this is the first opportunity I’ve had to offer first hand impressions.  On the whole, they’re positive, but mixed.  While a laudable effort, those who produced this project missed the opportunity for a perfect tribute to the origins of Marvel Comics. The presentation package is beautiful, indeed perfectly suited to the oversized book containing a selection of key GA reprints.  

The book itself is well done and the moderately yellowed pages seem entirely apropos.  The colors are well rendered and appear correct for comics of the era.  The Marco D’Alfonso print, while a nice extra, doesn’t add much to the presentation.  In fact, the inclusion of the print seems more of a value added afterthought that could’ve easily been dispensed with or replaced with something more interesting to Timely fans.  In short, the print doesn’t impact the desirability of the set nor contribute to being a deal breaker at the set’s high price point.

OK, now for the bad news.  It has been mentioned in other posts that the Marvel Comics #1 is dark.  In fact, the interiors of Marvel Comics #1 are VERY dark indeed, not at all like the images above.  In fact, the pages are much darker than the main book page reproduction.  The MC pages are outright brown, not yellow, cream or tan.  In real world terms, this would’ve been a brittle copy.  Why the prestigious Folio Society signed off on this is perplexing as it doesn’t represent the book as published in 1939, not by a long shot.  Clearly the off white images above don’t reflect the copy in my Folio Society set.

If the FS’s concern was over the replication being too good or confusing to serious collectors with the kind of pocket change required to purchase an actual 1939 copy of Marvel #1, ...well, that’s just ridiculous.  The imperfections and slightly reduced size of the reproduction make this copy’s origins as a reprint abundantly clear.  Slabbed or raw, there’s no mistaking the FS reprint as a copy.

So, my question is WHY (so dark)? Hopefully someone connected with this project will respond at some point and provide a plausible  explanation.  In the meantime, shared insight on this project is welcome (encouraged).  

[porcupine48]

So @Cat-Man_America is there another repro you'd recommend more?I've been thinking twice about getting this but have been hoping on a bit more feedback.

These aren't super cheap(to myself) and haven't been sure if it was worth the spring or to buy more beater reader stuff for the hoard.

[Cat-Man_America]

12 hours ago, porcupine48 said:

So @Cat-Man_America is there another repro you'd recommend more?I've been thinking twice about getting this but have been hoping on a bit more feedback.

These aren't super cheap(to myself) and haven't been sure if it was worth the spring or to buy more beater reader stuff for the hoard.

Unfortunately, I know of no other licensed reprint aspiring to the look and feel of the original book.  While duplication of Marvel Comics #1 is intended to be clearly distinguishable from an original (as it should be), that isn't really a problem.  But the near brown interior PQ of this reprint ...which is supposed to leave the impression of age... is just a bit too dark and faded.  From my perspective, it weakens the aesthetics of the panel art and fails to achieve the stated goal.  Conversely, the oversized hardcover coffee table book Marvel: The Golden Age 1939 -1949 looks more like average cream to off-white or off-white PQ with good color pop on the interiors as depicted in the images.  

The main book and foil box is very impressive and in my estimation worth the investment for collectors seeking the best reproduced versions of those four classic books.  I just found the brownish interior PQ of the Marvel Comics replica somewhat disappointing by comparison.  

 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2019 by Cat-Man_America

[Mmehdy]

I think in the long run it will be a "solid" buy from investment standpoint...just happy they created something like this