Comic distribution in the 40s & 50s 2 2

[buttock]

14 minutes ago, Badger said:

I never saw Charlton anywhere except when I went to Oklahoma to visit my Grand parents. Its seems like one of the supermarkets, Safeway?, had Charlton, if memory serves.

Same here.  Charlton was in the grocery store only.  Convenience stores had Marvel & DC.  Later in the 80s bookstores like B Dalton had some indie stuff, I explicitly remember Continuity and Eclipse. 

[Randall Dowling]

4 hours ago, buttock said:

Just a letter and a date for the RCs.  

I've never heard how people came to the conclusion about the extra number on Church books, deciding that it notes the number of each book received.  If you sold through, then you wouldn't be able to review that information.  Maybe, and this is complete conjecture, since the Church collection was so complete, he was getting them from somewhere before they hit the newsstand, and that person used the number for inventory reference?  

My understanding was that the coding was date and total number of books ordered.  That way, the vendor would know how long something had been out and could count the copies remaining, subtract from number received and adjust orders for next issues.  In this case (apologies, I’ve posted before but it’s the only Church book I own), D1-15 is January 15 arrival and the 8 is the total ordered.  At least, that was my understanding of the coding.  

[porcupine48]

2 hours ago, buttock said:

Same here.  Charlton was in the grocery store only.  Convenience stores had Marvel & DC.  Later in the 80s bookstores like B Dalton had some indie stuff, I explicitly remember Continuity and Eclipse. 

I may have come into collecting a little later than Badger and yourself-42 atm-so early eighties,and maybe being in Canada makes a difference.Most of my earliest books were stuff Papa brought home from the gas station,mini mart-but I remember getting stacks and piles from yard sales.Now,hold on,I'll get sort of back on topic!Marvel and DC were always a bit more at these-ten cents rather than a nickel and came around a lot less often.Most of the stuff I saw,late sixties to early eighties back issues,were Gold Key or Charlton.Gold Key/Dell by a landslide,ten to one for Charlton and ten Charlton to every DC or Marvel,with oddly enough a fair mix of Tower comics.It seems that locally,the big two were harder to find!Even asking my uncles,Grandfather-they always told me it was more Archie and Dell,Gold Key or Fawcett in the older relatives case.

Weird eh?But,us folk were weird with comics-in the fifties you couldn't even say Halloween..

[N e r V]

22 hours ago, rjpb said:

A bit later, but my memories of the early 70s was that Marvel, DC, Harvey and Archie books were available anywhere comics were sold, but Charlton only where everything was carried. Some places had a limited selection from the big four, mostly top-sellers, but hit or miss on the lower interest titles. You had to go to a place with a big selection of magazines to find stuff like Warren mags, or the B/W Marvel mags, most places didn't carry them. I would ride my bike about 2 miles away to a pharmacy that had the fullest selection of comics. I'd put a bag full of the latest comics on my carrying rack over the rear tire on the ride home, probably not the best way to keep them minty fresh. 

7-11 carried all the Marvel and Warren magazines as well as a number of others. They also carried pretty much everything else in comics from Marvel to Charltons. There was an occasional “glitch” with finding some issues but I remember the Atlas books being hit and miss but most other stuff OK. I also had other resources from U-Tote-Ums (I think that’s how it was spelled) to newsstands to bookstores like Pickwick. Didn’t hurt having Pacific Comics or Richard Alf, etc. in town when needed. Ads for releases dates were not always accurate as my younger self learned the hard way after expecting certain issues to be out with the new comics that never showed. At 7-11 Tuesday was the biggest release day with some stuff also arriving on Thursdays... 

[Marty Mann]

There was a Drug Store  at the corner bus stop in Bloomfield, NJ that had these boxes on display for a long time...

I remember that the dust settled on them.  This was the first and only time I had ever seen comic books in a box.

All of my CLASSIC COMICS came from W.T. GRANTS in Newark...laying out 50 cents  all at the same time for a

box of comics was never going to happen.

[Robot Man]

In all my years collecting, I have never seen one of these boxes. Either the kid threw them away or, as you said, didn’t have 50 cents to buy one. 

[N e r V]

36 minutes ago, Robot Man said:

In all my years collecting, I have never seen one of these boxes. Either the kid threw them away or, as you said, didn’t have 50 cents to buy one. 

They show up at auctions often beat up or pricey in grade...

 

 

This nice one showed up on Heritage one day with goodies but certainly not cheap...

 

 

Classic Comics Library Gift Box (Gilberton, circa 1943) Condition: Average FN/VF. Rare to find this complete set of second editions of the first five issues of Classic Comics in this special "Classic Comics Library Gift Box" format. The issues include #1 (The Three Musketeers), #2 (Ivanhoe), #3 (The Count of Monte Cristo), #4 (The Last of the Mohicans), and #5 (Moby ), with an average condition of FN/VF. The colorful, attractive box grades about VG+. Approximate Overstreet value for comics = $650. From the collection of Chris Bell.

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by N e r V

[N e r V]

Here was a killer set someone scored...

 

 

Classic Comics Gift Box Set Group (Gilberton, 1940s). All four Classic Comics Gift Box sets, in their original Gilberton mailing box, are in this incredible group lot. Each set comes in a colorful cardboard box; each box may have a tiny flaw or two, but overall are very attractive, and will display nicely. The contents, with condition, are as follows: Series A: (all with HRN 21): #1 Three Musketeers VF/NM, #2 Ivanhoe VF/NM, #3 Count of Monte Cristo VF+, #4 Last of the Mohicans NM-, and #5 Moby VF/NM. Series B: #6 A Tale of Two Cities HRN 20 VF/NM, #7 Robin Hood HRN 22 VF/NM, #9 Les Miserables HRN 18 FN (looks VF/NM; has tear on back cover, possibly printing error), #10 Robinson Crusoe HRN 20 VF, and Story of Commandos (distributed by Gilberton) FN+; Series C: #11 Don QuixoteHRN 21 NM-, #12 Rip Van Winkle and the Headless Horseman HRN 22 NM-, #13 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeHRN 20 VF-, #15 Uncle Tom's Cabin HRN 21 VF/NM, and #21 3 Famous Mysteries HRN 22 Gilberton ed. NM-; plus Series D: #16 Gulliver's Travels HRN 22 VF/NM, #17 Deerslayer HRN 22 VF+, #18 Hunchback of Notre Dame HRN 18/20 FN/VF, #19 Huckleberry Finn HRN 22 NM-, and #20 Corsican Brothers HRN 22 VF/NM. Approximate Overstreet value for group (comics only) = $4,000.

 

[Marty Mann]

By the time Box D came out the price had JUMPED to 59 cents each.

(Image from back cover CLASSIC COMICS #16)

 

Edited January 20, 2020 by Marty Mann

[fifties]

Speaking of Classics Illustrated Comics, have you ever seen one -or any comic book for that matter- with no price on it?

 

comic

Edited January 20, 2020 by fifties

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

Does anyone know if the comics distributed back in the thirties and forties were shipped out by train? It seems like that would have been a more reliable distribution method prior to the advent of the interstate highway system.

Also, when I was a kid everything was printed up in Sparta Illinois; anyone know where the early books were printed? Wikipedia notes Sparta really took off as the home of comics post WWII.

Charlton was an exception with everything printed in Derby Connecticut. Probably distributed out of there too with all there magazines.

Edited January 21, 2020 by 50YrsCollctngCmcs

[jimjum12]

Eastern Color printed tons of comics through the mid 60's …. GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[lou_fine]

4 hours ago, jimjum12 said:

Eastern Color printed tons of comics through the mid 60's …. GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

The best person to check on this would be Danny Dupchak of Fantazia who came out with his rather infamous Eastern Color File Copies "pedigree" collection of books.    

[David-Lance Roten]

On 1/18/2020 at 8:21 PM, rjpb said:

A bit later, but my memories of the early 70s was that Marvel, DC, Harvey and Archie books were available anywhere comics were sold, but Charlton only where everything was carried. Some places had a limited selection from the big four, mostly top-sellers, but hit or miss on the lower interest titles. You had to go to a place with a big selection of magazines to find stuff like Warren mags, or the B/W Marvel mags, most places didn't carry them. I would ride my bike about 2 miles away to a pharmacy that had the fullest selection of comics. I'd put a bag full of the latest comics on my carrying rack over the rear tire on the ride home, probably not the best way to keep them minty fresh. 

l'm just a little after that, mid 70's say 74-76. Lived in Ashe County N.C. Marvel, DC and Archie were found at drug store, Roses Dept. Store, Singletons Dept. store and 2 gas stations/mini stores that my Uncle was part owner of. Likely some other spots but I only tagged along to those mentioned Never saw Harvey Comics issues. Gold Key and Charlton comics I would get from my 2 older sisters who were App State students over in Boone.  Emergency! and Six Million Dollar Man were the 2 they would bring on break that I got into. Still have my original Emergency! #1. A low grade well loved copy but sentimental value off the chart.  

[rjpb]

On 1/20/2020 at 12:21 PM, fifties said:

Speaking of Classics Illustrated Comics, have you ever seen one -or any comic book for that matter- with no price on it?

 

comic

Don't tease us. What is the HRN on the back, and what does the indicia say? 

[fifties]

1 hour ago, rjpb said:

Don't tease us. What is the HRN on the back, and what does the indicia say? 

The highest reorder number on the inside BC is 70, and the indicia simply gives the publishers name and address, no issue number, no date, and no price.

[rjpb]

23 minutes ago, fifties said:

The highest reorder number on the inside BC is 70, and the indicia simply gives the publishers name and address, no issue number, no date, and no price.

A review of covers on GCD indicates no price editions were common for CC and CI reprints throughout the 1940s. Perhaps they were printed for the boxed sets Gilberton distributed during the decade. 

[Readcomix]

16 minutes ago, rjpb said:

A review of covers on GCD indicates no price editions were common for CC and CI reprints throughout the 1940s. Perhaps they were printed for the boxed sets Gilberton distributed during the decade. 

@fifties I can't recall the reason but that may be it. I've got two in front of me (including a 21 HRN 30) now with no cover price, and I recall having others. My 16 HRN 28 has a blank spot where the indicia should be. I recall reading about this a couple years ago but I cannot locate yet what I read. I had bought a large Classics collection (16 long boxes, 90%  Classics) from the son of a late collector who was trying to amass every HRN of every issue -- he was very close, with multiples of many. I have moved many since, keeping a dozen or so originals. I read a lot in a hurry about CC/CI at that time.

There were also later printings (painted cover era) that had no cover price; "Twin Circle" editions (usually denoted with a small, rectangular sticker on the cover) that were printed and used as newspaper inserts, IIRC.

I have been meaning to order Classics Illustrated: A Cultural History on the recommendation of a fellow collector; you have moved that up my to-do list! If I can locate the no-price explanation for the earlier reprints, I will report back!

[fifties]

Thx for the information, guys.  The boxed set idea seems to be cogent at this point.

[Montezuma]

There were quite a few without prices