The Ian Levine Collection - Massive GA Lot on Sotheby's!!! 1 1

[Mmehdy]

1 hour ago, woowoo said:

I just got a message from Ian Levine and a picture. All the story's I read where all wrong this is from his own words. What a great collection to complete

 

Facebook, Twitter, and the entire internet is buzzing about me selling my DC Comics Collection. But they all got it wrong. In 2008 I sold them to a dear friend, for a tiny fraction of their value, with the intention of being allowed to keep them in my house until I died. But then when DC ended all their runs and reverted to restarting at number one for them all, I was so sickened that I gave him permission to sell them. They were all taken away around 2015 and every comic was... examined and graded by Paul Sassiene, comic expert, for Sotherbys. I rather resent everybody assuming that I'm the one who's selling them, having in fact given up the ownership twelve long years ago. Sotherby's have had them for five years now, mainly because they took four long years to painstakingly do their due diligence. Now that they are finally satisfied that the collection is truly the most comprehensive DC Collection in the world, it is finally on sale. Fifty years hard, devoted, dedicated work, and I will always have the satisfaction of knowing that this huge collection of comics will always be known as The Ian Levine Collection.

Here is what does not make sense...1-if he sold the collection in 2008 why would he continue to buy the books thru 2016?...and he if did sell the collection..why the upgrades on A1 and D27?

[Chicago Boy]

2 hours ago, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I'm sorry you've had that experience with Vincent.  You're probably not the only one.  But mine have been better.  When I decide to fold my hand, I'll send my books to him.

I was hoping you were leaving them to me 

[lou_fine]

3 hours ago, Mmehdy said:

Here is what does not make sense...1-if he sold the collection in 2008 why would he continue to buy the books thru 2016?...and he if did sell the collection..why the upgrades on A1 and D27?

Well, as a true collector at heart, I believe that although he no longer owned the collection from a strict legal point of view, he still considered it to be his personal collection as evident by the following comment in his post:  

3 hours ago, Mmehdy said:

In 2008 I sold them to a dear friend, for a tiny fraction of their value, with the intention of being allowed to keep them in my house until I died.

 

[Cat-Man_America]

6 hours ago, Chicago Boy said:

Typical Vince. I’m sure Fishler tried to clean up his mess per usual. Every time I see his pleasantries via emails etc I think “ what a phony “ 

My experiences around Vincent have been just the opposite.  One year my wife and I stayed over a few days after NYCC as we were traveling by train.  As a result of the layover we had an opportunity to hang out with another Timely collector and fellow artist who I think goes by sartyr-express (now) and dine with Vince and his lovely lady at a very nice NYC Italian restaurant that VZ recommended.  You may have had less than positive experiences with Metro or CC, but Vince seems like a pretty straightforward kinda guy to me.  Just sayin’.

[Bird]

27 minutes ago, Cat-Man_America said:

My experiences around Vincent have been just the opposite.  One year my wife and I stayed over a few days after NYCC as we were traveling by train.  As a result of the layover we had an opportunity to hang out with another Timely collector and fellow artist who I think goes by sartyr-express (now) and dine with Vince and his lovely lady at a very nice NYC Italian restaurant that VZ recommended.  You may have had less than positive experiences with Metro or CC, but Vince seems like a pretty straightforward kinda guy to me.  Just sayin’.

Yes, Vincent was very nice to me and my family, giving us a nice tour of Metropolis and even though many other people were there he spent a lot of time with us and showed us the art in his office. And I am a small fish so it wasn't about me. 

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

9 hours ago, marmat said:

What is the deal about the Double Action? I read somewhere that it was a fake, but what is the story behind it?

sorry, I don't know anything about it, other than its supposed to be very rare, and back in the day, a grail book along the lines of Suspense 3

[MSGComics]

On 4/1/2020 at 6:28 PM, G G ® said:

Private in this instance means it is all owned by a single individual I think, rather than say a collection of music memorabilia which may have been amassed from various sources for example.

My guess is that it will under sell, maybe achieving between 4-7 million dollars. I could be wildly off the mark of course.

It would not surprise me if Heritage, CC, Metro and maybe even CGC were the main players in this auction.

 

That is what I was thinking as well.  

 

[tth2]

14 hours ago, woowoo said:

I rather resent everybody assuming that I'm the one who's selling them, having in fact given up the ownership twelve long years ago.

Why the hell would he "resent" people for assuming this?  How were we to know that he sold his collection 12 years ago?  It's actually completely logical that we would assume he's the one selling them.

He was a doosh when assembling his collection and true to form, he's still a doosh after having sold his collection.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

5 hours ago, tth2 said:

Why the hell would he "resent" people for assuming this?  How were we to know that he sold his collection 12 years ago?  It's actually completely logical that we would assume he's the one selling them.

He was a doosh when assembling his collection and true to form, he's still a doosh after having sold his collection.

I thought there was a disconnect between this statement and his later one where he was proud that the collection will henceforth always be known as the Ian Levine collection 

[Bronty]

19 hours ago, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

What a picture!  And he's right:  this will forever be known as the Levine collection.  Immortality, for sure.  Funny how the publisher's new scheme of every comic being a Number 1 caused him to break off his pursuit.  I can understand his feelings about that

Immortality until five years from now when the collection is broken up.  

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

48 minutes ago, Bronty said:

Immortality until five years from now when the collection is broken up.  

well, there's that . . . 

[Bronty]

9 hours ago, tth2 said:

Why the hell would he "resent" people for assuming this?  How were we to know that he sold his collection 12 years ago?  It's actually completely logical that we would assume he's the one selling them.

He was a doosh when assembling his collection and true to form, he's still a doosh after having sold his collection.

Agreed, but on the plus side, I followed the links to his twitter, and saw he does 'northern soul' shows you can just click a link on to listen to the music, and it was actually pretty interesting listening.   

The whole placing of the fake Double Action 1 in the group shots weirds me out.    I think that he just so badly wanted to find that issue to be able to call his collection complete that he completely overlooked how very questionable that book is.   I don't think there is any chance that cover is real.   Forget what the story with the interiors was.

Edited April 3, 2020 by Bronty

[IngelsFan]

32 minutes ago, Bronty said:.   

The whole placing of the fake Double Action 1 in the group shots weirds me out.    I think that he just so badly wanted to find that issue to be able to call his collection complete that he completely overlooked how very questionable that book is.   I don't think there is any chance that cover is real.   Forget what the story with the interiors was.

It strikes me as being a total vanity project and looks ridiculous next to all of the other amazing books in the collection. It diminishes, rather than enhances it. Just my 2 cents, though.

[Bronty]

5 minutes ago, IngelsFan said:

It strikes me as being a total vanity project and looks ridiculous next to all of the other amazing books in the collection. It diminishes, rather than enhances it. Just my 2 cents, though.

I agree.

[marmat]

3 hours ago, Bronty said:

Agreed, but on the plus side, I followed the links to his twitter, and saw he does 'northern soul' shows you can just click a link on to listen to the music, and it was actually pretty interesting listening.   

The whole placing of the fake Double Action 1 in the group shots weirds me out.    I think that he just so badly wanted to find that issue to be able to call his collection complete that he completely overlooked how very questionable that book is.   I don't think there is any chance that cover is real.   Forget what the story with the interiors was.

What is the story behind the Double Action?

[Bronty]

1 minute ago, marmat said:

What is the story behind the Double Action?

Basically, he wished it into existence.

from what little I can recall he was very motivated to find it, and more than a few people were very motivated to jerk him around.    He was sent a 1950s looking cover purported to be 1930s and he printed it out in color and wrapped it around some innards (don’t recall the innards).

Edited April 3, 2020 by Bronty

[marmat]

3 minutes ago, Bronty said:

Basically, he wished it into existence.

from what little I can recall he was very motivated to find it, and more than a few people were very motivated to jerk him around.    He was sent a 1950s looking cover purported to be 1930s and he printed it out in color and wrapped it around some innards (don’t recall the innards).

Does Double Action 1 actually exist? I mean, one or more genuine copies?

[Bronty]

7 minutes ago, marmat said:

Does Double Action 1 actually exist? I mean, one or more genuine copies?

exactly.

[IngelsFan]

1 hour ago, marmat said:

Does Double Action 1 actually exist? I mean, one or more genuine copies?

Only the ashcan for certain.

[woowoo]

10 hours ago, Bronty said:

Agreed, but on the plus side, I followed the links to his twitter, and saw he does 'northern soul' shows you can just click a link on to listen to the music, and it was actually pretty interesting listening.   

The whole placing of the fake Double Action 1 in the group shots weirds me out.    I think that he just so badly wanted to find that issue to be able to call his collection complete that he completely overlooked how very questionable that book is.   I don't think there is any chance that cover is real.   Forget what the story with the interiors was.

I have  1 of the 5 copy's he paid 500 each to get done