The Distribution of US Published Comics in the UK (1959~1982) 15 15

[themagicrobot]

That Unexpected 154 comic had a January 1974 cover date and was priced at 20 cents so It is odd that it bears an 8p sticker when 25 cent comics were sold for 5p. Probably they found it under a bench?

[Get Marwood & I]

1 minute ago, themagicrobot said:

That Unexpected 154 comic had a January 1974 cover date and was priced at 20 cents so It is odd that it bears an 8p sticker when 25 cent comics were sold for 5p. Probably they found it under a bench?

Yes, I wasn't expecting that.

 

[Get Marwood & I]

Nuvver one on eBay:

[Redshade]

9 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

Possibly the only 'one and four' I've ever seen:

I vaguely remember buying some comics years ago from an Irish (Rep of) seller. I can't remember the exact prices and the comics are long gone but I do recall that the price stickers all had the "All tax and duty paid" blurb.

[Get Marwood & I]

1 minute ago, Redshade said:

I vaguely remember buying some comics years ago from an Irish (Rep of) seller. I can't remember the exact prices and the comics are long gone but I do recall that the price stickers all had the "All tax and duty paid" blurb.

These ones Stephen?

[Redshade]

2 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

These ones Stephen?

See, I aren't going senile, my memory is as good as as as...

[Get Marwood & I]

1 minute ago, Redshade said:

See, I aren't going senile, my memory is as good as as as...

 

[Albert Tatlock]

47 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

I like the look of those old paper records of yours there

When you get to my age you have to write stuff down, like your address and so on, so you can get back home again.

I pin the details to my coat so kindly strangers can help me out. At least I think they are strangers, but some of them look familiar, especially the ones that say 'Not you again'.

[Get Marwood & I]

29 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

When you get to my age you have to write stuff down, like your address and so on, so you can get back home again.

I pin the details to my coat so kindly strangers can help me out. At least I think they are strangers, but some of them look familiar, especially the ones that say 'Not you again'.

I read that in the voice of Michael Bond, Albert, he of Paddington narration fame. Well, I say fame.....

Now, it's past my bed time.

Good night my pence brethren, good night. 

[Albert Tatlock]

Price stamp on this is in Israeli currency.

I picked it up on Lod airport in June 1972, along with a bunch of others.

I had gone there to see Man Utd play a friendly. Travelled there overland, last leg being Piraeus to Haifa by boat, but we found a cheap flight back to London.

Passing through departure lounge, I browsed the newsstand, and was Astonished to see a bundle of TTA # 62, at that time a major rarity in the UK. They had been trimmed down a little bit, but at the price there could be no wavering, so I cleaned out the shop and stuffed them all into my carry on bag, about 80 items in all. The stolid middle-aged lady in charge batted not an eyelid, and I chose not to inform her that I would gladly have paid much more.

What on earth they were doing there, more than 7 years out of date, I have no idea.

I have looked for the TTA # 62s, but I probably sold them long ago. 

 

[Albert Tatlock]

8 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

I read that in the voice of Michael Bond, Albert, he of Paddington narration fame.

He is nowhere near as dazed and confused as me.

[rakehell]

11 hours ago, Get Marwood & I said:

But as I've said before, he tends to confuse the terminology to the degree that gives the impression that he views printed and stamped copies the same. It doesn't help the cause.

I used to work for him & I remember he (& by extension the rest of his team) preferred the whole 'distributed vs non-distributed' terminology, as is evidenced in the UK Price Guides & on his website. There was also a distinct preference for cents copies (stamp or no stamp) over pence. 

[Get Marwood & I]

9 hours ago, Albert Tatlock said:

Price stamp on this is in Israeli currency.

Nice story. The stamp is cool isn't it. Is that a bird to the right of the five?

[Get Marwood & I]

51 minutes ago, rakehell said:

I used to work for him & I remember he (& by extension the rest of his team) preferred the whole 'distributed vs non-distributed' terminology, as is evidenced in the UK Price Guides & on his website. There was also a distinct preference for cents copies (stamp or no stamp) over pence. 

He seems a decent, enthusiastic chap from the interviews and videos that I've seen and I can appreciate all the knowledge and leg work. And he was supportive when I sent him my Marvel spreadsheet many years back. It's just a shame that a UK based comic enthusiast faction would overlook / muddle the fundamental distinction between the US and UK versions in all their work. 'ND' was a thing back in the day for sure but in today's world where anything is obtainable it is just an interesting foot note. It wouldn't take much to overhaul that website and cement the distinction in my view, instantly making it more relevant to today's collectors.

Then again, my own explanation over at my journal has been viewed nearly 11,000 times and has no comments and only two likes - both from my mates just as encouragement!  So maybe the reality is that few people give a damn either way. 

[rakehell]

4 hours ago, Get Marwood & I said:

it is just an interesting foot note

This is the nub of the issue, and where I think we find ourselves in the broader collecting world. This hobby is filled with niches. We find ours warm and comfortable, but most other comic collectors pass by our dark alley without ever knowing there are a bunch of learned nutcases at the end of it discussing pre-printed-pence-variant distribution stamps and suchlike.

 

4 hours ago, Get Marwood & I said:

So maybe the reality is that few people give a damn either way.

What I said up there. 

[Get Marwood & I]

16 minutes ago, rakehell said:

This is the nub of the issue, and where I think we find ourselves in the broader collecting world. This hobby is filled with niches. We find ours warm and comfortable, but most other comic collectors pass by our dark alley without ever knowing there are a bunch of learned nutcases at the end of it discussing pre-printed-pence-variant distribution stamps and suchlike.

Yep, that's the way it is. We can't complain too much though can we - I don't generally visit threads about things I'm not interested in, although some times I will try to acknowledge a job well done even if the subject matter isn't my thing. My followers make me laugh though - over half of them have never made one single comment, or dropped one single like, against anything I've ever done here over four years. Especially cgcmod1, the rotter 

16 minutes ago, rakehell said:

What I said up there. 

What you said up there.

Anyway, I've been updating the Marvel Key Dates, which have fallen out of date, and so that I can post them to silence, and a comic lot has just arrived from Pat (he's retired). It included a free comic, so all is good in the world:

Well, my little bit of it anyway.

[Albert Tatlock]

8 hours ago, Get Marwood & I said:

The stamp is cool isn't it. Is that a bird to the right of the five?

Just a smudge, I think.

Here is a clearer one............

[Albert Tatlock]

The little star stamp in top corner has some significance, not sure exactly what.

They were stamped on the comics in the PX at Burtonwood USAF base, which I used to visit in 1972/73.

The Marvels had an advertisement stapled into the centre, printed on heavier stock paper than the rest of the book.

Shown here is one example, but there were others, aimed at US servicemen.

Edited November 18, 2020 by Albert Tatlock
date edited

[Redshade]

24 minutes ago, Albert Tatlock said:

The little star stamp in top corner has some significance, not sure exactly what.

They were stamped on the comics in the PX at Burtonwood USAF base, which I used to visit in 1972/73.

The Marvels had an advertisement stapled into the centre, printed on heavier stock paper than the rest of the book.

Shown here is one example, but there were others, aimed at US servicemen.

I think that they were called Mark Jewellers Inserts. They are now a collectable variant in their own right. Marwood knows a lot about these. I expect he'll be here shortly.

[Albert Tatlock]

10 minutes ago, Redshade said:

I think that they were called Mark Jewellers Inserts.

Yes, I have a few Mark Jewellers examples too, but this particular one is by National Diamond Sales.