Have Pulps Cooled Down? 1 1

[Robot Man]

A lot of us have been wise to pulps for years. The good ones have always been hard to find. Prices however, have pretty much been reasonable especially considering their scarcity. 

A year or so ago, there was a lot of underground rumbling and people quietly buying up everything they could. Especially comic book speculators who figured out the obvious. All of a sudden, everyone was “pulp crazy”. 

Then the new guide came out. A lot of these folks saw the prices were not as high as they thought they would be. But people were offering their pulps at nose bleed prices. There were some buyers but a lot of people who were buyers all along slowed down and refused to pay through the nose. That would be me. I have always been an impulsive and occasional pulp buyer. I have searched out certain issues and paid up for them. But a lot I only buy when I think they are cheap. 

Has anyone noticed a recent slowdown or price resistance to the almost overnight rise in prices? Are a lot of the comic book investors cooling down on pulps? A year ago, I was selling almost any pulp with a girl on it for crazy money. I was getting lots of requests for them. Now, not so much. Could it be the economy? 

Even this thread has slowed down a lot. Are pulps going back in demand and price to the pre-hype days? 

[RedFury]

I think there is a lack of quality material on the market.  Dwight and I have been talking about this for months.  Two years ago we could find high-quality material at reasonable prices, and we bought.  A year ago, we could still find it, but the prices were higher, and we still bought.  Now, we have trouble finding the high-quality books at all.

When they do come to market, high-quality books sell quickly and at strong prices. Very often it's not public, but private sales between collectors, so it will escape notice.

Here's a few nice books that sold recently on Ebay for way more that I thought they would.  I don't really have an explanation other than at least two people must have really wanted these.  Both have quite a lot of water damage, which makes the sales prices even more mystifying.

• Masked Rider, Mar 1936 - Sold for $759.  I would have guessed $100 to $200. 
• Aces, May 1931 - Sold for $766.  I would have expected $50 to $100.

I have people often ask me to sell my books, but for the most part I only sell extras.  I'm pretty sure if I decided to sell I would find a strong market waiting.

I wouldn't worry too much about the guide prices, they're just one person's opinion.  There's a lot of good work that went into the guide, but I think Tim was pretty conservative with the pricing, and I disagree with a lot of it (mostly on the high demand books).  

[jimjum12]

The ones I like haven't cooled down on any of the auction sites I frequent .... but many of the more common ones can still be had for a bargain. I just made a deal to sell a group of 9 shudder pulps for what I thought was a good price... but they were sharp copies and aren't very common. One good market indicator will be the Heritage auction that fires up early in November. Tons of really nice specimens that don't show up frequently. It's kind of like comics... the right material can be robust. I think some folks may be mislead by the many awesome sci-fi pulps that are so reasonable. I always attributed that to the early emergence of science fiction fandom and a stronger focus on preserving them. I would imagine the shudders and spicy's may have been read and discarded before the wifey stumbled onto them. GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

Edited October 12, 2020 by jimjum12

[OtherEric]

9 hours ago, jimjum12 said:

The ones I like haven't cooled down on any of the auction sites I frequent .... but many of the more common ones can still be had for a bargain. I just made a deal to sell a group of 9 shudder pulps for what I thought was a good price... but they were sharp copies and aren't very common. One good market indicator will be the Heritage auction that fires up early in November. Tons of really nice specimens that don't show up frequently. It's kind of like comics... the right material can be robust. I think some folks may be mislead by the many awesome sci-fi pulps that are so reasonable. I always attributed that to the early emergence of science fiction fandom and a stronger focus on preserving them. I would imagine the shudders and spicy's may have been read and discarded before the wifey stumbled onto them. GOD BLESS....

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

Well said.  The right material is still red-hot and getting hotter.  You mention the sci-fi pulps; I think that may be a good example where people let what they know about comics confuse them about the market on pulps.  I saw at least some Planet Stories issues go for frankly stupid prices a few places; I think people were equating it with Planet Comics on some level... and it just isn't remotely the same.  It's a fun title with some great covers, but it's pretty common as pulps go and with a few exceptions there aren't a lot of high demand stories in there.  (Although, now that I think about it, I can think of worse investments than finding a couple more copies of the July 1952 issue...)

[jimjum12]

8 hours ago, OtherEric said:

Well said.  The right material is still red-hot and getting hotter.  You mention the sci-fi pulps; I think that may be a good example where people let what they know about comics confuse them about the market on pulps.  I saw at least some Planet Stories issues go for frankly stupid prices a few places; I think people were equating it with Planet Comics on some level... and it just isn't remotely the same.  It's a fun title with some great covers, but it's pretty common as pulps go and with a few exceptions there aren't a lot of high demand stories in there.  (Although, now that I think about it, I can think of worse investments than finding a couple more copies of the July 1952 issue...)

Yes... the Pulp market has many parallels to the rare book market, and while a focus will always be made on the lurid (and fascinating)cover art, the true aficionados place much emphasis on the author's work inside. I especially like the sci-fi issues that contain early works by my favorite authors, and of course the Weird Tales with Howard and Lovecraft. They're not typically a part of the mass-media of today, so mercuric price increases are not likely ... long term holds will likely be the path towards investment, for those so inclined. The rest of us will have to content ourselves with buying what we enjoy and sharing our triumphs with a small circle of like minded friends ... kind of like comics used to be. GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

I still check eBay for new listings most days, which is typically an exercise in futility. 

[buttock]

23 hours ago, RedFury said:

I think there is a lack of quality material on the market.  Dwight and I have been talking about this for months.  Two years ago we could find high-quality material at reasonable prices, and we bought.  A year ago, we could still find it, but the prices were higher, and we still bought.  Now, we have trouble finding the high-quality books at all.

When they do come to market, high-quality books sell quickly and at strong prices. Very often it's not public, but private sales between collectors, so it will escape notice.

Here's a few nice books that sold recently on Ebay for way more that I thought they would.  I don't really have an explanation other than at least two people must have really wanted these.  Both have quite a lot of water damage, which makes the sales prices even more mystifying.

• Masked Rider, Mar 1936 - Sold for $759.  I would have guessed $100 to $200. 
• Aces, May 1931 - Sold for $766.  I would have expected $50 to $100.

I have people often ask me to sell my books, but for the most part I only sell extras.  I'm pretty sure if I decided to sell I would find a strong market waiting.

I wouldn't worry too much about the guide prices, they're just one person's opinion.  There's a lot of good work that went into the guide, but I think Tim was pretty conservative with the pricing, and I disagree with a lot of it (mostly on the high demand books).  

As Dwight has pointed out a number of times, comic collectors getting into pulps are going to struggle.  There simply aren't as many pulps, both in existence and availability, to meet the demand of that constant fix that we comic folk like.  There are some months that I'll get 50 comics, and there are some quarters that I get no pulps.  Thank goodness I have comics to keep my fix going 

[Robot Man]

I agree the cream always rises to the top. Considering I am more of a pulp “acumulator” rather than a collector, I am quickly getting priced out on the more lurid covers I really like. 

I am already seeing some comic guys dropping out a bit on pulps. There was a well known west coast large comic dealer buying every pulp he could get. He was paying full ask and buying as many as he could get. He had NO idea what he was doing but just smelled blood in the water I guess. He is probably finding out all those average sci fi and later Weird Tales are really worth about 1/4th of what he was paying. 

I’m getting a lot less calls from comic guys on pulps in the past few months. I think a lot of them are worth a lot less than they thought or hoped they would be. 

I get the argument that “there are no pictures inside”. Yet, these are from slab guys that have no idea what the actual slabbed books they own contain.  I usually use the argument of “what would this cover be worth if it were a comic book?”. 

Now, those of us who really know pulps will continue to buy them weather for cover art or stories. But until all the speculators get tired of spending too much money on them, we will either pay more or like me, wait for the dust to settle a bit. I already see it coming. 

As was said, a big Heritage auction coming up. I still expect some stiff prices on the good ones. 

[Robot Man]

4 minutes ago, buttock said:

As Dwight has pointed out a number of times, comic collectors getting into pulps are going to struggle.  There simply aren't as many pulps, both in existence and availability, to meet the demand of that constant fix that we comic folk like.  There are some months that I'll get 50 comics, and there are some quarters that I get no pulps.  Thank goodness I have comics to keep my fix going 

Up until the pandemic lockdown when I was able to hit shows, flea markets and estate sales, I was actually finding more old pulps than old comics. 

I have a few dealers that have decent stock of them. Not necessarily the top end titles or high grade but a lot of interesting stuff usually priced as “each”. 

Sadly, I have been unable to hook up with these people for the past 8 months. 

I can’t wait until this mess is midigated and over.

Wear your damn masks!

[Surfing Alien]

I was buying things I liked pretty steadily for about a year and a half but last year the asks on Ebay went pretty crazy and a lot of that was for lesser condition books. I still seek out better deals from wherever I can on the web and get some good deals but i'm having a much more fun time filling out my vintage pb's and digest collection. 

I still look around a lot though and top condition pulps still get snapped up quickly and for strong prices from what I can see but run of the mill "Fair/Good" condition Planets are not going to sell for VG+ guide prices - there's just too many lower condition common pulps out there to support that kind of pricing but I see them and they sit, sit sit. 

[Surfing Alien]

On 10/12/2020 at 12:38 PM, RedFury said:

I think there is a lack of quality material on the market.  Dwight and I have been talking about this for months.  Two years ago we could find high-quality material at reasonable prices, and we bought.  A year ago, we could still find it, but the prices were higher, and we still bought.  Now, we have trouble finding the high-quality books at all.

When they do come to market, high-quality books sell quickly and at strong prices. Very often it's not public, but private sales between collectors, so it will escape notice.

Here's a few nice books that sold recently on Ebay for way more that I thought they would.  I don't really have an explanation other than at least two people must have really wanted these.  Both have quite a lot of water damage, which makes the sales prices even more mystifying.

• Masked Rider, Mar 1936 - Sold for $759.  I would have guessed $100 to $200. 
• Aces, May 1931 - Sold for $766.  I would have expected $50 to $100.

I have people often ask me to sell my books, but for the most part I only sell extras.  I'm pretty sure if I decided to sell I would find a strong market waiting.

I wouldn't worry too much about the guide prices, they're just one person's opinion.  There's a lot of good work that went into the guide, but I think Tim was pretty conservative with the pricing, and I disagree with a lot of it (mostly on the high demand books).  

The seller on that Masked Rider sells vintage paperbacks and digests and often gets prices 5-10X what I think the book is going to go for, even when there are other similar copies available for less to anyone doing a diligent internet search. I have listed the same book subsequent to one of these sales, in a similar condition for what I thought it should go for, and gotten no nibble, even though it's a scarce book, there were multiple bidders and you would assume the underbidders would be out there looking 

[Ricksneatstuff]

Anyone who has VG/F or better pre 1942 pulps with GGA or horror and feels they are not all that valuable I will buy them en masse. Just PM me.   I want to write five and six figure checks only please.

I get asked for Planet Stories in Fine or better all the time and most folks would pay multiples of guide. I’ve got Yakima pulps that I have been offered 20x guide for...and passed.

I think comic speculators are used to quicker and more documented “run ups” in valuation and pulps will require a little more time to have clear growth. I can tell you that I’ve seen some outstanding private sale deals on the best material. Looking at the “Bat-man” Spicy Mystery results and current auction pricing shows that this book’s valuation was not a one time fluke. 
 

How about liking them because they are just cool and maybe a reminder that our recent ancestors’ generations weren’t quite as Puritan as we would have thought? They are a snapshot of an era in American history fiction full of wise guys, rocket ships, women in peril, old west fantasy and lots and lots of Satan (seriously, he was the main character in a lot of pulps in the 30’s). 
 

I agree the biggest issue is finding more of the higher quality material that people want. A growing demand with a limited supply would seem to show a bright future for those with the supply.  Time will tell. 

Edited October 17, 2020 by Ricksneatstuff

[Yorick]

On 10/12/2020 at 6:56 PM, OtherEric said:

a couple more copies of the July 1952 issue

Ahhh. So that's where they are!  Send one my way!!!

[OtherEric]

56 minutes ago, Yorick said:

Ahhh. So that's where they are!  Send one my way!!!

I only have one at the moment, or I would.

[Yorick]

On 11/19/2020 at 9:55 PM, OtherEric said:

I only have one at the moment, or I would.

 

[rjpb]

Given some recent prices on items I've bid on, I'd say pulps are as hot as they've ever been. 

I was looking at this as an upgrade, but looks like I'll be sticking with my lower grade copy.

 

[buttock]

17 hours ago, rjpb said:

Given some recent prices on items I've bid on, I'd say pulps are as hot as they've ever been. 

I was looking at this as an upgrade, but looks like I'll be sticking with my lower grade copy.

 

Yeah, that was an impressive result!  Virtually any pulp with a great cover is bringing stupid money at the moment.  

[the blob]

I dunno, but every time I go to this page I wind up reading Robert E. Howard's bio and it is so frigging sad, and then years later folks trash his work. He did all of this in his 20s, scrambling to survive selling stories for $15-100 a pop. He created some fantastic characters and worlds.  He did not have the luxury of honing a masterpiece like Tolkien did from the comfort of his professorial office. And then he killed himself as his career was going places. And then that little world lost Lovecraft the next year (ok, we'll ignore some of the stuff Lovecraft wrote about race, etc... although he moderated toward the end)... when the Hobbit is published.

This is funny, 85+ years later she returns!:

[IngelsFan]

Hot or cold, I’m having trouble finding the ones I am after at ANY price!

[*paull*]

I love pulps, but was never able to find a good way in.  I think it's a combination of there being too many great covers and having too rigid taste (I like horror, spicy, weird menace, etc.). I always found these top covers to have high prices in decent (not falling apart) grade. If they have skyrocketed over the past year or two, I doubt that I'll be purchasing, unless prices come down at some point due to older collectors selling books.

[FoggyNelson]

If pulps have cooled down that is news to me because I never even knew they got hot🥴