I never seen this add saying $1800. Fun new topic for the night 0

[woowoo]

[Robot Man]

Paging @Mmehdy...

[KCOComics]

1 hour ago, woowoo said:

What book is this? What year? 

[woowoo]

1 minute ago, KCOComics said:

What book is this? What year? 

Found picture on Facebook. I never seen this add ever

[Mmehdy]

I remember the ad, seems a long time ago in a comic galaxy far far away. Looking back from then to now, I do not think fandom could have gone any better for us true comic book collectors and I hope the future extends this winning streak. First, the Overstreet price guide and the first guide had tremendous effects on comic book collecting back in 1970, then the CGC came in  and put the stamps of GA/SA comic book collecting as legitimate. Sure, the sale of Action 1 for $1800 helped along, there were so MANY persons who though I was mad, you have to remember I purchased for brand new Ford Mustang  hatchback for $1600 back then. Many times over the years I heard stories of doom, the end of comics etc...we never wavered. I think with exceptional reprints that have been created GA/SA will last forever. Digital Restoration will the comic books look ever better than just printed. I just found an amazing web with early FF's..the colors are amazing. This is great news for the future and access of GA/SA comic book material. Sure, back then you were kind of alone, the few people you knew you stayed friends with.

 We were right in the 1960's as a very young collectors, I was right as a teenage boy who shocked the world spending "real money" for a comic book and the collecting world has never been the same.

I am very proud to be part of GA/SA comic book world, its not just the material, but the friendships and things I learn on a day by day basis. The real hero's are US, who will never let fandom die.

[catman76]

That ad and other famous first editiion ads were in all DC comics in the late 70s. Reminds me of those rare coin ads that were in comics all the time from the 40s through the 80s...

 

[catman76]

That action 1 sold in 1973 and the famous first edition came out in 74

[thedude]

What a cool time for fandom.

[pemart1966]

Those Giant First Editions were like mana from heaven for us collectors back in the early 70s.  

These rare number 1s and first appearances had NEVER been reprinted before.  Sure, we got a small taste of the Golden Age through the 80 page Giants and Annuals but these reprints were bringing us back to when it all started.

As a kid in Canada, we didn't have access to Golden Age comic books found in second book stores or non existent comic books stores - they were not to be found.  So we could only dream about what Batman and Superman looked liked back when they started and the villains they faced.  The first real tease was the 1 page reprint of Detective Comics 27 in Batman 200.

Sure they were $1 each, which was a princely sum back then, but the reprint quality was excellent and the books were oversized.  As well, they were printed on newsprint, not slick paper, which brought you as close to reading the real thing as you could get.

When you opened them up and started leafing through them you just let out a big WOW!  It was a magic time.

[pemart1966]

9 hours ago, Mmehdy said:

I remember the ad, seems a long time ago in a comic galaxy far far away. Looking back from then to now, I do not think fandom could have gone any better for us true comic book collectors and I hope the future extends this winning streak. First, the Overstreet price guide and the first guide had tremendous effects on comic book collecting back in 1970, then the CGC came in  and put the stamps of GA/SA comic book collecting as legitimate. Sure, the sale of Action 1 for $1800 helped along, there were so MANY persons who though I was mad, you have to remember I purchased for brand new Ford Mustang  hatchback for $1600 back then. Many times over the years I heard stories of doom, the end of comics etc...we never wavered. I think with exceptional reprints that have been created GA/SA will last forever. Digital Restoration will the comic books look ever better than just printed. I just found an amazing web with early FF's..the colors are amazing. This is great news for the future and access of GA/SA comic book material. Sure, back then you were kind of alone, the few people you knew you stayed friends with.

 We were right in the 1960's as a very young collectors, I was right as a teenage boy who shocked the world spending "real money" for a comic book and the collecting world has never been the same.

I am very proud to be part of GA/SA comic book world, its not just the material, but the friendships and things I learn on a day by day basis. The real hero's are US, who will never let fandom die.

Mitch - where did the "nine known copies" of Action 1 come from as written in the newspaper article?  It's a pretty specific number.  

Edited March 31, 2021 by pemart1966

[KirbyJack]

It was a great time.

I was eight, and just getting started. I’ve had a blast in this hobby.

Edited March 31, 2021 by KirbyJack

[DanCooper]

It looks like this ad may have run in the February and March 1974 DC issues

Found this (below) in Action 432 (Feb. 1974 cover date - was also in issue 433 March 74 cover date)

Action 432 was on the newsstands in November 1973, so DC sure did act fast on capitalizing on Mitch's purchase!

 

[WolverineX]

10 hours ago, Mmehdy said:

I remember the ad, seems a long time ago in a comic galaxy far far away. Looking back from then to now, I do not think fandom could have gone any better for us true comic book collectors and I hope the future extends this winning streak. First, the Overstreet price guide and the first guide had tremendous effects on comic book collecting back in 1970, then the CGC came in  and put the stamps of GA/SA comic book collecting as legitimate. Sure, the sale of Action 1 for $1800 helped along, there were so MANY persons who though I was mad, you have to remember I purchased for brand new Ford Mustang  hatchback for $1600 back then. Many times over the years I heard stories of doom, the end of comics etc...we never wavered. I think with exceptional reprints that have been created GA/SA will last forever. Digital Restoration will the comic books look ever better than just printed. I just found an amazing web with early FF's..the colors are amazing. This is great news for the future and access of GA/SA comic book material. Sure, back then you were kind of alone, the few people you knew you stayed friends with.

 We were right in the 1960's as a very young collectors, I was right as a teenage boy who shocked the world spending "real money" for a comic book and the collecting world has never been the same.

I am very proud to be part of GA/SA comic book world, its not just the material, but the friendships and things I learn on a day by day basis. The real hero's are US, who will never let fandom die.

Wow, that's such an amazing article.  So what are those 2000 books that you owned back then worth now?  

[rjpb]

45 minutes ago, pemart1966 said:

Those Giant First Editions were like mana from heaven for us collectors back in the early 70s.  

These rare number 1s and first appearances had NEVER been reprinted before.  Sure, we got a small taste of the Golden Age through the 80 page Giants and Annuals but these reprints were bringing us back to when it all started.

As a kid in Canada, we didn't have access to Golden Age comic books found in second book stores or non existent comic books stores - they were not to be found.  So we could only dream about what Batman and Superman looked liked back when they started and the villains they faced.  The first real tease was the 1 page reprint of Detective Comics 27 in Batman 200.

Sure they were $1 each, which was a princely sum back then, but the reprint quality was excellent and the books were oversized.  As well, they were printed on newsprint, not slick paper, which brought you as close to reading the real thing as you could get.

When you opened them up and started leafing through them you just let out a big WOW!  It was a magic time.

1974 was towards the end of my initial collecting phase, but I remember the excitement over the FFEs well. I remember wishing Marvel would do the same with their Timely keys. The murky B/W reprints in the Flashback series didn't cut it. 

[Robot Man]

13 hours ago, Mmehdy said:

I remember the ad, seems a long time ago in a comic galaxy far far away. Looking back from then to now, I do not think fandom could have gone any better for us true comic book collectors and I hope the future extends this winning streak. First, the Overstreet price guide and the first guide had tremendous effects on comic book collecting back in 1970, then the CGC came in  and put the stamps of GA/SA comic book collecting as legitimate. Sure, the sale of Action 1 for $1800 helped along, there were so MANY persons who though I was mad, you have to remember I purchased for brand new Ford Mustang  hatchback for $1600 back then. Many times over the years I heard stories of doom, the end of comics etc...we never wavered. I think with exceptional reprints that have been created GA/SA will last forever. Digital Restoration will the comic books look ever better than just printed. I just found an amazing web with early FF's..the colors are amazing. This is great news for the future and access of GA/SA comic book material. Sure, back then you were kind of alone, the few people you knew you stayed friends with.

 We were right in the 1960's as a very young collectors, I was right as a teenage boy who shocked the world spending "real money" for a comic book and the collecting world has never been the same.

I am very proud to be part of GA/SA comic book world, its not just the material, but the friendships and things I learn on a day by day basis. The real hero's are US, who will never let fandom die.

I always wondered your thought process back then. I know you were a true fan and really loved the book. Was this the reason or did you really think at the time it was undervalued? I know at the time, you bought it to own one. But was later resale at a profit part of your plan? I knew no one with that kind of money at the time. So you had an Action #1 AND a new Mustang Fastback? You were living large. 

I remember being offered a vg copy for $300. by Burt Blum at Cherokee a couple of years before. I had just moved out of my parent’s house and making like $2.50 an hour in a grocery store. I had just bought a 1960 VW bus for $400. No way, I could have afforded that book. Not that I didn’t want one BAD but I had other more important priorities. 

I NEVER thought comics would go for the money they do now. I have mostly always swam in the shallow end. I bought the stuff that was affordable and not popular at the time. And I was a keeper. Sure has paid off now...

And, yeah, it sure has been a fun ride huh? 

[Mmehdy]

4 hours ago, pemart1966 said:

Mitch - where did the "nine known copies" of Action 1 come from as written in the newspaper article?  It's a pretty specific number.  

We knew at the time, the best copy was the "Bigman" copy and they Bigman senior  said they knew of less than 10 copies in existance very early  70's. Fandom was just getting started, but Auction 1 even at those early conventions was no-show on the west coast. But after the sale, more copies came to light.The  Bigman copy sold to Theo Holdstien from  Larry Bigman, that was traded to Bruce Hamilton for a stack of GA comics for the Carl Barks painting"  Vacation Panel" which is a great painting. Bruce later sold the "Bigman" copy for a record $25,000 at the time. As more collectors became known, the CBG and Overstreet Guide was creating a stable comic book floor, many more copies came to light.

Edited March 31, 2021 by Mmehdy

[Mmehdy]

5 hours ago, thedude said:

What a cool time for fandom.

You had to "be there"...early comic book conventions were like going into a gold mine. I think very early serious collectors had it right...GA even in 1966 was tough to find unless in a big city. My first GA comic book purchase was for 5 bucks in 1965-6 it was Superman #76 with the Batman cross-ever...just own that book, which at the time was equal to say 50 marvel comics or DC from the local book store called "Beers Bookstore" was a very high price ot pay at the time. I did not care...that was my favorite book, I did it took get it...

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

Yes out in the 'burbs it was a Golden Age desert when I was looking starting in 1971 or 1972 when I got my first price guide. Walking into Phil Seuling's 1972 July 4th Comic Con was like walking into Scrooge's money bin!! If only I had the scratch to buy the good stuff but I had so little money I bought the few Barks' books I could afford. Still the memories are priceless and the next year 1973 I saw my first Action 1 for sale there for $1000 as I recall. A Special Edition #1 was $100 as a comparison; still out of my price range. Great times and those First Edition reprints just whet my appetite for more.

[pemart1966]

39 minutes ago, Mmehdy said:

We knew at the time, the best copy was the "Bigman" copy and they Bigman senior  said they knew of less than 10 copies in existance very early  70's. Fandom was just getting started, but Auction 1 even at those early conventions was no-show on the west coast. But after the sale, more copies came to light.The  Bigman copy sold to Theo Holdstien from  Larry Bigman, that was traded to Bruce Hamilton for a stack of GA comics for the Carl Barks painting"  Vacation Panel" which is a great painting. Bruce later sold the "Bigman" copy for a record $25,000 at the time. As more collectors became known, the CBG and Overstreet Guide was creating a stable comic book floor, many more copies came to light.

Thanks Mitch.  I figured that it was either that - early collector word of mouth - or hype for the article in hopes of flushing out hitherto unknown copies.  I didn't mention either in my OP for fear of "influencing the jury".   LOL

Interesting about Action 1 not being seen on the West coast in the early days of conventions.  Can anyone remember it being seen at early East coast cons?

[Robot Man]

Funny but I don’t remember GA books being impossible to find in the mid to late ‘60’s in the LA area. No big keys or super early stuff but stuff from say 1943 on was somewhat available. Problem was you had to work your butt off to find it. 

Lots of old used book stores, thrift stores, flea markets, pawn shops, garage and estate sales. I would tell everyone I was looking. Placed ads on the grocery store bulletin boards, placed free ads in a lot of newspapers and even the dump! Me and my brother would walk the streets with our little red wagon and simply ring doorbells. A lot of times, people were happy for us to cart them off free. 

One of our best scores was literally a military foot locker full of WWII books just given a us by a friend of my dad’s. We had never seen books like this. Most of them we never heard of. 

It was nearly a full time job. We amassed quite a hoard. 

Then my dad took us to Hollywood to Cherokee Books, Collector’s Books and Bond Street Books. There is where we found the real good early stuff. Was the first time I’d ever paid more than cover price for anything. Quite the shock. I remember trading Steve from Bond Street a pile of stuff for an All Flash #1. My first GA #1.

Years later, I remember palling up with Terry Stroud, David T Alexander and Carl Macek at the American Comic Book company. Collections of old books were literally walking through the door nearly every day. Their back room was packed with stuff they hadn’t had time to process. 

Like anything in life, if you want it, you had to work for it. Seems like it’s all gone now, but every once in a while a pile or two still turn up.