Collecting Vintage Marvel’s Elusive Beauty

In a number of current showcase auctions, we have had discussions about among the rarest in-demand comedian books inside the amassing focus in query.  Rarity is a surprisingly troublesome idea to pin down in the case of comedian books, and it is much more troublesome to debate in the case of classic Marvel/Timely/Atlas comedian books.  For most different publishers or amassing classes, defining rarity is less complicated. Ask a gaggle of significant collectors in regards to the rarest Fox Feature Publications comedian books, and U.S. Jones #2 might be among the many solutions.  For Centaur, it should be Amazing Man #26.  With MLJ, Hangman #8 is a matter that might be introduced up.

For extra expansive amassing classes, the definition of rarity will be extra elusive, however in lots of such circumstances, there’s nonetheless some extent of consensus.  Factors like historic notions of rarity from the Overstreet Price Guide and the Photo-Journal Guide to Comic Books Gerber “scarcity rating” amongst different historic references are often thought of. Census numbers, when balanced with demand for a selected subject, are an apparent information level. Serious collectors within the class will at all times have opinions primarily based on their expertise.  For instance, New Adventure Comics #26 is broadly thought of one of many rarest DC comics as a result of it was one of many final points a widely known DC completist wanted to complete his set of each DC comedian ebook ever.  Double Action Comics #2 might be one other comedian that comes up when DC rarity is mentioned. Issues of New Fun Comics amongst different very early releases will in all probability be talked about.

But once I began asking collectors about classic Marvel comedian ebook rarity, the response was very totally different.  One collector responded with an anecdote.  When this collector requested a excessive net-worth Golden Age Marvel superhero completist why he did not take his assortment all the best way and gather the remainder of the Timely and Atlas comics that Marvel had put out earlier than the Silver Age, the response was enlightening.  Even although cash was no object for this particular person, and though he had the entire most costly Marvels already anyway, he thought of ending off all of the writer’s humor, conflict, crime, western and different comics from the Forties and Nineteen Fifties an unimaginable process.

That’s not the primary time I’ve heard this notion from severe Timely/Atlas collectors.  Daunting as it’s, a small handful of collectors have severely pursued a whole DC Comics set since comedian amassing started to go mainstream within the early Nineteen Seventies.  But I’m unsure there are any true Marvel comedian ebook completists, at the very least not anymore.  It’s been broadly reported that paleontologist, mathematician, comics historian and indexer George Olshevsky as soon as assembled a whole Marvel assortment, although there appears to be some dispute as as to whether “complete” actually did imply the entire obscure stuff.  I can consider one or two longtime Marvel collectors who may be steadily pursuing the set, however I’m unsure anybody has come very near finishing it.  The concept appears to be unthinkable to most, even for collectors with the sources to think about it.

Because of this, there’s actually no collector whisper community as to what that magic mixture of uncommon and fascinating is for the type of comics represented on this 2023 April 20 Timeless Good Girl Art Comics Featuring Dan DeCarlo Showcase Auction #40221.  The CGC census is likewise unhelpful on this evaluation, as extremely there are almost 60 points within the public sale with census numbers of 1 or zero.  And Fully 70% of the comics listed within the public sale have single-digit census numbers.

Does this imply they’re all actually that uncommon?  Not all of them, no.  But all of this does imply that collectors at giant in all probability do not but have the information to find out that magic mixture of fascinating, cool, and hard to get on this specific class of classic Marvel amassing.  So whereas I presently haven’t any notably helpful strategy to assess rarity for the comedian books on this public sale, I did handle to get some opinions on what points may be the hidden gems right here.

The Hidden Gems of the Marvel Timeless GGA Auction

• Tessie the Typist #1 — A Beautiful cowl and within the phrases of 1 collector, a “wildly undervalued key that never gets the love it deserves.”  I couldn’t agree with this assesment extra, and made the case that Tessie might be one of the vital essential Marvel characters of the late Golden Age.
• Millie the Model Comics #22 — Millie is the sequence that defines Dan DeCarlo’s legacy as a GGA artist.  In the phrases of 1 collector, “there are some wondrous covers here done with a wink and a nudge that oozes 1950’s charm.”  Issue #22 is a superb instance, however there are dozens of wonderful covers on this run.
• Cindy Comics #36 — While #37 will get all the eye, #36 has, as one other collector instructed me “the kind of silly double-entendre cover that makes several issues of Archie Comics notorious” and picked up, and is much much less frequent than you’d assume.  Heritage has solely bought two copies ever earlier than this stable mid-grade.
• Comedy Comics #7 — The late problems with this run are all difficult, and this subject #7 is the primary copy Heritage has provided, in addition to the second highest graded.
• Georgie Comics #32 — Late problems with Timely sequence on this class of comedian books are usually powerful, however this cute cowl is a ghost.  It may be very difficult to seek out in any situation, and that is the highest-graded copy.
• Girls Life #4 —  There are not any frequent points on this sequence, however #4 has zero graded copies within the CGC census.
• Hedy De Vine Comics #27 — There are many fairly covers on this sequence, however the predominantly black background makes this ebook actually pop in nicer situation.
• Hedy De Vine Comics #39 — A beautiful Dan DeCarlo cowl that’s not simple to seek out.
• Joker Comics #14 — Early Joker Comics will be powerful to seek out, and this cute swimsuit cowl is among the finest covers in addition to one of the vital uncommon points!
• Lana Comics #6 — An usually neglected sequence, with a number of incredible covers on this run and a few devilishly difficult books to amass.
• Margie Comics #40 — Another fairly black-border cowl, and the best graded.
• Mitzi’s Romances #10 — Certainly one of the vital uncommon Timely GGA books.  Collectors have gone years with out even seeing a duplicate on the market.
• My Friend Irma #27 — There are numerous very underappreciated DeCarlo covers on this run, together with his trademark combine of lovely girls and foolish gags.
• Nellie the Nurse Comics #16 — Hello, nurse! One of the numerous putting covers of this run.
• Patsy and Hedy #18 — This one has a canopy by the legendary Al Jaffee.  There are numerous stunning and ridiculously enjoyable covers on this run.
• Showgirls #1 —  A really quick run of Decarlo doing what he does finest.

Affiliates of Bleeding Cool purchase from and/or consign to Heritage Auctions.