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Show Us Your Ducks!
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8,405 posts in this topic

Geppi still has the remainder of the higher graded Crescent City run and who knows how many other sets of file copies he may be waiting to unload. It would be really nice if he would clarify this publicly since, right now, a few of us who have been bidding high multiples for these books don't really know what to think. Investing in subprime securities is starting to look like an interesting alternative...
Do you really expect him to let loose with that information? The only reason he has to reveal it would be if he does NOT have multiple high grade copies. Otherwise, one can infer the alternative from any silence. It goes back to tth's point. It's a huge amount of HG Ducks coming to market at one time. I'll be watching to see how they do.

 

Hi, I've been catching up on this thread and reading comments from some of the more opinionated posters on this issue. I would like to acquire an issue or two (or three) of those amazing High Grade WDCS books that Heritage has coming up. Obviously it will take multiples of guide to win those higher grade examples but like anyone who will be bidding, the dilemma is fearing that other high grade books from Geppis collection (or this mystery collector with the warehouse) will release others into the market IF indeed there are others.

 

A couple of questions, has there been a list complied (I know that Moondog mentioned that he would post a list, was this ever posted) ? And regardless of the multiples of these books, what is the opinion of those out there whether the ones listed now at Heritage are the highest OR are the highest examples being held until the lower grade ones sell (which makes the most sense for the owner(s) of these high grade books as to max-out, dollar wise …. i.e. sell the 9.2’s first while they are the current highest and then wait a few auctions, grade the better batch next and then sell those 9.4’s which would then be the highest).

 

Appreciate any thoughts on this …Thanks, Hank

 

Hi GAFan,

 

Great to hear from other people who enjoy these books. The February auction is a great opportunity, my message is just to factor in some risk. There are uncertainties about the supply of high grade Dell books that don't seem to apply to most other areas of GA comics.

 

In his most recent market report, Bob Overstreet wrote about how the sudden influx of warehouse finds can affect the market significantly. In the same article, he mentioned how two copies of FC 386 sold for over $25,000 each. Unfortunately, he left out the paragraph about the known quantities of Poughkeepsie and other file copies by mistake. I am sure it will be corrected in the new guide.

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Here's a few recent "budget ducks". (I was trying to focus on WDCS #3-50 or thereabouts, but I keep straying!) Some great Kelly covers in this part of the run.

 

73981.jpg

 

 

69 is right up there at the top of the coolest covers :applause:

 

Yep, and it's especially cool for Australian collectors because it was the cover of the Australian WDC&S series #1 (which started in 1946). Excuse the small pic, but I don't have a bigger one, having never owned a copy. It's scarce and desirable. The only one I've seen for sale in the last few years was a 3.0 which sold for a tick under $600 late last year. The comic was 24 pages and only the covers were colour. The interior was B&W. Later issues had some interior wraps in colour (never color) and later still it became all colour.

 

Aus_WDCS_no1.jpg

 

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Here's a few recent "budget ducks". (I was trying to focus on WDCS #3-50 or thereabouts, but I keep straying!) Some great Kelly covers in this part of the run.

 

73981.jpg

 

73982.jpg

 

73983.jpg

 

These are really wonderful books. Just the way that big word COMICS shows right in the middle front is perfectly in line with ACTION COMICS, DETECTIVE COMICS, POLICE COMICS......and a slew of others. I like big lettering. :acclaim:

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Geppi still has the remainder of the higher graded Crescent City run and who knows how many other sets of file copies he may be waiting to unload. It would be really nice if he would clarify this publicly since, right now, a few of us who have been bidding high multiples for these books don't really know what to think. Investing in subprime securities is starting to look like an interesting alternative...
Do you really expect him to let loose with that information? The only reason he has to reveal it would be if he does NOT have multiple high grade copies. Otherwise, one can infer the alternative from any silence. It goes back to tth's point. It's a huge amount of HG Ducks coming to market at one time. I'll be watching to see how they do.

 

Hi, I've been catching up on this thread and reading comments from some of the more opinionated posters on this issue. I would like to acquire an issue or two (or three) of those amazing High Grade WDCS books that Heritage has coming up. Obviously it will take multiples of guide to win those higher grade examples but like anyone who will be bidding, the dilemma is fearing that other high grade books from Geppis collection (or this mystery collector with the warehouse) will release others into the market IF indeed there are others.

 

A couple of questions, has there been a list complied (I know that Moondog mentioned that he would post a list, was this ever posted) ? And regardless of the multiples of these books, what is the opinion of those out there whether the ones listed now at Heritage are the highest OR are the highest examples being held until the lower grade ones sell (which makes the most sense for the owner(s) of these high grade books as to max-out, dollar wise …. i.e. sell the 9.2’s first while they are the current highest and then wait a few auctions, grade the better batch next and then sell those 9.4’s which would then be the highest).

 

Appreciate any thoughts on this …Thanks, Hank

 

Hi GAFan,

 

Great to hear from other people who enjoy these books. The February auction is a great opportunity, my message is just to factor in some risk. There are uncertainties about the supply of high grade Dell books that don't seem to apply to most other areas of GA comics.

 

In his most recent market report, Bob Overstreet wrote about how the sudden influx of warehouse finds can affect the market significantly. In the same article, he mentioned how two copies of FC 386 sold for over $25,000 each. Unfortunately, he left out the paragraph about the known quantities of Poughkeepsie and other file copies by mistake. I am sure it will be corrected in the new guide.

 

Thanks ttg2 and tb for the valuable input.

 

While I love high grade condition Golden/Atom age books, and just wanted to add a couple of Ducks to my collection of GA high grade Bats and Supes collection to round it out, it sounds like I better just pick one example that tickles my fancy and stick to my max bid as it sounds like a risk buying these, especially the multiples of guide they will fetch come auction day and the unknown quanties that are yet to be slabbed.

 

Worst thing for any collector is being blinded by pereceived rarity and spending multiples, say $2000 for example, on a 'current' highest graded example of a book that lists in Overstreet for $400 and a year later or two, others are slabbed that are equal or better than my copy. Then that $2000 will never be seen again.

 

- HANK

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I just found this site a couple of months ago by chance, but since then I have been a frequent lurker. Now I have decided to try and learn how to post a cover and will start with what might well be my rarest book, WDC+S #4 with the Mickey Mouse Magazine ad for former subscribers printed on the cover. Overstreet currently states that there are only five known copies. If I can get the hang of this, I have a couple of other things to share.

Many thanks to BangZoom and Pons for teaching me how to do this!

Richard

 

WDCS4MMMcoverad.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I just found this site a couple of months ago by chance, but since then I have been a frequent lurker. Now I have decided to try and learn how to post a cover and will start with what might well be my rarest book, WDC+S #4 with the Mickey Mouse Magazine ad for former subscribers printed on the cover. Overstreet currently states that there are only five known copies. If I can get the hang of this, I have a couple of other things to share.

Many thanks to BangZoom and Pons for teaching me how to do this!

Richard

 

WDCS4MMMcoverad.jpg

Wow. Never seen that one. Keep posting. (thumbs u

 

 

Edited by mica
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WDCS4MMMcoverad.jpg

 

Congratulations on successfully posting your first image. :)

 

That's a very cool comic to own. :applause:

 

I noticed that the original owner is one Erasmus Grier Fowler.

 

A Google search reveals the existance of an Erasmus Grier Fowler Math Award which was established in 1987 in memory of Erasmus Grier Fowler. (Very likely the same person that is named on the comic.)

 

The award is given annually to the most outstanding math student attending Young Harris College; a two year Liberal Arts college in Young Harris, Georgia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Geppi still has the remainder of the higher graded Crescent City run and who knows how many other sets of file copies he may be waiting to unload. It would be really nice if he would clarify this publicly since, right now, a few of us who have been bidding high multiples for these books don't really know what to think. Investing in subprime securities is starting to look like an interesting alternative...
Do you really expect him to let loose with that information? The only reason he has to reveal it would be if he does NOT have multiple high grade copies. Otherwise, one can infer the alternative from any silence. It goes back to tth's point. It's a huge amount of HG Ducks coming to market at one time. I'll be watching to see how they do.

 

Hi, I've been catching up on this thread and reading comments from some of the more opinionated posters on this issue. I would like to acquire an issue or two (or three) of those amazing High Grade WDCS books that Heritage has coming up. Obviously it will take multiples of guide to win those higher grade examples but like anyone who will be bidding, the dilemma is fearing that other high grade books from Geppis collection (or this mystery collector with the warehouse) will release others into the market IF indeed there are others.

 

A couple of questions, has there been a list complied (I know that Moondog mentioned that he would post a list, was this ever posted) ? And regardless of the multiples of these books, what is the opinion of those out there whether the ones listed now at Heritage are the highest OR are the highest examples being held until the lower grade ones sell (which makes the most sense for the owner(s) of these high grade books as to max-out, dollar wise …. i.e. sell the 9.2’s first while they are the current highest and then wait a few auctions, grade the better batch next and then sell those 9.4’s which would then be the highest).

 

Appreciate any thoughts on this …Thanks, Hank

 

Hi GAFan,

 

Great to hear from other people who enjoy these books. The February auction is a great opportunity, my message is just to factor in some risk. There are uncertainties about the supply of high grade Dell books that don't seem to apply to most other areas of GA comics.

 

In his most recent market report, Bob Overstreet wrote about how the sudden influx of warehouse finds can affect the market significantly. In the same article, he mentioned how two copies of FC 386 sold for over $25,000 each. Unfortunately, he left out the paragraph about the known quantities of Poughkeepsie and other file copies by mistake. I am sure it will be corrected in the new guide.

 

Thanks ttg2 and tb for the valuable input.

 

While I love high grade condition Golden/Atom age books, and just wanted to add a couple of Ducks to my collection of GA high grade Bats and Supes collection to round it out, it sounds like I better just pick one example that tickles my fancy and stick to my max bid as it sounds like a risk buying these, especially the multiples of guide they will fetch come auction day and the unknown quanties that are yet to be slabbed.

 

Worst thing for any collector is being blinded by pereceived rarity and spending multiples, say $2000 for example, on a 'current' highest graded example of a book that lists in Overstreet for $400 and a year later or two, others are slabbed that are equal or better than my copy. Then that $2000 will never be seen again.

 

- HANK

 

Lots of commentary on the sources and extant of the file copies. Have there been any previous threads dealing with that, where they came from, who got them, where they might be today? I could see where Western could have easily kept an extensive library for many years. They were making a lot of money on these books for a long time and keeping the institutional memory alive is a part of any organization.

 

Only two years ago, my own company (large multi-national entertainment company who you all know) got around to shredding a warehouse full of blueprints that had been in storage for up to five decades. The original pencil-drawn vellums were put into long term storage but we spent a small fortune storing blueprints for many decades. Of course the advent of computer storage of this data had a lot to do with the ability to dispose of blueprints. I have a great photo I took of the storage facility which looks like a small version of the Indy storage facility. Alas it is now gone!

 

Anyway, I could see those file copies lasting at Western into the late seventies or eighties when the comic division finally had expired. Since Western was into so much material does anyone know if a similar situation exists for their other material, playing cards, puzzles, toys etc?

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WDCS4MMMcoverad.jpg

 

Congratulations on successfully posting your first image. :)

 

That's a very cool comic to own. :applause:

 

I noticed that the original owner is one Erasmus Grier Fowler.

...

 

AND HE WANTS IT BACK!

 

Jack

 

:signfunny:

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The only surviving cover from the 1940s is the rejected version of WDCS 96 which I bought from Bruce Hamilton's estate last year.

 

There are small differences compared to the published cover but this is consistent with edits to other art that were done after it was photographed.

 

wdcs96.jpg

 

Just saw this original art in CBL WDC&S #29. Is it the same one before it was colorized?

 

74246.jpg

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BangZoom,

Good detective work! My memory is shot, but a local dealer in New Orleans bought a couple of boxes of comics in the mid to late 1980's, and called me to come and take a look at what he had. There was a pretty good cross-section, and then he said let's go back to the counter. He pulled this out from under the counter and said he had been saving it for me because he was sure that I would want it, even at double guide. He was right. I know it isn't a great book, but I have always been a sucker for rarity, and I'm still glad I bought it.

50 years when I was running all over Southern California looking for books with Leonard Brown, we would try to contact every name and address on the subscription labels of every book we purchased. I can't believe that I failed to try to follow up on Grier!

Thanks,

Richard

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I have the art for WDC+S #11. You can see that the page encouraged the image to be too horizontal, and that some changes had to be made for the vertical format of the cover. The art and published cover are attached.

Richard

 

LBartWDCS11email.jpg

 

WDCS11.jpg

 

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