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Mark Jewelers inserts...
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1,020 posts in this topic

One thing to remember about comics and the military. GIs had weight restriction when they moved. We use to see comics at "yard sales" all the time when a GI was transferred. We also found a ton of stuff in the trash as a result of the restrictions. There may have been a larger number than you might expect out there initially, but the survival rate was probably very low.

 

Brian:

 

Thanks for the pictures. I have been pulling Mark Jeweler inserts out of my "unloved" boxes and some have stars and some don't. Close to 50 comics, all from the 70s and 80s with Mark Jewelers inserts. Most of these were books we picked up at the many, many yard sales we use to go to as kids.

 

And I forgot all about the other stamps that were used. I'm guessing my Star Wars will have the same markings since we got them together. ;) It's been a long time since I've been in those comic boxes.

 

Just for the boards information, Brian is my brother and we both have/had an extensive amount of Mark Jeweler books from our time in Germany.

Any input as to possible numbers of MJI books vs. their regular counterparts? I appreciated BrianR's earlier info regarding the number of overseas bases and potentially how many comics could have been distributed through that system. Adding in the larger stateside bases and how many spinners may have existed among the main Exchange and smaller "shoppette" type locations make me believe 5% isn't off the mark. Any idea if AAFES was accorded the same ability to return unsold copies as other shops in the distribution chain?

 

I understand why people may think the percentage of MJI's was lower than 5%, but I don't think they realize just how widespread the AAFES retailers were, particularly in the 70's and early 80's.

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One thing to remember about comics and the military. GIs had weight restriction when they moved. We use to see comics at "yard sales" all the time when a GI was transferred. We also found a ton of stuff in the trash as a result of the restrictions. There may have been a larger number than you might expect out there initially, but the survival rate was probably very low.

 

Brian:

 

Thanks for the pictures. I have been pulling Mark Jeweler inserts out of my "unloved" boxes and some have stars and some don't. Close to 50 comics, all from the 70s and 80s with Mark Jewelers inserts. Most of these were books we picked up at the many, many yard sales we use to go to as kids.

 

And I forgot all about the other stamps that were used. I'm guessing my Star Wars will have the same markings since we got them together. ;) It's been a long time since I've been in those comic boxes.

 

Just for the boards information, Brian is my brother and we both have/had an extensive amount of Mark Jeweler books from our time in Germany.

Any input as to possible numbers of MJI books vs. their regular counterparts? I appreciated BrianR's earlier info regarding the number of overseas bases and potentially how many comics could have been distributed through that system. Adding in the larger stateside bases and how many spinners may have existed among the main Exchange and smaller "shoppette" type locations make me believe 5% isn't off the mark. Any idea if AAFES was accorded the same ability to return unsold copies as other shops in the distribution chain?

 

I understand why people may think the percentage of MJI's was lower than 5%, but I don't think they realize just how widespread the AAFES retailers were, particularly in the 70's and early 80's.

 

I understand your reasoning, but without hard numbers, I'd have to disagree. 5% is a monstrous number, compared to such a small percentage of the population.

 

There were a lot of bases, yes. But comics readership declined throughout the 70's, and by the 80's, comics readership among the military wasn't anywhere like it was during the 60's and earlier...which is why the program was discontinued in 1991-ish.

 

The 70's was the era of 7-11, K-Mart, and convenience stores for comic book distribution; drugstores and newsstands were on the decline for comic sales.

 

hm

 

I wonder if Mark Jewelers is still in business. If so, maybe I can track them down and ask some questions.

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Another point to clarify; state-side distribution appears to be a very uncommon. Not many bases had them at all. I know that none of the bases in San Antonio had them (Lackland, Kelley, Ft. Sam Houston). You can find MJIs in many of the collections but most of them were purchased when the OO was overseas (at least that's what they have said). You might see 12-18 month chunks with MJIs then the rest are without. The collection I bought (from Bragg) has 4-5 year runs in it.

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I wonder if Mark Jewelers is still in business. If so, maybe I can track them down and ask some questions.

 

I tried to track them down several years ago. The address on the order form went back to the LA office of the Rabbinical Council of California. I looked at tax records but couldn't find any info on a parent company. But that was a long time ago...

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One thing to remember about comics and the military. GIs had weight restriction when they moved. We use to see comics at "yard sales" all the time when a GI was transferred. We also found a ton of stuff in the trash as a result of the restrictions. There may have been a larger number than you might expect out there initially, but the survival rate was probably very low.

 

Brian:

 

Thanks for the pictures. I have been pulling Mark Jeweler inserts out of my "unloved" boxes and some have stars and some don't. Close to 50 comics, all from the 70s and 80s with Mark Jewelers inserts. Most of these were books we picked up at the many, many yard sales we use to go to as kids.

 

And I forgot all about the other stamps that were used. I'm guessing my Star Wars will have the same markings since we got them together. ;) It's been a long time since I've been in those comic boxes.

 

Just for the boards information, Brian is my brother and we both have/had an extensive amount of Mark Jeweler books from our time in Germany.

Any input as to possible numbers of MJI books vs. their regular counterparts? I appreciated BrianR's earlier info regarding the number of overseas bases and potentially how many comics could have been distributed through that system. Adding in the larger stateside bases and how many spinners may have existed among the main Exchange and smaller "shoppette" type locations make me believe 5% isn't off the mark. Any idea if AAFES was accorded the same ability to return unsold copies as other shops in the distribution chain?

 

I understand why people may think the percentage of MJI's was lower than 5%, but I don't think they realize just how widespread the AAFES retailers were, particularly in the 70's and early 80's.

 

I cannot really say. I do know this, I have found MJIs at LCSs in the Phoenix area, but we have a large Air Force base here. In fact, I picked up a Star Wars MJI comic just a few weeks ago at the Collector's Market from one of the sellers who was retired military (when I saw the familiar star on the comic, I asked if he was retired military.)

 

I will back Brian's claim that in Ramstein/Kaiserslautern, one of the largest US military presences in Europe, 20+ issues of a particular comic on the stands was not uncommon. Popular comics had a higher number and less popular comics a lower number. My recollection is they had an extensive selection and they refreshed the comics as well, so you wouldn't find issues older than a month or 2 on the stands which makes me believe they must have returned them.

 

They use to move enlisted men every 2 years but you could ask for an extension of 2 years. I know that has changed and the military has found it more economically not to move people around so frequently. Because of the movement however, it doesn't surprise me collectors in cities near large military bases will have a higher chance of finding MJI's than outside of those areas.

 

AAFES must be a good outlet for comics because Marvel has had several AAFES exclusives over the last few years in the way of New Avengers comics that are given away for free.

Edited by rjrjr
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I wonder if Mark Jewelers is still in business. If so, maybe I can track them down and ask some questions.

 

I tried to track them down several years ago. The address on the order form went back to the LA office of the Rabbinical Council of California. I looked at tax records but couldn't find any info on a parent company. But that was a long time ago...

 

I found a BBB review of Mark Jewelers from 2011 on the internet that had a phone number with it. I just called that number and got the "this number is disconnected or is no longer in service" recording. Facebook doesn't turn up anything either. So hard to tell if they're still in business or not.

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Ended up with 8 of them today from a 500-book collection I purchased...

 

Marvel Premiere #51

Daredevil #238

Hulk #307 & 351

Iron Man #234

Detective #508, 541 & 546

 

Man, Chip - you really work the work! (thumbs u :applause:

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I may have posted this in this thread already (apologies if so), but I like seeing high grade, key issue MJ's.

 

I'm surprised we don't see more on the market as shouldn't the insert protect the spine leading to higher grade copies ?

 

dd158cgc98MJ.jpg

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I may have posted this in this thread already (apologies if so), but I like seeing high grade, key issue MJ's.

 

I'm surprised we don't see more on the market as shouldn't the insert protect the spine leading to higher grade copies ?

 

:applause:

 

On the older, card stock ones, yes, the spine is much more rigid. Maybe it was all the moving from base to base or just the fact that they got the hell read out of them, but you don't really seem to see the early ones in 9.4+ that often. Issues from the late '70s-'90s (with the slick) often turn up in much better condition (no surprise).

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I may have posted this in this thread already (apologies if so), but I like seeing high grade, key issue MJ's.

 

I'm surprised we don't see more on the market as shouldn't the insert protect the spine leading to higher grade copies ?

 

:applause:

 

On the older, card stock ones, yes, the spine is much more rigid. Maybe it was all the moving from base to base or just the fact that they got the hell read out of them, but you don't really seem to see the early ones in 9.4+ that often. Issues from the late '70s-'90s (with the slick) often turn up in Can you send some pictures to my phone please ? I will send you some of me as well. better condition (no surprise).

 

You're lucky if you see them over an 8.0. :ohnoez:

 

-J.

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National Diamond Sales inserts were in books from April '71 to April '73. MJIs showed up in place of NDIs in November and December '72. In July '73 NDIs were permanently replaced by MJIs.

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I may have posted this in this thread already (apologies if so), but I like seeing high grade, key issue MJ's.

 

I'm surprised we don't see more on the market as shouldn't the insert protect the spine leading to higher grade copies ?

 

dd158cgc98MJ.jpg

 

So sexy.

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Here is my Batman #251 with Mark Jewelers insert (you'll have to take my word for it!). Picked it up a few years back.

 

This is the first MJ insert book I've ever owned. There's something really nice about the 'heft' of the book in hand.

 

qp5fyc.jpg

 

 

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Here is my Batman #251 with Mark Jewelers insert (you'll have to take my word for it!). Picked it up a few years back.

 

This is the first MJ insert book I've ever owned. There's something really nice about the 'heft' of the book in hand.

 

qp5fyc.jpg

 

 

Nice. That's a hot book to have it in. :applause:

 

But....

 

Pics, or it didn't happen. :baiting:

 

-J.

 

 

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