I’m probably just going to recycle the pile of Wonder Man #1s that was in here.
So what you see above is some of my well-gotten gains from the week, retrieved from a good-sized plastic storage box similar to this:
That jumble of comics you see above (Uncanny X-Men #281, the wraparound cover version of the 1991 X-Men #1, and the second printing of the foil-embossed Silver Surfer #50 weren’t the only books inside…there were multiple copies of Infinity Gauntlet (every issue represented, but only single copies of a couple so not multiple runs), Wolverine #41 and #42 (Wolvie Vs. Sabertooth battle, briefly a hot book), a whole lotta Darkhawk, various other variants of the 1991 X-Men #1, and other similar items.
When I mentioned the collection on Bluesky, I called it a collection of “investment comics” and that’s clearly what it was. Some of these comics do have value (despite being printing literally in the millions, I have no trouble moving theseX-Men #1s), their method of preservation could have been better.
When I started pulling these comics out of the container, the plastic bags started splintering into tiny little fragments that I’ve mostly cleaned up but darn if I don’t keep finding more of them on the counter or floor. Anyway, as I noticed this I asked the seller if this box had been kept in a warm garage, and no surprise when the answer was “yes.”
Surprisingly, the comics were mostly still intact and in reasonable shape. I say “surprisingly” because this sort of plastic storage box isn’t meant for keeping your comics, especially if, like this collector, you had the comics standing and not laying flat, meaning lots of shifting and falling over an’ such. A few comics did come out straight up bent in half (thankfully, mostly just New Warriors), and at least two super sun-faded Ghost Riders (maybe stored by a window?).
I was asked by another Bluesky user how much I paid for these, in that surely this paid for someone’s college education. Alas, I paid them enough to buy maybe a college textbook…one of those big too-expensive-for-what-you’re-getting volumes. Others on Bluesky commented on how none of these pictured books are worth anything, “like five bucks” being a common refrain.
Well, that’s not my experience with the X-Men #1 or the Silver Surfer #50 (any printing), at least. Despite the improper long-term storage of these books, they remain in nice condition…lots of Near Mint copies, though the X-Men #1s will have to be graded down due to most of them having dinged corners. And they’ll sell for pretty good money, all things considered.
Despite being relatively common, there is still huge demand for X-Men back issues, both of the 1991 series and the original Uncanny run. (Not so much for later relaunches for Uncanny, but I’ve got a whole ‘nother post about that in the near future.) Plus, that Silver Surfer embossed cover remains a popular novelty item. Gimmick cover burnout was a thing long ago, but enough people buying comics now weren’t there when everything was foil or die-cut, so it’s all new and fresh and appealing to them.
Even decades after the fact, there are still collections like this, in varying degrees of condition, sitting untouched in garages and attics and basements and deep in closets. Sitting unmoved for years, or perhaps hauled from place to place with each subsequent changing of residences, there are boxes filled with perceived fortunes. The one I just acquired at least had comics that I could sell, but it still feels a little weird dismantling someone’s comic investment-collecting dream.
I’ve been watching YouTube videos by comic book sellers recently, and m absolutely baffled by perceived back issue value. 2nd and 3rd printings selling for more than 1st printings because they printed less of them! Newsstand editions being worth more because they printed less of them! Slabbed copies of mediocre comics being worth over $100 because there are less of them in near-mint condition! By that logic, the most valuable comic book printed after 1980 should be someone’s mini-comic they mimeographed 25 copies of and got a local store.
Who is buying all these “rare variants,” anyway? I hate the current trend of printing ratio variants, but at least I understand why someone wants a 1:50 Jim Lee cover. Oooh, your Venom: Lethal Protector 1 has a UPC code instead of the better looking picture. What a find!
There’s a Disney+ Wonder Man series due out late 2025, so maybe hang on to a few of those?
I’ve never bothered to check, and I never will because it would just depress me, but I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if B******* C*** or some other similar site tried to promote G***** J**** comics as a “hot investment” using the “these will never be reprinted!” reasoning…
When I worked at Chaos in Print in the early 90s, there was a guy who came in wearing a suit. He was getting a high salary from the Lettuce Entertain You restaurant company here. One good thing about the shop is that we were a block away from the bus transfer points.
This guy was like the one mentioned above. Everything bagged and boarded. ALL #1 issues, even Ren & Stimpy and The Heckler, like that.I take that back, no #1s on the B&W books like Caliber.
The Iron Man foil cover? Five of them. Not interested in “first appearance of Mike Sterling as Sterlingtooth” but gimmicky title of Wolverine with the claw marks? Five of those.
This guy and maybe two others pretty much paid the rent for a month.Another guy spent a lot of money on the rock ‘n roll comics, where they eventually did celebrities every other issue? Anyone remember those?
I should say a good portion of rent money came from our MORTAL KOMBAT game. But the restaurant guy, I just felt bad pulling those DEATHMATEs out for him.
“Wonder Man”
I liked him in West Coast Avengers!
Otherwise, not really.
“Not so much for later relaunches for Uncanny, but I’ve got a whole ‘nother post about that in the near future.)”
Do tell!
” I say “surprisingly” because this sort of plastic storage box isn’t meant for keeping your comics”
True, BUT plastic is better for being stored in a garage, as bugs LOVE cardboard and wood, so it might have kept those fuckers out. Gawd do I hate insects.
“Plus, that Silver Surfer embossed cover remains a popular novelty item.”
It is a decent-looking cover!
“the rock ‘n roll comics”
Yes, I bought some of those! (The ones by Revolutionary). Amateurish, mostly, but I liked them at the time.
“DEATHMATEs”
Deathmate Black: Late AND crappy. Or was that Deathmate Red?
Put the Wonder Mans in the Dollar Box!
Do you have a Dollar Box?
@ Snark Shark
Remember–before Booster Gold and Blue Beetle there was the great bromance between Wonder Man and The Beast in those late ’70s/early ’80s Avengers issues…at one point they were even drunkenly singing
the Herman’s Hermits song “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter.”
@ Wayne Allen Sallee
I was reading Marvel Team-Up no. 47 the other day–featuring Spider-Man and The Thing –and I stumbled upon a letter you had published in that issue! You were in good company as Ralph Macchio had a letter published in that issue as well.
Snark Shark: the rock n’ roll comics had their little niche at the place. Same with the Caliber comics. It was the black cover for DEATHMATE. The store was in death throws at the time. I remember leaving close to the end with a stack of TUROK #1s that I just took half and left them around the city at random.
We did fall into the speculator’s crash, but at least we could trade with other stores on the North side. Back issues with Chicago Comics or Hepcats. We had crazy stuff the owner bought at big flea markets. My last big sale was $150 for a Spider-Man pogo stick in fantastic shape.
Sean: that was me, they fought the Basilisk. Another word learned from comics. I met him much later at a writers’ con in New Orleans, but I had quite a few letters in Denny O’Neil’s THE QUESTION. By then I was selling stories, he introduced me to his wife, and she insisted wwe have dinner together. Times past.
Is this photo a teaser image for the triumphant sequel to the 2006 classic post, Too Many?
https://www.progressiveruin.com/2006/06/19/too-many/
“Wonder Man and The Beast”
They were a good team in Avengers! The ones I read, anyway.
“I remember leaving close to the end with a stack of TUROK #1s that I just took half and left them around the city at random”
Good as anything to do with them!