Sentinels of Liberty... assemble!!14639
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BuffJake09 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Hi all, I'm sure as many of you are aware from my many posts that I have been on the hunt for a wartime GA Captain America issue as well as the Sentinels of Liberty badges produced for his fan club between 1941 and 1942. This has been a search going on it's tenth year now. Growing up I was never truly into comics. I had a few Superman and Batman ones and loved the Sam Rami Spiderman films but outside of that my interests laid elsewhere. That all changed in 2008 with the release of Iron Man. When the movie came out, I went and saw it with my Dad and Brother and this would go on to become a tradition upon the release of any future MCU movie. One film I was particularly excited for was Captain America The First Avenger. Growing up I always loved history and still do to this day (I am pursuing my bachelor's degree in the subject as I enter my senior year of college this fall) and one historical interest has always been the Second World War. So you can bet that when I saw Captain America would be getting a stand alone film set during that time, I was geeked! I can remember going to see the movie like it was yesterday and I remember the awe I felt as the lights came on when the credits finished rolling, excited for the future of Cap's story! Almost immediately upon returning home, I hopped on the computer and began to look into Cap's comic history and origin. I was excited to find that his comics actually had their roots during the war as well and having just discovered eBay around this time, I logged on using my Dad's account and searched for issues. I didn't have to look very far as the market was completely saturated with golden age and key issues. I was shocked by the high prices but made an attempt at bidding on some coverless issues that unbeknownst to me at the time were postwar circa 1948. It didn't matter as prices shot way past my max bids. I continued to search for a few weeks and then seeing that I wouldn't be able to afford any of these, I tabled the idea. During my search for different issues, I also became aware of the "Sentinels of Liberty" club and the badges that were sent out to members during the war. I think at the time of the film's release, many of the badges were selling for exorbitant prices and often more than many lower grade GA issues. So being unable to afford a coverless issue, I didn't even consider the badge as it would have been next to impossible at that time. Over the years I would pop back on eBay and search but the prices would rise with each year and I would seemingly find my self looking at the wrong time (i.e. at the release of yet another movie.) Fast forward to earlier this year. I had some time off from school and remote learning, as we had a few snow days and a wellness week. I decided to use that time extremely wisely and stay in bed for most of it, binge-watching the MCU films on Disney+. After I wrapped with Endgame, I thought back to what my favorite moments were watching the movies the first time around nearly a decade earlier. I remembered the excitement I felt seeing "The First Avenger." So for old times sake I started looking for a GA Cap issue again. Being a little older now with just bit more money, I thought maybe, just maybe, I had a shot. I had just taken advantage of the crazy sports card market as well and sold a few baseball and football cards for a decent chunk of money to fund my ambitions. However, as I began to search for an issue I was bummed to find that the craziness of the sports card market had translated into other areas of collecting including comics. I decided to try different avenues, watching eBay lots and reaching out to fellow collectors on here, etc. I found a few options but nothing that made me want to jump at it on first sight. That's when upon reading archived threads on here that I remembered the existence of the Sentinel of Liberty badges. I began to scour the web looking for examples but could only find the prices and results for concluded auctions. The prices again made me realize that if I were to fulfill my goal, I'd most likely have to pony up! I eventually tracked down a badge in extremely poor condition on eBay with a starting bid of $99, I was hoping it would hover around that price so that I could make a play for it... it ended up selling for $305 and I passed up on it. All the while I began to regret doing so. Having only seen a handful of examples of the badge throughout the years and believing that they would only continue to get harder to find and more expensive, especially in this current market, I doubled down and really began to search! A few nights ago, I was looking more into the history side of the badge and reading up, trying to find information regarding production dates when I stumbled upon some recently uploaded photos off an example of the badge on google images. I followed the link which took me to the online storefront of a small comic shop in Maine. Sure enough the photos were part of a current listing for the badge that had only been for sale for three days. I deliberated about it and consulted a few individuals before I and decided to go ahead and make the purchase. I got it for a fair price at $200 although some may argue that I slightly overpaid. The condition is rough at first glance but still has some of its luster and still has charm. I'm thrilled to have found a badge that would have sent 12 year old me over the moon all those years ago! The badge is so incredible to me because it is at the very begining of everything... from the very creation of Cap in 1940 through the various issues and runs by different artists, video games, movies and cultural and societal impact on the present day 80 years later. It's really quite amazing. One of the reasons I did not initially bid on other examples I saw is because of the wear and age that they (like my badge) exhibits but the more I think about that aspect, the more I realize that this badge was loved and used, it wasn't stuffed in a box and forgotten. I believe that some young person was galvanized by Cap to contribute to the war effort in their own way and probably was inspired to live up to the ideals presented in the comics. You can't see that kind of history on a shiny, new badge. After all it has lived through a world war and is going on eight decades now. Another thing I enjoy is that is a connection to the early days of the character and its creators. I have heard and read a few times that the badge was designed by Joe Simon himself, so to have a piece going al the way back to the Simon and Kirby period and 1941 is really quite special. I want to thank everyone who helped me in my search! Whether it was sharing examples of the badge, information or pointing me in the right direction with leads, it is all very much appreciated. Once the badge is in hand I will post some better pictures but for now, here's my comic grail! Jake   |
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 -Our Odin-Rest in Peace |
Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| That is a totally awesome story!!! I love that you found one you could afford!!! I totally agree that the wear and tear on it helps to make it more interesting. That's the same reason why I like store stamps on older comics. All these things help to make the item more unique and I can just "feel" the history coming from pieces like that!! So ... congrats!!!!! | ||
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EddieTheComicGuy private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Congratulations!!! Thank you for sharing your story as well!!! It gives me hope that the things I’m hunting for will find their way to me at some point!!! Enjoy your newly gotten treasure!!! | ||
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 You do know that the new guy brings the donuts, right?
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DWeeB1967 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @BuffJake09 That's great! | ||
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 Secret Moderator
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MatterEaterLad private msg quote post Address this user | |
| That's an incredible find! Congrats! | ||
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 Not trying to be an ass since February 12, 2020.
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HulkSmash private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @BuffJake09 super cool! Glad you found one. Enjoy! | ||
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 Masculinity takes a holiday.
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EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Pin it on, strike a pose and take a selfie. Unless of course @BuffJake09 implies that you don't wear clothes. | ||
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 "Forum Overlord" bah ha ha ha...
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JustThatGuy private msg quote post Address this user | |
| “Overpaid”. Who gives a damn. I think your happiness is worth more than $200. Congrats. | ||
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BuffJake09 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Thank you for the kind words everyone. I'll add some more pics once the badge arrives in the mail. I got a display case for it as well so I can have it out and actually enjoy it rather than keeping it locked away like some other high value collectables due to fear of light exposure, etc. I think this piece should hold up well with proper care, after all being that it is made of brass sure doesn't hurt. This piece checks off all the boxes for me as far as acquiring a piece of WW2 Captain America history and I'm thrilled to have found an example after all these years. It makes me feel just as excited as when I saw the first Cap movie in theaters as a kid! |
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Masculinity takes a holiday.
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EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @BuffJake09 I'll give you $225 plus shipping. That's a sweet $25 profit for your 10 years of searching, lol. | ||
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jokioo private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Just to put this out there... I nearly sold Jake a Golden Age Cap about a month ago, which he said at the time was the grail he'd been looking for. Except it sold on eBay before we got the deal done. I felt so bad that I offered to send Jake some books, to which he respectfully declined. Ever since then Jake and I have passed links around on Instagram, scouring the internet to try and find his grail that he'd missed out on. Surprisingly, I found Jake here on the CBCS forums, a relatively novice collector with an ambitious mission. Don't mean to be overly dramatic here, but I'm just thrilled that he finally found what he was searching for! The history of the hunt just makes it that much sweeter  |
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 Leftover Sundae Gnus
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CatmanAmerica private msg quote post Address this user | |
@BuffJake09 Congrats on two boards!   |
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KYDU private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Congratulations it’s perfect with the wear on it. Well loved and played with. | ||
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BuffJake09 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by jokioo Yes, you’ve been extremely kind and I’ve learned so much from chatting with you!! I think in the long run it benefited me in not snagging that Cap #42. I got to take a step back and think about why I was really buying a GA Cap. Yes, it had been a long search but I had only gone all in with my search once I had seen the rise in prices... I was able to actually learn about and understand not only the character but also it’s creators. I found that the early Simon and Kirby period of the character was my favorite as well as the most interesting. Knowing I wouldn’t have a shot at any of issues #1-10 on my current budget, I doubled down for a badge. When I originally searched for a GA Cap, I also became aware of such aspects like page quality and staple rust etc. I realized that many issues I was looking at would not have lasted long into the future. Even though certain deals were good, I only would have paid more in the long run. So the badge also provided an opportunity for me to have something I could be proud to display without fear of further damage or fading etc. not only that but I could pass it down to future generations and hopefully my own kids (when the time comes.) The badge is a unique connection to that character and the war and society from which he was born. At the time it bummed me to have not snagged Cap #42 but I think it was just what I needed to help me realize what I was looking for and why. |
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BuffJake09 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quick photo update. The badge arrived safe and sound as did the small display box I ordered (didn’t realize just how small these badges are!) It looks like the Cap on this badge battled Thanos but it’s an awesome piece of history! |
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