1983 Price Guide from House of Collectibles3937
 COLLECTOR
|
conditionfreak private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The wife is doing a total make-over of an extra bedroom in our house. It had a file cabinet in it, with all kinds of my "stuff" stored in it. Stuff I kind of, sort of, forgot about. We found a lot of interesting stuff that I knew in the back of my mind I had. But forgot I had (if that makes any sense at all). I will share some of it, here and there. When my picture posting abilities show up for this site. But this thread is about a small 1983 comic book price guide put out by House of Collectibles in Orlando, Fla. It only lists two prices for each issue. The lower price is described as being for a "good or vey good" copy of that issue. The higher price is described as for a "pristine mint" copy. Naturally I looked up the prices listed for AF #15 first. The guide doesn't even have any Amazing Fantasy's listed. None. The print is very small, as is the book. Now, perusing through the entire book, looking for AF #15 info. I did find an article about collecting number one issues. And in that article it does reference AF #15 as a "first issue" of Spiderman. And says the pristine mint value is $1200.00, and the G/VG value is #400.00 Action #1 is listed as $4,000--$12,000. Detective Comics #27 is listed at $2,800--$6,600 Hulk #181 lists at .80 cents--to a high of $1.20 for a pristine mint copy. Sure wish I had been a visionary back in 83', (which was not really that long ago) (picture posting is just not working for me now, sorry) |
||
| Post 1 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
|
det_tobor private msg quote post Address this user | |
| WOW but remember, money was so much less in salaries. |
||
| Post 2 • IP flag post | ||
|
COLLECTOR
|
conditionfreak private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Yea. I was collecting heavily back then. But I was only buying new issues at cover price. I didn't start buying back issues until later in the eighties. And $400 bucks was indeed a lot of money to me back then. I think I was making around $21,000 a year in 83' with three kids, a wife a house and two cars. I was probably spending about $20 dollars a week on comics. Maybe less. |
||
| Post 3 • IP flag post | ||
|
COLLECTOR
|
conditionfreak private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Going to try using photobucket. http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b231/conditionfreak/1983%20price%20guide%20front%20cover%20001_zpsijkys4ew.jpg EDIT: well, tried that, but now photobucket charges for using their service. Used to be free for photo sharing. |
||
| Post 4 • IP flag post | ||
|
COLLECTOR
|
conditionfreak private msg quote post Address this user | |
  All I can get are these thumbnail pics. Nothing bigger. |
||
| Post 5 • IP flag post | ||
 COLLECTOR
|
DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I need a time machine imo | ||
| Post 6 • IP flag post | ||
 COLLECTOR
|
JWKyle private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I love looking at old price guides to say man wish I could get that at that price. Then again I look in this years price guide at Spawns and say man I wish I would get that issue at that price.  |
||
| Post 7 • IP flag post | ||
|
COLLECTOR
|
DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
| By the the time it rolls off the press it's already outdated. Things just move too quickly in this age of information. | ||
| Post 8 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
|
ThreeSeas private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Hi All, I thought the name of that price guide sounded familiar, so I went and grabbed my 1983 copy, but mine is a little different as it also include science fiction books, with chapters on some of the old pulps, Edgar Rice Burroughs, etc. Even though mine is the same year as the comic only version, some prices I think are different. ... Okay I just tried to upload pictures of the cover of the guide plus some inside shots but all I get is the yellow bar "Loading Image...". I've shrunk them down to less than 300kb too. Is there a size limit on pictures? I could not find any Q & A on that topic. |
||
| Post 9 • IP flag post | ||
|
COLLECTOR
|
conditionfreak private msg quote post Address this user | |
| There is obviously something wrong with this site, as far as loading pics. I have tried everything to adjust. Not being able to load pics is cramping my style. I mean, that is what this site is all about. Seeing the darn books. |
||
| Post 10 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
|
Thanatos private msg quote post Address this user | |
I was negative 5 years old when this price guide came out lol  Didn't even stand a chance at an AF #15 for ~$1k. The things I would do to go back and pick up a Hulk #181 for a dollar. |
||
| Post 11 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
|
DocBrown private msg quote post Address this user | |
| For those wondering...and even for those not...there was very little chance...not none, but little...that anyone could pick up a Hulk #181 for $1.20 in 1983 (or even 1982, if this book came out then and was post-dated.) For reference... 1982 OPG: Good - $4.00, Fine - $8.00, Mint - $16.00 The 1982 Update...the first one!...which came out about 6 months after the big guide in the late Spring, give or take, lists the prices as: Good - $3.00, Fine - $10.00, Mint - $20.00 ...due, in no small part, to Miller's take on Wolverine. Assuming this guide came out in late 1982, or 1983, that price would have been, sadly, quite out of date, at least for that particular issue. I suspect one couldn't have purchased as copy for $1.20 since about 1979, unless one was realllly lucky. |
||
| Post 12 • IP flag post | ||
|
COLLECTOR
|
conditionfreak private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Yea, probably correct, mostly. But getting some mint ones for $20-$30 bucks sure would look good in my closet today. Like 20 of them, please. The book actually lists all Hulk books between 151-200 at $1.20 in mint. There is an ad in the book for artists to work for DC comics. The ad says: "If your considering career opportunities and your work is of professional quality, send photocopies to Talent Search, DC Comics, 75 Rockefeller Plaza, N.Y., N.Y. 10019" I wonder if that was actually DC Comics, or someone trying to get people to buy artistic training. |
||
| Post 13 • IP flag post | ||
 Suckin' on a chili dogOutside the Tastee Freez. |
RexMuff private msg quote post Address this user | |
Would be pretty cool to see an ad like that nowadays |
||
| Post 14 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
|
Logan510 private msg quote post Address this user | |
I still have this one ( picture is from the web ) that I got at the bookstore when it was new: |
||
| Post 17 • IP flag post | ||
 COLLECTOR
|
shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by conditionfreak I dont get it. Young new talent were assumed to be smokers? Odd things in that there price guide  |
||
| Post 18 • IP flag post | ||
 I had no way of knowing that 9.8 graded copies signed by Adam Hughes weren't what you were looking for.
|
drchaos private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @conditionfreak This was the chance to scoop up all the 121, 122, and 129s. | ||
| Post 19 • IP flag post | ||
|
COLLECTOR
|
conditionfreak private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Yep, chances missed. I could have had 40 Amazing Fantasy #15's for less than $5.00, off the shelf/rack. |
||
| Post 20 • IP flag post | ||
|
I had no way of knowing that 9.8 graded copies signed by Adam Hughes weren't what you were looking for.
|
drchaos private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I remember in 1986 or 1987 someone put up prices in a comic book as including $1.00 for Wolverine LS 1. They honored the rest of my offer but I got stocked out on the 15 copies I tried to order. | ||
| Post 21 • IP flag post | ||
|
Collector
|
DocBrown private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by drchaos Really? Cool! Which ad? I'd love to see it! |
||
| Post 22 • IP flag post | ||
|
I had no way of knowing that 9.8 graded copies signed by Adam Hughes weren't what you were looking for.
|
drchaos private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @DocBrown I think it ran inside popular Marvel comics including X-Men. If memory serves the company was East Coast Comics and I never used the $16+ credit I got for the out of stock items. | ||
| Post 23 • IP flag post | ||
|
I had no way of knowing that 9.8 graded copies signed by Adam Hughes weren't what you were looking for.
|
drchaos private msg quote post Address this user | |
Not the ad I ordered from but some of their ads looked like this (not always full page): |
||
| Post 24 • IP flag post | ||
|
Collector
|
DocBrown private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Yes, ECC was a favorite back then. I'd love to see the exact ad that showed the Wolvie #1 for $1. If you run across it, please post a picture here! | ||
| Post 25 • IP flag post | ||
|
I had no way of knowing that 9.8 graded copies signed by Adam Hughes weren't what you were looking for.
|
drchaos private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @DocBrown I am pretty sure you would find it somewhere between X-Men 207 and X-Men 244. Please keep in mind that it might have been a different retailer. |
||
| Post 26 • IP flag post | ||
|
Collector
|
DocBrown private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by drchaos Might have...there was ECC, Mile High, and American Comics at the time...those were the "full page ad" boys. Crestohl and Ross, too, though farrrr too many of their comics were both overgraded and restored. JS Comics was running half page ads in that era, too. Cool! Like I said, if you run across it, I'd love to see it! That would be a fascinating error. I don't think I've ever seen, or heard of, such an error in price in a printed comics ad before! |
||
| Post 27 • IP flag post | ||
|
I had no way of knowing that 9.8 graded copies signed by Adam Hughes weren't what you were looking for.
|
drchaos private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @DocBrown I am pretty sure the ad with Wolverine was not a full size ad. I made many orders with American Comics and never ordered from Mile High so those two are out. | ||
| Post 28 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
|
KCBatmanFan private msg quote post Address this user | |
| That was the very first price guide I ever had. I still have it somewhere. I certainly agree on the Hulk 181 pricing being wonky. I bought my copy of Hulk 181 (which is in "grading" status at CBCS right now!) in 1983 from Clint's Comics in Kansas City (which ran a lot of ads in the 70s Marvel Comics)and I think I paid $10.00 for it back then. Total side note, but Clint's longtime (since '75) owner Jim Cavanaugh was sadly killed in an altercation trying to stop a shoplifter back in May. |
||
| Post 29 • IP flag post | ||
|
Collector
|
DocBrown private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by drchaos Well, once you find it, let me know! |
||
| Post 30 • IP flag post | ||
This topic is archived. Start new topic?