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ComicConnect Newsletter: January 18, 2010Can't see everything? View this newsletter on the web.
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THE ULTIMATE DOUBLE COVER & RARITIES AUCTION IS NOW OPEN FOR BIDDING
 The highly anticipated ComicConnect.com Double Cover and Rarity Auction is now open for bidding, and brings to market the legendary collection of Joe Desris.
Those "in the know" in this hobby recognize the name of Joe Desris as the man who has assembled the largest collection in the world of double covers and printing rarities. Mr. Desris was one of the first to identify the extreme rarity and importance of double covers (let alone the existence of them), and has aggressively pursued collecting those that could be found over the course of the past 35 years. This collection includes over 1,400 double covers, plus triple covers, quadruple covers... even an octuple cover. Let us not forget to mention all the printing-error anomalies also included in the collection – such as cover miswraps, misbound pages, and missing or misaligned ink impressions.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL 1,720 LOTS IN THE ULTIMATE DOUBLE COVER & RARITIES AUCTION
"The 1,700+ lot auction includes several hundred CGC graded double covers and rarities that can be previewed on ComicConnect.com," said Rob Reynolds, Director of Consignments. “In this auction, there truly is a comic for every collector. From the earliest known example, Famous Funnies #40 CGC 9.2 NM- on through to Frank Miller’s All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder #10 CGC 9.9, something can be found from every comic age or genre and for any budget,” Reynolds continued.
Bidding is currently underway, and closes in six separate sessions ending Friday, January 29th - Wednesday, March 3rd, 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM EST.
To name just a few Golden Age examples from the auction:
From the Silver Age, rarities such are these are listed:
Bronze and Modern Age examples include:
“This auction is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to add an absolutely unique comic to a collection that can be bragged about for years to come. Joe Desris took decades to track them all down and I’m excited for the opportunity collectors have in this Event Auction,” added Vincent Zurzolo, ComicConnect's COO.
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WHY COMICCONNECT RECOMMENDS DESRIS BOOKS AS A "BUY"
 In all their years dealing in the comic hobby, the owners and staff of ComicConnect.com hear certain regrets time and again from collectors. They usually sound a little something like this:
“Man, I missed my opportunity to buy these comic books years ago when they cost a fraction of the price they are now! I would be a millionaire today!”
“Just a few years ago, I never imagined such a common book as Hulk #181 would sell for over $1000, and now copies have sold for over $20,000! How did I miss the boat on that one?”
“Darn, I wish I started buying original comic art 10 years ago before it really became in vogue. I always miss my chance to get in on the ground floor of these things.”
Yes, it isn’t always easy to identify hot markets before they take off. If it was, every Tom, Dick and Harry would be doing it, and those markets would already be mature. But as the lottery’s tagline suggests, you “gotta’ be in it to win it”, and speculators don’t earn anything if they don’t invest.
This past Friday, ComicConnect opened bidding on over 1,700 lots with the Ultimate Double Cover and Rarities Event Auction, and wholeheartedly recommends the lots in this auction as a solid “buy”. Here are the reasons why:
“In late 2009, renowned collector Joe Desris approached a select number of venues about the prospect of auctioning his comic collection of multiple-covers and printing errors,” stated ComicConnect COO, Vincent Zurzolo. “We knew this would be something BIG, and an incredible opportunity for buyers in our hobby. We lobbied HARD to get this collection, and bring it to market at auction on ComicConnect.com.”
For those unfamiliar with Joe Desris, he was one of the first in the comic hobby to identify the extreme rarity and importance of double covers, let alone their existence. During the past 35 years, he has aggressively scoured the four corners of the earth to assemble this collection of more than 1,700 unique comics.
 “What is important to recognize about the significance of this collection coming to market is that we’ve seen the value of errors skyrocket in other hobbies – and that hasn’t quite reached unattainable levels yet in comic books,” added ComicConnect’s CEO, Stephen Fishler. “The Holy Grail of stamp collecting is the inverted Jenny stamp [upside-down airplane] which has sold for $977,500, whereas the regular version is worth roughly $35. In the coin hobby, a double-die [imprint] penny is worth $1,000 whereas a single-die is worth only one cent.”
Some of the comics in the Desris collection will most definitely sell for a lot of money. For example, the Batman #5 in CGC 9.6 is the highest graded copy, and the Superboy #1 VF/NM and More Fun #101 CGC 9.0 are in a league of their own. However, the auction also includes a variety of beautiful entry level books that will fit into any collector's budget. Examples include Identity Crisis #4 CGC 9.6, Robin II #1 VF and Shazam #1 VG. Some double-cover and error printings in this auction may very well sell for less than $10 each!
“The Great King Solomon, who was said to have all the riches in the world, once famously lamented that he had seen all that there was to see, and that ‘there is nothing new under the sun’,” summarized ComicConnect’s Director of Consignments, Rob Reynolds. “From a collector’s standpoint, there are very few occasions to ‘get that rush’ and ‘initial thrill’ of opening something new and entirely different to add to your collection. That’s why I would encourage every collector to get in there and win a few comic books from the Desris collection. I can almost guarantee that the joy you will get from opening that ComicConnect package when it arrives will be worth every penny”.
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TOP 10 GUIDELINES FOR COLLECTING DOUBLE COVERS
 It is ComicConnect’s belief that every serious comic collector should enjoy the experience of adding at least one double-cover or printing rarity to their collection.
One of the best things about winning auction lots from the Joe Desris Collection is that each and every comic has been carefully examined by Mr. Desris and is authentic. For those just getting started with collecting double-covers and rarities, ComicConnect believes it is important to educate newcomers to the hobby so that they may know what to look for in the years to come.
“I believe it is impossible to successfully fake a double cover without it being noticeable; that discourages those who attempt it and so it actually is a rare event,” stated Mr. Desris. “Nevertheless, below are 10 guidelines I have followed, not only on how to identify fakes, but also on how to spot prized gems for my collection.”
10.) Holy Staple Holes, Batman!
The location of staples is not precisely the same on every copy of a comic from the same issue. For example, the top staple on one copy of Batman 200 is highly unlikely to be in the same location of the top staple on another copy of Batman 200. When examining a multi-cover book, if any of the covers have extra staple holes, it’s clearly a fake! Further, wiggling and removing staples can widen staple holes, and reattached staples can appear loose, bent or misaligned.
9.) Are You Impressed?
Creases, tears, bumps and dents on an inside cover that do not appear on an outer cover are a dead giveaway for a forgery. For example, it’s highly unlikely for an entire book to suffer a noticeable spine crease, yet not have the same crease appear on the outer cover. Conversely, writing on the outside cover (such as a name) will usually leave a slight indentation in the exact same location of the inner cover.
8.) Watch Your Tone!
The degree of yellowing on a cover is an important clue. An interior cover may spend decades next to newsprint, so there is usually a degree of yellowing on the inside back cover. An outer cover, however, will have little yellowing or tanning because it rested against another glossy cover, rather than newsprint. Therefore, an outer cover that is highly yellowed on the inside back should be considered suspect!
7.) Does The Ink Stink?
Both covers from a genuine double cover come off the press within seconds of each other. If one cover is noticeably lighter or darker than the other, it was probably printed at a different time. Random printing flaws such as ink smears, smudges or missing ink should also be essentially the same in appearance and location on the covers.
6.) Water Under the Bridge
Stains from water, ink or beverages affect the entire book. A water stain at the bottom of an outer cover that is nonexistent on the inner cover should raise an eyebrow.
5.) Attach of the Mismatch
Comics are printed, collated and bound by machines. Genuine double covers become attached at the same time during binding and will be the same size from top to bottom. If the measurements vary, consider them suspicious, unless they are skewed or have other trimming errors.
4.) Smudge Me Not
A comic’s back cover can pick up light smudging in white areas, particularly near the spine, from moderate handling and rubbing against other comics in a box. None of this should appear on an inner cover if it was protected. Sunfading and dust shadows also should not be on an inside cover.
3.) Isn’t It Ironic?
Many double-cover and printing error collectors particularly enjoy what are considered “ironic” examples of covers and comics. For example, a double cover of a comic featuring Duo Damsel would be a cool “ironic”, as would be a comic story called “They Came From Planet Blue” where all the blue inks are missing Captain Atom #78). A multi-cover “Infinity Cover” is also considered a good one – that means double the infinity!
2.) A Solid Investment
The value of vintage comic books have a long history of steady growth and price appreciation, largely in part due to their rarity. Always keep in mind that a double cover comic is uncommon, no matter the condition, and in many cases prove to be unique items. This can be the case even with modern comic books, where printing technology and quality-control measures have greatly reduced instances of double-covers and printing anomalies.
1.) Strike While The Iron Is Hot!
Never miss the opportunity to pick up a double-cover or printing error of your favorite character or series. If you happen to see one of your favorite issues as a double-cover, stop at nothing. Because these comics are so rare, you never know when or if you’ll get another chance!
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CALL NOW TO CONSIGN TO THE NEXT EVENT AUCTION
 ComicConnect.com has announced the dates for their next Event Auction, which will start on March 26th, 2010 and begin to close on Friday, April 9th.
“Now is the time to consign your comics, so that we may start promoting your listings and telling prospective buyers to bid on your items,” said Rob Reynolds, Director of Consignments.
ComicConnect.com holds dozens of records for comics sold including the highest ever paid for a comic book at auction, Action Comics #1 CGC 6.0 for $317,200. The company also holds the records for sales on Showcase #4, Green Lantern #76, Fantastic Four #72, Amazing Spider-Man #1, Journey into Mystery #83, and many more.
LISTING DEADLINE:
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 10 PM EST
START DATE:
All Lots: Friday, March 26, 12 PM EST
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ComicConnect.com is an online marketplace for comic buyers and sellers, focusing on comic books published between 1930 - 1975. Membership is free, and members may list their comics for sale or auction for free. ComicConnect.com brokers transactions, and accepts a low 10% commission only after comics are sold through the site. ComicConnect.com NEVER charges Buyer's Premiums.
ComicConnect provides FREE SCANNING for all CGC & PGX graded comics shipped to ComicConnect for auction at $1 start & no reserve! ComicConnect also offers generous cash advances up to $1 million dollars for top-notch consignments.
For a personal consultation for representation in the sale of your comics or collection, call ComicConnect’s Director of Consignments, Rob Reynolds, at (212) 895.3999 (international 001.212.895.3999) or email him support@comicconnect.com.
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COMICCONNECT.COM SEEKS E-COMMERCE DEVELOPER / SITE ADMIN
 ComicConnect.com, located in NYC, is growing at a rapid pace and needs to staff up! They are seeking a skillful and self-motivated E-Commerce Developer & Site Administrator. The ideal candidate will have a strong IT background and a cursory knowledge of the comic book market. Qualified applicants with an entrepreneurial spirit and an interest in new business incubation will receive the highest consideration. ComicConnect is looking for an individual willing to make a long-term commitment.
JOB REQUIREMENTS:
- Coding experience.
- MySql database design and Linux server environments.
- Web development (eg. HTML, PHP, CMS, Java, Javascript, AJAX , ASP, XML, XHTML).
- Application development and interface design.
- Update website content and graphics on a regular basis.
- Project management and liaison with outside programmers.
- Background in Visual Basic and/or Real Basic a plus.
- Implementation of Search Engine Optimization, and its ongoing pursuit.
- CPC keyword optimization.
- Small office desktop maintenance and support in PC/Mac mixed-environment.
- LAN support and troubleshooting.
- Basic skills in Photoshop.
- Experience with IMAP email servers a positive.
- CAN-SPAM compliance, SpamHaus, CBL, white-listing, etc.
- Interest in e-commerce, CRM, lead generation, & inventory management.
ComicConnect is eager to receive cover letters and resumes from applicants with vision and ambition. To apply, please email support@comicconnect.com with a RESUME and COVER LETTER explaining why you are the right person for this position. Only send email attachments as Microsoft Word .DOC attachments OR saved in .RTF format. PDF format is also accepted. Otherwise, cut and paste your resume into the body of the email.
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