Great art adorns this Dark Shadows game by Whitman—they don't draw ’em like they used to; they used to be so groovy.

By the numbers, the cult classic, gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows ran for a whopping 1,225 episodes during the 1960s and early 1970s, not including a few misfired attempts at rebooting the series in the 1990s and 2000s, as well as a pair of feature films. The show has never really died out, thanks to faithful fans and endless syndication. But now, it’s in the mainstream eye more than it has been in decades thanks to a new Tim Burton film based on the show now in theaters, with Johnny Depp portraying Barnabas Collins, the legendary vampire master of Collinswood Manor.

The show was hugely popular when it aired, and its license was applied to series of novels, comics and other merchandise. There were puzzles, coloring books and even Viewmaster reels depicting characters and situations from the dark—and now painfully dated—show. Per the aim of this column, a survey of the licensed merchandise the show precipitated inevitably leads us to its representation on the board game shelf.

There have been two official Dark Shadows board games to date, and frankly speaking, I doubt we’ll ever see any others unless the Burton film inexplicably outperforms expectations and becomes a cultural sensation. So we’re left with a pair of relics contemporary with the show’s run on broadcast television. These games are of the sort that will have much higher value—both monetary and sentimental—to fans of the show or 1960s pop culture memorabilia than they will to game players, but both have some value. Both tend to sell for around $25 to $50 in good or mostly complete condition, but copies that are complete and clean are rarer, and in very good to excellent condition, can get closer to a $75-$80 price.

Card suits fit for a vampire. In the Whitman Dark Shadows Game, the cards drove all of the movement.

The first of the two games is a 1968 issue from Whitman. It features an amazing, stylized cover that oozes groovy 1960s creature-feature horror. The cards and board are also illustrated in this style and it looks great. The uncredited design is a simple start-to-finish race wherein players play from a hand of cards to move their pawn to spaces matching appropriately gothic symbols or numbers. Unlike many games of this type, there are no dice and cards dictate movement. There are a couple of shortcuts that are harder to get through, and a touch of strategy in terms of hand management. As to whether or not this captures the themes and concepts of the show, I suppose it’s really up to the player’s imagination. The design was later released without the Dark Shadows license as Creature Castle.

One fun feature is that the game also came with an extra card—a black and white picture of Barnabas Collins. It was intended for your wallet. Somewhere out there is someone who actually carried around that card in their wallet—probably the kind of person who would buy the limited-edition, 131 DVD box set of the show to be released this July.

The other game, published in 1969 by Milton Bradley, seems to be slightly more common. It’s called The Barnabas Collins Dark Shadows game, and it’s packed with novelties that will delight fans of the show. The cover has a great illustration of the vampire and an inset of kids playing and enjoying the game. That’s a touch we see far too little of these days.

If you look at the inset picture on the box, you’ll see kids having fun. And a v-v-v-vampire!

The fangs were really are the best part of the Barnabas Collins Dark Shadows game.

It has almost nothing to do with the show, or even Barnabas Collins, for that matter. Players spin a spinner and the result is a type of bone. You take the plastic bone and stick it on a cardboard scaffold. If you collect all of the bones and make a complete skeleton, you win. However, there are also wooden stakes on the spinner, and if you spin three you’ve got to lose a bone. This is obviously not a brain-burning exercise in strategic thought, and it doesn’t require a PhD in applied vampirology—or knowledge of the show—to play.

But what it lacks in depth it makes up for in novelty. The skeletons are built with glow-in-the-dark bones, the stakes are actually wooden, and it comes with a coffin to store the bones. Oh, and vampire fangs. Not many games come with vampire fangs, so that’s definitely worth notice. It’s a gimmicky game that doesn’t really have much to offer in terms of gameplay, but it’s undoubtedly a cool piece of ephemera with plenty of novelty appeal—regardless of the skeleton-building theme having little to do with the potboiler plots and spooky goings-on in the show.

Michael Barnes is a lifelong game player, collector and enthusiast. He has parlayed his passion for games into several successful ventures, including a retail hobby store, two popular gaming Websites, and 10 years of widely read commentary and criticism about both tabletop and video games.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Los Angeles fashion designer Setorii Pond’s love for cars began as a young girl, as she followed her grandparents through car shows and auctions. (Photo: Setorii Pond)

When I was a little girl, I rarely played with Barbies. I was all about Matchbox cars, playing with lizards and beat my brother at a game of football.

As I grew older, I found high heels and flowing dresses spoke to me more than sports jerseys and basketball shorts did, but my tomboy roots were never far away. To this day, I have a stylist to do my hair and makeup when on TV, and I cannot put together an outfit beyond jeans and a T-shirt to save my life. I’ve dreamt many times about being a fashion designer, but runway model was as close as I got. Let’s just say I can sell a painting, but don’t hand me the brushes and a canvas.

Over the years, my passion for cars has awarded me with clients who have hired me to manage their car collections. I’ve been responsible for both acquiring cars and thinning down the herd. As with any collection, it’s always interesting to see what caught the eye of another collector. Exotics, antiques, muscle cars … you name it. I’ve been involved in a little of it all. So when I learned about Setorii Pond and The Pond Collection, well…I think I squealed!

Setorii, as you know, is an amazing Los Angeles fashion designer who’s Setorii Couture has been seen on the cover of numerous magazines, in fashion shows and on the backs of many celebrities. Let’s just say she is doing her part at keeping America beautiful. Did I mention she is young and beautiful? As if those things weren’t enough, she also happens to have one of the top car collections in California, if not the country!

Pretty girl + car fetish = Reyne’s hero. All I know is after my hour long conversation talking about her collecting passions; I decided I wanted to be her when I grow up. Read on …

RH: I’ve interviewed a few car collectors at this point, all of them were men. As most of my readers know, I’m an avid car enthusiast and was so excited to talk to another female collector! My passion started with my mother. She loved cars and raced and showed them when I was younger. How did you get the collecting bug?

Setorii Pond’s car collection now numbers more then 100, and she insists that they all get their road time instead of sitting around the garage looking beautiful. (Photo: Setorii Pond)

POND: I have loved cars and planes ever since I could crawl. I was raised by my grandparents since I was 2 years old and my grandfather had a love for both aviation and cars. My grandfather was larger than life in my eyes and watching my grandparents as I grew up, I was constantly going to air shows, car auctions, car shows and learning to drive in each car I encountered. I love the beauty of the automobile, the history of each make and model, the details that made each so unique and the excitement of discovering then adding a new art piece to the collection was always thrilling. It has become an inimitable passion of mine. So many cars have an exquisite beauty and I found myself drawn to the quintessence of the automobile. Each car is its own work of art, each one is not only wondrous but uniquely special when you pay attention to the details and it is the details which continue to captivate me. The designs, the craftsmanship and the journey of the automobile’s creation are sublimely fascinating.

RH: Cars and planes? I’m thinking you need motorcycles too! Your first car was a Mustang … so was mine. Do you still have it? What was it that made you love that car?

POND: My first car was a 1964 1/2 Mustang. It was a great first car. I was living in Palm Springs and it was a convertible. Honestly, it was not the most attractive color, it was a brick brown with an orange hue to it, so the color threw me off a bit in the beginning, and with no air conditioning it made the car a bit difficult since the desert can reach about 123 in the summer and most of the year it is quite hot. One day I began noticing a quickly growing trend of appreciative attention towards the car from boys and men, so I disregarded my hasty “girly” boxed thinking of the color being unattractive and saw things from a whole new perspective. Needless to say, my growing desire of cars then took off into a whole new altitude. So I have the men of the world to thank for that. Unfortunately, as much as I loved the car, I do not have it anymore.

RH: I no longer have my Mustang either. Then again, there are several cars I have had that I wished I still owned. How long have you been collecting and how many cars do you currently have in your collection?

POND: My grandparents and I collected the cars together. it was our hobby and one of our family past times we shared together. I feel I am a bit of a tyro collector, but my continued eagerness to learn about cars is an ongoing passion of mine. I am honored to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps, as there are currently 110 cars in the Pond Car Collection and the WWII Warbird Airplane Collection is at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

RH: You have a collection of planes too? Exciting! I read somewhere you believe cars should be driven and not just owned. It must take a team of people to keep your collection in working order. I am constantly telling people that storage of collections is extremely important. Whether you have a passion for fine art, or 18th-century furniture, each comes with their own issues. Tell me more about what it takes to keep your collection in tip top shape.

POND: I am flummoxed by how people can buy a car and just let them sit in a garage or a museum. What could be more fun than hopping into a car and enjoying its own individual driving experience it offers you? Each car has its own panache, its own driving style and its own story. That being said, maintenance is quite tiresome, since there are so many different makes and models, it takes quite a skilled mechanic with extensive knowledge to keep the collection in tip top shape. The cars need to be consistently driven, which I love to do. As you can imagine, having cars which are more historical or unique make it much harder to find parts to restore things that need to be work on. For example, it’s not as easy to find a tire for a Vector when I have a flat tire. We have been fortunate through the years to have found some amazing mechanics who have helped keep the collection maintained well, but even with the best you cannot always rely on others. Sometimes you have to get your hands dirty, too. That’s part of the fun.

RH: If you need someone to come drive them for you, well, you have my number! With 110 cars in the collection, is there any one you covet but have yet to acquire?

POND: I certainly do not have it all. I feel my life is just beginning and my automobile diaries are just beginning to turn a new leaf. With so many options to choose from, how can I limit myself to one or a select few? I feel that it will be an ongoing life passion and love affair that I will share with cars, the memories of my upbringing and my new blossoming automotive adulation. Although there are a few cars in Ralph Lauren, Jay Leno and Seinfeld’s garages that I wouldn’t mind driving . . . I would love to learn to drift and I certainly have my eyes on a few cars I would love to try in the Gumball Rally.

RH: I knew Ralph Lauren collected antiques, but I was not aware of his car interests. Hmmm . . . another fashion designer with a penchant for cars. I’m seeing a trend. Tell me about your new book. It’s a mix between fashion and cars. Elaborate!

Setorii Pond hopes to ignite a simply beautiful yet innocently suggestive new vision of how to look and admire cars, collections and more with her book “ The Art of Setorii.”

POND: I wanted to create a book which encompassed two passions of mine: fashion and the car collection. Hoping to become more of a voice in the automotive industry, in the luxury lifestyle platform and collector’s space’s—since there are very few female voices in these industries, I designed a fashion collection inspired by the car collection. The folds in my fabrics, the simplistic beauty of the gowns and the array of colors were all created from my labor of love. I wanted to photograph the cars with elegant fashion models draped in the fabrics and designs to be a bit of eye candy to any car lover’s coffee table, computer, iPad. I have more of what you could say is a romantic point of view and feel that there is already beauty, respect and adoration in the simplicity of the curvature, design aesthetic and purity of each car. That being said, I felt there was a bit of a void in the creativity space of photographing cars, so by intermixing beautiful women, hand-crafted fashion and my personal car collection together, I hope to ignite a simply beautiful yet innocently suggestive new vision of how to look and admire cars, collections and more. My book is titled: “The Art of Setorii” and hope you will enjoy it as much as I loved creating it.

RH: Have you ever seen the beauty in the design of a car, and used it in your clothing line?

POND: Each car in the car collection inspired me. The Pond Collection has such panoply of different models, styles, shapes, colors and years of history. I felt it was important for me to try to capture the beauty of the automobile and the elegance of the ride transpired through my design ascetic, the grills inspired the folds in my fabric, the simplistic beauty and bold colors of the automobiles shine through my designs. You can see some of my work on my website and it will be housing all of the new content from the book and my future projects with cars, collections and more.

No doubt, we will be hearing a lot more about Ms. Pond in the future!

Reyne Haines is an appraiser with an expertise in 20th Century Decorative Arts. She hosts “The Art of Collecting” on KPRC in Houston, a weekly program spotlighting trends and news items in the world of antiques & collectibles, is a repeat guest on CBS’ “The Early Show” and can be heard on Martha Stewart Living Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio Network. She is also the author of the richly-illustrated book “Vintage Watches” published by Krause.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Ursa Minor #1 (Ian Snyder Regular Cover)

The Comic Speculator is a blog written by Worthpoint Comic Book “Worthologist” Matt Baum that takes a look at each week’s hot new comics, back issues and the comic market place in general. Prices discussed here are taken from Comicspriceguide.com (CPG) and current online auction sales. Sales numbers and rankings are courtesy of ICV2.com. Lists of new comics are courtesy of Previewsworld.com and Comiclist.com. Make sure and click on the links to learn more about the titles and creators discussed here. If you want to hear what this nerd sounds like you can catch me on my podcast, the Two-Headed Nerd Comicast, where my friend Joe and I discuss the latest comic news, review some new comics, and answer your questions.

New Comics Roundup

It’s a relatively quiet week for new series this Wednesday, but there are quite a few sellouts to talk about. Most notably at Image, check out Hardcore #1, if you can find a copy, and Marvel, where Avengers vs. X-Men tie-ins are getting particularly hot.

Below you will find all the info you could possibly need on all the hot, new comics shipping this Wednesday, May 16, including variant ratios, storyline and creator notes and a little speculation on what could be hard to find in the future. The ratios listed after titles (i.e.: 1:10) represent how many issues of a regular cover retailers had to order to get the variant. Issues that are part of a crossover or storyline have an abbreviated title in parenthesis after the title comic (i.e.: AvX). Be sure to let me know what you think of the new format and remember to click on the links for previews. For a full list of comics shipping this week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

12-GAUGE COMICS

Boondock Saints Volume 1 In Nomine Patris HC (Limited Edition), $34.99: Limited to 1,000 copies.

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT

Princeless Volume 1 Save Yourself TP, $14.95

AMRYL ENTERTAINMENT

Cavewoman Mutation #2 (Devon Massey Special Edition), $6.85: Limited to 750 copies and comes bagged and boarded with certificate of authenticity. Sold out.

ANTARCTIC PRESS

Gold Digger #138, $3.99

APE ENTERTAINMENT

Richie Rich Digest Volume 2 Pursuit Of Pesos And Other Stories TP, $6.99
Scouts Drafted GN, $6.99

ARCHIE COMICS

Archie Double Digest #229, $3.99
Jughead #213, $2.99
Sonic Universe #40, $2.99

AUDIOGO

Doctor Who The Lost TV Episodes Collection Four 1967 Audio CD, $124.95
Torchwood Fallout An Audio-Exclusive Adventure Audio CD, $24.95

AZURE PRESS

Ninjas Vs. Zombies Bundle (contains #1-4 and signed bonus issue), $14.99

BIG DOG INK

Ursa Minor #1 (Ian Snyder Regular Cover), $3.50

Ursa Minor #1 (Natalie Sanders Variant Cover), $3.50. This is a new series from Big Dog about werewolves from the creator of their cult hit Penny For Your Soul. Big Dog is still a relatively unknown publisher but is developing quite a following. First-printings of Penny routinely sell for $15 and up with variant editions of early issues selling for as high as $50. This one has been sold out for a while so retailers might be catching on to the Big Dog buzz. Watch for Penny fans to snatch these up fast.

BLACK LIBRARY

Void Stalker MMPB (Night Lords)(Warhammer 40K), $8.99

BLUEWATER PRODUCTIONS

Female Force #36 (Carrie Fisher), $3.99
John Saul’s The God Project #2, $3.99
Mis-Adventures Of Adam West #3, $3.99
Quatermain #4, $3.99

BONGO COMICS

Simpsons Comics #190, $2.99

BOOM! STUDIOS

Adventure Time #4 (Cover A Kassandra Heller), $3.99

Adventure Time #4 (Cover B Chris Houghton), $3.99. This is the first issue of Adventure Time that hasn’t sold out before shipping. Which could mean the craze is over, but that doesn’t seem likely as third-printings of #1 are still selling for $10. My guess is that BOOM! finally upped its print-run. I’m still guessing this one sells out as well. It’s just too good.

Adventure Time #4 (Cover C Scott C)

Adventure Time #4 (Cover D Bettie Ward)

Adventure Time #4 (Cover C Scott C), 1:15. Scott C is a painter, video-game designer, author of several children’s books and just all around amazing creator. I highly recommend spending some time and money at his website. BOOM! has done an amazing job finding artists for the Adventure Time variants (all of which continue to sell very well) and Scott’s cover is no exception. Watch for a $10-$12 price tag and expect this one to go fast.

Adventure Time #4 (Cover D Bettie Ward), 1:20. And of course, Adventure Time creator Pendelton Ward’s mother, Bettie, gets a variant for this issue as well. I love it. Watch for a $14-$16 price tag.

Planet Of The Apes #14 (Cover A Carlos Magno), $3.99
Planet Of The Apes #14 (Cover B Damian Couceiro), $3.99
Planet Of The Apes #14 (Cover C Carlos Magno), 1:10
Steed And Mrs. Peel #5 (of 6)(Cover A Ian Gibson), $3.99
Steed And Mrs. Peel #5 (of 6)(Cover B Ian Gibson), 1:10

Supurbia #1 (Josh Covey 3rd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99. First-prints of #1 continue to sell for $7 and up. Even second-prints are selling for $5 and seem to be going up. Good news for a good title.

Valen The Outcast #6 (Cover A Khary Randolph), $3.99
Valen The Outcast #6 (Cover B Eduardo Nunez), $3.99:
Valen The Outcast #6 (Cover C Matteo Scalera), 1:15
Valen The Outcast #6 (Cover D Eduardo Nunez Sketch), 1:20
Valen The Outcast #6 (Cover E Khary Randolph Sketch), 1:25
WordGirl Volume 4 Fashion Disaster GN, $7.99

BOUNDLESS COMICS

Lady Death Origins Cursed #2 (of 3)(Jason Eden Regular Cover), $3.99
Lady Death Origins Cursed #2 (of 3)(Michael Dipascale Art Deco Incentive Cover), 1:3
Lady Death Origins Cursed #2 (of 3)(Michael Dipascale Sultry Cover), $3.99
Lady Death Origins Cursed #2 (of 3)(Michael Dipascale Wrap Cover), $3.99

COMIC SHOP NEWS

Comic Shop News #1,300.

CREEPY CLASSICS

Monster Bash #15, $8.99

CUTTING EDGE PRESS

100 Months HC, $29.95

DARK HORSE COMICS

B.P.R.D. Hell On Earth The Devil’s Engine #1 (of 3), $3.50
Bride Of The Water God Volume 11 TP, $9.99
Conan The Barbarian #4, $3.50
Eerie Archives Volume 10 HC, $49.99
Hellboy Volume 2 Wake The Devil TP (6th Printing), $17.99
Paradox Entertainment Presents Kult TP, $12.99

Reset #1 (of 4)(Matt Kindt Variant Cover), 1:3. This ratio is based on orders for Reset #1, which shipped last month. Why it’s shipping this week seems to be a mystery.

Reset #2 (of 4), $3.50
Star Wars Dawn Of The Jedi Force Storm #4 (of 5), $3.50

DC COMICS

Batman Bruce Wayne The Road Home TP, $17.99
Batwoman #9 (Ben Oliver Regular Cover), $2.99
Batwoman #9 (Ben Oliver Black & White Variant Cover), 1:25

Birds Of Prey #9 (Night of The Owls)

Birds Of Prey #9 (Night of The Owls), $2.99. Night of the Owls tie-ins are selling well but not selling out yet. I still think they’re going to be hot and hard to find, especially Birds of Prey, with it being the lowest-selling Bat-family title (loosely) but maybe not quite yet.

Blue Beetle #9, $2.99
Captain Atom #9, $2.99
Catwoman #9 (Night Of The Owls), $2.99
Catwoman Volume 1 The Game TP, $14.99
DC Universe Presents #9, $2.99
Deadenders TP, $29.99
Fables Volume 1 Legends In Exile TP (New Edition), $12.99
Green Lantern Brightest Day TP, $19.99
Green Lantern Corps #9, $2.99
Green Lantern The Animated Series #2, $2.99
Green Lantern Volume 1 Sinestro HC, $22.99
Hellblazer #291, $2.99
Justice League #4 (Jim Lee & Scott Williams 3rd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99

Justice League #9

Justice League #9 (Villain’s Journey part 1)(Jim Lee & Scott Williams Regular Cover), $3.99.
Justice League #9 (Combo Pack Edition), $4.99. Comes with free digital download code.
Justice League #9 (Carlos D’Anda Variant Cover), 1:25

Justice League #9 (Jim Lee Black & White Variant Cover), 1:200. These continue to slip lower in price with copies of #8 1:200 variant selling as low as $60. If you need this one wait a week and snipe it for $60-$70.

Legion Of Super-Heroes #9, $2.99
Nightwing #9 (Night Of The Owls), $2.99
Red Hood And The Outlaws #9 (Night of The Owls), $2.99
Saucer Country #3, $2.99
Scalped #58, $2.99
Secret Society Of Super-Villains Volume 2 HC, $39.99
Shade #8 (of 12)(Tony Harris Regular Cover), $2.99
Shade #8 (of 12)(Jill Thompson Variant Cover), 1:10
Supergirl #9, $2.99
Wonder Woman #9 (Cliff Chiang Regular Cover), $2.99
Wonder Woman #9 (Cliff Chiang Black & White Variant Cover), 1:25

DIGITAL MANGA PUBLISHING

Castle Mango Volume 1 GN, $12.95
Private Teacher Volume 3 GN, $12.95
Samejima-Kun And Sasahara Kun GN, $12.95
Starry Sky Volume 1 GN, $12.95
Tyrant Falls In Love Volume 6 GN, $12.95

DYNAMIC FORCES

Shadow #1 (Dynamic Forces)(Francesco Francavilla Exclusive Cover), $14.99

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

Army Of Darkness #4 (Tim Seeley Regular Cover), $3.99
Ninjettes #4 (Admira Wijaya Regular Cover), $3.99
Ninjettes #4 (Admira Wijaya Virgin Variant Cover), 1:15
Ninjettes #4 (Eman Casallos Risque Variant Cover), 1:25
Nowhere Man #3 (Of 4)(Jeevan J. Kang Regular Cover), $3.99
Shadow #2 (Alex Ross Regular Cover), $3.99
Shadow #2 (Howard Chaykin Regular Cover), $3.99
Shadow #2 (Jae Lee Regular Cover), $3.99
Shadow #2 (John Cassady Regular Cover), $3.99
Shadow #2 (Ryan Sook Regular Cover), $3.99
Shadow #2 (Alex Ross Virgin Variant Cover), 1:75
Shadow #2 (Howard Chaykin Red Variant Cover), 1:25
Shadow #2 (Jae Lee Negative Variant Cover), 1:50
Shadow #2 (John Cassady Black & White Variant Cover), 1:100
Vampirella Vs. Dracula #4 (of 6)(Joseph Michael Linsner Regular Cover), $3.99
Voltron #5 (Alex Ross Regular Cover), $3.99
Voltron #5 (Sean Chen Regular Cover), $3.99
Voltron #5 (Alex Ross Virgin Variant Cover), 1:10
Voltron #5 (Sean Chen Red Variant Cover), 1:20

EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS

DC Superhero Chess Figure Collection Magazine #2 Robin White Bishop, $16

FILMFAX

Filmfax #130 , $9.95

GEN MANGA ENTERTAINMENT

Kamen GN, $9.95

HERMES PRESS

Walt Kelly The Life And Art Of The Creator Of Pogo HC (resolicited), $49.99

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT

Are You My Mother A Comic Drama HC, $22

IDW PUBLISHING

30 Days Of Night 10 Bloody Years Treasury Edition TP, $9.99
Complete Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy Volume 13 1950-1951 HC, $39.99
Jurassic Park Dangerous Games HC, $24.99
Last Unicorn The Deluxe Edition HC, $50
Locke And Key Clockworks #6 (of 6)(Gabriel Rodriguez Regular Cover), $3.99
Locke And Key Clockworks #6 (of 6)(Gabriel Rodriguez Variant Cover), 1:10

IMAGE COMICS

Activity #6, $3.50

Artifacts #1-13 Complete 1-In-100 Foil Variant Cover Set (Signed By Marc Silvestri), $500. This was limited to 50 sets and it absolutely blows my mind to report to you that it’s sold out. If you break it down, it comes out to about $40 a book, which isn’t a bad price for a 1:100 variant but still, $500 in one shot? I guess 50 of you guys out there friggin’ love Artifacts.

Dancer #1

Dancer #1, $3.50. This is the first of the Image sell-outs for the week and it looks pretty interesting. Nathan Edmondson, who wrote Who is Jake Ellis? (which I loved) teams up with Viking artist Nic Klien (who I also love) for the story of a retired assassin and his ballerina girl-friend. The preview looks great and retailers were treated to an extra 10-percent discount if they exceeded their order of Edmondson’s other Image title The Activity #1 by 150 percent. Like I said, the story looks solid here, but I don’t think it ends up as hot as Saga or Thief of Thieves. Edmondson is still coming up and when he does finally arrive, this issue will be long gone.

Danger Club #2, $2.99. First-printings of DC #1 have settled in price a bit, around $6 down from $10, but the second issue still sold out before shipping. Watch for #2 to go just as fast and probably help #1 crawl back up in price also. Great read, by the way.

Darkness #103, $2.99

Fatale #1 (5th Printing Variant Cover), $3.50. First-printings of Fatale are finally starting to settle down and are selling for less than $20 for the first time since it disappeared from shelves.

Glory #26, $2.99. Destroyer part 1.

Hardcore #1

Hardcore #1, $2.99. This is going to be the one to watch this week. Hardcore was initially offered two years ago and only recently re-offered through Diamond’s Final Order Cutoff system, which many stores out there don’t even use. This means there’s a new comic from the guy behind Walking Dead and Thief of Thieves, Robert Kirkman, and comics legend Marc Silvestri hitting the shelves this week and a lot of retailers don’t know it. I wouldn’t expect this to be a long-running series, seeing as it took two years to finish one issue, but there will be a huge spike in price starting Wednesday.

Hardcore #1 (Marc Silvestri Top Cow Store Sketch Variant Cover), $10. Also sold out.

Hell Yeah #3, $2.99

Manhattan Projects #3, $3.50. Hickman’s revisionist sci-fi history comic continues to sell out before shipping and is already selling for $6. Watch for it to go up from there and shame on you if you skipped out on #1. I tried to warn you.

Mondo #2 (of 3), $4.99

Saga #3, $2.99. Saga also continues to sell out before shipping and continues to sell well above cover price online. Shame on you if you missed this one, too.

Thief Of Thieves #1

Thief Of Thieves #1 (3rd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99. With AMC’s announcement that Thief is being developed for TV, prices on first-printings went from dumb to down-right stupid. Currently #1 is going for a little more than $30 and going up. As the show comes closer to its debut, you can bet that price will continue to climb. It looks like Robert Kirkman is worth his weight in gold, and he’s a pretty heavy-set guy.

Thief Of Thieves #4, $2.99. #1 isn’t the only issue going nuts here. #4 is already selling for $10 and will probably go up from there. Nutso!

KODANSHA COMICS

Sailor Moon Volume 5 TP (Kodansha Edition), $10.99

GRAPHIC UNIVERSE

Miss Annie Volume 2 Rooftop Cat GN, $6.95

LOCUS MAGAZINE

Locus #616, $6.95

MARVEL COMICS

Amazing Spider-Man #682 (Gabriele Dell’Otto 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99

Amazing Spider-Man #683 (Gabriele Dell’Otto 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99. In the wake of missing out on Spider-Island sales, retailers seemed to prepare well for this latest Spidey event and ordered heavily. Every issue of the Ends of the Earth storyline has been in the top 20 and Marvel’s second or third best-selling title behind Avengers vs. X-Men. Which is good for Spidey, but collectors that were banking on this one are hemming and hawing while there’s still plenty of first-printings to go around.

Amazing Spider-Man Ends Of Earth #1

Amazing Spider-Man Ends Of Earth #1, $3.99. If there’s going to be an Ends tie-in that’s tough to find, it’s this one. Brian Clevenger of Atomic Robo fame (MUST READ!) writes this two-part story alongside Rob Williams, featuring Union Jack and Big Hero Six. This one sold out before shipping and I’m guessing it’s due to Marvel cutting back the print-run here. If it’s a good read, this one could be very hot.

Avengers #26 (A vs. X), $3.99

Avengers Academy #30 (A vs. X), $2.99. Another A vs X-feuled sell-out here.
Avengers The Contest TP, $16.99
Avengers Vs. X-Men #0 (of 12)(Frank Cho 3rd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99
Avengers Vs. X-Men #4 (of 12)(Jim Cheung Regular Cover), $3.99
Avengers Vs. X-Men #4 (of 12)(Mark Bagley Variant Cover), 1:25

Avengers Vs. X-Men #4 (of 12)(Jerome Opena Variant Cover), 1:100. This is a stunning variant by Opena, but I’m saying don’t pay more than $70 here. Orders on A vs. X have been high enough that there’re plenty of these variants to go around.

Avengers Vs. X-Men #4 (of 12)(Jerome Opena Sketch Variant Cover), 1:200. Same story here. Stay under $100.

Avengers Vs. X-Men #4 (of 12)(Mark Bagley Avengers Team Variant Cover)

Avengers Vs. X-Men #4 (of 12)(Mark Bagley X-Men Team Variant Cover). Retailers had to exceed their orders of A vs. X #1 by 90 percent and they could order all they needed of these team variants. I’m just not sure why they’d want to.

AvX Vs #2 (A vs. X) (of 6)(Salvador Larroca Regular Cover), $3.99
AvX Vs #2 (A vs. X) (of 6)(Steve McNiven Fight Poster Variant Cover), 1:20
Daredevil #13, $2.99
Deadpool MAX Second Cut HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99
Fantastic Four #605.1, $2.99
Fury MAX #2, $3.99
Generation Hope The End Of A Generation TP, $15.99
Hulk Smash Avengers #3 (of 5), $2.99
Incredible Hulk #7.1, $2.99
Invincible Iron Man #517, $3.99
John Carter The Gods Of Mars #3 (of 5), $2.99
Marvel Universe Vs. Wolverine TP, $14.99
Marvel’s The Avengers Black Widow Strikes #2 (of 3), $2.99
Moon Knight By Brian Michael Bendis And Alex Maleev Volume 2 HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99

New Avengers #24 (A vs. X)(Mike Deodato 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99. Even with the boost in orders, first-printings of #24 are starting to creep up to the $5-$6 range and seem to be going up from there.

New Avengers By Brian Michael Bendis Volume 3 HC (Premiere Edition), $29.99
New Mutants #42 (Exiled), $2.99
New Mutants Classic Volume 7 TP, $29.99
Secret Service #2 (of 7)(Dave Gibbons Regular Cover), $2.99
Secret Service #2 (of 7)(Leinil Francis Yu Variant Cover), 1:25

Thunderbolts #174

Thunderbolts #174, $2.99. Sold out, but I can’t figure out why. This is the finale of the Clash of the Bolts storyline but I don’t see that causing the early sell out. Maybe Marvel is slashing print-runs?

Uncanny X-Men #12 (A vs. X), $3.99
Venom #18, $2.99
Winter Soldier #5, $2.99
Wolverine And Black Cat Claws 2 TP, $14.99
X-Factor #236, $2.99

MOONSTONE

Lone Ranger Chronicles SC, $19.95

NBM

Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde Volume 1 The Selfish Giant And The Star Child HC (New Printing), $17.99
Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde Volume 1 The Selfish Giant And The Star Child SC (New Printing), $9.99
Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde Volume 5 The Happy Prince HC, $16.99

ONI PRESS

Coldest City HC, $19.99
Crogans Loyalty HC, $14.99
Secret History Of DB Cooper #3, $3.99
Sixth Gun #22, $3.99

PUBLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL

Amazing Spider-Man 8 Button Play-A-Sound HC, $12.95

REBELLION

Leviathan GN (Simon & Schuster Edition), $16.99

RED 5 COMICS

Atomic Robo Real Science Adventures #2, $2.75
Dead Or Alive #4 (of 4), $3.50

RZG COMICS

Phazer War Of The Independents Crossover #2, $3.99

SANCTUM PRODUCTIONS

Shadow 80th Anniversary Commemorative Collection 4 Pack, $39.95

SELFMADEHERO

Best Of Enemies A History Of U.S. And Middle East Relations Volume 1 1783-1953 HC, $24.95
But I Really Wanted To Be An Anthropologist GN, $24.95

TOHAN CORPORATION

Megami March 2012, $16
Newtype March 2012, $16

TWOMORROWS PUBLISHING

Alter Ego #108, $8.95
Alter Ego #109, $8.95
Back Issue #56, $8.95

VERTICAL

Flowers Of Evil Volume 1 GN, $10.95

VIZ MEDIA

Future Is Japanese SC, $14.99
Saturn Apartments Volume 4 TP, $12.99
Saturn Apartments Volume 5 TP, $12.99

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT

Grimm Fairy Tales #73 (Cover A Stjepan Sejic), $2.99
Grimm Fairy Tales #73 (Cover B Pasquale Qualano), $2.99

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Matt Baum is WorthPoint’s comic book Worthologist. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact Matt or post your question below in the Comic Book Forum in the WorthPoint Forums, located in the Community tab. You can also reply to this article in the “leave a reply box below. If you need more comic-nerd in your life, you can follow Matt on Twitter, where he’s always screaming about something nerd-related. Thanks to all Matt’s new followers and keep the comments coming!

Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint to search its database or use its “Ask A Worthologist” feature. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Chicago’s beautiful skyline is the backdrop for antiques & vintage shopping at the Randolph Street Market

Sally Schwartz has been a collector her whole life, so it is no surprise that she gravitated to antiques shows as a profession. But when she looked at what Chicago had to offer in the way of a big, funky antique show where someone could find anything from a Tiffany lamp to recycled industrial lighting to original art, there was a big void.

“There was nothing in the city,” she said. “It was just a big hole.”

So Schwartz set out to fill that void. The result is the Randolph Street Market, which is thebiggest indoor/outdoor antiques market in the country. It kicks off its 2012 indoor/outdoor season on Saturday and Sunday, May 26 and 27, where WorthPoint will be partnering with RSM for the weekend’s festivities. In celebration of this partnership, WorthPoint will be hosting free appraisals at the market. These will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both days. Register today to join our VIP list and be first in line to see our esteemed Worthologists.

Held at the historic Beaux Arts Plumber’s Hall in Chicago’s West Loop, the RSM features more than 250 dealers offering “high quality, amazingly priced items.”

“The Randolph Street Market is the largest urban antiques market in the country,” said Schwartz. “My goal is to have the very best merchandise and a good mix of merchandise. I look for different types of venders to get the best of their pickings.”

Francine Turk (right) and some of her work.

Schwartz has recruited each dealer in the show, and all venders are vetted to make sure the merchandise is top-shelf quality. The show is so popular that she has to turn dealers away. Those who do make the cut are going to be offering a wide variety of wares. Among the dealers you will run across in your wanderings through the show—and it’s a big show, like city-block big, so make sure your wear comfortable shoes—is someone like Chicago-based artist Francine Turk.

You may not have heard of Turk, but you may have seen her art, as she was “discovered” at the RSM. Dan Clancy, a Hollywood set decorator, often shops for props and other items at RSM. On one of his trips, he met Turk and liked her work. He liked it so much, he used her paintings, charcoal drawing and other mixed media pieces to fill Jennifer Anniston’s art gallery in the 2006 movie “The Breakup” shops for lots of movies at the market.

For Memorial Day weekend show, Turk is teaming up with Philip McCaleb of Genuine Scooters on a charity auction benefiting Military Working Dogs Foundation. McCalen has donated a Buddy 50 scooter and helmet, and Turk gave it its own special paint job. Now, the scooter—dubbed “Love Bus”—will be auctioned off at the market. If you are at the show, make sure you wander over to check out the “Love Bus” and the other scooters available for a test drive.

Among the other deals you may see are:

• Doug McElwain, who brings his sport memorabilia booth from North Carolina to Chicago to feed the Windy City’s huge sports collectibles appetite.

• Matt Meyer, whose 20-foot-by-20-foot tent is packed with books; books for collections, first editions and hard-to-finds titles.

• If you’re looking for an old bike, check out Mike’s Bikes, which features old Schwinns and cruisers. The editor of Veranda magazine stumbled across this booth and ended up shipping three bikes back to the Hamptons.

The beautiful, air-conditioned Beaux Arts Plumbers Hall building is the jewel of the Randolph Street Market.

Because of the population of Chicago, every level of shopper can be found at RSM; sophisticated collectors, just-married filling their condo, people who have unloaded things they’ve inherited. It’s a hybrid-market, a vertical shopping environment. Schwartz says she keeps the fees for the spaces as low as she can to encourage dealers from all stratospheres.

“No matter how big you are or how little, you can afford to do the show, and that means there is something for everybody,” she said.

When you come to the RSM and you really do get the feeling that it’s not a traditional “antique” show. A large segment of the RSM dealers cater to younger buyers who are looking for vintage item to spruce up their apartments and smaller homes.

“These dealers, mid-20s and up, they have good eyes. While the bigger venders are buying at estates, they guys are picking at the Goodwill and offering a whole different dollar-basis,” said Schwartz. “They are not being invited into the Gross Point estates to buy; the stuff they have, the people they reach and the way they market, if they can keep upping their game, they are the future of the business.

“They come to Randolph Street, You can count on coming here and finding it here. They are the vintage stars.”

From burkas to Birkins, tattoos to Tiffany, there is a style, and a treasure, for every age, ethnicity, gender, & wallet.

Schwartz says that she expects some 10,000 people to come to the Randolph Street Market at the end of the month. The indoor-outdoor season runs through September, as well as a smaller antique show inside the building the rest of the year.

And she is not shy about what she thinks of her creation. “I think the Randolph Street Market is the best in the county,” she said. “It has the best selection and the best quality, it’s a really fun experience, we have live music, entertainment and things you can come to discover that you’ve never seen before.”

Are you on Twitter? Join the conversation at the Randolph Street Market Festival! Follow #OccupyVintage on May 26 and 27 to tweet with others at the event. @WorthPoint will be tweeting throughout the show so follow us for great information, photos and finds!

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

A "Made in Japan" mark.

One of the easiest ways of determining the origins of pottery and porcelain is finding a country of origin marking, such as “Italy,” “Germany,” “France” or “England,” but what many don’t know is that such a marking can indicate a maximum age for such an item. The reasons these markings came into existence were market-share and trade tariff laws that came about with the increase in international trade.

One of the earlier marks was instituted by Great Britain in 1887 to protect British producers from cheaper goods imported from Germany. It was called the “Merchandise Act,” which required German imports to be marked “Made In Germany,” the idea being that British consumers would choose to buy domestic goods over German imports if given the choice. As German goods were considered to be high quality by the majority of the British public, the Merchandise Act had the exact opposite effect than politicians had expected.

[Click here for information about WorthPoint’s Marks and Digital Library website.]

The international trade law that had the biggest impact on world trade was the American Tariff Act of 1890, better known as the McKinley Tariff. The act was the brainchild of Congressman William McKinley, who proposed this tariff that went into effect Oct. 1, 1890. McKinley went on to become the 25th President of the United States in 1897. During this period, the United States was the largest-growing market in the world, which meant that it was a destination for the products of every other exporting nation on the globe. The rational for the McKinley Act was to block cheap imports into the American market and allow domestic producers an opportunity to grow and compete. This act raised the tariffs on imported goods by almost 50 percent, but even this did not deter foreign producers, who all realized the American market was expanding with no end in sight.

The part of the McKinley Act that concerns us as appraisers, collectors and dealers is the stipulation that items that were being imported into the U.S. had to bear a country of origin marking (e.g.; “Germany”). The U.S. being the huge market that it was, most foreign companies with trade ties to North American were very quick to comply. Most pottery and porcelain created after 1891 carried country of origin marks. But this also works the other way, as most pottery and porcelain without a country of origin mark are likely to predate 1891.

A "Made in England" mark.

This “Staffordshire” mark predates the McKinley Tariff, and was used to associate with quality products made in that area.

As with all things, there are no absolutes and there are some exceptions to this date of 1891, as some pottery and porcelain did have markings that gave some indication of their origin before this date, generally listing a city or district, e.g. “Staffordshire” as an association to quality known for products made in that area.

One such exception is in the case of Japan, which tried to comply with the McKinley act by marking items “Nippon,” a loose translation of the Japanese script characters for what we would translate as the “Land of the Rising Sun.” In 1921, changes to the American Tariff Act stipulated that Japan would have to use the westernized name for the country of origin mark, “Japan.” In this case, the Act helps us all again in regards to Japanese pottery and porcelain. A marking of “Nippon” gives us a loose date of production from 1891-1921, and “Japan” at 1921 or later.

A "Nippon" mark.

A "Made in Japan" mark.

Czechoslovakia was created in 1918. This has to be taken into consideration when applying the rule about when it might have been made.

Another exception would be countries that came into being after 1891. In such cases, one has to crack the history books, as Europe went through great changes after the First and Second World Wars as the Continent was divided up, forming new alliances and rebonding of old ones. Some that come to mind are Czechoslovakia (created in 1918), West Germany (1949), East Germany (1949) and the Soviet Union/СССР/USSR (1922). Anything made and marked as coming from these countries (and others) would not predate the countries founding dates.

Mike Wilcox, of Wilcox & Hall Appraisers, is a Worthologist who specializes in Art Nouveau and the Arts and Craft movement.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

QUESTION:

– J.K., Reading, Pa., via e-mail

ANSWER: Division histories from any war are eagerly sought by military collectors. This 175-page book included 176 pen-and-ink frames tracing the combat route of the 25th Division’s Philippines liberation campaign, from its landing in the San Fabian area of Luzon on January 11 until its retraining departure on June 30, 1945.

I was not able to locate a detailed biography of Rutherfoord on the Internet. In the introduction to his book, he wrote: “To my way of thinking, an infantry man in combat is the only soldier who is fully equipped to comprehend the nature of that infamous scourge called war.”

The 25th Infantry Division, nicknamed “Tropic Lightning” and formed from the 27th and 35th Infantry regiments of the Hawaiian Division, was activated on Oct. 1, 1941. It was based at Schofield Barracks in Honolulu. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, the 25th was moved to beach positions. The Division served in Guadalcanal from Dec. 17, 1942 through Feb. 5, 1943. The 25th fought in the New Georgia campaign from July 21, 1943 through the end of August 1944.

The 25th Division’s Philippines liberation combat route took it across the Luzon Central Plain, the occupation of Umingan, Lupa, and San Jose, and eventually into the Caraballo Mountains. It cleared Highway No. 5, capturing Santa Fe on June 30, 1945. Following the conclusion of World War Two, the 25th Division served for five years as part of the Japanese occupation force.

World War II division histories published in the two decades immediately following the war usually are priced between $50 and $100. More than a dozen copies of Rutherfoord’s “165 Days 25th Division on Luzon” are listed for sale on various internet sites. Damaged copies begin at $50 and end at $75. Copies in very good and better condition are priced between $110 and $150, the high price reflecting the “comic book” nature of the presentation.

PacificWrecks offers a reprint edition of Rutherfoord’s history, issued by Kessinger Publishing, for $18.95. The reprint’s cover does not feature the 25th Division’s patch.

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QUESTION: I have a metal Moon Wagon made by the Big Boy Manufacturing Company. It has a purple circular body with a “U” shaped back rest. The wagon has a fifth wheel under the back rest. When you pull up on the handle, the front of the wagon lifts up so that you can perform “wheelies.” A manufacturer’s label is on the back of the back rest. I believe it dates from the late 1960s. What can you tell me about it and what is it worth?

– G, Bozman, Mont.

ANSWER: The growth of suburbia following World War II spawned a backyard/patio barbecue craze. In August 1953, Merle L. Persinger of Glendale, Calif., and Laverne O. Persinger of Burbank, were copartners involved in the manufacturing and sale of barbecue equipment. The two partners incorporated Big Boy Manufacturing Company, Big Boy Barbecue Sales Company, and Big Boy Barbecue Export Company. The companies were located in Burbank, California.

Wain Enterprises, a Southern California restaurant business, selling a double-decked hamburger and using a fat infant in its advertising, sued the Persingers, claiming two trade-mark infringements and one charge of unfair competition. The district court dismissed the suit. Although concluding “there seems to be little likelihood of confusion of identity of products,” the United State Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit reversed the district court’s ruling and allowed a trial to proceed. I found no record of a trial. Since the Persingers continued to do business as the Big Boy Manufacturing Company into the early 1970s, a safe assumption is either (1) if a trial was held, the Persingers won or (2) Wain Enterprises decided not to press forward.

In 1956, The Big Boy Manufacturing Company in partnership with Kingsford Chemical, manufacturers of easy-light charcoal briquettes, published the Big Boy Barbecue Book subtitled “Shows how easy it is to cook on Spit or Grill.” At least seven editions of the book were printed.

The Persingers filed numerous patents. Laverne O. Persinger received patent US2983218 for a barbecue grill attachment, US3016816 for an outdoor barbecue with slanting grill, US 3121386 for a barbecue assembly, US3667449 for a gas operated barbecue grill, and USD223551 for an anchor for boats. In 1968, Merle L. Persinger received patent USD212105, filed on June 17, 1967, for a toy wagon, manufactured as the “Moon Wagon.”

A 1969 advertisement for the “Moon Wagon for Young Astronauts” pictures two models, one with seven wheels (two front wheels, two pairs of two wheels in the back, and an extended “wheelie” wheel) and one with nine wheels (a pair of double wheels in the front). The interior of the round seat had three (3) six pedal, star-shaped decals. Owners were instructed to “LEAN BACK / GIVE ‘ER THE GUN.”

WorthPoint contains eBay listings for two “Moon Wagons,” one with a purple body and in fine condition sold on April 20, 2011 for $174.50. Another with a Dr. Pepper advertisement on the back of the back brace in the “U” shaped back and with surface rust on the body brought $105.89 on Jan. 1, 2007. A third exampled closed on eBay on March 24, 2012 at $100. A purple body example is available here for $70.

Assuming your wagon is in very good or better condition, its value is between $75 and $90.

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QUESTION: I have the circus wagon, animal figures, and accessory pieces from a Fisher Price Circus toy. The animal figures have white plastic arms and legs. I would like to know more about this toy.

– A, Windsor, Mo.

ANSWER: Your wagon, animal figures and accessory pieces are part of the Fisher Price Circus #900, sold in 1962 and 1963. The set contained 30 pieces, all of which must be present for the set to have full value.

The circus wagon measured 15 inches long and had hinged doors on each end that opened into a ramp. The wagon’s bars were white, the base red and the four wooden wheels yellow. The top had two yellow ornamental pieces. The wagon was pulled by a red and white string with a blue wooden ball attached.

There were eleven figures with lithograph-paper on wood bodies and plastic arms and legs—bear, camel, clown, dog, elephant, giraffe, horse, monkey, ringmaster, seal and tiger. There were more than a dozen accessory pieces, all of which could be stored in the wagon—four (4) red wooden ladders with six (6) white plastic rungs, three (3) yellow plastic ladder connectors, a yellow trapeze, yellow plastic semi-circle with pegs, yellow plastic semi-circle with holes, black wooden tub, red plastic ball, and light blue plastic balancing board. There also was a set of instructions.

I have provided these checklists so that you can identify how many of the 30 pieces you have. The packaging also has display value. Hence, its absence makes the set incomplete.

The first Fisher Price Circus Set, #250 (Big Performing Circus) was issued between 1932 and 1938. A 1964 Big Performing Circus Set #900 contained one additional piece—a yellow plastic spinner. Between 1963 and 1970, Fisher Price marketed a 22-piece Junior Circus Set #902, packaged in a tube and without a wagon. Its 13-piece Beginner’s Circus Set #904, with only six animals, was sold between 1965 and1968. Finally, Fisher Price Play Family Circus Train #990, featuring Little People, was produced between 1973 and 1986.

EBay values for the Fisher Price Circus #900 set range from sellers asking between $50 and $120 for incomplete sets, with prices in the $180 to $224 dollars for complete sets. The latter are “Buy It Now” prices. Hence, a safe assumption is that the asking price is high and possibly negotiable.

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QUESTION: I have a ceramic female cow figurine that measures 12 inches long and 8 inches high. It is marked on the bottom “B & G / 2161.” What is its value?

– M, Bozman, Mont.

ANSWER: Your Bing and Grondahl figurine of a standing cow licking its side still is in production and available for sale on dozens of internet storefront sites. Lauritz Jensen designed the figurine.

The DPH Trading website lists a first quality example at $538.24 retail (discounted to $480.57) and a second quality example at $430.69 (discounted to $387.53). The Stan Tillotson website shows the figurine with a list price of $865 and a selling price of $435, a 50-percent discount. The price on World Antiques is $569.

Like a new car, whose value declines the minute it is driven out of the showroom, the same applies to any modern ceramic figurine. Even if purchased at 50 percent of the company’s suggested list price, the sale price includes profit to the seller and one or more wholesalers in the distribution chain.

A safe secondary market value for your B & G 2161 cow figurine is between $250 and $300.

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Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out Harry’s Web site..

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. It streams live on the Genesis Communications Network.

“Sell, Keep Or Toss? How To Downsize A Home, Settle An Estate, And Appraise Personal Property” (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via Harry’s Web site..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered. Please indicate that these are questions for WorthPoint.

Copyright © Rinker Enterprises, Inc. 2012

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Currently, CSAC meets four times a year in Washington, D.C., a town I visited frequently from the mid-1960s until the end of the 1970s. After 1980, the times I traveled to Washington, D.C. were quick in-and-out business trips. I never set aside time to check out new museums nor revisit those with whose collections I already was familiar, or at least thought I was.

Museums are an important source for gaining insight into antiques and collectibles. Ideally, curators have vetted and correctly labeled the displayed objects, thus providing a visual learning base to study collecting categories. In the early 1970s, I once asked an expert about Fraktur—a calligraphic hand and any of several blackletter typefaces derived from this hand—and how to differentiate between a period and reproduction (exact copy), copycat (stylistic copy) and fake (object deliberately meant to deceive) His answer was: “Study 500 period examples and you will have no problem identifying the problems.” His advice was on point. Since then, I create opportunities whenever possible to study large groups of related objects, carefully examining them to learn the characteristics that make them period. Even though a museum’s objects cannot be handled, at least those on display, they still are capable of providing a creative learning experience.

Washington, D.C. and its surrounds contain a treasure trove of museums. The opportunity to visit these museums was one of the prime reasons I accepted my CSAC appointment. My goal is to spend the day before each CSAC meeting visiting a new or familiar museum. Since CSAC is what brings me to Washington, D.C., it seemed appropriate that I begin with the National Postal Museum. This “Rinker on Collectibles” column is the first of a series of columns over the next three years discussing the museums I visit.

Before visiting an antiques and collectibles flea market, malls, shop or show, I do advanced research. It helps me to develop a visiting plan that maximizes the time I have available. In the past, museum research required going to the public library or local bookstore to see what reference material I could find about the museum. Today, I go to the Internet.

The National Postal Museum’s website, like many museum websites, provides information far beyond information about the museum and its exhibits. The home page toolbar contains links for About the Museum, Exhibits, Collection, Educators, Stamp Collecting, Research, Getting Involved, Activity Zone, and Museum Library. After taking a Museum Virtual Tour, I reviewed the current exhibits, making a special note to spend time in the Alphabetilately gallery and at the current exhibit, “Fire & Ice: Hindenburg and Titantic.”

The museum website divided the collections into two distinct types. The first is Philately—“objects that chronicle the evolution and history of U.S. stamp design and production; and the administration that controlled their issuance and use.” The second is Postal Operations—“Objects that chronicle the development of the U.S. Postal system and the vital role mail plays in our daily lives.” Since the website contains far more information than I was going to encounter during my visit, I spent half an hour clicking through the various home pages, making “remember to look here when a question arises” metal notes.

Janet Klug, a past president of the American Philatelic Society, is a CSAC member and chair of the New Initiative Committee on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists. When I e-mailed Janet that I was planning to visit the National Postal Museum, she put me in touch with Dr. Cheryl R. Ganz, Chief Curator of Philately, a Hindenburg collector, and author along with Daniel Piazza, with help from M. T. Sheahan of the exhibit catalog for the “Fire & Ice: Hindenburg and Titantic” exhibit. Cheryl agreed to meet me upon my arrival for a personal tour of the collection. Our 45-minute walk-through provided me with an excellent overview.

The National Postal Museum is one of the Smithsonian’s 19 museums, 16 of which are located in Washington, D.C. The National Postal Museum is located in the old Post Office at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and 1st Street NE, just across from Union Station. The Smithsonian Institution and the United States Postal Service reached an agreement in 1990 to create the museum. It opened to the public in 1993.

In talking with Cheryl, she referred to the National Postal Museum as a “third day” museum, that is to say a museum visited during a family or group’s third day of sightseeing in Washington, D.C. The Capitol, White House, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, the Supreme Court, Air and Space Museum and American History Museum are the stars of day one and day two.

One reason for the National Postal Museum’s third-day status is a public perception that its primary focus is stamps. The National Postal Museum is far more. There is something for everyone. An aviation buff will be attracted to the exhibits on moving mail by air. The military collector will be fascinated by the exhibit on “Mail Call: History of America’s Military Mail,” which covers the delivery of mail to soldiers serving on land and sea from the Revolution to Iraq and Afghanistan. Animal lovers will relish in the exhibit “Art of the Stamp: Owney the Postal Dog,” which features Bill Bonds’ sketches and artwork that led to the creation of the Owney stamp. Owney memorabilia appears throughout. Historians of the development of America can trace the history of the growth of America in the extensive exhibit “Binding the Nation.” Police historians will pause at “Postal Inspectors: The Silent Service.” As a historian of the History of Technology, I spent a third of my visit studying the changing technology and techniques that were developed to move the mail more quickly and efficiently.

When I ended my visit, I had a far greater appreciation for the thousands of objects and dozens of sub-collecting categories that comprise the general category of postal collectibles. While I was aware of most, I had not fully appreciated the variety within each sub-collecting category. I also came to realize that I was a closet postal collector. Dozens of objects within my other collections crossed over into the postal collectibles realm.

None of the above is meant to negate the importance of the National Postal Museum’s stamp collection. Its stamp collection is one of the finest in the world. William H. Gross, founder of PIMCO and a stamp collector, has donated $10 million dollars to create a 12,000 square foot gallery devoted exclusively to the museum’s philatelic collection.

I have learned from past experience that it is impossible to grasp the full extent of any museum’s collection in a single visit. If the visit is to be meaningful and the education received remembered, it is best to concentrate on one aspect of the museum and return later to embrace other learning opportunities. During my advance research, I selected the Alphabetilately exhibit for special attention. Since I am trained to think alphabetically and categorically, it had appeal. It was the perfect test for what I knew, thought I knew and did not know. My visit confirmed that all three categories applied.

The Alphabetilately exhibit opened on Sept. 26, 2008 and was originally scheduled to close on Sept. 6, 2011. As of mid-April 2012, it still was open to the public. The exhibit begins with A for “Advertising Covers.” I was familiar with the late 19th-century and early 20th-century material, thanks to my contacts with letterhead/billhead collectors. The case introduced me to the wealth of post-1920s material. I first encountered C for “Cinderella Stamp” when viewing a collection of Allentown, Pa., Cinderella stamps in David Bausch’s collection. A Cinderella stamp is a non-postage printed label that is attached to an envelope. They range from advertising labels to charity seals. Now I know how to properly classify the Christmas Seals in my stamp collection. S is for “Se-Tenent,” the term used to describe “to or more adjacent stamps having different designs, denominations or colors.” Now I will know what this term means when used during a CSAC meeting.

Do not know what Kansas City Roulettes are? Check out the exhibit on the National Postal Museum’s website or, better yet, visit the National Postal Museum the next time your travels take you to Washington, D.C.

—————————————

Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out Harry’s Web site..

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. It streams live on the Genesis Communications Network.

“Sell, Keep Or Toss? How To Downsize A Home, Settle An Estate, And Appraise Personal Property” (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via Harry’s Web site.

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered. Please indicate that these are questions for WorthPoint.

Copyright © Rinker Enterprises, Inc. 2012

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Dan The Unharmable #1

The Comic Speculator is a blog written by WorthPoint Comic Book “Worthologist” Matt Baum that takes a look at each week’s hot new comics and back issues and the comic market place in general. Prices discussed here are taken from the Overstreet Guide to Comics (OVST), Comicspriceguide.com (CPG) and current online auction sales. Sales numbers and rankings are courtesy of ICV2.com. The codes under the prices of new titles discussed are Diamond Comics order codes that can be used to help your local comic retailer in ordering the issues discussed. If you want to hear what this nerd sounds like you can catch him on his podcast, the Two-Headed Nerd Comicast, where he and his friend Joe discuss the latest comic news, review some new comics, and answer your questions.

New Comics Roundup

The Night of the Owls crossover hits in earnest this week at DC with issues of Batgirl, Batman and Batman and Robin #9s showing up on the new shelves. Which is perfect timing seeing as Marvel isn’t shipping any A vs. X tie-in titles this Wednesday. Also watch for the build-up to #100 with the Something to Fear storyline beginning in this week’s Walking Dead #97 issue from Image. And keep an eye on The Tick #100, there’s a very special guest star. See below for more on that one. I’m not giving everything away in the intro.

Below you will find all the info you could possibly need on all the hot, new comics shipping this Wednesday, May 9, including variant ratios, storyline and creator notes and a little speculation on what could be hard to find in the future. The ratios listed after titles (i.e., 1:10) represent how many issues of a regular cover retailers had to order to get the variant. Crossover issues also have codes next to them in parenthesis with the title of the crossover (i.e., A vs. X). Be sure to let me know what you think of the new format and remember to click on the links for previews. For a full list of comics shipping this week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT

Fracture Volume 1 TP, $9.99

ANTARCTIC PRESS

Conquest Of The Planet Of The Living Dead (One Shot), $3.50

ARCHIE COMICS

Betty And Veronica Double Digest #201, $3.99
Mega Man #13 (Patrick Spaziante Regular Cover), $2.99
Mega Man #13 (Patrick Spaziante Villain Sketch Variant Cover), $2.99. Part one of “Spiritus Ex Machina” storyline.
World Of Archie Double Digest #17, $3.99

AVATAR PRESS

Crossed Badlands #5 (Jacen Burrows Regular Cover), $3.99
Crossed Badlands #5 (Jacen Burrows Red Crossed Incentive Cover), 1:3.
Crossed Badlands #5 (Jacen Burrows Torture Cover), $3.99
Crossed Badlands #5 (Jacen Burrows Wraparound Cover), $3.99
Dan The Unharmable #1 (Rafael Ortiz Regular Cover), $3.99
Dan The Unharmable #1 (Rafael Ortiz Wraparound Cover), $3.99

Dan The Unharmable #1 (Rafael Ortiz Retro Incentive Cover), 1:3. New series by writer David Lapham about an indestructible Bohemian who suddenly inherits a family. I think this one could be fun and closer to Lapham’s Stray Bullets in tone, which was far and away the best thing he’s written and worth a read if you missed it. I like the faux-aged look of this retro cover but I don’t see it doing much in back-issue world.

Dicks #4 (John McCrea Regular Cover), $4.99
Dicks #4 (John McCrea Offensive Cover), $4.99
Dicks #4 (John McCrea Classic Black & White Incentive Cover), 1:3
Ferals #5 (Gabriel Andrade Regular Cover), $3.99
Ferals #5 (Gabriel Andrade Gore Cover), $3.99
Ferals #5 (Gabriel Andrade Wraparound Cover), $3.99
Ferals #5 (Gabriel Andrade Slashed Incentive Cover), 1:3

BOOM! STUDIOS

Higher Earth #1 (Cover A Joe Benitez), 1/3 $1
Higher Earth #1 (Cover B Phil Noto), 1/3 $1
Higher Earth #1 (Cover C Frazier Irving), 1/3 $1

Higher Earth #1 (Cover B Phil Noto)

Higher Earth #1 (Cover C Frazier Irving)

Higher Earth #1 (Cover D Ben Oliver), 1/10 $1. There’s a ton of buzz behind this comic and it’s all very good. This is the follow-up to last year’s Our Love is Real by writer Sam Humphries. Our Love is Real was a self-printed one-shot that got some attention after receiving rave reviews (I read it and really liked it, too). At one point, first printings of Our Love were selling for more than $100, but Image later reprinted the one-shot and prices came down considerably (currently selling for $15-$20). That price could go up again if Higher Earth is a hit, but I wouldn’t expect to see anything like that happen to this #1 issue. Pricing #1 at $1 is a good way to get the comic into readers’ hands, but it’s also a good way to get retailers to order more than enough to meet demand. Not enough to make the first-printing sell out yet, though although BOOM! has ordered a second printing and some comic news sites were reporting the title sold out.

Higher Earth #1 (Cover D Ben Oliver)

Higher Earth #1 (Cover E David Aja)

Higher Earth #1 (Cover E David Aja), 1:15. As always, David Aja is on his game with this stripped down Bauhaus style. This would make a great print. Watch for a $7-$8 price tag.

Higher Earth #1 (Cover F You Are Illegal On This Earth), 1:25. I don’t get this one. BOOM! rounded up seven very talented artists for seven great-looking covers and then they use this for the 1:25 variant? Really? Watch for a $10-$12 price tag but really, who wants this one?

Higher Earth #1 (Cover F You Are Illegal On This Earth)

Higher Earth #1 (Cover H Michael Golden CGC 9.8)

Higher Earth #1 (Cover G Joe Benitez Sketch), 1:50. Watch for a $25-$30 price tag.

Higher Earth #1 (Cover H Michael Golden CGC 9.8), 1:100. The CGC Census isn’t listing any of these yet which means not only are they not shipping this Wednesday, they’re not shipping anytime real soon. Normally, you might not see a lot of these BOOM! CGC variants, but with a $1 price tag, there might be more than usual. I’ll keep you posted as soon as these do ship.

Incorruptible #29 (Cover A Garry Brown), $3.99
Incorruptible #29 (Cover B Matteo Scalera), $3.99
Space Ducks An Infinite Comic Book Of Musical Greatness HC, $19.99

BOUNDLESS COMICS

Lady Death #17 (Rafael Ortiz Regular Cover), $3.99
Lady Death #17 (Michael Dipascale Art Deco Incentive Cover), 1:3
Lady Death #17 (Juan Jose Ryp Sultry Cover), $3.99
Lady Death #17 (Michael Dipascale Wraparound Cover), $3.99

BUYMETOYS.COM

Oz Wonderland Chronicles Volume 2 TP, $19.99

CENTIPEDE PRESS

Best Horror Stories Of Karl Edward Wagner Vol 1 Where The Summer Ends HC, $45

COMIC SHOP NEWS

Comic Shop News #1299

DARK HORSE COMICS

Alabaster Wolves #2 (of 5), $3.50
Blood Blockade Battlefront Volume 2 TP, $10.99
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 #9 (Georges Jeanty Variant Cover), $2.99
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 9 #9 (Phil Noto Regular Cover), $2.99
FLCL Omnibus TP, $19.99
Lobster Johnson The Burning Hand #5 (of 5), $3.50
Savage Sword Of Conan Volume 11 TP, $19.99
Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic War #5 (Of 5), $3.50

DC COMICS

Batgirl #9 (Night Of The Owls), $2.99

Batman #9 (Night Of The Owls)(Greg Capullo Regular Cover)

Batman #9 (Night Of The Owls)(Dale Keown Variant Cover)

Batman #9 (Night Of The Owls)(Greg Capullo Regular Cover), $3.99. Watch for all the Night of the Owls tie-ins to start selling out. That said, I don’t see Batman going up in price too much because it’s so highly ordered.

Batman #9 (Night Of The Owls)(Combo Pack Edition), $4.99. Comes with free digital download code.

Batman #9 (Night Of The Owls)(Dale Keown Variant Cover), $3.99. Retailers could order this variant based on the numbers for their lowest ordered relaunch #9 title shipping this week (my guess is Resurrection Man). Don’t pay more than cover.

Batman #9 (Night Of The Owls)(Greg Capullo Black & White Variant Cover), 1:200. The Night of the Owls 1:200 variants are starting to see higher prices but still not the $150 and up some retailers are asking. Watch for a $120-$140 price tag.

Batman And Robin #9 (Night Of The Owls), $2.99
Batman Arkham Unhinged #2, $2.99
Batman Volume 1 The Court Of Owls HC, $24.99

DC Bible HC

Bible HC, $29.99. Reprinting the 1975 comic adaptation of the early books of the Bible with art by Joe Kubert. I have to own this!

Brightest Day Volume 2 TP, $19.99
DC Universe Legacies TP, $24.99
Deathstroke #9, $2.99. Rob Liefeld takes over the writing and art duties.
Demon Knights #9, $2.99. Murder of Merlin Part 1.
Fairest #3, $2.99
Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #9, $2.99. Animal Man tie-in.
Green Lantern #9 (Doug Mahnke Regular Cover), $2.99
Green Lantern #9 (Combo Pack Edition), $3.99. Comes with free digital download code.

Green Lantern #9 (Doug Mahnke Black & White Cover), 1:200. GL 1:200 variants are still sitting at just under $100 and don’t seem to be moving much. Watch for a $90-$100 price tag tops.

Green Lantern #9 (Gary Frank Variant Cover), Retailers could order this variant based on their lowest ordered Relaunch title #9. Like the Batman variant don’t pay more than cover price.

Grifter #9, $2.99. New creative team of writers Rob Liefeld and Frank Tieri and artist Scott Clark take over.

I Zombie #25, $2.99
Justice League International Volume 1 The Signal Masters TP, $14.99
Legion Lost #9 (The Culling), $2.99
Legion Of Super-Heroes Archives Volume 13 HC, $59.99
Mystery In Space #1 (One Shot)(Ryan Sook Regular Cover), $7.99. Vertigo Sci/Fi anthology.
Mystery In Space #1 (One Shot)(Michael Allred Variant Cover), 1:10
Night Force #3 (of 6), $2.99
Resurrection Man #9, $2.99
Scooby-Doo Where Are You #21, $2.99
Suicide Squad #9, $2.99
Superboy #9 (The Culling), $2.99
Superman Grounded Volume 1 TP, $17.99

DIGITAL MANGA PUBLISHING

Good Morning GN, $12.95

DK PUBLISHING

Spider-Man Inside The World Of Your Friendly Neighborhood Hero HC, $24.99
Star Wars The Ultimate Visual Guide Updated And Expanded HC, $24.99

DRAWN AND QUARTERLY

Nonnonba GN, $26.95

DYNAMIC FORCES

Dejah Thoris And The White Apes Of Mars #1 (Dynamic Forces)(Ale Garza Exclusive Cover), $14.99

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

Dark Shadows #5 (Francesco Francavilla Regular Cover), $3.99
Dejah Thoris And The White Apes Of Mars #2 (Brandon Peterson Regular Cover), $3.99
Dejah Thoris And The White Apes Of Mars #2 (Ale Garza Variant Cover), 1:10
Dejah Thoris And The White Apes Of Mars #2 (Brandon Peterson B&W Variant), 1:20
Dejah Thoris And The White Apes Of Mars #2 (Ale Garza Risque Variant Cover), 1:35
Lord Of The Jungle #4 (Lucio Parillo Regular Cover), $3.99
Lord Of The Jungle #4 (Paul Renaud Regular Cover), $3.99
Lord Of The Jungle #4 (Francesco Francavilla Variant Cover), 1:10
Lord Of The Jungle #4 (Lucio Parillo Virgin Variant Cover), 1:10
Lord Of The Jungle #4 (Paul Renaud Green Variant Cover), 1:15
Lord Of The Jungle #4 (Francesco Francavilla Virgin Variant Cover), 1:25
Patricia Briggs’ Alpha And Omega Cry Wolf Volume 1 #7, $3.99
Robert Jordan’s The Wheel Of Time The Eye Of The World #24, $3.99

EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS

DC Superhero Chess Figure Collection Magazine #4 (The Penguin Black Knight), $16
DC Superhero Chess Figure Collection Magazine #5 (Catwoman White Queen), $16

EVA INK

Joe Jusko Maelstrom Sketchbook HC (Signed Edition), $39.99
Joe Jusko Maelstrom Sketchbook HC (Sketch Edition), $125.00

FIRST SECOND

Baby’s In Black Astrid Kirchherr Stuart Sutcliffe And The Beatles in Hamburg HC, $24.99
Mastering Comics Drawing Words And Writing Pictures Continued SC, $34.99

FUTURE PUBLISHING

SFX #221, $10.99

HUMANOIDS PUBLISHING

Megalex Complete Story HC, $29.95

IDW PUBLISHING

Anne Rice’s Servant Of The Bones HC, $24.99
Archie’s Sunday Finest HC, $49.99
Dead Rising Road To Fortune TP, $17.99
Doctor Who Classics Series 4 #4 (of 6), $3.99
Dungeons And Dragons Forgotten Realms #1 (Cover A Tyler Walpole), $3.99

Dungeons And Dragons Forgotten Realms #1 (Cover B Steve Ellis), $3.99. New D&D series written by Forgotten Realms creator Ed Greenwood.

Dungeons And Dragons Forgotten Realms #1 (Character Design Variant Cover), 1:10
Dungeons And Dragons Forgotten Realms #1 (Bonus Edition), 1:25. Contains script and annotations.

Frankenstein Alive Alive #1 (Bernie Wrightson Regular Cover)

Frankenstein Alive Alive #1 (Bernie Wrightson Regular Cover), $3.99. Continues artist Bernie Wrightson’s 1983 Frankenstein adaptation with script by Steve Niles. This issue was fully returnable for retailers that order more than 25 issues, so initial orders could be high but these could disappear from shelves next month when, or if, they get returned. As a Wrightson fan, I’m pumped for this one.

Frankenstein Alive Alive #1 (Bernie Wrightson Sketch Variant Cover), 1:10
G.I. JOE #13 (Cover A Will Rosado), $3.99
G.I. JOE #13 (Cover B Will Rosado), $3.99
G.I. JOE #13 (Tommy Lee Edwards Variant Cover), 1:10
G.I. JOE #13 (Tommy Lee Edwards Black & White Variant Cover), 1:25
Memorial #5 (of 6)(Michael WM Kaluta Regular Cover), $3.99
Memorial #5 (of 6)(Michael WM Kaluta Black & White Variant Cover), 1:10
Night Of 1000 Wolves #1 (of 3)(Dave Wachter Regular Cover), $3.99
Night Of 1000 Wolves #1 (of 3)(Michael Manomivibul Variant Cover), 1:10
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Color Classics #1, $3.99
Transformers The IDW Collection Volume 6 HC, $49.99
Trio #1 (John Byrne Regular Cover), $3.99
Trio #1 (John Byrne & Joe Sinnott Variant Cover), 1:10

IMAGE COMICS

America’s Got Powers #1 (of 6)(2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Artifacts #17, $3.99
Choker Volume 1 TP, $16.99
Fatale #5, $3.50
Forgetless Live To See Last Call TP (New Edition), $14.99
Green Wake Volume 2 Lost Children TP, $14.99
Invincible #91, $2.99

Manhattan Projects #2 (2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.50. Prices continue to go nuts here with first-printings of #2 selling for $10 and going up. Watch that black cover if you have a copy. It fingerprints badly.

Morning Glories #18, $2.99
Pro TP (New Printing), $7.99

Saga #2 (Fiona Staples 3rd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99. Saga #2 first-printings are selling for $6-$7, but they’re going up from there as this series just seems to get hotter with each issue.

Secret #1 (2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.50. Secret isn’t blowing up like Hickman’s other new Image series, The Manhattan Projects, but first printings are selling for $6-$7. My guess is Secret #1 will be a slow burner but will be hot in the future.

Skullkickers #14, $3.50

Thief Of Thieves #3 (2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99. Last week news of AMC optioning Thief of Thieves for TV development and collectors went insane. First-printings of #1 are selling for $40 plus and rising while #2 and #3 are selling for $8-$10. Watch for that price to go up also.

Walking Dead #97

Walking Dead #97, $2.99. This is the beginning of the Something to Fear storyline and you can bet it’s going to sell out fast.

Witchblade #149 (Diego Bernard Virginia Comic-Con Exclusive Variant Cover) , $10. Listed as sold out.

KODANSHA COMICS

Gon Volume 5 GN (Kodansha Edition), $10.99

KRAUSE PUBLICATIONS

Comics Buyers Guide #1690 (June 2012), $5.99

MARVEL COMICS

Amazing Spider-Man Parallel Lives #1, $4.99
Astonishing X-Men Volume 7 Monstrous TP, $16.99
Avengers Academy Second Semester HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99
Avengers Assemble #3, $3.99
Avengers By Brian Michael Bendis Volume 3 HC (Premiere Edition), $29.99
Avengers The Crossing Omnibus HC (Mike Deodato Direct Market Cover), $99.99
Avengers The Crossing Omnibus HC (Patrick Scherberger Cover), $99.99
Avengers The Private War Of Dr Doom HC (Premiere Edition), $29.99
Avengers The Private War Of Dr Doom HC (Premiere Edition)(Direct Market Variant Edition Volume 89), $29.99
Avenging Spider-Man #7, $3.99
Captain America #11, $3.99. Part one of System Failure with art by Patrick Zircher.
Captain America And Hawkeye #630, $2.99
Captain America By Ed Brubaker Volume 2 HC (Premiere Edition), $19.99
Deadpool #51 (Dave Johnson 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Deadpool #52 (Dave Johnson 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99

Deadpool #54, $2.99. Finale of the Dead storyline. This could be the issue Deadpool dies, and if it is, expect it to sell out with the quickness.

Essential Black Panther Volume 1 TP, $19.99
Halo Fall Of Reach Covenant TP, $16.99
Hulk #51, $2.99
Hulk Smash Avengers #2 (of 5), $2.99
Journey Into Mystery #637 (Exiled), $2.99
Magneto Not A Hero TP, $14.99
Marvel Masterworks The Avengers Volume 12 HC, $59.99
Marvel Masterworks The Avengers Volume 12 HC (Direct Market Variant Edition Volume 179), $59.99
Marvel Universe The Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes #2, $2.99
Marvel Zombies Destroy #1 (of 5), $3.99
New Avengers #26, $3.99
Oz Ozma Of Oz TP, $19.99
Powers Volume 6 The Sellouts HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99
Punisher #11, $2.99
Scarlet Spider #5, $2.99
Silver Surfer Parable HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99
Silver Surfer Parable HC (Premiere Edition)(Direct Market Variant Edition Volume 91), $24.99
Spider-Man Identity Crisis TP (New Printing), $24.99
Spider-Man Season One HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99

Takio #1

Takio #1, $3.95. Last year, when Takio premiered as a graphic novel, it sold out almost instantly. Currently, it’s listed in stock but I’m betting when reviews and buzz catch up to this new all-ages series, it sells out very fast. In reorders, of course, because retailers aren’t sure how to order this one.

Thing; The Serpent Crown Affair HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99
Thing; The Serpent Crown Affair HC (Premiere Edition)(Direct Market Variant Edition Volume 92), $24.99
Ultimate Comics The Ultimates #10, $3.99
Ultimate Comics X-Men #11, $3.99
Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 12 HC, $39.99
Uncanny X-Force #25 (Jerome Opena Regular Cover), $4.99. Part one of the Final Execution storyline.

Uncanny X-Force #25 (Stephen Platt Variant Cover)

Uncanny X-Force #25 (Stephen Platt Variant Cover), 1:50. I love Stephen Platt but I do not love this variant. Watch for a $25-$30 price tag.

Wolverine #306, $3.99
Wolverine And The X-Men #10, $3.99
X-Men Legacy #266, $2.99
X-Men Mutant Genesis 2.0 HC, $49.99

MOONSTONE

Kolchak The Night Stalker And The Lost World SC, $4.99

NEW ENGLAND COMICS

The Tick #100

The Tick #100 (The Tick Meets Invincible), $6.99. This one sold out a while ago and could be very hot. New England certainly isn’t printing as high as Image’s Invincible print-runs, and a lot of Invincible fans will be looking for this issue. The $7 price tag didn’t seem to stop retailers from ordering this one but it could stop shoppers from picking this one up. Watch this issue but don’t be surprised if not much happens here.

ONI PRESS

Courtney Crumrin #2, $3.99
Wasteland #37, $3.99

RED 5 COMICS

Atomic Robo Volume 6 Atomic Robo And The Ghost Of Station X TP, $18.95

SCREEN POWER PUBLISHING

Scream Magazine #10, $8.99

SEVEN SEAS ENTERTAINMENT

Avalon Web Of Magic Omnibus Volume 1 TP, $14.95
Certain Scientific Railgun Volume 4 GN, $11.99

SHH PRODUCTIONS

Disturbingly Perverted Diary Of Doktormentor Jail Babe Surgeon #6, $9.95

TITAN PUBLISHING

Joss Whedon The Complete Companion SC, $18.95
Star Trek Magazine #40 (Newsstand Edition), $9.99
Star Trek Magazine #40 (Previews Exclusive Edition), $9.99

TOR BOOKS

Weird A Compendium Of Strange And Dark Stories HC, $39.99
Weird A Compendium Of Strange And Dark Stories SC, $29.99

VIZ MEDIA

AI ORE Volume 5 GN, $9.99
Fluffy Fluffy Cinnamoroll Volume 3 GN, $7.99
Hana-Kimi 3-In-1 Edition Volume 2 TP, $14.99
Haruka Beyond The Stream Of Time Volume 16 GN, $9.99
Inu Yasha Volume 11 GN (VIZBIG Edition), $17.99
Naruto Volume 56 TP, $9.99
One Piece Volume 62 GN, $9.99
Oresama Teacher Volume 8 GN, $9.99
Pokemon Black And White Volume 7 GN, $4.99
Psyren Volume 4 GN, $9.99
Skip-Beat 3-In-1 Edition Volume 2 TP, $14.99
Story Of Saiunkoku Volume 7 GN, $9.99
Tegami Bachi Volume 9 GN, $9.99

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT

Charmed #21, $3.50
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents The Library TP, $15.99
Jurassic Strike Force 5 #4 (Cover A Caio Cacau), $2.99
Jurassic Strike Force 5 #4 (Cover B Pasquale Qualano), $2.99

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Matt Baum is WorthPoint’s comic book Worthologist. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact Matt or post your question below in the Comic Book Forum in the WorthPoint Forums, located in the Community tab. You can also reply to this article in the “leave a reply box below. If you need more comic-nerd in your life, you can follow Matt on Twitter, where he’s always screaming about something nerd-related. Thanks to all Matt’s new followers and keep the comments coming!

Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint to search its database or use its “Ask A Worthologist” feature. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Everett M. was given this brass “card cutter” by a retired magician who had a garage full of stuff related to his act. But the secret as to how the cutter was used was never revealed. Now that Everett us looking to downsize, he’s hoping a Worthologist can pull back the curtain and explain what the thing actually did.

Everett M. was given an odd-looking piece by a retired magician he had befriended before he died, he never found out what it was for, but remembers the magician saying it had something to do with cards for magic tricks He now wants to sell it, as he himself is getting on in years and is downsizing to a smaller residence. Before he does get rid of the piece, he wants to find out exactly what it was used for and what he can expect to get if he sells it. He contacted WorthPoint’s Ask a Worthologist service to inquire about this piece and his inquiry was forwarded to me, here’s his question.

“I was given this brass cutter by a retired magician who had a garage full of stuff related to his act. He wasn’t physically able to do much, and like a good neighbor, I used to help him out with getting groceries, running errands for him and blowing the snow out his driveway in the winter. One day I was helping him move some things in the garage he pulled this thing out of a box and told I could have it. I asked him what it was and he said it was for card tricks and would fill me in about it later. I took it home, but never got around to asking him what it was called or exactly how it could be used in cards. He died about a year later, and no one I’ve shown this thing to knows what it is. It’s a mystery I’ve had for almost 20 years now. As I’m downsizing myself now, it has to go, but I would like to finally know what it is and what its purpose was.”

Here’s my response:

This is a very interesting piece and here is your-long awaited answer: it’s called a “Card Cutter.” These were used to cut down or tapered playing cards in a manner that a card shark or magician could recognize suites or face cards when dealing and playing. These were sold by specialty shops that marketed various card-cheating/magic tools from the late 19th century through to the 1960s. Most, like this one, tend to post-date 1900. The best-known supplier of such tools during the 19th century was Will & Finck, located in San Francisco. In the 20th century, the top makers were HC Evans & Co., KC Card Co. and Hunt & Co.

Your old friend actually gave you quite a gift. In the current market, these card cutters are sought after items, the vast majority of them trade hands at specialist auctions pertaining to gambling and magicians’ equipment and paraphernalia, where they often range in price from $1,400 to $1,800. The image above is from our Worthopedia, it was a bargain at $945.

Mike Wilcox, of Wilcox & Hall Appraisers, is a Worthologist who specializes in Art Nouveau and the Arts and Craft movement.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Three bottles that were found while digging: an unembossed pontiled 12-sided ink bottle in medium green, attributed to the Keene, N.H., Glass Works, circa 1840 (value $150): an aqua pontiled eight-sided Harrison’s Columbian Ink bottle (value $150); and a rare sapphire blue eight-sided pontiled Harrison’s Columbian Ink bottle with lip repair (value $1,000 as is).

Many advanced collectors of early American glass bottles will tell you the category they first started collecting was ink bottles. Their diminutive size and alluring colors and shapes catch the eye of anyone with an appreciation for detail and a fascination with the early glass-blowing trade as it developed on this continent.

For a beginning collector, or an interior decorator in search of vintage accents for old cupboards and desks, a 120-year-old ink bottle will often fit the bill and is very affordable. For a few dollars, you have an authentic glass container that was used every day by someone with a quill pen, sitting at a desk, filling out bills or invoices, or carefully writing a letter by hand in cursive (which is becoming a lost art).

I have been a bottle “digger” in New England for 30-plus years, digging in the forest, in foundations, in old outhouse pits and even under water with the help of SCUBA equipment. If I didn’t have other responsibilities, this is probably all I would do; it is simply that much fun. Compulsive bottle hunting doesn’t lend well to raising a family and paying bills, however, as the following story attests:

One chilly spring day several years ago, that compulsion to find new old bottles was filling my mind as I drove down the main street of our town. In the back seats of my minivan were my two toddler daughters.

Right on the main drag, I noticed some renovations being done on a large colonial house. But what really caught my eye, was a pile of dirty black bricks that had been dug out of the basement and dumped, along with some other construction trash, next to the side walk for disposal. This simply needed to be investigated.

Two New England Geometric ink bottles, circa 1820-40s, like the one I found in the brick pile. The one on the left is a G III-29, which has a value of $150-$250. The one on the right is a G II-18F, which is worth $350-$450.

I parked up the road a bit, put my daughters into the double stroller and rolling and banging the stroller across the potholed sidewalk, over some curbing, and towards my target.When I got to the brick pile, and could see the bricks were ancient and covered with decades of chimney soot. My eye caught a black, disk-shape object in amongst the rubble and I knew instantly what it was.

“Look!” I said to my little toddlers. “There’s a bottom of a pontiled geometric ink bottle in that brick pile there! Man, I wonder how many other bottles they smashed while digging out that basement.”

I left them briefly in the stroller on the sidewalk and mucked through the mud a few steps to gather the shard. But it wasn’t a shard; it had somehow survived while being dumped along with the bricks! The bricks were so sooty, and there was so much ash and dirt that must have cushioned the fall—to this day still I don’t know how it survived—but there it was, flawless, without a chip on it.

I grabbed it and ran back to the stroller, yelling to the girls about what I had found. I showed it to them both while hooting and hollering and shaking the bouncy stroller in celebration.

My older daughter laughed at the strange way I was acting, my younger daughter, who had been sleeping, cried in horror (they are now accustomed to this behavior).

Upon further inspection, I held a geometric ink bottle. It was a round, disk-shaped bottle with embossed patterns in squares, diamonds and triangles over its entire surface, except the base, which has a round, usually sharp pontil scar at its center.

Three ink bottles in common forms of the day were the cone, umbrella and round or barrel form. These examples are hand-finished, blown inmold, circa 1870-90, aqua glass, and generally sell for about $5-$20

These bottles were blown into a three-part mold, and had a uniquely wide, flared lip, which was lifted up as it was blown, and then pressed back down onto the top of the bottle, basically eliminating the neck of the bottle, producing an almost hockey-puck shaped bottle, with a hole in the top for dipping the quill.

Any geometric ink bottle is a great find, with a value spectrum varying, depending mostly on two things—mold rarity and color. The two I have pictured here (middle photo) are from one of the most common mold patterns and in the most common colors, olive amber. There are several dozen different mold variants of New England geometric ink bottles, with the rarest obviously being the most valuable. The effect of the colors of these bottles on their value is less obvious, ascending in value from dense olive amber, to medium olive amber, to pure olive green, to light olive or light amber, to the rare clear flint glass, to the most rare and gorgeous sapphire blue or cobalt blue (made at Sandwich Glass Works), which can be worth more than $10,000, depending on the mold variant.

I was more than happy to find the “common” geometric ink bottle, considering the circumstances.

Part of the appeal of antique ink bottles is that with their small and consistent size, a collector can display 100 beautiful colored bottles in a shelved bay window, creating a colorful spectacle that you can just sit back and watch as the sun sets behind it. The idea that such beautiful pieces of glass were discarded when they were empty is hard to believe when you hold one in your hand.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure is an old cliché, but couldn’t be more precise in this case. Each of the bottles pictured in this article was dug in New England, and while bottle-digging sites are harder to find today, there are still many more to be discovered.

Bram Hepburn collects 19th-century New England bottles and glass, having spent the last 30 years digging and diving for bottles in New England and upstate New York. He lives in Eliot, Maine.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Jonathan Frid portrayed the 200-year-old vampire in the 1966-71 gothic soap opera, “Dark Shadows.” Johnny Depp has reprised the role for Tim Burton’s new feature film adaptation of the cult series.

Mention the words “soap opera” and many people will think of tales involving attractive, globe-trotting couples, steamy romantic trysts, back-stabbing family members and wealthy socialites. Very rarely would monsters, the supernatural and occult enter into the picture. But that’s precisely what happened with the 1966-71 gothic daytime drama “Dark Shadows.”

As far removed from other shows like “General Hospital” and “Days of Our Lives” as one could get, “Dark Shadows” ditched the practice of utilizing such typical soap opera figures as the benevolent doctor, remorseless businessman or doting wife in favor of such supernatural beings as werewolves, witches, warlocks, ghosts, demons, zombies, a Frankenstein monster-like person and most significantly, an anguished 200-year-old vampire named Barnabas Collins (portrayed by the late Canadian stage actor, Jonathan Frid), who would become the program’s most beloved character.

The creation of prolific writer/producer/director Dan Curtis (who would later be known for such classic ’70s made-for-TV horror films as “The Night Stalker,” “Trilogy of Terror” and “Dead of Night”), “Dark Shadows” not only featured eerie creatures in its roster of main characters and a spooky old mansion named Collinwood as its main setting, but the show also delved into mysticism and the occult by featuring storylines that included séances, reincarnation, time-travel and parallel universes. A phenomenal hit with children and teens—many of whom would hurry home from school as to not miss any of the creepy, monster-filled action—the program at one point attracted an audience of close to 20 million people. Ending a five year run in June 1971, the series managed to amass not only 1,225 half-hour episodes, but also led to a pair of feature films: 1970’s “House of Dark Shadows” and 1971’s “Night of Dark Shadows,” which, in addition to Frid, also featured such cast members from the TV show as Joan Bennett, Grayson Hall, Louis Edmonds, Kathryn Leigh Scott, John Karlen, Nancy Barrett, David Selby, Lara Parker and Kate Jackson.

The program, which has remained in the public consciousness due to syndicated repeats on television in the 1970s and ’80s and yearly fan-run conventions in the U.S., also spawned a short-lived remake series in 1991 starring British actor Ben Cross (“Chariots of Fire”) as Barnabas. And now, director Tim Burton has crafted a new feature film adaptation starring Hollywood star Johnny Deep in the role of the reluctant vampire. Also helping the add to the mystique of “Dark Shadows” is the mountain of merchandise released in conjunction with the show’s original TV broadcast—everything from record albums to View-Master reels to music boxes—as well as numerous other items that have continued to be produced to this day.

Various “Dark Shadows” comic books released by Gold Key. From L-R, No. 7. November 1970; No. 11. November 1971; and No. 35, February 1976.

Three “Dark Shadows” paperback tie-in novels, published by Paperback Library from August, 1968 to February, 1970. The average value for titles in this line is $5-$10 each.

The 1991 remake of “Dark Shadows” spawned a short-lived comic book by Innovation. Here are three volumes, published in 1992 and '93. Value: $5 each approx.

Incredibly popular with fans were the nearly three dozen paperback tie-in novels for the show written by Marilyn Ross (in reality, the pen name for author Dan Ross, who used his wife’s name). Featuring gold colored covers with both illustrated and photo images, 32 books were published by Paperback Library between 1966 and 1971. Curiously, none of the books—comprised of such titles as “Victoria Winters,“ “The Curse of Collinwood” and “The Phantom and Barnabas Collins” —were actually based on episodes from the show; rather, they were original adventures merely inspired by characters and story lines from the series. Only one title (an adaptation for “House of Dark Shadows”) stayed relatively true to what was seen on the screen. A joke book, “Barnabas Collins in a Funny Vein” was also published, as was a photo-book (filled with candid shots of Jonathan Frid) and a novelty cookbook, “The Dark Shadows Cookbook” (released by Ace Books). Values average from $5-$10 each, with the photo album and cookbook going for considerably more.

A “Dark Shadows” Barnabas Collins costume ring released by Elope in 2011. Value: $7 approx.

A “Dark Shadows” Original Soundtrack LP, released by Phillips in 1969. The album came with a poster of stars Jonathan Frid and David Selby. Value: $15-$25 approx.

A promotional Barnabas Collins bobble-head figure released by MPI Home Video. Value: $25.

In October of 1968, Gold Key Comics began publishing a line of “Dark Shadows” comic books. While the interior artwork was not very successful at capturing the likenesses of the show’s performers, the covers often featured fantastic color publicity photos or beautifully rendered illustrations, and two issues (#1 and # 3) even included large pin-up posters. With issues published approximately every four months, 35 issues would see print by the time the series wrapped in early 1976. A lengthy 144 page story digest magazine was also published by Gold Key in 1970.

Also released in 1968 was the first of two sets of 66 black-and-white photo trading cards. Manufactured by the Philadelphia Chewing Gum Corp., and retailing for 5 cents apiece, the first set consisted mainly of shots of Barnabas and were framed by a pink border. The second set, which was released in 1969 and featured a green border, showcased not only Barnabas, but also the program’s second-most popular character, the brooding ghost/zombie/werewolf Quentin Collins (Selby). Of particular note was an accompanying mail-order promotion that gave kids the chance to buy their very own black and gold Barnabas ring by sending in 50 cents and five of the trading card wrappers. The faux onyx ring is now a much desired item, and can sell for hundreds of dollars.

The Barnabas Collins Dark Shadows Game, released by Milton Bradley in 1969. Value: $45-$65 approx.

Another popular item from 1968 is the The Dark Shadows Game, manufactured by Whitman. Featuring a (rather flimsy) paper game board, four cardboard playing pieces (depicting an empty grave, howling wolf, a grandfather clock and a burning candle), a deck of cards and a bonus “wallet photo” of a fanged Barnabas, players were required to complete the journey through the game board’s peril-ridden path. The following year saw The Barnabas Collins Dark Shadows Game, courtesy of Milton Bradley. Comprised of a 9½-inch-long Barnabas Collins casket, cardboard scaffolds, a spinner, tiny wooden stakes and little plastic bones, up to four players could construct their own glow-in-the-dark skeletons on the scaffolds by pulling bones from the miniature coffin. A bonus pair of “Barnabas fangs” were also included, but as they were easily lost, they’re seldom still found with the game nowadays. In opened, used condition, both games can usually be bought for roughly $45 to $65 each; when found in sealed, mint condition, however, they can fetch amounts of $200 or more apiece.

A reissue of the MPC Dark Shadows Barnabas Vampire Van plastic model kit, released by Round2 in 2011. Value: $25.

A number of other “Dark Shadows” items would be released in 1969, including a Halloween costume and mask from Ben Cooper, two 1,200-piece jigsaw puzzles from Whitman and a set of three “Horror Head Pillows,” comprised of Barnabas, Quentin in his werewolf state and a stereotypical ugly witch by Centsable Toys. Particularly memorable though was a soundtrack record and a set of three plastic model kits. Released on the Philips label, the album featured the series’ creepily atmospheric musical score by composer Bob Cobert, as well as numerous spoken-word pieces recited by stars Frid and Selby. An 11-by-22-inch double-sided poster of both actors was also included with the LP. A best-seller with sales into the millions, the album spent 19 weeks on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The model kits were manufactured by Model Products Corporation (MPC) and would consist of the Vampire Van—a hot rod-styled hearse, complete with mini Barnabas and coffin; as well as 8-inch figural releases of Barnabas and werewolf Chris Jennings, which came complete with optional glow-in-the-dark parts, bases and accessories like rats, bats, trees and lizards.

Eight-inch figures of Barnabas Collins and werewolf Chris Jennings, released by Spectre Toys in 2010. A figure of witch Angélique Bouchard was also produced.

In 1970, a company called Paul Randolph Associates released one of the most sought-after “Dark Shadows” collectibles: a plastic replica of character Josette duPres’ music box. Heard many times throughout the series and first feature film, the box’s lovely theme often reflected Barnabas’ longing for Josette, his long-dead fiancée who met an untimely end just before they were to be married. Available briefly through mail order, the box did not enjoy the widespread distribution of other “Dark Shadows” products sold in stores, and as a result, is now one of the rarest pieces of memorabilia from the show. However, a reissue of the box was made in 1996 by MPI Home Video and though also long sold out, can still be frequently be found on eBay for around $140-$200.

While few other items would be produced during the ’70s and ‘80s, the 1990s saw the release of new “Dark Shadows” merchandise to fans. The 1991 prime-time revival series prompted a few collectibles to be produced: namely a short-lived comic book line from Innovation; a 12-inch resin model kit of Ben Cross’ Barnabas from Action Kits International; and two watches from Abbelare. A number of classic series-oriented items were also released throughout the 1990s and 2000s, including episodes on VHS and DVD, numerous reference and “making-of” books, music CDs, novels, bobble-head figures, highly-detailed dolls and more.

Various examples of “Dark Shadows” on home video: Season 1 DVD set (MPI Home Video); “House of Dark Shadows” VHS tape (MGM UA Home Video); and “Special Edition” DVD (MPI Home Video).

With interest in “Dark Shadows” heating up again due to Tim Burton’s new film, a number of other collectibles have been made available in recent months, including Halloween costume items from Elope; the reissues of the 1969 MPC plastic model kits by Round 2; a new comic book series from Dynamite Entertainment; and even the release of the show’s entire 1,225 episodes (plus bonus documentaries, interviews, bloopers and more) in a large, coffin-shaped box from MPI Home Video.

Johnny Depp as vampire Barnabas Collins, and the rest of the cast of Tim Burton’s new film version of “Dark Shadows.” The movie opens Friday, May 11.

Spooky, imaginative, unusual, creative and downright bizarre. They’re all apt words when describing “Dark Shadows” and its cast of creepy characters. Whether you’re a long-time fan or have just recently discovered the series, hopefully you’ve enjoyed this look at a few of the collectibles this unique, hauntingly strange television series has inspired throughout the years.

James Burrell writes about film, pop culture and collectibles for a variety of publications and online sites, including Rue Morgue and Canuxploitation! A life-long collector of vintage science-fiction, fantasy and monster-themed toys and movie memorabilia, he resides in Toronto, Canada.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

This is a cedar-lined chest that is made to look like an 18th-century Chippendale lowboy. This form is commonly called a blanket chest but actually it is a “chest on frame” or “chest on stand.” It has no real drawers, only faux fronts, so it not a true blanket chest. (Fred Taylor photo)

Every area of special interest has its own vocabulary and words of common usage. The area of antiques certainly falls in this category with some of its more obscure terms like recamier, poudreuse and bergere. But there are also a number of terms that are quite common in the industry. And among these common terms are a significant number that are commonly misused, misspelled or misunderstood.

One of the ones I see frequently in inquiries from readers concerns that cabinet maker with the musical name, Duncan Phyfe. In fact his family name was Fife, but when he came to America from Scotland in the late 18th century he changed it to “Phyfe” to add a little sizzle to an otherwise mundane moniker. He was a talented cabinetmaker who worked in all the styles of his working life—Federal, English Regency and Empire. One style in which he did not work was the style “Duncan Phyfe.” There is no single style attributed to Duncan Phyfe that can truly be called “Duncan Phyfe.” In modern common usage it seems that every table with curved legs extending from a pedestal is called a “Duncan Phyfe” table. He did make some tables with legs like that but so did every other cabinetmaker of the period. That style leg came from mid-18th-century English pedestal dining tables. And he also made tables with legs of other styles.

An even worse transgression is the misuse of the name itself while describing a misnamed style. More than a few inquiries ask about their “Dunkin & Fife” furniture or similar variations.

Another modern misuse of a cabinetmaker’s name involves the mid-19th-century English designer Thomas Chippendale. That really was his family name and he was named after his father. His style was an updated take-off on a basic Queen Anne base with some masculine embellishments, often topped off with French or Chinese accents. The style was not “Chip and Dale,” who are Walt Disney cartoon characters and the style is not the style of the “Chippendales.” They are male exotic dancers.

The use of the term “Victorian” as a style is also a misuse of the word. “Victorian” refers to a period of time, 1837 to 1901, when Victoria, the only daughter of Edward, Duke of Kent, the fourth son of George III, sat on the throne of England. No style in modern history has been maintained continuously for 64 years and neither was the style of “Victorian.” Within that span of years a number of prominent and very distinct styles rose and fell in favor, among them were Late Classicism, Gothic, Elizabethan Revival, Rococo Revival, Renaissance Revival, the Aesthetic Movement, Colonial Revival, Arts and Crafts and even Golden Oak. All could be considered to be styles of the Victorian era but none can be said to be the Victorian style.

While it is true that this high bed is from the Victorian period, the style is not “Victorian.” It is Renaissance Revival, one of many separate styles during the period. (Fred Taylor photo)

Then there are ambivalent uses of the names of pieces of furniture themselves. In common use the term secretary is often used to describe a desk with a tall bookcase on top, usually with glass panel doors. But the term secretary can actually be used as a simple synonym for a desk with or without the top section. A more accurate way of describing the tall model is to call it a “bookcase/secretary” literally a bookcase on top of a slant front secretary or desk. That’s how the form got started. Most early bookcase/secretaries consisted of two separate parts. Only in the 20th century did they become one piece, tall cabinets.

The term “blanket chest” is also open to interpretation. Originally, the term referred to a lift top chest with drawers below. This form is sometimes also called a “chest on drawers” and smaller versions are sometimes called a “mule chest.” When properly decorated, they were sometimes called a “dower” chest, a place for a young bride to store her dowry. Elaborate versions were the size of full-size chest of drawers and had faux drawer fronts above the real drawers. Long low chests without drawers are simply called chests or storage chests. This type of chest in the late 17th and early 18th century was often a six board chest, one single large board for each of six panels. The 20th century helped confuse the issue with introduction of the cedar chest, essentially storage chest made of either solid cedar or lined in cedar to minimize the intrusion of moths. They came in all sizes and forms, including simple storage chests, chests on drawers and even chests on stands that looked like complete cabinets with drawers but were really a single chest compartment. They were even called “hope chests,” the modern version of the dower chest. But very few of them were truly “blanket” chests in the traditional meaning of the term.

The final term in the industry that is open to the most interpretation, even to the point of initiating vigorous arguments and heated exchanges, has to do with the use of the term “antique” itself. What may or may not be an antique is certainly open to debate in many quarters and less so in others. Fortunately, there is not enough room left here for a full discussion of that subject. It will just have to wait.

Fred Taylor is a antique furniture Worthologist who specializes in American furniture from the Late Classicism period (1830-1850).

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Send your comments, questions and pictures to me at PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423 or info [at] furnituredetective [dot] com.

Visit Fred’s website at www.furnituredetective.com. His book “How To Be A Furniture Detective” is now available for $18.95 plus $3 shipping. Send check or money order for $21.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423.

Fred and Gail Taylor’s DVD, “Identification of Older & Antique Furniture,” ($17 + $3 S&H) and a bound compilation of the first 60 columns of “Common Sense Antiques,” by Fred Taylor ($25 + $3 S&H) are also available at the same address. For more information call 800-387-6377, fax 352-563-2916, or e-mail info [at] furnituredetective [dot] com.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

GENEVA – The Beau Sancy— one of the most important diamonds in historic, having been passed down through the Royal Families of France, England, Prussia and the House of Orange and witness of 400 years of European history—will bring between $2 and $4 million when it is sold at auction this spring here at Sotheby’s.

Weighing 34.98 carats, the modified pear double rose-cut diamond will be part of Sotheby’s sale of Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels on May 15.

The Beau Sancy—a modified pear double rose-cut diamond—witnessed 400 years or European history as it has been passed down through the Royal Families of France, England, Prussia and the House of Orange. It is expected to bring between $2 and $4 million when it is sold at auction on May 15 at Sotheby’s in Geneva.

“The Beau Sancy is one of the most fascinating and romantic gems ever to appear at auction,” said David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s Jewellery Department in Europe and the Middle East and co-chairman of Sotheby’s Switzerland.

Acquired by Nicolas de Harlay, Lord of Sancy (1546-1629), in Constantinople in the mid to late 1500s, the Beau Sancy is most likely to have originated from the mines in south central India near the city of Golconda, the source of history’s best-known diamonds, including the Hope, the Koh-i-Noor and the Regent. In 1604, the Beau Sancy was bought for 75,000 livres (25,000 écus) by Henri IV and gifted to his wife, Marie de Medici. The Queen of France had long desired the stone, particularly after learning that de Sancy had sold a larger stone—today known as the “Sancy”—to King James I of England. Testament to the importance her Majesty placed on the diamond, the Beau Sancy was mounted atop the crown she wore at her coronation in 1610, as shown in a magnificent portrait by Frans II Pourbus, the Younger, now in the Louvre.

Following Henri IV’s assassination by Ravaillac, the Queen was exiled in disgrace and escaped to the Netherlands. Heavily in debt, her possessions were sold and the Beau Sancy was acquired by Prince Frederick Hendrick of Orange-Nassau (1584-1647) for 80,000 florins—the most important expenditure in the state’s budget in 1641. In the same year, in an attempt to reinforce the alliances of the United Provinces of Holland with the great European powers, the diamond was used to seal the arrangement of the wedding of Frederick Hendrick’s son, Willem, later Willem II of Orange Nassau (1631-1660), to Mary Stuart, daughter of Charles I of England and Henriette-Marie of France, and grand-daughter of Marie de Medici.

After the death of her husband, Mary Stuart embarked for England with her jewels in order to support her brother Charles II in his fight for the throne. In 1662, the Beau Sancy was pawned to settle her debts and it was only in 1677, on the occasion of the wedding of Willem III of Orange-Nassau (1650-1702) to Mary II Stuart, daughter of the King of England James II, that the diamond reentered the Treasure of the House of Orange-Nassau. In 1689, the couple ascended the throne of England and thus, the Beau Sancy now joined the collection of the Queen of England. However, as the monarchs were childless at their death, the diamond went back to the House of Orange-Nassau.

Marie de Medici in coronation dress by Frans II Pourbus the Younger, 1610. The Beau Sancy sits atop the coronation crown.

In 1702, following the settlement of a dispute between the heirs to the House of Orange, Friedrich I, who had just been crowned the first King of Prussia, gave up the jewels of his legacy to obtain the Beau Sancy. The symbolic value and the prestige of the celebrated gem were such that the King made it the principal ornament of the new royal crown of Prussia and associated it with the first order of Prussia, the Order of the Black Eagle.

The largest gemstone within the House of Prussia’s collection, the Beau Sancy passed down to each successive generation until today. Worn by the women of the family on important royal occasions, the diamond adorned the costume of each successive bride on the day of her princely wedding, much like it had in the past. When the last German Emperor and King of Prussia fled to exile in Holland, in November 1918, the crown jewels remained at the Kaiser’s palace in Berlin. At the end of World War II, the collection was transferred to a bricked-up crypt for safe keeping in Bückeburg, where it was later found by British troops and returned to the estate of the House of Prussia.

After the war, the diamond was subsequently passed down to the eldest son of the Kaiser, Kronprinz Wilhelm (1882-1951) and his son, Prince Louis Ferdinand (1907-1994). After the death of Prince Louis Ferdinand, the diamond was inherited as part of the estate by his grandson, Georg Friedrich (1976-), Prince of Prussia and current head of the Royal House of Prussia.

The Beau Sancy has been shown publicly only four times in the last 50 years: first in 1972, alongside the Grand Sancy in Helsinki; in 1985, in Hamburg at the Schmuck aus dem Hause Hohenzollern exhibition; in 2001, in Paris again alongside the Grand Sancy at the Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle; and finally in 2004, in Munich at the Schatzhäuser Deutschands exhibition.

The Beau Sancy will be showcased in an international tour before its auction in Geneva on May 15.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Dr. Joe Vitale, bestselling author and star of “The Secret,” had been actually keeping a secret; that he collects antique books, many of which are author-signed first editions.

Dr. Joe Vitale, bestselling author and star of “The Secret,” had been actually keeping a secret; what he collects. While making movies, videos and writing books on all the things he firmly believes in, not once did he mention his interest in collecting rare books.

After watching some of his videos, I learned the power of persuasion and finagled a phone interview to hear more about how his childhood passion became a large part of his collection and who he is today.

RH: When did your interest in collecting rare books occur? Did you inherit a collection from a family member, an avid reader or something to do with your occupation?

VITALE: I wish. No one in my family read books. I became a bookaholic as a child, loving books and making them my best friends as I grew up. My mother read stories to me from the Bible, and I developed a love for books from there. I never thought of collecting books as I didn’t have the money and I knew where the library was. But in later years, as I became successful, the idea of owning the books I loved became a passion of mine. Since I’m an author, my love of books and book collecting is a natural extension of my life calling.

RH: Do you remember the first book in your collection and how you acquired it?

VITALE: The first really important book would be the signed first edition of Claude Bristol’s masterpiece, “The Magic of Believing.” That book transformed my life when I read it as a teenager. When I was in my forties, I found the rare book listed with a book dealer. Today I have two autographed copies of that influential book.

RH: You collect a broad spectrum of subject matters of books: P.T. Barnum, New Thought, magic and advertising. What’s the connection?

VITALE: The only logical connection is that these subjects are passions of mine, and areas where I’ve now written my own books. After I read P.T. Barnum’s autobiography, I started collecting whatever I could find by him. I have several autographed copies of his books. I later wrote a book about him titled: “There’s a Customer Born Every Minute.” I’ve been interested in magic since I was a child, inspired by the life of Houdini, so collecting magic books is something Houdini did (he also collected books by P.T. Barnum) and I wanted to do. New Thought is a love of mine too! I learned about the Law of Attraction (which is what the movie “The Secret” teaches) from rare books from the early 1900s. I’ve written books on advertising and marketing, so collecting books in those areas was also a natural extension of my love for the subjects.

RH: I am sure you have been asked numerous times for an autographed copy of your book “The Secret”. Do you also look for autographed copies of the books you collect?

VVITALE: Yes! I LOVE autographed books by my favorite authors. I found signed books by Jack London and William Saroyan, two authors who deeply influenced by writing style. I cherish them. Thinking that my literary heroes held the books makes me feel even more connected to them. I also have a rare signed copy of “Think and Grow Rich,” the famous self-help book by Napoleon Hill. I love it!

RH: What is your favorite book in your collection, and why?

VITALE: Easily the signed first edition copy of Houdini’s book, “A Magician Among the Spirits.” It is exceptionally rare, as Houdini signed it three times, and mentions in his own handwriting that he dedicated the book to his deceased mother, who he adored. It’s priceless.

RH: Where do you find books for your collection? Do you find them at flea markets? Auction houses? In rare bookstores?

VITALE: Before the Internet, I found them in old bookstores. Today I find them online. EBay is a terrific source for books, but you must maintain a buyer-beware attitude, as people often innocently list books as being collectible when they really aren’t. You need to know what you are looking for, and how to determine what is authentic.

RH: You stumble across a genie in a bottle. She gives you three wishes that pertain to your collection. What would they be?

VITALE: Genie, please give me a signed copy of Buddha’s autobiography. Or anything else signed by Phineas Parkhurst Quimby (the founder of New Thought). Anything signed by Thoreau or Emerson is welcome. A signed first edition of Herman Melville’s classic, “Moby Dick,” would be at the top of my wish list, too, as none even exist. But I’d ask for it anyway. I’d test Genie’s powers.

Thanks Dr. Vitale! I’ll keep my eyes open in my travels for your wish list. Hrpmh… he didn’t plead for Genie to get him an autographed copy of my book.

Reyne Haines is an appraiser with an expertise in 20th Century Decorative Arts. She hosts “The Art of Collecting” on KPRC in Houston, a weekly program spotlighting trends and news items in the world of antiques & collectibles, is a repeat guest on CBS’ “The Early Show” and can be heard on Martha Stewart Living Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio Network. She is also the author of the richly-illustrated book “Vintage Watches” published by Krause.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Patrick Nagle's booth looked totally haphazard by the last day of the September Brimfield Antique Shows. Still wished I bought that map.

The Brimfield Antique Shows just might be the largest outdoor show on the east coast, if not the entire USA. The week-long event in Brimfield, Mass., takes place three times a year—in May, July and September—and features thousands of dealers from all over the country. To give you a crystal-clear idea of the show’s scale, there are more than 21 fields to wade through, each measuring about three to five acres. This makes Brimfield not just an antiques show, but an endurance sport.

If you are planning on attending the May show for the first time next week (beginning on Tuesday, May 8 and running through Sunday, May 13), we have a few tips that will help make your experience a pleasant one.

A double vintage typewriter vignette by the Dealers: Al and Parry.

TIP No. 1: Have a Shopping Strategy
May is the busiest show of the year. Last May’s event broke attendance records for vendors and shoppers alike. With that said, having a shopping strategy in place will make the experience more pleasurable. Do your homework so you know each field’s schedule, as not every field opens at the same time or on the same day. Also, if you are not an early riser, remember you will not get the worm, a convenient parking spot or first dibs on that must-have piece.

A large gold horse head sold by Louis Farrick Antiques. Gaudy or fabulous? You tell us!

TIP No. 2: What to Pack
Be prepared to handle anything Mother Nature dishes out during your trip because the show goes on, rain or shine. The must-pack list includes: a GREAT pair of walking shoes, rain gear and comfortable clothing that you can layer. In addition, make sure your car is stocked with Band-Aids, sun block and plenty of water so you can fetch them as needed during the show.

Kathleen Ketcham of Comfort Matters featured pieces that conveyed a relaxed French style at the September 2011 show

TIP No. 3: Prepare a Shopping Tool Kit
Your kit should include a pair of work gloves for handling heavy and dirty items, a tape measure so you can double-check sizes, a pad and pen for notes, hand wipes and a small flash light in case you need additional light to examine an item more closely.

We met at least two dozen senior aged men who live totally off the grid. They allowed us to shoot their wares but they refused to give their names and claimed they had no address or phone. They did all have dogs.

TIP No. 4: How to Handle Purchases
Bring a few heavy-duty tote bags with you so you can carry small purchases. For large items, ask dealers if they can hold on to your purchases until end of day. Many of the fields have loading zones for cars so you can easily drive-in and pick up your loot on your way home.

At the last Brimfield show in September 2011, French antiques were spotted everywhere. Here is a peek at what Love Train Antiques brought to the show

TIP #5: Cash is King
Always ask a dealer what his or her best price is and be prepared to pay in cash because most vendors do not accept credit cards. Bring a mix of large and small bills because sometimes dealers can’t make change. And remember, a smile and a joke can go a long way during the negotiation process.

Have other tips to share about navigating the show? Leave a comment below.

Some antique light bulbs and electric components. What could you do with this stuff and a little ith a little creative rewiring?

Into vintage advertising? You'll find more than you could ever imagine at Brimfield.

DeDe Sullivan is a retrophile with a particular fondness for junktiques; discarded vintage treasures whose aesthetic worth far exceeds its monetary value. Her blog, VintageandFlea.com, documents her junking and antiquing adventures. This includes sharing her favorite places to score unique items, the history behind unusually finds, along with display and upcycling ideas. Have a question or story to tell? Shoot her an e-mail at dede [at] vintageandflea [dot] com!

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Edvard Munch’s iconic masterpiece “The Scream” sold for $119,922,500, setting a new world record for any work of art at auction.

NEW YORK – Twelve minutes may not sound like a long time, but Wednesday night, when eight people were fighting to outbid each other to win one of the most well-known paintings in the world, it seemed like ages. In the end, it came down to a prolonged battle between two highly determined phone bidders that carried the final selling price to its historic level.

When it was said and done, auction history was made at Sotheby’s in New York City when Edvard Munch’s iconic masterpiece “The Scream” sold for $119,922,500 (£73,921,284 / €91,033,826), setting a new world record for any work of art at auction. The previous record for a work of art at auction was held by Pablo Picasso’s “Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust,” which sold at Christie’s New York in May 2010 for $106,482,500.

Overall, the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale totaled a remarkable $330,568,550— Sotheby’s highest-ever total for a sale of Impressionist & Modern Art worldwide and the second-highest total for a Sotheby’s auction in any category, falling some $30 short of that mark set in a May 2008 auction that totaled $362,037,000.

“If ever there was a work of art of true shock and awe it is Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream,’ which is not only one of the seminal images from art history, but also one of the visual keys to the modern consciousness,” said Simon Shaw, senior vice president and head of Sotheby’s Impressionist & Modern Art department in New York.

“‘The Scream’ is worth every penny that the collector paid for it,” said Tobias Meyer, Sotheby’s worldwide head of Contemporary Art and the evening’s auctioneer. “It is one of the great icons of art in the world, and whoever bought it should be congratulated. Tonight was a historic night for Sotheby’s, and I am very happy to have been part of it. This evening’s sale was a dream for an auctioneer, and to be able to sell ‘The Scream’ for more than $100 million dollars hammer was a moment that I cherish as an auctioneer, and also a very proud moment for Sotheby’s.”

As the defining image of the Expressionist movement, “The Scream” stands as a pivotal work in the history of art. Munch created the image in the mid-1890s as the central element of his celebrated Frieze of Life series. The powerfully-rendered, blood-red sky presents the viewer with the reality of Munch’s experience at the moment he is gripped by anxiety in the hills above Oslo. Like his Dutch contemporary, Vincent van Gogh, Munch’s desire was to paint a new form of reality rooted in psychological experience, rather than visual. It is this projection of Munch’s mental state that was so artistically innovative—a landscape of the mind—whose impact is still felt in the art of today.

Pablo Picasso’s Dora Maar titled “Femme assise dans un fauteuil,” which achieved $29,202,500 and marked the second-highest price in the sale.

An icon of global visual culture, “The Scream” is instantly recognizable from Beijing to Moscow to New York. Since its creation at the turn of the 20th century, the provocative work has only gained relevance and impact over time. The haunting composition stands as the visual embodiment of modern anxiety and existential dread, referenced by everyone from Andy Warhol to “The Simpsons.” Munch and “The Scream” have been the subject of countless books, scholarly articles, films and museum exhibitions.

Munch created four versions of “The Scream.” The one sold Wednesday night dates from 1895 was the only version still in private hands. The prime example, worked in 1893 from tempera and crayon on board, is in the National Gallery of Norway; another pastel version from the same year is thought to be a preliminary sketch for the work, and is owned by the Munch Museum in Oslo; the present work from the Olsen Collection, created in 1895 from pastel on board, most closely follows the prime composition in the National Gallery; and a later version in tempera and oil on board, thought to be completed in 1910, is also in the collection of the Munch Museum. In addition, Munch created a lithograph of the image in 1895, which helped initiate the process of its mass proliferation.

Of the four versions of the work, the present “The Scream” is distinguished in several remarkable ways: it is the most colorful and vibrant of the four; the only version whose original frame was hand-painted by the artist to include his poem detailing the work’s inspiration; and the only version in which one of the two figures in the background turns to look outward onto the cityscape. This version has never before been on public view in either the United States or the United Kingdom, except briefly in the National Gallery in Washington D.C. decades ago.

“The Scream” has been in the collection of the Olsen family for more than 70 years. Thomas Olsen, scion of the great ship-owning dynasty, was a collector and supporter of Munch from the late 1920s. Olsen and the artist were neighbors at Hvitsten in Norway, where the young businessman’s role grew from friend to patron and eventually to protector of his works.

All but one of the 17 works from the estate of legendary financier Theodore J. Forstmann were sold in tonight’s auction, with the group totaling $83,012,000—well within its $64.4/96.2 million estimate.

Salvador Dalí's “Printemps nécrophilique” achieved $16,322,500, well in excess of its $12-million high estimate.

The selection of paintings, sculpture and works on paper were led by Pablo Picasso’s Dora Maar titled “Femme assise dans un fauteuil,” which achieved $29,202,500 and marked the second-highest price in the sale. Additional highlights from Forstmann’s collection included Joan Miro’s “Tête humaine” from 1931 that sold for $14,866,500 (presale estimate of $10-$15 million), and Paul Gauguin’s “Cabane sous les arbres” that brought $8,482,500 above a high estimate of $7 million.

A superb offering of Surrealist works in the evening sale was led by Salvador Dalí’s “Printemps nécrophilique” from 1936, which has not appeared on the market in nearly 15 years. The work achieved $16,322,500, well in excess of its $12-million high estimate. A group of five gouaches by René Magritte from a private European collection totaled a strong $4,588,500, in excess of their cumulative high estimate of $3.8 million, while Max Ernst’s 1940 depiction of his lover and fellow Surrealist Leonora Carrington titled” Leonora in the Morning Light” outperformed expectations in selling for $7,992,500 above a high estimate of $5 million.

Strong prices for sculpture in the New York auction were led by a group of works from an important European collection, featuring rare examples by Constantin Brancusi and Auguste Rodin. Brancusi’s “Prométhée” achieved $12,682,500, more than double its $6 million low estimate, while a group of pieces by Rodin—including four lifetime casts—totaled $5,878,000, above their overall high estimate of $5.3 million.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

An Iron Man figure from HeroClix, a very popular and very collectible Marvel superhero tabletop game. It’s a brand that has been going strong for a decade now, with literally hundreds and hundreds of figures.

Excitement for “The Avengers” movie, which will bring together some of Marvel Comics’ mightiest—and most profitable—superheroes, is building as favorable reviews from advance screenings are filtering in. Anticipation for the film  (to be released on Friday, May 4) has been fomented by the success of the Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Hulk movies, all of which had subtle and not-so-subtle leads into what looks to be a smash hit. As a lifelong comic book, fan it’s almost surreal to see an Avengers film make it to the screen.

Of course, I’m also a lifelong board games fan. And one of the more unusually under-represented fields of subject matter in hobby board gaming has always been superheroes. Of course, there have been countless mass-market superhero games over the years and many hold reasonable value more because of the characters than because of the actual play value. Sadly, the general consensus on mass-market tie-in board games is that they’re poorly designed and represent little more than craven cash-ins. But in the realm of more serious “gamer” games, it’s a rarely explored theme.

Still, there are a few worth noting, and a few that are quite valuable. In the spirit of the Avengers film, let’s make it an all-Marvel marquee.

Marvel Heroes (Fantasy Flight Games/Nexus Editrice, 2006)

The Italian publisher Nexus Editrice had a license to publish a Marvel Heroes board game and partnered with Fantasy Flight Games to publish it in the United States. Designed by the same team that created the award-winning and much-loved War of the Ring board game based on The Lord of the Rings novels, Marvel Heroes was an exquisitely produced title that came with fully painted miniatures representing members of the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Marvel Knights and the Avengers. The board was a wonderful comic-book-style map of New York City and it was packed with illustrated cards depicting villains, storylines, resources and other game elements. It was a $60 title at the time, but these days it would easily sell for $100.

Marvel Heroes is a board game that looks great, but the play is less than super.

The game wasn’t very good, at least in my estimation. It was convoluted, the rules were badly written and it felt overly mechanical. It has something of a cult following, however, and it remains in demand. At one point, Nexus was interested in a card game version of the title designed by the legendary Richard Launius, but Nexus was re-negotiating its license with Marvel literally right before the Iron Man movies began their successful run in theaters and the licensing fee skyrocketed.

As have aftermarket prices for Marvel Heroes. It’s the perfect storm for a collectible board game—out of print, unrenewable license foreclosing on reprint chances and an expensive, lavish production. Copies in new condition sell up to $170, with a median price seeming to fall somewhere in the $100 range. I sold mine before it went out of print for about $20. So much for my speculative acumen.

X-Men Alert (Pressman Toys, 1992)

A far less valuable Marvel superhero game but also one that’s a lot more fun is X-Men Alert, published in 1992 and designed by the celebrated Richard Borg, who has found great success in recent years with several light war-game designs. It was a more mainstream title manufactured by Pressman Toys and sold at major retailers. It was also apparently quite plentiful, I recall buying a couple of copies for $2.99 off a K-B Toys clearance shelf stacked with them sometime in the mid-1990s.

X-Men Alert: So many X’s for not a lot of $’s.

It’s a light, fun game with special dice and 18 silver plastic figures of the X-Men—including Wolverine, Colossus, Storm and Doctor X. It’s something of a team-building exercise, with players gathering characters (each with unique statistics and a special power) and taking on some of the team’s must nefarious villains including, of course, Magneto, as well as an assortment of evil mutants. It’s one of a subset of games that came out in the 1990s that sort of straddled the line between hobby and mass-market games, which has an interesting effect on demand.

There tends to be some nostalgia for the kinds of titles like X-Men Alert and even though they are often fairly common, prices tend to fluctuate wildly. It’s the kind of thing you can find at a thrift store or yard sale for next to nothing, but someone that really wants it will drop $50 on it without blinking. X-Men Alert, in particular, has a reputation for being one of the better superhero games, so that also can stir interest. But there were apparently a lot of these made, and it’s not uncommon to find collectors that have sealed copies tucked away on shelves. When I wanted to rebuy the game after my $2.99 copy was lost, I wound up spending 10 times that amount—which is still likely more than it sold for at retail.

HeroClix (WizKids, 2002)

Even though I don’t like the game and can’t bear the thought of getting involved in the morass of blind-purchase booster packs—in other words, boxes with undisclosed, randomly assorted figures—I’d be remiss to not mention HeroClix as a very popular and very collectible Marvel superhero tabletop game. It’s a brand that has been going strong for a decade now, with literally hundreds and hundreds of figures of not only Marvel characters, but also heroes and villains from DC and independent comics.

About a million dollars’ worth of HeroClix figures. I think I see Black Widow!

It’s a simple miniatures war game wherein each figure has a click-base to record statistics and identify special abilities, required die rolls and other information. Players assemble squads of heroes, villains or any combination thereof and duke it out with others in anything from one-on-one scraps to epic battles with dozens of figures. And since it’s specifically marketed as a collectible game, there are rare figures, convention-only promos and deluxe models including colossal characters like the world-eating Galactus. It’s the kind of game where the sky’s the limit in terms of how much you can spend—and its popularity and collectability means that there is a very active and lucrative aftermarket for loose figures.

Its comprehensiveness is certainly compelling. If you’re looking to stage a scrap featuring Nick Fury and all of the Avengers versus the entire DC Universe, you could do it. Provided you can afford it.

Michael Barnes is a lifelong game player, collector and enthusiast. He has parlayed his passion for games into several successful ventures, including a retail hobby store, two popular gaming Websites, and 10 years of widely read commentary and criticism about both tabletop and video games.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

A reader asked Harry Rinker about the value of this concert poster for a September 22-24, 1967, concert held at the Avalon Ballroom, Featuring The Charlatans and Buddy Guy, as well as a light show produced by The North American Ibis Alchemical Company.

QUESTION: As a gift, I received a concert poster for a September 22-24, 1967, concert held at the Avalon Ballroom, located at Sutter & Van Ness, San Francisco. The Charlatans and Buddy Guy were the featured acts. The North American Ibis Alchemical Company provided the light show. The poster is signed “Fried 67,” “No. 83-1,” and “1967 © Family Dog Productions / 639 Gough St. / San Francisco, Calif. 94102.” Four lines at the bottom indicate ticket outlets. The poster is in very good condition. What is it worth?

– R.S., Mohonton, Pa.

ANSWER: In the 26-year history of “Rinker on Collectibles,” I do not remember devoting a question and answer column to a single question. I am breaking precedent to demonstrate how researching a single object can lead in many different and fascinating directions.

In the Fall 2010 semester at Western Connecticut State University, I joined with Prof. John Briggs, Prof. Ruth Gyurer, Prof. Edward Hagan, Prof. Richard Halliburton, Prof. Christopher Kukk, and Professor Eric Lewis to teach an honors course entitled “Wunderkammer of Knowledge: Exploring the hidden spirit behind science, art, creativity and rational thought.” My role was to share with students the sense of wonder I found in objects. Using a Jack Armstrong All-American Boy decoder as an example, I spent 30 minutes showing students how to find dozens of stories inherent in this single object.

Over the years, I have encountered 1960s psychedelic art Avalon Ballroom posters at antiques and collectibles appraisal clinics, malls, shops and shows. For the past several years, Pomegranate has issued a series of calendars featuring the poster art. When taping material for Discovery’s “Pop Nation” in Austin, Texas, I encountered a person with more than 50 Avalon Ballroom posters from the 1960s. One does not have to be stoned to appreciate the avant garde quality of artwork produced by the illustrators.

In 1911, The Colin Traver Academy of Dance erected a building at 1268 Sutter Street in the Polk Gulch neighborhood of San Francisco. In early 1966, Robert E. Cohen and Chet Helms leased the two top floors of the multi-story building. The ballroom dance area, approximately 100 feet by 180 feet and surrounded by an L-shaped balcony on the second floor, and holds up to 500 participants. The performers play on an elevated stage in the northwest corner.

The Avalon Ballroom competed with concerts held at the Winterland Ballroom and The Fillmore, both larger venues. Concerts were held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and typically featured two bands playing two sets each. Cohen and Helms lost their lease in November 1968, each moving on to other ventures.

Chester Leo “Chet” Helms (Aug. 2, 1942 – June 25, 2005), the father of San Francisco’s “1967 Summer of Love,” founded and managed Big Brother and the Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin, helped developed many other bands, and produced psychedelic light-shows at the Fillmore and Avalon Ballroom. Active in the Civil Rights movement, he arrived in San Francisco in 1962. In February 1966, Helms created Family Dog Productions, a concert promotion company. Its first Avalon Ballroom concert was in April 1966.

Robert Cohen, a member of the Haight Ashbury Hall of Fame, created the sound system, noted for its high noise environment, at the Filmore. He carried his talents over to the Avalon Ballroom, expanding his interest to psychedelic lighting.

[AUTHOR’S ASIDE: For more information, Read Joe Selvin’s “Summer of Love”]

The North American Ibis Alchemical Company included Ben Van Meter, Marc Maxman and others. Macman would eventually join Bob Pullum and Brian Eppes to found Ariel Transit, a light show company. Ariel Transit eventually became the Brotherhood of Light. When the North American Alchemic Company folded in 1968, the Brotherhood of Light bought 12 of its carousels.

Rick Griffin, Alton Kelly, Victor Moscovo and Stanley Mouse are among the many illustrators who created the psychedelic art for the Avalon Ballroom posters. Bob Fried (April 7, 1937 – Jan. 1, 1975) was the artist for the Sept. 22-24, 1967 poster. Fried’s father was a well-known writer of scholarly works on horology. These books featured precisely drawn illustrations, some of which were done by his son Bob. Fried was a formally trained commercial artist, taking classes at the Pratt Institute when he was in his early teens and eventually studying graphs at New York City College. He won a scholarship and studied with Nicholas Crone at the Cooper Union. He received two consecutive Fulbright scholarships to Spain. After Spain, Fried and his wife Penelope moved to San Francisco so he could attend the San Francisco Art Institute. Fried was befriended by Victor Moscovo and Rick Griffin. His first poster work was for Family Dog. Penelope and Bob attended concerts at the Fillmore and Avalon Ballroom, often hanging out with performers back stage.

The Charlatans were one of the first San Francisco psychedelic rock bands. The Charlatans’ break came in the summer of 1965 when they became the house band for the Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, Nevada. The group held several recording sessions between 1965 and 1968, releasing “The Shadow Knows” as a single. Unfortunately for the group, it was not picked up by a major record label.

Buddy Guy, an American blues guitarist and singer, is one of the pioneers of the Chicago sound, influenced by the work of Muddy Waters. His career was well established by the time of his 1967 Avalon Ballroom appearance. Guy received his first record contract in 1958, eventually recording for Cobra Records. Chess Records released his “Left My Blues in San Francisco” album in 1967. Guy is viewed as a link between the blues and rock ‘n’ roll, impacting the work of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Robert Fried’s Avalon 1967 Ballroom September 22-24 poster, measuring 14 inches by 20 inches, was printed on uncoated index stock. In addition, three postcard versions, each measuring approximately 5 inches by 7 inches, were produced. The first has “place stamp here” on the reverse, the second a bulk rate permit and the third the bulk rate permit and a mechanically produced address.

In researching values, I had difficulty distinguishing between values for reproductions and period pieces. The difficulty arose over the use of “original” in the advertisements. Original is one of those words in the antiques and collectibles trade that needs careful interpretation. Technically speaking, every object is original, whether reproduction or period.

Having researched other Avalon Ballroom posters in the past, I expected to find prices ranging upward from $250. If I interpret the listings I found correctly, this Fried poster is one of the least desirable and, hence, least expensive of the Avalon Ballroom posters. Prices for period examples in near mint condition range from $60 to $75; a bargain.

When asked what is sold in the antiques and collectibles trade, I often respond with “stories and dreams.” It is the stories that make objects come alive. The stories immerse the owner into a distinct time period, introducing him/her to the characters, mores, and values that comprise the era.

This column just scratches the surface of one what can be learned from this Avalon Ballroom poster. While I lived during the Haight-Ashbury era, I was not an active participant in the “Summer of Love.” I was working my first job, paying a mortgage, and supporting a wife and child. I was tuned out when I should have been tuned in. While life is full of regrets, objects such as this Avalon Ballroom poster enable the formation of “what might have been” memories. Maybe another thing we sell in the trade is fantasies.

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Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out Harry’s Web site..

You can listen and participate in Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show “Whatcha Got?” on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. It streams live on the Genesis Communications Network.

“Sell, Keep Or Toss? How To Downsize A Home, Settle An Estate, And Appraise Personal Property” (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via Harry’s Web site..

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected queries will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5955 Mill Pond Court SE, Kentwood, MI 49512. You can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered. Please indicate that these are questions for WorthPoint.

Copyright © Rinker Enterprises, Inc. 2012

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

https://www.worthpoint.com/askWorthologist/index

Garfield #1 (Cover A Gary Barker)

The Comic Speculator is a blog written by WorthPoint Comic Book “Worthologist” Matt Baum that takes a look at each week’s hot new comics and back issues and the comic market place in general. Prices discussed here are taken from the Overstreet Guide to Comics (OVST), Comicspriceguide.com (CPG) and current online auction sales. Sales numbers and rankings are courtesy of ICV2.com. The codes under the prices of new titles discussed are Diamond Comics order codes that can be used to help your local comic retailer in ordering the issues discussed. If you want to hear what this nerd sounds like you can catch him on his podcast, the Two-Headed Nerd Comicast, where he and his friend Joe discuss the latest comic news, review some new comics, and answer your questions.

New Comics Roundup

Welcome back to another annotated shipping list! Hope you guys are digging the new format. From now on I’m going to do my durndest to get this blog updated on Tuesdays to give you some lead time to prepare for your New Comic Day shopping on Wednesday.

The big stories this week are the New DC #1′s especially their new Earth 2 titles that return the JSA to action. Also, don’t miss out on Dynamite’s The Spider #1 and the return of Valiant with X-O Manowar #1

Below you will find all the info you could possibly need on all the hot, new comics shipping this Wednesday May 2nd including variant ratios, storyline and creator notes and a little speculation on what could be hard to find in the future. The ratios listed after titles (ie. 1:10) represent how many issues of a regular cover retailers had to order to get the variant. Crossover issues also have codes next to them in parenthesis with the title of the crossover (ie. AvX) Be sure to let me know what you think of the new format and remember to click on the links for previews. For a full list of comics shipping this week, click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

12 GAUGE COMICS

I.C.E. #4 (of 4), $3.99

APE ENTERTAINMENT

Kung Fu Panda Digest Volume 2 It’s Elemental And Other Stories TP, $6.95
Richie Rich Volume 1 Welcome To Rich Rescue TP, $14.99

ARCANA STUDIO

Howard Lovecraft And The Undersea Kingdom GN, $12.95
Marlow GN, $14.95
Nether World GN, $19.95
Network GN, $14.95
Red Light GN, $14.95

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS

Betty And Veronica Friends Double Digest #224, $3.99
Life With Archie #19, $3.99
Sonic The Hedgehog #236, $2.99

AURUM PRESS

Ray Harryhausen’s Fantasy Scrapbook HC, $55.00
Robert Wells Trilogy Volume 1 Sacrifice GN, $24.95

BIG DOG INK

Rex Zombie Killer (One Shot), $3.50

BONGO COMICS

Bart Simpson’s Pal Milhouse (One Shot), $2.99
Simpsons Illustrated #2, $3.99

BOOM! STUDIOS

Fanboys vs. Zombies #2 (Cover A Humberto Ramos), $3.99
Fanboys vs. Zombies #2 (Cover B Khary Randolph), $3.99
Fanboys vs. Zombies #2 (Cover C Khary Randolph), 1:15
Fanboys vs. Zombies #2 (Cover D Ale Garza Sketch), 1:25
Fanboys vs. Zombies #2 (Cover E Humberto Ramos Sketch), 1:30

Fanboys Vs. Zombies #2 (Cover G Arthur Suydam CGC 9.8), 1:50. Unlike the Valen the Outcast CGC editions, the Fanboys vs. Zombies CGC 9.8 variants aren’t selling for much more than the $50-$60 most retailers are asking. Coincidentally, FBvsZ wasn’t as well-reviewed or ordered as Valen either. Watch for a $50-$55 price tag but I wouldn’t expect to see a lot of these out there.

Garfield #1 (Cover A Gary Barker), $3.99. This is, in fact, a brand new monthly Garfield comic written by Mark Evanier (who has worked on an amazing number of Hanna Barbara comics and TV shows and wrote for “Welcome Back Kotter”) and Garfield creator Jim Davis’s personal assistant, Gary Barker. I’m not sure how much love there is for Garfield in the comic community and it wouldn’t surprise me to see very low orders on #1.

Garfield #1 (Cover B Gary Barker Superhero Variant), 1:15

Garfield #1 (Cover C Jim Davis 1st Appearance of Garfield)

Garfield #1 (Cover C Jim Davis 1st Appearance of Garfield), 1:30. If one of these is hot, it’ll be the 1:30 first appearance variant (I had no idea that’s what he originally looked like) but I wouldn’t expect to see a lot of shops ordering the 30 necessary to get it. Watch for a $25-$30 price tag.

Incorruptible Volume 6 TP, $16.99
Planet Of The Apes Volume 2 TP, $14.99
Rich Johnston’s The Avengefuls #1 (Fred Hembeck Variant Cover), 1:15
Rich Johnston’s The Avengefuls #1 (Mark Stafford Regular Cover), $3.99
Roger Langridge’s Snarked Volume 1 TP, $14.99
Stan Lee’s Starborn Volume 3 TP, $14.99
Supurbia #3, $3.99
Tanpopo Collection Volume 1 HC, $24.99

CENTIPEDE PRESS

Best Horror Stories of Karl Edward Wagner Volume 2 Walk On The Wild Side HC, $45.00

CHRONICLE BOOKS

Star Wars Darth Vader And Son HC, $14.95

CLARION BOOKS

Teen Boat GN, $14.99

COMIC SHOP NEWS

Comic Shop News #1298

DARK HORSE COMICS

Skeleton Key Color Special (One Shot), $3.50

DC COMICS

Action Comics #9 (Combo Pack Edition), $4.99. Comes with digital download code.
Action Comics #9 (Gene Ha Regular Cover), $3.99

Action Comics #9 (Gene Ha Black & White Variant Cover), 1:200. Stay under the $100 price range here. Even though the Action #8 1:200 is currently selling in the $100-$125 range, keep in mind Rags Morales was the artist. Gene Ha supplies the cover art here and, as much as I love his work, his name doesn’t command as high of a price.

Action Comics #9 (Rags Morales Variant Cover)

Action Comics #9 (Rags Morales Variant Cover). Retailers could order this variant based on the number of their lowest-ordered DC Relaunch #9 issue shipping this week. My guess is Stormwatch. Regardless, you can find these for cover price. Do not pay more than cover. There’re retailers out there marking these variants at $10. Don’t fall for it. This is not a ratioed variant and they are readily available. Final warning… Well, until next week, anyway.

American Vampire Volume 2 TP, $17.99
Animal Man #9, $2.99. “Extinction Forever” Part 1 guest starring John Constantine from Hellblazer.
Animal Man Volume 1 The Hunt TP, $14.99
Batman And Robin Volume 3 Batman And Robin Must Die TP, $17.99

Batwing #9 (Night Of The Owls)

Batwing #9 (Night Of The Owls), $2.99. All the Night of the Owls crossover issues are going to sell fast, but I’m guessing this Batwing issue will be one of the lowest-ordered and hardest to find. As of Monday night, this issue was still in stock but I’m guessing when the reorders come in it sells out before Friday.

Detective Comics #9 (Night Of The Owls)(Tony S. Daniel Regular Cover), $3.99. Another Owls issue, but this one should be readily available due to high advance reorders.

Detective Comics #9 (Night Of The Owls)(Combo Pack Edition), $4.99. Comes with digital download code.

Detective Comics #9 (Night Of The Owls)(Jason Fabok Variant Cover)

Detective Comics #9 (Night Of The Owls)(Jason Fabok Variant Cover), 1:25. Another great-looking variant by newcomer Fabok who, until recently, had been working on Soulfire from Aspen. Watch for this guy to have a penciling gig on a major DC title soon and watch for a $10-$12 price tag.

Detective Comics #9 (Night Of The Owls)(Tony S. Daniel Black & White Variant), 1:200. Stay below $100 here as well. With the Owls storyline pushing sales on Detective even higher than usual, there should be no shortage of these variants.

Dial H #1 (Brian Bolland Regular Cover)

Dial H #1 (Brian Bolland Regular Cover), $2.99. This is one of the new DC Second Wave relaunch titles and I’m guessing, even though it saw some action in advance reorders, Dial H will be the lowest-order of the four #1 shipping this week. While writer China Meiville may have proved himself as a bestselling novelist, he’s yet to do squat in the comic world. Which really means he’s just shifting gears from a high-paying gig writing novels to a comic-hobby with small benefits. Regardless, this title looks like fun but I don’t issue #1 doing much.

Dial H #1 (David Finch & Richard Friend Variant Cover), 1:25

Earth 2 #1 (Ivan Reis & Joe Prado Regular Cover)

Earth 2 #1 (Bryan Hitch Variant Cover)

Earth 2 #1 (Ivan Reis & Joe Prado Regular Cover), $3.99. Earth 2 is the big story this week for two reasons; it’s the return of the JSA; and everyone wants to see how DC is going to pull this off. Mainly because it’s an entirely different world in an entirely different dimension. Weird, right? But here’s to hoping it’s great. I’m guessing this one sells out at Diamond but orders were very high so there should be plenty first-printings to go around.

Earth 2 #1 (Bryan Hitch Variant Cover), 1:25. This is a very nice looking Hitch variant and the first DC cover I remember seeing from him in quite some time. Watch for a $12-$15 price tag and I would expect these to go fast.

G.I. Combat #1 (Brett Booth Regular Cover), $3.99. This is DC’s second try at a monthly war comic after the cancelation of Men of War and this time they’re trying a more fantastic angle. The first issue features the return of the War that Time Forgot story about soldiers fighting dinosaurs by J.T. Krul and the return of the Unknown Soilder by Jonah Hex writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray.

G.I. Combat #1 (Ariel Olivetti Variant Cover)

G.I. Combat #1 (Ariel Olivetti Variant Cover), 1:25. I love this variant. Want to sell me on a comic? Dinosaurs biting helicopters on the cover is a pretty damn good start. This cover is coming home with me. This could be the challenger to Dial H for the lowest-ordered, as war comics just don’t sell like they used to. Which also could make this variant hard to find. Watch for a $15-$17 price tag.

Green Arrow #9, $2.99
Justice League #6 (Jim Lee & Scott Williams 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $3.99
Justice League International #9, $2.99
Justice League Volume 1 Origin HC, $24.99
Red Lanterns #9, $2.99
Sandman Volume 9 The Kindly Ones TP (New Edition), $19.99
Smallville Season 11 #1, $3.99
Spirit World HC, $39.99

Stormwatch #9 (Miguel Sepulveda Regular Cover), $2.99. New writer Peter Milligan takes over. Please take the dumb spike off the Midnighter’s chin. Please!

Stormwatch #9 (Miguel Sepulveda Black & White Variant Cover), 1:25

Superman #1 (George Perez 3rd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99. First-printings of Superman #1 are finally starting to see some higher prices with copies recently selling for $10. Unfortunately, the new creative team doesn’t seem to be bringing much new excitement to the title, so I don’t see that price going up much more soon.

Swamp Thing #9 (Yanick Paquette Regular Cover), $2.99
Swamp Thing #9 (Yanick Paquette Variant Cover), 1:25
Sweet Tooth #33, $2.99

Teen Titans Annual #1 (The Culling), $4.99. Part 1 of The Culling storyline that pits the Teen Titans against the members of the Legion of Super-Heroes from the Legion Lost title.

Worlds’ Finest #1 (George Perez Regular Cover), $2.99. This is the last of this week’s new DC series and it stars Power Girl and the Huntress as refugees from Earth 2 stuck on Earth 1. I guess the Multiverse is truly back.

Worlds’ Finest #1 (Kevin Maguire Variant Cover)

Worlds’ Finest #1 (Kevin Maguire Variant Cover), 1:25

DRAWN AND QUARTERLY

Fallen Words GN, $19.95

DYNAMIC FORCES

Avengers Assemble #1 (Dynamic Forces)(Ken Haeser Remarked Edition), $49.99. If ordered after final cutoff date (4/10/12) the price goes up to $89.99. Which is insane, especially considering that the fully inked sketch is by Ken Haeser, artist of The Living Corpse. Nothing against Ken, I’m sure he’s a great guy, but he had nothing to do with issue. You could probably get the series artist Mark Bagley to draw a sketch on the cover for $90.

Warlord Of Mars Dejah Thoris #11 (Dynamic Forces)(Ale Garza Exclusive Risque Red Cover), $14.99

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

Boys #66, $3.99
Kirby Genesis Silver Star #5 (Alex Ross Regular Cover), $3.99, 1:2
Kirby Genesis Silver Star #5 (Alex Ross Virgin Variant Cover), 1:10
Kirby Genesis Silver Star #5 (Jae Lee Regular Cover), $3.99, 1:4
Kirby Genesis Silver Star #5 (Mark Buckingham Regular Cover), 3.99, 1:4
Lone Ranger #5 (Francesco Francavilla Regular Cover), $3.99
Red Sonja #66 (John Watson Regular Cover), $3.99
Red Sonja #66 (Walter Geovani Regular Cover), $3.99
Spider #1 (Alex Ross Regular Cover), $3.99
Spider #1 (Ron Lesser Regular Cover), $3.99
Spider #1 (Francesco Francavilla Regular Cover), $3.99

Spider #1 (John Cassaday Regular Cover), $3.99. The Spider returns to comics as part of Dynamite’s parade of Pulp and Golden-Age characters, but this one has a great writer attached. David Liss, who wrote the most recent volume of Black Panther and Mystery Men for Marvel—both were great and no one read them—is handling the creative duties here and the previews look solid. I’ll be reviewing this one on the podcast this week and trying to figure out what sets this character apart from the Shadow. All regular covers 1:4.

Spider #1 (Cassaday Black and White Variant)

Spider #1 (Francesco Francavilla Virgin Variant Cover)

Spider #1 (Cassaday Black and White Variant) 1:15. Awsome Cassaday variant here and probably the easiest one to find. Watch for a $7-$10 price tag.

Spider #1 (Francesco Francavilla Virgin Variant Cover), 1:25. Nobody makes me want to buy a comic solely based on the cover image like Francavilla. He’s too damn good at this. I love this variant and you should too! Watch for a $12-$15 price tag.

Spider #1 (Alex Ross Sketch Variant Cover)

Spider #1 (Alex Ross Sketch Variant Cover), 1:35. As always, a real nice sketch variant by Alex Ross, but I thought this was a painted cover. Whatever, still very cool and at 1:35 there should be some out there. Watch for a $15-$17 price tag.

Voltron Year One #2 (Admira Wijaya Regular Cover), $3.99
Voltron Year One #2 (Admira Wijaya Negative Variant Cover), 1:20
Voltron Year One #2 (Admira Wijaya Virgin Variant Cover), 1:10
Witchblade Red Sonja #3 (Ale Garza Regular Cover), $3.99

GG STUDIOS

One Volume 1 TP, $18.99

GRAPHIC UNIVERSE
Lou Volume 2 Summertime Blues GN, $8.95
Summer Camp Science Mysteries Volume 2 The Nighttime Cabin Thief GN, $6.95
Summer Camp Science Mysteries Volume 3 A Hunt For Hidden Treasure GN, $6.95

HEAVY METAL MAGAZINE

Heavy Metal Volume 36 #3 (May 2012), $7.95

IDW PUBLISHING

30 Days Of Night #7 (Davide Furno Regular Cover), $3.99
30 Days Of Night #7 (Jason Shawn Alexander Variant Cover), 1:10
Doctor Who Classics Series 4 #3 (of 6), $3.99
Dorothy Of Oz Prequel #2 (of 4)(Eric Shanower Regular Cover), $3.99
Dorothy Of Oz Prequel #2 (of 4)(CGI Character Art Variant Cover), 1:10
Dungeons And Dragons Forgotten Realms Classics Volume 3 TP, $19.99
G.I. JOE A Real American Hero #178 (Cover A S. L. Gallant), $3.99 1:2
G.I. JOE A Real American Hero #178 (Cover B Herb Trimpe), $3.99 1:2
G.I. JOE A Real American Hero #178 (Larry Hama Sketch Variant Cover), 1:10
G.I. JOE Retaliation Official Movie Prequel TP, $17.99
Godzilla Kingdom Of Monsters Volume 3 TP, $17.99
Locke And Key Volume 4 Keys To The Kingdom TP, $19.99
Star Trek #8 (Tim Bradstreet Regular Cover), $3.99
Star Trek #8 (Tim Bradstreet Sketch Variant Cover), 1:10
Star Trek #8 (Photo Variant Cover), 1:20
Star Trek Classics Volume 3 Encounters With The Unknown TP, $21.99

IMAGE COMICS

Avengelyne #8 (Cover A Rob Liefeld), $2.99
Blue Estate #11, $2.99
Bulletproof Coffin Disinterred #4 (of 6), $2.99
D.O.G.S. Of Mars TP, $15.99

Danger Club #1 (2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99. First-printings of Danger Club #1 are still selling for $10 and look to be slowly going up from there. If you can find one for less, buy it!

Epic Kill #1

Epic Kill #1, $2.99. This one, like most Image #1’s, sold out before shipping, but that seems to have become standard practice anymore. It’s hard to know if there’s genuine buzz here or just retailers speculating because they’re sick of missing the boat on these. The premise sounds fun but the art leaves a little to be desired. This could be one to watch.

Hack Slash #15 (Cover A Tim Seeley & Rachelle Rosenberg), $3.50
Hack Slash #15 (Cover B Anders Eid), $3.50
Hell Yeah #2 (2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Marksmen Volume 1 TP, $15.99

Mind The Gap #1 (Cover A Rodin Esquejo & Sonia Oback)

Mind The Gap #1 (Cover B Rodin Esquejo & Sonia Oback)

Mind The Gap #1 (Cover A Rodin Esquejo & Sonia Oback), $2.99

Mind The Gap #1 (Cover B Rodin Esquejo & Sonia Oback), $2.99. Mind the Gap #1 has also sold out before shipping but it could be due to the ordering incentives that made the comic 100-percent returnable for retailers that order 150 percent more of this issue than Morning Glories #15. There’s no risk involved, so why not? I still think this one is going to be hot! Eisner award-winner Jim McCann (Return of the Dappermen) is writing this one and there’s a ton of good buzz behind it. Watch for prices to go up fast, maybe not Saga #1 fast but fast.

Pigs #7, $2.99
Spawn #219, $2.99
Supreme #63 (2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Supreme #64, $2.99
Vescell #7, $2.99
Witchblade #150 (Stjepan Sejic Top Cow Store Exclusive Variant Cover), $20.00

JOHN BLAKE

Zombies A-Z SC, $12.95

KETTLEDRUMMER BOOKS

Young Lovecraft Volume 1 GN (New Printing), $19.95
Young Lovecraft Volume 2 GN, $19.95

KODANSHA COMICS

Love Hina Omnibus Volume 3 TP (Kodansha Edition), $19.99
Negima Volume 34 GN, $10.99
Tokyo Mew Mew Omnibus Volume 3 TP, $19.99

LAST GASP

Hi Fructose Collected Edition Volume 2 HC, $39.95

LITTLE SHOPPE OF HORRORS

Little Shoppe Of Horrors #28, $9.95

LUCASBOOKS

Star Wars Scourge MMPB, $7.99

MANUSCRIPT PRESS

Comics Revue Presents April 2012, $19.95

MARVEL COMICS

Age Of Apocalypse #3, $2.99
Amazing Spider-Man #685 (Stefano Caselli Regular Cover), $3.99

Amazing Spider-Man #685 (Gabriele Dell’Otto Variant Cover)

Amazing Spider-Man #685 (Gabriele Dell’Otto Variant Cover), 1:15. These Ends of the Earth variants are still selling well but the big winner appears to be the Amazing Spidey #682 (part one of Ends of the Earth) 1:25 Doc Ock variant, which is selling for $50. I expect these others will continue to creep up in price but not that high. Not sure why they dropped to 1:15 ratios either. Watch for $7-$9 price tag.

Amazing Spider-Man Secret Origins TP, $14.99
Avengers Academy #29, $2.99 (AvX tie-in)
Avengers Assemble Volume 3 TP, $34.99
Avengers Black Widow Strikes #1 (of 3), $2.99. Takes place in the Avengers movie continuity after Iron Man 2 and before Avengers.
Avengers Kree Skrull War HC, $34.99
Avengers The Art Of Marvel’s The Avengers HC (with slipcase), $49.99
Avengers vs. X-Men #3 (of 12)(Jim Cheung Regular Cover), $3.99. Sold out before shipping but I don’t see there being shortage of #3’s on the stands.
Avengers vs. X-Men #3 (of 12)(J. Scott Campbell Avengers Team Variant Cover),

Avengers vs. X-Men #3 (of 12)(J. Scott Campbell X-Men Team Variant Cover). Retailers had to exceed their orders of Avengers vs. X-Men #1 (which is insane) and they could order all they needed of these variants. Most of the Team variants aren’t selling for much more than cover price so don’t go nuts here.

Avengers vs. X-Men #3 (of 12)(J. Scott Campbell Variant Cover)

Avengers vs. X-Men #3 (of 12)(Sara Pichelli Variant Cover)

Avengers vs. X-Men #3 (of 12)(J. Scott Campbell Variant Cover), 1:25. With the high orders on this title, I’d expect there to be plenty of Campbell variants out there but competitive pricing on the variants could make fans snatch them up quickly. Watch for a $7-$9 price tag.

Avengers vs. X-Men #3 (of 12)(Sara Pichelli Variant Cover), 1:100

Avengers vs. X-Men #3 (of 12)(Sara Pichelli Sketch Variant Cover), 1:200. Congrats are due to Pichelli for such a high-profile variant. She’s been doing amazing work on a little title called Ultimate Spider-Man and it’s about time she got some work in the regular Marvel U. That said, the A vs. X 1:100 variants are only selling for around $50 and the 1:200’s for just over $130. A couple pre-sales for the Pichelli variant on eBay hit $150, but I don’t see prices staying there. Even at 1:200, there should be plenty of these to meet demand.

Avengers X-Sanction HC (Premiere Edition), $24.99
Daredevil #12, $2.99
Defenders #6, $3.99
Dorothy And The Wizard In Oz #6 (of 8), $3.99

Exiled #1, $2.99. This one-shot kicks off the five-issue Journey Into Mystery/New Mutants Crossover and it’s going to be a ton of fun. Read this!

Fury MAX Cold Warrior #1

Fury MAX Cold Warrior #1, $3.99. Garth Ennis tells the mature readers the story of young Nick Fury just after WWII. This one sold out before shipping and could be tough to find.

Hulk Return Of The Monster HC (Premiere Edition), $29.99
Hulk Return Of The Monster HC (Premiere Edition)(Direct Market Variant Edition Volume 90), $29.99

Hulk Smash Avengers #1 (of 5), $2.99. Part one of a weekly series that explores the history of the Hulk and the Avengers.

Invincible Iron Man #516, $3.99
Marvel Super Heroes #1, $4.99
Marvel’s The Avengers Prelude Fury’s Big Week TP, $14.99
Marvel’s The Avengers The Avengers Initiative, $2.99. All-ages prequel to Avengers movie.
Supercrooks #1 (of 4)(Leinil Francis Yu 2nd Printing Variant Cover), $2.99
Toy Story #3 (of 4), $2.99
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #10, $3.99
Venom #17 (Mike Del Mundo Regular Cover), $2.99
Venom #17 (Kev Walker Variant Cover), 1:20
Wolverine And The X-Men Alpha And Omega #5 (of 5), $3.99
X-Factor #235 (David Yardin Regular Cover), $2.99
X-Men #28, $3.99

MONSTERS FROM THE VAULT

Monsters From The Vault #30, $9.98

MONSTERVERSE

Bela Lugosi Tales From Grave #2 (resolicited), $4.99

OTR PUBLISHING

Green Hornet A History Of Radio Motion Pictures Comics And Television SC, $44.95
Shadow The History And Mystery Of The Radio Program 1930-1954 SC, $44.95
Twilight Zone Unlocking The Door To A Television Classic SC, $44.95

PACIFIC COMICS CLUB

Connie Volume 3 Unseen Avenger TP (resolicited), $14.95

PANINI PUBLISHING

Doctor Who Magazine #446, $8.99

PAPERCUTZ

Three Stooges Volume 1 Bed Bugged GN, $6.99
Three Stooges Volume 1 Bed Bugged HC, $10.99

PINWHEEL PRESS

Man Of God #1 (of 6)(Dan Brereton Cover)

Man Of God #1 (of 6)(Dan Brereton Cover), $3.50

Man Of God #1 (of 6)(Yvel Guichet Cover), $3.50. I met these guys at C2E2 in Chicago a couple of weeks ago and bought a copy of #1. Good stuff for horror fans. Reminded me of Sam Rami’s Dark Man. Pick this up if you can find it. I’m sure the print-run was tiny but it did sell out before shipping so good luck finding a first-printing if this series takes off. Mine is signed by the whole creative team!

SANCTUM PRODUCTIONS

Doc Savage Double Novel Volume 58, $14.95
Shadow Double Novel Volume 60,

SELFMADEHERO

Kiki de Montparnasse GN, $24.95

SKYHORSE PUBLISHING

Tangles A Story About Alzheimer’s My Mother And Me GN, $14.95

SQPINC

Art Of James Hottinger SC, $14.95

STEVE LECOUILLIARD

Much The Miller’s Son Volume 3 Robin’s Seven HC, $20.00

TITAN PUBLISHING

Star Wars Insider #133 (Special)(Newsstand Edition), $6.99
Star Wars Insider #133 (Special)(Previews Exclusive Edition), $6.99

UDON ENTERTAINMENT

Valkyria Chronicles Volume 2 World Artworks SC, $49.99

VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT

X-O Manowar #1 (Esad Ribic Regular Cover)

X-O Manowar #1 (Aja Variant Cover Edition)

X-O Manowar #1 (Esad Ribic Regular Cover), $3.99. It’s the return of the Valiant U with the new X-O title. I’m not sure what the print-run was like on #1 but it hasn’t sold out yet, which leads me to believe retailers aren’t sure what to expect here, sales-wise. I’m guessing copies go fast and reorders push #1 into sellout status by the weekend. But we’ll have to watch this one to see what happens. Valiant is a relative unknown for now. I know at least I’m excited.

X-O Manowar #1 (Aja Variant Cover Edition), 1:20. Very cool Aja variant here. If I didn’t love Esad Ribic as much as I do, I’d probably go for this one. Watch for a $10-$12 price tag.

X-O Manowar #1 (Cary Nord Pullbox Variant Cover)

X-O Manowar #1 (Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic QR Voice Variant Cover)

X-O Manowar #1 (Cary Nord Pullbox Variant Cover). Retailers could order this variant as needed, but it’s supposed to be an incentive for customers who preordered the comic. Unfortunately, there’s no way to enforce the idea, so I’d treat this like another regular cover.

X-O Manowar #1 (Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic QR Voice Variant Cover), 1:50. I love the idea here. The cover has a box with a QR code. First you scan the code with your phone, then set the phone in the box over the mouth on the cover and a moving mouth appears on your phone telling you the history of the main character. It’s a gimmick, sure, but a very creative one. Watch for a $35-$40 price tag.

WW NORTON

Influencing Machine SC, $16.95

ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT

Grimm Fairy Tales Myths And Legends #16 (Cover A Stjepan Sejic), $2.99
Grimm Fairy Tales Myths And Legends #16 (Cover B Robert Atkins), $2.99
Grimm Fairy Tales Volume 11 TP, $15.99

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Matt Baum is WorthPoint’s comic book Worthologist. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact Matt or post your question below in the Comic Book Forum in the WorthPoint Forums, located in the Community tab. You can also reply to this article in the “leave a reply box below. If you need more comic-nerd in your life, you can follow Matt on Twitter, where he’s always screaming about something nerd-related. Thanks to all Matt’s new followers and keep the comments coming!

Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint to search its database or use its “Ask A Worthologist” feature. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Cari Cucksey, the treasure hunter and broker extraordinaire who hosts HGTV’s “Cash and Cari.” talks with Martin Willis about life after becoming a reality TV star.

Martin Willis talks to estate sale specialist & entrepreneur Cari Cucksey of the popular reality show, HGTV’s Cash & Cari. They discuss what has happened to her life since cameras have starting rolling, interesting behind the scenes of an estate sale and more. For more on Cari, check out her other websites, Repurpose Shop and Repurpose Estate.

Listen here:

105

Martin Willis is Worthologist, auctioneer and director of decorative arts for James D. Julia Auctioneers for the Boston region. You can hear his podcasts at the at Antique and Auction Forum, featuring interviews with key players in the antiques and collectibles trade.

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WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth