Set Description:
MOST FAVORITE COVER AND BOOK IS ACTION COMICS # 721. IT IS AN EXTRAORDINARILY “13 CONNECTION” COVER.
SET OBJECTIVES:
OBJECTIVE 1: To Collect maximum Action Comics in this set.
OBJECTIVE 2: To include maximum CGC RECOGNIZED PEDIGREES.
OBJECTIVE 3: To include maximum CGC UNRECOGNIZED SPECIAL/UNIQUE COLLECTIONS.
OBJECTIVE 4: To include HIGHEST GRADED NON-PEDIGREE copies.
OBJECTIVE 5: To include maximum CGC OLD LABEL copies.
SET MISSION GOALS: 100 % completion as soon as possible.
INCLUSION CRITERIA: Pedigree and Special Collection Copies with WHITE PAGES. CGC Certified with GRADE 9.4 and HIGHER ONLY.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA: CGC Certified Grades UNDER 9.4 but tough to obtain issues will be considered on a case by case basis and may be included until INCLUSION CRITERIA based HIGHER GRADED copies become available. The lower graded copy will then drop into a SECONDARY SET.
CRITERIA EXCEPTIONS: CGC Certified RECOGNIZED PEDIGREE Copies under GRADE 9.4.
THIS IS VERY TOUGH SET TO COLLECT IN 9.8/9.9/10.0.
This set is at the tail end of my collection and the goal is to complete this set with all books in grade 9.8 if possible. It is a collection of SUPER-HIGH GRADE ACTION COMICS. Every effort has been made to include the BEST available copies into this collection. A tremendous effort has been made to track and locate PEDIGREE COPIES and include them into this set. This has lead to the characterization of PEDIGREE CGC 9.8 ACTION COMICS versus NON-PEDIGREE CGC 9.8 ACTION COMICS. The non-pedigree CGC 9.8 books are included in my SECONDARY SET.
This set includes some amazing copies:
1.Action Comics #546 (CGC 9.9 and the SINGLE highest graded copy).
2.Action Comics #561 (CGC 9.9,SINGLE Highest graded copy).
3.Action Comics #573 (CGC 9.9,SINGLE Highest graded copy).
4.Action Comics #578 (CGC 10.0, SINGLE highest graded copy).
These books are HISTORICAL in their own sense as Action Comics #546 was the very FIRST Action Comics in this ENTIRE series to be graded 9.9 and Action Comics #578 was the very FIRST Action Comics in the entire series to be graded 10.0.
This set includes books from the following PEDIGREES and COLLECTIONS:
1.THE GOLDEN STATE COLLECTION
The Golden State collection was amassed by a meticulous collector residing in the San Francisco area who carefully filed away his newsstand copies each month. The core of the collection ranged from the early 60s to present, but also included a very impressive run of Golden Age as well. Unfortunately, this superb collection of comics does not have an official Pedigree designation.
2.THE DAVID TOTH COLLECTION
David Toth was a career United States Air Force MD officer who managed to keep his collection intact and stunningly immaculate through decades of moves. Stretching from the mid 50s through the 90s, with only a small gap when he was in Medical School. David N. Toth began collecting in earnest in 1955, frequenting the comic racks of a confectionery where his mother worked. He had an affinity for Dells, Harveys, and DCs, eventually concentrating on DCs, which he avidly collected until he graduated from high school. His collecting was interrupted somewhat from 1968–72 as he pursued becoming an MD, but continued throughout moves to West Germany and five different U.S. cities. In the early 1990s, son Andrew Toth also caught the “collecting bug,” and the father-son team bought virtually every comic and comic-related item that came out. The most astounding copies are from David’s original newsstand copies from the late 1950s and early 1960s. Dr. Toth (no relation to comic artist Alex Toth) discovered that newspaper bags were a good fit for his comic books, giving him a head-start on plastic protection before specialized comic book bags became widespread. This collection also unfortunately does not have official Pedigree status, But the comics from this collection are pristine and astonishingly survived multiple moves and the harshest Environmental extremes including austere environment locations. BOOKS FROM THIS COLLECTION ARE DEDICATED TO THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE and will always be very special to me.
3.THE DON ROSA COLLECTION
Accumulated by world renowned and Eisner award winning comic book artist, writer, and historian, KENO DON ROSA, these complete runs contain every comic book and comic magazine issued from every publisher from 1966 to the late 1980's. Rosa began collecting in earnest in 1962, and these books were carefully purchased individually off the stands as they appeared over the years.
This one-owner collection is unique in that most of these issues may have been read only once and then carefully tucked away in optimum storage conditions in archival boxes in a climate controlled "vault". In fact, the books were not placed in polybags where they would have been subject to oil transfer and staining after only a couple of years. This has accounted for the brilliant sheen, deep ink reflectivity, sharp corners and pristine look of virtually the entire group of comic books.
These comics represent only a small portion of the massive collection which includes full runs of most titles from every comics publisher dating back to 1945. Since the 1960's Don Rosa has been recognized as one of the first comics history scholars of fandom. He has written and illustrated Question & Answer columns for the major fanzines of the 70's including such notable publications as ROCKET'S BLAST COMIC COLLECTOR, CBG(TBG)COMICS JOURNAL, and AMAZING HEROES. During the 1980's this international award-winning comics writer-artist has gained fame as one of the world's most famous and recognized cartoonists due to his work on the still best-selling European comics involving the Ducks of the legendary Carl Barks.
4.THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN PEDIGREE
Rocky Mountain collection was a part of an original owner collection. Rocky Mountain, so named because it is from Colorado, contains over 5,000 comic books in high-grade runs of Marvel and DC titles from the 1960’s and up. The comic books were stored meticulously for decades in a cool, dry basement, and have bold, newsstand-fresh colors and white or off-white to white pages. There are many Rocky Mountain examples that are the highest certified for their issue. One of the unique things about the Rocky Mountain pedigree is that there are photographs of it in its original state, making it one of the most thoroughly documented pedigrees. It has long run of Marvel and DC, and because of their high grades and their market acceptance, this collection certainly has special merit.
5. MILE HIGH II PEDIGREE-ACTION COMICS # 535 CGC 9.6.
A. MILE HIGH PEDIGREE
Edgar Church was born in Plainville, Connecticut in 1888. He was a comics collector and artist who worked independently and eventually for the telephone company in Colorado illustrating commercial telephone book advertisements, precursors to Yellow Pages advertisements.
Church kept thousands of miscellaneous periodicals in his Colorado home to use as references for his art. From these magazines he would clip images which he would store in one of hundreds of labeled boxes. The collection of comic books that he amassed, later known as the "Edgar Church collection" or the "Mile High collection", is the most famous and valuable comic book collection known to surface in the history of comic book collecting. The collection consisted of between 18,000 and 22,000 comic books, most of them in high quality grades, and was discovered and bought in 1977 by Chuck Rozanski of Mile High Comics. About 99% of it was later sold by him to various collectors. The collection is famed for holding the highest quality copies of many Golden Age comic books, including the best known copy of Action Comics #1. (Believed to be a 9.4 to a 9.6, but the current owner refuses to get any of his books graded.). Edgar Church was married twice and had one child with each of his wives. Church died in 1978 at age 89.
B. MILE HIGH II PEDIGREE
The following is a description of this pedigree by Chuck Rosanski of Mile High Comics, Inc.
He narrated a long story about the best comics deal he ever made. Contrary to popular misconception that the Edgar Church collection was his best-ever comics find. In fact, at the time that he closed the deal, the collection that he later dubbed the "Mile High II Collection" had a retail value that was over ten times the original value of the Mile High/Edgar Church collection! Aside from the significant financial effect the discovery of this larger collection had on the future of Mile High Comics, the story of the purchase of this collection is historically quite interesting. However, he indicated that the story was not a pretty one.
The comics were great, but the environment in which he made the deal was a sordid mix of sex, drugs, and family betrayals. It ended up being the best comics deal that he ever made, but it took a trip through the sewers to get the job done per his description.
The Mile High II Pedigree was the most CONTROVERSIAL PEDIGREE in the Comics Collecting dimension. CGC initially recognized it as an official Pedigree and indicated it on the CGC labels. Then it was “De-Recognized” and lost its official Pedigree status.
However, the copy of Action Comics # 535 CGC 9.6 that is included in my secondary set A13-G1 still OFFICIALLY maintains a PEDIGREE STATUS which makes it very SPECIAL and UNIQUE. This is the only book in my entire collection that is from the Mile High II Pedigree. It has been included in the secondary set as I have a copy of Action Comics # 535 CGC 9.8-Rocky Mountain Pedigree in my PRIMARY SET.
Action Comics # 535 CGC 9.6 belongs to this Pedigree and is a part of my Secondary Set-A13-G1.
SCARCITY REVIEW FOR THIS SET.
ACTION COMICS # 513 and # 525 deserve extra special merit as both of these issues are VERY DIFFICULT to obtain in 9.8 and it is impossible to find them in PEDIGREE GRADE. This collection includes both issues in 9.8 plus with ROCKY MOUNTAIN PEDIGREE STATUS
1. Action Comics # 549 deserves to be mentioned first as it is truly SCARCE in 9.8. I am fortunate to have a NON-PEDIGREE CGC 9.8 copy as well as a ROCKY MOUNTAIN PEDIGREE CGC 9.6 copy of this issue.
2. ACTION COMICS # 513 is very SCARCE in 9.8. I was lucky to obtain a ROCKY MOUNTAIN PEDIGREE COPY of this issue in CGC 9.8.
3. Action Comics # 525 is also SCARCE in 9.8. It features an amazing "NEUTRON" cover. I was fortunate to find a ROCKY MOUNTAIN PEDIGREE COPY of this issue in CGC 9.8.
5. Action Comics # 505 is in the SCARCE category for 9.8..
KEY ISSUES IN THIS SET
1. ACTION COMICS # 506-The actor CHRISTOPHER REEVE was reading a copy of this issue on THE MUPPET SHOW in FEBRUARY 1980.
2. ACTION COMICS # 513- FIRST TEAM APPEARANCE OF H.I.V.E. ( The Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination).
3. ACTION COMICS # 521-FIRST APPEARANCE OF VIXEN (The first black female member of the Justice League of America).
4. ACTION COMICS # 544-ANNIVERSARY ISSUE ( In celebration of the 45th ANNIVERSARY OF ACTION COMICS) and INTRODUCTION of LEX LUTHOR’S WARSUIT.
5. ACTION COMICS # 583- FIRST FULL APPEARANCE OF JONATHAN ELLIOT, the super-powered baby of SUPERMAN and LOIS in an alternate reality where the CLARK KENT identity was revealed and changed to JORDAN ELLIOT..
6. ACTION COMICS # 595- FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE SILVER BANSHEE ( An enemy of SUPERMAN who can instantly kill a person with her DEATH WAIL).
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