Marvel Retro Secret Wars Figures coming soon

It seems fitting that Marvel comics would release Secret Wars figures this year, it being 30 years after the original series and figures hit the shelfs. Yes back in 1985 Secret Wars was the big thing.

If you don't know what Secret Wars was don't worry, we have you covered. Secret Wars 12 issue mini-series tat was also included cross-overs into most Marvel titles. It also introduced comic fans to the Beyonder. The Beyonder took some of Earths Heroes and its worst villians to an alien planet to study them, and watch them fight each other, truly fun stuff.

Marvel is releasing a new 12 issue mini-series titles Secret Wars again this year. It just makes sense that the toy line would follow with Gentle Giant being the first one to release figures. Gentle Giant creatung these figures based directly from these old figures.  They've digitally scanned the original Secret Wars figures and reproduced them in a larger, 12-inch scale. Resealable  containers will recreate the old Secret Wars packaging.

So far four figures are scheduled for release, Black Costume Spider-Man, Hobgoblin, Wolverine, and Magneto. It is important to note that the original Secret Wars Wolverine figure was the first one of the character ever released.

You can Pre-order the Spider-man figure for a cool $90. Keep an eye out for the others.

We will continue to provide news on the new Secret Wars line and comics throughout the year.

Good Luck on Your Hunt!

Hal Jordan - The Impossible Justice League Unlimited Figure

I am a big fan of the Justice League Unlimited line of action figures, I collect them with my youngest daughter. Our goal is to get each figure that was produced.  Some figures will be much harder to find then others.
Recently we did a post about the unproduced Aquaman figure. The Aquaman figure was not officially produced, it was supposed to be  but never made it to production. Some samples are believed to exist. The rarest of the produced figures is without a doubt, the Hal Jordan Green Lantern Figure.

The story goes Mattel did not have the rights to produce Hal Jordan as Green Lantern, in the JLU cartoon John Stewart was GL, so collectors would never see Hal Jordan as Green Lantern. Here is where the aha comes in. Mattel did produce a Green Lantern Hal Jordan limited to only 100.

 Mattel had this figure made as a Christmas "Thank You" to the staff at Warner Brothers Animation, DC Comics and Mattel that has worked so hard on the JLU and DC properties all year. Each figure was signed by JLU co-creator and Producer Bruce Timm. The figure is even packaged on a unique holiday-themed card designed exclusively for this figure.

So if you happen to come across one and it doesn't cost you an arm and a leg buy it. After you buy it send us a picture, email is best Farleyclan003@yahoo.com or just buy it for me.

Good Luck on Your Hunt!
#jointhehunt

Comic Shop Review - Uncanny!, King of Prussia, PA

Recently moved into the King of Prussia mall and renamed, formerly Comics & More, Uncanny! is still adjusting to its new location but they are coming along. I you have read our previous Comic Shop Reviews, you know that we have been to a bunch of Comic Shops over the years.  Some stand out some do not. Uncanny is in the middle, trying to set themselves up again.

They carry a nice assortment of items, comics, toys, t-shirts, Funko and cards.  The thing that stands out most was the large t-shirt wall, a nice selection of Marvel, DC and TV related t-shirts. Pretty much something for everyone.

They also had a selection of statues, specifically a Howard the Duck statue. Since his appearance at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy, Howard the Duck has grown in popularity. See more about his history in our review of Howard the Duck.

Toys - A very nice selection of newer toys from most of the recent DC, Marvel and Walking Dead lines. Action figures a plenty. They also have a very large selection of Funko Pop Vinyl's. The display for the Pop Vinyl's was pretty awesome, stacked nicely so you can see everyone, they even had Ash from Evil Dead. They didn't have many older toys, which is to be expected from a store that recently reopened.

 

Comics - They had the normal selection of current comics, no much in the way of back issues. Some recent stuff but not much in the way of older issues. Hopefully moving forward they will purchase some collections to add to their back issue bins. A good comic shop has to have a good supply of back issues, especially for us hunters who are always on the search.

 



Other Stuff - Plenty of t-shirts to choose from, the bulk of which were DC comics related. The Plastic Man and Beast Boy really caught our eye as we had never seen them before. Uncanny! also had a nice selection of other stuff such as book bags, cards, bottle openers and the things we buy to make our collecting look good to our friends. Also that Howard the Duck statue makes a nice addition.

One of the things we liked most about our visit to Uncanny! was the life size statues they had placed around the store, am imposing Dark Knight greets you at the door as you walk in, an enormous Hulk looking over you as you hunt thru the store and the Flash protecting the back of the store. You know we are big Flash fans so this was nice to see. This is a nice effect to welcome customers into the store and for the kids to take pictures with.

 

Comic Shop Grade - B

 Usually comic book shops that are located in malls cater to the masses by carry other items besides comic book related stuff, since we comic collectors are becoming the masses new shops do not have to do this. Uncanny! does not cater to the masses they cater to the comic collectors, they cater to us. With a little more time and some collection purchases Uncanny! can become a solid store, right now they are still adjusting to their new name and space.

If you live in the area or are visiting the King of Prussia mall stop in and look around, you will certainly be able to find something to add to your collection.

We here at Comic Book Hunter and Gatherers will continue our hunt. Filling in our want list and gathering our collection.

Good Luck on Your Hunt!
#jointhehunt  

A Quick History of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

When I was younger I was a huge fan of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles although I admit I did not catch on until early 1985 at which time I picked up a TMNT issue #2 and third printing of issue #1 I still have them, the Turtles were different en anything else I was reading at the time, the comic was in black and white, the stories were fantastic and the Turtles weren't, well, like other superheroes.

Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made their first appearance in Mirage Studios 1984 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, which became so popular it had 5 printings. The first print run was only 3,000 copies and is now worth about $10,000 in a high CGC grade. Subsequent print runs were increasingly higher, 4th was 50,000. The second printing which I still own was only 15,000 copies.

First ad or TMNT in Comic Buyers Guide #542

The Turtles are named after famous Italian artists, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello. They are trained by a rat named Splitter and their arch-enemy is Shredder.

Following the success of the comic book the Turtles soared to new height in the late 1980's with their first animated series which premiered in 1987 and ran until 1996. The animated series led to load of merchandise, and when I say load I mean load. They could be found on everything. Toys was the most popular piece of merchandise, at one time I had almost all the figures and accessories that were produced.

The toy line remained popular for almost two decades generating billions of dollars in revenue. Unopened figures continue to be sought after even today. Some of the action figures are extremely rare such as Genghis Frog or Scratch which can sell for thousands.

Next up for the heroes in a half shell were the movies, three of them released between 1990 and 1993.
This just increased the Turtles popularity. They even had a concert tour sponsored by Pizza Hut in 1990, yeah Turtles in concert live at Radio City Music Hall summer of 1990 and I was there.  

Music Tour Poster

Today, the Turtles are still in comics, they still have a cartoon, they still have a ton of merchandise and they have a new movie coming out this weekend. I probably will not see it as I have long grown out of the Turtles, I am all about the superheroes now.

If your looking to begin hunting for turtle stuff check out local conventions, comic shops or flea markets for toys and comics, but be ready to pay serious money. I just came across all the figures at a local flea market and they weren't cheap.
They really are still after all this time a true phenomenon.

Notice how I didn't mention the Archie series, was such a waste of my money but I still bought every issue.

Good Luck on Your Hunt!
jointhhunt!

My Wantlist Top 100 for the hundredth post

To celebrate our 100th post I decided to give the readers a glimpse into my want list and offer readers the opportunity to share the top 10 on their Want list, we will post them in upcoming entries.

So below is the top 100 things we are hunting for they are by no means in any particular order.
Some are on the list because I can't actually find them, others because I can't afford them yet.
Hope you enjoy and hope you share yours.

1. Showcase #4 - First  Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen

2. The Flash #105 

3. All-Flash #1

4. Giant Size Invaders #1

5. Flash New 52 #1 Sketch Variant

6. Showcase #8 - 1st App. Captain Cold

7. Reverse Flash Uni-Formz

 

8. Black Flash Uni-Formz

 

9. The Flash #110 - 1st App. Kid Flash

10. Giant Size X-Men #1

 

11. Iron Fist #14 - 1st App. Sabertooth

12. Carded Superpowers Flash 

13. New Mutants #98 -1st App. Deadpool

14. Defenders #1

15. The Flash #111

16. Mister Miracle #1

17. New Gods #1

18. Super Powers Mister Miracle

19. The Incredible Hulk #181 -1st App. Wolverine

20. Justice League Unlimited Vulcana figure

21. Brave & The Bold #28 - 1st Justice League of America

22. Showcase #13

23. Showcase #14

24. Funko Pop Vinyl Reverse Flash

25. Funko Pop Vinyl Blue Lantern Flash

26. Funko Pop Vinyl White Lantern Flash

27. Heroclix White Lantern Flash

28. Replica Metal Flash Ring

29. Justice League Unlimited Doomday Figure

30. Justice League of America #1

31. Superman #199 - Flash Race

32. Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 - 1st App. Power Man

33. Power Man & Iron Fist #50

34. Worlds Finest #198 - Superman/Flash Race

35. Worlds Finest #199 - Superman/Flash Race

36. Justice League Unlimited 3-Pack - Flash/ Capt. Cold/Capt. Boomerang

37. Mego Thor

38. Brave & Bold #29

39. Brave & Bold #30

40. The Flash # 106

41. The Flash # 107

42. Flash New 52 #2 Sketch Variant 1:200

43. Smallville Impulse Figure

 

44. Dc Superheroes The Flash Figure

45. The Silver Age of Dc Comics Hard Cover

46. The Flash #123

47. Justice League of America #11 - Scribblenauts variant cover

48. Aquaman #18

 

49. Adventures of Jerry Lewis #112 - Flash App.

 

50. Batman Alarm Clock (Had it as a kid)

 

See the rest of the list by clicking on 51-100

Justice League Unlimted Action Figures - Unproduced Aquaman

We have posted before about how much we enjoy collecting the Justice League Unlimited Toy line from a couple of years ago, we even posted a complete Checklist. And when we say we we mean me ( the guy who writes this blog each day) and my youngest child. She is a big comic book fan.

Recently we came across an eBay auction for an unproduced Aquaman figure, the minimum bid was $2,500. Yes two thousand five hundred dollars for one figure.

If you have collected any figure line you know that towards the end of the lines run some figures do not get produced, He-man had them, Star Wars had them and JLU has them. These unproduced figures usually appear on an advertisement somewhere and a prototype or two will exist. These are very rare, collectors that want the whole line go crazy for them and pay top dollar.

So what makes this Aquaman  different then the Aquamans  that were produced. Well first off Aquaman never appeared like this in any medium. It is a cross between one handed King Aquaman and the regular Aquaman we have know for years. Second the line got canceled before it could be produced, it never went to market. It is as rare as it gets. From our research only one exists.

If you see one buy it or send us a photo. The only warning is it could be a custom figure not a prototype so be careful. Customs are great but not as valued as prototype of unproduced figures.

Good luck on you hunt!
#jointhehuntj

Comic Shop Review - Dreamscape Comics, Bethlehem

When you first enter Dreamscape it is a bit overwhelming, there are stacks and stacks of comics and magazines. Everywhere you look there are boxes upon boxes of comics and they are on top of other boxes. Hopefully you are getting the picture, a little bit of a mess. I spoke with the woman working and the shop is going out of business soon, so they have begun to clear out inventory. Everything was 40% off.

So what did I think of this place? If you can get past the cluttered mess, there is a organization to the madness and if you have some time to look through everything it is worth the trip there. I am assuming that the store has been around a very long time because some of the inventory goes way back.

Dreamscape reminded me of the comic shop, County Coin, that I frequented when I was younger. Same smell, same organization. I  have always enjoyed the old style comic shops, they are like mom and pop stores.


Comics- Dreamscape had a very large selection of back issues dating back to the 1970's. If you have time to go through all the boxes and piles of comics on the floor I am pretty sure your hunt will yield some comic book gold.

Toys- Plenty of old toys throughout the store, I found a box of the DC Who's Who mini scenes. Also had a very interesting Funko Aquaman Bobblehead, along with a punch of  pieces from other action figure lines of the last ten years or so. Picked up some older toys while we were there. Older toys are not that easy to find, most comic shops have not been around long enough to have any.

Other Stuff- Dreamscape had a lot of old magazines, finding these comic book and collecting based magazines are really hard to get these days as many of them have gone out of business over the years. We still by them for research purposes and they are fun to read. So while we were there bought a couple of old Lee's Action Figure News and Toy Review dating back from 2000. Another sign o how long the store has been around.

Comic Shop Grade - B   

If you have the time and some cash to spend it is worth a visit but do it before end of the summer as they are closing their doors. Hopefully someone will come along and take over the shop as we no longer have enough of these types of Comic Shops around anymore.
Overall a good place to hunt for buried treasure, I really mean buried. Plus there are deals to be found.

Good luck on your hunt! And don't forget support your local comic shops.
#jointhehunt

Comic Shop Review - Encounter Comics & Games, Allentown

Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania Encounter Comics & Games reminded me of a comic convention within in a store. Along with all the current issues, there were a bunch of different priced comic bins, a nice selection of high dollar comics and older toys throughout the store. The store has been around for over 30 years and their back issue collection shows it.

When you enter the shop you are greeted by the zombie girl from the first episode of the Walking Dead, yeah the one with the stuffed rabbit. I enjoy when a store does that little something extra when you enter. Toys all around the walls, loads of back issues and entire area dedicated to variant covers. I am it sure you will find a better store in Pennslyvania.

High End Merchandise - Encounter has many valuable comics showcased on the back wall of the store. There were many Silver Age comics and more recent key issues. When you see this in a comic shop this means two things. first they have been open for a number of years and second, they buy collections. The reason I mention this is that many shops do not carry these types of back issues. This is also why I compare the store to a comic convention. The shop also had some higher end collectibles, I really like the Iron Man bust set, would be a great display piece.

Comics - Along with the nice selection of valuable comics Encounter also has a huge selection of back issues placed throughout many different priced bins. They have $1.50 bins, fifty cent bins and even the rare dime bins (haven't seen a dime bin in a long time). They also have an entire variant cover area, I have never seen this in a comic shop. Spending some time hunting through the back issue bins is worth it. As with most other comic shops Encounter also carries all current titles, again lots of variant covers from the most recent issues.

Toys - Old toys, new toys and toys in between. Any comic shop that has a Will Smith action figure from the movie Wild Wild West has a serious variety of toys. They had many old toys from toy biz, and Hasbro. Most comic shops do not dedicate enough space to old toys we should visit the ones that do.


Comic Shop Grade - A

Encounter Comics & Games has the perfect mix of old and new comics and toys. It really is like a comic convention in a store. You should set aside some time and plan a visit to Encounter, it is worth it. Truly a great place to hunt for back issues and old toys, bring some $ with you.

Good Luck on Your Hunt!
#jointhehunt

Great Allentown Comic Con - A convention like days of old!

We attended the Great Allentown Comic Con today, it is not our first time there. We go back each year simply because not only is it a good place to hunt for comics and collectibles but it reminds us of conventions we used to attend when we were younger.

Back in the 1980's/early 90's comic convention were not by any means the mega events they are today. They were not held in huge convention centers either. Usually they would be in a hotel or some other small venue, possible a school gymnasium or local VFW (yes I have been to shows held in all of the above). The Great Allentown Comic Con is held in the Merchants Square Mall, which is like a flea market filled with collectible shops. This is one of the reasons we go back each year, it reminds us of shows from the past.

The show from a huntability standpoint is great. Both in the show area and in the flea market area. I combined the two because we make purchases at both when we attend the con.

There are not an over abundance of dealer, although I suspect with the increase in attendance this year there will be more next time. The dealers have good deals on back issues and older toys, what we all hunt. Plenty of dollar boxes, discount trades and even a dealer who has almost all .25 comics and he has a lot. Toy prices are better then online and at others shows, the dealer tables are less expensive here then at the big shows, so guess who the saving trickles down to, US! The show also has many higher dollar Golden and Silver Age books so I you are looking for those hard to find issues, you might find it at GACC.

The spoils of the hunt!
So with all this talk about how great the Great Allentown Comic Con is ( I know why they use great in the name), what did we pick up today. The quick answer is a lot.

$2 Bins
We went through the $2 bins first, figured we would make our way down in price bins. Picked up four The Flash volume 2 issues (Wally West series), # 169, 180, 246 and Annuals 9. Still working on completing the entire run. Really enjoy this series.


Variant covers
One of the vendors had variant covers for only $5, which sounds good not great, right. Turned out to be awesome as he had a New 52 Flash #1 Ivan Reis cover, this is really hard to find. Also grabbed a The Flash Brightest Day #6 variant. $10 well spent.

$1 Bins
We next spent a good amount of time hunting through the $1 bins from various vendors, we had our sites on specific comic prey and it was the Justice League of America. We have been piecing together the original run of this series for a couple of, picking up issues here and there. At GACC we scored 12 issues from the $1 bins and there was an even better discount, 6 for $5. We grade Justice League of America #252, 251, 250 (great cover), 242, 218, 217(was wearing t-shirt with this cover at the con), 214, 213, 203, 202, 192, 181( Whitman variant cover, more on this in a future post).

Quarter Bins
I love the .25 cent bins it is a good place to not only hunt for comics you have been searching for but to gatherer issues you may never have read before, chance to try something new. Bought 32 issues at .25 each or $8 for all 32. You can't beat that unless you travel back in time to when comics were actually .25 a piece. Here is the long list of what we gathered on our extensive quarter bins.
JLA Year One #7, Justice League Europe/International #21, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 67, Impulse plus + 1 #1, Impulse #20, 19, JLX Unleashed #1 (Amalgam issue), DC/Marvel Access #1, 2, 3, Metamorpho #1, Mister Miracle Vol. 3 #1, 4, 5, 6, 7, Power Man & Iron Fist #119, 120, 121 ( going to start collecting this title again, both have new shows coming out soon)

The Mall
After we left the convention area we walked around the regular everyday mall area, bought a bunch of toys including an unopened JLU 3-pack and some Flash happy meal toys, all at really inexpensive prices. One of the toy dealers in the mall is a really nice guy and works with you on price.

We also walked around the auction area, they have one each month. We came across a memory while looking at the items up for auction (see picture below). I used the same Batman and Robin alarm clock to,wake me up for school from first grade to fifth grade. Haven't seen one since then. One thing you can't predict sometimes at a convention is the memories that you'll not only create but also recall from the past.

My childhood alarm clock!

Overall GACC was a huge success on so many levels.

How can you not go to comic conventions? The value for hunting is better then anywhere else.
Make plans to attend the next installment of the Great Allentown Comic Con or just to visit the Merchant Square Mall one afternoon

Good luck on you hunt!
#jointhehunt

Comic Shop Review - Comic Book Jones, Staten Island

Comic Book Jones is the comic shop that you want in your neighborhood. It's where you want to go to pick up your new issues each week. They have everything you could ask for plus a weekly Podcast  that focuses on comics.

The best part of Comic Book Jones is its friendly knowledgable staff. Whether you have been shopping there for years ( with a $1,500 credit) or it is your first visit, you will feel welcome.

High End Merchandise - CBJ carries an assortment of Bowen figure and other high priced statues. They also have some very unique custom made 3D pieces of art based on famous comic book covers. If you look around the ceiling you will see tons of busts and statues, so if you don't see it ask.

Comics - They carry all the current DC, Marvel and other brands plus some local published stuff. The  shelves also have the last couple of months issues behind current months, still at cover price. CBJ also has a large collection of back issues going back as far as Silver Age and they are always getting more older issues. They had almost the entire Amazing Spider-man run not to long ago.

Toys - Tons of Pop! Vinyls, along with all the major comic related toy lines. Lots of Walking Dead stuff. If you don't know what the Walking Dead is get out from under the rock and go find out!Really enjoying the Mego throwback line and TMNT are back!

Other stuff - If it has been released in the last couple of years CBJ has it. T-Shirts, posters, bottle openers dvds, and many other things with all your favorite characters. Who amount us doesn't  need a zombie bottle opener?

Comic Shop Grade = A

CBJ is a nice combination of old school family run comic shop and modern day everything in one place comic store. If you are near the store play them a visit, you will not be disappointed.

Also of note CBJ runs many different sales throughout the year: Wednesdays is 10% everything. Big movie premiers they have a party and pick the sale price which can range between 10% and 60%. Their biggest day is Black Friday, huge sales if you can stand long lines, worth it.


Good luck on your Hunt!
#jointhehunt