Set Description:
My desire for a complete run of All Select Comics began when I was a young teenager flipping through the latest Overstreet Guide. The little black and white pictures of comics, at the top of the price guide pages, were fascinating as I lived in the backwoods of Oklahoma where comic bookstores were a myth and Golden Age comics were probably not distributed even during World War II. The color section of covers, in the back of later Overstreet Guides, was absolutely drool inducing but it was always those Black and White pictures that really captured my imagination.
When I was 19, I had seen a grand total of one Golden Age comic in the flesh: oddly enough, a Daredevil vs Hitler in about VG. This copy was for sale for $800 in a small used bookstore in Shawnee Oklahoma when I was about 14. The guy behind the counter was kind enough to let me flip through it and that truly began my love of GA comics. Still, I was poor, and I had no easy avenue of supply, so my desires were still limited to looking at the black and white images in Overstreet.
Fast forward to the age of 19, in college, and still
poor.
At the age of 19, I attended my first comic convention in Las Cruces, NM. It was a small convention with comic book dealers and collectors largely limited to southern New Mexico and the El Paso, Texas area. There were a few Golden Age comics, mainly old Dell western and funny animal comics, but there were also a couple of notable exceptions: A Thing #16 and Marvel Mystery Comic #13. Having received my education on Golden Age comics largely through Overstreet pictures until that point, The Thing #16 meant nothing to me but that MMC #13, well, I had to have that.
Three holed punched and trimmed, the MMC #13 was still in remarkable condition for a 50-year-old comic. I drove to the nearest ATM and took out a cash advance against my newly issued Discover Card and it was mine! Yeah, I know, that was a stupid thing to do but I did not think about the interest charged or how much that comic would ultimately end up costing me; I only thought of finally buying one of those black and white images I had coveted for so many years.
With that book I discovered, through a conversation with the dealer, the common denominator of the books that really caught my eye: Alex Schomburg. When I got that name, a whole lot suddenly made sense. The later revelation that Xela was Schomburg blew my mind. Finally, the Photo-Journal Guide to Comics gave me high quality pictures of the vast majority of Schomburg’s work and let me find titles I would not have known otherwise. These separate events started a decades' long desire for Schomburg art.
Back to the present:
I have bought quite a few Schomburg books over the years; ultimately, I decided I wanted a long run, beginning with a #1, that showcased his Timely work with the major Timely heroes. There were a few choices of long runs but only 2 that featured the Timely heroes and included a #1: All Select Comics and All Winners Comics. In comparing the covers on the two books, the All Select Comics #1 stood out. It was decided: I would focus on the best set of All Select Comics I could build.
The #1 has monumentally increased in price and popularity over the last few years as it finally gets the recognition it has long deserved. My 7.5 copy was a surprise present from my wife when we attended the 2014 San Diego Comic Con. This was my first, and probably last, visit to SDCC and my wife understood this. She wanted me to buy a major book to commemorate our visit and she gave me the choice of my All Select Comics #1 or a 3.5 copy of Amazing Fantasy #15. Amazing Spider-Man has always been a favorite of mine but, ultimately, I decided I would be happier with the much higher grade All Select Comics #1. This decision largely meant that I would not collect Silver Age Spider-Man, I am not made of money, and I have gradually sold the largely completed collection I had amassed to support my Schomburg obsession. I hope I never upgrade this copy of All Select Comics #1 as I cannot imagine another copy would have such happy associations with the love and support of my wife.
The Collection began with the All Select Comics #2 that is still in my set in 2022. I am not sure I will ever upgrade it but if a nicer copy surfaces, at a good price, I will probably be unable to resist. This book is a chaser for many Schomburg fans and it is considered to be one of his best covers. The internal appearance by the Red Skull does not hurt its desirability.
The most difficult to find comics in this set are the #3 and the #7, in my opinion. I am fortunate to have the board luminary Straw-Man’s old copy of #7 which I bought through Greg Reece Comics. This copy is only the 2nd complete copy I saw in 10 years of looking. Straw-Man beat me to the draw when it was originally listed on the Dave and Adams website and I did not have the money when Straw-man sold it on the boards. I was shocked when I saw it listed on the Greg Reece site and only thought about it for 24 hours before buying. I have not looked back.
I have seen maybe 5 copies of All Select Comics #3 in the last 10 years with all but 2 being below 6.0. My first copy, which I had for 8 years, was a measly 3.5. In the fall of 2021, I took the unexpected opportunity to upgrade my 4.5 to the current 6.5. I doubt if I will ever upgrade again but you never know.
My current #4, a 9.0 and the "D" Copy, is my 4th copy. This does not seem to be a particularly hard to find issue which may be holding its price down. The cover has captain America riding a motorcycle so its relatively cheap price is probably driven by supply. I doubt if I will upgrade this book again.
The #5 in my current run is my 4th copy. Cool cover and some have told me they think it is hard to find. This has not been my experience and the fact that I have had 4 different copies in 4 years backs this up in my mind. I really like this cover though. I unexpectedly upgraded in the fall of 2021, along with the #3, and I doubt if I will upgrade again. Still, stranger things have happened!
My #6 is my 2nd copy. It is a 6.5 and I am happy with it. Not sure I would upgrade unless the price was just too cheap to ignore. Again, love the typical Schomburg craziness on this cover.
The #7, an 8.5, I wrote about earlier; I will add that I am so happy to have this copy. I doubt I will ever upgrade as the cost would be prohibitive. There are (3) 9.0, a 9.4, and a lone 9.6, above this one, as of Sept 2021, and I am not sure I would be willing to pay the price difference for just a .5 increase. Now, for a 9.8? We’ll just have to see.
Woot! Sorry, but I love All Select Comics #8. Back when I was poor, and I mean Federal housing assistance poor, I dreamed of just owning a copy of #8. I was really into Bruce lee and Martial Arts when I first saw this cover in Overstreet and it just screamed cheesy Chinese Kung Fu movie to me. It is the first non-WW II cover in the series; however, it is easy to see how this could have originally been an anti-Japanese cover. It would take just a little white-out on the robes to cover up the Rising Sun. We may never know if this was the case, but it is still fun to imagine.
The #9 is a fun science fiction cover still featuring Captain America, the Human Torch, Bucky, and Toro. Bucky is in trouble again and everybody is rushing to help! Or maybe just to give him third degree burns. It is sometimes tough to tell if Bucky is being rescued or if it’s an attempt on his life.
Speaking of an attempt on Bucky’s life, the cover of #10 shows nobody trying to stop Bucky’s toboggan sled ride of death. Instead, they are blowing holes in the wooden run which is almost certain to cripple or kill poor Bucky. This 9.4 copy made my day when it surfaced over at Terry’s Comics. This is another one I just knew I had to have as I have wanted a 9.4 in my run and here it is! Until the Promise Collection Pedigree came along, this was only the fourth 9.4, of any issue of All Select Comics, I had seen for public sale in almost 20 years of looking. I launched a fire sale of duplicates and other lessor comics to afford this copy and I have no regret. It is beautiful.
The #11 was listed on Metropolis Comics site for a couple of years and I just could not commit the money. When it finally disappeared in 2017 I knew I had made a mistake. When it was relisted in 2018, I snagged it. I love the Blonde Phantom and to have her first appearance be the last issue of All Select Comics makes this book all the sweeter.
So, there you have it. A long rambling retelling of how I completed a run of All Select Comics and why I chose to do so. This has been a journey of love: love of comics, love of Schomburg, and love of Timely heroes. Throw in the love of a wonderful and supportive wife and you have my set. I would trade neither and hope to have them both until I die.
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