Question :)

[Ambassador Curt]

Hello, Hellboarders. Haven’t been on here in a while, but I have a question that I know this board can answer quite easily. Ebay is not being very helpful and I’m curious what you guys have seen Dime Press 4 ungraded going for these days. I bought a copy at a very backwoods convention today that I would grade in the F+ range (and I’m a strict grader). The only real problems I can see are where the cover is bordered in black it has some faded spots from reading or flipping through, and a little fading down the spine creases. Ebay only has NM graded copies going for quite a bit, but they don’t relate to the condition of my copy. I’m a school teacher (read as poor), so I don’t normally get very high priced comics, mostly mid-grade to reader copies. I got it for $40, and thought it was a steal. I’d like to tell people about my great deal, but for all I know, that may be what it’s going for. Either way, I’m happy about it as it helps complete my collection, but would like to have that extra “Hey, look at the deal I got” to add on the end.

You guys are great.
Thanks,
Curt

[thwhtGuardian]

I'm fairly certain I saw a copy that was labled as "Fine" for 70 at a convention last year, and it seemed to be in similar condition to your description if my memory serves(it had slight wear on the cover) so I guess in terms of that you got a decent deal.

Personally though? I'm not sure it's that great of a deal. Mileage may vary, but it seems overly inflated to me. Perhaps if it actually included a Hellboy story that predated Next Men #21 it might be worth it, but just a prototypic drawing? Doesn't seem to be enough to that to warrant the high price.

[Ambassador Curt]

Thanks for the reply. I agree with you for the most part. As I think most do, I consider the SDCC #2 the real first appearance given it contains an actual story with the Hellboy we are familiar with today. I've just had no luck with finding this item (at least for a price I was comfortable with) and was really surprised to find it at a lower price than what I remember seeing it at before. And like with all the things I purchase, it will be put up with no thoughts of ever selling it, each purchase bringing me closer to my fictional "completion."

[Kees_L]

Greetings mr. Ambassador Sir, how's tricks!

The problem for me in judging this thing is I'm European, I'm not aware how this title gets rated overseas.
But to me $40 now would seem a way excellent deal. So congrats dude.

I bought my own copy fairly late, like 1997 or so, off an Italian shop listing on eBay, for EUR 7,99 excluding shipping, totalling at EUR 12, which is $14 or so.

My copy is as good as totally pristine, as good as Near Mint would amount to.

(I'd say that the printing quality of this book is way less than for instance a first edition Wake the Devil trade, with the eyes on the cover.
Less in the sense that the black on the covers is kinda off, plus overall (on the covers) there is some blurry color unseparatedness, which you wouldn't see in more modern-day printing. And also it seems that the mechanical cutting at the edges got done kinda boingy.

By which I mean that even if there should seem to be some slight fading or miniscule wear visible - chances are that the book could still be totally "as new"!)

But after all those years, with considering how big eBay or the internet has gotten, plus considering how there'd be lots of sellers aware of there being some demand for either Mignola-stuff or Hellboy-material, I'd say $40 for a scarce yet pretty completist or specialty type of book in good shape would be fair.

And I'm glad you landed it at a fair deal, cuz the $120 or $160 I saw some years ago among U.S. sellers seemed pretty steep to me.