June’s Heritage Pulp Magazine Featuring the Red Fury Showcase Auction on June 19 included some rare and hard-to-find pulp magazines. Let’s take a look at this burgeoning segment of the collecting hobby to see what’s moving in the market.
First Doc Savage Sells Again
It’s been less than a month since a 4.5 graded copy of Doc Savage #1 sold in Heritage’s June Signature Auction for $39,600. So, what did a few weeks bring? A 4.0 sold in the Showcase Auction for $18,000. While there haven’t been many graded sales, that’s a pretty big haircut for the Man of Bronze’s first appearance. The primary difference between the two is that the 4.0 was trimmed – a common occurrence in the world of pulps – whereas the 4.5 was not. Thus, the wide gap in selling prices despite only a half step down in grade.
Zeppelin Stories
One of the big draws of the Showcase Auction was the issues of Zeppelin Stories available. Published by Ramer in 1929, the series was one of a number of pulps devoted strictly to Zeppelins. It’s a genre that quickly disappeared in 1937 when the Hindenburg went down in flames. Ramer pulps in general are hard to find, and issues of Zeppelin Stories exceptionally so. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the only graded copy of Zeppelin Stories #2, a 2.5 with no trimming, restoration, or brittle pages was one of the big winners in the auction. The copy sold for $16,800.
A restored 3.5 graded copy of Zeppelin Stories #3 with brittle pages also sold in the auction for $10,200. Famed for its “Gorilla of the Gas Bags” cover, this copy is currently the only one in the CGC census.
The premiere issue in the series, Zeppelin Stories #1, also sold in the auction for $2,640. This 3.5 graded copy had heavier restoration and brittle pages. Like the others, it is currently the only graded copy. Considering that Heritage had previously only ever sold two raw copies of Zeppelin Stories #3 and one raw copy of Zeppelin Stories #4, the sale of the first two issues, particularly the 2.5 graded Zeppelin Stories #2, make this a noteworthy auction.
First Zorro
Zorro’s very first appearance in the August 9, 1919 issue of All-Story Weekly #395 made waves when a 2.0 graded copy with moderate restoration and light tan to off-white pages sold for $7,200. The issue, which contains the first part of “The Curse of Capistrano” by Johnson McCulley, also features Zorro on the cover. The character quickly became one of the great pulp action heroes and would be featured in his first film – The Mark of Zorro – in 1920. This marks the first recorded sale of a graded copy. If you’re interested in purchasing an unrestored copy, a top-of-census 3.5 will be featured in the Heritage July 31 Showcase Auction. That will definitely be one to watch.
First Phantom Detective
Although less well known than many of the pulp superstars, the Phantom Detective is the king of pulp longevity. The Phantom Detective series was the longest running pulp devoted to a single character, lasting from 1933 to 1953. A 4.5 graded copy of The Phantom Detective #1 sold for $4,440. It’s the highest price paid for any copy – graded or raw. The current CGC census includes seven graded copies, including both 5.5 and 5.0 Universal copies.
