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Trying to find a specific issue of The Spectre from the 70s was a nightmare
I got it in my head I needed a copy of The Spectre #10 from 1975 for a panel recreation project. Figured it would be easy, just a back issue hunt. Wrong. It took me over a year and a half of checking every local shop, three different online marketplaces, and two big conventions in Chicago. The problem wasn't price, it was condition. Every copy I found was either beat to hell or had the cover trimmed. I finally found a decent one last month from a small seller in Texas, but it cost me $85, which felt steep for a book that isn't even a key. The hunt just ate up way more time and effort than the actual art project did. Has anyone else had a simple back issue search turn into a multi-year obsession?
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violag805mo ago
You mentioned it isn't a key issue, but The Spectre #10 from that era actually is considered a minor key. It's the first full appearance of the Anti-Monitor, which drives up demand and explains the condition and price trouble. That hunt sounds brutal, but at least you finally got a good copy.
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emery_jackson295mo ago
Disagree on the key thing, violag80. That Anti-Monitor debut is a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo in a few panels. The real first full appearance is in Crisis on Infinite Earths 7, which everyone actually chases. Spectre 10 is just a footnote for completionists, not a major demand driver. Saw a slabbed 9.8 sit on eBay for months without selling, which says a lot. The hunt was tough because it's an old, brittle book, not because it's some hidden grail.
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blair_chen814mo ago
Just bought a raw copy for cheap and sent it to CGC myself. Way easier.
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tarahall5mo ago
A slabbed 9.8 sat on eBay for months? That's wild for something people call a key. Guess the demand isn't really there like they say.
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