the collection: recent additions

in

Been in a bit of a collecting lull of late, mostly sticking with new comics releases and the occasional “ok I can’t pass this up” splurge, this sheet of Walter B. Gibson’s memo paper being among them…

Been on a Spectre kick lately, too…

spectre action figures

Scratch one off the “comics I must own before I die and even then” list…

With No. 6, DICK TRACY SMASHES THE BOMBING RACKET, I’ve now only one more to go to complete my set of the 1934 Goudy Big Thrill booklets…

And, finally, in “I’m sure I’m now on a list somewhere” additions...

… and the two-way wrist mystery (SOLVED)

in

Purchased this small kid's Dick Tracy Two-Way Wrist Radio plastic toy (it's just a chunk of plastic, no workable radio bits) and have no clue of when it was released or what it's from. Had to be at least after 1946 (when the two-way first appeared in the strip) but beyond that I haven't a clue. Can't find it anywhere in Crouch and Doucet's AUTHORIZED GUIDE TO DICK TRACY COLLECTIBLES. Thoughts?

  • UPDATE/202309222028: huge thanks to Sean Kleefeld (of the essential Kleefeld on Comics blog) for finding that it is part of a 1950 badge/watch set from Gaylord. Mystery=solved.

  • UPDATE/202309221143: A double take of my collection of radio premium / detective club badges found that I also have the badge that came with the set…

The Collection, 2023w26

in

Slightly mortified that, while I amassed most of The Collection in only a few months, there's enough stuff on my overflowing shelves to be considered a lifelong collection – but, as K reminded me, I've had this space and the things populating it in my head for the better part of 30 years. Anyhow, here are a few of the treasures that I’ve added to the overflowing Paintshop shelves this week…

First up, this 1943 Dick Tracy postcard, from part of a set released by Coca Cola to soldiers and their families during WWII. I have a set of the 1942 issues, but these ‘43s are exceedingly rare. No clue what the other ‘43s look like:

Next up, this 1950 Line Mar Japanese tin Superman (in yellow garb - Mighty Mouse meets Fleischer?) wind-up toy, in which the Man of Steel lifts a tank. Not sure if it still works as I don’t have a key (adding one to the list of things to procure) but I am, nonetheless, in love with this little gem:

Continuing the Superman trend, this 1940 Saalfield puzzle, which is, when assembled, a beautiful, full-color piece of early Superman art:

Next, a mid-70s Shadow bagatelle game, from Madison, the same group behind that odd bunch of similarly-branded Shadow merchandise I wrote about a few weeks back. Been looking for this one for a long time.

And finally, a few of the (major) additions to the comics collection. The two issues of SHADOW COMICS are Volume One, issues two and three (Spring, 1940) while the two AMAZING SPIDER-MAN issues are 11 - Ditko! second Doc Ock! - and 31, the start of the seminal “Master Planner” story (need to get issue 32 to complete the story) and the first appearances of both Gwen Stacy and Harry Osborn.

A banner week, to be certain.