So did I get these for a steal or what? (First Comics color collections)
 

Was browsing one of my local comic shops and noticed they had Books I through IV of First Comics color collections of TMNT Vol. 1 (#1-11, Leonardo microseries #1 and several short strips).

They were all being sold at original cover price ($9.99) and appeared in practically never read condition (they even still have the original mail away cards in them, not torn out!).

So what's the current resale value of these things like? I can't even get any results on eBay, save for one that's a BIN of $150.

They all going for the current crackhead prices that most TMNT graphic novels are selling for on the after market?

Not that I'm gonna sell em any time soon or anything. I'd never owned one of these color collections before and they're really quite nice, I have to say (if a tad skimpy at 3 issues a piece).

I'm a real big fan of the First Graphic Novels. The color in those issues really adds to the effect and outside of #1, we've never seen the first 11 issues colored again. As far as resale value, eh, it's hard to say. I bought the second issue off an ebay seller for between $5-7 after shipping. Of course, it wasn't "near mint" condition or anything like that so that probably helps.

Yes, no doubt about it..I think those comics in mint condition are a "steal"....:lol::D:lol: Congrats!!!

Hmmm, yikes. How long ago was that? Before or after the price spike for all TMNT trades?

I wouldn't call it a steal, but you definitely got a good deal. The price for these spike every once in awhile, but not like the collected books. Overall, $10/each is a very fair price. These books were sold in bookstores and there were A LOT of them printed and sold, so they're pretty easy to find. I found a dealer with some a couple years ago at a local convention that was selling them for the same price and I picked one up because it was a first printing. There's no real price difference for these with the various printings, but as a book nerd it still interests me.

Back in April of 2009. It might have just been one of those things where the bidding started low and nobody noticed it. I was the only bidder. It was in good shape, but it had a shelf wear and some yellowing stains on the pages. Since I just wanted it for reading and don't intend on selling it's all fine with me.

Never cared for the First color collections. Don't own one, have had multiple opportunities to buy them on the shelf.

Ahhhh, that makes sense. I guess since they were printed by First and not Mirage, then they were able to be released in book stores.

Well, even if they aren't a gold mine I rather like them. The coloring technique seems to vary between books on a slightly inconsistent level (either due to the different colorists or the different shading and duo toning techniques of the black and white source material).

Definately worth $10 bucks a piece, though, and now I won't have to worry about man-handling my single issues anymore (aside from the microseries issues they skipped, anyway).

The oversized format is also pretty luxurious.

Here be a full set up on ebay. Spotted it yesterday, and when I saw the title of this thread, I actually though you had won the auction...

I certainly got mine for a steal, a few years back I found all four (well, in the UK 'Penguin' publisher) in a weird wee book shop for £2.50 each. A bit beat up but still very readable, they were my gateway back into the world of the TMNT. I had no idea that the Mirage universe existed, so when I got these, I was amazed. I had to get more, and i've been a TMNT nut since. So yeah, i'm very fond of these books.

I love those books. Those were my first TMNT comics, as a kid, and how I discovered where the Turtles actually came from. I was really into TMNT, and really into comics, so learning that TMNT was born as a comic was amazing for me.

Also, those were the only Mirage TMNT comics that got published here in Spain for about 15 years, so I've read them a million times.

Like a lot of others, the First Graphic Novels were my entry into Mirage TMNT as well. My dad got Volumes 1, 3, & 4 for me way back when. I never really read them until I was in college since I just figured they were adaptations of the first live-action movie or something like that. Judging by the storylines in Leonardo #1- TMNT #11.

I got mine in a lot, all 4 for 25 bucks. I got lucky though. I have seen them for more so not a bad deal at all. Most people sell them for around 15 on Ebay. Even if you did get them for 10 on Ebay you'd still be paying shipping so you saved money in the long run.

Got mine for $35. Not bad but I like em!

Got a set of all 4 off of Ebay about a year ago for $8 shipped ($5 buy it now auction). They were all later printings, but still, quite a steal.