Golden Age Comic Book Appraisal

Tip Top Comics No. 247

The item is a vintage comic book titled "Tip Top Comics" No. 247, published by Dell, with a cover price of 10 cents. The cover art is divided into multiple panels. The top half prominently features two children dressed as firefighters in a red fire truck, accompanied by a spotted dog running alongside. The truck has 'FIRE CO. NO. 7' faintly written on its front. A large, dark, possibly handwritten 'X' mark is visible over the fire truck and the children, indicating significant defacement or ownership marking. The bottom left panel depicts Charlie Brown from the 'Peanuts' comic strip interacting with a gumball machine alongside Snoopy. The bottom right panel shows what appears to be Popeye and two children, possibly Swee'Pea and another character, involved in some active scene, with a red kite flying in the background. The comic book is enclosed in a clear plastic protective sleeve, which has some wrinkles and scuffs, suggesting it has been handled. The colors on the cover appear vibrant despite the age, though there might be some fading or discoloration around the edges, particularly visible near the top left corner where a reddish-orange hue is present. The comic likely dates to the mid-20th century, given the 10-cent price point and the style of the art and characters. The presence of 'Peanuts' and Popeye characters suggests it's an anthology featuring various popular syndicated strips. The 'X' mark is a significant condition issue that would likely diminish its collector's value, as would any underlying wear to the comic itself, such as tears, creases, or spine damage, which cannot be fully assessed due to the plastic sleeve and image resolution. The quality of the printing and paper stock would have been typical for comic books of its era.