On December 4-6, 2025, Heritage will host a Pulp Signature Auction from the Dr. Richard Meli Pulp Collection. Meli is well known as a completionist who had a discerning eye for high grade copies and compiled a premier collection of pulp magazines.

“This collection has been a lifelong passion of mine, and I’m so excited to be able to share it with the world,” Meli said. “I spent the last 50 years hunting for the highest graded pulps in existence and had a lot of fun doing it. Now that I’ve achieved my goal on many of the books, I’m honored to be able to give others the opportunity to do the same.”

Pulp magazines date back to the late 1890s with the most popular period dating between the 1920s and ‘40s. Given their age, it is challenging to find high grade copies; in fact, anything in the 7.0 to 8.5 range is considered an impressive find. Meli’s collection features many high grade examples that go beyond the 8.5 point well into the Near Mint range of 9.0 and higher.

“It would be easier to believe Dr. Meli discovered the secret of time travel than to believe so many of these pulps survived in this condition,” Comics & Comic Art Consignment Director for Pulp Magazines Sasha Fraze said. “And I’ve had several other consignment directors and comics graders mention time travel when I show them these books.”

The high grade examples include the impressive Weird Tales #144 CGC 9.8 with a cover by Margaret Brundage and the Robert E. Howard story “Black Colossus.” Meli’s collection includes the entire Weird Tales run from 1923 to ’54 that includes the first Conan story and Brundage’s iconic Bat Woman cover on issue 118 CGC 9.2 – the single highest graded copy.

Many of Meli’s pulps originally came from the collection of Frank Robinson, another well known pulp collector and author who sought high grade examples and complete runs. Those books in the auction are designated as the Frank M. Robinson Pedigree, which Fraze compared to the Mile High Pedigree of comics.

The collection features the highest graded copies of nearly every Spicy pulp issues like Spicy Mystery Stories, Spicy Adventure Stories, Spicy Detective Stories, and Spicy Western Stories. The collection also includes ashcans, among which are the only known surviving ashcans from Spicy titles.

Over 500 pulps will be offered in the auction on December 4-6, with more planned for future Signature auctions. First, a preview of his collection will be offered in the Comics Signature Auction on November 20-22, including Dime Detective #102 CGC 9.2 Strasser Pedigree and Weird Tales #108 CGC 8.5 Frank M. Robinson Pedigree featuring the debut of Conan.

“This may be the very best pulp collection in existence,” CGC President Matt Nelson said. “Dr. Meli spent decades searching for the highest grade pulps he could find. His success is evidenced by the large number of pulps that CGC graded 9.4, 9.6, and even 9.8, which is virtually without precedent since CGC launched pulp grading almost two years ago. CGC is honored to have been entrusted with preserving the integrity of this collection and to be part of its story as it is revealed to the public.”