Oldest Thing in My Collection: Brian A

A few weeks ago, Brian B threw down the challenge to post on the oldest item in our Bat-Collections.  This was a bit tough for me since my collection is comprised mostly of things from the late 80s-on-up with a smattering of items from the 1970s.  However, I did find a couple of items that date from the late 1960s.  Sadly, they aren't toys or even as cool as Brian B's mugs or Charle's pennant.

Both of these books are from 1967… the year I was born.  So, they kind of have some significance to me beyond being just older Batman items.  These things have been on the planet for just about as long as I have and there's something kind of neat about that to me.  

The first item is a coloring book that picked up on ebay a few years ago.  It's in excellent condition for it's age and only has one page colored in it.  This is almost preferable to me over one that might not have been used by a young Batman fan from back in the 1960s.

I love this cover.  I miss these guys.

You can tell that this is based, mostly, on the 60's TV series.  Where else would you see Batman and Robin hanging out in Commissioner Gordon's office?

Also, the "Big Bad" in this story is the Minstrel.  If I'm not mistaken, he's a character that was created solely for the TV show.

This is the page that was pre-colored when I got the book.  Someone did a pretty nice job with it, too.  I like to imagine that this was colored while watching a TV episode of Batman in the late 60's.

The Penguin even makes an appearance.

The second item is a Batman comic book from May 1967, Issue #191.  A few years ago, I was thinking about trying to collect some older Batman comics.  As it should be, the further back you go, the more expensive the comics become.  So, I thought it might be fun to start with the very first Batman comic that was published after I was born and move up from there.  Unfortunately, this is where my vintage Batman comic collection stopped… but that's okay.  I enjoy having this issue all the same.  I have quite a few Batman comics that start in the late 70's but this one from 1967 is definitely my oldest Batman comic book.  

I love looking at these old ads in comics.  Great stuff!

An ad for the original 12" GiJoe line in the 60's.  How cool is that?!

I miss the simpler drawing style of the old days in comics.  It's a shame things have to "progress," sometimes.

This issue even has a second story inside.

My favorite ad in the whole book. Only second to the one about "How to Breath... Without Air!!"

This is an ad for a line of models for a TV show called "The Rat Patrol."  I don't think I've ever heard of this show.

Thanks Brian B!... for setting the challenge.  Doing this makes me wish I had something from earlier in Batman's "career".... maybe something from the 1940's.