In the Dark

A journal by Tnerb

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About this journal

Oblivious to anything new

Entries in this journal

Working for Comics

Who needs a paycheck? Twice in my life I worked in a comic book shop. I was paid an hourly wage (quite decently I might add) and pretty much spent it all at the comic book shop I worked at. It was at these times I tried new books (writers, artists, and assorted back issues). I don?t have that luxury anymore. I did this when I was younger and it was only a part time job, but those four to six hours a week were a blessing. Not only did I work in a comic book shop, I got paid for it (did I mentio
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51% Complete

Getting closer...oh so closer. 51% Complete I have complete 51% of my New Mutants collection in a 9.8 or better. When I first completed this series back in the early eighties I only had 14 issues to find. I started with issue #15 and by the time issue #32 came out I had the whole collection. By the numbers it was easy, only 14 issues, in reality it was so much more difficult. Comic book shops were few and far between. There was no internet for me and my father wasn?t one to drive all over fo
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What Happens if I don't win?

It's green paper for four color paper. There are currently eight books that Bagofleas needs to finish his New Mutants set in 9.8 White Pages are better. Seven of those eight I need as well. Recently issue #95 was on E-bay. I knew Bagofleas needed this. Once I found out he was bidding on this issue I decided not to. There are two reasons I am doing this, one of those is because he is so close to his goal. If I were to bid on it, it would seem malicious (and I did promise him if I knew he was bi
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3X Over

On No! Doubles again! 3X Over I hated when I bought the same issue multiple times. At times I have done this with a new release, more times than not this constant repetitive buying was with a back issue I forgot to mark off my list (be honest, I am not the only one who has done this). A little over a year ago I purchased a program to keep better track. I picked this program over others because it had an application I could buy for my I-pod touch. This program has five different areas I can l
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How much is too much?

If I had it, would I spend it? I never saved. I just spent, no second thoughts, just charge it and I?d pay for it later. Later never came. I went through some hard financial times and I?m glad I did because if I didn?t learn that lesson then I think I?d be learning it now. PedigreeComics.Com recently has an auction with a comic I wanted. I decided on my limit and stuck with it. The book in question was a signed copy of New Mutants #98 by Rob Liefeld graded by CGC in a 9.9. The book sold for
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Moving into Second

Only three more points to go I have been keeping to my word and collecting within the boundaries of the rules I set. I was able to purchase two more issues of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #3 and #5 in a 9.8 at a very good price. I could not find any more Longshots in a 9.8. I realized I should have purchased them when I had the chance. I was able to add seven more issues to my New Mutants series. Four of the series have already been added to the registry, books I purchased directly from a
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Teetering on the Brink

I was hoping if I bid a little more it would be mine. I don?t know how I do it. I am not bragging, just baffled. Every month I budget for rent, expenses, insurance, food, and comic books. My comic book fund is divvied up every Wednesday for new books. The left over amount is set aside for E-bay, Worldwide Comics, Heritage auctions, Comic link and most recently Pedigree comics. All are .com?s. On the latter was a copy of New Mutants #99 in a 9.9 signed by Rob Liefeld. I saw this book posted a w
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Discuss on the Chat Boards Pt.2

3 posts in 3 days or I love this site OK! how happy am I? Less than a week ago I posted a journal, in fact it was only a couple days ago about discussing items on the chat boards. So far I have not been able to do so, until today. I worked the pass 13 hours and snuck checking my e-mail for news I was hoping for. I had begun to act strange, stranger than normal as my co-workers would say when I got the approval to sign into the chat boards with my current e-mail address. I was upset with my int
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A Set of New Mutants? Part 3

Two journals in two days. I am sitting here in front of my TV at 1am, Season Two of Smallville is playing in my DVD player, a brand new package arrived earlier today (which I am pleased as anything to have received and although comic related is not a CGC graded comic) and I have a box sitting on my coffee table with my first submission to CGC. I am nervous. I am afraid that the USPS will lose them. They are not valuable (they are priceless). They are issues 1-10 of The New Mutants. I will be
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Discuss on the Chat Boards

But wait there's more..... I cannot use the registry how I would like too. I have a Yahoo e-mail address which is under the free e-mail banned list for the ability to use the chat boards. I would truly love to be able to join in on the chats to broaden my experience. I called the registry to ask questions about my new membership and how to acquire my 10% discount to send in my books. I thought since I was already on the phone I would inquire about a few more things. I must say that they were e
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Finally hit a 100 Pt. 2

Only hitting a double bull twice on one round of Darts could be any better than this. Finally hit a 100 Pt. 2 When I first wrote about hitting a ?100? I was so swollen with pride that one of my entries reached that majestic milestone. Now I have reached that at least 40 times with multiple journals not to mention a few that reached over 200. I would be lying if I told you I was not looking forward to hitting 300 views on my journals. No, this 100 is a bit more, I finally have 100 registered
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Collecting conscientiously

Thinking before buying.....or good-bye Incredible Hulk 181. I sold my Incredible Hulk #181. I know that it is a little known comic but it is sold. I have already taken the comic off my registry allowing my points to drop, and I am ok with that. I am trying to be careful with what I am collecting especially now since getting a certified book is so much more expensive than one that is not (an example is any New Mutants from numbers 1-86 could probably be purchased for no more than $3.00 a book,
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Buy to Sell? Pt 4

The ball is at the 30, the kick is made and the attempt is...... I can?t say that I have done it yet but I can say that I am doing it. I have a few encapsulated books and a few raw copies up for sale on E-bay. One of those books I have up for bid is Incredible Hulk #181 in a 3.5 condition. This has been in my collection for who knows how long. I got it graded knowing it would receive a low grade but did so anyway because it was the 1st full appearance of Wolverine. Arguably I didn?t purchas
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Membership

Does it have its privileges? It only took me a few years since my first CGC comic was purchased to now (16-Aug-10) when I finally decided to splurge the full $39 and purchase a membership. I enjoy the website for what it is. I hope to utilize it more (one day) with the message boards but at the moment I am happy with the journals and the registry. I like placing my books online for everyone else to see as much as I like to see what a few select have. Every year I would bring some books to W
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White Vs. Off-White

Does the interior matter if you never open the slab? When I was younger the only thing I graded a comic on was the cover. I didn?t raid the back issue bins of the comic shops I did go to, although I should have. It is that whole hindsight being 20/20. I am cheap in my collecting. I will not spend more than what I think a book is worth. I find this to be true with encapsulated books as well. I used to only look at the cover and if it passed my ?eye? test I bought it (now the eye test is followe
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Lost in Transit

Is signature required worth it? There is nothing more exhilarating than coming home and seeing a package sitting there waiting for you. When I first started purchasing through e-Bay, heritage, and ComicLink I loved the anticipation of the package coming my way. I would check on-line and see when it would arrive. Working overnights makes it easier to get my packages right away rather than waiting to get home from work and hoping it will be there waiting for me. On occasion I am too tired and fa
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Storage Pt 2

Oh No! Not again. I know I wouldn?t be spending what I am spending on comic books if it wasn?t for the internet. Then again if it wasn?t for the internet I wouldn?t be collecting CGC graded books. I would probably have the same five I got more on a lark than as a collectible. I also would not be rejuvenated in my collecting as I have been. I am trying to cut down on collecting what I read because I think that I would rather have them collected and bound on a book shelf. I might even save some
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Buy to Sell? Pt 3

I bought, but now can I sell? Buy to Sell Pt 3 I started to purchase raw books to work on an idea. This idea is to live off of buying and selling comic books. I would love to own my own comic books shop one day and I have to start somewhere. I do not yet know if this is a good idea or a bad idea, only time will tell. I purchased a short box of comics hoping to sell and make a small profit. During my quest to purchase lots I placed a bid for a Daredevil #1. CGC graded this book a 3.5 I wrot
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My 50th Journal

And the odds are 50/50 This is it, my 50th journal. Of course I got my second set of 25 a lot quicker than I got my first set of 25. Having written a 4 part journal about my time at Wizard World Philadelphia 2010 most likely helped. I tried to give a quick summary of my experience there. One of my favorite things was having my books graded there by CGC. The one day wait cannot be beat. As I did in My 25th Journal (3-27-10) I touched base on previous journals I have written. I wrote about th
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Trying something New

It's only expensive if I buy it. Years (and Years) ago I asked a person that I have came to know and trust what they could recommend to read. They went directly to the back issue bin and showed me a run of issues of Daredevil. I picked up my first one and was enthralled. After the original series of The New Mutants was cancelled I started to complete my Daredevil run, if I were a better collector I would probably already have the collection complete. I am happy to say that I am only six issues
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A Set of New Mutants? Part 2

With six issues graded I am on my way. 3 different boxes (maybe four), 15 different living spaces, and 26 years later from the 7-11 on Krewstown road to my brand new CGC box in a yet undetermined shelf space. All those years ago I am sure I picked up a pristine 9.4 copy of this book, otherwise known as near mint (maybe even a 9.6). I am also sure a month later this would have been downgraded to an 8.0 after my constant reading and rereading. This issue was in a box with no bag and no board.
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10 to get graded (Part 4)

The final five...or is it? This is part four of the original ten I brought with me to Wizard World Philadelphia 2010 to be graded. I have slowly been putting them on the registry. I have a few that I do not know if I will put on the registry, and then I have a few that I cannot put on the registry. Unfortunately I have a free e-mail access and do not have access to the boards which limits my ability to suggest sets. Maybe that will be a post for another time, but now let?s see how I did. As
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Finally Breaking 700

Am I reaching a Milestone? I collect what I want how I want and well, quite frankly what I can afford. I love getting My New Mutants run. I am having fun trying to get some Daredevil's and X-men's. I seem to be stagnant in my other two that I wish to complete (Longshot and Marvel Secret Wars). I just entered in a few more books I purchased through E-bay. I have five more in my book bag I will try to enter in tonight. Those additional five will throw me over the 700 mark for my registry place
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10 to get graded (Part 3)

How did I do compared to Part 1? I hope you enjoyed hearing about Wizard World Philadelphia. I hope whoever goes to the Chicago show could post a few journals. I would like to know how it goes. As for the first day for me I dropped my books off first thing Friday. I got them back first thing Saturday. I then took them to my Father?s because I really didn't feel like lugging ten freshly ?slabbed? books around, and then after I dropped them off all I wanted to do was look at them. The question i
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Wizard World 2010 Part 4

What do you mean it's over already? I planned on bringing only ten comics to get graded and I brought 19. I planned on bringing some books for a pre-screening and opted not to(and I am glad I didn?t bring them). I became closer to completing my run of Daredevil Vol. 1. I even picked up quite an amount of Submariner Vol. 1, and I even purchased a copy of Avengers #57 after three years of searching for the price comparative to the condition (still paid too much but they are there to make money).
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