CGC Journals

Comic List

My Top 50

Reboot of an earlier journal....   After years of trying to collect every comic I could find, I once owned 100,000 comics (most of them almost worthless).  By selling, trading, and buying; I transformed my collection to just 50 comics.  I previously created a journal picturing those 50 comics.  Late last year I parted with half of my books to buy a childhood grail of mine.  I have slowly been adding comics to get back to 50.  I tried to edit my last journal, but I was unable to change
Comicsarefun

Comicsarefun in Comic List

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Ash Gonzales

Superman #75 Platinum Ash Gonzales

This was one I decided a while back that I wanted to commission.  Here is the original book that I sent to Ash Gonzales.  We had several discussions about what I would like to have done to this book, placement, etc and I sent the book to him to work on. The full process took roughly a year. I recieved several messages with updates and pictures throughout the process.  Here are some of those.  It made it to CGC and actually went through the grading really quick. ( my only issue is
2022 Personal Collection

my personal collection...

I'm going to take an opportunity once a week to post a book from my Personal Collection. I'll try to share the when, where, and why each book was chosen...depends on if I can remember. My personal collection is ever-evolving and limited to 49 CGC slabs and 1 raw book. (but once CGC grades treasury sized books it'll be a solid 50) Why 50? Simple. It is the number of books that fit in two plastic short boxes. Just enough to grab in case of an emergency or not take up too much room
Storage for my comics

It all comes to the space I have to store my comics. :)

Looking at my titles that I have read over the years.... the only mild interest I have reading in today's comic market are a few short DC series, Wondergirl and that's it. ;( I guess DC made it pretty easy for me to wind down my comic reading.  looking at my titles that I have read over the years.... the only mild interest I have reading in today's comic market are a few short DC series, Wondergirl and that's it. ;( I guess DC made it pretty easy for me to wind down my comic readi
Restoration

Superman #16: Conserve or restore?

Not unlike this book itself, I'm torn! Recently acquired this seriously chewed copy with intention of doing one or the other, but not sure which way to go, though I do know that I will submit this afterwards for grading. At a minimum, I intend to leaf-cast the cover and every interior wrap to fill out the missing paper. That, along with a dry-cleaning of the cover, would hopefully come in just under the wire with a conserved grade. But it's also tempting to go further and restore the missing art
Grottu

Grottu in Restoration

8
Restoration

No restoration needed ('nuff said)

The goal should always be to avoid "restoring" comic books when possible, but the accepted alternative methods for improving their appearance are limited to, basically, dry cleaning. I always keep an eye out for low-grade books with defects that upon closer inspection may be corrected with Absorene pads or putty, vulcanized rubber erasers, Magic Eraser, etc. Looking at a messed up cover, for instance, it's easy to mistake moisture transfers -- which often can be removed -- for color loss, which
Grottu

Grottu in Restoration

6
Collecting thoughts and views

Collecting Thoughts and Views - packaging

I am constantly amazed when a seller packages and ships raw books with the cover(s) facing out towards any protective piece of cardboard or worse to bubble wrap. Most know to use cardboard, larger than the books. Most are learning about taping, using painter's tape or leaving a tab to make pulling easy. Most know it is very helpful to use an external bag and place the comics inside so no tape goes onto the actual bag of the comic. Some think about not taping along the spine. But I cannot underst
Restoration

Police Lineup #1

So, this one I got for five bucks on eBay. The interior is not bad, but the cover is missing a good 1 to 2 inch strip down the entire spine. Not sure exactly how that happened (the tear pattern isn't typical of a remaindered copy), but my goal is to restore the missing portion of the cover and reattach it to the interior via the original staples. It's a fun book -- a nice Easter egg is the Wally Wood art on the inside cover. Storywise, it's the usual hard-boiled early '50s crime stuff, but this
Grottu

Grottu in Restoration

15
MANY SIGNATURES

J74: I should be content with ..

... 5 HGCs,  7 FIRSTS,  the 3 9.8s,  4 FIRST 9.6s (1 HGC),  1 FIRST 9.4,  2 FIRST 9.2s,  ALL ... WHITE PAGES,  18 SIGNATURES,    ... but what  I am SO GLAD  to have  HAD DONE (after SO-O LONG, 35 YEARS) is my FISH POLICE #7 (WITH .. my date stamp:  'FEB 18 RECD'),  . . . ... WHICH ... IS ..  SIGNED BY  the CREATIST (STEVE MONCUSE), the LEDDITOR (PAUL NAGY), the PUBLISHER, the BUSINESS GUY, AS WELL
_cantwh8C?

_cantwh8C? in MANY SIGNATURES

3
Travel

Countries I have seen

Not sure I have ever done this but no time like the present. I have done some traveling, seen a few things and met a few people. I am on my 4th passport and a million+ miles. Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, India Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Belgium (French and native), Netherlands, Sweden, UK Mexico, Belize, Brazil, Bahamas, Canada Australia I have seen the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort of Agra. I have walked the Forbidden City and smiled at Mt F
dover

dover in Travel

3
The Collection

My OCD

Why can't I just be happy with collecting lower grade books? I'd save so much $$ if I could just be happy with books that fall into the good-fine+ category. All I'd have to do is ignore the outer edges of the books, and focus on the centers, but no, my eyes go directly to the even the smallest of faults, and they bother me. In some instances, the faults won't stop me from buying something, but bother me they do, sometimes occupying my thoughts for long periods of time after seeing them. I'm that
Artifiction

Artifiction in The Collection

4
Comic Collecting

Comic Trading Challenge- November 15th Update

Alright, so for those who need a recap...I started with a CGC 9.6 Spawn #1 Newsstand, a CGC 9.6 Hulk #340 and $500 cash. The goal? Use the cash and books to trade/buy and sell my way to better things. The rules? Only books acquired along the way can be included in the journey. If I acquire a book I have doubles of, I can enter the duplicate (even if it is a book I acquired long ago) as part of the challenge. Otherwise, I cannot just add books from my "to sell" pile at home to this challenge.
comicginger1789

comicginger1789 in Comic Collecting

2
MCS Consignment 34CGC

My Comic Shop Consignment

Packaged up all of the books from my recent VCC booth and sales thread . I will be sending them off to My Comic Shop Consignment. Figured I would give them a try considering what other board members have posted about their results.   I am sending in 34 graded books. This is the largest single shipment of graded books that I have ever sent. Due to my CIS policy I shipped Fed Ex. Here is the invoice.  Total of 34 CGC graded books all in one box. Measuring 21"×17"×18" total weight wa
TEC 880 NS

Jock Signing

Ok so I debated this one until it is probably too late, but sent it off today anyway.  Will see if I wasted shipping or if CGC will still take it.  I have a copy of Detective Comics #880 Newsstand that I got pretty cheap that was previously graded CGC 7.0 main defect is on the back and kinda looks like it breaks color as the press more than likely will not help. Still taking a chance to see.  Without further delay..  window bag and  color..  package.   shippsh
Family shares

Dover's Journal of life in tiny snippets of text

November 7, 2021 Happy Birthday dad. For all the good and all the bad that were the most of Us The smiles and sads along the path were filled with all the fuss. Disney joy and corvette summer, home away from home At times I find myself within and feeling all alone.  I hope you're well, aloft, on high looking down and me At times I glance and squint the sun if only I could see. Michael
dover

dover in Family shares

1
In The Meantime..,

In The Meantime…

As I continue my search for my infamous ‘last 9.8’ life must go on. This is where I will talk about my collecting endeavors related to this set and things that come my way... in the meantime.  The inspiration for this entry is this Cyborg Superman 1:3 scale statue by Prime 1 Studios. This statue was worth the wait!  I ordered this in January 2019 and finally received it last week.  Almost three years!  I did the payment plan option through Sideshow and had this paid off for over a year... t
Iconic1s

Iconic1s in In The Meantime..,

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