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 followed by the ?will you open the bag and let me look it over? test). I didn?t think about the interior, staples, or back cover. The cover had to pop and if it did I bought it.

In April of 2009 I decided I would indeed start collecting books graded by CGC. My first priority would be the New Mutants; my second priority would be everything else (this only applies for CGC books. Daredevil is still my first goal, one I am coming close to attaining). A couple thousand dollars later I am realizing my mistake and have gone back to one of my original decisions. First and foremost would be The New Mutants, followed by Longshot and Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars. I want all of them in a 9.8. My amendment to this rule is a 9.0 or greater for Tales to Astonish #70 to #101. (Am I strong enough to do this?)

I bid on e-Bay like everyone else. I use Heritage and Comic-link as well for my graded comic books. (All my new books are currently being purchased at Fat Jack?s). Of course at this rate I have no idea how I am going to start saving for next year?s Wizard World. I try my best to keep all my books in order. This does not always work so once in a while at 3 in the morning I go through my comic books and subjugate them to more handling then they deserve. As I was doing this I noticed two of my priced possessions (?The New Mutants? #18 and #19) are not only signature series 9.8?s (the reason I bought them, twice) they are unfortunately White to Off-White.

I of course want the whole series in a 9.8, but I also want the whole series to be in white pages. So how do I treat these? They are beautiful and let?s face it, if it was never mentioned on the outside of the slab I never would have known the pages were not ?White?. This brings up my ability to look over the entire description in any auction just because it is a 9.8 and a double signature series (did I mention that I had to buy them twice) made me overlook that crucial detail until a few months later.

Another auction that just ended had me going outside my means as I bid on and won ?Uncanny X-men? #180. The first X-men I picked up off a 7-11 rack. I lost a day and a half before on one and when I saw the second I bid crazily for it. I was happy I even paid a 1.50 less than the one I lost, but wait, what?s this. The other one was ?White? pages and this was ?White to Off-White?. Was I denied a great book? I paid a bit less than what my average price for a modern graded book but did I pay too much for something that was not the greatest 9.8 I could get?(dare I mention a hope for a 9.9 or 10?)

Sure I understand that if this was a Tales to Astonish from the 60?s but something from the early 80?s. I could almost hear Yoda?s voice telling me I have to learn patience, followed by my voice saying ?ah get it you want it.? Then of course I have to readjust what I am going to spend. I mentioned I have no problem spending on a book in a 9.8 for what I think it?s worth but will I spend on the same book what someone else thinks it?s worth?

Then there?s that pesky page color issue. Can I go back to my youth and just be happy with the cover and not worry about the interior or back cover, and especially not care if part of page 7 in the lower left hand corner has the distinct malfunction to be slightly ?Off-White? compared to the rest of the book. Who knows maybe next they will mark the book if it was in a plastic bag before grading or a pristine Mylar and if it came with a board and ironing instructions.

Thanks for Reading

Tnerb