Sorry Gemma, this was too long for just another thread on the boards.

My favorite set is the New Mutants (1983). This set has 109 issues contained within; including The Marvel Graphic Novel #4, all 100 issues, 7 annuals, and the spectacular Art Adams rendered Special Edition #1. Each issue from #2 through #85 is worth 25 points. Issues #1 and #85 through #99 are 35 points each. These statistics are for books graded a 9.8 regardless of page quality; this does not include annuals, specials, and a few exceptions (16, 87, 88, 98, and 100).

Issue #98 was one of the books that took me a long time to purchase. This book fetches a premium price which comparatively is way too much for a book that is plentiful in a

9.8. There are currently 873 9.8's out of 2801 copies graded. I still had other (cheaper) issues to get, issues that were a bit scarcer. Number 98 was also worth only 35 points when I first started collecting this set. This was the same comic that introduced Gideon, Domino (Copycat), and the little known Deadpool. This book has since been amended to 120 points.

Between 1983 and 1991 (8 years) The New Mutants had several first appearances but not limited to Magma (disguised in issue #8, as Amara Aquilla in issue #9, and as Magma in issue #10), Warpath (formerly Thunderbird II, issue #16), and Cable (issue #87); including Selene the Black Queen (issue #9), Warlock (issue #18), while fighting such villains as The Sentinels (issue #2), The Silver Samurai (issue #6), and the Shadow King (issues#31-#34). They teamed up with the motorcycle group Team USA (issue #5), Cloak and Dagger (Issues #22-#25) and The Star Jammers (issues #50 and #51). The team was even killed (issue #37) and brought back to life (outside the set) by the Beyonder. This series is credited as the first X-Men spin-off and yet it is treated with less respect than George Lucas' (Executive Producer) "Howard the Duck".

The Uncanny X-men spanning the same years have a point range between 80 points (approximately issue #167) to 60 points (approximately issue #275) per a graded 9.8 issue, once again not including certain issues (e.g. issues #201 and #266). There are even modern age books that have fewer sets per title (Locke & Key) with a higher point value. The algorithm is supposed to take into account of how many sets there are. How does "Locke & Key" with 42 sets warrant 32 points on a 9.8 non variant cover compared to the New Mutants (1983) with 157 sets at 25 points an issue (not including previous mentioned issue numbers). Volume three of the same title started in 2009, each issue of this set is worth between 24 and 32 points depending on a regular or variant cover. How is a title separated by two volumes and almost twenty years (from the end of Volume 1 and the beginning of Volume #3) have a marginal point difference?

My copy of X-Infernus is a Gem Mint (10.0). Using the unknown formula, this issue is worth 40 points on the registry. I feel this is fair for a book from 2009. Bagofleas has a copy of New Mutants #1 in the same condition (1 of 2 that exist and if you own the second one I am interested). How is it possible that this book is worth only 60 points? First off the book is a #1 that was released fresh off the success of Marvel Graphic Novel #4 (six printings). Second off, the book was released in March of 83' (almost 30 years old) and should be worth 160 points at least; 240 would be ideal.

Here are some examples from the same era. I will use issues #1 and #2 to prove my point. I will list the point value of each 9.8 followed by the difference in parenthesis between that title and The New Mutants (1983). I will also list how many sets each of those titles have:

Dazzler has 26 sets;#1 is@160 points (125);#2 is@120 points (95)

Transformers has 83 sets;#1 is@120 points(95);#2 is@80 points(55)

G.I.Joe has 118 sets:#1 is@220 points(185);#2 is@200 points(175)

The above titles I can understand their points per issue. What I can't understand is why The New Mutants are not up between Dazzler and G.I. Joe in the points scale. Then there are the following three that utterly confuse me on how the algorithm works, not to mention how do they have more points per a book than my favorite set?

Droids has 10 sets; #1 is @160 points (125);#2 is @96 points (71)

Ewoks has 6 sets; #1 is @120 points (95); #2 is @ 96 points (71)

The above two could be linked to Star Wars, hence why they might have a higher point value, so I can almost understand, but this last example is proof of what a misrepresentations the algorithm could be. Heathcliff has one set. This single set also happens to be devoid of any issues. Issue #1 however is listed has having 56 points for a graded 9.8 copy while there is no point value for issue #2. Are you seriously telling me that Heathcliff has a higher point value than the New Mutants #1? Heathcliff #1 has six books graded in a 9.8 (out of the ten that are graded) while the New Mutants #1 has 333 graded in a 9.8 (out of the 586 that are graded). Six of those 586 are higher than a 9.8.

Of course stating all this and any changes made to this set by CGC would probably have me lose my #1 status with just the changes to issue #1 alone, but it would be worth it if the New Mutants (1983) would be corrected. Are there any sets that you own that you feel should be changed? I understand that there is a thread for sets that should be corrected but I am more of a journal kind of guy. What are your thoughts?

Thanks for Reading

Tnerb

PS. Of course I could be just rambling

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