We Built OAK City...

We Built OAK City on Star-Starlogs!!!Ok, so I'm cheesy and goofy. That's just me!But why is this silly 80s song playing over and over in my head today? Well, because I just got back 2 packages from CGC today, one of which has 6 copies of Starlog Magazine that I submitted to CGC at the Florida Supercon in Miami back in July!No matter what grade these things get, they are all OAKs, since none have ever been graded before. In fact, I am the only person who is actually submitting multiple Starlogs right now. Gemma created the Starlog set category at my request. Thank you, Gemma!Every one of these magazines that I submit are ones that my father and I picked up right off the shelf when they came out! We're talking late 80's and early 90's issues. They have been stored for decades and moved from place to place to place. It's amazing that they still have high grade possibilities!The fact that all of them are now OAKs is why I am singing my re-wording of an old Starship song in my head. LolI am looking for signing opportunities on most of these, but I just couldn't help myself but to go ahead and submit a few that I felt I might not get signed. I was wrong on 2 of them, since Scott Bakula was just at NYCC and I could have gotten one of them signed by him, and the other I could get signed by Michael Dorn at some point.If I really want to, I could always crack and resubmit. But anyway, back to the packages!The first package contained 3 items that I had signed at the Tampa Bay Comic Con in mid-August. I did not press these. I just cracked, had signed and submitted them for regrading. Here is what the results are for this invoice:Marvel Graphic Novel #16 SS 9.8 WP signed by Greg LaRocque on Back CoverAmazing Spider-Man: Parallel Lives #nn SS 9.8 WP signed by Alex SaviukDeadly Hands of Kung Fu #18 SS 9.8 WP signed by Pat BroderickThese are all OAKs now, being the single highest graded SS copies of each one. I am considering selling the DHOKF issue. It is the ONLY 9.8 graded copy out there AND SS as well!!Ok, now for the Starlogs! Remember, I just eyeballed these at 9.8, so this was a good test of my magazine grading abilities. Here were the results:Starlog #128 - 9.8 WPStarlog #132 - 9.8 WPStarlog #141 - 9.8 WPStarlog #153 - 9.8 WPStarlog #155 - 9.8 WPStarlog #156 - 9.8 WPHOLY ACCURACY, BATMAN!!! I hit them all exactly right! This is the first invoice that I didn't look at the results online once it reached Shipped/Safe status. I decided I would make it more exciting by waiting and pulling them out one by one. I must say, this sure did make the experience so much more enjoyable. I may have to treat all of my upcoming invoices the same way!Looking at these now brings back many memories of my father. His passion for collecting. His child-like exuberance at finding and acquiring both new issues and back issues. The long hours we spent together, organizing and categorizing our collection. The shows we attended.But what I miss most of all is walking into The Comic Book Corner, our LCS, together every week and simply going through the newly released issues on the shelves, picking them up like hens in the barnyard pecking at the corn thrown in by the farmer."Check this one out, Dad!" (Peck!). "How about this one, son?" (Peck!)"Hey look! They're starting a new series, Dad!" (Peck!)"Do you think this is the best copy of this issue, son?" (Peck!)Man, I miss those days. But being able to have original items like this graded and immortalized makes it seem a little more like my father is still here, looking down at the issue and saying, "Told you that one looked good."I love you, Dad.Below is a picture of the DHOKF #18! Give me a few minutes and I'll post pics of all of the other ones in the replies.To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.