Or How I got a Holy Grail

Before Marvel started to create a successful blockbuster movie series, one of my holy grails was "Iron Man" #55. My infatuation with Thanos began with "Thanos Quest". This two part, deluxe format comic book opened my eyes to how vicious a villain could truly be. His exploits in the "Infinity Gauntlet" sealed him into my top five of the ultimate, vile, and evil menaces of the Marvel universe. Galactus was a force of nature, the Kingpin was greed and gluttony combined, but Thanos loved Death, literally. If any one of the CGC graders are reading this, that "literally" was literally for you.

Thanos' appearances in Silver Surfer Vol. 3 helped me enjoy his wickedness and solidified the desire to own his first appearance...in any condition, but at the right price. Year in and year out I never bought a copy. A grading company I hated (CGC) and grown to enjoy had arrived onto the market and I still had yet to purchase one. Then the rumors began. Could Thanos be on the silver screen? The prices began to climb, especially anything in a better condition.

I learned by purchasing a mid-grade copy of Avengers 57 I wasn't going to get a decent copy unless I spent some money. I continued to pass gauging and learning what I would spend on a comic book. Purchasing CGC graded comic books helped me by opening up my wallet a little bit wider. The Sub-Mariner #38 I purchased in a CGC 9.8 was so much lower than the bid I placed on its Suscha News counterpart, but still enough to be an expensive comic book for me.

I didn't yet attain a copy of Iron Man 55 until I found a despicable scrap worthy of nothing higher than a .5, this was the copy I desired to get. I figured no one would bid on it and every .5 I did bid on to date didn't surpass a quarter of a hundred dollars. I bid three times the amount I was comfortable with before I quit. Fortunately the person I was bidding against quit bidding right before I did.

I'm happy with my .5, I am. I hope to find more around the issue number in the same grade. Then they can match my others. However, the search, or the desire for a high grade copy continued. Rumors became fact and the cameo at the end if the "Avengers" of Thanos in the "secret ending" had my grail sky rocket.

A 9.8 was pushed out of my reach. A 9.6 seemed just as unlikely. A 9.4 could become conceivable if I stopped collecting for a few months. Could I buy a raw copy and hope it would be better than the 5.5 SS my Avengers 57 received?

Then an opportunity arose. A raw copy was found (possibly a previous PGX graded copy) by Lee K and RonnyLama. Both were instrumental in finding this book in such a lovely condition. The trust I had in both of them didn't even get me to haggle with the price. If Lee K told me what the seller wanted I knew that it was good. I asked for a Payment plan and Lee K made sure it happened.

The book arrived and decided I wanted it graded and signed, but another situation arrived. I just set up an interview with Paul Litch at CGC. Could the days that I collect CGC graded comic books be ending? I decided to bring the book with me on my interview with a few other books to have looked over. The other comic books were just an experiment if I could pick out 9.8's again after the success I had at the NYCC. I packaged the four up with three fractured slabs and brought them with me.

I did indeed pick 9.8's but the Iron Man 55, the gem of the bunch I didn't even look over. I was afraid. I thought I might curse it. Paul allowed me to turn over the items and he said he would take care if it. And as I sat with Bradley co-grading with him (he did the actual decision on the grading as first graders-although we acted like seven year olds, in this instance first applies to the first ones to look at the comic book). I dismissed the conversation when one of the other graders mentioned Hacktivist, a book I recently reviewed. I wanted to chat about it, but instead I hunkered down. After all I had to prove I could do a job.

The day passed and before I left I was given my books and I am now the proud owner of a 9.2 copy of one of my lifelong pursuits. I might one day like to get it signed. I have yet to find out word from CGC as of this writing. I was told it could be a few days and Paul would let me know one way or the other, but this article and comic description will not change. Whether I am a CGC employee or not by the time you do read this is immaterial at this point.

I wanted to write this special thank you as I am on my final leg of my journey home. In another twenty minutes I'll be landing back in Philadelphia and I felt that I had to thank RonnyLama for making sure it was such a nice copy, a huge thank you to Lee K for getting me such a good deal on it and making sure I was able to make payments and lastly Paul Litch for making sure it was graded while I was there. And as I write that last part I can hear some of the other people I worked with for the three days I was there cough out the words "kiss @$$",

Thank you

And thank you for reading

Tnerb

To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.