The First Five

June is coming fast and that means I have to make the final decision on what to get graded. I have decided to bring ten comic books with me. The difficulty was getting ten books together. With a bit over a month to go I think I have what I want to bring, I could bring books that I think will get a 9.8. I could bring books that I think will grade high that I could sell, or I could bring something just for the hell of it. Here is the list of 10 (in no particular order not including the last one because it is my favorite book and I like the clich? saving the best for last. If you have been reading my journals since November of 2009 I am sure you already know what book it is.)

My first book to list is New Mutants #5. I purchased this one on e-Bay for $45. That is my average price I like to spend on my graded encapsulated comic books in a 9.8. This one has a good point and a bad point. The good point is it was graded a 9.9 and the bad point is that it was PGX. I have nothing against PGX but since every book I have graded is by CGC I plan on bringing this with me to get graded. Will they give it a 9.9 as well, or will they claim they have stricter guidelines and lower the grade, and if so will they lower it to a 9.8. Me I always grade low so I am going to say a 9.6.

My second book is the variant cover of Daredevil #505 with DeadPool. I am not a DeadPool fan at all but the homage to Frank Miller was too great to pass up. I purchased this book just this past Sunday for seven dollars. Not a bad deal. I haven?t even opened it yet since I already read the non-variant cover. I would love for this to be a 9.8 to hang on a shelf in my hallway. The spine is crisp but looks a little frayed. There is a small corner chip in the upper left hand corner. I do think they will grade this book a 9.8. Since I drop a grade I should say a 9.6, especially since I already think The New Mutants #5 will hit that grade.

Side Note: I would rather expect low and be surprised and happy with a higher grade.

My third book that I plan on bringing is X-Men #42 Volume #1. This is one of the oldest books I plan on bringing with me. I have had this book for the greater part of twenty years. Now as I look at these I am leaving them in the bags and just eyeballing it. The cover is bright and flat. The edges are not that bad (with the exception of the upper right corner. I should un-bag it and inspect it closer. If I could I would grade this one a 6.0. BUT, (notice it is a big but, maybe I should diet) I recently purchased a 9.6 Uncanny X-Men #141 which I never would have graded a 9.6 so my guess for this one will be an 8.0

This brings me to my next problem, The Uncanny X-men #142. This is another issue that I have had for a great many years. I look at this and compare it to the 141 I have as a 9.6 and if this cannot achieve a higher grade I will be very upset with the grading standards of CGC. I look at this book and it reminds me of my Amazing Spider-Man #129. I thought that would be graded a 9.4 and it was graded a 9.2. So with that bit of experience I will say my final grade is a 9.2. (However if I have to grade it compared to the 141 I better get a 9.6)

My fifth book I also purchased along with the Daredevil #505. This book I purchased raw just to try to get a 9.8 grade. (I also overheard something said which I am currently researching for another journal entry). The book is Uncanny X-men #213. The book looks great, colorful, sharp, and for only $16 I could not pass it up. Of course if it does not get a 9.8 then the $16 is a waste. A 9.6 grade and I will sell it, a 9.8 and I add it to my collection. I truly believe they should add a 9.7 grade. I know 9.8?s are not as rare as what I once thought and I know that if I have those high expectations that I better be ready for those crushing blows. I have books that were graded a 9.8 and should not be but I think on that basis I am going to stick with a 9.8.

This is the first five of the ten I plan on bringing in June. I should get them back the same day, if not the next day. I love the same day grading and that is also why I never had to send anything out to get graded. I think that this is the year I might do something crazy. I plan on also bringing 50 books with me for a prescreening. I know they cannot do it there but they can take it with them. This will save me some money (and fear) with shipping and handling. I expect at least 40 to be a 9.8, the rest are borderline (or maybe hopeful). That is a journal for another day.

Thanks for reading

Tnerb