Amazing Cider-Man

A couple of Spidey's I recently picked up...

I don't have many signed slabs, but I do have a Spidey...

I stopped using long boxes many years ago. Too big and heavy to move around and always eat up space. I only use small boxes now. So much easier to deal with if you buy a lot of books at a time or have a habit of letting them accumulate. I'll often just add another box as a bridge between 2 others and move a little from the box before and after it.

Not sure what the consensus is regarding whether Madame Web showed up in the Bronze or Copper Age, but I know Spidey's clone is a Bronzer

A couple of Bronze beauties I recently scored...

As someone who has purchased several NYC bridges, I find that disturbing.

Doesn't change the fact that it was done.

Is the earth for sale? Comparing the destruction of a planet to a comic book? Just remember... The ability to destroy a planet, or even a whole system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force!

Right now he wins because he got what he wanted, but he'll also be the one who loses if/when he decides to sell it.

Yep... he's about to make someone's hopes disappear!

Exactly! They basically grade without impunity! Maybe if they actually wore gloves there would be more 9.9's out there..

After Batman Damned I seriously thought we'd start to see more 9.9's. I get your points and I think we're basically on the same page. I would add that just like a 9.8, a 9.9 still leaves us room for perfection with that elusive 10 spot. Do we really need 2 unicorns? I can't disagree about the printing process because I don't have any personal experience but even if publishers, despite modern technology, still managed to account for a significant percentage of imperfections, we're talking about an industry that pumps out millions upon millions of books each year.The law of averages alone should give us more 9.9's. Does CGC put printing flaws in the graders notes for a 9.8? Are there actually millions of 9.8's out there with that distinction in the grader's notes? .

Can't argue that. The thing is, a 9.8 isn't perfect and books like that Surfer are worthy. It's more about elevating other books to that next level. The odds of receiving a worthy 9.9 should vastly improve on an uncirculated book that came out on Wednesday.

I had a feeling someone would misinterpret the point I was trying to make. Apologies if the message wasn't clear. I'm not saying the Surfer isn't a worthy 9.8 and I agree with you. What I'm saying is I can see why people would question certain 9.8's when you put them side by side with a brand new, razor sharp release that receives the same grade..This isn't because the Surfer isn't worthy, it is, but if 9.9's weren't such a rarity maybe we'd stop treating 9.8 as king and nitpicking some books that receive them. . ..

I do prefer slabs for Bronze and Modern books that have potential to rise in value unless they're already crazy priced. I'll buy the occasional Silver slab if I don't already have it and it presents well in a lower grade. BUT when it comes to the majority of Silver I prefer raw. I have a lot of F/VF Silver that looks great especially to the average person. I think it's human nature to look at a comic over 50 years old with very forgiving eyes, especially my friends and family who don't collect and think they're all mint because they're so old and not mangled. I also like not having the stigma of a grade possibly limiting my enjoyment because some company dissected every single nuance and found something under a microscope.