Rune

Thank you very much, Dave - it's a great honor, although it's a small set it has taken 8 or 9 years to build. BTW, I had too much work in May and June, so I didn't get the set fully updated before the deadline , but luckily CGC didn't see that as a problem. Yesterday I took the time to take a few better photos and update some of the text, so here's the new shiny set https://comics.www.collectors-society.com/registry/comics/SetGallery.aspx?PeopleSetID=34657 Originally I just wanted to collect the Savage Tales Conan mags, but I've always loved the Ka-Zar stories too, guess it was a natural thing trying to complete the set. Maybe Erik (Rosland) will one day consider selling his #7 - he's got the single highest graded #7 (and I've got the single highest graded #8, maybe we'll one day end up with the same amount of points ). I wouldn't be winning this award if Barry James (James) hadn't sold his collection last summer - we were intensely competing for the Savage Tales throne, and he won it in 2015 and 2016, I guess I should write to him and ask what made him sell his collection - maybe it's all about the hunt Personally I'm not here for the hunt, I truly love these mags. To me the hunt is more a stress factor, and I'm happy that most of it is over (for this set, I guess - or maybe it'll never really end ) I did win a Registry award for my small DKR set in 2014 and have thought that winning an award for Savage Tales would be another and even bigger milestone. Now I got to find out if there's more to live for!

Whoa, I had a small hope but really didn't see this one coming. It's truly a great honor and I'm grateful for winning the award for Best Magazine Set 2017: Best Magazine Set Rune - The Barbarian Master Set - Savage Tales This appropriately titled set displays some of the finest examples of Savage Tales ever graded by CGC. Detailed descriptions accompany each issue along with high quality photos of both the front and back covers. The owner also owns & displays Ken Barr’s original art for the Annual, confirming that this is not just a hobby, but a passion. And so, to quote the set owner (who gives due credit to Dr. Jones) – “This should be in a museum!” Thank you so much, CGC! And congratulations to all the other winners and participants!

I think I'll bump this thread - my old link doesn't work after the migration, and maybe new collectors can find some nice ideas and inspiration in this thread

And now (*prolonged drum roll*) statistics for 2017! It's become slightly harder to enter top 5%, but easier to fit into other categories. Note that a problem with the Registry is that point scores for many books have not been updated for years - so don't put much emphasis on the scores - it's more a fun overview. The Registry hasn't been gaining many new members the last year - here's an overview: From 2014 to 2015: 11% more Registry members (=464 new members) From 2015 to 2016: 8 % more Registry member (= 359 new members) From 2016 to 2017: 5 % more Registry members (= 247 new members) So it seems we're slowing down in here - would be great to get more new members the next year!

For about a year I've saved scans of new CGC 9.8+ Conan the Barbarian books #1 to #24 (including Annual #1) in a folder, and today I finally took the time to upload everything. I think I've added something like 20 books. You can see the updated library here: http://s1270.photobucket.com/user/runesr2/library/ Current scan/photo status for 9.8+ unrestored Conan the Barbarian books: #1, I've got photos/scans of 38 out of 48 books = 79 % #2, 13/17 = 76 % #3, 14/16 = 88 % #4, 11/11 = 100 % #5, 11/13 = 85 % #6, 10/12 = 83 % #7, 23/28 = 82 % #8, 22/27 = 81 % #9, 22/30 = 72 % #10, 12/14 = 86 % #11, 0/1 = 0 % (I'll try to get Carlo to take a photo soon) #12, 2/4 = 50 % #13, 21/28 = 75 % #14, 6/7 = 86 % #15, 13/14 = 93 % #16, 13/15 = 87 % #17, 14/17 = 82 % #18, 5/5 = 100 % #19, 13/15 = 87 % #20, 6/9 = 67 % #21, 8/9 = 89 % #22, 9/12 = 75 % #23, 19/22 = 86 % #24, 37/59 = 63 % Before updating the library it was my impression that many new 9.8+ books had arrived, but checking the certification numbers many were not new books. Actually quite few new Conan the Barbarian #1 to #24 including Annual #1 9.8+ books have arrived the last year. The most scarce is still #11 (just one book!), #12 (4 books) and #18 (5 books). #9, #20, #22 and #23 among other issues haven't increased in Census the last couple of years. #24 is increasing well (11 books in a year), but Censuses for #1 to #23 seem to be expanding extremely slowly at the moment. I wonder if I'll ever get #11 in 9.8 Maybe the most interesting additions are Shivabali's new #12 and Topnot's old #1 Boston book:

If you like one of Albert's pieces, try to ask him if he'd consider it "on sale"... You know, nothing big just a very small sale I can't help thinking, if someone kidnaps my kids, Albert would be my first choice as a negotiator

Someone just bid 62.5k (according to GPA the last sale was 4.4k in 2005)

Maybe we need a competition in here like "Worst cover ever" - this one is really awesome within that genre, we might even have a winner here!

I just won ToD #4 in 9.8 WP, the centering isn't great, but there're 4 books in 9.8 and none better - and not all have pure White Pages. I might have to wait forever if I insist on 9.8 + WP + perfect centering, sigh. My new ToD #4 9.8 can be seen here: http://www.myslabbedcomics.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=43444&GSub=2546

Great cover & book - I'd really love to collect these old books too, but I already spend too much time looking for other books and art. Thanks for sharing!

Awesome photos - Thanks for sharing!

You beat me there - I had to wait another year

I was hoping to get this cover almost for free - Of course that didn't quite happen, guess I wasn't the only sniper http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1399840

The thought of having my sons growing up without Spider-Man or Captain America (Cap) on the wall was horrifying, luckily I just found a nice modern cover by Jorge Molina and even my 5-year-old son Theodor could easily identify both super heroes You can see the original art and the published covers here: http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1399840 The colored cover can be seen here:

First I got the original art cover and then the CGC 9.8 book http://www.myslabbedcomics.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=43127&GSub=2564 - and I just saw that it's the Featured Slab of the Day https://www.facebook.com/MySlabbedComics/

It's great to get the nomenclature straightened out I've never sold a single thing, not oa nor CGC books Thus my collection is like a black hole, although light does escape (my collections can be seen on the web). And according to Wikipedia: "In general relativity, a white hole is a hypothetical region of spacetime which cannot be entered from the outside, although matter and light can escape from it." Thanks to this thread and Wikipedia, now I know how to introduce myself to other collectors at Comic Con or similar events "(banging on the microphone in the crowded room) Hi, my name is Rasmussen, but just call me Rune. I'm a white hole collector, yeah my hole is quite wide, not that tight or dark really, guess you all know what I'm talking about - man it's just so good to be here, sharing our mutual interests and really getting to know each other"

That's sad news - it's also confirmed here by multiple sources: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/rich-buckler-dead-marvel-dc-comics-artist-was-68-1005867 I've only got one piece by Buckler - my 9-year-old son thinks it simply amazing, but what's not to love about a giant Vampire ape Maybe it's a good idea to show some of our art by Buckler in this thread - to show his great art and to honor his memory.

Today I bought my first Arthur "Art" Adams cover (thanks Moy) - now I own an illustration of an entity that just might be able to kick Galactus' butt if they were ever able to meet http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1395314 I really love the use of perspective, light & shadows and the simply amazing detail BTW, this week at work I was testing a young man with autism with some advanced tests, where he had to copy difficult designs. He was quite good at drawing, but watching him I couldn't help thinking about the incredible skill Arthur Adams shows when drawing a cover with this many details. I don't think that comic book artist should bow to any other artists - ok, maybe to the spirits of van Gogh, Gaugain and Picasso - but I'm not sure any of these old painters would be better at drawing bricks and using perspective than the top comic book artists

This is what all collectors fear - getting a precious and irreplaceable piece severely damaged. I can't believe this could happen when using FedEx - but of course catastrophes will happen. Was this Priority or Economy shipping? I've had more than 100 FedEx packages delivered, all have been undamaged, I used to joke about not needing to pack an item when using FedEx, guess I'll have to eat those words... I was thinking that maybe Robert Dennis can work miracles, he seems like the Wolf in the Pulp Fiction movie. Maybe you could send him some photos for advice? (Which hopefully could reduce your hypertension just slightly in this extremely frustrating situation.) http://www.agraphicstateofmind.com/comic_art_restoration_services.html You probably already know much more about Dennis' skills than I do, but he should be quite experienced in flattening and sealing tears etc. Best, Rune

No one cares about my cool and awesome Garfield strip http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1363400 It was more expensive than many of my other pieces, and it's an old strip, drawn just 2 years after Davis published his first Garfield strip in 1978. Then again Garfield isn't a superhero

In some old thread it was stated that smell doesn't affect the CGC grade - not even smell of tobacco smoke. So defects need to be seen with the naked eye (I don't know if heavy smoking may affect page quality ). One of my friends actually discarded hundreds of his comic books because they smelled of cigarette smoke

Awesome Spawn collections I also just noticed that during the last year some crazy dude succeeded in getting the best Savage Tales magazine set - and it took him 8 years! Savage Tales - The Barbarian Master Set

Awesome page, congrats!

25th anniversary celebrated in the Le Jules Verne restaurant sounds simply perfect, congrats! You look like a very happy couple (I hope to accomplish something similar in 17 years )

Incredible Hulk #71 was an eye-opener for me, it simply was an awesome cover (I still haven't read the book ). I don't remember seeing the Hulk drawn like that when I was a kid - with energy steaming from the cover: I thought to myself I'd love some art like that - still happy with what I've found so far http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1161250 (the kids love it too) Thus no or limited nostalgia, I try to buy love at first sight (no pun intended)