70s80sTimeMachine

Very close to locking down a scanner

As @rabidwolf mentioned, more vintage/80s VHS has distinct features i.e. watermarks, security seals, holographic stickers, vent openings etc. There is a pretty solid blueprint you would follow. Also the texture of the shrink wrap etc. So for instance if you had a specific VHS version/release, you would quickly be able to reference exactly what the packaging should have. This burden of verification is similar to what you see in allot of toys with mounted bubbles on cards, or originally factory tape seals on sides of boxes. I remember years ago the factory tape seals on an awesome near mint G1 MEGATRON had dried up but were still in tact. Someone at some point put a clear piece of tape over one of the sides thinking it would reinforce the original drying tape. But what it did was exclude the ability from AFA being able to certify it as originally factory tape sealed thus leaving $15,000 on the table to never be had.

Thanks for mentioning this. My entire collectible ecosystem started for toys under AFA, so naturally I gravitated to VGA for video games, etc. and actually prefer VGA for VHS. In case anyone else is curious, here is how their grading system works: Grading Scales (cgagrading.com)

I have collected VHS, CDs, and LDs for years. CL archives their auction data. Here are the most recent results CertifiedLink :: Online Certified Collectible Auctions I have also been maintaining some points of data: As far as recent stand outs; a slabbed mint/mint Ghostbusters just sold for well over $10K. A 1st edition Risky Business mint/NM and CBS Fox Star Wars mint/mint recently sold for high 4 figures each. Top Gun mint/mint sold for over $4000. As a reference point for noobs, here is the grading scale standard: Grading Number Scale (1-10) | Investment Grading A lower tier mint starts at 8.5 but 9.0 is also mint where gem mint would be 9.5 and "epic" is 10. Basically anything in 8.5 range sells at bigger multiples.

There is some great price data and perspective early on in this thread! @Xenosmilus I have a full run of ungraded Godzilla and have been on the fence for awhile now as to adding a registry run/which grade to target. Typically my objective in this case would be to have all the same grade. For a longer run, say Caps 100-400's, I would break up sections into anything above issue 300 a 9.8; anything above 250, a 9.6 etc. This is not news for any of you but there are definitely some unicorn 9.8 Godzillas out there to be had. When you add SS into the mix, it just takes it up to a whole new level of scarcity and cost. I'm finding allot of value in 9.4/9.6 slabs for my other monster theme runs, WWBN, TOD, etc. But pricing of Godzilla 9.8's definitely has been on a major uptick and trend the last year+. Kudos to you guys for getting in when you did. I have some incredible Godzilla memories from the 70s. Probably my favorite one was being lucky enough to go to the theatrical re-release of Godzilla vs. King Kong. It was a very cloudy day and ended up raining but the line was super long and the theatre was jam packed. We were just completely mesmerized. In general I don't know specifically what it was about all the Godzilla movies from that time period, maybe being so young but in terms of the comic book transcribing to the movie screen vs. the limitless possibilities of your own imagination as you read the comics, the awesomeness came pretty close between the two mediums.

Those were quite tall if memory serves and getting one with the original box just makes it even more awesome

I think the March session actually might have significantly more. But appears for February sessions 1 and 2, there are 50 pages of slabs; so what is that approximately 2500? In case anyone is wondering about OA: Comic Link :: The Online Vintage Comic Book and Comic Art Auction and Exchange

Incredible production quality and spine alignment! Absolute stellar replacement.

Hard to believe we are already only 2 days away from the CL Feb auctions kicking off. I have to make sure I am stocked up on Glenmorangie for that critical competitive edge as bidding has been fierce and this month appears that it will be financially painful one. Some really good books up for grabs.

Is there any new info on GL? This is at the top of my wish list for sure.

They had a role in the late 70s/early 80s Saturday morning Super Friends cartoon and comic books. Good times.

I haven't purchase off HA in a long time. Are you able to look up the bidding history and determine how many unique bidders there were at that price point where the completist tapped out? Date/time stamps of bids would also be helpful in determining say if it was only two people just going back and forth in a violent exchange with neither relenting right at the buzzer. Another possibility is, someone just placed a giant obscene hammer bid and wasn't even around for the end.

This is critical information sharing and good to know. I'll stick with 9.4s/9.6s then and add this to my don't compete for top spots bucket runs of Werewolf by Night and Dracula runs. Fits in very nicely

And then what's next?

Your now complete square box collection looks stellar! I would say this; even though your list appears to be still lengthy, definitely take it all in and enjoy as you move forward on this quest. I think sometimes the thrill of the hunt can be more exciting than actually completing a run. This happened to me recently with G1 Transformers. I was almost a little sad when there was no more need for my endless search quests or pings/messages from other collectors with alerts. I'm super glad to have stumbled on this thread. I just pulled one of my old toy chests and I don't know perhaps my memory just got blurred out by late 70s Star Wars and Supes movies along with arcades/Atari 2600 etc. but I completely forgot that monsters related content pretty much was everything I enjoyed very early on before my super hero mania was ignited. From books, toys, comics, movies, the Thing, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Godzilla, Wolf Man, etc. Although the only TV show related item I could recall was this weekly cliffhanger type series that had a Dracula story arc. But nostalgia is so potent in this manner. You could be somewhere at a comic or toy show or searching online and stumble upon something you completely haven't thought about in decades and then bam, all those memories come flooding back. There is definitely a big challenge to keep your nostalgia pursuits balanced with also living for the present moment as well.

Those look outstanding and you can't beat hassle free. Just the time savings alone is most likely worth the extra $400 vs. the setup device I recently discovered. Does the scanner move relatively swiftly? Thanks for posting these.

Do you have a long box Wolf Man or Dracula? Any unicorns on your list or is this a more liquid market with opportunities? There some 70s vintage sealed Star Wars items on my list that if I'm lucky pop up once every 3-5 years and it's always a very violent bidding battle.

That CAPS kit is absolutely insane. Spidie obviously. To be able to get these still sealed is a true time machine experience.

I know with tax it's pushing $600. Check out my recent discovery a few posts up for a budget of $150-$200. In terms of incredible quality and no hassle, that plustek appears to be unbeatable at this point in time.

Thanks for the link! I completely missed the E. I had looked at the L before awhile back but appears price came down a little now at $1,000 but the E now is at $549 and appears to be delivering incredible value based on the PQ. @Bighaley21 Can you please confirm your experience/utility level with the E model? Thanks!

Awesome!! My all-time favorite CAPS run was from the werwolf storyline up to issue 210. I read this 193 as a kid countless times. When CAPS was getting hunted in 207 and the Red Skull 210 appearance are probably my most memorable. Still have all of these today.

Truer words...my best and highest $$ snipes always occur in conjunction with Weller or Glenmorangie