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surfer99

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Journal Entries posted by surfer99

  1. surfer99

    My First NEW Journal

    By surfer99,

    Well, I can't seem to get the photo to display correctly, even though it shows correct before uploading, but here is my first new journal attempt. I tried to post earlier today, but the post never showed up...weird. Anyway, thank you to dreamtoreal1 for this sharp looking Iron Fist 14. I'm really looking forward to Ronnylama pressing it and then Chris Claremont signing it at ECCC this year. Hoping it comes back at least 9.2 but sometimes you never know. Hope everyone has a great year!
    Til next time...
     
    ***



  2. surfer99
    Storage and display.
    I love my collection and it?s great to be able to view scans of all my books in the registry, but it?s not the same as seeing the actual comics in person. I?m curious what other people do with their collections. Some collectors out there have hundreds of books. Do all these books just get stored in comic boxes where they gather dust (figuratively), or do they get displayed somehow so they can be appreciated? Personally I like to display four books at a time (on my dresser) in ?mini-sets? of my own design; the rest get stored in comic boxes until I decide to switch them around. These are currently my top three favorite sets to display:
    (#1) Hulk 172, Amazing Adventures 16, Defenders 15, Avengers 110 (Classic Juggernaut and Magneto CGC 9.6)
    (#2) Amazing Spider-man 129, Fantastic Four 48, Hulk 181, Giant Size X-men 1 (1st appearance Heroes CGC 8.0)
    (#3) Amazing Adventures 16, Defenders 8, Iron Man Annual 4, Hulk 250 (Highest Census)
    I would love to find a way to display eight books or so at a time on my wall, but I haven?t figured out how to do that. I could get them framed, but that?s cost prohibitive and doesn?t allow me to change the display. I?ve seen some shelving options that might work, but I?m not sold yet. If there are any ideas out there please let me know. Thanks!
    Til next time?
    UPDATE: Thanks to all for the suggestions. The best recommendation so far- http://www.frameitagainsam.com/hall.php
    ***

  3. surfer99
    Here?s where I stand on this subject?
    I?m not a big fan of the point system here on the Registry (as noted in one of my journal entries from last year titled ?Registry point system?), but it is what it is I suppose. I understand that a higher point value is ascribed to books that are more desirable to collectors; I just don?t believe that should be the case when there are numerous copies of said book to choose from and their market value is low.
    Take the example from my last journal for instance, Avengers Annual #10. People want this book because it features the 1st appearance of Rogue, but there are also currently 1280 graded copies?539 of which are graded at 9.6 or above. The book sells for about $50 on average in 9.6 condition?and the point value? 250. In my opinion, the book?s value and rarity just don?t line up with the point value.
    Despite my complaining though, the Registry does get it right most of the time, and even when they don?t, I guess it all sort of evens out in the end?for every book like Hulk #150 (X-men appearance) that has an undervalued point total (110 for a 9.6), there is a book like Power-man and Iron Fist #66 (2nd appearance of Sabretooth) that has an unjustifiably high point value (275 for a 9.6).
    So in the end, does it really matter what a book?s point total is? It shouldn?t, not really. I?ll admit that for whatever reason, I like to see myself rise in the overall rankings, but would I buy a book I have no real interest in just because it has a high point value, or would I refrain from buying a book I really want because it has a low point value? No way. I buy books because I enjoy them and want to add them my collection. If we?re collecting books for the sake of points alone, we just end up with a bunch of books we don?t really want, and where?s the fun in that?
    Til next time?
     
    ***

  4. surfer99
    The time between teams (Part 2 of 2)?
    So what were the X-men doing after their own title ended in 03/1970? Searching for the Angel! This is their story?X-men #62, X-men #63, Avengers #110, Avengers #111, Hulk #172, Captain America #173, Captain America #174 and Captain America #175.
    SPOILER ALERT! If you don?t want to know how this story unfolds then stop reading now, go pick up the issues above and read ?em for yourself pilgrim (you?ll be glad you did)!
    10/1969 X-men #62: the Angel?s life is saved by ?the Creator? in the Savage Land and he gives Angel a new costume after his old one was destroyed.
    11/1969 X-men #63: ?the Creator? is revealed to be Magneto who is actually using the Angel and the Savage Land mutates for his own evil agenda?until the X-men take him down!
    04/1973 Avengers #110: Magneto rendered the Angel (last seen in Amazing Adventures #15) unconscious and disguised himself by donning Angel?s costume so he could take the Avengers by surprise upon entering the X-men?s mansion headquarters.
    05/1973 Avengers #111: Magneto revealed that the costume he made for Angel (back in X-men #62) had been gradually absorbing his young mutant energy which Magneto then absorbed into himself before being defeated by the combined might of the Avengers and the X-men?the X-men then returned home to their mansion, however the Angel was nowhere to be found.
    02/1974 Hulk #172: with the help of the Hulk, the X-men defeated the Juggernaut and continued their search for the Angel.
    05/1974 Captain America #173: the X-men team-up with Captain America to confront the group they believe is responsible for capturing the Angel and for starting a smear campaign against Cap?the Secret Empire (formerly a division of Hydra)!
    06/1974 Captain America #174: our heroes discover that the Angel was indeed imprisoned by the Secret Empire, along with several other mutants?they also nabbed the Beast (last seen in Hulk #161), Havok and Polaris (last seen in Hulk #150), and a handful of evil mutants in their attempt to conquer the United States. Sadly, Captain America and the X-men were swiftly defeated by the Secret Empire as well.
    07/1974 Captain America #175: as it turns out, the Secret Empire used the brainwaves of the captured mutants to power their ultimate weapon?fortunately Captain America and the X-men managed to escape and finally take down the Secret Empire, setting Angel and the other mutants free!
     
    Hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did. The Angel?s next appearance would be in The Champions #1?and at least now I finally understand why he wore that lame outfit in issues #1-#7. It was all Magneto?s fault!
    I?ll leave you with a fan?s letter I found in Amazing Adventures #12 from May 1972 (just before the Beast teamed up with the Angel in issue #15)?
    ?Dear Stan and the Gang,
    It was a gray day in January of 1970 when I drove to the newsstand to pick up the last X-MEN book. Everybody in fandom had heard the series was ending, but it was nice of Roy to make a note of the fact in the letters page, to end the group?s lives cleanly and intelligently. The X-MEN?some call them a second-rate FF?but I always loved their air of mystery. The X-MEN?play with the name for awhile in your mind?tremendous.
    Sure they?re back as re-prints of their early adventures, but where are the merry mutants of today? Will there ever be further adventures of Scott and Jeannie, of Warren, of Bobby, Alex and Lorna, or of Hank, my favorite? C?mon Marvel, let?s see ?em again!?
    The response from the Marvel Bullpen?
    ?Gee, the world hasn?t gone completely X-men-less since that dismal winter?s day. The Iceman popped up in SPIDEY #92, Havok and Lorna charged through HULK #150, and Angel did a three-parter in KA-ZAR and MARVEL TALES- and now there?s your favorite, the bounding Beast, in a new strip all his own. We hope you- and all other mutantophiles who kept reminding us of our responsibility- will rest easy and just enjoy.
    Stainless Steve Englehart, Marvel?s newest boy wonder, is a long time Beast fan himself, and he plans to make sure the new Amazing Adventures lives up to everybody?s expectations.?
    I love hearing how the fans felt about what was going on with the X-men back then (second- rate FF? too funny). I enjoyed Steve?s run on Amazing Adventures and hope to add that to my collection someday as well, along with the aforementioned Amazing Spider-man #92.
    Til next time?
     
    ***

  5. surfer99
    The time between teams (Part 1 of 2)?
    I really enjoy collecting high grade X-men appearances from the Bronze Age during the time when the X-men did not have a title of their own. It?s cool to see what our favorite heroes (and villains) were up to between the last issue with the old team, X-men #66 (03/1970), and the first issue featuring the new team, X-men 94 (08/1975).
    Check out this special announcement from Stan (Lee), Roy (Thomas) and Neal (Adams) at the conclusion of X-men #66?
    ?This is the final issue of THE X-MEN.
    At least for the time being. Though Roy and Neal have devoted long hours to recent issues (as have our fill-in artists)- and though a mountain of mail has assured us that many Marvelites truly enjoy the job they?ve been doing- the plain truth is that the magazine?s sales don?t warrant our continuing this title. We feel that the artists and writers involved can better devote their time to other projects, other characters.
    And so the X-men go on the shelf.
    We doubt if they?ll stay there, though. Our misunderstood mutants, like most of our other heroes, have often seemed to possess a life all their own- and we?ve got an educated hunch that they?ll be zooming into the pages of various Marvel mags in the not-too-distant future. Shed no tears for them, friends; they?ll be around.?
    As a huge X-men fan, I can?t imagine what it must have been like back in 1970 when Marvel cancelled that title, but I know I would have been excited to see an appearance by anyone associated with the X-men. I?ve listed all of the appearances I could find below in chronological order?the issues I own have an asterisk* next to them. Who knows, maybe someday I?ll be fortunate enough to own high grade copies of all of them (THAT would be something)!
    I just recently completed my Captain America X-men crossover in issues #172-#175 (check out my earlier journal entry for more on that one). My latest addition, and oldest CGC 9.6 to date in my collection, is Hulk #150 from 04/1972 featuring the first ever crossover appearance of Havok and Polaris. This issue picks up right where X-men #66 left off two years earlier, where Iceman and Havok had been fighting over the affections of Lorna (aka Polaris), and just before Captain America #174 where they were captured by the Secret Empire. This is a tough issue to find in high grade and at a fair price, but worth the wait! I will continue to add more when able and will be sure to journal my experiences for anyone who may be interested. Enjoy!
    03/70 ---------- OLD X-MEN ENDS ----------
    09/70 Fantastic Four #102 (Magneto)
    10/70 Fantastic Four #103 (Magneto)
    11/70 Fantastic Four #104 (Magneto)
    11/70 Ka-zar #1 (X-men)
    01/71 Amazing Spider-man #92 (Iceman)
    04/71 Marvel Tales #30 (Angel)
    11/71 Amazing Adventures #9 (Magneto)
    01/72 Amazing Adventures #10 (Magneto)
    03/72 Amazing Adventures #11 (Beast)
    *04/72 Incredible Hulk #150 (Havok, Polaris)
    05/72 Amazing Adventures #12 (Beast)
    07/72 Amazing Adventures #13 (Beast, Blob)
    08/72 Avengers #102 (Sentinels)
    08/72 Sub-Mariner #52 (Sunfire)
    09/72 Avengers #103 (Sentinels)
    09/72 Amazing Adventures #14 (Beast)
    09/72 Sub-Mariner #53 (Sunfire)
    09/72 Marvel Team-up #4 (X-men)
    10/72 Avengers #104 (Sentinels)
    10/72 Sub-Mariner #54 (Sunfire)
    11/72 Amazing Adventures #15 (Beast, Angel)
    *01/73 Amazing Adventures #16 (Beast, Juggernaut)
    03/73 Incredible Hulk #161 (Beast, Mimic)
    *04/73 Avengers #110 (X-Men)
    *05/73 Avengers #111 (X-men)
    *02/74 Incredible Hulk #172 (X-men, Juggernaut)
    *04/74 Captain America #172 (Banshee, Cyclops)
    *05/74 Captain America #173 (X-men)
    *06/74 Captain America #174 (X-men)
    06/74 Iron Man #68 (Sunfire)
    *07/74 Captain America #175 (X-men)
    07/74 Daredevil #111 (Silver Samurai)
    07/74 Marvel Team-up #23 (Iceman, X-men)
    08/74 Iron Man #69 (Sunfire)
    09/74 Iron Man #70 (Sunfire)
    *09/74 Defenders #15 (Magneto, Blob, Professor X)
    10/74 Defenders #16 (Magneto, Blob, Professor X)
    10/74 Incredible Hulk #180 (Wolverine)
    *11/74 Incredible Hulk #181 (Wolverine)
    12/74 Incredible Hulk #182 (Wolverine)
    02/75 Fantastic Four Giant Size #4 (Multiple Man)
    08/75 ---------- NEW X-MEN BEGINS ----------
    Til next time?
     
    ***

  6. surfer99
    X-MEN set complete, 1974!
    So when I first saw the awesome cover to Captain America #173 featuring the original X-men and Nick Fury, I knew I had to add it to my collection of Bronze Age X-men appearances. After reading the X-men portion of the storyline in Captain America #172-#175 (great story by the way?told by the man who has become my favorite writer of the Bronze Age- Steve Englehart), I decided to try and collect all four issues in CGC 9.6 condition.
    As it turns out only three other sets in the Registry include all four books, and none of these sets have all White pages. I?m not real particular about page quality so long as it?s at least Off-White (no Cream in my collection), but when I realized the first three issues I bought had White Pages (#172, #173 and #174) I had to make sure the last one (#175) did as well or it would totally bug me. As a result, the only one I could find with White pages had the old CGC label, which I don?t like, but I bought it anyway thinking that I would just pay to have it re-slabbed. Believe it or not, when the book arrived it had the new label?and Off-White/White pages. Yep, I was sent the wrong book (well, right book, but wrong page quality), and the company I bought it from told me they had misplaced the book with the White pages. Sigh. It was actually a blessing in disguise though cause after I sent it back for refund, another copy came up for auction with White pages AND the new label?I won the auction and ended up paying $40 less than I did the first time. Score! In general though I believe White pages are nice, but are really secondary to the grade?I?ve read where some collectors say they would rather have a 9.4 comic with White Pages than a 9.6 comic with Off-White pages (I don?t understand that logic, but to each his own I suppose).
    After a LONG journey, here?s a quick recap of how I collected these books?
    Captain America #172 (CGC 9.6 w/White Pages): found at the SDCC on 07/24/2009 for $140.00.
    Captain America #173 (CGC 9.6 w/White Pages): picked up off eBay on 11/23/2007 for $122.50.
    Captain America #174 (CGC 9.6 w/White Pages): snagged from Worldwide Comics on 08/17/2009 for $110.00.
    Captain America #175 (CGC 9.6 w/White Pages): scored on Comic Link 03/16/2010 for $72.00.
    In closing I?ll leave you with a little excerpt from a Q&A session Steve Englehart did with Comic Book Resources (CBR) back in 2005 (check out my 10/23/2008 journal entry for more on this interview- good stuff!):
    Stephane Garrelie: The first story by you that I read was Cap/Falcon/X-Men of your Secret Empire/Watergate story in "Captain America" (#170-#175). Do you think that so political a story would be possible in the comics today?
    Brian Cronin: Excellent point, Stephane. It is funny how stuff like Richard Pryor on SNL, or Steve (Englehart)?s Cap, couldn't be done today, and yet we act like we are so "advanced" culturally.
    Steve Englehart: I was asked about doing some "Captain America" today-- I said it would have to include politics-- they said "well, never mind."
    Steve Englehart: But that specific story? On the one hand, I was writing about events that all of America was interested in, so it wasn't some ad hominem attack on Nixon. On the other hand, a lot of people are interested in what's going on now...
    Too bad Steve was never given the opportunity to write that story. Maybe if we?re lucky, we?ll see him write a couple of story arcs now that Steve Rogers has returned! We can only hope.
    Til next time?
     
    ***

  7. surfer99

    Success at SDCC!!!

    By surfer99,

    Picked up some nice books...
    As always, the family and I had a great time at the San Diego Comic-Con this year?lots of, hmm, interesting attendees to say the least?we were sure to take plenty of pictures this time around too (thanks to my wife for taking the pic below of Psylocke and Elektra). It took a couple of hours waiting in line, but my wife made it to the Lost panel while the kids and I checked out a brand new Spongebob episode at the Spongebob panel?so cool to see and hear all the people that do the voices for that show! We also attended the Jericho panel (the final arc of the current storyline in this awesome TV series will be presented in comic book format so be sure to check it out soon- http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22250) and of course the Aspen panel where Frank announced that Soulfire will be coming to the big screen in addition to the already announced Fathom movie starring Megan Fox?it?ll be a few years, but will definitely be worth the wait (http://www.newsarama.com/comics/090725-sdcc09-apsen.html).
    Very happy with the comics as well?I scored Fine reading copies of a dozen or so original X-men books in the #34-61 range, Amazing Adventures #11-17, MTU #23 and ASM #92 all for a good price?also picked up a couple of nice CGC books?Captain America #172 CGC 9.6 and X-men #110 CGC 9.6. This year I realized though that if you want to buy CGC books at the Con you?re going to pay more than you would normally (have to assume this is because the vendors need to cover their expenses and they know that high grade CGC books command high dollar). It killed me, but I had to pass on a FF #104 CGC 9.6?it was in my hand, but the seller wouldn?t take less than $600 and that?s not gonna happen.
    All things considered (even the weary legs after walking and walking and walking for days) everyone had a really great time and we?re hoping to be able to do it again next year.
    Til next time?
     
    ***

  8. surfer99

    SD Comic-Con 2009

    By surfer99,

    It?s getting close and I?m ready?
    July 22 (Preview Night), 23-26, 2009 (SOLD OUT AGAIN!!!)
    http://www.comic-con.org/cci/index.php
    This is the premiere event for anyone with an affinity for pop culture, comics in particular. I?ve attended the San Diego Comic-Con at least a half dozen times in the past 12 years, most recently was last year when I took my family (everyone had a blast!). It is INSANE how huge it?s become and thanks to the movie and television industries, comics are now widely embraced by a mainstream audience as well, making it ?cool? to be into comics. The only downside to this is the extremely LONG lines for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, so you really have to pick and choose what events you want to go to. Last year we attended the Lost, Chuck, Heroes, Spongebob and Phineas and Ferb panels where we got see and hear the actors/producers talk about the upcoming season and even watch brand new full episode(s). Can?t wait to see what?s in store for this year! Of course, I?ve also got my wish lists ready for CGC books and reader copies to add to my collection.
    If you are fortunate enough to attend the Con this year, I?d also recommend taking in some of the attractions of San Diego (there?s more to life than just comics you know). Deep sea fishing is a blast and not too expensive (we caught barracuda and sea bass last year that we put on dry ice and then barbequed when we got home?sooo good) so we?ll likely do that again. We?ll also take the kids to Legoland for a day and hit the beach a few times. Yes, the economy stinks right now, but it?s not going to get any better if we don?t start spending some money (as long as we?re responsible about it)! If you aren?t able to make it this year, I would strongly encourage you to go next year, but start making plans now cause the passes sell out quickly and you have to book your hotel at least 6 months in advance (no kidding). Hope to see you there (I?ll be at the Aspen booth hangin with my buddy Frank)!
    Til next time?
     
    ***

  9. surfer99
    All things considered, it was worth it...
    After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, I?ve received my books back from CGC (check out my 04/06/2009 journal entry if you wanna see my estimated grade of each comic prior to submission). Obviously I?m disappointed with some of the grades received, but overall I?m happy with the results and I will definitely consider submitting my own books again. Unfortunately, next time will be more expensive since CGC raised their rates and changed the Modern tier from 1975-Present to 1980-Present. Glad I got these in when I did, and I even submitted a few more prior to the 05/01/2009 price change!
    Here are the official results from CGC:
    Daredevil #196 CGC 9.6
    Daredevil #257 CGC 9.6
    The Punisher #10 CGC 9.8 (highest on census)
    Hulk 8 CGC 9.8 (highest on census)
    Wolverine #1 CGC 9.4
    Wolverine #3 CGC 9.6
    Wolverine #4 CGC 9.6
    Wolverine #5 CGC 9.8 (highest on census)
    Wolverine #6 CGC 9.6
    Wolverine #7 CGC 9.8 (highest on census)
    Wolverine #8 CGC 9.4
    Wolverine #9 CGC 9.8 (highest on census)
    Wolverine #10 CGC 9.6
    Uncanny X-men #105 CGC 9.0
    Uncanny X-men #268 CGC 9.4
    Spectacular Spider-man #17 CGC 9.6
    Spectacular Spider-man #18 CGC 9.6
    Alpha Flight #17 CGC 9.4
    The Champions #17 CGC 9.6
    Captain America Annual 8 CGC 9.0
    Lessons learned: you can never predict exactly how CGC will grade a book, but you can significantly increase your chances of receiving the grades you want by submitting more than just a few books at a time; if you have any reservations about sending in a book for fear that it might not grade as high as you?d like, don?t send it in- just buy a copy that?s already graded. Overall, I?m very satisfied with the way things turned out- every issue even came back with WHITE pages (nice!). We?ll see if this keeps me in the top 500 on the census for awhile, although I?ll likely sell some of these in an effort to upgrade my collection. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the journals. It?s been a fun process.
    Til next time?
     
    ***

  10. surfer99
    Choosing the right books?
    So here?s the thing. Do you send raw books to CGC for grading, or do you buy books that are already graded? For the most part I like to buy books that are already graded. Yes, it?s expensive, but I know exactly what I?m getting and there is zero risk involved. However if I can find the raw books I want in high grade for a good price then why not submit them myself and try to save some money? [NOTE: It?s a good idea to ask lots of clarifying questions about the condition of a book before buying from an auction site like eBay. Some sellers will list a book as NM/MT when in reality the book may have several defects that clearly keep it from grading that high...I found this out the hard way.]
    For me personally it makes the most sense to submit raw books from the Bronze Age and some early Modern Age that I would expect to grade high and that are valued at $200 or less. The cost of grading these books (1975-present) is much less ($15.00 per book) than that of older more expensive books ($29.00-$37.00 per book) and the initial investment is minimal so the risk is well worth the potential reward. If you haven?t already, you should also go through your existing collection and submit those books you love that have a good chance of making the grade. I?m a big Wolverine fan so I pulled together several issues to complete a #1-10 run and found a couple of other noteworthy books that hopefully will do well. Having said all that, I anxiously await the results and return of the following books I just sent to CGC today?
    Existing copies from my collection:
    The Punisher #10 NM+ (1988), Daredevil crossover
    Hulk 8 NM/MT (1999), Wolverine appearance
    Wolverine #3 NM/MT (1989), Silver Samurai appearance
    Wolverine #4, NM+ (1989)
    Wolverine #8 NM+ (1989), Hulk appearance
    Wolverine #10 NM+ (1989), Sabretooth appearance
    Uncanny X-men #105 NM- (1977), Firelord appearance
    Uncanny X-men #268 NM/MT (1990), Captain America appearance
    Purchased copies from eBay over the past several months:
    Spectacular Spider-man #17 NM+ (1978), Iceman and Angel appearance
    Spectacular Spider-man #18 NM+ (1978), Iceman and Angel appearance
    Alpha Flight #17 NM+ (1984), Wolverine appearance (X-men #109 cover swipe)
    The Champions #17 NM+ (1978), Sentinels, Iceman and Angel appearance
    Captain America Annual 8 NM+ (1986), Wolverine appearance
    Daredevil #196 NM+ (1983), Wolverine appearance
    Wolverine #1 NM+ (1988)
    Wolverine #5, NM/MT (1989)
    Wolverine #6, NM/MT (1989)
    Wolverine #7, NM/MT (1989), Hulk appearance
    Wolverine #9, NM/MT (1989)
    Daredevil #257 NM+ (1988), Punisher crossover
    I?ll let you know how these come out once I receive them back from CGC and we?ll see how bad I am at grading. What?s the worst that can happen right? Oh yeah?they could all come back 7.5 (Aarrgghh!!). Dude, if that happens I?m sticking with buying slabbed books from now on, period. Wish me luck!!!
     
    Til next time?
     
    ***

  11. surfer99
    It's getting more and more difficult.
    Between the increasing number of collectors added to the registry every day and the determination of existing collectors who are continually adding to their sets, I am having a heck of a time staying in the top 500! Selfish I know, and I?m sure I?m the only one who cares about overall ranking, but I like being in the top 500. Besides, we?re in a recession people- you should be saving your money! What?s that? You are saving money by investing in a stable market like comics instead of losing it in the stock market? Oh, OK then, that makes sense I guess. I?ll just look on the bright side- it?s a great sign for the future of our hobby when so many people choose to invest this much time and resources into expanding their collections. That can never really be a bad thing...except when I get outbid.
    P.S. I?ll be submitting a number of books to CGC in the next couple of weeks- keep an eye out for my next post and I?ll give you all the details.
    Til next time?
     
    ***

  12. surfer99

    Registry point system

    By surfer99,

    I still don?t get it.
    I know the gang at the Collectors Society does a bang up job. It must be a huge task trying to keep up with everything going on in the comic book world while making sure the web site stays as up-to-date as possible. This is a great community to be a part of and I enjoy managing my collection while comparing it to all the others in the world. My problem and I?m sure I?m not alone in this, is with the current system used to determine the point value of our books.
    The Comics Registry states that its goal is ?to provide a competitive but fun vehicle for both serious and beginning collectors to gain recognition for their sets.? If gaining recognition for our sets is the goal, then much consideration and attention should be given to determining point value. The Comics Registry claims its ?scoring algorithm? takes into account ?each comic book?s scarcity, desirability and value?.
    If this is the case, then how in the world, for example, could my Avengers #110 CGC 9.6 (a very rare and expensive book) only get a score of 149 while the Avengers Annual #10 CGC 9.6 I just bought (a very common and inexpensive book) get a score of 250?!? The Comics Registry attempts to explain this by stating their scoring algorithm ?is also designed to enhance and encourage competition in the Registry by reducing extremes in value differences between grades and categories.? So how exactly does assigning a lower point value to a rare/expensive book and a higher point value to a common/inexpensive book encourage competition? That makes absolutely no sense to me. All it does is cheapen the hobby by rewarding collectors who obtain inferior books, while frustrating those who seek to enhance their collections with quality books (as evidenced by the example cited above).
    Thankfully, the Registry recognizes this to some degree by stating ?Research is continuing into more advanced methods to provide a ranking system that recognizes the intelligence of the market, while offering a better reflection of relative rarity in higher grades and adjusting for market distortions.? I don?t know about you, but I?m hoping a more accurate, fair and objective scoring system is put into place sooner rather than later, for the benefit of all collectors.
     
    Til next time?
     
    ***

  13. surfer99
    Be sure you?re insured.
    I don?t know about you, but sometimes I think to myself, ?What if someone stole my collection?? or ?What if my collection was destroyed by fire?? The first thing that came to mind for me was, ?I should be fine because I have homeowners insurance?. Maybe, maybe not. Take a look at some of the highlights below from the following article: http://www.comicartfans.com/SubNewsDetails.asp?NID=1377
    If you watch the news, you know unexpected tragedies like burglaries, fires and natural disasters happen every day. But what may be even more unexpected to some victims is finding out most homeowners insurance does not adequately cover their cherished collections.
    Even if your collection is covered, you may not be able to make a claim unless you have your collection listed on a schedule. Claims settlement may be based on actual cash value rather than the replacement value of the collectible. Finally, losses caused by flood, hurricane and earthquake may not be covered under the terms of your homeowner?s policy.
    If you are utilizing your homeowner?s policy to cover your collectibles, be sure to call your agent or insurance representative to discuss the coverage available under your policy. Put your understanding of the coverage in writing and request a written acknowledgement and comments.
    Make sure your collectibles are not valued at cost or depreciated value; in most cases collectibles appreciate rather than depreciate in value. Collectibles should be valued for insurance purposes at replacement value, or the cost of acquiring similar quantities and quality of collectibles.
    In the event that tragedy strikes, you can expedite matters and maximize your claim by taking a few simple steps:
    1. Create and maintain an inventory of your collection. Having a current inventory helps you and the insurance carrier substantiate the value of the claim.
    2. Take pictures or video of your collection and keep them with your inventory. When taking photos or video, be sure to capture any and all markings that will authenticate the piece.
    3. Keep purchase records such as receipts and invoices. If possible, scan these records to a computer so you have electronic copies.
    4. Keep a copy of your inventory, pictures/video and purchase records in a secure, secondary location from where your collection is housed, such as a safe deposit box or e-mail or save them to your work computer.
    Granted, in the grand scheme of things, comics are just ?things? and things can be replaced, but you should still be smart about protecting your investment. I contacted my insurance agent and fortunately for me, my collection is covered by my homeowners under ?personal property?, and at full ?replacement value? with no ?schedule? required (the only damage not covered would be from floods, hurricanes and earthquakes). FYI- when I contacted Collectibles Insurance Services, LLC they quoted me about $50/year per $10,000 in coverage. Not a bad price for peace of mind, but still more than the $29/year my insurance company would charge me for the same unlimited coverage were I to get my collection appraised and scheduled.
    Til next time?
     
    ***

  14. surfer99
    Check it out- there?s nothing like the original.
    A good friend of mine who works in the comic book industry got me hooked on collecting original comic book art about 10 years ago. I had no idea at the time that you could buy the original art used in the creation of the actual comic book itself. It?s not cheap, but it?s very rewarding and displays beautifully when framed, especially if you can find a talented framer who can really make the art stand out. I?m happy with the small collection I?ve been able to put together over the years, which consists mostly of pieces featuring the Silver Surfer. My favorite is a full splash page of the Surfer drawn by Marc Silvestri for the Top Cow/Marvel crossover, Devil?s Reign. If you?re interested, you can check out my collection at: http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=13513
    If you?re thinking of adding pieces to your own collection or are just curious about what?s for sale out there, I?d recommend the following web sites:
    http://collectibles.shop.ebay.com/items/Original-Comic-Art__W0QQ_sacatZ3984
    http://www.spiderwebart.com/
    http://www.comiclink.com/forsale_ca.asp
    http://www.anthonysnyder.com/default.asp
     
    Til next time?
     
    ***

  15. surfer99
    Talking points include some of my favorite stories.
    I realized recently that some of the best comics from the 70?s feature the same writer?Steve Englehart. I decided to poke around the internet to see what I could find on him and ran across this cool interview from Comic Book Resources (CBR). The following are some excerpts from that interview (see my favorite issues in parenthesis):
    Tue, October 11th, 2005 at 12:00AM PST
    If you've not checked out any of CBR's recent chats with comic creators, you're really missing out. Last week writer Steve Englehart stopped by and answered questions from his fans. This lengthy chat covers his work at Marvel, DC Comics and with Malibu's Ultraverse titles. Sit back and enjoy.
    Messchird: What was your first gig, Steve?
    Steve Englehart: I did a 6-page monster story for Marvel, "Terror of the Pterodactyl." They liked it and offered me the Beast (Amazing Adventures #16), so that was my first superhero thing.
    Steve Englehart: We came in when comics were on their way to their peak, we learned from masters, there were still greats from earlier eras alive...so we put together a pretty good package of skills and knowledge. I think today a lot of people lack that breadth of knowledge and then, we were a lot more interested in character than a lot of what goes on today.
    Steve Englehart: Times change. Sometimes they change for the worse...
    Jellobay: Any Marvel projects coming up?
    Steve Englehart: I dunno if there are any Marvel projects coming. We were asked to do some, but we're not making much progress in that direction.
    Brian Cronin: What was the reaction to your Beast at the time? Shock, horror, or acceptance?
    Steve Englehart: My Beast was well-received, by fans and - more importantly - by Marvel.
    Steve Englehart: I made use of his intelligence, and Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway had set up a good situation for him, so I ran with that.
    Steve Englehart: The cool thing, in retrospect, was that it was the only X-Men book at the time.
    Brian Cronin: You ended up using your Beast characters in your "Avengers" run. Is that something that you like to do? Stick with characters you enjoy, no matter the book?
    Brian Cronin: It worked really well with Patsy and Hank in "Avengers."
    Steve Englehart: Yes. When I did the Beast, there was no other X-book-- and when it came time to revamp the Avengers lineup, there was no other X-book, so he was available, and I really did like him.
    Jellobay: Speaking of the Avengers, what are your thoughts of the new team?
    Steve Englehart: I hate to give this answer, but I really don't comment on other people's work. It just seems like common courtesy if I don't like the stuff, and if I only talk about stuff I do like, it points up what I'm not talking about-- if you follow me. So, I take a pass.
    Brian Cronin: Hehe. Good system.
    Jellobay: Understand completely.
    Stephane Garrelie: The first story by you that I read was Cap/Falcon/X-Men of your Secret Empire/Watergate story in "Captain America" (Captain America #173). Do you think that so political a story would be possible in the comics today?
    Brian Cronin: Excellent point, Stephane. It is funny how stuff like Richard Pryor on SNL, or Steve's Cap, couldn't be done today, and yet we act like we are so "advanced" culturally.
    Steve Englehart: I was asked about doing some "Captain America" today-- I said it would have to include politics-- they said "well, never mind."
    Steve Englehart: But that specific story? On the one hand, I was writing about events that all of America was interested in, so it wasn't some ad hominem attack on Nixon. On the other hand, a lot of people are interested in what's going on now...
    Messchird: Sometimes, I feel comics are dead here. But there's a rise in comics as movies ("Sin City," "Batman Begins," "Hulk"). What's your opinion on that?
    Steve Englehart: It's tricky. I think movies are doing a lot of good for comics-- certainly making the general public aware of them as "acceptable" media, and reminding a lot of people that they liked these guys were they were "unacceptable." But at the same time, that's led to some people wanting comics to be movies, and they're not.
    Steve Englehart: Case in point-- I used thought balloons in my "Dark Detective." It came as a great surprise to me that thought balloons aren't generally used any more. And why? Because you rarely have voice-overs in movies. But these aren't movies. In comics, thought balloons are a tool at the writer's disposal and it's stilly to toss it away.
    Steve Englehart: Moreover-- a guy at San Diego pointed out something else-- thought balloons allow you to carry on the "D" story-- the underlying story that isn't in the main character's foremost thoughts. You can say, "Hmm, I wonder how Cap's project is going" just in passing, so that when you get to the real story about Cap's project, you've kept it in the readers' minds. Does that make sense?
    Brian Cronin: Agreed. Can you imagine a novel written without any inner voice, just dialogue?
    Stephane Garrelie: I read that you documented yourself a lot to write "Doctor Strange"... was it exceptional or is documentation an important part of your work?
    Steve Englehart: When I wrote Doc in "Defenders"(Defenders #8), I wrote him as "one of the heroes, with magic powers." When I got his solo book, I thought, "I really ought to learn more about this, to write a credible magician" so I started reading up. I do stuff like that a lot-- it makes for better stories, yes, but also, I learn stuff I don't know.
    Brian Cronin: Did you get any resistance at Marvel to your Patsy and Buzz reworking? Or did Marvel just say "do what you want with them."
    Steve Englehart: I got no resistance to anything from Marvel in the '70s. The editorial theory was "we're giving you these books. If you can make them sell and meet your deadlines, you can keep doing them." That was it. This is why it was so great then. We were encouraged to be as creative as possible, so long as people kept buying-- and really, why should it be any other way?
    [Complete article: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=5785]
    [Avengers Vs Defenders: http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1429944]
     
    ***

  16. surfer99
    Latest addition?second chances.
    This has been the best month of collecting in my life. I was able to find and purchase both of the comics that have been at the very TOP of my ?must have? list for the last couple years. What are the odds of both of them coming up for sale at the same time, let alone becoming high bidder on both?!?
    I could not believe it when I saw this book up for auction on eBay again, and listed by a seller who primarily deals in electronics no less (how he ever got a hold of it I?ll never know). This same exact book, same CGC serial number and everything, got away from me in May 2008 when I was outbid (don?t you just hate that?) by a collector of old U.S. dollar bills. That experience haunted me for weeks afterward, but it all worked out in the end cause now I got it, AND for $100 less than it sold for the first time!!! I still had to sell a couple of my minor keys to help pay for it, but its well worth it.
    This book has so much going for it?it?s from the early Bronze Age (1973), it?s the second highest grade on the census (there are only 2 copies graded higher at 9.8, out of only 74 total graded copies) with WHITE pages, it features what I consider to be one of the best covers?ever?with Magneto standing triumphant over the defeated X-men and The Avengers next on his hit list, and it rarely EVER becomes available for sale (according to GPAnalysis there are only 2 copies of this book for sale on average in this grade each year). I have no intention of ever letting this one get away from me again!
    FYI- I recently added back cover scans to all of my books. I decided it would be cool to check out all of the old advertisements (Chopcycles? Sweet!). My gallery also looks a lot better without having to look at ?image not available? anymore.
    Til next time.
     
    ***

  17. surfer99
    Latest addition...at last.
    The title of this journal was either going to be ?Getting outbid blows? or ?Latest addition?. I?m thankful it?s the latter and I?m still trippin that I actually own this comic (I elected to wait until the book was actually in my hand before posting this). It?s been a long stressful crazy road. This is the first comic I?ve ever bought from an auction site (company name withheld) outside of eBay and the experience has been nerve-racking to say the least. The auction was announced a MONTH before it began so there was plenty of time for the anticipation to build. It seemed like forever before the auction finally started and then I didn?t want to bid right away because it might generate more interest in the book than I wanted, and drive up the price. At the same time I didn?t want to wait too long and risk something going wrong (I?ve kicked myself before for waiting too long to bid and forgetting about it until the auction was already over). So about three days before the auction was scheduled to end, I placed a large bid and became ?high bidder?. Now I just had to wait until Saturday at 10:00PM EST for the auction to end to see if I won.
    This is where it gets weird. I tried to login to the auction website at around 6:30PM on Saturday to see how I was doing, but I couldn?t get on. I was finally able to login and check the auction about 15 minutes or so AFTER the auction was scheduled to end. I was still high bidder, but just barely. The current bid was within a few dollars of my maximum bid amount, but the auction showed an end date/time of Sunday at 10:00PM EST. Say what?!? The auction should have ended, but instead it?s been extended another day? I immediately e-mailed the tech support/customer service team for the auction site to find out what happened and express my concerns (I should have won the book, but instead the chances are now very good that I?ll get outbid). Their customer support was very understanding and supportive, and advised they would end the listing immediately, making me the winner of the auction. Sure enough, I brought up my account and it said ?Congratulations! You are winner of this book.? Score!!!
    Then about 30 minutes later I get an e-mail from a senior executive at the auction website who explained the problem. Turns out the images were so large on all their current auctions and so many people were trying to access the site that their systems crashed. Because of this, bidders were not able to login and place their bids during the last couple hours of the auctions. Their solution was to disallow viewing of the large scans toward the end of the auctions going forward and to extend the current auctions another 24 hours so that anyone who was unable to access the site to place their bids would have the opportunity to do so. I'm thinking, that?s great but I was already assured this book was mine...right? Or are you saying that I?m out of luck now?
    The next day I checked the auction and it still showed that I had won, but it didn?t give me the option of completing my checkout. I sent an e-mail to customer support and asked why I could not purchase the book. I was told a customer service manager would be contacting me on Monday to discuss it. Uh-oh, that doesn?t sound good, so I asked if I had cause for concern. The senior executive responded this time and assured me there was no need to be concerned. He stated I had won the comic, but an invoice had to be created manually. He advised my credit card would be charged and my book would be sent. It took a few days, but my credit card was finally charged. Even then, it wasn?t until I received the book yesterday that I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions! I?m thankful to the Staff and the Executive Team at this auction website for making the right call and I will hopefully be using them again in the near future.
    So why all the fuss over this book you ask? There are many reasons?it?s from the early Bronze Age (1973), it?s the HIGHEST graded copy on the census (only 11 copies exist in this grade out of only 46 total graded copies), it features a terrific battle cover with one of my favorite villains (Juggernaut), not to mention The Avengers and Spider-man, widely recognized as the best looking cover of the entire series, and it rarely EVER becomes available for sale (according to GPAnalysis there is only 1 copy of this book for sale on average in this grade each year; the last sale was 04/08/2007). I am extremely fortunate and thankful to have added this book to my collection.
    Til next time.
     
    ***

  18. surfer99

    Crossover appearances

    By surfer99,

    Villains: X-men, Silver Surfer
    So there was some interest in the Random Registry Ramblings, but to keep things simple I?ll limit my posts to one or two topics at a time. Right now, let?s talk about?
    The art of the crossover- no I?m not talking about Steve Nash with a basketball I?m talking about great Silver/Bronze Age appearances by cool heroes/villains where the story continues from one title to another. For many of these you have no way of knowing what happened to a character prior to the book you?re reading unless you read the notes by the editor in the comic itself. Take Hulk 172 for example- it talks about how the Juggernaut was trapped in some other dimension before making his escape in Hulk 172. How did he get trapped in the first place? I want to read that story! The editor?s note in that panel says to see X-men 81 and Dr. Strange 182. How else would I know this? If not for the editor?s note I would never have had the chance to read that very cool back story.
    I enjoyed putting together the following list over the past several weeks so you can follow the exploits of some of my favorite villains as they jumped from one book to the next (in order of appearance). There may be some holes, but for the most part it should be complete through the Bronze Age (*note- this list does not include flashbacks, robots, clones, etc.). I?ve been trying to pick up reading copies of these to fill the gaps in my collection ever since I started this little project and I?m really glad I did. These stories rock! Enjoy.
    VILLIANS X-MEN
    Magneto: X-men 1 to X-men 4-7 to Journey into Mystery 109 to X-men 11 to X-men 17-18 (70 reprints) to Avengers 47-49 to X-men 43-45 (91-93 reprints) to Avengers 53 to X-men 63 to Fantastic Four 102-104 to Amazing Adventures 9-10 to Avengers 110 to (Daredevil 99- story continues, but no Magneto) Avengers 111 to Defenders 15-16 to X-men 104 to Captain America Annual 4 to Super-villain Team-up 14 to The Champions 16 to X-men 111-113
    Juggernaut: X-men 12-13 (67 reprints) to X-men 32-33 (80-81 reprints) to X-men 46 to Dr. Strange 182 to Amazing Adventures 16 to Hulk 172 to X-men 101-103 to X-men 122 to Spider-woman 37-38 to Amazing Spider-man 229-230 to X-men 183 to Marvel Team-up 150 to X-men 194 to X-men 217-218
    Sentinels: X-men 14-16 (68 reprint) to X-men 57-60 to Avengers 102-104 to X-men 98-100 to Hulk Annual 7 to The Champions 17 to X-men 151 to New Mutants 2
    The Living Monolith (Pharaoh): X-men 54-56 to Marvel Team-up 69-70 to Power-man and Iron Fist 57 to Revenge of the Living Monolith
    Sabretooth: Iron Fist 13-14 to Power-Man and Iron Fist 66 to Power-man and Iron Fist 84 to Spectacular Spider-man 116 to Spectacular Spider-man 119 to Power Pack 27 to X-men 212-213 to X-men 222 to Daredevil 238 to Wolverine 10
     
    VILLIANS SILVER SURFER
    Loki and Dormammu- Avengers/Defenders war: Defenders 8 to Avengers 116 to Defenders 9 to Avengers 117 to Defenders 10 to Avengers 118 (to Avengers Annual 11)
    Thanos: Iron Man 55 to Captain Marvel 25-30 to Marvel Feature 12 to Avengers 118 to Captain Marvel 31-32 to Avengers 125 to Captain Marvel 33 to Daredevil 107 to Warlock 9-15 to Iron Man 88 to Avengers Annual 7 to Marvel 2-in-1 Annual 2 to Logan?s Run 6 to Captain Marvel 57 to Avengers 174
    Super-Skrull: Fantastic Four 18 to Fantastic Four 32 to Thor 142 to Captain Marvel 2-3 to Captain Marvel 25-27 to Marvel Chillers 7 to Marvel Team-up 61-62 to Alpha Flight 9-10 to Silver Surfer Annual 1 (Volume 3) to Silver Surfer 25-28 (Volume 3)
    I?ll leave you with an image of my latest acquisition, Defenders 15 CGC 9.6, off-white to white pages. Magneto is one of my favorite characters and I just couldn?t resist the chance to grab this high grade Bronze Age issue for such a great price (thanks again finuga).
    Til next time.
     
    ***

  19. surfer99
    Issue 1
    I?ve been having a lot of fun with my registry set lately and wanted to share my experiences, but then I thought why not make this a recurring event? So if you?re reading this, welcome to issue #1!!
    Quick about me- I?m a Christian family man who enjoys collecting high grade Bronze Age appearances of the X-men and Silver Surfer. If this sounds like someone you have no interest in hearing from please stop reading now, otherwise proceed.
    Finding comics and determining value- up ?til this point I?ve only looked to purchase and/or sell books through eBay. I?ve been a member of eBay for almost 10 years and I?ve always done really well in spite of the fees. When it comes to collecting however it can be extremely tough to find the high grade books I want (I suppose if they were easy to find they wouldn?t be as much fun to collect, but still). I thought for sure I?d find some great issues at Comic-Con but no such luck (unless I bought them unslabbed which I did not want to do). I did however find a few great web sites that many of you may already be familiar with- Heritage Auctions, Pedigree Comics, Comic Connect and Worldwide Comics. It?s been a lot of fun using these web sites to search for comics I want and at the same time I?m able to search for books in the same grade that I already own that have been sold- knowing the selling price helps me determine whether or not I?ve made a wise investment. Of course if you?re like many collectors you could just let GPAnalysis do all this for you, but personally I?d rather not spend the $9.95/month, and besides it?s more fun to do it myself.
    Cover markings- one thing that makes absolutely no sense to me is the grading of books that have writing on the cover. How is it that some of these covers can have grease pencil marks or date stamps but have no mention of that on the label while others, even though they are still Universal, are noted on the label by CGC as having a ?pencil marking?? I understand it doesn?t affect the grade, but it looks terrible in my opinion and it should be disclosed by CGC on the label in every instance since not all sellers are honest enough to bring it to your attention up front. The lesson here is buyers beware and if in doubt ask questions!
    Latest addition- I recently picked up an Iron Man Annual 4 CGC 9.6 off eBay. I can?t believe this book is so undervalued. It features a really cool cover and appearance by the Champions (yeah I know they didn?t last long, but hey the team included Iceman and Angel from the X-men so they?re cool in my book!) and it?s one of only 6 in the highest grade on the census. Score!
    Well that?s it for now. I suppose if you like listening to me ramble on about comics I?ll know it by the number of views you give this posting. If there?s interest I?ll write again at some other point, if not then I?ll limit my posts to one topic at a time.
    I?m out. Be cool, hug your kids and bring your wife flowers just because.
     
    ***

  20. surfer99
    Comic-Con is a must for any fan.
    My family and I just drove back home to Arizona after spending five amazing days at the San Diego Comic-Con. Everyone had a great time and the weather was nice. If you go next year though, be prepared to spend a lot of money because hotel ($120/night), gas ($75/tank) and food ($12-25/person/meal) are expensive. Taking the trolley from the hotel (we stayed in Hotel Circle) to the Con helps because it?s only $15/person for a four day pass and you don?t have to pay for parking ($10/day) or fight for a parking spot (most lots are FULL anyway).
    Let me tell you, preview night was in-sane. A local TV station reported ?a select group of fans who purchased four day passes were lucky enough to attend preview night on Wednesday?. ?Select group? my butt; dude, there were SO many people there on Wednesday (had to be 100,000) that the Convention Center staff was completely lost, lines were crossing over into one another, people were cutting in, it was just mass pandemonium (and that was just to pick up your badges!). Once you got inside it felt like riding the subway during rush hour with people packed in every aisle. The only reason I would recommend doing this is to snag any books you want before someone else does. If there?s not something you?re looking for in particular, skip it and wait til Thursday or just go for the weekend.
    The rest of the week was great. Much less crowded and you were able to take it all in one row at a time. The place is HUGE so you?ll need a couple days just to get through it all (and be sure to bring your walking shoes). I haven?t been to the Con in 8 years so it felt like everything was a new experience. The booths were all tricked out and there was definitely a Hollywood influence (Paramount, Sony, NBC, ABC, Nickelodeon and Fox to name a few). There are some cool photos on http://www.comicspriceguide.com/ to give you a feel for what it was like.
    This year we decided to check out some of the panels for the first time- highly recommended. We didn?t make it to the Heroes panel, but we did get to see the LOST panel, the Chuck panel and the Nickelodeon panel. It?s a great chance to listen to the actors and creators talk about what?s happening on your favorite shows and watch exclusive footage for the upcoming season. On the last day of the Con we attended the Michael Turner tribute panel. It was cool to hear Mike?s family and friends talk about the good times they shared with Mike and at the same time watch a slide show of personal experiences Mike shared with them (while working, on vacation, at the bar, etc). There was laughing and there was crying. I was doing great until Mike?s best friend, Frank Mastromauro (who has been a very close friend of mine for many years), spoke at the end then I just lost it (there was not a dry eye in the house). Mike was such an extraordinary talent, but a lot people don?t realize what a great person and friend he really was also.
    Anyone that goes to the Con is also encouraged to take full advantage of all that San Diego has to offer rather than spending every minute inside. We spent a couple of hours one afternoon taking a seal tour http://www.sealtours.com/ which is an amphibious (land/sea) vehicle and we spent Friday going deep sea fishing http://www.pointlomasportfishing.com/ (caught 4 Kelp Bass and 1 Barracuda, packed ?em in dry ice and ate ?em when we got home- SO good!). There are also several fantastic seafood restaurants in the area and Seaport Village is a great place to pick up some souvenirs.
    All in all we had one of the best vacations ever. As far as comics go, I found some nice hard to find reader copies I was looking for, but I struck out on finding any of the CGC books I really wanted. While there were several booths that carried CGC books, I was surprised there were not more CGC books there. There were plenty of high grade raw copies I could have snagged, but I?d rather not risk it (because they may grade lower than what I?m paying for or they may have restoration). Guess I?ll have to go back to searching eBay for those. Well, that?s it for now. Hope to see you at next year?s Con!!!
     
    ***

  21. surfer99
    You will be missed.
    Michael Turner 1971-2008
    A really good friend of mine called from Santa Monica and broke the news to me the morning after it happened. I had only met Mike a couple of times when I was in town visiting my friend, who was very close to Mike, but anyone who has ever met him will tell you what a great person he was. Mike was well known by friends, family and fans for being one of the nicest most genuine guys you?d ever want to meet. What I will remember most is his smile, sincerity, big heart, determination, and certainly his passion for the comics industry. He has left a legacy that will never be forgotten and this world is left a better place because he was in it. We will miss you Mike.
    Please keep Mike?s friends and family in your prayers.
    ---
    http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16988
    http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080628-Turner.html
    http://www.aspencomics.com/
    http://www.wizarduniverse.com/062808michaelturner.html
    ---

  22. surfer99
    Latest addition; up next...San Diego!
    Well, I took my own advice and spent a little more on a book that has all the qualities I'm looking for: rare high grade issue from the Bronze age (only 9 of these on the CGC census to date...and it's the highest graded copy), a sweet battle cover, a guest appearance by my favorite character, and it even includes Chapter 1 of The Defenders vs. The Avengers epic battle (GREAT story!). Thank you finuga for parting with this one! The book also features a "bondage cover" showing Hawkeye and Valkerie trapped by the Red Ghost. Admittedly I don't understand the significance of this, but that's cool.
    The only problem I have with buying this book now? I'm trying to save up for the San Diego Comic Con in July! Ugh! Oh well who knows, maybe I'll get there and I won't be able to find any good books. Yeah, that'll happen. Guess I'll have to get a second job to support my habit! Hey, don't judge me, it's not like I'm blowing it at the casino or at the bar or something. This is an investment! Besides, collecting comics is a blast and next to spending time in God's word or with my wife and kids, nothing else compares.
    Til next time...
     
     
    ***

  23. surfer99
    Latest addition.
    What can I say? I love high grade Marvel comics from the 1970's featuring guest appearances of my favorite characters and GREAT covers like this! Hulk #172 CGC 9.6= $200. Hulk and Juggernaut smashing through a wall together causing untold amounts of destruction= priceless. This is what comic book collecting should be!
    Sure, if you're lucky you can find a Hulk #181 CGC 5.0 for around the same price, but keep in mind there are currently 2976 copies of that book on record at that grade or higher (according to the CGC census). Conversely, there are only 25 copies listed of Hulk #172 in CGC 9.6 or higher. To get an idea of the rarity factor, do a search on eBay for Hulk 181 CGC and Hulk 172 CGC and see how many you can find of each. I'm not saying Hulk #181 isn't a great book, I've got a CGC 8.0 copy myself, but in terms of collectibility my money's on the book that has everything going for it (rarity due to condition, rarity due to age, limited availabilty, great cover and a high action crossover featuring my favorite characters).
    On a completely unrelated note...my Phoenix Suns traded Shawn Marion for Shaq. I will have to take the high road like everyone else and reserve judgment on that one, but a championship would be nice! Go Suns!
    ...

  24. surfer99

    CGC lessons learned

    By surfer99,

    Collecting CGC books is not so easy.
    When I first started collecting CGC books about a year ago I thought, OK, the first thing I'll do is go through my 1500+ comics and slab my favorite books if they are in decent condition. Some I even sent to be pressed to get the best possible grade (note- for those who may not know, "pressing" is the process of flattening your book and getting the creases/spine roll out...this process is not considered "restoration" so you will still get a Universal Blue label from CGC). I also searched eBay and bought high grade copies of the cool alternate covers I wanted and sent them to CGC as well. Most of the books came back with grades I was happy with at the time and I enjoyed them, along with some other mid-grade key issues I scored off eBay.
    Several months later something weird happened. Suddenly those mid-grade books and variant covers I had amassed didn?t satisfy me anymore. I realized, ?Hey, these books are more common, less collectible and less valuable than the higher grade older books.? So, I started selling a lot of my new CGC books?I upgraded some (ASM 129 CGC 6.0 to CGC 8.0, GS X-men 1 CGC 5.0 to CGC 8.0, etc.) and ditched others altogether (DD 168 CGC 7.5, X-men 133-134 CCG 9.0, X-men 188 Sketch Variant CGC 9.8, etc.). I lost money on some and made money on others but all in all it?s been a good experience.
    So what have I learned so far? 1) Don?t send in books for pressing unless you are confident they will come back with a high enough grade to make it worth the investment and one you will be happy with in the long run, 2) Don?t settle for a lesser grade if there is any way possible for you to go for a higher grade (if it costs you an extra $100 to go from a CGC 9.4 to a 9.6 or 9.8, do it!!), 3) Buy books that you want to treasure forever, not books that you think will just be a good investment?especially be wary of spending a lot on Modern age variant covers (I bought the Civil War CGC sketch cover set because the art rocks so hard, not because I think it?ll skyrocket in value), 4) Bronze and Modern age books I loved because of the cool covers but didn?t think were worth much are now the pride of my collection and a great investment in high grade (Captain America 173 and 241 CGC 9.6, Doctor Strange 2 CGC 9.6, ASM 161 CGC 9.6, Hulk 250 CGC 9.8, etc.), and 5) never ever spend hundreds of dollars on a raw un-graded book (I bought my first Hulk 181 on eBay, sent it to CGC, and it came back with a ?restored? 7.0 grade?ugh!).
    I wish someone had told me these things from the beginning, but hopefully some of you will at least find this information helpful. Happy collecting!

  25. surfer99

    Then and Now

    By surfer99,

    My love of comics began with the Silver Surfer.
    I've been collecting comics for 20 years. I got started when a friend of mine gave me half a dozen Silver Surfer books because he and I liked to surf together. I've been hooked ever since, and the Silver Surfer remains my favorite character of all time. I also enjoy Amazing Spider-man, Uncanny X-men and Wolverine. CGC is a new passion I've developed over the last couple of years. It's the perfect way to preserve, assess the value of, and admire my favorite books. Granted, I can't read them encased in plastic like that, but that's what reader copies and re-prints are for right?