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surfer99

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Journal Entries posted by surfer99

  1. surfer99

    Days of Future Past

    By surfer99,

    Latest additions...
    I put off buying these issues for way too long. I could have picked them up a month ago for almost half the price, but I didn't see any rush. So what happened? On 8/1/2012, it was confirmed that the Days of Future Past will be the storyline used in the upcoming X-men First Class 2 movie (http://www.firstshowing.net/2012/days-of-future-past-story-confirmed-for-x-men-first-class-sequel/). Sigh. That's what I get for waiting. Oh well, at least from what I can tell these issues continue to rise in value so they should be a sound investment.
    You know what's funny is I never realized the "future" in which this story takes place is 2013. Kind of a letdown we haven't seen any sentinels yet, . It's like when that Prince song "1999" came out it sounded so far in the future and then wham, it comes and goes and the world is still here. Shouldn't we all be driving flying cars by now at least?
    Til next time...
     
    ***

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  2. surfer99

    Aspen turns 10

    By surfer99,

    2013 schedule
    I had a great visit today from my very good friend Frank Mastromauro of Aspen Comics fame. Frank and I have been friends for many years, since back before he broke into comics at Top Cow, moved to Southern California, and later joined Michael Turner in launching Aspen MLT, Inc. Of course I miss hanging with him on a regular basis, but our families remain close and we do stay in touch. The holidays, and anytime he's in town for a convention, are great times to catch up if we havent spoken in a while. I enjoy hearing Frank talk about his experiences in the comics industry, from what goes on behind the scenes, to the comic con happenings, to the office hijinks and all the great people he works with.
    There are some really exciting plans for Aspen in 2013 to celebrate the companys 10 year anniversary, so I thought Id share them with you. Starting in February, Aspen will release one new book per month for 10 months at only a buck each. These will not be preview books where you get like 5 pages, theyre full length, real number one issues. Of course subsequent issues will be at regular price, but the thought is fans will enjoy the books so much theyll want to continue picking them up. The low cover price also allows new readers to jump on board and check out a book they might not have otherwise. The number one issues will alternate between new books like Legend of the Shadow Clan and Jirni, and new volumes to familiar titles like Fathom and Soulfire.
    Im looking forward to checking out the new Aspen titles in 2013, and the 10 for 10...that is 10 number one issues for 10 dollars...sounds like a win win for Aspen and for fans like us. Looking forward to reading some of your reviews!
    http://www.examiner.com/article/aspen-comics-celebrates-its-tenth-anniversary-2013-with-10-for-10
    Til next time...
     
    ***

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  3. surfer99

    Classic X-men?

    By surfer99,

    I didn't think I was THAT old...
    So I was in the Disney Store at the mall last weekend and my son pointed out these Marvel mini figures in boxed sets. There were some really cool ones like the team from the new Avengers movie, Amazing Spiderman with villains, and the modern Xmen team. Then I see this one called Xmen Classic featuring the team from the 1991 comic book reboot. The characters have all the same characters and costumes from that time. Im thinking to myself, how is THIS classic Xmen? The classic Xmen are from the Silver Age, back before the Beast gained fur and Angel became Archangel. Were the 90s really so long ago that theyve now been dubbed Classic? Sigh.
    Til next time...
     
    ***

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  4. surfer99

    Scorpion

    By surfer99,

    And he's not a super-villain...
    So after brushing my teeth on Monday morning I happened to look down and see this nasty looking bark scorpion. Dude...Ive lived in AZ for 18 years and I have never seen any of these beasts anywhere near my home. They usually infest homes built around the mountains and foothills, but I am in the valley. For whatever reason, we started seeing them outside in our neighborhood this summer. Now they are in my house!
    Ive heard from some people, oh its no big deal if you get stung, it just numbs you a little bit. While others are apparently in so much pain they have to go to the hospital for anti-venom. Note- there was a news story earlier this year about one of the hospitals near me that charged a lady $80K total for two shots because her insurance wouldnt cover it. People were pretty upset about this because you can go to Mexico and it costs like $100 per shot. The hospital later changed its pricing so now its like $5K or something and the lady was thankfully issued a refund for the difference. Crazy stuff.
    The worst part is, now I have to inspect every inch of the bathroom before I can take a shower or use the facilities to make sure there aren't any scorpions. I also have to check in, over, and under my bed with a blacklight before going to sleep. No, Im not paranoid, I would just rather avoid the experience of getting stung if at all possible.
    So what does this have to do with comics? Nothing really, I'm just not a fan of social media and needed an outlet. Thanks for listening! OK fine, um...the first appearance of the Scorpion was in Amazing Spider-man 20 and you can pick up a 9.2 copy for $2,250 right now on eBay.
     
    ***

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  5. surfer99
    Latest addition...
    Ka-Zar (pronounced kay-sar) issue 3.
    Ive had my eye on this book for a while and had to sell quite a few Modern Age raw books to get it, but Im SO happy I did. I was a year old when this was made and its in amazing 9.6 condition with white pages, crazy. The book is Giant Size and features three separate stories...a reprint of Amazing Spiderman 58, a reprint of Daredevil 14, and a brand NEW Angel story written by none other than Jerry Siegel, the creator of Superman! I may not be a DC fan, but I can absolutely appreciate what this man has done for comics.
    So Ive seen this priced on eBay at $268 which I was NOT prepared to pay, but then I found it on wwcomics for $185 and thought that was much more reasonable. Once I had enough money to make the purchase I decided to do one last minute search on eBay and to my surprise I found a newly listed copy for only $130 with free shipping. What? Needless to say I bought it with a quickness.
    As I went to add it to my Xmen The Missing Years set, I also found that I was no longer Rank 1 for this set. You mean Im not the only one who has an affinity for Elf culture, I mean for Bronze Age Xmen crossover appearances? Sorry, getting into the Christmas movies already, and I just realized if you havent seen the movie Elf you have no idea what Im talking about. Sooo anyway, yes, a fellow collector named x-files has an AMAZING collection of Xmen appearances that surpasses my own. In my defense he does have a much higher overall ranking than I do but this has only pushed me to work even harder to complete the set and retake the Rank 1 status. Im normally not one to care about set ranking, but this is my baby. Wish me luck, im gonna need it.
    Til next time...
    ***

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  6. surfer99
    Latest addition, first pedigree...
    I bought this one on eBay a few weeks ago but am just getting around to adding it to my Xmen The Missing Years set. Ive never owned a pedigree, this one is Rocky Mountain, and this is a great Bronze Age appearance of Magneto so I had to go for it.
    I found a cool web site on pedigrees, but the story of Rocky Mountain isnt listed...comicbookpedigrees.com. I know Matt Nelson was working on a book about pedigrees so maybe I will learn something about it there.
    Til next time...
     
    ***

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  7. surfer99

    Creating new set

    By surfer99,

    Need suggestions...
    Im putting together a set of all Bronze Age Xmen appearances and could use some input. Specifically, should Iceman and Angel appearances be included when they were part of the Champions? They werent Xmen at the time they were Champions, which is my hesitation. Issues like Iron Man Annual 4, Spectacular Spiderman 17, and Godzilla 3. I was leaning toward including these appearances initially, but now Im leaning the other way.
    Another question is whether to include Dazzler and Rogue appearances. They didnt become part of the Xmen until after the Bronze Age so what about issues like Amazing Spiderman 203, MTU 109, and Rom 31? Im thinking of including them, but Im not completely sold on the idea.
    Any suggestions are appreciated, thanks!
    Til next time...
    ***

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  8. surfer99

    Purging the Collection

    By surfer99,

    This is a lot of work...
    So I have two issues. 1) I am running out of room in my closet to store all my comics...aside from my CGC books I have about 20 short boxes full and I don't want to go over that, 2) There's a graded book I want, but I don't have the cash to buy it and I don't want to put it on a credit card.
    Solution? Purge my collection of ungraded books and sell them on eBay! Sounded like a good idea at the time, but man it was a lot more work than I thought it would be...going through my collection, viewing completed auctions to get a feel for the right price point, writing descriptions, taking pictures, and finally listing them all on eBay. Oh look, it's 2:00am on a Sunday morning. Sigh. Need to get to bed. Hopefully I can write about obtaining that book I want in a future journal.
    Til next time...
    ***

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  9. surfer99

    X-men #122 CGC 9.6

    By surfer99,

    Latest addition...
    Feeling inspired by B.Koskis recent additions. I picked this one up a couple weeks ago. Here are the highlights...
    X-men 122 CGC 9.6 1979
    1st Mastermind as Jason Wyngarde. Luke Cage, Misty Knight, Colleen Wing, and Mariko appearance. Arcade, Black Tom, and Juggernaut cameo.
    Real name of Colossus revealed for first time.
    Summary and comic details...
    http://marvel.wikia.com/X-Men_122
    Quote:
    We're super-heroes, Ororo, not God. We can save humanity from Doc Doom or Galactus...but not from itself. Luke Cage

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  10. surfer99

    Defenders #16 CGC 9.6

    By surfer99,

    Latest addition...
    One step closer to completing my Marvel Masterworks Xmen Volume 8 set.
    I would have loved to add Giant Size Fantastic Four 4 awhile back, but that auction ended the same time as the auction for Fantastic Four 104. Both issues were CGC 9.6, and I opted to go with the latter. Very rare that either of these books would show up for auction at all so of course they both had to appear at the same time. I didnt want to spend so much money at once so I had to choose...has this ever happened to anyone else?
    Anyway back to my latest addition. Thanks to Gemma I can now add this book to the newly created Marvel Masterworks Xmen Vol 8 set. There are 14 issues in this collection and now that I have Defenders 16 in high grade, I only need 3 more issues to complete the graded set...Hulk 180, MTU 38, and the aforementioned GS FF 4.
    Gemma has also added a couple of other sets for me...Marvel Masterworks Xmen Vol 7, and Xmen The Missing Years. Check em out when you can, these are my pride and joy.
    Lastly but certainly not least, a special shout out and HUGE thank you to Ronnylama for his recent contributions to my collection and his always friendly correspondence. This is a generous man with a big heart whom I am proud to call friend. Youre my kinda human Ron thanks again!!!
    Til next time...
    ***

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  11. surfer99
    Always great to find what you're looking for...
    I was admiring my copy of Marvel Team-up 4 CGC 9.6 yesterday that I have framed and hanging in my room. Its good to appreciate what you have and I don't think we do that often enough as collectors. This is one of the most treasured books in my collection of Xmen appearances. It got me thinking about how hard it was to find that particular issue, and how gratifying it was to finally own it. For me, those are the triumphs in my collecting journey that I treasure the most- finding those issues that, regardless of age or value, are so elusive. Ive read some journals that talk about this subject and would love to hear more about the books others have added to their collections that were hard to come by.
    After searching six different web sites on the internet today trying to find another copy of each of the books in my collection, I can honestly say these are the rarest-
    Avengers 110 CGC 9.6, only found 1 copy for sale graded higher and none in 9.6
    Avengers 111 CGC 9.6, only found 1 copy for sale graded higher and none in 9.6
    Capt America 172 CGC 9.6, only found 1 copy for sale graded higher and none in 9.6
    Champions 17 CGC 9.6, only found 1 copy for sale in same grade, none higher
    Daredevil 99 CGC 9.6, only found 1 copy for sale graded higher and none in 9.6
    Daredevil 111 CGC 9.6, none found for sale in same grade or higher
    Fantastic Four 104 CGC 9.6, only found 1 copy for sale in same grade, none higher
    Marvel TeamUp 4 CGC 9.6, none found for sale in same grade or higher
    Power Man and Iron Fist 57 CGC 9.6, none found for sale in same grade or higher
    So a total of 3 books in my collection currently have no other copies for sale at the moment in grade or higher and 6 books only have 1 copy for sale. Glad to see my Marvel TeamUp 4 made the list. That one and the Avengers 111 are really tough to find in high grade because of those black covers.
    I should point out too that the books above that are for sale are all priced way above market value, making it that much more satisfying to own them. There are still quite a few books I want that are proving near impossible to find, but then if they were easy to find it wouldnt be anywhere near as rewarding. Not that I dont have love for the more common books like my Hulk 181 or the Byrne run on Xmen, those books rock, I dont care how many thousands of high grade copies there are, . There is just something cool about owning the hard to find books that takes it to another level. Does anyone else feel this way, or is it just me?
    Good luck to all in your collecting journeys.
    Til next time...
    ***

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  12. surfer99
    Blinded by the lights of the Con...
    Submitted these books at WonderCon in March and just got them back. I was really excited that I found these at the Con and convinced myself they would all grade at 9.0 or above so I didnt hesitate to overspend. Unfortunately I didnt fare as well I had hoped, and when I took a closer look at them after getting them back from CGC I can see why. What can I say, I was caught up in the moment and blinded by the lights of the Con. Anyway, these are the unfortunate results.
    Avengers 47 CGC 8.5 with White Pages
    Avengers 53 CGC 7.5 this one hurts, need to find a better copy
    Sub-Mariner 52 CGC 9.2 with White Pages
    Fortunately they were all Blue Labels so thats one positive. As Ive mentioned previously though, I think Im done submitting my own books for a while. Id rather save up and spend the money on a grade I really want rather than overspend on raw copies and receive grades Im not happy with. Good luck to all with your submissions, and may the odds be ever in your favor...sorry, couldnt help myself.
    Til next time...
    P.S. Why is my journal not posting to the message boards. I took out all special characters.
    ***

  13. surfer99
    Latest addition...
    I debated getting an investment grade copy of this issue for some time, and surprisingly there aren't many listed on the census. The story takes place right in the middle of Avengers #110 and #111 (one of my all-time favorite X-men crossovers) with the Avengers seeking Daredevil's aid in stopping Magneto, but it doesn't feature an appearance by the X-men. You would think there'd at least be a cameo or something, but no. Ultimately though I decided to get it because I like having the whole story, I really like the cover, and thanks to the Avengers movie, Hawkeye and the Black Widow just seem way cooler than they ever have before.
    Til next time...
     
    ***

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  14. surfer99

    Avengers movie!

    By surfer99,

    No spoilers, don't worry
    Today my wife and I celebrated our 21 year wedding anniversary. We chose to take the day off work and go see The Avengers...twice! The first time by ourselves, the second time with the kids. I have to say this was the best action movie I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of great movies. It's like when you watched Indiana Jones or Star Wars for the first time, remember how cool that was? Like that! Thank you Joss Whedon, fantastic job!
    Marvel did it right- make great movies with these great characters, then bring all the (mostly) same actors back together again in one movie, united against a common enemy- yes! It was seriously like they took the best elements from all the best Avengers comics and brought them to life on the big screen for one ultimate slugfest! OK, enough with all the exlamation points, we get it, it was a great movie. Seriously!
    I'm thinking we'll go back tomorrow and watch it again, but this time in 3D. Hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did.
    P.S. stick around at the end after the credits, there are TWO stingers!
    Til next time...
    ***

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  15. surfer99

    Aspen Signing

    By surfer99,

    Nice to see an old friend...
    My good friend Frank called me last week to let me know he'd be in town for a signing Aspen was doing at Jesse James Comics in Glendale, AZ (http://www.jessejamescomics.com/site/). I like to hang out with Frank anytime he's around and I'd never been to this particular comic shop so I was looking forward to the visit. I guess the way it works is that since Jesse James Comics paid for an exclusive comic to be produced (Executive Assistant -- Assassins #2), Aspen agreed to come out and do a signing at the comic shop, which I think is pretty cool.
    Jesse, the owner, was a really nice guy and I got talk to him for a few. He's a huge Hawkeye fan like my youngest son and he had a whole wall dedicated to his personal collection of Hawkeye comics/art. Turns out when he was young he got to meet Stan Lee and Stan asked him who his favorite character was. He looked around and saw that copy of Avengers with Hawkeye prominently displayed on the over so he said "Avengers". Then Stan was like, no, that's a team, who's your favorite character? So he said Hawkeye, which he was really indifferent about at the time. So why did he continue to focus his collection on Hawkeye? Because otherwise he would have felt he was lying to Stan and he didn't want to do that, .
    I was hoping to browse through some Bronze/Silver Age books while I was there, but there weren't any. Jesse said he had a bunch in the back he was going to be bringing out in the next couple weeks so I think I'll have to make a return visit...trying to put together a reading copy set of Avengers #1 - #200, and I'm always on the hunt for high grade X-men appearances.
    I'm glad I had a chance to hang out with Frank and the guys from Aspen a little bit, and he even hooked me up with about 50 books I didn't have so that was way cool. Didn't even know there was a Soulfire volume 2 and 3, or that volume 4 just started so I'm looking forward to reading those! I'm a pure Marvel fan, but there's no doubt Soulfire is a great book (Charismagic was a fun read too), plus I gotta support my friend. Speaking of Soulfire, I had to take a pic of the main character, Grace, who made an appearance at the signing. She looks so amazing that I asked if Aspen hired her, but Frank said no, she lives here locally and just decided to come out on her own (she was at the Aspen booth at the SDCC as well). He said, and I quote, "we have the BEST fans!"
    Til next time...
     
    ***

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  16. surfer99

    Fast Track Rocks!

    By surfer99,

    Surprised at such a fast turnaround time...
    On Monday I received the lot I submitted to CGC at the Amazing AZ Con using Fast Track on 5.26.12. Honestly with as long as it took to receive my last batch, I was shocked to receive these so quickly. Im satisfied with all the grades except one which Im dumbfounded by, but Im letting that one go. These are the results...
    Xmen 112 formerly CGC 9.4, now CGC SS 9.4
    Xmen 128 formerly CGC 9.6, now CGC SS 9.4 with a cool Phoenix logo sketch...worth it
    Amazing Adventures 11 best guess 9.0, received CGC 9.0 WP
    Avengers 48 best guess 9.2, received CGC 8.5
    Fantastic Four 28 best guess 7.0, received CGC 7.5
    Xmen 95 best guess 9.0, received CGC 8.5 WP
    Xmen 126 best guess 9.6, received CGC 9.6 WP
    Xmen 133 best guess 9.8, received CGC 9.0
    Except for the Xmen 133 I think I did a pretty decent job with my estimates. There are a lot of things to be excited about with these results... 1. No PLODs, 2. None with page quality worse than Off White/White, 3. Coming within a grade or half grade of my predictions for all books but one, and 4. Receiving as good as expected or better grades for the two books I spent the most on...Amazing Adventures 11 and Fantastic Four 28.
    This grading stuff is not as easy as it looks and Ive been collecting comics for more than 20 years. As fun as it is, Im thinking I will submit less books in the future and gladly spend more to get a high grade copy of the book I want that someone else has already gone through the anxiety of having graded by CGC.
    Im waiting for one more batch of 3 books that I submitted at WonderCon. I will let you know how those turn out when I receive them!
    Til next time...
    ***

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  17. surfer99
    It only took a little over 6 months...
    Better late than...no, I take that back, if I knew it was going to take this long I would have paid the extra 10 bucks per book for expedited shipping. I submitted these books at the Amazing AZ Con in early January. Dude from CGC told me at the time that I should have my books back by the end of March at the latest. Craziness. You should have seen how destroyed the box was when it finally arrived too. I almost posted a picture of that. Fortunately, CGC did a good job with the bubble wrap and there was no damage.
    Anyway, when I was at the AZ show and saw CGC was there taking submissions, I wanted to send in a few books. I didnt have any set aside to submit at the time, but I ran home, searched through my collection, and found a few to submit. My thought was these would all grade at 9.0 or above...yeah, not so much.
    Xmen 80 CGC 8.5 (I was close on this one)
    Xmen 121 CGC 7.0 (wow, the only thing I can think of is there was water damage or something I didnt see...I would buy the grader notes, but I wont be giving CGC any more of my money for this one)
    Doctor Strange 182 CGC 9.0 (hey, I got one right)
    I will definitely be keeping the Doctor Strange 182, and probably the Xmen 80, but the X-men 121 is trade bait for my LCS. Id like to think that Ive learned a lot since submitting these and hopefully future books will come back graded closer to my expectations. One can only hope.
    Til next time...
     
    ***

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  18. surfer99

    The Original AvX!

    By surfer99,

    Talk about a great story...
    OK, so it's not all out Avengers vs. X-men battles like we're seeing in the latest mini-series, but there are still some great old school battles! Love this story, and hope to collect all issues in high grade at some point.
    Avengers 47- Magneto returns from his banishment to another planet by the Stranger
    Avengers 48- first appearance of the new Black Knight who seeks the Avengers aid in stopping Magneto
    Avengers 49- Magneto tricks the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver into leaving the Avengers and joining his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
    X-men 43- Magneto defeats and captures the X-men
    X-men 44- Angel escapes and seeks the aid of the Avengers in battling Magneto
    X-men 45- Cyclops vs. Quicksilver!
    Avengers 53- Avengers vs. X-men! Magneto defeated?
    I did manage to pick up Avengers #49 in CGC 9.2 recently. This is a hard issue to find in high grade due to the black cover and when I look at it, there are hardly any noticeable defects- a gorgeous issue that I'm happy to add to my collection, without paying 3X as much for a 9.4 copy!
    I'm also waiting for CGC to return a few more books from this storyline to me so I'll let you know how those turn out when/if I ever receive them.
    Til next time...
     
    ***

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  19. surfer99

    1st Appearance

    By surfer99,

    I'm sure Tnerb appreciates...
    Just picked up a reading copy of New Mutants Annual 2 at my LCS. Didn't realize this was the first appearance of Psylocke! It was a pretty good story. I like Mojo and Spiral...made me miss Longshot- what ever happened to him anyway? SPOILER: I never knew Psylocke was blind, or that Mojo gave her android eyes so she could see. Too weird. Anyway, I've always liked Psylocke and it was cool to check out her first appearance. Now go grab your copy!
     
    ***

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  20. surfer99
    I was looking through an old Dazzler comic...
    ...it had a Hulk cover and was in the 50 cent bin at my LCS so I figured why not. One of the articles in the Bullpen Bulletins of this issue caught my eye and I found it interesting reading so I thought I would pass it along...
    Start
    Many collectors have inquired about the two different types of covers theyve seen on Marvel Comics. One type has the price, date, issue number, and some strange numbers and symbols in little boxes...as seen in the upper left hand side of the Dazzler book below.
    Another has the price, date, and issue number in a diamond shape.
    The reason for the two different covers is that our comics are circulated two different ways. Some reach the public via the Curtis Circulation Company and a network of Independent Distributor Wholesalers who service newstands, drugstores, 7-11s, and other magazine outlets across the country. These comics whose covers have the little boxes. They carry the Curtis seal and, presumably, the strange numbers mean something to wholesaler type people.
    A substantial number of our comics are NOT distributed by Curtis, however. These comics go directly to comics specialty shops and other locations not serviced by ID Wholesalers. Since these comics arent handled by Curtis, they dont need the funny little numbers and cant carry the Curtis seal...hence the artful diamond design, which so beautifully sets off the remaining info. Clever, huh? Thats the scoop.
    Apparently some collectors were worried that the one type might be less valuable as collectibles that the other type, or that the little boxes covers were reprints, or vice versa. Well, how much our comics are worth as collectors items really us up to YOU guys. Only in the marketplace can the value of a collectible be determined. We CAN tell you that the comics with both types of covers are printed at the same time, on the same presses, that neither type is a reprint of the other, and that except for the cover markings, the comics are identical in every way. All clear?
    End
     
    Admittedly Ive noticed the two different price logos, but had no idea what their significance was until now. According to Wikipedia, the Curtis Circulation Company was the official distributor of Marvel Comics from 1969 to 1986. I dont see this changing the way I collect, but I enjoyed learning about this little piece of Marvel Comics history and hope you did as well.
    Til next time...
     
    ***

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  21. surfer99

    Don't rush it CGC

    By surfer99,

    Better to take your time and do it right...
    We all want our books graded faster, but not at the cost of making errors. Case in point, ran across this one on eBay...
    XMEN 119 CGC NM+ 9.6 CGC ERROR LABEL NO SIGNATURE, BUT WITH SS LABEL
    We all make mistakes, but those like this are a little silly. I am surprised this one got by with all the quality checks CGC has in place. It was graded 12 14 2011 right when they really started to get backed up.
    So please, take your time and continue delivering a quality product. By the way, where are my books?
    ***

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  22. surfer99
    Got my signatures...
    Got a late start today, but dont feel like I missed much. The line for George Perez was only about ten people. I went and talked to the guys from CGC first and they told me to just give them a call when I was like third in line. They were really helpful as always and I wont lie, it was a little nerve wracking popping my two books out of their cases to get signed. Im thinking theyll be downgraded a tad after the signatures but Im good with it...I would rather have the signatures.
    George is a REALLY cool dude. He is always smiling, always signing...sometimes stacks of books, taking pics with fans, and for a small fee doing sketches. As he was signing my Xmen 112 he pointed out this was the first time Wolverine had ever been drawn with hair on his arms...I did not realize that! Then as he is signing my Xmen 128 I asked if he could draw a small Phoenix logo, which he was happy to do. Like I said, really cool guy.
    After this, the CGC person walked with me to Bob Laytons booth so he could sign my Xmen 112 as well since he did the cover with George. I mentioned to him what George had said about Wolverine and he didnt know that either...he said, wow, one more piece of comics history I didnt know I was a part of! He seemed like a pretty nice guy too.
    I found a couple more reading copies from Avengers and my son picked up a couple TPBs but I wasnt able to find any other high grade Xmen appearances so I just submitted what I brought with me. On that note, these are the books I had graded...also used FASTtrack this time to avoid that 100 day wait...
    Xmen 114SS formerly CGC 9.4
    Xmen 128SS formerly CGC 9.6
    Amazing Adventures 11 best guess 9.0
    Avengers 48 best guess 9.2
    Fantastic Four 28 best guess 7.0
    Xmen 95 best guess 9.0
    Xmen 126 best guess 9.6
    Xmen 133 best guess 9.8
    Will let you know how they come out when I hopefully get them back in the next month or so.
    Til next time...

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  23. surfer99
    I must be getting old...
    Today was preview night so the doors didnt even open til 4pm. I spent four hours cruising the Con before heading home but my back is already feeling it! I still have 3 more days to go then one day rest before driving back to Disneyland for the second time this year. I am, and will be sore, but Im also blessed for the opportunity.
    Its funny, as I was looking through boxes of high grade comics I would see a lady in white cover and think, hmmm..i wonder if mirclemet has that issue? Then I would see a bunch of checkerboard issues and think, I wonder if LeeK has those? Its nice to have fellow collectors to share this hobby with.
    I managed to pick up up a few Avengers reading copies today...56, 57, and 58, but not much else. I was tempted to buy a Good copy of TOS 57, first Hawkeye, for $50 but I passed.
    I was going to bring a couple Xmen books for George Perez to sign but I didnt think he would be signing today. My bad, he was there signing, but he said he would be there signing every day so no biggie, I will catch him tomorrow.
    Hope to find another high grade Xmen appearance too so I can submit with the other six I want to bring in...going fast track this time around with everything. Cant deal with the 100 day turnaround for this bunch.
    Stopped by and talked with my good friend Frank from Aspen. It was nice to catch up with him a little bit as we havent talked since WonderCon. Met some really nice LCS owners there as well so I will have to stop by their stores at some point in the next few months to say hi and check out their inventory.
    Looking forward to tomorrow...browsing more comic boxes and getting those signatures!
    Til next time...

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  24. surfer99
    Every comic book fan should see this movie!
    My wife told me about this movie that was made by Morgan Spurlock, the same guy who made the movie Super Size Me, that told the story of the San Diego Comic Con from the fans point of view. I was down because it was comic book related and she was really excited to see it.
    Turns out there was only one showing in one theater on one night in all of Arizona. We just got back, and had a great time! The event was hosted by nerdrepository.com and sponsors included Ash Ave. Comics and the Phoenix Comic Con. Very cool they were able to bring this film here if even only for one night.
    The attendees and hosts were very nice and gave it that comic convention feel. Ash Ave. Comics did a giveaway in front of the screen before the movie started. They would give a trivia question related to one of the guests attending this years Phoenix Con and if you shouted out the right answer you won a free tshirt and comic book. The first few questions were all DC related and I had no clue. The last one was a Marvel question...who was the artist who launched the New Avengers? Took me a minute, but then I shouted David Finch! Free tshirt and comic...nice.
    OK, back to the movie. For a complete review and a look at the trailer check out CBR at www.comicbookresources.com. The film did a great job of capturing the essence of Comic Con. I really felt like I was back there again...last time was in 2009, this film was done in 2010. Im telling you, we were laughing so hard at some points...Kevin Smith was hysterical and the owner of Mile High comics could be a comic in his own right. The message of the film was clear...we all have a little nerd in us and Comic Con is the place you can let it out without fear of judgement or ridicule. Another message it delivered that is kind of sad is that Comic Con isnt really about the comics so much any more as it is about pop culture and the entertainment industry as a whole. I dont know if thats necessarily a bad thing though when you consider the exposure and respect our great hobby is getting within mainstream society as a result of the mixture between comics and Hollywood.
    What I do know is that Im excited now more than ever to attend the Phoenix Con this week. Sure, its not San Diego, but its still going to be a great time! Hope to see you there!
    Til next time...
     
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  25. surfer99
    Let's see what the fuss is about...
    I was looking up the books I'd submitted years ago using the new Verify CGC Certification tool so that I could add the graded on date to my comic descriptions. When I got to my Xmen 112 I thought why not drop the five bucks to learn why it got a 9.4. Not something I plan on doing on a regular basis but I wanted to try it once just to see what the deal was. Here is what I learned from the 5-27-2009 notes...
    Top Front Cover Bend
    Sure enough, when you the view the book from above you can see a very small bend on the top edge. I did not notice that before.
    Spine Lite Stress Lines Breaks Color
    Check, there are seven very very small lite stress lines. Happy this did not drop the grade below a 9.4.
    Bottom Whole Book Small Dent
    I don't know what it is meant by bottom whole book, but I do notice now there is a small dent on the back cover at the bottom edge that doesn't break color so that may be it.
    My conclusion is that the grader notes are nice because they really helped me see the defects I hadn't noticed before. Does it change the grade? No. It does however educate me on things to look for when submitting books in the future so I have a little better idea of what those grades might be. I won't pay for this service often, but if I'm ever dumbfounded on why I received a particular grade I will bite the bullet to view the notes.
    As for my Xmen 112, I'm hoping to have George Perez sign it at the Phoenix Con this month. We'll have to see if it comes back with the same grade...fingers crossed!
    Til next time...
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