Tom789

Just got my first item from DR.X.  Extremely well-packed and bonus comics thrown in!  Will be clicking immediately on any future sales.

Tough to say.  Possibly a small corner crunch on the bottom right back cover.  Or a small stain on the back cover just right of the left eye in the Spidey mask?

On 9/8/2023 at 4:46 PM, DR.X said:

Four Color Donald Duck  #203 - 4.0 

Surface and handling marks front and back cover. Tears at the staples but everything is attached. Inside pages have nice color.

BP =  $45.00

I'll buy F.C. #203.

On 9/1/2023 at 10:10 PM, lou_fine said:

The reason for falling prices for these kinds of books may have a lot to do with the fact that they tend to show up in every single auction, with some having even multiple copies in the same auction.  

So, no real reason to go out of your way to big too high because if you miss this copy here, another one will be coming along before you know it.  

Um, no different than a year ago when the prices were higher?

On 9/1/2023 at 6:13 PM, VintageComics said:

While I use Go Collect and find them valuable, I find their algorithms to be of sometimes and the values they insert don't make sense to me. 

A far better indicator would be calculating actual past sales via GPA. 

I didn't use their funky FMV.  Are their last 12-month sales values unreliable as well?

On 8/31/2023 at 9:45 PM, dikran said:

I think we’re comparing apples and oranges… The SA 9.X market is doing just fine and fetching multi thousands of dollars as evidenced by ComicLink results of the past week. Alas not all of us can play in such rarified air. The collapse is happening in the lower grades, where we plebes reside. Also modern spec books of the new characters are down massively from the highs and continue to go down with every subsequent sale. It really puts a damper on finally winning that first Shuri for a 3 year low price only for it go even lower the following day on MCS or Heritage or whatever. The people buying those first Riris and Kamalas today will hopefully be buying our Thor 126 9.6s in 15-20 years but not if they’re constantly getting hosed by market irrationality and never come back. 

Small sample to support this.  Last week's Heritage auction of CGC-graded SA Spider-mans.  I was going to calculate a percentage down number and got lazy, but it's easy to see the market for this small sector, the most popular character by far, is still down.

Price = auction sale price including 20% buyer's premium; G.C. = GoCollect 12-month average selling price.  Apologies for the bad penmanship!

CGC gave me an AA grade (Authentic Altered) on this 1968 Topps Willie Mays card.  The sticky note said Altered, but not what kind, and circled the front top left edge.  I can't see anything there and it doesn't look trimmed to me.  Can anyone else see what's wrong so I can get better at spotting alterations?

Edit: Here's a link to the clearer certificate image: Verify CSG Sports Card Certification | Look Up a CSG Certification Number | CSG (csgcards.com)

I'm like you, I'm definitely a waiter.

Thanks for responding.  The submission number is 1401003896.  This is unfortunate because I thought one of the cards was relatively valuable - 1968 Topps Willie Mays.

Just got my first grading report for a bulk submission of 56 cards and 2 of them have no grades.  Is this because you declined to grade them because you determined they were altered/fake?

On 8/21/2023 at 9:12 PM, lou_fine said:

Not exactly sure what you are asking here because I believe you answered your own question as both copies had the exact same equivalent grade, but the one with better eye appeal sold for more slighly more money?  

Do you really expect bidders to bid more for an equivalent graded copy that does not present as nicely from a strict visual point of view?  

Now, if it was a significantly lower graded or restored raw copy that sold for significantly more money than a higher graded CGC Universal copy of the exact same book, then I would find that to be more surprising.  Then again, we've seen this scenario before and certainly on more than just one occasion.    

Because the raw copy may have hidden flaws or flaws not apparent in the images, it may be tougher to resell raw, and if the buyer wants to get it graded there are fees, postage and the risk of a lower grade.

I think these links are an interesting juxtaposition regarding raw vs. graded prices these days.  The first is a raw ASM #41 graded at F- (5.5) by Heritage. The second, in the very next auction, is of a CGC 5.5 ASM #41.  The raw book outsold the graded by $48.  The graded was more than $100 lower than my price guide (GoCollect) estimate.  The first book has a somewhat better eye appeal IMO, but I don't understand how a raw book, especially one not held in hand, can go for that much higher than a slab in the same grade.

The Amazing Spider-Man #41 (Marvel, 1966) Condition: FN-.... Silver | Lot #15246 | Heritage Auctions (ha.com)

The Amazing Spider-Man #41 (Marvel, 1966) CGC FN- 5.5 Off-white to | Lot #15247 | Heritage Auctions (ha.com)

On 8/11/2023 at 2:08 AM, RarePulps said:

Years ago I submitted hundreds and hundreds of comics to CGC. Now that I am submitting again, I was wondering when I should expect a package that USPS says was delivered on August 2 to be acknowledged as received by CGC. Not graded, just received (and into the CGC system). I looked at various board submissions to try to find the answer, but couldn't. Whatever normal is, that is fine with me. But if a package in misplaced, I know I should let CGC know sooner rather than later. Should my package received by CGC on Aug 2 be acknowledged in my CGC account by now (August 11)? Thanks for any help.

Under My Submissions there is a Confirm Package Delivery entry where you can put in your tracking number.  I've used it successfully a couple of times to confirm that CGC has acknowledged receipt of the package.

On 8/6/2023 at 9:59 AM, batmiesta said:

9.8s still fetching silly money and probably always will. 

Keys, SA and early BA maybe, but not later I think.  I have a lot of late Bronze Age non-key books that might get 9.8s - last year they were worth taking a shot at grading because my estimate was that most were worth over $100.  For me that's enough to grade, I know others here consider that too low.  Anyway, I started cleaning and pressing them, but now it seems that even the 9.8 prices I've been monitoring are tanking and they're not worth sending in to get graded.

On 8/5/2023 at 6:58 PM, paqart said:

I gave it a 1.8. As a collector, I wouldn't want the comic at all unless it was otherwise unattainable (like an AF 15). Meaning, below basement prices. Tape along the entire spine, to me, equals serious paper deterioration, sticky goo, and funny smells. Also, I think it is fair to assume the worst regarding what might be found on the other side. My opinion is that top grade for fully taped spine is 3.0, but add the staples and we're at max 2.0. I was having a hard time deciding between 1.8-2.0. A 3.0 was out of the question.

Being a novice grader, I consulted the CGC reference book for this one.  It says tape fully along the spine can bring the grade down to 4.0, so that's what I gave it.

Grades in.  Popcorn emoji from CGC Mike.  Doomed feeling.  

On 8/1/2023 at 5:28 PM, Panda2 said:

A few questions from someone who bombed this round but is trying to learn (memo to self - bump your grades by .5 regardless of what you think you see)…

House of secrets - is that not a stain on the back cover by the ‘salve’?

Strange Tales - is that spot above the torch’s head considered distributor’s ink?  Also did they count the CB crease in the torch’s leg a printers crease?

 

I was 

5.5 way low -minor spine split, small tears, cover creasing

3.5 close enough

4.5 small pieces out FC, stain on rear, small spine split

4.0 spine stress, foreign substance on FC, colour breaking crease FC, readers crease

8.0 close enough

 

ugh 13. After a 5 last round…

 

thanks in advance for comments and opinions!

That did look like a printer's crease to me on The Torch's leg.  But I also marked way down for that spot above his head and a couple of spots above the T in Strange.

9 pts for me this round.  Only 1 off on 4 books, but 5 off on the Strange Tales.  I thought those were stains on the top left front cover, but no mention in the notes.  Distributor's ink?  Also marked it down for the spine wear.  I've got a 6.0 that looks way better than this ST.

It looks like I was one of the lowest graders on HoS at 6.0 - but I didn't see any water stains either.  My grade was based on what appears to be a reader's crease, at least fiber-breaking, running down most of the left front spine.  But based on most grader's responses here, that wouldn't have resulted in such a low grade.  I guess I was too harsh on the crease?

My best ever and 2 bullseyes!  3 this round redeems my awful first round 10.  I got really lucky on the Harvey as it was a shot in the dark on how to grade those multiple split pages.

More Fun #102 6.5 6.5

Harvey Library #1 5.0 5.0

TTA #11 7.5 7.0

Spidey #38 5.5 6.0

HoS #92 6.0 5.5

Grades submitted.  Did poorly in round 1, this round might be even worse.  

On 7/26/2023 at 4:34 AM, CGC Mike said:

Here they are.

Popular Comics #66 (Larson pedigree)

Stain left top of whole book

Stain full bottom of whole book

Chip out right bottom of front cover

Stain full right of whole book

 

Archie Comics #39

Crease left bottom of front cover

Crease right bottom of front cover

Multiple crease right center of front cover

 

Thing #15

Piece out of right top front cover

Creasing to cover

Cover tanning

 

Incredible Hulk #5

Spine 85% split

Staple detached top of front cover

Staple detached bottom of cover

Creasing to cover

Tears to cover

Pieces out of cover

 

Marvel Spotlight #10

Thin crease bottom front cover breaks color

Wear all corners front cover

Spine stress lines

 

Thank you!  Will help in figuring out my poor scores!