AKA Rick

I know hot off of SDCC, these were highly touted, then suddenly comic shops were shipped these by the tons, where once though to be scarce, now overprinted, and a lot of customers grabbed stacks to horde and hold, so I'd probably shy away from these if buying on speculation more than passion, since I'd guess there's quite a bit of 'em out there, probably more supply than demand, with lots of folks waiting in the wings to offer 'em up on eBay, and because they're free, the cost of goods / cost basis is $0, and they can afford to sell 'em at $0.99 or whatever and garner pure profit.

I vote for getting autographs in pencil on the front in the margins, not personalized by any and all members of the creative team. Many collectors hate signatures, so having it in elegant pencil allows the option to easily erase the autograph. I see a lot of autographs signed inside of the art, which I see as an aesthetic detriment than value benefit. I also see a lot of ugly signatures using thick sharpie markers in the margins which takes away from the beauty of the fine lines if the art, especially in today's pieces that are in pure pencil. I would never tote art around to conventions chasing signatures, but if I bought art at a show directly from the artist and they asked if I wanted it signed, I might take 'em up on the offer.

I agree. 9.8 is a good grade, but for new releases, it is far from being elusive nor prestigious. A 9.8 is not a tough grade to find tat warrants commanding multiples on CMV prices. Today's moderns are tomorrow's vintage, but as more collectors slab and take care of their books (unlike maybe pre-1980's releases), high grades will be commonplace and a 9.8 will be more ordinary and common, than extraordinary and rare. I feel a 9.6 is equal to an off the retail rack raw copy, a 9.8 is one a buyer takes care in hand picking, and anything higher is what should be deemed scarce. Grading is subjective, so I hope the standards and integrity of the evaluations are maintained, unlike in thtrading card industry where resellers continue to find companies who will assign high grades just for having that perfect number to resell.

I can not seem to find any of the "pre-Scout" self-published issues of HENCHGIRL, I see #1 offered on eBay, but have yet to see Issue #2 with the "Glden Books" inspired cover.

For an X-Men #1... Is $2,100 for a CGC 3.0 a good price? http://www.comiclink.com/Auctions/item.asp?back=%2FComicTrack%2FAuctions%2Fbids%2Easp&id=1139505 I'm trying to figure out what's the sweet spot for buying an X-Men #1 with a budget under $3,500 to be patient and what to look for. I'm in no rush to buy the book. In one breath, I don't mind a Stan Lee CGC Signature Series since he's the creator and writer of the book, and for that I'd be willing to get a low grade but also not pay a premium more than the $100 or so he charges to sign books and the fees for CGC certification, so to me his autograph adds about $150 in value. I also a not sure what the lowest grade you can get while still having a book with front cover aesthetics and won't fall apart if you crack the CGC case. I feel that a 3.0 is that level. I also think maybe my ceiling is a CGC 5.0 as far as my budget goes. And, I wonder where's the best place to buy the book if you're patient hunting, whether its: AUCTIONS: ComicLink ComicConnect Heritage eBay Or straight retail LCS Convention Online-Dealer I know a lot of folks go off of the CGC historical precedent of sales, which I think is actually a good barometer of how low and high as well as recent, books have sold for I don't buy into price guides or what owners are asking as their sales prices to be proper gauges of valuation.

SMART BUY If you can get a signed CGC SS on eBay for $150 or less that's roughly what the cost of the signature and slabbing w/ shipping is today, so that's where a base line minimum value of $150 for a CCG autographed comic as an estimated value

Submit now in 2016 and you'll get 'em back a little bit after the Super Bowl in 2017, I think via their cheapest standard grading service.

The "obvious choice" seems less than obvious to many collectors in that, that comic book has pretty much nothing to do with Stan Lee other than the fact that he created the character, Spider-Man, so what seems like a no-brainer, to many may seem brainless. So, you're right in your estimation. I'd opt for him to sign a low grade silver age Marvel comic book that he actually wrote, none of this "editor in chief" status on the masthead. There's a lot of books you can buy for under $200, if you like Spider-Man, any issue where you like the cover that he wrote would be nice. If you're open to other characters, there's Avengers, Fantastic Four, Thor, X-Men, Journey Into Mystery, Tales to Astonish, Tales of Suspense, and a lot others. I think when you have him sign a modern book, you'll look at it in the future after he's long since passed away and say "What was I thinking?" about the opportunity and choosing a lame new book. Stan Lee is a founding father and creator, I think having him sign any comic with a $0.12 or $0.15 cover price from the silver age looks most aesthetic. If you don't plan on selling the book, have him sign whatever you like, but know, his signature on irrelevant or material he was only peripherally associated with is like having Michel Jordan autograph a football or Tom Brady sign a basketball. Stan signs randomly and sloppy now, so try to pick a white background cover where the autograph will "pop" and you can see it clearly. With Stan Lee autographs, the material itself isn't as important nor the grade, as the signature that adds value. So, in my opinion, having Stan sign a CGC 9.8 book ruins the book, as there's purists who hold autographs to disdain. If you have Stan sign a 3.5 or 7.0 book, it bumps the desirability of a mid-grade book to an upper echelon, improving the value.

I forget, what the white our or the sharpie scribble the one to have? I only ever got the black tape one. The original "F--- Face" is the one to have because it's the best baseball card ever '88 fleer? '87? I can't remember but I know I had the FF card at one time 89 Fleer! I wanted one badly and ended up trading a Wage Boggs rookie for it. Still have the silly thing all these years later just because it is the most ridiculous card I ever came across. Think I still have some other silly ones with it like the Paul Gibson crotch grab in the background error (also an 89 card, but Score.) ...Baseball cards were fun at one point. The great thing, and you'll find this with comics too. With patience on "hot" items artificially inflated, they'll eventually settle down in price and you'll be able to acquire them at pennies on the dollar off of their peak. There will be the occassional one that maintains value or skyrockets up, but as a whole if you look at the playing field, there's going to be way more losers than winners in the long term, so even if there's 100 books you're eyeing, and 5 goes up x10, there will be x90 that goes down tremendously, and you're best off waiting, sitting on the sidelines for most releases. These are manufactured collectibles today that don't go up in time like how some of the older 1980's and previous, comics aged over 30 years go from the common back issue bin to glory like the 1st appearance issues of Lobo, Deadshot, Suicide Squad, Deathstroke, Elektra, Cloak & Dagger, Black Cat, Moon Knight, Thanos, Darkseid, etc. - - now, everything like with sports cards is marketed towards the "potential" and hype. No books are earning their value. The market will reset itself eventually as the sellers who horde and hold lose patience and sit on too much inventory tying up their money and they need to liquidate. It always happens with every collectible when the amateurs get in (and today's amateurs are the ones buying 100x copies of every new issue of "The Walking Dead" storing them away as their kid's college fund)

K Card Companies in the 1990's seemed to create errors on purpose to build up false hype Comic companies don't get any aftermarket money. ...but they do get people, the "speculators" buying. It's simple marketing. Many opt to do "short yet unstated print runs" only to in later releases, once the collectors drive up the prices of previous releases, then crank the presses full steam ahead and flood the market, so capture the greedy money from folks who horde. Comics saw that with Jim Lee's X-Men #1 and the whole 1990's speculation, sports cards saw that in 1987 through the 80's, 90's and Y2K, and later turned to the "elite" marketing of scarcity where single packs of cards can sell at retail for $500+ and there's a "chase" insert of potential cardboard gold, so to speak. It came to a point where with the "chase" cards, collectors bust open cases, boxes and packs, sort through the cards, pick out the one hot card they're looking for and dump he rest in the trash. Comics did that with the whole bagged sketch cover thing DC did this year or last year, and with these variants with 1:10; 1:50; 1:100; 1:1,000 etc odds that a retailer has to order tons to get the one rare book. So, a lot of time the common books go straight into the dollar bins. So, the comic companies are indeed raping the industry with short term greedy decisions instead of building a stable fan base and earning loyalty. There's less single collectors of books and more speculators who never read the books, buy multiples to resell and encase 'em in plastic. Comics are a commodity not to be manhandled and enjoyed by children of all ages, and it's mainly grown middle aged men who are the day traders.

K Card Companies in the 1990's seemed to create errors on purpose to build up false hype

I don't think a Black Hole Collector has anything to do with sales. It's a "collector" A person who owns something and either does not want to sell it, or asks for a non-FMV king's ransom is not a BHC. They're simply either a passionate collector (put yourself in their shoes, as you may be passionate about pieces you own that's not for sale yet someone approaches you to buy your possession, you'll either react with a polite decline or have the "it'll take $$$ to convince me to sell it" - - and those who simply fish for astronomical prices are maybe called CLC's Cool Line's Collectors So, the true BHC simply wants to be left alone as far as discussing what they own and have. Most BHC's minimize their interests and possessions when others inquire with extreme modesty, as opposed to some CAF chest pumping folks who strive to have the most views or comments, they want to be way off the grid and underneath the radar.

My definition of a true Black Hole Collector, adheres 100% to the rules of Fight Club... "don't talk about it" By telling someone you are a Black Hole Collector, you're then not one, as you're revealing unnecessary information. By using CAF and showcasing your properties, you're not adhering to the rhetorical evaluation of "what do I have to gain and what do I have to lose" by showing what you have. The downside is always around theft, disclosure and negative events. The upside is generally if a sales opportunity comes up. The middle ground called "noise pollution" is just the bragging, swagger, showing off, boasting, hoping others will envy you, and all of the emotions around vanity; as well as the true altruistic wanting to simply share with the community of course. Usually there's only a few people who know what a Black Hole Collector owns, the person who sold it to them and that collector themselves. You're not a Black Hole Collector if you disclose to anyone with the disclaimer "...but don't tell anyone" The Black Hole Collector's collection is only revealed when they come out of the closet to sell or share their wares; or in most cases they die and the collection emerges into the marketplace through his or her heirs. I don't know many true Black Hole Collectors, since most don't reveal themselves. I know a lot of discreet hybrid BHC's 'tho, and they're pretty good at keeping to that "The Game is to Be Sold, Not Told" motto, only coming out when something is for sale, but never letting others know what's in the vault that's not yet for sale, nor boasting about recent acquisitions.

The Thing VS The Hulk is always a classic battle with so many rematches. The Hulk VS anyone (Thor, Silver Surfer, etc.) always seems to become a "key" issue in the silver and bronze age.

I just put up Issue #52, pages #12, 13, 14, and 15, a sequence as individual consigned auctions on Comic Link. It's the gang rape scene with Amy where Tulip rescues here. I bought them individually, but collectively as a group. I asked folks if I should offer it as a lot of 4 pages for the full sequence rather than break it up, but was advised it's better to break it up and let people pick whatever pages they want or could afford, and if someone wanted all 4 to keep 'em together, they could simply and easily bid on all 4 since they're offered all at once. Here they are here: http://www.comiclink.com/Auctions/allsub.asp?Focused=1&id=1398&Artist=STEVE%20DILLON Right now they're between $400-600 each.

I just picked up a GIANT SIZED X-MEN #1 in CGC 7.5 Signature Series signed by Len Wein. I was debating whether that's a better buy than going after a higher grade unsigned. I'm not totally enamored by signature series books generally, as I see writing on the cover as an aesthetic flaw. But, with creators like Stan Lee, who is a legend, I of course make exception. I'd never ever want Stan to sign a book like this which he had no direct involvement in other than creating the original team and maybe being Marvel's Editor in Chief at the time. When I thought about this book and Len Wein, I figured, he is the creator after all, the writer is an integral part of the team, not to diminish their value or importance. Dave Cockrum, the interior artist is deceased as is the cover artist, Gil Kane. So, if this book were every to get a CGC Signature Series autograph, it would have to be by Len Wein to make the most sense and have direct relevance. I paid $760 for the book. I'm not sure if I got a deal, paid market value, or overpaid. I'm not sure if a CGC 7.5 is a good enough grade to be considered prestigious either. I know a 9.8 is out of my stratosphere, but wasn't sure what the tipping point was for what grade was considered "meh" and average run of the mill good but not great, and where a grade becomes a "wow, that's hard to find!" and gets that "Nice book!" type of level of praise. This was one of the key books I always wanted to get again (I sold mine with a slight split spine at the bottom years ago in the late 1980's for maybe $20 or so), with the intent being more for my personal collection than to resell, 'tho anytime you spend more than $100 on a comic book I consider it an investment and have an eye for the price, value and potential to grow.

That HENCHGIRL #1 is awesome as a nice pick-up. That book continues to surge, despite the series ending soon, it seems to have a cult following and was picked up to be distributed by Dark Horse and there's whispers (speculation or fact) that the property has been licensed for TV too.

Is that New Warriors or Thunderbolts? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbolts_(comics)

I think there's not a whole lot of quality that came out in the 90's in terms of compared to the number of sub-standard dreg, so whatever was great is being retained into personal collections, and the rest are waiting for the event when something like with the McFarlane art, starts to explode in sales precedent to inspire selling. 'til then, the type of stuff being pushed make the 90's era look pretty crappy, but in truth, there were some really great stories and art, just too much junk around causing noise pollution to that era, discounting it to a lackluster generation compared to the 60's, 70's and 80's as being part of the downfall of the comic book hobby from catering to fans to marketing to investors/speculators.

Is Spider-Gwen officially now a Flash in the Pan, much like how in sports there's highly touted prospect athletes that are proclaimed "the next..." (fill in the blank, such as Jordan, Griffey Jr, Brady or Gretzky) destined to the hall of fame, only to fizzle out and become "has beens that never was" OR... is the character just settling in, as she got so sizzling hot, so fast, nothing like that could be sustainable at that level, so she's in good hands, supported by Marvel and a solid readership? All I see or saw was it seemed that the crazy sounding "Gwen Pool" came out and took the spotlight away from "Spider Gwen" and continues to oddly thrive in greater popularity.

So, true! The mark of a good sales person is one who can remove their own personal bias and recognize there's a marketplace for interests outside of their own. If you love Rock n' Roll, tolerate Country, have a disdain for Hip Hop and criticize modern Pop, then you have no business owning a record store unless it's so niche and you're happy with that focused target. With comics, it's about what sells, and every fool and their brother can stock up on "The Walking Dead" and compete with their peers, eventually left holding a box of unsold issues, or if you can pick up a handful of specialty zombie books like Zombie Tramp, Dead @ 17 and the like, step in and step out with profits, then move on, that makes good business sense, to keep moving your money.

I wonder who are the ones complaining about the shipping delays? I'd speculate the "I appreciate JSC for lining my pockets" resellers VS the "I appreciate JSC as a fan of his artwork" in that... If a person gets their order confirmed, so they're locked and loaded, guaranteed their merchandise at a set price, but with a slight delay to receive, they should be happy... if they're a fan and collector. If they're a reseller, then in this world of "hot today, cold tomorrow" and competitive nature of having more demand than supply diminish with each passing day, so the opportunity to maximize profits is a shrinking window, or you've pre-sold merchandise at a profit only to not have it ready for customers who are on edge... well... I'd say... ...well, I'm not sure what I'd say but anticipate what a lot of others would say in terms of the difference between the scenario of fan vs reseller... Unless the JSC Store has a reputation of taking orders and not fulfilling them, I would guess patience is a virtue and what's the difference of a few weeks or even a month to get what you paid for? It's not prescription medication that, if you don't receive it in a timely manner you'll feel the ill effects...

How does "Edge of Spider-Verse #2" The Greg Land variant cover, rank, being the 1st Appearance of Spider-Gwen?

I found the book and purchased it. Since this pre dates the first issue and contains original story and art material not reprinted nor featured in the #1 issue, that makes this more unique than a typical preview which is just advanced advertising and contains a sampler of story/art to be released. Right? So, as an investment, this is a key book As the first appearances for characters in the title?

I loved the cover as well! I loved it so much that this should be arriving to me in a few days! Congrats! A truly great piece and perfect pairing of Original Art