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Bick0

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Posts posted by Bick0

  1. On 12/18/2023 at 6:41 PM, LowGradeBronze said:

    First off the date stamp isn't something that needs removing and frankly I'm shocked to hear you say you'd be happy to see it gone! There are threads on these very boards celebrating arrival date, book exchange and pence stamps. Maybe seek them out so you can join in with "the joy of stamps". :peace:

    To your main point, you'd be tempting fate in so many ways by sending this off for CPR. 6.5 is a pretty good grade for this book and you may well end up with the same grade again albeit having run the gauntlet of the whole shipping, pressing, re-slabbing and more shipping. And you'd be out of pocket.

    I don't think pressing will  yield a higher grade. I would be satisfied with the book as is. 

     

    Thank you for the suggestion!. I'm super happy with the grade and the price I paid for it. I'd rather keep the book as is rather than pay and wait months to get it back. Plus there's always a risk of the book being damaged during transit. The stamp is a pretty cool addition to the book, luckily it's on the back so the cover doesn't "suffer" for a lack of a better word.:D

  2. NOTE: I'm from the UK so that may affect a lot of the options and price.

    I just purchased this slab and I'm happy with the grade its in now and glad I found one with a really great cover but I'm wondering if it's worth cracking, pressing & cleaning to bump it up a grade? and if the cost would be worth it?

    I've never sent anything for pressing & cleaning before and wouldn't know who to send it too. I know CGC has a pressing service but with the research and countless videos I've seen. It seems like there's better pressers to send it too before sending it to be graded.

    Graders Notes:

    • Light spine splits to cover
    • Light spine stress lines to cover
    • Moderate creasing to cover

    The writing on the back of the book doesn't really bother me but if it could be removed without damaging the book and getting the blue label still that would be great.

     

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  3. On 10/23/2023 at 3:07 PM, WolverineX said:

    congrats! keep it safe , away from light and humidity. that's all you need to do.   some people recommend  a safety deposit box if you have any interest. 

    Thank you!, I thought about putting it into a safety deposit box but I'd like to have it at my house where I can look at it from time to time.

  4. On 10/23/2023 at 3:47 PM, Cushing Fan said:

    Do you mean something like this?

    Congratulations on the AF15. I have one and it is the highlight of my collection. 

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/186089780139?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=3YaZEV_5SUW&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=8P1Ui0NFR1-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

    Yeah something like that, I'd ideally like it to have so it just holds the one slab but I can always add more foam to it. Thank you!

  5. Hi Everyone,

    I've been extremely lucky enough to get my hands on one of the most desired grails in comic history. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on storing this book as it is the most expensive item I've had and probably will ever have. It's already Graded at 1.8 but I'd like to have that extra protection/security.

    I've had a look to see if I can find a case similar to the ones on Case Club but I won't be moving it that often so carrying it around isn't necessary. I was thinking about maybe a little lockbox or something that I can keep somewhere safe without it taking up to much room.

    Thank you for reading and I'll keep this post updated and upload images when I can.(thumbsu

     

    UPDATE: I'm still on the look out for a more secure and protected case but for now, I thought I'd give an update on the comic.

    I decided to go for a display cabinet to show off the one and only with a few other comics In my collection. (A Spidey Shrine you could call it)

    If anyone has any suggestions for lighting (Wireless) so I can show these off at night, I would really appreciate it. I only need one light but from what i've seen on Amazon and other sites you get 3 minimum which I don't really need.

    image.thumb.jpeg.9db9af3359b35d5ace5272b77c9e39bf.jpeg

  6. On 8/4/2023 at 3:06 AM, zzutak said:

    If you take a look at Overstreet, you'll notice that guide value is always linear in condition grade up to 6.0 FN.  At that point, the relation becomes parabolic -- as you move beyond 6.0, you'll be getting ever-decreasing increments of bang for ever-increasing increments of buck.  As an Atomic Age collector, I've always viewed the 7.0 FN/VF level as offering the most bang for your buck, while still being findable (many Atomic Age issues simply don't exist in conditions higher than FN/VF).  A strictly graded 7.0 is a beautiful thing!  :luhv:

    I'll have to look at Overstreet when buying from now on. All I can find is the last sales on eBay but that's so unreliable that I can never be sure what the Fair Market Value is, especially with the hype of new shows and movies being announced with a lot of people speculating who/what will be in them.

    So far from searching the cost of a 8.5 copy of most books I want are minimum £1k - £2k so ill have to be patience and not get to impatience and buy them when there's hype/speculation.

    Thank you for the reply.

  7. On 8/4/2023 at 7:50 PM, wiparker824 said:

    In low grade I just like to find a clean complete book free of things that will not age well like rust, mold, brittle pages, etc.

    In mid grade I tend to gravitate towards nicest presenting cover and page quality. 

    Makes sense, no point spending a lot of money on a book that'll deteriorate due to defects like rush, mold and pages falling apart.

    I'll have to remember that when it comes to the lower grade copies.

  8. On 8/4/2023 at 1:34 AM, MattTheDuck said:

    I started collecting comics as a kid in the early 70s.  While I knew at the time there were things like "mint" or "fine" I paid almost no attention to condition as my goal was to "have" all these books I wanted.  I rarely even saw high-grade books.  So, by 1978 I ended with lots of spine ticks and creases and stains and etc in my little 1200 book collection.  Fast forward to 2021 and I'm back in the hobby after a 43-year hiatus.  I decided I was not going to spend any more money on spine ticks and creases.  For purposes of slabs, I set 8.5 as a floor, with hopes to get higher-graded books.  Now, I will also say the books I "need" - which are basically contained within the first 30 issues of the big Silver Age Marvel titles - are probably not all going to be affordable to me in that grade or higher.  So I'm compromising on these books to the extent necessary.  I will also say that the vast, vast majority of my collection is raw and I've pretty much decided I like raw better because I love to read these stories. They have the added benefit of being quite a bit less expensive than the same book slabbed.  

    I'm fortunate that I don't have any OCD related to grades or look, my obsession is having a complete run of a title up to the point I don't want any more of that title (for example #363 is the last ASM I want to have, although I don't rule out picking up some key or other that's a higher number).  God knows what will happen if I ever actually complete one.

    I guess that's one of my "future regrets" when it comes to setting a minimum grade I want for a book, in case I find a higher copy in the future that I didn't mind spending the extra money on. But if that were the case then I'd never be happy with the books unless they were the highest and I wouldn't have any in my collection.

    I started out collecting raw copies of modern books but the space needed to keep them was starting to get less and less, so I found a good balance of buying the key/important comics I want graded and reading comics on comiXology (although the app has gone down hill thanks to Amazon but I wont go there xD)

    Thank you for the reply

  9. On 8/4/2023 at 3:11 PM, Jaylam said:

    I have to agree with you, I have a hard time telling the difference in visual appeal between an 8.5 and up to a 9.4. I have an Iron man #9 in 8.5 and 9.4 and in hand, the 8.5 seems to have more pop to the colors; the white background is whiter and the colors seem deeper and more vibrant. The only detraction the 8.5 has is a color breaking crease or rub just inside the middle right edge of the cover (just above the top of Iron Man's head). Both have the "White Pages" page quality designation. Part of the difference could also be the 9.4 is in the old-style holder in which the plastic is not as clear as what's used in the newer slabs.

    ironman9.thumb.jpg.d79cefc9aed81f5d271f91a01441bf1f.jpg

     

     

     

    I see what you mean, the 8.5 does look more vibrant compared to the 9.4. I guess the colour breaking, crease and rub on the 8.5 hurts the grade more than the colours not being as bright and popping on the 9.4. But, if you have to be close up to see the defects then its not too bad. I have a few of the older slabs like you have and there is a slight difference in clarity with the plastic. The only real way of knowing is cracking it open or get it re-slabbed but no sense spending the money if the slab isn't damaged.

    Amazing books by the way, can I ask why you have two copies? I'm guessing you brought the 8.5 first then found the 9.4 later? I never really thought about having multiple copies of a book unless I'm upgrading to a nicer copy then selling the lower grade, finding a great deal or I really like a book.

    Thanks for the reply.

  10. On 8/4/2023 at 2:21 PM, wiparker824 said:

    My wallet.

    Unless you have unlimited funds this is almost always going to be the primary factor in your question. Would I prefer to have bought the ASM 1 in a 9.6 instead of a 1.8? Of course. Only problem is I didn’t have an extra 515k laying around. 

    That question often takes care of itself with your budget, the more interesting thing I think is what defects actually matter to you within the grade you’re buying. Let’s say you’re set on buying a book in a 3.0. All 3.0’s are different. Are you okay with writing on the cover? Slightly brittle pages? Tan pages? Marvel chipping? What type of 3.0 do you really want. Especially with SA where you typically have enough selection as opposed to golden age where you may not be able to be as picky.

    I never really thought about defects. I guess in terms of defects it depends on the book its self. For example, ASM 20 I know I can find copies that have consistent page quality (off-white to white) and better page quality than others with minor/less defects. However like you said an ASM 1 in a 1.8, I have to expect more defects such as brittle pages, writing on the cover, tan/cream pages etc, unless I want to spend 500k+. Like you said with golden age books, I cant be too picky with the quality/defects without spending an arm and a leg.

    For you personally, do any defects put you off from buying? To add to that, would defects put you off from getting a higher grade copy of a comic if it had more/worse defects than a lower grade copy?

    Thank you for the reply.

  11. On 8/3/2023 at 8:05 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

    Ta. I never finished the <100 run in the end but the 100 x 9.4s looked a treat. Wish I'd kept them now. 

    Indeed. Study each book carefully, Bick. I won quite a few 9.4s from Comiclink and other sites back in the day that looked worse than some of my 8.5s when they arrived. And CGC can't grade for toffees nowadays, so make sure the book in the case makes you happy. It's a hobby, albeit an increasingly expensive one, but it should always be fun. Good luck! :)

    Thank you!, hopefully you can get back those 9.4s. Yeah my only real options in terms of buying comics are pretty much eBay, there's a con coming up soon I think in London so hopefully there's some books there that I can take a look at in person. Now I just got to figure out which book I want first, I'm thinking either Amazing Spider-Man #20 (1st Scorpion) or Batman #121 (Mr Freeze) but that book is reaching 8k in high grades.

  12. On 8/3/2023 at 7:32 PM, Get Marwood &amp; I said:

    Lots of things to consider here BickO, and money and availability will of course play a part.

    Some people like uniformity in their slab collections. By that I mean the OCD type of need for, say, every book to be an 8.5. Some people prefer to get the highest possible grade they can afford, regardless of how it looks. Some go for eye appeal over grade. It's up to you really - there are no right answers. 

    When I was putting a Spidey run together, having completed the raws, I went for 9.4WP for 100-200, 8.5 for 50-99, 7.0 for 20-49 and so on. I couldn't afford 9.4s for the early books but the 8.5 run especially looked lovely.

    20160702_134216.jpg.254298f83254e9dc75b399d3d38a198f.jpg 20160702_134437.jpg.aca8fd56537b94e2e410be605a843999.jpg

    Lets face it, a properly graded 8.5 looks more or less brand new anyway so why pay those enormous, disproportionate increases for each successive grade increment?

    If you hold it in your hands, and it gives you satisfaction, you've done good. Do what gives you satisfaction. Unless you're Mick Jagger of course in which case you won't get none.

     

    Thanks for the advice and what an amazing collection!, I do like the idea of having all the grades being the same like you've done. Like you said an 8.5 is pretty much brand new and a really great grade to have. If the price difference was reasonably marginal, for example 8.5 at £1000 and there's an 9 for £1100/1300 i'd be more than tempted to splash out the extra £100/200 to get a 9. I know that price difference probably wont happen but we can dream XD.

    Thank you again.

  13. I'm relatively new to collecting (5 years) with about 3 years of collecting graded books and I've mostly been collecting modern and late bronze but want to go for some silver age books (maybe even gold). I mostly collect 1st appearances and covers I really like, I know with more recent books its "easier" and more common to get 9.8's and 9.6's but I always go for the 9.8's because why not get the best grade possible?

    I know with silver age books, the cost and availability of the higher grades can get into the thousands and hard to come by, especially when it comes to key issues and iconic covers. So I wanted to ask the community how did you come up with the grade you were happy with? I know there's a lot of factors like price, rarity, importance/significance to you etc. And of course everyone wants the highest grades possible but cant always get the highest so I was wondering what grade did you decide you were happy with and how did you get that conclusion?

    Some factors I've thought of are the obvious ones, price, rarity/availability etc but also the re-saleability to fund other books or upgrade to a higher grade and visually  how the books look, I've heard cases of a 4.5 can sometimes look better than a 5 or even  5.5 on rare occasions.

    I really want to get the 1st appearances of Spiderman and batman villains, few iconic covers and a few other 1st appearances which I've noticed have a large range of price to grade scale.

    Thank you for reading, any advice is really appreciated. Happy collecting.

  14. I'm new to CGC and wanted to submit a few books to be put into new cases. I'm from the UK and saw that I needed to make an appointment with the London Office and could do so via email. However I keep getting the same error, any help would be appreciated.

    This is a delivery failure notification message indicating that
    an email you addressed to email address :
    -- submissions@cgccomics.uk

    could not be delivered. The problem appears to be :
    -- Recipient email address is possibly incorrect

    Additional information follows :
    -- 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected: Access denied. AS(201806281) [MW2NAM10FT006.eop-nam10.prod.protection.outlook.com 2023-06-02T23:13:11.068Z 08DB62D723750FD3]

    This condition occurred after 1 attempt(s) to deliver over
    a period of 0 hour(s).

    If you sent the email to multiple recipients, you will receive one
    of these messages for each one which failed delivery,  otherwise
    they have been sent.