• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Lethal_Collector

Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    3,992

  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Journal Entries posted by Lethal_Collector

  1. Lethal_Collector
    What went down @ ECC in 2012
    I bought the 3 day pass as soon as I could, knowing I will only go for one day, since its an easy drive from Portland, Or.
    Now, as if there isn't enough to tell after the show, oh no, there are plenty of tales to be told before the show even begins.
    The best man at my wedding ('summer '08), that I've known 20+ years, which is about how long I've been collecting comics, has this Giant Size X-Men #1 that Was graded a 7.5 OW. He cracked it open for some reason (?). I took a look at it and I sais he should get it pressed.
    Here are the before pics:
    http://s770.photobucket.com/albums/xx341/jump_ace/Comics/Brandt/
    The spine is actually really good for a square bound book and the color is still pretty bright. I'm meeting up with Joeypost on Friday to look at his work on my friends Giant Size X-Men #1.
    I thought I was going to attend just Saturday, along with Everyone Else, but as it turns out, my boss is on vacation the same week, but he said he will be back in town from Spring Break so I can go t ECC on Friday
    I have a 3 day pass, but don't plan on using it for the whole weekend, so I will be giving it to SPDREYCER (Rey) Friday evening.
    I did pick up a WD 2 and 3 that I am having Joeypost press kind of last minute. So now I'm hoping to get issues 1 thru 6 Double SS by Kirkman and Moore along with #19 (which 'should' be a 9.8?) If not, may sell/trade them for Universal 9.8's.
    So now, it's Tuesday afternoon, stuck at work while my boss is on vacation and someone posts a link to the Hero's Initiative bowling with Comic Creators for Friday March 30th at 8pm.
    I am still not used to my bowling shoes but thats alright, it should be a fun get together this Friday.
    I'll also be dropping off a few Batman: Hush issues that should grade a 9.8:
    Batman 611
    Batman 615
    Batman 618
    Batman 619
    Batman 619 Variant
    Batman 619 2nd Print
    Once those get graded and once I receive my Batman 608 2nd Print I got from r100comics, I should take the #1 spot for this set type, without have any signatures. I'll get Jim Lee to sign my 608 RRP, 608 2nd Print and 612 Sketch Variant at SDCC, that will distance me a little from the rest of the pack...for now at least, hehe.
    Besides standing in line for Kirkman and giving my other WD's to Jonesjesper for Tony's sig, I'll be picking up a Walking Dead T-Shirt or two and scour the halls for a few Venom (2011) 9.8s that need to upgrade.
    Can't wait to see what the GSX #1 and WD's look like.
    Jerome
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  2. Lethal_Collector
    A google spreadsheet that calculates the total cost of submitting a book to CGC.
    From time to time, I like to write down what books I want to be graded in the near future, whether they need to be pressed and how much it will cost.
    I know that the fillable PDF on CGC's website will calculate my total automatically. However, I got tired of having to fill it out temporarily, or print it out just to add books later on and then I have to recalculate everything again. Let alone keep track of which books are to be pressed and how much shipping is.
    So, in my free time, I've been tinkering with my own CGC Submission Calculator on Google Docs. It's a Google Spreadsheet that I've shared for anyone to view. You can save it to your own Google Docs account, or save it to Open Office or Excel. I prefer to store on Google so I don't lose the file and I can access it from anywhere, including my Android Phone (thumbs u
    I don't know if there is any interest in this kind of thing and I'm only posting it because my wife swears someone will use it
    As of version 1, it is using the exact same limitation as a real CGC submission form. What I mean by that is, it will calculate insurance up to $25,000, it will only allow 30 books total to be calculated. And I recommend if you are subbing magazines and comics, to use the calculator for each item(s) individually (one for magazines, and one for comic books).
    You can select the same options as the PDF form, whether you want it to be fast tracked, have a picture taken, etc. Just be sure you select the appropriate Tier on the left column for your books, along with whether or not you are a CGC member who gets 10% off.
    Be sure to fill in the Name of the comic, issue number, value and quantity for it to calculate properly.
    I even added the option for whether or not you want a book to be pressed and it automatically calculates that in as well. Just select Yes/No under the Press Book? Column. Pressing costs are based on CFP Comics' prices. PM Joeypost for more information on pressing services.
    The inbound shipping to CGC is left blank, just fill in how much it is to ship to them and you should be all set.
    Here is the link to my CGC Submission Calculator:
     
    <a href="http://https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Au0wNtb-iPKadFNQcE9EeGpCZkxNeVZwdkRZeW1jVFE&quot;>https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Au0wNtb-iPKadFNQcE9EeGpCZkxNeVZwdkRZeW1jVFE
     
    EDIT: The above URL isn't working properly and I'm getting errors after editing my Journal here. So just copy the whole URL and paste it in a new browser tab/window.
    Jerome
  3. Lethal_Collector
    Batman 608 RRP CGC 9.8 and Wolverine #1 (2010) Deadpool Variant CGC 9.8.
    So, my wife and I had our first son in August and we saved up some cash to let her work part time as a Kindergarten teacher this year.
    We've been doing okay, our son suffered a stroke when he was born and needs some help coordinating his right arm and hand. That's been going well, well enough that my wife doesn't feel too stressed out and she gave me the OK to get my comic book collection going again (yay!).
    So here I am, deciding what I want to collect (again, as I literally sold all my comics to pay off my student loans 2-ish years ago). I decide I should start at the top and work my way down, so I bought an AF15 CGC 4.0 OW form a fellow Boardie (I had to get a small loan to pay for a portion of it as we didn't have enough saved at the time). I then got my essential Venom books; ASM 298, 299, 300 and 316. These are my go to, must have books that I hope to never sell again and pass down to my son (hopefully along with a ton of other books).
    The goal is so he has a cushion to rely on when he gets out into the real world, in case he gets laid off or needs money for a house, or a more reliable car; whatever he needs. My collection will also double as my retirement fund, in addition to my 401(k).
    So now that that is all squared away, I'm left wondering what to collect next. So I compile two lists, a list of my favorite books and ones that I had before (uhh, yea prices went up!). And also rarer modern books that I 'think' will hold their value and/or go up in the next 20-30 years.
    I decided to go for the rarer books, mainly because they don't come up for sale very often. It's strange, there's a ton of AF15's on ebay all the time, many which consider to be a grail, yet no one is selling their modern rare books. I makes me think everyone is doing the same thing
    Anyway, so going with my top-down approach, I've been trying to locate some of the modern rarities, to no avail; Batman 608 RRP CGC 9.8 and Wolverine 1 (2010) Deadpool Variant. Granted I can't afford both, but surely one must be out there waiting for a new home
    I don't mind waiting for the books, I just wish I knew how long to wait!
    In the meantime, I've been getting a few Batman Hush books on the cheap here and there in hopes to one day take the #1 spot again.
     
    Jerome
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  4. Lethal_Collector
    Some of you may say I made some poor decisions. Some of you may say, I'm crazy. But I sold my holy grail, Amazing Fantasy 15 CGC 4.0 No MC for a bunch of Modern Age Grails and never looked back.
    ::Prologue::
    I have the unfortunate circumstance where I wasn't a baby boomer or part of the generation prior. I was born into the Modern Age (1979) and didn't get into reading comics until I was nearly 10. Pass some time, get a degree, my first job, now a career with some disposable income and now I can finally start collecting comic books. Yay, right? Well, yes and no.
    I would have loved to be able to at least collect Bronze Age books when they were new and cheap and to get a Hulk 181 for like $20 or whatever. That wasn't a possibility for me, instead I am at the very tail end of Gen-X. The problem is, what I want to collect is what everyone else wants to collect; Silver Age, Bronze Age books (Gold Age books aren't really my thing..I know, I know) so I'm forced to pay a lot for the comic books I want. Is it unfair? No, the market dictates the price, even if it was 40 years ago. Comics tend to go up in value, especially the sought after ones. So, after I sold off my old comic collection in 2012 to pay off my student loans, I figured I was out of the game for good.
    ::Life Happens::
    Because of the sacrifice I made selling my books to free up some money to start saving. We decided to save up for a kid once my loans were paid off and we did, we saved so much that she then wanted to work part time for a year. I figured why not, since our son suffered a stroke when he was born (affects the right arm and leg, they are slower to develop and needs physical therpy) that would be best. And while I had thought of floating the idea of rebuilding my comics in 2013/2014 I held off until we knew what we were dealing with, regarding our son Lucas. Turns out, he's made great progress, we racked up well over $130,000 in medial bills with his NICU stay for a few weeks and all that, thankfully our health insurance covered well over 99% of it.
    Anyway, back on topic. Fast forward to 2015, things settled down a bit with our son, we learned that he won't have any cognitive issues with speech, doesn't have any seizures and based on our (my wifes) mega ton of searching online with similar kids, we're hoping he'll make a great recovery, might not be full, but well enough and I'll work with him on typing that will probably be the toughest thing for him.
    So, enter 2015 and I float the idea of rebuilding my comic collection to my wife and she says okay sure, but just don't go nuts. Of course, thats exactly where my mind went because, well, I never do things half-, I said I want my Amazing Fantasy 15 back, only one without Marvel Chipping. I said it'd probably be over 10K and she didn't turn red, didn't get mad, roll her eyes....she said that we don't have all of that amount saved and asked why I want it. I was honest and said I want Lucas to have it as an heirloom, it will increase in value steadily over the years and that we could get a small loan from the bank to fill in the rest of the loan.
    I found the right book from a fellow boardie, got the loan and sent payment. The Amazing Fantasy 15 CGC 4.0 was perfect, my dream book. (Re)check that off the bucket list, I was so happy.
    ::Enter Amazing Spider-Man 678 MJ Venom Variant::
    I was all set to start hammering out a list of books I used to own that I want to own again, which I did in part. I grabbed a few 9.8 books; Venom: Lethal Protectors, I subbed a few of the new Star Wars books to sell and keep, I started a new subscription with BeachBum to get all the Star Wars Action Figure Variants (which I have everyone so far). Then one day, I saw a listing on Ebay for an Amazing Spider-Man 678 MJ Venom comic. It was NM at best, but it was the first one I'd seen in a loooong time. I thought it was pretty cool. Around the same time, I finally got my hands on a Wolverine #1 Deadpool Variant CGC 9.8, which was one of the few books I had years prior that I marked as 'must have again'.
    Then, another listing came up for the MJ Venom variant, a very sharp copy one I thought I could get pressed and if it were to come back a dreadful 9.6 I'd sell it. So I told my wife, days after buying the Wolvie book that there's this other super rare book that I want to make an offer on before others do. She got a little irritated I could tell, until I told her that I'd sell it if it doesn't come back a 9.8 and that we could make up to $1,500 like that *finger snap*. She agreed. I made an offer and the seller closed the auction early.
    I went to my trusty presser joeypost and asked him to press this baby. He was super swamped at the time, so I had to wait a few months. During that time, I went back to rebuilding my list of wanted books and I made a new page for 'Rare' books and got to put both the Wolvie #1 and the 678 MJ in there. Turns out that MJ Venom book did get a 9.8, woot!
    ::The Backwards Collection And The Collecting Trifecta::
    That's when I had an idea. I call it the 'Backwards Collection' idea. Since I couldn't get in on the 'ground floor' and had to pay so much for my AF15, what if I make a list of some Rare Modern Age books to get in on the ground floor with. Not just any books, but GRAILS. Once that stand the best shot of increasing in value because they hit what I call the 'Collecting Trifecta'.
    The Collecting Trifecta is when an item, a car, an antique, a coin, a comic, whatever hits all three categories:
    Category 1) Recognition
    Category 2) Rarity
    Category 3) Condition
    As much as Modern Age Books amass haters and think Modern Age collecting is not a wise investment, we'll have to agree to disagree. Yes, Modern Age books run a risk, but there can also a more timely (sooner) financial reward. But, again, with focusing on only the rarest books in the highest grade I hope to hedge against some of that risk and get in on the ground floor with these books in hopes that 20 years from now, I'll have made a killing. Or hopefully at least covered inflation
    Back at my desk with my wanted books list....I initially was going to wait and see if my 678 MJ book came back a 9.8 before deciding to sell my AF15 to free up funds to collect more Modern Age books. I found a buyer for the AF15 faster than I expected and decided to sell my AF15 and look toward the Modern Age.
    So, my plan in 2015 was to start my Backwards Collection where I will start collecting only Modern Age Grails and 1st Appearances that have current value. Then, once I got all of my 'core-must-have modern-age grails' then I could work on getting other modern age key books. From there, I'd look at the Copper Age books like ASM 300, NM 98, TMNT #1. Although, I have to admit, I may make a single exception rule if I do decide to chase a TMNT #1. All of my Copper and Modern Age books much be 9.8+ with WHITE pages, 'no exception, except TMNT #1' That one I may shoot for a 9.0+ to match the minimum for the next age I would collect after getting those books; Bronze Age. Then finally when I myself am old and silver, I can look into getting some Silver Age books. The only must have for me in this age is the AF15. And yes
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  5. Lethal_Collector
    What happened, who did what and more in this exciting, not to miss entry!
    What a year it's been, eh? Some people have said 2016 has been nothing but a flaming dumpster fire and with Trump winning the election that may be what the future holds.
    But let's talk comics. Let's talk about the growth of my initial goal of collecting my favorite modern age grails. Let's talk about how that idea has expanded into the other era's and how I'm hoping to close out my modern age collection in 2017.
    As you may recall in last year's journal, I decided to sell my 4.0 no MC AF15 Uni in order to start acquiring my modern age favs. I've continued to make progress on that this year by adding these 9.8 slabs to the list (I bought my ASM 667 Dell'Otto Nov. of 2015):
    Batman #608 RRP Variant
    Uncanny X-Men #510 Campbell Sketch Variant
    Black Panther #1 Campbell Partial Sketch Variant
    Siege #3 Campbell Variant
    X-23 #1 Dell'Otto Variant
    Amazing Spider-Man 688 Campbell Variant
    Amazing Spider-Man Presents: Black Cat #1 Campbell Variant
    Uncanny X-Force #20 Venom Variant
    Star Wars #1 B&W Luke Skywalker Action Figure Variant
    Wolverine #66 Sketch Variant
    Uncanny X-Force #5 Manara Variant
    Y The Last Man #1
    Edge Of Spider-Verse #2 Land Variant
    Superman/Batman #1 RRP Variant
    Winter Soldier #1 Dell'Otto Variant (subbed it myself!)
    Ultimate Spider-Man #1 White Variant
    I have about 7 more modern age grails that I'm hoping to get this year, I may have to wait on the Walking Dead #1 as I think the price will drop once the shows are over, looking at the insane number of 9.8s in the census. A link to my Modern Age Gails! set can be found here.
    This year, I also wanted to get the #1 spot for the Venom: Lethal Protector registry set this year too. I managed to tie the #1 set for the last few years, but I sniped the win by providing descriptions and front and back scans of each book. That set took me a while to find a #2 in 9.8. I had to sub 4 different #2's before I got it. I already bought the black error variant last year so it was just picking off the small set one at a time.
    A few months ago I had an idea that kind of grew and kept growing; collect all the symbiote host 1st appearances. Not the 1st appearance of the host, rather when the symbiote suit actually bonded with the host. It's now a custom registry set found here. I have the description list finalized as of yesterday, I just need to add the last dozen additions to the issue list of the set.
    The last thing I started doing this year was move on to collecting my favorite Copper Age Grails!, which can be found here. I've snagged just a few copper age 9.8 slabs for the set this year (the lone exception to the 9.8 set is of course TMNT #1, anything 9.0+ is fine with me):
    Amazing Spider-Man #300
    Uncanny X-Men #266
    Amazing Spider-Man #252
    So 2017 is going to be a slow-going year for my comic collection as my wife is expecting another boy in April, my funds and time will be even more limited with two kids, but that's okay I'll shift my focus toward finding cheaper 9.8 books for my symbiote host set, and less on my modern age grail set.
     
    Jerome
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.