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XXXPHOENIX

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Journal Entries posted by XXXPHOENIX

  1. XXXPHOENIX
    When dreams come true!
    I can't believe it...my AS 1 was CGC GRADED as a 9.0 with WHITE PAGES!!!
    How many books in such a nice shape still exist?
    This copy has an almost unbelievable story? My father travelled to NY in 1963(!) for a business trip.
    He saw some superheroes comics at the newstands and bought a bunch of them. The cover of Spider-Man 1 looked so intriguing to him that he carefully placed the comic in the middle of his papers and brought it back home to Italy.
    Once there he put the book inside a closet under a heavy pile of books...where it remained for 45 years!
    When I found it a couple of years ago, I could not believe my eye? such a precious jem remained in a dark and dry enevironment for so long! It looked to me a 9.2 with almost zero defects (no visible spine stress, no chipping, no wear!). Cgc graded it 9.0 with white pages on 24/05/2010(WOW)!
    I am incredibly happy with this find as sometimes dreams come true!
    FEDERICO - ITALY
  2. XXXPHOENIX
    Have all become Variant slaves?
    Hello to everybody!
     
    I decided to post about what I call the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VARIANT MADNESS. We have been seeing variants over variants of the same issues in the last few years... and I wonder:
    DO WE NEED THEM?
    1. I HATE THIS HABIT OF ARTIFICIALLY MAKING A VARIANT BOOK "RARE" JUST BECAUSE IT COMES OUT AT A 1:50 RATIO
    2. DO ALL THESE SO CALLED "NEW ARTISTS" DESERVE TO DRAW AN AMAZING SPIDER-MAN COVER? I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT AN AS COVER SHOULD BE THE FINAL NOT THE INITIAL ACHIEVEMENT FOR A PENCILER!
    3. ISN'T ALL OF THIS DAMAGING THE HOBBY? I MEAN... WHO'S EXCITED BY A VARIANT COVER NOWDAYS?
    The following is a pretty complete list of all the AS issues (+ variants) from issue 525 to date...probably some DF versions are missing but I think it's quite complete....
    AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
    525
    525B Variant Cover
    526
    526B Variant Cover
    527
    527B Variant Cover
    528
    528A Wieringo Incentive Cover. Limited to 1 in 8
    528B Spider-Ham Sketch Incentive Cover
    529
    529A Second Printing
    529AA Dynamic Forces Signed by Ron Garney (Only 50 Made) 2nd Printing
    529B Third Printing Variant Cover
    530
    531
    532
    532A Second Printing Civil War Tien In
    533
    533A San Diego Comic-Con 2006 Sketch Exclusive
    533B Dynamic Forces Signed by Ron Garney (Only 181 Made)
    534
    535
    536
    537
    537A Second Printing - Garney Variant Cover
    538
    538A Clayton Crain Incentive Variant Spoiler Cover. Limited to 1 in 50
    538B Midtown Comics NYCC Exclusive Cover
    538C Dynamic Forces signed by Ron Garney (only 150 made)
    539
    539A Las Vegas Comic Oasis MEDINA Variant Cover. Limited to 5,000
    539A Las Vegas Comic Oasis MEDINA Variant Cover. Limited to 5,000. SIGNED by Medina
    539B Second Printing -Yu Variant Cover
    540
    541
    542
    542A Dynamic Forces Signed by Ron Garney (Only 100 Made)
    543
    543A Dynamic Forces Signed by Ron Garney (Only 265 Made)
    544 Joe Quesada Cover (One More Day Part 1)
    544A Marko Djurdjevic Variant Cover (One More Day Part 1)
    544B Dynamic Forces Signed by John Romita (Only 50 Made)
    544C Dynamic Forces Signed by Joe Quesada (Only 185 Made)
    544D Dynamic Forces Signed and Remarked by Randy Emberlin (Only 499 Made)
    545 Joe Quesada Cover (One More Day Part 4)
    545A Marko Djurdjevic Variant Cover (One More Day Part 4)
    546 Regular Cover
    546A Bryan Hitch Retailer Incentive Cover. Limited to 1 in 10.
    546B Steve McNiven Retailer Incentive Cover. Limited to 1 in 50
    546C 2nd Printing
    546D SuperRare "Book Market Variant" Not for resale Variant
    546E Marvel's Greatest comics Variant
    547
    548
    549
    549A (1:20) Variant Cover by David Finch
    549B Dynamic Forces Variant Cover (Only 2000 Made)
    549C Dynamic Forces Variant Cover Signed by John Romita (Only 1500 Made)
    550
    551
    552
    552A (1:20) Adi Granov Retailer Incentive Cover
    553
    554
    555
    555A (1:20) Simone Bianchi Incentive Variant Cover
    555B Dynamic Forces Signed by Bachalo & Romita (Only 20 Made)
    555C Dynamic Forces Signed by Bachalo (Only 255 Made)
    556
    557
    558
    559
    560
    561
    562
    563
    564
    565
    566
    567
    568 New Ways To Die Book One (John Romita, Jr. Cover)
    568A Alex Ross Green Goblin Cover
    568B John Romita, Sr. Retailer Incentive Cover. Limited to 1 in 25
    568C Retailer Incentive Sketch Cover. Limited to 1 in 75
    568D Dynamic Forces Variant Cover (Only 1499 Made)
    568E Second Printing Variant Cover
    568F Baltimore Comic-Con / Toronto Fan Expo Variant
    568G Dynamic Forces Signed by Alex Ross (Only 999 Made)
    569
    569A Adi Granov Venom Cover
    569B 2nd Printing John Romita Jr Variant Cover
    570 New Ways To Die Book Three (John Romita, Jr. Cover)
    570A Luke Ross Peter Parker Variant Cover
    570B Monkey Retailer Incentive Variant Cover. Limited to 1 in 10.
    570C 2nd Printing John Romita Jr Wraparaound Variant
    571 New Ways To Die Book Four (Romita Jr. Cover)
    571A Variant John Romita Jr Anti-Venom Cover
    571B 2nd Printing John Romita Jr Variant Cover
    572 New Ways To Die Book Five (Romita Jr. Cover)
    572A Variant Bullseye Face Cover
    572B 2nd Printing John Romita Jr Variant Cover
    573 New Ways To Die Book Six Romita Jr Cover (50/50)
    573A Kevin Maguire Cover (50/50)
    573B Stephen Colbert Variant Cover
    573C Marko Djurdjevic Retailer Incentive Zombie Cover. Limited to 1 in 10.
    574
    575
    576
    577
    577A Incentive Sal Buscema Variant Cover. Limited to 1 in 10
    577B Dynamic Forces Signed by Paulo Rivera (Only 75 Made)
    578
    579
    579A Incentive Shocker Variant Cover. Limited to 1 in 10
    580
    581
    581A Incentive Molten Man Variant Cover. Limited to 1 in 10
    582
    583
    583AA Dynamic Forces Signed by XXXXX (Only 199 Made)
    583A Barack Obama Variant Cover
    583B Phil Jiminez Recolored Barack Obama 2nd Printing Variant Cover
    583C Phil Jiminez 3rd Printing Barack Obama Variant Cover
    583D Phil Jimenez 4th Printing Obama Variant
    583DD 4th Printing Dynamic Forces Signed by Tedd Naught (Only 200 made)
    583E 5th printing
    584
    585
    586
    587
    588
    589
    590
    590A Wolverine Art Appreciation Paolo Rivera Variant Incentive Cover
    591
    592 Quesada Regular Cover
    592A Wolverine Art Appreciation Paolo Rivera Variant Incentive Cover
    593
    594
    595
    595A Adi Granov Variant cover
    595B Dynamic Force Signed by John Romita Sr. (Only 175 made)
    596
    596A Second printing Variant cover
    597
    597A Second printing Variant cover
    598
    598A Second printing Variant cover
    599
    599A 70s Decade variant cover
    600 Alex Ross Regular Cover
    600A John Romita Jr. Regular Wraparound Cover
    600B Joe Quesada Wraparound Variant Cover
    600C John Romita Sr. Variant Cover
    600D Dynamic Forces (Ross) (Only 3499 made)
    600E 2nd Printing John Romita Jr Variant Cover
    600F Dynamic Forces signed by John Romita (Only 50 made)
    600G Dynamic Forces signed by Alex Ross (Only 1499 made)
    601
    601A 70th Frame Variant Cover
    601B Second printing Variant cover
    602
    602A 70th Frame Variant Cover
    602B Second printing Variant cover
    602C Dynamic Forces Signed by John Romita (Only 100 made)
    603
    603A 70th Frame Variant Cover
    604
    604A Dynamic Forces Signed by John Romita Sr. (Only 150 Made)
    605
    605A Dynamic Forces Signed by Brian Reed (Only 100 Made)
    605AA Dynamic Forces Signed by John Romita Sr. (Only 50 Made)
    606
    606A Long Beach Comic Con 2009 Cover
    606AA Long Beach Comic Con 2009 Cover Signed by Campbell at Atomic Comics
    606B J Scott Campbell Half Sketch Incentive Cover
    606C Dynamic Forces Signed by John Romita Sr. (Only 150 Made)
    607
    608
    608A Marko Djurdjevic 70Th Anniversary Variant Cover
    609
    610
    611
    611A Second printing Variant cover
    612
    612A Adi Granov Varant Grav
  3. XXXPHOENIX
    read read read
    HELLO fellow collectors...
    last month I received an email from CGC with the opportunity to submit books for a private Stan Lee signing. I thought it was a great thing so I bought a relatively cheap Amazing Fantasy 15 on ebay and took out from of one of my boxes my favourite book: Amazing Spider-Man 33.
    The AF 15 had been badly restored in an amateur way decades ago so I decided NOT to have the book PRO-restored... The book was effectively not worth the pain of being PRO extensively restored just to get a purple 6.0 slab...
    So I submitted it to CGC for the private Stan Lee Signing! I think that owning THIS book in a purple/yellow signature series slab is a much better investment...
    I may keep the book forever too: Hanging on my office wall the first Spidey book officially signed by Stan Lee and CGC certified is not bad...what do you think?
    The cover of AS 33 is surely one of the most dramatic and intense in the entire Spidey story....and owning it in high grade with a certified Stan Lee signature ....is A M A Z I N G
    And these are the grades:
    AF15 CGC 2.5 SS MA
    AS33 CGC 9.2 SS UNIVERSAL
    I am very happy!!!
    FEDERICO
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  4. XXXPHOENIX
    CGC just graded 30 of my books....let's compare their grading with my forecast!
    Hello to all!
    I have submitted 30 nice modern books to CGC...and this is what I got! 1x 8.5, 1x 9.0, 4x 9.2, 10x 9.4, 10x 9.6, 4x 9.8
    My forecasts did not go that far a part for a couple of book I had graded 8.0 (the authentix Romita sr DF books) that CGC graded 9.4 and 9.2 and for 6 books that CGC strangely graded much lower than my predictions...
    Anyway I am quite happy both for the grades and my grading skills!!!
    One last note...getting a 9.8 is really as difficult as hell!!!!
    TITLE ISSUE FORECAST CGC
    AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 600 9.6-9.8 CGC 9.8
    AVENGERSINVADERS ATX DF 1 8.0 CGC 9.4
    AVENGERSINVADERS ATX DF 1 8.0 CGC 9.2
    DAREDEVIL MAN W/O FEAR 2 9.6-9.8 GCC 9.4
    DARKHAWK 1 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.6
    FANTASTIC FOUR 232 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.4
    FANTASTIC FOUR 234 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.6
    FANTASTIC FOUR 250 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.2
    FANTASTIC FOUR 283 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.4
    FANTASTIC FOUR 286 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.6
    FANTASTIC FOUR 288 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.6
    FANTASTIC FOUR 292 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.2
    MOON KNIGHT II 1 9.6 CGC 9.6
    NAMOR THE SUB-MARINER 1 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.4
    NEW MUTANTS 87 2nd 9.4 CGC 9.8
    NEW MUTANTS 89 9.6 CGC 9.6
    SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN 50 9.4 CGC 8.5
    SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN 69 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.6
    SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN 81 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.4
    PUNISHER WAR ZONE 1 9.6-9.8 CGC 9.8
    SECRET WARS II 5 9.6 CGC 9.6
    SECRET WARS II 6 9.6 CGC 9.4
    SECRET WARS II 7 9.6 CGC 9.4
    UNCANNY X-MEN 160 9.6 CGC 9.2
    UNCANNY X-MEN 222 9.6 CGC 9.0
    UNCANNY X-MEN 241 9.6 CGC 9.4
    UNCANNY X-MEN 248 9.6 CGC 9.6
    WEB OF SPIDER-MAN 100 9.6 CGC 9.8
    WHAT IF II 1 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.4
    WOLVERINE 2 9.6-9.8 CGC 9.6
     
    byeeeeeeeee
    I will post more forecasts vs CGC if you like it!
    FEDERICO
  5. XXXPHOENIX
    CGC just graded 6 more SILVER AGE /BRONZE AGE books....let's compare their grading with my forecast!
    I just noticed CGC finished grading more books I submitted...
    They were some very nice Spidey early annuals + a Silver Surfer (1st series) 14 + a what if 1977 1...
    Once again I was quite satisfied ... no books below the 9.0 and an average 0.2 difference between my forecast and their grading...
    Modern age books are much easier to grade, but when I submit bronze or silver age books, due to some hidden flaws or due to the colour of the paper (a factor I take into ZERO consideration) ...CGC grading is usually stricter than mine!
    TITLE ISSUE FORECAST CGC
    Amazing Spider-Man A4 pgx 9.2 CGC 9.2
    Amazing Spider-Man A5 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.0
    Amazing Spider-Man A8 9.2-9.4 CGC 9.0
    Amazing Spider-Man A9 9.4-9.6 CGC 9.2
    Silver Surfer 14 9.0-9.2 CGC 9.0
    What if 1977 1 9.4 CGC 9.2
     
    CIAO!
    FEDERICO
  6. XXXPHOENIX
    XXXPHOENIX HITS 100.000 !!!!
    Just to let the CGC Collectors society know that....I finally HIT the 100.000 target.
    I am so excited! When I joned this community I thought that this rank in the registry was close to impossible to achieve....but I did it!!!!!!
    Considering I live in Italy it's a huge success...
    371 MARVEL COMICS cgc books in my collection .... 353 made it into the registry!
    AND...no book grades below 9.0!!
    CIAO
    FEDERICO
  7. XXXPHOENIX
    CGC vs XXXPHOENIX grading contest PART 3
    CGC just graded 3 more of my SILVER AGE books....let's compare their grading with my forecast!
    This time I was VERY unsatisfied. All books were purchased from very reliable dealers few years ago...but 2/3 of my books were graded one full grade below my forecast when I got them!
    TITLE ISSUE FORECAST CGC
    Amazing Spider-Man 29 9.4 CGC 8.5
    Amazing Spider-Man 32 9.2 CGC 9.2
    Amazing Spider-Man 43 9.4 CGC 8.5
    I should resubmit them....the books that got a lousy 8.5 are FLAWLESS!
     
    CIAO!
    FEDERICO
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  8. XXXPHOENIX
    CGC vs XXXPHOENIX grading contest PART 4
    In march I sent to CGC 30 books...They received them on the 16th of March, and in almost exactly 40 working days (12th of may 2011) they were finally graded.
    Most were modern plus a bunch of Eternals (I want to build a set in high grade asap!).
    This time I am quite satisfied ...with my forecasts being met for most of the books or within an acceptable "grading range".
     
    One comment about the eternals must be made though...I bought them raw 3-4 months ago by a well known and respected US dealer... He graded them as mint 9.8-9.6 but once again dealers tend to overgrade what they sell ...
    TITLE ISSUE FORECAST CGC
    Eternals 3 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.4
    Eternals 4 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.4
    Eternals 5 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.2
    Eternals 6 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.0
    Eternals 7 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.4
    Eternals 8 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.6
    Eternals 9 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.8
    Eternals 10 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.2
    Eternals 11 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.4
    Eternals 12 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.4
    Eternals 14 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.6
    Eternals 15 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.4
    Eternals 16 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.2
    Eternals 17 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.2
    Avengers/Invaders 1 9.0-9.2 - CGC9.4
    Spectacular Spider-Man 200 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.8
    Spectacular Spider-Man 229 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.6
    X-Men 1A 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.8
    X-Men 1B 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.6
    X-Men 1C 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.8
    X-Men 1D 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.8
    X-Men 1E 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.4
    X-Men 54 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.6
    Alpha Flight 2 9.4-9.6 - CGC9.8
    Alpha Flight 3 9.4-9.6 - CGC9.6
    Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends 1 9.6-9.8- CGC9.8
    Marvel Comics Presents 2 9.4-9.6 - CGC9.6
    Uncanny X-Men 205 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.8
    Uncanny X-Men 244 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.8
    Uncanny X-Men 256 9.6-9.8 - CGC9.8