SOTIcollector

Good question. Some things that come to mind: Sentimental reasons. Bragging rights. Display purposes. Set completion. Ease of handling. SENTIMENTAL REASONS: This hobby exists for nostalgia. A very high percentage of the people who collect comics are doing so as a means of holding onto or recapturing something from days gone by. Those same people can understandably have sentimental attachment to a comic. What was the first comic you ever bought? What was the first comic that ever made you feel like (fill in the blank)? It makes sense that some of these collectors might want to slab a book that they have a sentimental attachment to, even though it doesn't increase the value of the book and other copies can be had for less. SET COMPLETION: It's important to some collectors to have a complete run. Somebody may want to slab those "in between the keys" issues to complete a run or a set of some sort, even though specific ones in the set aren't "worth" slabbing. BRAGGING RIGHTS: Some people like to have the "only slabbed" or "one of only X graded copies." DISPLAY PURPOSES: Slabbed comics display well, and people pay money all the time to display their collectibles (wall hanging hardware, showcases, frames for art, etc.). It makes sense that some might feel the slabbing fee is worth it to have a book that displays well. EASE OF HANDLING: It's much easier to handle a book that's been slabbed than an unslabbed book. Some might find it worth the price to be able to let their significant other, kids, parents, or strangers see and handle the book. All of these reasons place a value on something other than just the value of the book slabbed versus the value unslabbed, and none of these reasons requires the book to be a key.

Welcome to the boards! If you're looking to maximize the amount of money you make, you most certainly don't want to grade them all. Grading will set you back a minimum of $25/book plus shipping both ways. So in strictly monetary terms, the grading would have to add a value of at least $25+shipping+shipping to make it worth considering. A lot of factors are important to consider when determining if grading, strictly for the bump in sale price, is worth it. For example: - How much will shipping actually cost? If you're grading a bunch at once, you can save on shipping. Shipping one book adds a lot to your per-book grading cost. - How good are you at predicting the grade? If you're pretty good at predicting what the slabbed grade will be, then you'll be able to send in only the ones that you deem to be "worth it." If you're less good at it, then you'll have to count on a good number of books coming in lower than expected. That drops profits quit a bit. - How much is your time and effort worth grading, packing, shipping, waiting for the returns from CGC, etc.? - What's the difference between the graded price and the ungraded price? My personal rule of thumb is that if I feel there's a better than 50% chance that grading will add $100 or more to the value of a book, then it's worth it to me. Your mileage will vary; maybe you have more free time than I do; maybe you have less, etc. Marvelmaniac pointed out the challenge of selling. If you want to get the most you can out of the lot, you'll do best selling individually or as sets. You can count on that taking a lot of time to do. If you want to save yourself the time and effort, you could sell them in bulk. You'll make less money, but save more time.

D'oh! Thanks for setting me straight, Get Marwood & I! I got an email notification that it was posted in the Comics forum, and I confirmed that's where it was when I first read it. It looks like it got moved to the right place.

Welcome to the CGC boards. There are plenty of people here who know a lot about comics and are happy to answer questions related to comics. You have a better chance of getting useful responses if you post your question in a card collectors’ forum.

What is it you’re trying to accomplish? Are you looking to catalog your collection so you know what you have and can buy more? Looking for long-term or short-term storage solutions?Are you hoping to sell everything? Looking for advice on how to find a fair market value? How to sell? You’ll get useful input if people know what your goal is.

Last month I bought this spare copy of SOTI. It looks great, but it has a number of issues and I've decided to let it go. Seduction of the Innocent by Fredric Wertham, MD First edition, first print, second state with interior writing and with price clipped/"restored" dust jacket. Price: $150 + $10 shipping in the US. The price is firm, but I'll consider trades if you have any cool comics (GA war covers; crime, or horror) or anti-comics items that pique my interest. WHY SOTI? This book was a major part of the anti-comics crusade of the 1940's and 50's, a crusade that nearly killed the entire comic book industry. From 1948 through at least 1955, Dr. Fredric Wertham spoke out against what he perceived to be the dangers of comic books. He asserted that comic books were significant contributing factors to juvenile delinquency in the US, and he told his tale to reporters, legislators and the public whenever he got the chance. The same week this book was released, the US Senate held hearings into the dangers of comic books. It was pressure from lawmakers and the Senate that led to the adoption of the Comics Code and to the collapse of a huge number of comic book publishers. TERMS in thread trumps any other discussions. Payment by PayPal G&S or (if transaction is in person) cash. No buyers from the naughty lists. Returns accepted within 30 days. BOOK DETAILS In summary, this is a complete second state book with interior markings, and with price clipped dust jacket that has amateur restoration. For more details on the condition, dive into a sea of words below. FIRST PRINT There are two indicators that this is a first print. 1) The page with publication information contains the colophon ("R" in a circle) that is present only on first prints. 2) The dust jacket does not have the phrase "SECOND PRINTING" at the top of the inner front flap. SECOND STATE The phrase "second state" refers to the fact that the bibliography is not present in this copy. All first and second printings of Seduction of the Innocent were printed with a bibliography on the leaf that makes up pages 399-400. Some copies were released with that bibliography intact, but the bibliography page was removed by the publisher from nearly all first prints and (as near as I can tell) all second prints of this book due to fear of lawsuits from the named comic book publishers. If you look at this book or other first or second printings, you'll typically see a stub where pp. 399-400 used to be. BOOK CONDITION All 16 pages of illustrations are present. All of the 400 other pages are present, with the exception of the bibliography as noted above. A photocopy of the bibliography will be tipped into this book for your enjoyment. This book was marked by a previous owner with underlining, highlighting, and margin notes. Not every page has writing, but a number of them do so I have included photos of a couple representative examples. A spine break is evident when the book is open to the title page (see photo), but the spine is still very solid. DUST JACKET CONDITION The jacket presents extremely well. It's very uncommon so see such strong red text on a jacket spine, because the red text fades easily when exposed to light. However, the jacket has some notable issues. 1) A black marker was used to "restore" the black extensively in some areas. 2) The price on the inside front flap has been clipped. I believe this was done by booksellers to unsold inventory back in the day. 3) Tape was applied to the interior head and foot of the spine to seal some tears. This tape has since yellowed and torn, so there is now tape on the jacket that serves no purpose. See the photos for details.

I thought this group would appreciate this new find. Of course, I'm always looking for old stuff related to Seduction of the Innocent and the anti-comics hysteria of the 1940's and 50's. I'm thrilled to have turned up an issue of Christian Herald from 1954 that proclaims "There Are Good Comic Books, Too!" I loved seeing the reference in the first few paragraphs to William Gaines' testimony before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency, in which Gaines tries to defend the cover of EC's Crime SuspenStories #22. Most amusing to me, though, was the inclusion of Classics Illustrated #68 as one of the "good" comic books. That's because that exact comic book had been criticized nationally at least a couple of times: once in the New York Times Book Review and once in Seduction of the Innocent. Here's what Wertham wrote in SOTI (pages 36-37): David Dempsey, writing in the New York Times Book Review, has said of the comic book Julius Caesar that it has "a Brutus that looks astonishingly like Superman. 'Our course will seem too bloody to cut the head off and then hack the limbs...' says Brutus, in language that sounds like Captain Marvel..." and he notes that "Julius Caesar is followed by a story called 'Tippy, the Terrier.'" So, the book is dangerous to your kids according to some, but the Christian Times declared it to be safe and wholesome!

There's a big distinction between comics, or coins, and one-of-a-kind works of art like the Venus de Milo or the Mona Lisa. The way a collector thinks of a mass-produced item (comics, coins) is very different from the way a collector thinks of a unique item. When an item is mass produced, a collector always has the choice of waiting for a different or better copy. Not so with the theoretical "up-for-sale" Venus de Milo (or other unique item). When an item was mass produced, the more a buyer wants it to be in its original state. You see that with coins, comics, cars, and many other area of mass-produced collectibles. That's because over time there are typically multiples of any mass-produced item available for sale, and collectors will pay more for an unrestored one, or expect a discount for a restored one. Are you saying that if you had the choice between two comics, both graded 8.0, and one is professionally restored and one is in its original state, you'd really have no preference for the original one? Or are you just saying that the discount for restored items is steeper than you'd expect?

Sorry I’ll miss you! I guess I need to find another show to do as well!

Thanks for the tag. I'm happy to help. Here's what Wertham had to say on p. 309 of SOTI: The same theme of race ridicule is played up in the good animal comic book Bugs Bunny. Colored people are described as "superstitious natives" and you see them running away. The injury-to-the-eye motif is added, Bugs Bunny being shown throwing little diamonds into the eyes of the colored people. They are "big enough to blind a feller!" says Bunny. "Awk! I can't see!" says one victim. Is that not the same crime-comic-book ingredient adapted to the youngest set?

You did your homework, and you found the answer. The answer is that there’s no rock-solid single answer. There are differing opinions, but there is no industry-standard consensus. My opinion is that Showcase 4 started the Silver Age, and the cover price increase to 20 cents ended it. If you ask a dozen seasoned collectors, they may have a dozen different definitions. Most or perhaps all of those dozen would agree that there is no absolute right answer.

I agree, that hair and that lace definitely look like Bill Ward. And if we're to believe the GCD listing for the US edition of Heart Throbs #1, where this art first appeared, it is indeed a Bill Ward cover.

Welcome to the boards! You will not be able to get a gold/yellow label from CGC. That label indicates that CGC witnessed the signature. Because your book's signature was not witnessed, there is no process or certificate that would allow it to become a yellow label. Additional information about the Signature Series is available here: https://www.cgccomics.com/signature-series/ Regards, Steve

I’m sorry this happened. Most collectors know the feeling of causing inadvertent damage to a book, and it’s not a pleasant feeling. It looks like you paid a lot of money for a reprint of a great old Classics Comics book. If you were planning to sell the book some day, I’d urge you not to restore it. The restoration would drop the resale value to perhaps half or a third of its market value. Given that you have no intention of selling the book, just do what feels best to you.

Here's one you don't see every day. A Baker beaut, and tied for third highest on the census. Diary Secrets 11, CGC 6.5 cr-ow $1500 shipped in the US. I ship within 3 business days. Sorry, no shipping outside the US unless I can find (and you pay for) a way to insure it for full value. Returns in the same condition within 14 days. Payment by PayPal G&S. Cash is king if you're in the Springfield, MA area and we arrange an in-person pickup. First unqualified "Take it" in thread gets it.

And now the updated list of known Lichtenstein swipes (along with a couple that have been attributed, but the attribution seems to be wrong). When I started hunting, had no clue that Roy's references went back as far as Feature Book from 1942 or were as recent as Wonder Woman from 1981. I suppose if you count his "Last Supper" thing, you could say that Roy swiped back to about 1495. And now a question. Have you found a good way to get Excel information posted on the boards in column format? The rows/columns don't paste directly into a board comment; the best thing I found is a REALLY clunky workaround. Here's what I do. If it's the best/only way to do it, maybe somebody else will benefit from these steps. But I'm hoping that instead somebody else has found a better way. 1) In Excel, I create a column that builds HTML for a table row, using the Excel concatenate command. Something like this: CONCATENATE("<tr><td>",E4,"</td><td>",F4,"</td><td>",H4,"</td><td>",C4,"</td><td>",D4,"</td></tr>") 2) After sorting the list, I copy and paste that HTML column into Notepad. 3) In Notepad, I add a few more HTML tags such as <HTML> <table> and </table></html> 4) I save the Notepad file with an .HTM extension. 5) I open the resulting webpage in a browser. 6) In the browser, I highlight the table and copy it. 7) I paste the table into my comment on the boards. After all that... Presto! A table. But what a pain! There must be an easier way. I'd appreciate any tips. Thanks! Comics/Source Title Source Issue Date (Text) Painting Name [brackets indicate portion of painting or notes](parens differentiate which work/painting it is) Painting Year Adventure Is My Career nn Mr. Bellamy 1961 All American Men of War 89 Jan-62 Blam [Plane image] 1962 All American Men of War 89 Jan-62 Brattata 1962 All American Men of War 89 Jan-62 Jet Pilot 1962 All American Men of War 89 Jan-62 Okay, Hot -Shot, Okay [incoming plane] 1963 All American Men of War 89 Jan-62 Okay, Hot -Shot, Okay [text "okay hot shot"] 1963 All American Men of War 89 Jan-62 Whaam! [exploding plane] 1963 All American Men of War 90 Mar-62 As I opened Fire… 1964 All American Men of War 90 Mar-62 Bratatat! 1962 All American Men of War 90 Mar-62 Okay, Hot -Shot, Okay [text "voomp"] 1963 All American Men of War 90 Mar-62 Von Karp 1962 All American Men of War 90 Mar-62 Whaam! [foreground plane] 1963 All American Men of War 106 Nov-64 Blam [Text "Blam"][Erroneous attribution found at Imageduplicator site] 1962 Atom 6 Apr-63 Fastest Gun 1963 Atom 6 Apr-63 Trigger Finger 1963 Battlefield Action 40 Feb-62 Takka Takka 1962 Billy the Kid 43 Dec-63 Foot and Hand 1964 Blondie Comics 3 Autumn, 1947 Two Paintings: Dagwood (1983) 1983 Buck Rogers comic strip unknown Emeralds 1961 Falling In Love 41 Mar-61 Pendant [2 of 2] 1965 Falling In Love 41 Mar-61 Reflections on Girl 1990 Falling In Love 41 Mar-61 Thinking of Him 1963 Falling In Love 64 Jan-64 Reflections on Conversation 1990 Falling In Love 85 Aug-66 Nude with Abstract Painting 1994 Feature Book (Blondie at Home Sweet Home) 29 1942 Reflections on The Scream 1990 Feature Book (Blondie at Home Sweet Home) 29 1942 Reflections: Sunday Morning 1989 Feature Book (Blondie at Home Sweet Home) 29 1942 Reflections: Yoo-Hoo 1989 Feature Book (Blondie at Home Sweet Home) 29 1942 Two Paintings: Dagwood (1984) 1984 G.I. Combat 94 Jun-62 Okay, Hot -Shot, Okay [pilot face] 1963 Girls' Love Stories 82 Nov-61 No Thank You 1964 Girls' Love Stories 97 Aug-63 Nude with Blue Hair 1994 Girls' Love Stories 97 Aug-63 Nude with Yellow Flower 1994 Girls' Love Stories 103 May-64 Nude with Yellow Pillow 1994 Girls' Love stories 103 May-64 Nude Reclining [curtains] 1994 Girls' Romances 78 Sep-61 Cold Shoulder 1963 Girls' Romances 78 Sep-61 In the Car (30 x 40 inch version) 1963 Girls' Romances 78 Sep-61 In the Car (68 x 80 inch version) 1963 Girls' Romances 78 Sep-61 Kiss IV 1963 1963 Girls' Romances 81 Jan-62 We Rose Up Slowly 1964 Girls' Romances 94 Aug-63 Nude in Apartment 1996 Girls' Romances 94 Aug-63 Nude with Joyous Painting 1994 Girls' Romances 94 Aug-63 Two Nudes (1994) 1994 Girls' Romances 96 Nov-63 Collage for Red Head 1993 Girls' Romances 96 Nov-63 Nude Reading 1994 Girls' Romances 96 Nov-63 Roommates [woman's face] 1994 Girls' Romances 97 Dec-63 Anxious Girl 1964 Girls' Romances 97 Dec-63 Beach Scene with Starfish [center woman] 1995 Girls' Romances 97 Dec-63 Betty! Betty! (study) 1963 Girls' Romances 97 Dec-63 Good Morning Darling! 1964 Girls' Romances 97 Dec-63 Him! 1964 Girls' Romances 97 Dec-63 Kiss V 1964 1964 Girls' Romances 97 Dec-63 Nude with Beach Ball 1994 Girls' Romances 97 Dec-63 Nude with Pyramid 1994 Girls' Romances 97 Dec-63 Nudes with Beach Ball 1994 Girls' Romances 97 Dec-63 Shipboard Girl [life preserver in background] 1965 Girls' Romances 98 Jan-64 Nude at Vanity 1994 Girls' Romances 99 Mar-64 Nude with Bust [chair - Imageduplicator says this is a source, but I don't see it.] 1995 Girls' Romances 100 Apr-64 Two Nudes (1995) [woman face] 1995 Girls' Romances 105 Jul-65 M-Maybe 1965 Girls' Romances 105 Dec-64 Sleeping Girl 1964 Girls' Romances 105 Dec-64 Vicki! I Though I Heard Your Voice! [Vicki's face] 1964 Girls' Romances 107 Mar-65 Beach Scene with Starfish [left woman] 1995 Girls' Romances 107 Mar-65 Beach Scene with Starfish [right woman] 1995 Girls' Romances 107 Mar-65 Nude with Yellow Beach Bag 1995 Girls' Romances 107 Mar-65 Reflections on Soda Fountain 1991 Green Lantern 35 Mar-65 Reflections on Sok! 1990 Green Lantern 35 Mar-65 Reflections on the Eagle 1990 Heart Throbs 78 Jun-Jul 1962 Blue Nude 1995 Heart Throbs 78 Jun-July-62 Reflections on Senorita [woman's face] 1990 Heart Throbs 82 Feb-63 Reflections: Nurse 1988 Heart Throbs 87 Dec-63-Jan-64 Nude in Kitchen 1995 Heart Throbs 88 Feb-Mar-64 Nude Sunbathing 1995 Heart Throbs 88 Feb-Mar-64 Reflections on the Prom 1990 Heart Throbs 88 Feb-Mar-64 Seductive Girl (1996) 1996 Heart Throbs 93 December 64-Jan 65 Girl with Hair Ribbon 1965 Heart Throbs 78 Jun-July-62 Nude with Street Scene Painting [reclining woman] 1995 Heart Throbs 79 Aug-62 Sound of Music 1964 Heart Throbs 82 Feb-63 Nurse 1964 Heart Throbs 84 Jul-63 Kiss with Cloud 1964 Heart Throbs 88 Feb-Mar-64 Oh, Jeff… I Love You, Too… But.. 1964 Justice League of America #12 12 Jun-62 Eccentric Scientist [face that appears in the ring] 1965 Justice League of America #12 12 Jun-62 Mad Scientist 1963 Little Golden Book Donald Duck Lost and Found (1960) Artist's Studio: Look Mickey [Donald Duck image] 1973 Little Golden Book Donald Duck Lost and Found (1960) Look Mickey 1961 Michelangelo 0 1495 Chapel of the Eucharist Mural 1997 My Greatest Adventure 84 Dec-63 Image Duplicator [eyes and eyebrows] 1963 Our Army At War 115 Feb-62 Live Ammo (Take Cover!) [eye close-up image] 1962 Our Army At War 115 Feb-62 Live Ammo (Take Cover!) [text "Take cover"] 1962 Our Army At War 119 Jun-62 Live Ammo (Blang!) [Firing gun and "Blang" text] 1962 Our Army At War 119 Jun-62 Live Ammo (Blang) [tank image] 1962 Our Army At War 119 Jun-62 Scared Witless 1962 Our Army At War 121 Aug-62 Live Ammo (Blang) ["Blang" text] 1962 Our Army At War 121 Aug-62 Live Ammo (Take Cover!) [man and ammo belt image] 1962 Our Army At War 121 Aug-62 Live Ammo (Take Cover!) [text "Right (about) now if they're watching me..."] 1962 Our Army At War 139 Feb-64 Reflections on Crash 1990 Our Fighting Forces 66 Feb-62 Grrrrrrrr! 1965 Our Fighting Forces 66 Feb-62 Live Ammo (Take Cover!) [text "where did it come from"] 1962 Our Fighting Forces 68 May-62 Flatten-- Sand Fleas! 1962 Our Fighting Forces 69 Jul-62 Arrrff! 1962 Our Fighting Forces 69 Jul-62 Live Ammo (Tzing!) 1962 Our Fighting Forces 71 Oct-62 Torpedo…Los! [face at periscope] 1963 Our Fighting Forces 71 Oct-62 Torpedo…Los! [periscope and background] 1963 Our Fighting Forces 95 Oct-65 Sweet Dreams, Baby [fist] 1965 Secret Hearts 73 Aug-61 Crying Girl 1963 1963 Secret Hearts 83 Nov-62 Drowning Girl 1963 Secret Hearts 83 Nov-62 Hopeless 1963 Secret Hearts 85 Jan-63 Two Nudes (1995) [reclining woman] 1995 Secret Hearts 88 Jun-63 Crying Girl 1964 1964 Secret Hearts 88 Jun-63 Ohhh All Right 1964 Secret Hearts 88 Jun-63 R-R-R-R-Ring 1962 Secret Hearts 91 Oct-63 Pendant [1 of 2] 1965 Secret Hearts 95 Apr-64 Nude with Bust [bust facing right] 1995 Secret Hearts 95 Apr-64 Nudes in Mirror 1994 Secret Hearts 124 Dec-67 Girl In Mirror [erroneous attribution found at ImageDuplicator] 1964 Secret Hearts 124 Dec-67 Nude with Street Scene Painting [street scene] 1995 Secret Hearts 127 Apr-68 Nude with Red Shirt 1995 Star Spangled War Stories 102 Apr-62 Crak! 1963 Star Spangled War Stories 102 Apr-62 Live Ammo (Ha! Ha! Ha!) 1962 Steve Roper comic strip nn Aug-61 I can see the whole room! … And there's nobody in it! 1961 Strange Suspense Stories 72 Oct-64 Brushstrokes 1965 Sue and Sally Smith Flying Nurses 50 Mar-63 Kiss II 1963 [erroneous attribution found at ImageDuplicator] 1963 Superman 158 Jan-63 This Must Be The Place [1 of several] 1965 Thimble Theater nn 23-Jul-61 Wimpy (Tweet) 1961 Thimble Theater 23-Jul-61 Reflections: Wimpy I 1988 Thimble Theater 23-Jul-61 Reflections: Wimpy II 1988 Thimble Theater 23-Jul-61 Reflections: Wimpy III 1988 Walt Disney Comics and Stories 211 21276 Reflections: Portrait of a Duck 1989 Winnie Winkle nn Jul-61 Engagement Ring 1961 Wonder Woman 32 Nov-Dec-48 Reflections on Minerva 1990 Wonder Woman 32 Nov-Dec-48 Reflections: Wonder Woman 1989 Wonder Woman 286 29921 Reflections on the Gift 1990 X-men 1 Sep-63 Image Duplicator [helmet] 1963 Young Love 39 Sep-Oct-63 Nude Reclining [woman] 1994 Young Love 40 Nov-Dec-63 Roommates [reading woman] 1994 Young Love v5#6(31) Apr-62 The Ring (Engagement) 1962 Young Love v6#1(32) Jun-62 Eddie Dyptych 1962 Young Love v6#1(32) Jun-62 Forget It Forget Me 1962 Young Love v6#1(32) Jun-62 Kiss III 1962 1962 Young Romance 127 Dec-63 Craig!! 1964 Young Romance 127 Dec-63 Nude with Bust [woman facing left] 1995 Young Romance 127 Dec-63 Two Paintings: Craig… 1983 Young Romance v15#2(116) Feb-62 I Know How You Must Feel, Brad… [ color painting] 1963 Young Romance v15#2(116) Feb-62 Masterpiece 1962

I have a number of updates. I expanded my list from the 60's comic references, adding things from the remainder of Lichtenstein's career including the "Reflections..." series and the nudes he did. ElectricPrune came up with some previously-unknown (to me, anyway) books, and I found other attributions online. That leaves us with this list of books to be identified. Note: There was a painting called "Brushstrokes" that was clearly taken from Strange Suspense Stories 72. Lichtenstein did a series of other ones similar to, perhaps inspired by, "Brushstrokes", such as "Big Painting #6", "Yellow and Green Brushstrokes" and "Little Big Painting". However, those others seem to me that they are inspired by "Brushstrokes" rather than loosely copied from SSS 72. That's why those others still appear atop "to be found" list; in reality, I'd be surprised if we find an exact match for these unless there are some interior panels from SSS 72 that are better matches than what I've seen. First off, here's what's still on the "to be found" list. Painting Name [brackets indicate portion of painting or notes](parens differentiate which work/painting it is) Painting Year Artist Notes Big Painting No. 6 1965 It seems as though Brushstrokes (which came from SSS 72) is the inspiration for this one. Little Big Painting 1965 It seems as though Brushstrokes (which came from SSS 72) is the inspiration for this one. Yellow and Green Brushstrokes 1966 It seems as though Brushstrokes (which came from SSS 72) is the inspiration for this one. Art in America Cover [Guy exclaiming "Great Rings of Saturn"] 1964 Howard Purcell Artist's Studio: Look Mickey [Curly Grogan text] 1973 Russ Heath Blonde Waiting 1964 Tony Abruzzo Conversation 1962 Ted Galindo Eccentric Scientist [image of hand and ring, sans face] 1965 Perhaps I missed it, but I haven't found this yet on Barsalou's site. Frightened Girl 1964 John Romita Girl at Piano 1963 John Prentice Girl In Mirror (study) 1964 Mike Sekowsky Barsalou found a Sekowsky panel matching "Girl In Mirror (study)". That image was mirrored (really!) and altered for the final "Girl in Mirror". Happy Tears 1964 Mike Sekowsky I Know How You Must Feel, Brad… (b&w prelim; image different from final one with this title) 1963 Tony Abruzzo This is a B&W image with the same title as the color "I Know How You Must Feel, Brad…", but a different image. I… I'm Sorry 1966 Tony Abruzzo Barsalou and ImageDuplicator each posted different source images; none looks like a perfect match to me. I…I'll Think About It 1965 It is… With Me! 1963 Mike Sekowsky Kiss I 1961 1961 Myron Fass Kiss II 1962 1962 Ted Galindo Kiss II 1963 1963 Mike Sekowsky Barsalou and ImageDuplicator each posted different source images (you'll find ImageDuplicator's image under Kiss II from 1963). Barsalou's seems to be the correct one. Matchbook with Comic Attached 1960 Tony Abruzzo New York World's Fair Mural (Girl in Window) 1963 Hy Eisman Pistol 1964 Barsalou has some similar images, but none seems to be the… ahem… smoking gun. Popeye 1961 I need to review Barsalou's possible source images. Reckon Not, Sir [chin] 1964 Joe Kubert Barsalou presents two possible source images; MR. Ayers for most of the face, but Joe Kubert for the cleft chin. That's why there are two rows here. Reckon Not, Sir [face except chin] 1964 MR. Ayers Barsalou presents two possible source images; MR. Ayers for most of the face, but Joe Kubert for the cleft chin. That's why there are two rows here. Reflections on Blonde 1989 Reflections on Hair 1990 Reflections on Nancy 1989 Reflections on Profile 1990 Reflections on Senorita [text "Excuse me…"] 1990 Reflections on Sure!? 1990 Reflections on Thud 1990 Reflections: Half Face With Collar 1988 Ted Galindo Reflections: Mystical Painting 1989 Reflections: VIP! VIP! 1989 Reflections: Whaaam! 1990 Reverie 1965 Arthur Peddy Seductive Girl (1964) 1964 Mike Sekowsky Shipboard Girl [girl's face] 1965 Tony Abruzzo The image might come from Girls' Romances 97, but evidence to support that is not posted at ImageDuplicator. Sweet Dreams Baby [face] 1965 Tension 1964 Tony Abruzzo Tex! 1962 Jerry Grandenetti Thinking Nude 1994 Untitled(Pair) 1963 Varoom 1965 1965 Varoom! 1963 1963 Numerous possible sources exist; the one with Dr. Fate should not be especially hard to locate. Vicki! I Though I Heard Your Voice! [text] 1964

Welcome to the boards! I won't address the cost of grading because @Ironic took care of that. You should be aware that if you were to send this book to be graded, CGC would not certify the authenticity of the signature. From their perspective, this is a book with writing on the cover. It could get a green (qualified) label that ignores the writing when determining the numeric grade, or it could get a blue (standard/unqualified/unrestored) label. However, with the blue label the book would be downgraded because it has writing on the cover. Your book would never sell for as much as a certified yellow-label copy, but you can get a rough idea of the MOST one might go for by searching eBay completed auctions. A search of sold CGC Certified yellow label copies turns up several copies that have sold recently. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=GI+Joe+21+renegar+cgc+&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&rt=nc&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1 One of those was graded CGC 9.6, with a Mike Zeck signature, and it sold for a "Best Offer" somewhere under $250. I don't believe a Turner signature has significantly more value than a Zeck signature (although I'm sure somebody here will speak up if they disagree). I would say this means that, in its current state, your book would be likely to sell for less than, perhaps a lot less than, $250. My recommendation would be to take a lot of really good photos that show the condition really well, making sure to get pictures of the corners, the spine, and pictures from an angle that would show impressions on the cover. Then post the book on eBay and see what the market decides it's worth.

Good questions. I'm not aware of a distinction between stress marks or ticks or creases. To me they all pretty much describe the same thing. I'll be interested to find out if others have a different perspective. One common thing you'll hear when there's a discussion of creases is "NCB creases." These are non color-breaking creases. A NCB crease is always preferable to a color-breaking crease, where the damage is sufficient that there is a loss of ink at the crease. I would call a video that reduces grading to a simple mathematical equation garbage. Well, I might use more colorful language than that, but you get the idea. I would question everything posted by somebody who claims to have a magic formula for grading. If there were such a thing, CGC would use it and the grading would be a science rather than an art. In fact, if it were as simple as putting a pre-determined numeric value on each defect, then CGC would hardly be needed other than perhaps for restoration checks.

There are many different Transformers series. It's not possible to know what they are worth without knowing which series they are from and what condition they are in. It's important to know that there's a common misconception among non-collectors that things are worth more when there's a complete set. That's simply not the case. Collectors don't pay a premium because a set is complete. To find what your items are worth, your best bet is to find exact matches by searching through eBay sold listings. If you find the same item in the same condition, then you have a rough idea of what it sells for. Ebay can also tell you how much something WON'T sell for. If you see a copy of something sitting on eBay for a week with a buy it now price of $20 shipped, and nobody has bought it yet, then the buying public has determined that it's not really worth $20. That doesn't tell you whether it's worth $10 or $5, but it does tell you it's worth less than $20.

Others are probably better qualified to answer the questions you ask. I do feel the urge to chime in and say that this is the most impressive "newbie" post I think I've ever seen. There are many posts from people who say they are newbies and who ask questions that could easily be answered with a simple Google search. You have done far, far more research than any other newbie post I can recall. Well done!