Tnerb

I love these things I spent a few hours at the New Jersey Expo Center looking through comic books. I bought three books to turn over to CGC, but never did. My wife and I started to collect Funko Pops and I spent a bit on them, not to mention my wife wanted a mystery box. Please don't ask. I did find a Journey into Mystery that might get a .5 that I would like to turn in. As I was heading home I decided to send in ten books. All of which will be for low grades. I have three copies of Crazy I would like to turn over and seven other books to go with it, but adding the pre-modern age books add up and I have a birthday party gift I need to buy and she doesn't take comic books. I have to stop thinking about getting the best grade. I can grade every book in my collection and be happy with what I grade it. After hating graded comic books initially, my views changed because of the community. I like sharing what I have whether it's a copy of X-Men 6 in a .5 or an iron man 55 in a .5. I have the book and isn't that what it is about, having the comic? Thanks for Reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Who really likes these? What is going on? Why are companies putting out first issue after first issue? Companies look at the numbers and they might show sales but what else do they show? The past few number ones I read don't begin a story as much as continue eight months after the ending of the Secret Wars, especially since the series didn't end yet. I recently picked up a Marvel Super Heroes issue 23. This .25 cent comic book has three stories in it. Wouldn't it be nice if Marvel would continue this? Continue with their $1 books months or years after it was originally released. This comic book was cheap compared to the money it would have cost me to buy the originals. Marvel has forgotten the collector. They continue with multiple covers, but the inside stays the same. This won't change for a long time and might very well get worse. If it does, I think I'll continue looking for some good deals here and there. I'll start at the New Jersey Expo in Edison, maybe I'll find a book or two that's worth having. Thanks for reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Or the last great Star Wars movie??? Return of the Jedi was released in May of '83. It wasn't for another year that I picked up New Mutants issue 15, which started my collection of comic books, but the Return of the Jedi limited series made its way into my home before then. I don't know where I purchased it or if it was a gift. I fathom I got them one summer at camp. This limited series and the picture book (remember school book sales?) gave me the option to relive the movie. It was so good that I already knew when the next one came out in '86, it would be great. I purchased a few of the Star Wars comic books here and there. Reading the exploits of my favorite childhood heroes kept me going, but as much as I enjoyed seeing Luke, Han, and Leia, my focus slowly changed to Illyana, Sam, and Dani. Month after month passed and I wanted more. I collected the Uncanny X-Men, Invincible Iron Man, and the Avengers while periodically checking in with the Fantastic Four. At issue 200 I stopped collecting Iron Man every month as well as the other two. It was the mutant titles I coveted and stuck with, like the New Mutants series, even when during times I thought it was . I mean seriously...Birdboy??? In '86 the next Star Wars movie never came out. I thought maybe in '87 and then in '88 I would finally see what happened to my first idols. It wasn't until '91 when Timothy Zahn wrote an Heir to an Empire that Star Wars jumped to the forefront of my collecting desires. This novel helped catapult Star Wars back into my life. Dark Horse solidified that with Dark Empire. Recently Star Wars has seen a revival stronger than when the Phantom Menace fizzled in '99. The New Mutants was then cancelled, patching the way for X-Force, revitalized and cancelled again 13 issues later. A third time was not the charm as 50 issues later they were left in the wind. Today the character I fell in love with l, along with her beloved brother Peter, has had her sorceress ways placed among the X-Men and so many years later I get to see what happens to my original heroes after they get older and pass the torch to a younger generation. May the force be with you. Thanks for reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Same Galaxy, still far away... I was eight when Star Wars came out with The Empire Strikes Back. My father was remarried but still taking us to movies. I've seen Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Smokey and the Bandit, and Kramer vs. Kramer to name a select few. I was amazed by the Hoth scene in this newest Star Wars movie. I was even able to get a few more action figures this time around. At eight it's easier to be a pain in the than when you are five. That winter we had a horrible storm. The snow piled and piled up. It was horrible if you were an adult, but not for an eight year old with a backyard full of snow, who now had his own private Hoth. It was such a great winter that I didn't find some of my action figures until the spring. Any comic books I got at this age was mainly Richie Rich. It wasn't until '82 that I picked up another Star Wars comic book. I was ten and able to sneak off a few blocks away to the 7-11. I still wasn't caught fully by the comic collecting bug yet, but it was getting close. Thanks for reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

In a galaxy far, far away... I remember going through the Sunday Newspaper and picking out the times to see Star Wars. I was a child of divorce and Sunday afternoons happily brought me time with my father. I'm sure it was my sister who went outside to retrieve the paper from our front walk. I can easily recall the full page ads in the entertainment section. After seeing such movies like the Rescuers, the Apple Dumpling Gang, and Escape to Witch Mountain, my father changed my world. After the effect Star Wars had on me, my grandfather picked me up an oversized comic book of Star Wars. I had this everywhere we went. I wanted to bring it home with me but I was told to leave it in his car. Every time I got in the red monster I had something to do. The other issues I remember getting were 11 and 14. The treasury edition is long gone, eventually being taken home, but 11 and 14 I might still have. With the new movie due out only a month away, there are no newspapers with full page ads. There are no movie times I can spread across the table and pretend I could see one after the other. Marvel once again tells the tales of Luke, Leia, and Han and I'm enjoying the ride, even if they aren't as good as the imagination of one five year old boy I left back in 1977. Thanks for reading Tnerb Ps. I'm not sure what I saw first between A New Hope and the Rescuers. To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Overall Comic Desires My collection has to be complete. But what is complete? The New Mutants title has become stagnant since I need only one more. I finished my Magik and Longshot limited series and stopped with my Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars since they climbed in price. The Thing and Ka-Zar are both good backups, but I began to get something a bit more ragged. I can't say when it started or which was my first, but it's those ripped up shredded well read graded .5's I love. I even went so far as to purchase a few raw to send in. I think I'd be disappointed if I got anything graded higher. My original Crazy! 3 graded a solid 1, a slight disappointment I might add. I truly wished for this comic that I had for as long as I could remember to be graded poor. I won a graded .5 yesterday for a price that really couldn't be cheaper, but they could become expensive. A ToS of Iron Man's first appearance climbed out of my range at $970, a bargain if I ever saw one. The great thing about the .5's is that they are the only criteria. It doesn't matter how many I have of the same title, it's just not necessary to complete a run as it is to have the book, now only if I could get the story. Thanks for reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Sometimes, it's the things from ones own youth that you want the most. Doctor Strange and Sub-Mariner have always been favorites of mine, but they were always underdogs. Both had series in the late eighties, but never seemed to thrive. It was the age of the mutants. I like the Sub-Mariner because of issue 38, an origin issue. Imagine an origin issue 37 issues after the first ones instead of just starting over...anyway... After reading it over and over with a few other random issues it became the catalyst for my future collecting attributes. I didn't get another issue of this series until many years later. And I decided to go after a 9.8 of issue 38, losing the first time. I would like to get another of the series eventually and complete the series, but what if I go after Doctor Strange? There are so many series out there that are rather limited. These are series I always thought I could achieve a full set of. Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Two-in-One, and Doctor Strange. These are series that ran a gauntlet of artists. Some were vibrant while others showed a scene so majestic it couldn't be fit into the book itself. Could I collect these? Could I collect them while collecting my current goals? And then there is my desire to send in some of my original collection. And most importantly can I continue all this while paying off a car? By the way, the car is so worth the consequence of not purchasing as many slabs. Thanks for Reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

But, Which one? Years ago, decades by now, I had just started to collect comic books. Not just buy them, but surround myself with them. I bought both Marvel and DC, but it was the company born from a "Timely" manner that captured my imagination. After each comic book that I read and closed, the story continued in my mind's eye. My father must have seen something in my desire to spend my weekly allowance My father has always worked for himself. Even when my father was 13 and my grandfather purchased a gas station and tossed the keys to my father one morning with the words, "Here kid, I'll see you tonight." There were two choices he was after, one was a comic book shop while the other was a gift shop. In preparation my father received a package from a distributor and a comic book price guide published by Robert Overstreet. I looked over and over the pamphlets and the guide. It was the guide that helped me pretend what my collection was worth, even though I didn't have many within its pages. I now use the guide with knowledge rather than imagination. Even though CGC books are pricier than their raw counterparts, it is the raw books I search for to turn over to get graded, although if I find a good deal I will definitely buy a graded copy. I just wish Overstreet would consider coming out with a 1st edition price guide of grading comic books. Thanks for Reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

When will 9.8's become too plentiful? It's amazing how much CGC has changed the modern age market, not to mention speculation. I purchased a collection a few years ago and made my money back. A few comics I kept while others I sold. One being the first comic book appearance of Rocket Raccoon. But let's get to the books that just came out a month ago. With CGC being around for over 15 years and people sending in new comic books right away and flipping them, I wonder if this will destroy the future of finding raw books. I was fortunate in that I found an Avengers 98 through Greg Reece. It was a beautiful raw book that I thought I would be lucky to get 9.4...with a press. It returned a 9.8. The feeling I had when this returned as the grade all collectors strive for was phenomenal. My Wonder Woman 199 hit a 9.4, also with a press. But what's going to happen fifteen years from now when all these graded comics flood the market. It reminds me of the market reports that would recommend silver age. I can vaguely remember in Overstreet's monthly magazine, an article talking about Iron Man 55 and now you have comics like Star Wars issue 10 already on EBay. This book was recently released and yet my comics for Baltimore are still sitting at received. But that's another story. Thanks for reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Another Signature My original previous CGC collecting goal was to complete the New Mutants set in 9.8 and higher. I am close, very close. However, the closer I got, the longer it took. I need one more in 9.8. I started to get frustrated and decided to go after my birthday books. However, I had another goal that started a year ago. One that seems a little crazy. One of the first comic books I ever got was a copy of Crazy! #3. I read it so many times it became tattered. When I received my coupon for four free comic books to be graded, I sent in comics that meant something to me, including this one. Eventually I decided that I wanted a 9.8 copy, but there were none available. I decided to take the raw route. I purchased many different copies and sent the best two in. Why two? Crazy! #3 also happens to be one of Bagofleas birthday books. One I am keeping, while the other I am sending to him. I had both copies signed by Stan Lee. They are on their way back and I can't wait to have them in my hands to get the registration numbers and look them over and now with graders notes, I will compare them not with just my eyes, but theirs too. Thanks for Reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Or Losing Signature Authentication Third party grading changed the comic book industry. It allowed people to purchase a comic book, secure in what they were buying. Let's forget for a moment that grading is a subjective art and pretend that every book cracked for a signature would retain its previous grade. Third party grading was supposed to be about the buyer getting what he was paying for. There was no more paying near mint prices for very fine product. Of course prices have escalated, the higher the grade. Once the book was in the buyers hands, the slab could be cracked and the comic could be used for what it was intended, to be read. But what if the book was signed? Imagine paying a premium for a book you always wanted to read, slipped it out of its confinement and immersed yourself into the imaginary world of four color comic books. What happens next? After reading the book, it could be placed into a simple bag and then boarded for protection. But if that isn't enough, the book could be sent back to CGC for grading again, but even if the grade was guaranteed (remember we are still pretending) the signature is not. There is no way, even with the label, for the comic to retain its authenticity of its signature unless opened in front of a witness. The investment of the book dropped from signed by "whoever" and given a different kind of label. Does CGC need another label? Is the green outmoded when so many yellow signature labels are out there? Dare I count how many I have? And what would happen to the value of my collection if I wanted to read them all? Thanks for Reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Or let's play make believe I would like to say this journal is about the New Mutants, but it's not. I mentioned before, what would happen if every book that was pressed suddenly became a restored purple label. This question was mentioned in simple curiosity. It wasn't meant to state that CGC should change their stance. There is no full-proof way to detect a comic book that was pressed. This lone reason is why I believe that this technique is considered non-restorative. But I do wonder, with the amount of comic books getting pressed, does that make it harder for a non-pressed book to achieve a 9.8? I started sending in my New Mutants comic books because I wanted to know what their grades were. My issue fifteen received a 4.5 repetitively. My issue one got a 6.0, and my issue 99 achieved 9.8. These are comics that I don't mind the grade. I still have the rest of my New Mutants issues to send in and then I'll begin submitting not only my Daredevil issues, but my Sandman series as well. My Sandman issues will eventually go through the process without going through CCS. The Daredevil issues however will get pressed. I want the best set I ever could possibly get, but do I submit all 380 issues or all 500 issues? As I get further away from the pressing issue, are you secretive about it? Do you have them marked? Would you pay more for a book that wasn't pressed? Would you be upset if you paid a premium for a pressed comic? What if the Fantastic Four #1 was a 2.0 before you purchased it as a 3.0? What if the Action Comics #1 in a 9.0 was actually an 8.0 before being slipped between a press? Thanks for reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

From a 9.2 to a ... After cracking my 9.2, I was introduced to someone who was happy to not only answer my questions, but show me how it was done. He showed me on a few comic books and then let me have a try. I did a few of my own I brought with me that were not for grading before I tackled my Uncanny X-Men 142. It was an interesting time, giving me multiple learning experiences and answering question after question that I had. I was happy with the press and it was one of the books I had given over to a facilitator to add a few signatures to the cover. Those signatures were Terry Austin, Jim Shooter, and Chris Claremont. I sent this in with a cracked 141 that was a 9.6 and a 140 from an auction win. My original 141 is considerably lower than this cracked one. The 140 wasn't mine. When I received all three books I was overjoyed that my 142 had increased with the press. It went from 9.2 all the way up to 9.6, with three signatures! It quickly became a CGC graded issue I will never part with. Now, if a 9.2 went to a 9.6 WITHOUT a press, I'd be seriously questioning why? Pressing, if done right can improve the condition of a book, but it can drastically hurt it just as easily if you don't know what constitutes a "press-able" book. My question is, if pressing became a restorative technique, and magically changed overnight, how many comic books in a 9.8 would suddenly be labeled with a purple label? Thanks for reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Before the procedure expanded? When I first found out about this non-restorative technique, I asked a great many questions. Some people were secretive and some were happy to answer questions, while a few more answered anonymously. I sent some books away for the process and asked about others. One book I asked about was X-Men 142...or rather Uncanny X-Men 142. I started collecting back issues tentatively. I felt that I'd rather buy new releases first at sixty cents and sixty-five rather than spend a dollar, two or ten on a book that's been out for years. The Frank Miller Daredevil run helped end that. As each issue I purchased began at three dollars and ended at thirty five, I decided to chance getting a few X-Men issues. Issue 142 was a quick favorite. During my earlier CGC formative years, I used issue 142 as a given. Like in any scientific experiment I needed a given. I sent in a few books from my own collection to get a view on what CGC grades, or rather how they graded. I sent in 5.5's, 7.0's and 8.0's, but in this case I sent in a 9.2. But could it become better? Could it improve with a new press? I asked what I thought at that time was the authority figure on the subject, Matt Nelson. He said no. Eventually I proved him wrong. Thanks for reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Or, what came before? I have quite a few issues of the New Mutants graded. This doesn't include my 9.8's, although some of them are. I started to get my original collection graded years ago, but getting books signed and regraded took a portion of my revenue for new books. Next year I stated I would get all 45 books that were published for April of '72. I might not have them all graded, but I do plan on getting the rest of my original collection graded. The other major goal will be one I will never finish. Marvel made it easy by starting over again with number ones, but I want a fully complete graded Daredevil set. The catch with this is at least fifty percent has to be from my original collection. I also consider the books I bought as back issues from my teens as my original collection. In other words...any books purchased as already graded falls into the other category. I've realized that if you get hung up on the grade, it means less and hurts more. My original New Mutants is a 4.5. I'm very proud of this book. My issue 99 from the same series graded as a 9.8. It showed a period of collecting in my life that I learned a lot. And as much as I have learned I still have so much more to learn. So now that I have reminisced, a question intrudes on my mind... is it harder for an unpressed book to reach a 9.8? Thanks for Reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

... If someone were to give away an Amazing Fantasy #15 for free as a CGC .5, I'm sure no one would turn that down. I like to look for those books that would grade equally low. My Crazy #3 was graded a 1.0...a 1.0, I was hoping for a .5. I just received a copy of X-Men #10. I will be sending that in... hopefully .5 is what it gets. I don't know what it is with the first silver age appearance of Ka-Zar that has me searching for a high grade. My first and only attempt netted me a SS 7.0. It was one of my first learning experiences with the Silver Age. Another attempt was an Avengers 57. The final grade on that one was a 5.5 SS. My Daredevil 1, a 4.0 SS. As I'm writing this I think I see a theme, but when it comes down to it, I'm happy that I have the book. My Iron Man #55 dropping to an 8.0 is a big disappointment, but at the end of the day, it's MY book. And I still haven't learned. I sent in a book to get signed by Stan Lee. My latest in my quest for some seriously great signature series books was already signed by Herb Trimpe. The Incredible Hulk 109 is a phenomenal cover, which also include Ka-Zar and Zabu. The grade was a 9.4, maybe it will drop to an 8.5 with what seems to be a more trusted grading company. Or will CCS do their magic and have the book retain...or climb? I originally purchased this book with Matt Nelson's advice. He said with a press it might hit a 9.6...but that was many years ago. But, does it matter? A book signed by Stan Lee and Herb Trimbe on arguably the best Hulk cover I can think of? Yeah, I'm ok with that...now about things going crazy... Thanks for reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Although I think I'm starting to ramble... But, it is a 9.8 I have many 9.8 books in my collection that if cracked for signatures will never come back a 9.8. My first experience with this was, I believe issue two of the two part Alpha Flight and X-Men story. Both were purchased as a 9.8. One returned unscathed while the second dropped two grades. I was still a novice on anything that has to do with pressing, Matt Nelson was still his own boss, or at the very least paired with Stephen Ritter. I discussed with him what could be pressed and what couldn't. I turned over a bunch of books and each one returned a bit higher than before, including the previously mentioned book that dropped to a 9.4. I decided to press a few more books and even pressed a few myself. I started to think that I would always press just in case, but it didn't always work. Some say that on site grading is not good for the grade itself. I'm not sure I agree with that, but I do believe that onsite grading should be used just for the fan. Dealers get books back quicker anyway, and if you spend the money you can find a book or two on eBay months later. CGC does not have a quota on how many books a grader must grade. They even have a relaxed environment allowing the grader to get up and walk away. There is no stress on a grader needing to do his job. But then why are there so many social media posts about grading companies being too harsh or too lax. Someone once said to me why does a self-grader need to collect graded comic books. It was that one thought (and a new car) that slowed my collecting habits. I love my CGC collection and CGC remains my primary grading company. Will it change? I'm not sure, but if I'm comfortable looking at a book and grading it accurately myself, why do I need it slabbed? Thanks for Reading Tnerb

From one to the other. Who didn't see what CGC was about when they first began collecting graded comic books? Were you skeptical? Did you question their validity? Did you buy PGX? And then crack the slab and send the comic book in hoping to flip it with the premiere grading company's name on it? Did it grade higher or lower? But what happens when you take a competing grading company and compare something they graded against what CGC would grade it. I sent in two books to get graded by a competing company. Both books were copies of Star Wars issue 1. One was a J. Scott Campbell variant and the other was Alex Ross. They were graded as a 9.2 and a 9.6. I graded them as a 9.4 and a 9.6...although I hoped the Alex Ross Variant would hit a 9.8. After looking the books over I saw what kept it from the higher grades, and I could accept that. If I get a book graded that I graded first, for example as a 9.4, then I am happy with one up or one down. I decided to change these books over to CGC purely as an experiment, because I wanted to know. They returned higher. The Alex Ross, previously a 9.6, came back as a 9.8. I can accept that, but the J. Scott Campbell went from a 9.2 to a 9.8. How is that possible? Where does subjectivity end and ignorance begin? Thanks for Reading Tnerb

Why? A defect on a book should be consistently prevalent. There should be no question about it. If the Marvel Value Stamp is cut out of an Incredible Hulk 181, what is subjective about it? A crease, a fingerprint? Shouldn't preference be taken out of the equation? Are stains judged more harshly by one grader and not as much by another? Is a rusty staple a death toll? After carefully looking over my 8.0 Iron Man #55, I didn't see any defect on it that wasn't already present when it was a 9.2. The same corner scrunch, the same stain. It's all there. A Carfax report would show if a vehicle was damaged or had been taken care of, so shouldn't grader's notes be more comprehensive? On many of the comic books I have graded, I systematically listed every defect. It might have been tedious, but the end result was worth it, because I knew exactly what was wrong with the book. Should grader's notes also include who graded the book? Would you be willing to wait longer for a more comprehensive list of notes? Shouldn't the subjectivity be taken out of the equation? I would be okay with a grade change one up or one down on this book (not really), because that's the possible result from subjectivity. But a three grade drop? Thanks for Reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Treated like yesterday's newspaper??? Is it possible that my issue of Iron Man #55 was manhandled? Of course it is, but not by me and not by Jim Starlin. An amusing part of this story is that this was the first time that I double-boarded a book I wanted signed. It appears as though the extra precaution was for naught. When I turned the book over to CGC for onsite grading, my wife noticed that the person I handed it too seemed to handle it like a magazine being taken to the bathroom. I didn't see that, nor would I want to. Onsite was closed early and quickly, even after opening it shortly the next day. That's a story too. I still paid the onsite grading price and they promised me I would have it graded within five days. They were true to their word. As far as some of the grader's notes, one being "Right Bottom Cover Small Stain" is one that surprised me when I had it as a 9.2. I originally graded the book a 9.0. All the other notes look like a proper press might take care of them. But, what bothers me is that this was initially graded by CGC as a 9.2, and that makes me wonder, as it was brought up in yesterday's journal, they may have got it wrong the first time. And if they were wrong the first time...how many more comic books out there will suffer a proper grading...and then, who is going to do it? Thanks for Reading Tnerb

Is describing the grading industry as an art form simply a respectful way of saying they don't know what they are doing? With additional grading companies, it is imperative for CGC to get it right. In the early days skeptics sent a book in, had it graded, cracked it and sent it back in again. Would they get the same grade? Did it drop? Did it soar? I am sure the same people decided to try out CBCS and do the same. I know I did. But this is more about sending the same book in to the same company after a signing. I cracked many of my New Mutants books graded a 9.8. Many of them returned retaining the same grade, but a few dropped. Between Bagofleas and I, four out of five of our New Mutants Annual number one's dropped to A 9.6, and I can accept this. It is when a book drops or raises (without a press) more than a single grade that I have a problem with. On a side note my own personal annual went from a 9.2 to an 8. This was the greatest change in grade I had ever personally experience. One I never expected to happen again. It did. The case in question is a book I had graded by CGC in January of 2015. It received a 9.2. I wrestled with the dilemma of getting this holy grail signed and after passing on opportunity after opportunity I decided, why not? And then after I did it, I asked Why? Thanks for Reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

There is nothing more difficult to a collector than changing ones own goals. The past few months have been a time to re-evaluate my collecting habits. CGC has competition, and even though this new company has established a strong foothold in the grading market, they are in no way the reason why I haven't written lately; that honor goes to the person that put a ring on my finger. I was still able to travel to a few comic conventions this year, but this time my wife came with me. At these conventions I wasn't worried about getting signatures as much as I was focused on finding high-grade-worthy raw books I wanted to collect. These of course were books from April of 1972...with a few others being from the New Mutants series that I love. I also decided to pick up a few that I only wanted for the cover, one of which I picked up strangely enough on the same month that a new Doctor Strange #1 came out. Next year my goal is to complete my 45 books from 4/72. This means that I must purchase every single issue from Marvel and DC. This does not mean that they will all be graded by CGC before the end of 2016, just that I will have them all purchased. If I deem them high enough in grade I will send them in, unless a signing opportunity is available. Other goals will be forthcoming, as well as thoughts and grievances, after all it's November and I have twenty-nine more to go. Thanks for reading Tnerb. To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Or the beginning of the end? This is my fourth year attending the Baltimore Comic Book Convention. After having the pleasure of going to Seattle for ECCC for the last three years, and the New York Comic Con for five years running now, I realized I have been blessed. In 2007 I attended Philadelphia Wizard World, a truly great Comic book convention. In 2008 I submitted my first comic books to CGC for on site grading. They were back the same day, I remember them advertising as same day. The whole concept of getting someone else to grade my comics was new. I handed over what I thought were my best comics. In retrospect I must have trusted this new company right away. I did no research before I handed them my Incredible Hulk 181, Daredevil 158 and 168, along with my ASM 129. These four books left my card and returned the same day I turned them over. They were not all on the same invoice. I originally had my Daredevil books on the same invoice as the Incredible Hulk, but I was corrected since the first full appearance of "the" Wolverine was an older book. It was slightly surreal getting my books back to compare between what was now the official grade and what I graded the books at. I was way off on my Daredevil 158. I graded it a near mint (-) or 9.2. It received an 8. As for my issue 168, that was easily a 9.2, and it was a 9.2. (I might have thought 9.4, I'll have to check my notes). Today I look back on those two books and wonder how did I grade them so close when there was so many things wrong? Did CGC switch my books, was their a mistake made somewhere, or was I just that off? Of course when I graded these books it was somewhere in the early nineties. I didn't bother to do so before I handed them over. The other two, my ASM 129 I graded a 9.4, it returned a 9.2. This one looked perfect, only three spine creases. None of which didn't break color. As I type away at this I realize how naive I was. A crease was a crease, breaking color was something new to me. I counted against manufacturing defects, not realizing that you weren't supposed to. Over time I sent in more and more books and then began cracking slabs for signatures, but that's a whole different monster. Thanks for Reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Or Thank you RonnyLama Getting my birthday books in high grade has not been the easiest thing to do. One of the most difficult to find was Wonder Woman#199. This was a comic book I found at convention after convention, but it was always expensive for the grade. After finally finding one and grading it through CGC, I was happy with a 9.4. I found a Jimmy Olson Superman's Pal #148 which graded a 9.6 SS and an Avengers 98 through Greg Reece which graded a 9.8. All three were pressed through CCS. I knew The hardest one to find in high grade was going to be Tomb of Dracula #1. Tomb of Dracula #1 was another ridiculously easy to find comic book. And like Wonder Woman #199 the price did not match the grade. If it was graded already, the cost was even greater. I have received a 9.8 CGC copy of Tomahawk #139 from my wife as a birthday gift, but all the others I purchased raw before submitting them for grading. Now I am happy to say I own a copy of Tomb of Dracula #1 signed by Neal Adams. I knew what was going on when I was in Seattle hanging with Ron. He told me all about his plans. He gifted me a few of my birthday books raw, but the Tomb of Dracula he wanted to go a step further. He stood in line for Neal with a witness in tow and turned the book over to CGC. This was a book I would have been happy with if I found one and had it graded a 9.2, but through the RonnyLama's generosity my latest birthday book will be a 9.6 SS. Ron I thank you, very publicly I thank you. Thanks for Reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Or A a Small Memoir In the eighties when the deluxe format was released, one of the selling points was stronger paper. I imagine this stronger paper makes grading easier. Over time the newsprint paper used for comic books morphed into what is used today. But, is it better? I loved the feeling of opening a comic book and not only feeling the grittiness of the paper, but its smell. Today comic books have neither the feel nor smell of the comic books I grew up with. I imagine in the eighties when I first began collecting, that collectors who began in the sixties felt the same way. Recently I took a new Star Wars number one and treated it like I was five. During a twenty four hour period I dropped it, used it as a coaster, rolled it up, and shoved it under my pillow. The cover gloss bled through distorting the colors. And there was no smell, no fragrant odor to trigger memories. It was just a comic book. Thanks for Reading Tnerb To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.