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Tnerb

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Journal Entries posted by Tnerb

  1. Tnerb

    Getting a Four

    By Tnerb,

    Do grades really matter, or even points?
    As everyone is aware by now I am trying to get a completed set in a 9.8 or better with the New Mutants. I am very close to this goal. There are a few I desperately need. However I also am trying to just get a complete set. This set has a catch; they have to be from my original collection. Since CGC decided to up their rates I decided to send in 20 more books. These books are the type of books I really don't care what grade they get, just that they are graded.
    For Instance I already have 1-10 of my New Mutants sent in. I was shocked by the grade my issue 9 received but was curious about my Issue 15, but what about 16, and 17. Honestly I will be very surprised if they get higher than a 4. I know the set will not give me a whole lot of points but it will give me something to write about and discuss.
    I sent in not only some New Mutants but Sandman as well. One of those issues is my issue #2 that I had Neil Gaiman sign. The green label doesn't bother me either, not for this. The only recent comic books I sent in were the Variant cover of ASM 674 and Locke and Key 5. The Locke and Key was previously PGX copy as a ten. Will it stay that way? For the Hell of it, here is the full list.
    The New Mutants 17,16,14,13,12,11,95 2nd print, 96, 99, and Summer Special #1
    The Sandman 2, 8, Special #1 Glow in the Dark cover
    ASM Variant 674
    Locke & Key 5
    I know if you add it up that is only 15 and I did say 20. Those five, those are a surprise.
     
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  2. Tnerb

    One Day Early

    By Tnerb,

    My New Mutants Collection is now obscured
    I have glanced over a few of the profiles and saw a few things I liked and I few I disliked. I compiled thoughts and ideas on what I wish to do. Words I have plenty off, I think of which could be easily agreed upon. It is the pictures I find lacking. I have a few but most are not mine. The books are, but the pictures are not so I hope that starting with my favorite set to do something new, something worth looking at. I have slightly over 600 views on this set I want more.
    The set is something I am proud of and maybe just maybe others will be proud of it too. Bagofleas has a set to rival my own. It is amazing how much he collects is what I also want to collect, not to mention he only started to collect comic books two years after I did. He has two full pages of sets that I find mouthwatering. Dazzler, Harbinger, Groo, Rom (Yes! Rom) and Star Wars being the next one I have a true desire to go after. I only mentioned a small portion of what I might add to my set list.
     
    Of course I am going to wait a bit on this one. Surfer 99 also has an amazing older set list. If Bagofleas is mainly the eighties then the Surfer is the nineties. The one set that he has that might be one of the next sets I collect would be The Defenders. I am still of course going to go after my Sub-Mariner set but the earlier Defenders did have him as a member and then the later years they incorporated three of the original X-Men as The New Defenders. And although Doctor Strange is not on his list, I have been giving it a thought. Surfer 99 and I also seem to be going back and forth in the point's structure. Currently he is ahead of me.
     
    So if Bagofleas is my eighties counterpart, and Surfer 99 is my seventies companion, Could Lee K be my sixties version. He introduced me to the Go-Go collection, a series that I would never collect; this is mostly due to the Go-Go set being DC and has no memories to attach to a few hundred dollar purchase (per an issue). Don't get me wrong but he does collect a slew of modern ages too. But these are some sets to look through and aspire too; at least they have for me.
    As I collected through the years I thought to myself what I own was not nearly good enough. I bought comic book after comic book just to bring my collection up. I believed in quantity not quality. Now I have a reversal of that thought process. Of course 9.8's are the choice I mainly want but since most of my collection is modern age it is a fair bet that I can get them, unless it is a copy of New Mutants #58 or Annual #4 which none yet exist.
    Once I am done with the New Mutants I will once again show off my set. Original pictures will accompany each slot, a description of what the book means to me will be edited, and I might go so far as creating some sort of collage for the back cover rather than the back cover itself, Haven't decided on that one yet. I just want to try to have the best set that I can have. I figure my favorite one should go first.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    Have a Happy New Year's
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  3. Tnerb

    Will CGC Listen?

    By Tnerb,

    Is it really the five dollars that bother you?
    I am sorry for the ramble. It is almost four in the morning and I just got in front of my keyboard when I should be going to bed.
     
    I find myself in a dilemma. The fees don't bother me, especially since I have paid twenty four dollars to get a book graded on site. I would do it again. I am bothered because I had a book returned to me that never should have dropped in grade. It was a copy of X-Men/Alpha Flight issue #2. I bought it as a 9.8 and sent it in to get signed. It received a 9.4. How did a modern age book drop that far?
    My other problem is my Wolverine #10. It still bothers me. When I saw the grade, I was OK with it. I understand that a book could be marred during signing, but how did the spine roll happen. I washed cars for a few years and I do remember when people would say we scratched their car when we didn't. They even went so far as knowing their scratches. Did they name them? We will rip the mirror off no problem, but a scratch is normally repetitive. At times of equipment failure, we didn't scratch the car, we ripped it apart.
    This is akin to a mother knowing which identical twin is which. My copy of Wolverine was flawless. The spine was as tight as any CGC 9.8, even tighter. Dare I say it looked just as good as My New Mutants #1 in a 9.9? I feel beside myself because I love the camaraderie of the journals and my fellow collectors. The e-mails and the chat board fees; even the other journals and the lists. I tried getting the #1 set of the New Mutants and I am proud of that and I will Get the rest of the set graded but will I send in more boos to only be charged the $5 once or will I just wait for the same day service.
    Where am I going with this? I don't know I had a long day at work and I thought that I wished every table would at least give me a five dollar tip. Five dollars per an invoice would definitely add up. So let me propose this to any CGC employee reading this. Think about it and if it is a good idea send it to the higher ups.
    At the moment CGC will only accept Books from someone who has a membership, whether that is business or personal. Anyone who is willing to purchase a membership should continue to use the price breakdown of 2011. The majority of us that are angry about it to the point they want to have their books graded by PGX is a bit extreme but instead of alienating strong repeat business...gain new business.
    Work with the dealers you already have. Allow new members to try CGC without joining anything other than using the free membership. Charge them a higher fee and the $5 charge. For instance maybe $20 on a modern book along with the five dollar fee. If they like the service then they will join and get the discounted rate. The other thing is if a member fills out their invoice online then they get a ten percent discount. I like that but just lower the prices. It's like food shopping. Stores raise their prices to give coupons to seem to be giving a better deal.
    I am sure something might be in the works but let us know about it. NGC has a weekly trivia, CGC has nothing. God damn I hate being the black sheep of the family but that is what we are sometimes. I hate rambling because I know that is what I am doing. I also know as long as dealers keep getting books graded there will still be a market for CGC to charge what they want. I am guilty of sending in twenty books before the deadline. I will be guilty of sending in two more series, maybe three, but what if I lose faith that CGC can grade and handle a book?
    I felt elated that a book of mine was graded a 9.8, a book that I had since my youth. Then I chanced it. I wanted a signature. Was it greed? I don't think so. It was my book, my treasure. But the book was mishandled or mislabeled and the wrong book was sent to me. I think that hurts more than the price increase. I think CGC needs more of a spokes person. Someone to explain what is going on, what changes are happening, why a five dollar fee is imposed, and why we should use CGC instead of PGX
     
    Just my Five dollars worth
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    PS. If anyone wants, email me or leave a message on the board and I will try to write more about this.
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  4. Tnerb

    It isn't my Book

    By Tnerb,

    Same Series, Same Number, Different Book
    I just got in my signature series books the other day. I of course was disappointed in some of the grades dropping but none more so than my Wolverines #10. So much so that I believe this isn't my book. I can't prove it, CGC won't admit to it (nor did I ask them. I remember when I first got the book graded. I was overjoyed that everything was perfect; after all it was a book I picked up off the rack when it first came out.
    The corners were sharp enough to cut. The staples were clean and centered and the spine was straight. The book came back signed with the corners sharp and the staples clean but the spine is rolled. My book was not like that. I understand a book dropping due to s light mar but this roll is so apparent that I am surprised it got a 9.6, whoever it originally belonged too. I know CGC has a method to keep all the books together but I do know they had to separate one of my books to a magazine invoice since it was the graphic novel.
    Could the slab have damaged my book, could the book have been mishandled or even switched, hey it does happen in hospitals. And CGC does make mistakes....why do I say that, because they are human. Not to mention one of my books was supposed to be a double signature, it isn't. I called yesterday and left a message about it but have yet to get a return call. It is the holidays so i will just wait till next week. Oh, I was charged for it. This Wolverine #10 though is not mine. I can't prove it but when I look at it, it doesn't match up to the one I believe stayed with me through moving out at 18 and being a father at 20 all the way to my current age of....cough, cough, cou.....
    I can't say I am angry, just disappointed. It isn't like one can mark their own book before sending it in but I think that any future grades I try to get will be on books that there is no way to mess up like my New Mutants #15.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
     
    ...and just in case I don't get the last journal of the year like last year.....Happy New Year's
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  5. Tnerb

    Delivery Tomorrow

    By Tnerb,

    Ten more Signature Series to Arrive
    FedEx will be delivering ten more books to me tomorrow. I am following the progress and my window of delivery is between the morning and four thirty PM. I hope it is early morning since I know that I have a good chance of sleeping through the buzzer. I get out of work at seven in the morning tomorrow and most times when FedEx delivers it is in the morning. That is usually through World Wide Comics. This is direct from CGC and being sent 2nd day.
    I cannot wait till I get them, to look over the new found flaw and to see the signatures and the warm glow of a yellow label only to get rid of them. I always planned to get rid of a few to help pay for the ones I am keeping. My most valuable one will raise my overall point status by a whopping goose egg. That is right my New Mutants Fifteen will go from one point Universal to One point Signature. I stated to think how much more I can spend on this book for multiple signatures, Sal Buscema is not getting any younger.
    I was hoping to have them by the end of the year and it looks like that wish will come true. Three more will be in my hands by January Fifteenth, two of which are already on my registry. The ASM however is not. I made my last purchase of the year. My last bid of the year which will end in 2012 so if I win that will be my first book in the first few days so here is hoping I win it...or lose it.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
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  6. Tnerb

    Stretching for 300

    By Tnerb,

    I wanted 300 by the end of the year. How close did I get?
    I have my books returning to me today. Even though it has been marked shipped/Safe since the 20th of December and I figured I should have them in my hands by now. I do not. I checked off the box to have them ship by Fed Ex. This means I should have them in my hands by Thursday. However, they won't increase my amount by ten but only three since most of the ones I sent in were already graded. Some dropped and some remained the same.
    I also have another one coming back through another source. This one is a copy of ASM #127. This brings my tally up to 278. I also hope to shrink my purchases for the coming year so I am going on a binge now and buying a few books. I have another seven through eBay bringing my tally to 285. Another two at least from World Wide and I have 287. I won't be able to purchase many more than that so I wonder if I can add the twenty raw books I sent in only a couple weeks ago even in they are marked as received?
    I will count the slabs I have in my possession on the 31st because there are two I can think of at the very least that have either no spot on the registry or I have decided not to make a set. All the ones that I could add will most likely lower my points per a book. And although recently I have come across the conclusion that any 9.8 I buy I will also look at the points the bottom line is I don't care as much. My way of thinking is changing and I am not getting these graded so much as for status on the registry but a way to preserve and display.
    When I get some of my artwork framed that I have purchased I get them custom made. These cost anywhere between 80 to 300 hundred a frame so when it comes down to it 18 dollars a slab is not that bad. I will be honest with you, I am afraid I will not be able to do what I was hoping to do when it comes to collecting. I need a good list of twelve books that will entice me to collect and stay true. I will need money to save for conventions and a couple cruises not to mention a brand new car. I feel that 2012 is going to be a very good year and if not a very challenging one.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    4....
  7. Tnerb

    Never Again

    By Tnerb,

    Please make corrections to the journals to allow them to get to the chat boards.
    The journals refuse to allow certain symbols to make it in the journals and allow the to enter the chat boards. The Comma is one of them. Quotes are another. AT least that is what I have found. At first I thought it was the cut and paste job I did from Word. Gemma was nice enough to work on this for me. I even started to type my journals directly into the field given.
    Of course this makes it more difficult because then there is no guarantee my grammar will be any decent. Next year i might just go back to the cut and paste because after spending a half an hour on a journal typing directly in the box I erased it. I painstakingly went through it to see what was in there that would omit me from the chat boards.
    I closed the window thinking was shrinking it down. At work tonight I will try to recreate that journal because it was rather personal. Until then I will wish you all a Merry Christmas.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
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  8. Tnerb

    Your Books are Safe

    By Tnerb,

    The best lined from The Never Ending Story
    My books are on the way. I had one invoice marked safe for the past week I was just waiting for the second one to catch up. I sent ten books in to get signatures. Some stayed the same grade....some dropped. Of course I am not happy about those that dropped but that can be addressed later. My New Mutants #15 was signed by Chris Claremont. This issue of mine is utterly worthless but I paid to have it graded then I paid to have it get signed and graded again. I am even thinking about doing it again if I can get multiple signatures on it.
    Now the problem, will I get it by Christmas. The Books are insured for a thousand dollars because that is what I feel the ten books are worth. These books are to be shipped registered mail and if I am not mistaken has to be signed for (better be signed for) because let's face it I don't trust the USPS. I of course am hoping that the books will get here before Christmas, and if they do will I refuse to open them till Christmas day.
    Here is what I got:
    Marvel Graphic Novel: Sent In 9.4 got Back 9.4SS
    X-Men/Alpha Flight #1: Sent in 9.8 got Back 9.8SS
    X-Men/Alpha Flight #2: Sent in 9. got Back 9.4SS???
    The New Mutants #15: Sent in 4.5 got Back 4.5SS
    Wolverine #10: Sent in 9.8 got Back 9.6SS??? For Sale
    Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #7: Sent in 9.8 got Back 9.8SS
    Uncanny X-Men #201: Sent in 9.8 got Back 9.8SS For Sale
    The New Mutants #1 Vol. #3: Sent in RAW got Back 9.6SS
    X-Infernus #2: Sent in RAW got Back 9.8SS For Sale
    X-Infernus #3: Sent in RAW got Back 9.4SS For Sale
    The raw ones I was hoping for both to be a 9.8 since they looked identical to me in condition. Well now I just have to wait till my 20 piece invoice foes from verified to waiting to be graded. I will let you know when my books come in.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
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  9. Tnerb

    Going into Obscurity

    By Tnerb,

    ...and the curtain closes
    I have always had my collection open to show. I am proud of what I have and although I wish I had more I can't complain about what I have amassed in the past few years. My greatest prize is my collection of New Mutants. I gave a description on almost every issue, only a few are missing. As far as the pictures are concerned I need quite a bit more.
    I have decided for myself that the beginning of the New Year I was going to make some changes. I wanted to start with taking pictures of every single comic I have graded by CGC. This of course has to be started with my pride and joy. It will be easier if I start with the smaller set, the one with the Liefeld artwork. Then once I have that finished I think I should do the larger set.
    This of course will take a while. I know I currently have over 600 views checking out what I have and the changes I did last to the set have been quite a while ago. To do this I plan on lowering the curtain either the first or second of the New Year and doing what I hate seeing and that is making my set an obscure set. I hope that within the month I will once again have my collection view-able with all new pictures.
    I would start right away, but I am still waiting for one book back with a signature label and considering it is an issue at the very beginning and although still a 9.4 I can't begin without that Graphic Novel.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  10. Tnerb

    In One Day

    By Tnerb,

    Ups said it would be there Tuesday and it was.
    The day CGC received my books from UPS they marked it as such. With all the negative publicity about them I take this as a good sign. Today, the very next day, my books were marked received. All 20 were listed out. IS CGC caught up or will they just sit there for the next two months. I plan to keep tabs. I have one invoice marked Shipped/Safe but I know it wasn't shipped yet since I didn't get the tracking number yet nor is the second invoice marked that way as well. I expect it to leave Florida by the end of the week.
    I returned the credit card I used to my parents faring I would hurry up and send in another 20. I can wait. Sure the next time I send some books in I will have to pay that extra $5 handling fee but it is only money. If I didn't spend it on comic books I might spend it on...ummm...food. The problem is I am starting to look at some of my newer raw books and thinking about sending them in, like the New Mutants Volume three. Mostly they will be 9.6's but I can live with that. It would be cheaper than trying to get them all in a 9.8.
    As far as grading goes as well, let's face it there are much cheaper ways to go about protecting your books. Mylar is one of them. Ask yourself why are you grading these books? Everyone has an interesting point in these recent journals, except for maybe Bob Loblaw...ok definitely Bob Loblaw. PjBeckstrom will be missed. DuckDuckMike makes some good points in the idiocy of Bob who proves the point of why I like the Journals too; I have enough of them written. Lee K is someone who I can count on to show me something new from time to time.
    So I will see if CGC has gotten caught up, this being their slower time, at least until those tax returns come in. I for one am working Christmas day just to get caught up and if I do really good, maybe more books. I don't like the $5 fee, I don't but I do understand it. There I go jumping around again in my thoughts.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  11. Tnerb

    My Final 20 Pt. 2

    By Tnerb,

    The first step... The arrival
    With my parents credit card I sent in my last batch for the year. Yes I decided to jump the gun before the new prices are kicked off for the new year. If I had the money I would send in another twenty. I do want to get my own books graded regardless of the turmoil going on now. These are the books I don't care about the grade.
    At first I was checking to see if my second of two invoices are marked as shipped and safe. It is not. At first I thought so and even let a slight yes escape my lips. Then I noticed it was only because the new arrival. All twenty books made it. Shall we see how fast they get graded. Are they caught up?
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    PS... I never did reveal that final 5
  12. Tnerb

    The Five Dollar Fees

    By Tnerb,

    I started off talking about the handling charge but went so much further.
    The following is from CGC directly.
    CGC has announced its revised services and fees schedule that will go into effect January 1, 2012. These changes constitute the first comprehensive revision to CGC's price schedule since May 2009. A $5 handling charge per submission invoice has also been added to all grading submissions.
    The rest is from me......save all hate and verbal venom till after the entry please
    Other than we are taking $5 from you this is vague. Being in a shipping and receiving department for eleven years we charged a shipping and handling fee on all packaged that left the warehouse. The earlier part of our shipping experience was through UPS, We shipped everything through them unless it was a P.O. Box or A.P.O/F.P.O. These we used the USPS. We made a profit on the item we sold, in the case of CGC, the slab, and then we added the shipping and handling. In our case depending on where we shipped throughout the country we made a small profit on this between .25 to about a $1 per box, on the shipping alone.
    The handling charge was something different. This fee was a solid $5 per order. By the way I left shipping as an occupation almost ten years ago. Some of the boxes were about a pound in weight. Other orders were closer to ten, but the average was around five to six. What was the $5 used for if we were already were making a small profit on the shipping, not to mention the profit on the item we sold.
    Math time.... Correct me if I am wrong, but let's say CGC ships out a 100 orders in one week. That handling charge on each of those orders brings in $500. So what are they going to use that $500 for? We have no idea how large some of those orders are. Like most of you here I have ordered from Word Wide Comics. An order for them could be 100 comics in a week; Comics to Astonish in Maryland also 100 books. Then there might be someone like us.....three books, and so on and so on we get charged the same $5.
    I am not going to say that money is going to a grader but these boxes that come to us with our prizes seem to be pretty damn sturdy. Much better than what we get through eBay or the USPS priority boxes. In fact the twenty I sent to CGC were sent back in one of the boxes they sent me. There were many times that we would send out a new package in a reused cardboard box. The boxes they sent us are new and most likely need to be special ordered hence why a handling charge is needed. Sure the boxes don't cost them that much.....Guesstimating the boxes probably cost anywhere .48 to a $1.50. Then there is the packing material and the tape to seal the boxes. Did I mention the delivery charge for those boxes? They also come flat so they will need to store them to which amounts to rental space.
    This is all speculation on this $5 handling charge. Does it bother me? Yes. Will I stop sending in books to CGC? Eventually after I get my two graded sets I want. Will I jump Ship to PGX? NO. I have written that they are cheaper, that they are rumored to have better slabs but look at the market for these. Jump on EBay. Enter CGC --PGX and it (for those people that try to get more hits by adding "CGC It") then enter PGX -- CGC and see the difference. The difference is over 35,000 (as of this writing, closer to 40,000 if truth be told).
    I am more upset that my 9.8 book I sent in is comic back a 9.4, or the other one a 9.6. I will pick this apart little by little, but others have mentioned about the fast track, Thank you Ipersky about spending ten dollars extra a book just for quicker service. Imagine being in line at McDonalds and for $1 more you get your cheeseburger first. I am patient. I have no problem waiting for my books, nor do I have problem when someone is willing to pay more to get their books faster. You should see what I pay at Wizard World in Philadelphia to get them back the same weekend.
    There is one other $5 charge, for the book's photo. This should be made free of charge. Once the package is shipped send a file attachment with the tracking number so we get a glimpse of what is coming back. Imagine the excitement of putting our books up on the registry before we even get them and we don't have to scan them ourselves or try to take a picture without a mirror image of the camera, or a flash, or blurred image.
    I have spent $100 a book on signature series New Mutants. Hell I spent $160 on an annual, but these were 9.8 in grade. I would have a hard time paying that much for a 4.5. By the way....My 4.5 New Mutants #15 was graded at a Wizard World, cost $24, add the cost of getting the book signed and graded again add $27 and then to ship it there and back with insurance let's add $5 and that brings the book to $57. The book is worthless to anyone else but me. Why CGC? I chose because of these journals, because of the registry, because of the supply and demand, and because of you the reader of this journal.
    I hated the idea of a graded book when I first heard about them. I thought how dare they and then I was phased out of collecting by parenthood, lack of funds, and space. Then I started to collect again and CGC already had its teeth in the market. I bought a few as a novelty but then my love for the hobby redoubled with getting a 9.8 New Mutants #1 and I have been hooked since.
    I apologize to all reading this. I wanted my thoughts written out and backed by 100 percent fact and not speculation. Everyone is upset because they have been late, and now they want more money. The problem is CGC warrants it. Even if CGC loses let's say 1000 of the 2500 registry users they will still be ahead. Five books this year sold for over a million dollars, one of those five sold for over two. With that kind of publicity more and more people will flock to CGC. And let's face it some collectors don't even show their prizes on the site. I don't man any obscure sets either.
    My greatest example is New Mutants #1 in a Gem Mint 10. There are two of them and only one on the registry. Where is the other? I would love to buy it. Dealers are constantly sending in books that they wouldn't be able to get $5 before because now they are getting $50, and $75, $100 and more. Signature series books from the mid eighties reaching $250. Not to mention Sub-Mariner #38 that sold for $675. Will that even be on the registry?
    I am not trying to defend CGC, because I tend to think from time to time the heavy sellers get a better grade for the amount that is sent in. I feel that if my 9.8's were sent in through someone they deal with everyday for thousands of dollars, then they would probably still have that 9.8 status. I do my best to call it as I see it. Would I like to work for CGC, sure why not? Do I realize I wouldn't be able to collect anymore....yup and I am OK with that but I would then do my best for the company and for the collector because this hobby is meant to be fun and what I do OWE CGC is that they made it fun for me again.
     
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
     
    PS the chat board journal will show different from this one but it was the only way I could circumnavigate around the inability to add a journal to the chat boards. Forgive me for this ruse.
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  13. Tnerb

    The Waiting Game

    By Tnerb,

    Should I send comics in myself or have others do it for me?
    I have been sending in a few select comic books myself. Some have been 9.8's for added signatures. I am still not sure how these 9.8's dropped a grade. Others I sent in through other means. One of those books I just got word was graded. This is a book that someone else sent in for me and I know I will start my withdrawal systems soon because I will not get it back till mid January.
    He already has two others that I have been waiting patiently for. I also just sent in another 20. I figured I would skip ahead of the $5 added fee but afterwards I do not know what I will do as you can see in the journal before mine shows one customer is slightly upset with this new added fee. I can keep sending my books through someone else because they seem to have a better success with higher grades? Would my books have retained the 9.8 grade if they sent the book in?
    I do want a full set of The New Mutants and The Sandman, but my own books to be graded. What I have, i have, what i don't...well i will have to see if I am going to add them. The good news is that one book with the John Romita signature that I sent over to my friend to get signed, before I knew I was going to send in books myself was graded a 9.6.
    I thought the book would have been a 9.2, no better, but Keegan had it pressed. Yes I am still on the fence about pressing but I bought this book years age, slightly after my purchase of issue #129. At $5 it was a bargain. Would the book have gotten this grade without the pressing? I don't know. The two others were pressed and one stayed the grade I thought while the other one was slightly hire. Are points dictating why I want high grade books? And why does this journal have so many unanswered questions.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  14. Tnerb

    10%

    By Tnerb,

    Remember when a dime bought you a comic book??? I don't.
    The title is how I can afford to collect comic books. Every day that I wait on tables I earn tips; every day that I am on the register I earn a paycheck. This gives me the thought process of two incomes from only one job. As much as I might be disgruntled about not getting that book or item I want I am pretty happy that I have enough to continuously pay my bills. The real ones are for my rent, health, utilities, and insurance. My comic books are a different income altogether.
    I get paid every two weeks, well at least that is when I get my paycheck. From this paycheck I take ten percent and put it aside. My tips, which I earn daily, I do the same thing. This past Sunday before Thanksgiving was atrocious. I earned $18 plus my $2.83 an hour. The hours get added to the check while the cash is taken home. This allowed me to place a $1 away. I know the true ten percent would be $1.8 but I don't use the change. Wednesday was a bit more. I earned $124 so I placed $12 away in my ten percent drawer.
    This adds up rather quickly, especially if I don't count it as I save. After a month I tend to use the same amount for something fun or a comic book, maybe two or three depending on the price. Next year I will just use the ten percent for the convention in June. Five full months of saving is pretty good. How do you budget for your comic books?
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  15. Tnerb

    My Final 20

    By Tnerb,

    What if I couldn't collect CGC?
    I was thinking of some fancier title then this one but truth be told I let the powers that be at CGC know I wanted a job with them. At the moment I was told that "it" would be looked into if they had any openings. Part of me sighs and hopes that they come back with a positive answer. Another part of me cries with how late they have been that they might be begging for someone with experience in shipping and receiving willing to learn how to grade (the way they do) and eventually be a grader.
    After I told them I would love to work for them I was told of the clause....NO COLLECTING CGC. That means no buying and no selling. I have trouble with the selling so I can abide by that. I buy a lot so there might be a challenge, but rules are rules so I can abide by that. But no collecting. I want to have my origial New Mutants all graded as well as my Sandman books. What to do?
    Today I sent them 20 books. I will compile the list for you later, but suffice to say the majority are the New Mutants. Issue #14 might get a 4. 16 and 17 maybe the same. Part of me is rooting for a lower grade. I have a book that would be a great perfect .5 with nothing wrong with it and when I gave it to CGC at a Philadelphia Comic Con I was told it was not able to be graded.
    I would like tow work for them. I would have some difficulty leaving my friends and family behind but sometime life beckons and if it can do so with something I would love to do....so be it. Will they let me know an opening is available? Will they hire me? Will they realize twenty years from now that they made a good investment? Am I laying this on too thick?
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
  16. Tnerb

    Discouraged.....Again

    By Tnerb,

    Why do I do it with the chance of disappointment?
    I sent in ten books. One was a 9.4 and stayed a 9.4. Five others were sent in as a 9.8. One dropped down to a 9.4 and the other dropped to a 9.6. The 9.4 I truly don't understand and will have to find another 9.8. The 9.6 though that bothers me. It was a copy of Wolverine #10 that I had purchased back on the shelf and was surprised that it was a 9.8 when I sent it to get graded the first time. I am disheartened by this one because it is mine.
    I don't know how many graders there are but I am sure that each one might look at something differently but I think this goes to prove my point when I get a book and I have no idea how it got a 9.8. The ones I did send in for signatures happened to be what I thought were the best ones. My Alpha Flight/X-men book that dropped to a 9.4 boggles the mind.
    I would like to work for CGC for a couple of reasons. One is to learn how they grade, and although I might never be allowed to discuss it I would like to know the small nuances that can make it through...and can't. With the price increase happening I set aside 20 books to send in including a PGX Gem 10 to get graded. The others are books I don't care what the grade is but to have them graded would just add to my collection and something else to talk about.
    I have 20 to my left and trying not to make it 25, especially since I started at 10. Did I mention my parent's credit card? I have the books next to me and the box...now packing material....
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  17. Tnerb

    Price Hike

    By Tnerb,

    Will higher prices net quicker service?
    I normally go straight to the registry. It seems that the journals are the key things that I look at. Occasionally I do check out the CGC side just to see if there is any signature series worth sending some books in for. That is if I can afford them. This time I saw something else. And if you are anything like me only check that part of the site occasionally. After all it is not like they update it too often. This s what I saw.
    http://www.cgccomics.com/news/viewarticle.aspx?IDArticle=2489&;CGC-Fees-For_2012
    Staring January 1st, 2012 CGC will be increasing their fees. Is it nominal or outrageous? Check for yourself. The books I would get graded myself are from the modern age so the dollar increase (before discount) isn't that much. Of course I am just a collector. I am not sending in hundreds of books at a time trying to turn a profit. I wonder what this will do for websites that sell mainly CGC graded books. Will the nominal increase to them be a large price gouge to us.
    I am thinking now to send in another ten books just to finish the year. Part of me is thinking of the money I will save by sending in ten books. I mean I could save ten whole dollars....which gets me thinking, it is only ten dollars....I better send in fifty.
    The other item they are including now is a $5 handling charge. I believe this is per invoice. I read this over quickly while I was playing pool so I suggest that you check it out yourself. And if you want your books back quicker the fast track went up by $2 a book. Another reason why I am glad I am patient.
    Will they get another grader? I hope so. I was going to dedicate a future journal to this, and I still will but I sent CGC a message stating I would be interested. I don't know if there are any positions open but I would hope so. Of course this means I could no longer collect CGC graded comics, nor buy, nor sell. I told them I could abide by that so maybe I should start sending in MY New Mutants and Sandman series now this way I can get a full set if they say Hey why not, we'll use you.
    Oh and I also told one of my friends that there is a certain New Mutants #17 on sale through eBay that I need to add to my collection. Once I have that, only four to go in a 9.8, three to go to finish the set, but maybe before CGC hires me (HINT HINT HINT...OK PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE) I will use my own graded copies to make the set 100 percent.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  18. Tnerb

    Graphic Novel #4

    By Tnerb,

    Does it get any better than this?
    I guesstimated that I would have to wait till the twelfth before my one invoice was graded. I was guessing so soon since it was one of the graphic novels published by Marvel in the eighties. The first time I saw the book in a 9.4 I passed. After all if Bagofleas could get a 9.8 then so could I. I was wrong. When I saw the second one arrive on eBay I placed my bid and won.
    Now a couple years later I figured if the book wasn't going to show up then maybe I could improve mine by getting signatures added. I sent the book down to CGC with 9 others for them to take to the NYCC with them. The invoice was separated. Imaging my dismay when my first invoice appeared and only nine books were on the invoice. I originally thought it was issue #201 of the X-men I sent was negated.
    I contacted CGC and they told me the situation and now it is graded. It is still a 9.4, but now it is a 9.4 with a signature series label. Nine more still need to be graded and if I am lucky then maybe, just maybe I will find out exactly what those other books will be. Seven of the nine were already graded a 9.8. I hope they retain their status because soon, maybe very soon I might not be able to collect CGC books anymore, regardless of my previous exclusions.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
  19. Tnerb

    666

    By Tnerb,

    Please put the crosses and pentagrams away.
    Sometimes I have an affinity for numbers, especially milestones. I just recently passed my 225th journal and my CGC Vs. PGX journal is approaching 1000 views but why in the hell did I entitle this journal 666? Throughout my life in collecting comic books I have placed more worth on a book simply because of what it means to me. In this case that book would have to be Sub-Mariner #38. ComicConnect had an issue up for bid. It was labeled a 9.6 but had a 9.8 on the universal blue label. It was also a double cover and a pedigree. It was the book I was clamoring for. I placed my bid and kept the number one spot until 2 am Friday morning with 17 and half hours to go in the bidding. I did not care that I was first the whole time, just that I was first the last time.
    I already knew the highest I was going to bid and I swore I would not bid over my $300 dollar limit, which change to $410 and then as the bidding was going on in the final throws of passion I hit $500. I was not going to allow this upstart take this book away from me.....and when I said I was quitting at $625 I couldn't resist bidding one more time and my losing bid was $666. Why that number, that jinx of a number. As it would happen, my books, the ones I have to budget at that time I had $666.45 allotted inside my bank account that I could play with. If I had another .55 I would have made the bid $667. That still would not have been enough. By the way, i didn't realize this until after the bidding was over.
    Whoever won I hope you are reading this. Enjoy the book, I applaud you. Although I wanted it and I might have gone a little higher if I were at home bidding and instead of sneaking it off at work you fought and won your prize. I hope you are so inclined to add it to a registry set because I would hate to think that you won this book only to put it in a box and not brag about it because you so deserve to brag about it. One day you might tire of it and if you do, you know where to find me.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  20. Tnerb
    This might be the best way to get answers but it doesn't always work.
    For the longest time I was frustrated that my journals were not being placed on the chat boards. I wrote about this in three different journals. I am hoping since this one is entitled Pt.4, that you already realized this and might even go and read those. Gemma has been a great help at my time of greatest hindrance and recently I have had a great many journals apply themselves to the chat boards.
    I don't always add a photo to my journals but I always use the Message Boards Login box. I check it off and my User Name and Password are already remembered so it can't be said that maybe I incorrectly typed something in that area. My latest few journals are not in the chat board area and I didn't know completely why. I did everything the same as I always have. Gemma asked me how I added my journals. I told her I wrote them in word, and then cut and paste in here. She asked me a few other questions too. I answered them all; she seemed really concerned with my aggravated attempts to post to the chat boards.
    There are times I ask question and want answers. I feel that there are some who would be more willing to answer in a chat forum then they would by sending me an e-mail. I do crave both. On one of the journals I wrote something simple. In Not for Sale I wrote something just to make sure I could get into the chat boards....
    http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&;amp;Number=5225934#Post5225934 (After edit...this link didn't work)
    which is much different than the journal itself.....
    http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/JournalDetail.aspx?JournalEntryID=9767
    Any edit that you do apparently will not make its way to the chat board area. As you can see the chat board journal is different than the actual journal. Why is that? I love getting replies, and the chat boards could be considered a mass reply because anyone can comment on it, including myself. I am hoping that this issue will be completely resolved but I felt I had to write this because in the journal by miraclemet asked a question and there is no way to publicly answer and I am unsure if he hit the box to discuss on the chat boards and the following journal by Clouded9 who I still owe some pictures of my ASM #129 stated that this is the best way to get your own questions answered. I for one am sorry to say sometimes that just isn't the case.
    Plus I would love to answer Hammershipdown publicly due to my issues with stolen comic books. I now have the item shipped with a signature required, ship it to my father's house, or fed ex. If you need my father's address I can give it to you. Now, as I finish, I hope when I check the message boards login....that it will work. (After edit...I checked nope, no chat boards again.)
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    PS. as for the auction I.....
  21. Tnerb

    A 2 Million Dollar Comic

    By Tnerb,

    I wonder if the original owner of this comic book had a mother say to him, "It will never be worth anything"
    Wednesday, November 30th; sometime after the sun went down on the eastern coast of the Unites States, ComicConnect.com broke another record for the highest price paid for a comic book in the form of Action Comics #1. Previously they sold an 8.0 copy for one million dollars, the first comic book to sell for such an amount. A couple days later a rivalauction.com sold a copy of Detective Comics #27 for slightly over that million dollar mark ($1,075,500). This book took over the record spot for a few months that was until ComicConnect once again auctioned off another copy of Action Comics #1. This one was grade an 8.5 and sold for a whopping 1.5 million dollars (C'mon say it in the Dr. Evil voice). Once again they took over the world record. All three of these books were graded by CGC and PGX has yet to have any book sell for that illustrious amount.
    Once it was revealed that ComicConnect was to auction off another copy of Action Comics #1, this time a CGC grade of 9.0; the highest graded copy to date. This particular issue is famous enough since it was recently recovered by police; speculated to be lost forever.
    Will another one ever surface? Will Tek27 rise to the occasion and take over the record or will The Batman be satisfied with the thought that he can kick Superman's with some Kryptonite?
    Before I went to bed and when the auction was winding down to the final five hours I noticed the bid was the same as what was reported by Fox News only a few days earlier at $1,306,000. In the amount of time I slept the book jumped to the final tally of $2,161,000, or an increase of a little over $160,000 an hour.
    When an e-mail first appeared in my inbox letting me know about the future auction I guesstimated the book would sell between 2 and 2.5 million dollars. The 2.161 it sold for fell directly in that range, although I did think it would be closer to the 2.5 than the 2.
    I wonder if it was an individual or a corporation who parted with their millions for this historic book and if it was purchased to be added to the registry or to be sold for a future investment.
    This is a book I know I will never own. This choice of not owning this book derives not from lack of funds (for a .5 copy of which 3 CGC graded copies exist; 2 are Signature Series) but lack of desire. Of course that might change like it did for Amazing Fantasy #15. I never wanted that book until I held a CGC graded 1.8 copy that belonged to a fellow collector. I was lucky enough to be picking my books up at Wizard World 2010 at the same time he was. It was these precious few seconds that I fell in love with the idea of owning that book in any grade.
    DD#1 I would like to won in a 9.0 or greater. Tek27 I could care less about but having a high grade copy of Batman #232 I might consider. As a collector I wonder what type of display the Action Comics #1 will be shown off on. Will it be framed and hung on a wall? Will it be placed in the center of a room on a Romanesque pedestal surrounded by lethal lasers? Maybe it will be loaned to museums across the country or will it be placed in a safe only to be taken out and looked at on the anniversary of its purchase.
    If it was purchased as an investment I wonder how many years will the owner(s) have to keep the book before they try to get a return on their investment (10,15,25,50....more?)?
    In "The World According to Garp" the main character bought a house directly after a plane crashed into the upper floors. His reasoning was that all the bad stuff had already happened to the house, what could go wrong now. This book was already stolen and missing for ten years....what else could happen?
     
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  22. Tnerb

    What a Month...

    By Tnerb,

    Another 30 in 30 finished.
    Yesterday I finally had my invoices changed to "Scheduled for Grading" and what person doesn't love seeing that change. Sure it might still be a few weeks before my status is changed to "Graded" but as I said before I am OK with that. I have both my Stan Lee Signature series sitting waiting for me at Comics To Astonish. I am going to wait for my third one to return with the John Romita Signature on my ASM #127.
    I have two days left to bid on my mystery book. I have a couple backups if I lose and then I have to start to hanker down on my spending. There are other things I want. The car is not the first choice, just the most expensive. I also want to set up a systematic way to save. I have one way now but it isn't good enough....but maybe a variation of it.
    I never did my 50 to send in. After being shown what to look for in more detail than I ever knew I realized that they might not get that 9.8 I would be hoping for. I should pick up a magnifying glass and look over each book as carefully as possible. Let's be honest how many of us just look at the front cover missing things in the back...or the center. I should pick ten at random and grade them, send them in and compare. Of course i would post them so people can call me on fibbing...including myself.
     
    Thank you for coming along for the ride these past thirty days. Hope you enjoyed the journey.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  23. Tnerb

    Closing on 500

    By Tnerb,

    Closing in on another milestone
    My ranking was teetering around 550 for the longest time. I noticed I was slightly behind Surfer99 and then jumped ahead with a few different purchases (Ka-Zar the Savage as the major addition). I realized although Surfer99 and I collect differently we were right with each other in the standings. I was pleased hitting 515 leaving surfer behind when suddenly he leaped ahead of me with some amazing X-Men purchases. Currently he is ranked at 488 while I am still at 515. This will change rather quickly.
    2012 is going to be a difficult year or maybe a different year for me. I am going to limit myself to what I am allowed to buy. There will be exceptions and these are what they are:
    1) I am allowed to purchase any of the New Mutants in a 9.8 I don't have.
    2) I am allowed to upgrade any of the New Mutants books I do have to a higher grade from it's current status. This mostly includes upgrading to a signature series but I would not be adverse to adding another 9.9 or hoping for a Gem Mint 10.
    3) I am limiting myself to one book a month (this book cannot be transferred to the next month and also does not include conventions.)
    4) I am allowed to send in any of my own books to CGC for grading.
    5) I can violate #3 if and only if I get funds from books I sold.
    I need the exceptions because without them I would falter. This will not be easy but as Surfer99 has told me I have to stop buying comics and save for a new car (not a direct quote but close enough). I am thinking about using him as my sponsor for my support group. Just kidding, I am not addicted; I can stop at any time.)
    Fortunately the car is something I want and not something I need. I narrowed my car choices down to two (unlike my choices for my Stan Lee Signature Series books I wanted. I have started to change my budget by adding a phantom spot for December while increasing what I'll need for auto insurance. If I continue to do this through July and actually put that money away not only will I be reassured I can afford it with the monthly payments but I might just have enough money for a nice down payment for when I am ready to make the purchase next year.
    Thanks for Reading
    @Surfer99.... Thank you for your support
    Tnerb
  24. Tnerb

    Burning a Hole

    By Tnerb,

    I am dying to spend some money.
    I can't wait till the end of Comicconnect's auction on Friday. In fact I want it to end now just so i know if I will win or lose the book that I want. The money in my pocket is brning a hole and after all the sales this weekend after Thanksgiving I am surprised I didn't buy anything. I have been dying to get a PS3 since they came out but feel what is the point without a HDTV.
    The DD #168 I was watching just ended on eBay and that book sold for $535. I didn't bid on this item because of what I am watching in ComicConnect's auction. I was ready to bid $450 but refrained in case I won. I can spend that amount on one book since I lost the bidding for the original artwork, but I cannot bid that amount on each of the two books I want.
    I will bid on the morning of the last day of the auction and hope for the best. The auction ends when I am at work. I will be in the middle of my shift and if I can't have an emergency bathroom break I know that this book might also pass me buy. If I am not mistaken though when a bid is placed in the last three minutes another three minutes are added and in this instance it might give a person pause whether they really want it or not. For me at least it is easier to splurge on a book when I budget for it.
    I am slightly anxious I am going to lose. I felt this way before when I was bidding on the New Mutants #1 in a 9.9. I know I shouldn't because I also know if I lose...I lose and I am OK with that.....I think. This book might be closer to a OAK book than I would care to mention. Currently I am still the number one holder of this book and would claim a miracle if I could win it at this nominal price. I guess by Saturday we will know the outcome.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  25. Tnerb

    Ending of an Auction

    By Tnerb,

    Which one is worth more to me?
    Later today one of the books I have been wanting for a seriously long time will be ending on eBay. I checked the going bid an hour before my shift ended and found that Daredevil #168 in a 9.8 is going for $504.00 with a half a day left to go. I would have placed a bid since I lost the piece of artwork but there is something else that I want.....and I think I want it more than this.
    It will be another five days before h auction closes and I am currently the high bidder. I expect this to change within two days. At this time I will have to refrain from taking the bid back over until the last moments. Unlike eBay I will not be able to win but I hope my bid will be enough to give another person pause and humble bow out.
    I have checked the book on the GPA, but it has been a while since this book sold in this caliber. I have an idea what i want to pay for it, which could be a lot more than it is worth but then again if I pay that much for it isn't it worth that amount. Could this be considered a paradox? If I win this it will be the last book of the year, provided one of the remaining New Mutants doesn't surface that I need.
    If I lose that means I will have a bit more money in my account and do I squirrel that away for some other purchase or find some last minute thing to bid on. I still have to pay off Comics to Astonish for two more books, and my father for the small loan he gave me to insure my comics, and a few frames I want to get for some artwork (I love Evil Inc.) I will also have the full month of December to budget for the coming year my CGC collection. If anyone has any ideas I am all set to listen.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    PS. You still have 3 and half days to bid on Action Comics #1
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.