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Tnerb

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Journal Entries posted by Tnerb

  1. Tnerb
    Wow, a week really goes fast.
    My first two books signed by Stan Lee were signed and graded so quickly I was ASTONISHED (how many Marvel adjectives can I get into this journal.) I hoped, prayed, and expected my second two books to be expedited just as quickly. It was AMAZING how wrong I was. I waited and waited. I checked over and over, it was almost like CGC was keeping it a SECRET. Finally on a Tuesday morning my books went from verified to ?scheduled? for grading. I cheered out loud and felt SPECTACULAR.
    It is UNCANNY. As I started to write this journal on paper at work in the wee hours of Wednesday morning (no new books today) I still decided to go downtown to see my father. Occasionally he has the odd job for me. We had coffee and we conversed, he doesn't get comic books but he loves that I love them. As I left the rain cascaded down from the clouds and I thought that it was a good thing the comic books were pushed back a day. On my INCREDIBLE journey home I immersed myself with the technology I had at my disposal with my i-pod for music and my phone (portable mobile device) for texting to friends. Sadly I would rather be reading the NEW Daredevil due out.
    I checked my mail when I got home for any sign of delivery for something from e-bay. There was nothing. I opened my computer deciding to check before I go to bed, saw a journal by Lee K which I had to read right away (Thank you very much, also the reason why I decided to post this on the 1st of December and not wait a week). The status for my books had changed. It was SENSATIONAL, they were now graded. I finished writing this journal on paper to this point then checked out the results and my New Mutants achieved a 9.6 (I was thinking 9.4) with White pages and my Avengers a 5.5 Cream to Off-White pages. I like the grade for the New Mutants, I am still undecided about how I feel for the Avengers #57, maybe when it is in my hands I will know, now I just need to wait for them to be shipped back home to me.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
  2. Tnerb

    Approaching 10,000

    By Tnerb,

    Reaching another Milestone
    I have four more comic books coming my way. Three are for my collection and the fourth is to be a decorative gift for my best friends (soon to be) game room. I still use the books I get him for my registry points. These four will put me directly over (if only slightly) the 10,000 mark. Currently I am at 9900, unless of course there is an immediate point change due to any new algorithms. The most recent one that I had changed (without me doing anything) was my New Mutants #98 in a 9.6.Mmy next best chance would be the X-men books I have, but either way 10,000 points is an achievement to me.
    As I started to register my books I added the main one I was collecting. There are still a few I have that I didn?t put on the registry. This was done for a couple reasons. The first one is the points for these books are dismal. I really don?t want to start a set with Spider-Man #1 poly-bag edition with a Universal 9.0 for only 15 points and the second reason is I don?t plan on keeping them.
    Then there are the others I have that don?t have a set available (X-Infernus). Of course once these sets are created I will add them to the registry. I was overjoyed when they added the New Mutants (2009) as a set. Points are not the issue for my main collecting perposes since I am only chipping away 25 points at a time. When I finally get a high grade Daredevil #7 the points will catapult me even higher in the standings (not to mention the more affordable issues between #158 and #191) but until then I am happy with my rank and that I?m approaching 10,000.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb

  3. Tnerb

    My Holy Grail

    By Tnerb,

    It is finally part of my Collection
    When I first decided to collect CGC graded comic books (April 2009, maybe March) there was one issuue I knew I just needed to have. Unquestionably that comic book was New Mutants #15. There are certain things in life that if one thing didn?t happen, then many consecutive consequences of life wouldn?t happen. For instance: you never would have read any of my journals if I never picked up a CGC book which wouldn?t have happened if I never went to Wizard World 2007. Subsequently I never would have went to this convention if I never collected comic books which honestly never would have happened if I didn?t walk into the 7-11 and buy that copy of New Mutants #15.
    I looked on E-bay (which at that time was the only place I knew to look) for encapsulated comic books. I typed in the search are and found nothing?no issue #15. I was already a member of the registry but never utilized the website properly, so now it was time to learn. I checked the census and if I remember correctly there were two in a 9.8. One was listed in someone?s set and the other was nowhere to be found. I waited. I searched. I bought others, some even with signatures. I?ve since learned about other sites and continued to bid on or outright purchase more encapsulated books. Some were random picks and others were towards my goal.
    Now less than two years of serious searching, my 177th CGC book (my 86th New Mutants book in a CGC 9.8 or better I finally have my holy grail (thanks to Stephen at WWW.WWComics.com) I still need 23 more in a 9.8 or better (my Graphic Novel is only a 9.4, does anyone know where I can get one in a 9.8 white pages and one of those 9.8?s has a signature but Off White to White pages, issue #19). I want to get the best possible, only if I could find a few more 9.9?s (or if the second person who has that New Mutants #1 as a perfect Gem decides they no longer need it) but I do believe at the moment they do not exist, so I guess I will have to look for that Daredevil #7 in a 9.0 or better.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb

  4. Tnerb

    Guilt by Association

    By Tnerb,

    Price Guides (part 4 of 3)
    Every year I buy the newest price guide by CBG, I still need to pick up the 2011 guide. I could pay the monthly fee to join GPAnalysis but am yet unwilling to pay such an annual fee (12months X $10.00 = $120.00/or two 9.8 graded comic books) that is until I can afford it. At the moment I will continue to use the annual guide, e-bay, and other internet auction sites and use my guilt by association philosophy.
    What is guilt by association? Admit it you were thinking of asking. I figure if another book sells for an amount then all other books equal to that book are also worth the same amount. For instance, when my ASM #129 was graded 9.2 with White pages I wanted to know how much it was worth. I saw various copies sell between $500 and $750. Seeing this; I thought it was a safe assumption my book was worth $625. I could also multiply using CBG?s guide except it doesn?t work. My New Mutants in a 9.8 are an average of $55 a piece (my purchase price) which is much higher than using CBG?s method.
    Anyway my 9.2 was changed to a 9.4 (I don?t know how) when I sent it to CGC to get Stan Lee?s Signature. So how do I get what it is worth now? CBG does now have a sliding scale for this, so I hoped to find one being sold or sold. Imagine my surprise when I saw a copy in the same condition signed by Stan ?The Man? Lee for $2500. I could only be happier if it actually sold (of course the person selling it would probably be happier than me), and you have my theory of guilt by association.
    At the time I bought my New Mutants #1 in a 9.9 there was nothing to compare it to. I had a price in my head and would not go over. I spent $100 less than the amount I set aside. Soon after two more sold for even less than what I spent. So what is my book worth now? Is it worth what I spent? Is it worth less? Maybe somewhere in the middle? How can you get a price when there are no records? The final result comes down to two things, how much are they willing to sell it for and how much are you willing to pay?
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    Ps. When I wrote and posted Price Guides Part one I was contacted by nicholasvu and we exchanged a few messages. In these messaged he was very helpful and agreed that the books we buy are only worth what we are willing to buy them for, and other followed after with the same opinion. Thank you to everyone who wrote me on this topic.
  5. Tnerb

    Price Guides (3 of 3)

    By Tnerb,

    The Ultimate Question???
    I stood at a newsstand rack (and are they even called that anymore) in Venter City Philadelphia biding my time until my LCS opened at ten. On Rittenhouse Square, the Barnes and Noble was open, warm, and had a coffee shop. As I waited (with coffee in hand) I looked over magazines and comic books. I picked up three; ?Wizard? was one of them. As I made my way through articles, interviews, and ads I reached the price guide. I saw one book at one price and I put the magazine away. It was ludicrous.
    The book they mentioned was grade by CGC and part of the Signature Series (although the picture they showed was a universal 9.8). They said it sold for $6,601.00. Currently there are 41 Signature Series in a 9.9 on the census. The thing is with the Signature Series there is no documentation on who signed it, but it would be a safe assumption that at least 25 of these were signed by Rob Liefeld, which Wizard also stated was the signature on this $6,601.00 comic book.
    How would you feel if someone told you that you had a comic book worth that much? I know I would be overjoyed if I had a 9.8 New Mutants #98 Signature Series, and if I didn?t I might try to buy one before the market place reflected the guide price. I would probably think I was getting a bargain at $300.00.
    Now, how would you feel if I told you ?Wizard? was wrong? It wasn?t a 9.8 Signature Series that sold, it was a 9.9. There are only three of these on the census and only one of those 3 is signed by Rob Liefeld. Of course if this mistake remains uncorrected it could create a desire to won this book in a 9.8 Signature Series and inflate the book greater than it?s worth.
    I understand a reputable (snicker) magazine printed he price but I would figure an Editor would tell whoever wrote that a 9.8 Rob Liefeld Signature Series sole for $6,601.00 (I know I mention the price a lot, I still find it astounding) should double check. How do I know about this? The simple reason is I wanted this book. I created a budget which allowed me to bid up to a $10000. Unfortunately, that was the exact amount of the opening bid.
    If the ?Wizard? price guide could make a mistake on this book, how many others do they make errors on? What guide is better? What guide is garbage? Are on-line guides better than paper guides? Is an Annual guide good enough? And then there is the one thing we tend to forget?.these are price ?guides? not price fact. The bottom line is a book is only worth what you are willing to pay for it.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
  6. Tnerb

    Price Guides (2 of 3)

    By Tnerb,

    Is one better than another?
    I try to investigate on how much a book is worth before I buy it. I have the Comic Buyer?s Guide that comes out every year. This is update once and I?m wary how reliable it is. I stopped collecting the monthly publication since they put a lot of features I like online instead of in print; they still have the price guide in the back which is a bit more current. I also use Heritage Auctions (HA.com), they seem to have a good data base and I can see what things sold for or what they are selling for. E-bay is another great tool to see how the market fluctuates.
    However, the buy it now prices seem to reflect what the seller wants and not what the comic book is worth. There are a lot more places (these are the primary three I use) that helps dictate what a book is worth (sells for). Of course it doesn't matter if a book is marked a couple hundred dollars (or thousands) if a buyer is not willing to buy it. It could be marked too high and sit on the shelf (real or digital) for years.
    Last year I received my ASM #129 signed by Stan Lee. I wanted to know how much it was worth and checked out E-bay to get an idea. I was fortunate because someone else had listed the same exact grade with the same exact page description. Everything was identical, except I liked where there signature was located better than mine. The book was labeled under the ?buy it Now? for $2500.00. This is great for insurance documentation but is my book worth this?
    And then after it sells will these prices guides adjust for this sale. Will CBG make a notation? Will Wizard? Overstreet?s? And if so how will it reflect the market? And why is it worth so much? The grade? The signature? Both? And what happens if these guides get the facts wrong?
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb.
  7. Tnerb

    Price Guides

    By Tnerb,

    Which one do you use?
    I never understood how one price guide could have one book listed at one price and another guide could have the same book in the same condition at a different price. When I was collecting comic books in my teens ?Overstreet?s? was the guide to use. I was overjoyed when they began to publish a magazine every month.
    Wizard came into the industry like a magazine created by executives who cared nothing about comic books and only wanted a large bottom line. It seems they have succeeded beyond their dreams. Each magazine was filled with news, teasers, ads, interviews, and a price guide. It was so successful that ?Overstreet?s? changed from monthly to quarterly, and now back to their annual book. I collected both religiously. I felt that?Overstreet?s? had the better price. This was probably because I was young and impressionable and the comic book shop I frequented used it as their bible. ?Overstreet?s? was consistent. Wizard? fluctuated greatly. Bottom line was did I want my collection to be worth something or just pretend it was.
    I know it felt good to have a desired book be worth something. My most desirable key issue was The Incredible Hulk #181 (I since sold this). It wasn?t a high grade but it is the 1st appearance of Wolverine. I always checked this one and one other. This other one I still have. I had it graded (a 9.2 White pages) and then regarded with Stan Lee?s signature. It was given a ?9.4? Off-White to White pages but how much is it worth? And what guide do I use to find out?
     
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  8. Tnerb

    Just a Curiosity

    By Tnerb,

    How Much?
    How much do you spend on new books? How much do you spend to get your book graded? Graded with a signature? How much do you spend on books already graded? How much do you spend in a week? A month? A year? Is it on one book? Or hundreds? I have tried to keep the best possible records of what I have but I have lost count on what I?ve spent. If I calculated properly I spent at least $1000 in the month of December on CGC graded books. I spent about the same amount the previous two months, combined. This of course does not include new books.
    I do my best to budget and in doing so I looked over the past six months and this number, this dollar amount is staggering. Once again this number that I have spent is only what I have spent on graded books (or books I sent to have graded). I keep trying to take a month hiatus from collecting these encapsulated pieces of paper, which is now looking to be February instead of January, but now I am curious. How much am I spending? On books? On CGC? On taxes?
    I purchased a book to keep better track of what I needed to make purchases easier for when I head out to conventions. I decided to purchase the same kind of book to document how much I spend for the year 2011. I know I will be spending a lot more on graded books than I will be on new reading material but when all is said and done it will be interesting to look back and see how much I spent, and on what? So this year is the year. If its comic related I will keep track of it. Let?s see how I do.
    Thanks for Reading.
    Tnerb
  9. Tnerb
    Has it really been over 2 1/2 months?
    As much as we all do, we wait. We look over our comic books and send in a few that we want someone to say this is what the grade is in the hope of achieving the best grade. Normally this is done through the Post Office. We package them up and wait for the notification that they arrived at CGC. In my case I sent two invoices of two comic books each in. They were separated by tier of service, and they were to be signed by Stan Lee. They were in early so I had to wait. I received my first two comic books in record time. I could not believe my good fortune on the quick turnaround time I had received. I expected and hoped that the second would follow a week later. It didn?t so the next week I expected it and it still didn?t show. I waited. I checked the list again to see if I was mistaken and it did not say grade but you?re ducked?it didn?t. So day after day I checked and rechecked and checked again?..I mean seriously was I actually now checking twice a day.
    Now the signing was in October, late October. They received the books on the 8th of that same month. So I decided to call and find out where they were in mid December. I mean I was really hoping for a gift to myself much like another journalist on here. My answer was simple, that they got a lot of books and we are backed up and it will be out shortly. Pretty much they had no idea. I mean once it is in the graded process, isn?t that it? I would understand if it said Scheduled for Grading but this said Graded?.past tense, finished, done, thank you for your business?..and I waited.
    I checked again the week before Christmas, and again the next day. I even checked Christmas Day and days I knew they were closed. I was shaking. Drool was exiting my mouth and I feared that this was what an addict goes through when reaching their withdraw symptoms. Christmas passed and I checked again. I still found nothing, just that single one word tease?.graded. Then I got busy. New Year?s Eve was upon us and I worked 16 hours straight. New years day I slept half of that straight through, woke up, ate, and then slept some more for the coming night. I forgot about checking. Since then I have looked over a few things on the registry but forgot what the word graded looked like so today, before writing this very journal I checked again and the words mystified me?..What doe Shipped/Safe mean anyway?
    Thanks for reading.
    Tnerb
  10. Tnerb

    166 and counting

    By Tnerb,

    My last journal of the year.
    The one thing I loved to do was count my comic books. When I filled a box I felt like I accomplished something. Of course I wanted to have more comic books than anyone I knew?.which was actually easy. About four years ago I had to condense my collection. In other words get rid of a lot of stuff. The problem is what goes and what stays. Too much went and not much stayed. This allowed me to start over though. To see what I wanted to collect. Do I go back to coins or Baseball cards? Do I continue with my shot glasses or my affinity for Star Wars? And then what about those four color books I love so much.
     
    I was content on just getting new books, reading them, bagging and boarding them, and then storing them away. I did this from my local comic book store (no longer in business) and felt that it was time to immerse myself into my hobby again. I went to Wizard World 2007 and found a whole new side to my hobby, a side I realized I didn?t hate but rather enjoyed. Of course a comic book ?slabbed? away is akin to Han Solo in carbonite. I got used to the idea though and in April of 2009 I started all over again, this time with New Mutants #1 instead of #15. I have since upgraded that 9.8 to a 9.9 and would upgrade to a 10 if I could.
    I counted my comic books again, something I have not physically done in an untold amount of years, but only the ones that CGC had graded. My ?raw? comic books are still among the unknown. Sure I have 98 percent listed in my database, but there is something about going through my books and picking out a book to read again. The nostalgia is sometimes overwhelming. I have no nostalgia from these books in hardened plastic other than the memories there original counterparts have hardwired into my brain. I have 4 boxes now and an uneven amount that would fill a fifth box, this totals the 166 I have now. Can I double this by next year and why doesn?t any local place sell CGC boxes?
    Anyway?.
    I want to wish everyone reading this a Happy New Year, because let?s face it, if you are not reading this then there is no way to convey those well wishes hence why I am only wishing it to those who are now reading it. Does that make any sense? To any and everyone that has written to me? I thank you. To Bagofleas, may this year be the year you complete the series we both love. To Surfer 99, thank you for the issue numbers of all the X-men after X-men and before X-men?I do plan on getting those, but to read only. To Lee K, keep journaling I love what you write. To Col. Cauley, Wife, and Sons?..you will be in my prayers?and to Best2u and Triskelion, thank you all for making me enjoy collecting so much more.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    Happy 2011
  11. Tnerb

    A Christmas Wish List

    By Tnerb,

    All I want for Christmas is......
    Dear Santa,
    It?s been awhile since I wrote you a letter, in fact this is my first one so I am hoping you might think that you never got me anything for Christmas as an oversight and not because I was Bar Mitzvah?d at 13. I did meet you once when I was a child at a Macy?s and I was able to pick a present for myself of the shelf. It was a prison cart based off of the movie ?Planet of the Apes?. I loved that toy for a full two weeks before losing pieces of it and then forgetting it altogether in the backyard before a snowstorm. It was like Christmas all over again when the spring thaw arrived, but truth be told I think my parents paid for it.
    I love how you take the time out of your busy schedule to visit, malls, hospitals, and even street corners. Of course I see you outside Wal-mart more than any other place. It is amazing how I can drive by one store and then see you a half an hour later outside a Target. It is so nice you do not discriminate. I guess things are difficult even for you with the economical crisis. I see you act more and more over the years. My favorite is the old black and white vintage ?Miracle on the 34th St.?, that one is so much better then the remake, I must say you age extremely well. Then there are the commercials you do, my favorite one is when the M&M?s finally realize you do exist.
    I was hoping you could check out my registry and take note of all the New Mutants I still need in a 9.8 with white pages. I am not expecting you to get me any of them but if you could at least have someone notify me where I could get them then that would be enough. Thank you Santa, and have a Merry Christmas and a safe New Year.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  12. Tnerb

    Man without Fear #513

    By Tnerb,

    Jumping off the band wagon
    New writers and new artists come and go. Characters change with the talent of these people. Sometimes they fail, like Daredevil #321, I am sorry the metal costume was lame. Of course sometimes they succeed like issues #158 to 291. I think I am sort of biased there. They even relaunched Daredevil with a #1 by Kevin Smith, they ripped him apart and sent him to jail and even returned to the original numbering. Every issue starred Matt Murdock, the man without fear. They have changed the title in the past to Daredevil and Black Widow(way before I collected the title...or comic books for that matter) but now I am perplexed.
    The title will no longer have Daredevil in it, the book won't have him in it either. Instead of allowing Daredevil to continue his long run, the people at Marvel are shaking things up and continuing the Man Without Fear with the Black Panther. I was appalled(still am) when I first heard this. I mean, how could they?
    I am almost done this series. I only need 5 more out of the 512, so now what. I am not a Black Panther fan, I still collected the Fantastic Four when he was on the team with his wife Storm (what a sham that is). I only continued to collect the title because I was hoping for clues to what was going to happen next, in my opinion they didn't disappoint, and they were gone rather quickly. This is Daredevil though. Storm is back with the X-men and the Black Panther is going to run a diner in Hell's kitchen. This is worse than a married couple in separate beds.
    Is Storm going to visit the pages of The Man Without Fear?Is the Black Panther going to move to the West Coast as Matt Murdock did all those years ago to be close to Natasha? Are the two even still married or did they separate ala Spider-Man and Mary Jane?
    Back when Marvel was the new kid on the block it was common for the title to change by the numbering to stay the same, an example would be Journey into mystery becoming Thor. They did this because they thought readers wouldn't start over with a number one. I think the 90's proved this philosophy wrong. My thing is why not just start the Black Panther over again with a number one and leave Matt Murdock in his own title instead of spinning him off into a limited series.
    Are they doing this because they feel the Black Panther would be good in Hell's kitchen? I think it would be better to have T'Chilla join Storm in the X-men. Can you imagine the testosterone between him and Namor. Just even mention the Illuminati and T'Chilla could tell Namor "I told you so".
    Now since this is a CGC website and not a complain about Daredevil site, what do I do now. Issue #513 is due out soon(today actually) and I have no idea if I should pick it up (I didn't). I have always thought about just waiting for trade paper backs on a lot of the new stories, I mostly do this with DC. But what if I stop collecting this series, wait for the Trade and just collect them in a 9.8. Sure I won't have had the experience month after month of finding out what is going on, and I will have to wait about 8 months just to read six issues, but I will be able to read those six issues at once. Can I do this, will I have the will power to wait? And then what do I do when Daredevil comes back to the book?
    Will Marvel do this again? Will the Amazing Fly take over for Spider-Man? Will the Uncanny Rom move the X-men out of the way? I even tried a video blog which I have posted on my Facebook page. I wish I could share it here but I hope I am able to link it properly, if not and you are interested, please send me a message and I will show you how to connect.
    http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=469628864498
     
    Thanks for reading.
    Lee
  13. Tnerb

    Life After Mutants

    By Tnerb,

    With the New Mutants that are available dwindling to numbers I don't need, what's Next?
    Daredevil #168 is one of my pivotal issues. It was the first comic book I collected the issues surrounding it before getting the issue itself. All the Miller Daredevil issues from #158 to #191 were purchased from the same location, ComiCards. Dane the owner pointed out those books for me to collect once I asked him what good books were around. I bought issue after issue starting with the cheapest (in this case only $3.00, I think it was issue #171) I did this gradually by purchasing the issues in order by its price (if it was the same price I chose by cover) until I finally was able to afford issue #168 (at the time I paid a whopping $35.00, as a teenager that was a lot of money.)
    I am older now and $35.00 is not so much money anymore. New books are between three and four dollars, most recently a book I purchased (Ultimate Spider-Man #150) was 5.99. These days at a good convention $6.00 could buy ten back issues from the 80?s, or maybe even five from the 70?s. The condition for the latter of course would be less than ideal but aren?t we buying them to read in the first place.
    When CGC first came around I didn?t know about them. I didn?t realize what an impact they created within the collecting community. My first realization was in 2007 at Wizard World Philadelphia when I purchased my first couple CGC books. The first one was Secret War #2, the one with the black cover with Wolverine. I paid $25.00 and I hadn?t currently read the series, I picked those up the same weekend. The second one I purchased was a 9.0 copy of Daredevil #90. This one only cost me $20.
    The 9.8 I purchased because I quickly realized quickly that this book was as close to pristine as affordably possible. I didn?t see a 9.9 or 10.0, but then again maybe I wasn?t looking. I purchased my first New Mutants in a 9.8 a couple years later with issue #1 at a local convention in 2009. This started me to collect my favorite series once again. I then used E-bay, trying out Worldwidecomics.com, added heritage Auctions to the mix and I created the number two set in this series on the registry. I still have a few more I can get before I am forced to stop, or at least slow to a crawl.
    This poses my next question. What do I collect in the meantime? I should have collected the Longshot?s when I had the chance. My desire to get them cheaper only led me to losing out. I?d also like to finish the Secret Wars from the 80?s. I added an Amazing Spider-Man Set (100-200) because of the issue #129 I have, so that is an option, the other option is to go back to what Dane recommended all those years ago, Daredevil.
    The easiest and most satisfying will probably be those Miller issues again. The newer issues are cheaper but they don?t hold a place in my heart as the stories that made Matt Murdock my favorite solo superhero. The problem is when I am ready to start do I begin with Daredevil #168 or do I work my way around it and follow in my foot steps from so long ago.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  14. Tnerb

    Adding up Points

    By Tnerb,

    It is like sports....the person with the most points wins.
    I am going to lose my place in the registry. I have been climbing in the rakes but I am about to lose my standing. I have slowly been making the climb towards the 500 tier, I have been steady in the 600 tier ever since I broke 700. It?s not that difficult. All you need is either the right book, or a lot of them.
    I have not yet updated my ASM #129 because not only do I wish to call CGC about it, I am waiting for some of my graded books to sell and then I will be able to deduct them from my registry. Once this is done the ASM #129 will at least keep me around the same point structure. I never thought or cared about points until someone brought up the point structure of a book being close to what they pay for a book, another mentioned that they pay twice the point amount on modern books. Hence a book worth 25 points, he?ll pay 50 dollars.
    I can understand wanting a high point amount for key issues and hot books. I don?t know how often this point structure is update but when I look at New Mutants is worth only 35 points and #16 and #87 are both worth over 100. I would figure that #98 should at least be over that amount since it is graded as much as #87. They both have first appearances, in fact #98 has three.
    I do collect what I like first but I started to realize I like the points too. I won?t buy something for the points alone but I might look at points to influence a decision to pick up a book earlier than I should, hence keeping me away from purchasing the New Mutants books that still are out there. I am . That is one of the reason?s I am working on selling some books. I want what I want because I want and not because I have. Does that make sense?
    As I was listing on E-bay I didn?t get to list all of them. Time ran out and I had to get work. I was thinking the next day but realized to ship in a proper fashion Tuesday was the best day. I hope to list the rest next week and maybe I will be shipping a few that are up now. Then I can go buy some more, isn?t that what this endless cycle is about.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
  15. Tnerb

    30 in 30 Pt.2

    By Tnerb,

    My Shortest Journal yet...or...I did it! I did it!
    It?s been 30 days and 30 journals, technically 31 since I posted a journal on the 31st of December. I did this to see if I could write a journal everyday and I hoped I was diverse enough in my subject matter. I tried my best to have original titles and did not split one into two by giving it a part one and part two. I did pick up a few that I might have started previously but I think I succeeded in my goal. I posted every day, some journals I had written, some I wrote the night before, and others I just had a title.
    I don?t know if I will do this again, and if I do, it will be a few months before I do, maybe April, or better yet maybe November. Until then I will go back to my original format of every 3-4 days. I am just hoping that I still collect as much as I write. I still have my original goals but I just purchased outside my means, even as I was writing this. I think it was worth it (I will post what I bought after I get them). There are a few other ideas that I do have but I would rather do a bit of research before I post them. Just give me a week, or maybe two
     
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  16. Tnerb

    Checking my Views

    By Tnerb,

    The windows are drawn and the blinds are shut.
    As more and more of my journals reached 100 views I felt accomplished, like I was actually participating on this site. My 30 in 30 experiment allowed for my journals to slip off the recent three a lot quicker than they would have if I kept with the formula I was keeping with. This kept my view count low. I guess this experiment to see if I could do it will now allow me to see if people will go back and read what I have previously written.
    Sure some of them were quick, my grammar was atrocious and I might not have gone into depth about things. There were ideas I has that I did not touch on because I wanted to dedicate myself to those ideas and write properly on them. This (short) journal is 29 and with only one more I succeed in what I wanted to do, so thank you all for reading. Thank you for being patient and a special thank you to Lee K for joining the ride for a little bit.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  17. Tnerb

    New Mutants 2009

    By Tnerb,

    Now all they have to do is get a set for Vol.2
    I am on my way with Volume #1 and only recently noticed that Volume 3 was added, or otherwise known as New Mutants 2009 (sounds like a catchy journal title). I had a few and it has been a few months since I last checked for this particular set on the registry. Thank you Gemma.
    Only 3 people have these sets (I?ll make #4) and already someone has the #1 spot solidified. Looks like I?ll be settling for 2nd place again. There are a few lingering around for this series, as there is for Volume #1. I want to pick up the issues for volume one first and then for the newer series. If I luck out I will be able to purchase a few. This week has been good, being the holiday and all but I want to get some deals too, and a few are available, but now which ones.
    There is something about completing a set and I am closer now then I was in the beginning of the year for the first New Mutants set and I hope to be closer still by the end of the year whether it is one more or six. I am going over my budget and part of me is dying to spend it while the other half is telling me to save it.
    Let?s face it, everyone who reads these journals knows exactly what I am going to do.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  18. Tnerb

    Breaking 600

    By Tnerb,

    I am getting higher up in the food chain.
    I decided to add the ASM #129 signed by Stan Lee into my registry. This shot me into the 500 range (599) and since I didn't sell any of the books I wanted to on E-bay they will be staying in my registry for a little while longer. I have four more books on the way, two of which I can add to my sets, the other two don?t have a set yet (C?mon X-infernus).
    There are a few more I plan on getting in the next couple weeks and since it seems I am getting outside my means I might have to try another one month hiatus in January, unless of course CGC has another Private Signing with Stan Lee.
    Then I have another 56 books set aside for a pre-screen which I have to narrow to 50, the other six I will put aside for another pre-screen. 25 I want to send in for my collection and the other 25 I want to sell. If I am lucky the 25 that I am keeping will catapult me into the 400?s.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  19. Tnerb

    Making Friends

    By Tnerb,

    7 down 13 to go
    I do love this hobby. I always have. The thing was though all those years ago I truly had no one to share it with. My best friend collected but I believe he collected because I did. Years later he collected again but decided eventually against it. I still enjoy it and only stopped collecting for an amount of years because lack of money.
    The registry is a way to see what other people collect. I have noticed twenty people have me on their friends list. I don?t know the terminology especially since you can?t even see who they are until you check out their page. Maybe the registry can change that. I have seven of those people that have me listed and when I find the others I will list them too, besides isn?t that what friends do. They follow and cheer on when you get something, share their thoughts and feeling on their collections even not bid on something that another registry user might want (yes that means you Bagofleas, by the way I owe you an apology).
    If you have listed me as a friend and I do not have you on my list, send me a message. I would love to keep up with your collection as much as you keep up with my journals.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  20. Tnerb

    Working on the Holidays

    By Tnerb,

    Not just Thanksgiving but Christmas too.
    The one thing about serving food on the holidays is that people feel sorry for you. I am hoping this emotional breakdown will release them of their money and add some to the tip when they eat, yes we are open On Thanksgiving day. There are a few New Mutants in a 9.8 that I want to purchase?not to mention a few Civil War issues. Of course if I were to try to get the Civil War issues then I go outside my parameters. I should continue to keep going after any and all New Mutants that I can.
    I also tried to sell a few books too. This didn?t work. I had a few inquiries but that is about it. Should I send them into Heritage and hope for the best, should I start the auction at .99 cents instead of what I want the book to sell for and just set a reserve hoping for the best. It is not that I need to get rid of these books, I don?t. I just want too. Space is one of the reasons why, the other is I would just like to use that money towards more books.
    This Thanksgiving week I have the chance to have one of my best weeks all year. I am picking up a few extra shift, three doubles in a row and I might have the chance to pick up a fourth. Extra money means extra books. I also want to pick up a copy of The Walking Dead in a 9.8 for my best friend, although the book will be his, I am going to hold onto the rights to add it to my registry because I might collect these for him. He loves zombies.
    Either way working for the holidays really helps out with my collection, especially since I am so much past the age of getting money as a gift.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  21. Tnerb

    My 100th Journal

    By Tnerb,

    ...or Finally Hitting a 100 Pt. 3
    Here it is. My 100th Journal, and you are either sick of me writing or you?re wondering what I will write next. As with My 25th Journal (3-27-10), My 50th Journal (7-20-10), and my 75th, uh 76th Journal (10-30-10) I listed my journals not only the ones I liked to write but the ones I hoped others would read as well.
    Recently I talked about my First Submission (11-2-10) and now I am getting ready for my first pre-screen (for real this time). I talked about acquiring two comic books I really wanted (needed) in My First Snipe (11-10-10). Then of course how could I call myself a comic collector without sending in books for My Stan Lee Signature Series (11-12-10). Thank you CGC. I talked about One Year Ago (11-16-10) and even about Adding Up Points (11-19-10).
    I've written so much about what I like and even have taken pieces of what other people have touched base on. Would anyone care to send me a suggestion? Also I want to thank everyone who ever replied to my journals and hopefull you are enjoying my own imposed 30 in 30 (11-1-10) journals.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
  22. Tnerb

    The Price of Gas Pt 2

    By Tnerb,

    The cost keeps going up, so why not take SEPTA.
    One year ago I was visiting another comic book shop to purchase my new releases every week, then they were pushed back to a few days late, and finally coming in a week late, and eventually only promised to arrive. Any retail comic book shop will not last without new books (this one proved my point). Since I wanted new books every week I had to find a new comic book shop to frequent.
    I had the choice of the Garden of Earthly Delights (yes that is the store name) but I didn?t like the vibe of the place. The owner is great, it was one of the employee?s that I felt I bothered when he was talking to another patron about some card playing game (possibly Magik) and barely gave me the time of day. I even asked a few questions and instead of answering properly, I was given easy answers of yes and no and I was told a book I knew came out never came out.
    My next choice was ?Ontario Street Mart? which looks like a one warehouse flea market, but they kept the new releases on a rack and they already had them bagged and boarded for free. The problem was they opened at 12 and since I work nights by the time I got home it would be about one or two O?clock. A great comic book shop though. It was even featured in the movie Unbreakable.
    Another choice was a decent drive away but I stopped going there so very long ago because the proprietor thought I should spend more money in his store which offended me. No thank you I will stick with my New Mutants and no I am not going to purchase Heathcliff. There are a few more but the one I opted for was the one I was lucky to frequent as a kid?..Fat Jack?s
    This shop is one of the furthest away from me that I would frequent with some regularity. If another shop didn?t have a book, it was Fat Jack?s. If I needed a back issue, it was Fat Jack?s, and if I had some extra money, once again it was Fat Jack?s. Fat Jack?s is in Center City Philadelphia. I leave work at 7 every morning on Wednesday and instead of taking my car into the city for the commute (during rush hour traffic) I take the bus. Sure, I still budget the $140 in gas I did a year ago, but ever since Bagged and Boarded, well boarded up, I save that much more in gas. I spend about half of my monthly budgeted amount leaving me a seventy dollar a month surplus.
    I could put that money away. I could collect more comic books, but space is an issue, not to mention I am trying to only collect what I really like and need to read right away (I know I am addicted). This way I can wait and purchase the trade paperbacks when they come out. I figure this will save me space and when the book comes out in a 9.8 white pages I can spend my money on that. Let?s do the math, the cheapest a ?modern/just out? book is about $32.99 each, average trade book out when it hits the shelf $29.99, normal comic book amount in that book 6, formula for money spent 32.99x6 + shipping/handling + 29.99 = so much more than what I am saving in gas.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
  23. Tnerb

    Heritage Auctions

    By Tnerb,

    How Much is that Comic Book in the Window?
    This has been a site I frequent a little too much. I love the selection and the surprises I find here. I do not find many new Mutants in a 9.8, if any copies of New Mutants at all. I do find some X-men and Daredevil comic books though. Sometimes I get so excited I bid without thinking where my money is coming from and sometimes I miss the ?off-white? pages because I am blinded by the 9.8. I recently won an X-men 201 this way. I am still waiting for it to arrive. I won the auction at $33, the buyer?s premium was $14 and the shipping was $7.80.
    I thought to myself I need to stop purchasing these at least for a week when I found myself bidding on a group of three Daredevil comic books in one lot and a solo copy of X-men #181 in the very next auction. The Daredevil books were the main issues I wish to collect between #158 and #191. The X-men book was pivotal because I already got #180 and #182 and this one would complete the one issue hole. I didn?t mean to bid on them, or more importantly I didn't mean to win.
    I was at work when I got the e-mail notice that I lost the Daredevil books and I would need to bid again if I wanted the chance to win. To be honest, since none of the books were a 9.8 it was best that I lost. It?s just sometimes I get so excited about getting the book. The X-men I won was the same amount I won the #201 at, not to mention the same buyer?s premium and shipping costs, which are things I don?t normally add to the price of the book. I think I have to. Sure I was willing to bid $33, and won with that bid but my total was just under $55. So how much did I pay for that book, $33 or $55? Well I just worked a little over 12 hours and now for my down time I am going to check out Heritage Auctions, this time though just to look. Right?
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  24. Tnerb

    The Addiction of it All

    By Tnerb,

    I can stop at any time, can't I?
    The Addiction of it All
    Every time I get a little bit of money I decide I can afford another comic book I want. Every time I spend less in gas for my car I mentally calculate what I can spend on encapsulated books. I do the same in everything else I save money on and instead of putting the money away I am winning another auction.
    I finally saved a couple hundred dollars and then I decide to make an offer on some E-bay items. So far they haven?t accepted, but once this is posted I will either have won or lost at the price I offered. Then there are two books on Heritage,com that I am currently winning. If I win both from heritage and E-bay all the money I had saved will be gone. Everything I placed a bid on I do want, but they are not my priority and I know I should go after what I prioritize.
    I also have been planning on sending in 50 books for a pre-screen and every time I make a purchase (whether a song from i-tunes, a movie from Best Buy, or a comic book) I lose the ability to get those books screened for a 9.8, Although I recently found a way to get that done quickly (thanks to my parents). The books I want to send in are a mixture of books I plan to keep and books I plan to sell.
    I?ll pay back what I owe month by month and if I am lucky will sell enough books to not only pay what I owe but to buy more books (and maybe send some more in). I wish to say I can stop but as long as I have the money I don?t think I will be able too. I try, I really do but once my bills are paid I always feel like I deserve something just for me.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  25. Tnerb

    Asking to Buy

    By Tnerb,

    What is the etiquette?
    It was common to trade baseball cards when I was growing up, normally a one for one trade. We didn?t care how much they were, we only cared who are favorite players were. Besides, the gum was the best. In 1980 the Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series, the next year I wanted all the Philadelphia Phillies cards, unfortunately so did everyone else.
    Of course baseball cards were sold by packs and you would have no idea what you got until you opened them. I put away my cards in a green metal index card holder. The doubles are what I traded away. Eventually I started to collect comic books. There were no doubles (until Rom #72). I knew exactly what it was that I would be picking up, one cover; one story; one book. Of course with all the variant covers today you can?t say the same thing. I never traded comic books, if I wanted something I didn?t have I?d have to go out and buy it.
    Now these books are graded. Some of them only have one available. Does Bagofleas have the right to ask me for the New Mutants #47 I have since currently it is the only one. Then with that thought process can I ask Hitman1099 for him to sell the ?New Mutants? issue #?s I don?t have. Trust me I have thought about it. I just don?t wish to insult him. I realize the worse that he could do is say no, but what is the etiquette?
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb