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Tnerb

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Journal Entries posted by Tnerb

  1. Tnerb

    The Fear of an Obscure Set

    By Tnerb,

    Didn't Halloween pass already?
    I have no problem with people seeing what I am collecting in my sets. It is the reason why I log my comic books on this site. I am proud of what I have. My favorite set I am collecting within at the moment is The New Mutants. Bagofleas currently has the Best in Series and frankly I want him to know I am chasing after his first place spot, although I will be just as happy being in second place right behind him.
    I recently followed a copy of New Mutants #98 in a 9.9 signed by Rob Liefeld. Currently I am following a 9.8 signed by the same artist (same issue). The 9.9 went for an astounding $6,601 dollars. The points however are dismal at only 44 points.
    Back to the title?..and what scares me about an obscure set. For one, if there is someone else collecting this series as diligently as I am then I have to worry about not only being outbid, but for the price of the book to climb to a price it is not worth it. I think this series should average around $45 a book, it doesn?t, and the average is probably about $60.00 with those obscure books reaching $200.
    When I saw The New mutants Annual #5 on e-bay I was ready to bid for it, no matter what, but once I found out another registry member was bidding I decided no too. He only needs a few more books to finish the set, that being one of them. It was safer and cheaper for me to pass?..someone else didn?t think so and won out from under his nose. Now I will have to wait even longer, one for him and one for me.
    The other is I need a lot more books than he does, that means more of a chance for my secret adversary to purchase books. Of course if this is the same person that did purchase that signed 9.9 then hands down he can afford a lot more than I. I have no problem losing out in a bid; I just don?t understand why someone would obscure their set when other registry users (and me) are so proud to display theirs.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
    Next up?.My son?s 18th birthday
  2. Tnerb
    Sometimes I can.... sometimes I can't....
    As much as I don?t get CGC?s complete grading policies I also do not get how to add my journals to Discuss on the Chat Boards. In part one I mentioned about not being able to, by part two CGC made it so I was able too. My problem was even though I checked off all the appropriate boxes I could not get my journals to be applied to the chat boards. I communicated with CGC and they tried to figure out the problem. It was never fully resolved, but they did try. As soon as I gave up and stopped a journal of mine was linked. I have had a few appear on the chat boards but have yet to try again. Some were added, some were not.
    I have not fully explored the chat boards. Part of it is lack of time, the other part is ignorance. I also feel like my voice is a whisper. I can write in the journals what I wish and am read by those that might have a small amount of time to read one person?s thoughts rather quickly opposed to the time one needs to follow a post. I found some of them to be lengthy. Some informative, some full of petty bickering, and some with knowledge. I felt that I was not able to dedicate properly my time to the boards to be an asset to the posts, which is one of the reasons I have decided to take upon my own personal challenge of 30 journals in 30 days.
    I do want to get caught up in the chat boards as much as I get caught up in the journals I just don?t want to go in doing it half-. Does anyone else have these problems with linking their journals to the chat boards or is it just me? Maybe when I am done my 30 in 30 I will take the time to immerse myself into the chat boards and join the registry even deeper, then my journey to the dark side will be complete.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  3. Tnerb

    Selling on Ebay

    By Tnerb,

    I sold one, now can I sell more?
    Selling on E-bay
    This is not easy for me to do. Most of these comic books I bought from Dane when he owned a small comic book shop called ComiCards. Part of me does not wish to part with these and another part of me wants to put it towards a larger purchase. And what better way to honor the memory of Dane by having something I will cherish for the rest of my life. Writing that now makes me feel better for what I am about to do. I am writing this as I am currently scanning my books for sale on E-bay. Some might sell, some might not.
    I picked these 14 because I do not consider them to be part of my collection. Eventually a few I will pick up over again in a better grade, others I am not really worried about. The one I cherish most that I am putting up on E-bay is my Harbinger #0 Pink edition. I thought it would have graded a 9.8, not a 9.6. Here is a list in case you would like to bid. I am entering all books at the minimum I would part with. I got my prices by how much I would like for them averaged with how much I would be willing to purchase them for.
    Spider-Man #1 Poly-bagged Edition 9.0 White Pages
    Unity #1 Gold Edition 9.8 White Pages
    Unity #0 Red Logo Edition 7.5 White Pages
    Harbinger #1 8.5 White Pages Coupon Included
    Harbinger #0 Pink Variant 9.8 White Pages Mail-Away
    Sub-Mariner #38 Apparent 9.4 Off-White Pages Trimmed
    New Mutants #18 9.8 Signature Series Off-White to White Pages Double Signature
    New Mutants #1 9.8 White Pages
    Predator vs. Magnus Robot Fighter #1 Platinum Edition 9.8 White pages (had to buy 100 of these in a regular edition just to get one platinum)
    Secret War #2 9.8 White Pages
    Wolverine #10 9.8 White Pages
    Wolverine #1 9.2 White Pages
    Doomwar #1 variant Cover 9.6 White Pages
    Robin II #2 (3 different covers exist) 9.4 White Pages
     
    If any of these are of interest to you please bid away, if not but you know of someone who would like to bid pass it on. Some were not listed as of this posting due to a good friend stopping by to see if any of his books are worth anything. It was fun to reminisce about some of the old titles and he is even allowing me to read two that I have in 9.9 White pages that I have been dying to read again. The rest will be listed as soon as possible and as always?.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  4. Tnerb

    One Year Ago

    By Tnerb,

    Has it really been that long since My First Journal?
    Every journal I have written to date has been written or thought out before I entered it on the registry. I like to write and the first copy is never the best copy, it is raw, awkward, and emotional. Sometimes this is good. In all my journals I have tried to put a bit of my life in there. I get some comments, no where near I was hoping for but it seems people are reading what I write, and for that I thank you.
    In the beginning of the month I decided to try something, quite possibly for my own stamina. I wanted to know if I could write giving myself a self imposed deadline. 30 journals in 30 days, and so far so good. I have the titles of a few other things I want to write about about, but some of those I might wait till December because I want to concentrate on what I am writing and do some research before I post.
    I hope that everyone that has been following has either been entertained or made to think about the practices of CGC. I don't wish to disparage CGC, in fact I use to loathe the idea of an encapsulated comic book and now I am thinking of continuing to send in my New Mutants as well as starting on my Sandman issues and then even a few I bought to sell. if you like and you are reading this please go through my list of journals, I think I have five pages done now, pick a few that you might like by title and tell me what you think, either way thank you for reading this one and continue to enjoy this hobby we love so much.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    Next up....I have no idea.
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  5. Tnerb

    How does CGC grade?

    By Tnerb,

    I honestly don't know.
    There are books out there that will show the flaws and defects page by page grade by grade. The one that I have is by Overstreet. The full title is ?The Official Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide Third Edition?. I use this to help me with questionable nuances as I grade my own books. I am not an expert. I am an amateur who loves doing this, who absolutely has fun with my hobby and of course wants the best condition possible. Once in a while I get a book that I have purchased already graded by CGC and cannot fathom how they got the grade.
    I have a copy of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #12. The price I thought was pretty good for a 9.8. I would have looked at the picture closely online but figure, hey it is a 9.8 by CGC, and it must be near perfection. It wasn?t. By the Overstreet guide it says a 9.6 could have a partially blunted corner, maybe two. It shows a 9.8 could also have a partially blunted corner, ?one? partially blunted corner. This could and does also refer to corner chips. It shows it could have one corner chip, not two. The guide actually states ?corners are cut square and sharp?. It doesn't say it can have one but shows in the photos with little arrows and pointing to what is wrong. However the book in question I have has two rather obvious corner chips, two not one.
    I have questioned a grade and wondered if a 9.8 was labeled as such just for the sake of a 9.8. I have wondered how a 9.8 could even have something other than white pages. So of course this all could be just my mindless meanderings and complaints. With so many appearances through the convention circuit I would love for CGC to host a panel on grading, to answer some questions for starters. I still believe that comic book guidelines should be stricter. I do love having my comics in a 9.8, but if I start to question the validity of the grade should I not settle for a 9.6 when they are just as nice, not to mention a 9.6 is so much cheaper.
    Am I upset that I considered two books of mine to be a 9.8 and were graded a 9.6, not really, would I have liked a 9.8, yes of course I would. Am I upset that books I purchased as a 9.8 aren?t as crisp as those two 9.6 books, yes I am. Ok not so much upset as I am disappointed, and I wonder what would have happened if I sent those books in grouped in a 50 lot for a pre-screen, would the books have slid through. I like the fact that my Signature series book that I sent in is now coming back as a 9.4, what I don?t like is that it was a 9.2 and that means they either mistakenly graded it the first time or this time. I just wish I knew which.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  6. Tnerb
    Does my title make sense?
    I was sixteen and living at home when my comic book collecting expanded into the world of Matt Murdock. Although my first introduction to this blind super hero was with issue #221 (I was unimpressed), I consider the beginning of my collection with what I dub the Miller years starting with issue #158 and ending with #191. I never would have picked these up if not for the comic books shop owner's (Dane) advisement. Since I recently moved into my father's at this age I was able to make the trek to the comic book shop once a week, normally on a Saturday.
    The new books were on the left hand side of the store separated by company from the front of the store to the back. In the center were the back issues (all bagged and boarded) in order by company, then by title, and on the walls (oh those glorious walls) where there was space would be the back issues that were hot, desirable or both. The register was by the front door, and if a book was sitting patiently on the wall behind the register area, it wasn't meant to be there long. At this age, I didn't think of what was hot, or a possible investment, I paid attention to what I liked....kind of like now.
    This one day, this one glorious day, two covers caught my eye. Covers I never saw before. They were Daredevil #1 and an Amazing Spider-man #129. I asked to see them. Spider-man I have known for a long time but Daredevil was still pretty new to me. My only #1 from the silver age (which honestly I did not know it was the silver age, I just knew it was old) was a copy of Iron man #1. I asked to see the Daredevil #1 first. It was beautiful. I only glanced at it through the bag, I was very afraid of messing it up, and when I asked how much it was, the price was an out of reach $300. I handed it back, somewhat with awe mingled with a little fear. It reminded me of going into a fancy lamp store and I could hear my mother screech "Don't touch anything."
    After handing the book back I asked to see the Amazing Spider-Man #129. It was just as beautiful. This had a price tag of $100. More within my reach, but I did not have the money. I handed the book back, paid for the books I did come to get paying with my allowance. I did have a part time job, but hey, free money from Dad is free money. After leaving the store I walked the two miles home and opened them up in the empty house, which feels like now. My music playing in the back ground, the table cleaned, eating Lucky Charms as I read over my new acquisitions. Those marshmallows really stick when they fall on a page. I wonder if that is noted on my books I got graded at the CGC census.
    After I read my books I tried to figure out how I could get that Daredevil #1. When my father came home from work I asked him, he said no. I asked again and he gave me the same answer. I told him since I was working I would pay him back, he said no. Give up my allowance? No. Please. No.....Pretty please....No. I begged some more, he said no some more. I bartered, I'll clean, I'll take the trash out, I'll do my own laundry, I'll even water the plant. He told me I had to do that anyway...and the answer is still no. by the way, I was never good at watering the plant, so after all that wearing down, from all those questions I asked I was exhausted, and the final answer was no (how did you guess).I finally realized no meant no.
    There was only one way I could get that book, and that was to trade in something else, but what? I looked through my books and grabbed a handful including my Iron Man #1. I went the next day and hoped they were still there, they were. I handed my books over thinking I would get some exuberant amount and buy both. I was naïve. He gave me a cash amount and a higher credit amount. I chose credit. I didn't have enough for the Daredevil #1 but I was close to the Amazing Spider-Man #129. I parted with the comic books and some cash and purchased my first expensive comic book.
    I went home and careful read it, no Lucky Charms this time. I placed it back in the bag and read it once more before finally taking it to Wizard World 2008. I looked it over and would have bet it would have been a 9.4. I didn't ever grade page quality before so I didn't this time either. I got the book back and it was a 9.2 White pages. They told me I could call up in about two weeks and ask about the notes. I never did till recently. The only thing they had on the notes was a color break on the spine which made me form more questions on CGC's grading practices. One thing wrong like that should have been a 9.4. Oh well, at least it had white pages.
    Then an e-mail came to me that CGC was to have a private signing for their Signature Series. I sent four books in. One of the four was my Daredevil #1 in a 3.5 with White pages. It is coming back the same grade and same page color. I sent my ASM #129 9.2 W along with the Daredevil on the same invoice and checking the site, I saw...wait, what was this. Is this right? How could this be? My Amazing Spider-Man is no longer a 9.2. I finally got the 9.4 grade I thought it would be, but now they have confused me more. I can understand sending in a 9.9 white paged PGX book going to CGC and them grading it as a 9.8 White pages but how could they possible take a 9.2 White pages and grade it as a 9.4 Off-White? And how do I feel about it?
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  7. Tnerb

    Paper VS Computer

    By Tnerb,

    How do you keep track?
    Paper VS Computer
    I could talk about the digital age of comics here versus the four color paper variants we are so happy to collect but I am not. This is about keeping a documented log of your collection. Every once in a while I purge through my things and the last major purge I survived through I had to get rid of an elephantine amount of books. I realize that I should have taken my time and started to sell things on e-bay with what I had. Live and learn.
    I won?t say I am purging this time as much as condensing. I don?t plan on selling any of my comics from my collection this time, only if I bought them to sell. This time I am hitting my Star Wars collection. I do have a lot and I was stopped in my thought process as I was going over my Obi Wan Kenobi and wondering if that was the long tray and the small saber he had when I took a break and started going over a box with paper in it. This had many of my short stories and even an old comic book list. The list was a compiled, graded, and priced account of what I had at the time. I realized I grade my books a lot better now.
    Now I have a program that I am slowly (very slowly) adding in all my comic books by grade. I do have 95 percent of my collection in this program, but maybe only have less than a percent under the graded section. CGC books not included. Since I work so much I don?t have the time to dedicate as much as I like to doing this. Even if I pick 5 books a day, and keep up with new books I am looking at a great many years. Of course when I was younger I had the time and now that I am older I have the resources. I do like the program I have because it has an app on the i-pod touch but could anyone out there recommend another one. I won?t mention what I have because I am curious to see if anyone recommends that one.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
  8. Tnerb
    ....and now my collection shall be complete....
    For one month I decided not to have anything to do with CGC (other than the journals), whether it was sending in to get books graded or to purchase them through auction. I planned on doing this for the month of October. I failed. As anyone knows who is a member of the registry, CGC sent out a mass e-mail stating that Stan Lee was doing a private signing for the Signature Series. I already decided to now purchase or spend any money on anything other than raw comic books. My dilemma was akin to a newly potty trained toddler deciding whether to go use the potty or continue playing with his toys.
    I seriously questioned my comic book geekhood if I did not send something in to get at least one book signed. I made a list of five books and instead of deciding on one, I decided on four books to have Stan Lee?s illustrious scrawl over the front of the books. I sent them in under two invoices. One invoice consisted of two books already graded. They were Amazing Spider-man #129 in a 9.2 (white pages) and a copy of Daredevil #1 in a 3.5 (off-white pages). The other invoice consisted of a raw copy of New Mutants #1 and an Avengers #57.
    On the 10th of November I checked my status especially after reading about XXXPHOENIX finding out what he received for the two books he sent in to get graded with the Stan Lee?s signature. I allowed my suspense to build before I brought up the invoice in question (the second invoice has still not been graded). The first book I was able to see was my Daredevil #1. There was no change. However, what was this with my Amazing Spider-Man #129, what did they do? And am I happy or dissatisfied with it?
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
  9. Tnerb

    My Goals for 2011

    By Tnerb,

    Looking forward to more CGC books next year.
    2011 is almost upon us. I now have four full boxes of CGC graded books, not all are 9.8?s. My storage space has dwindled and I am thinking about a mass exodus of other collectibles that I could sell (of course I am going to just use the money for more comic books.) I am ready to send in another 30-50 books, some to sell and some to collect. I hope to sell enough just to pay for the cost I spent to get it done in the first place, If I make a profit even better.
    So what do I want to do this following year? I thought about the simple answer, I want more, but how, and how many? I of course want to finish my Daredevil collection. I only need five more to complete this run and then I have to keep up with current issues, if I will even keep collecting with what is happening with the story line after Shadowland. My most important quest is to purchase an upgrade to my 1.5 self graded copy of Daredevil #7. I have not decided whether to buy a copy graded or ungraded. I think this book along with a copy of Sub-Mariner #38 from my before collecting days is why I want to collect this character that I love and really don?t like.
    Goal #1?.easy?.cheap?. buy four more CGC boxes
    Goal #2?.not easy?.not cheap?.fill four more CGC boxes
    Goal #3?.as mentioned before, complete my Daredevil run
    Goal #4?.also mentioned, send in 30 ? 50 books for grading, whether all at once or through the year, I have not figured out yet.
    This is a short list, I find it easy to create a short list of items to accomplish and then I feel better about it. If I were to say I want to get a 9.6 Daredevil #1 by the end of the year, well that is not going to happen, winning the lottery withstanding. I should be fine with these goals as long as I budget accordingly, something I have been half competent in. With all these goals completed by the end of the year I should be a happy collector, I might even write a few journals.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
    Next up....My Stan Lee Signature Series
  10. Tnerb

    My First Snipe

    By Tnerb,

    I want it, it's mine, you can't have it, so there.
    I don?t like sniping, mainly because it doesn?t do anything you can?t do yourself. There are a few sites that can do this for you, some charge and some don?t. I believe winning an auction comes down to how much you want to pay. If you have the time and the money, there is a good chance you are going to win. If someone wants to place a ?snipe? bid at a lesser amount compared to your bid the person who was trying to swindle the item from you is still going to lose.
    On this particular day, a Friday in fact, the auction was ending when I was to be at work. Also since it was a Friday I would have been there already for seven hours and bringing my computer was not an option. The two books up for bid were The New Mutants #89 and #92. Both were in a 9.8 white pages condition. I heard of sniping before but never truly thought about it until a reader of my journals recommended a site that does this. Thank you to that reader.
    I could have done this the morning I had to go to work but I didn?t want to give anyone the chance to look and see that someone wanted those items and decided that they wanted them more. I joined a snipe site that starts you out by giving you three free snipes. I only needed two. I added my maximum bids and hoped for the best. After I knew the auctions to be over I checked my e-mail using my hands free device (I know I sound pompous) and found the good news waiting, I won them both.
    I don?t know if I will ever snipe again, most likely I will just wait till the final seconds to bid, but it was a useful tool while I was at work.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
     
    Next up....My Goals for the year
  11. Tnerb

    What about the Writer?

    By Tnerb,

    You're a Tracer.
    It was sitting there among the other comic books, piled in next to the magazines. Only a few feet from the front door it called to me. The cover of The New Mutants #15 was something I never experienced before. It was the artwork of the cover that drew me in, as did that same week the covers of the Avengers, Uncanny X-men, Iron Man and Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars. These were the beginning of my obsession.
    Collecting these books over again in the best condition possible is helping me relive the experiences of either finding these books in the first place or from when I purchased them off the shelf, but what about the writer of these books? Encapsulated comics show the front and back of the book but nothing about the story. Are you seriously telling me the ads in the back of a comic book are more important then what is in it?
    I have a few books signed by the artist, and only a couple signed by the artist and the writer. It seems people would rather have the book signed by the artist rather than the writer (Stan Lee withstanding) You can argue what is more important to a book, the artists or the writers, but I have to say even though it was the art that drew me into the book it was the writers that kept me picking up issue after issue.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  12. Tnerb
    Sign here...and here...and once more here.
    I hate the USPS. OK! Hate is bad, it will lead to the dark side. I strongly dislike the USPS. The first package they lost had a copy of New Mutants #3 in a 9.8. It was sent to me under the delivery confirmation service. It was never delivered, not to me anyway. It was my first bad e-bay experience. My second (and hopefully last) non-delivered delivery was for two more books, both a 9.8 from my favorite series, this time from the signature series. Once again the USPS said they delivered, and they didn?t.
    Now every time I place an order I make sure that I ask for all deliveries to have signature required. At times the order was sent under delivery confirmed only. Since both come with a tracking number I watch the progress through the online tracking capabilities service. I will call my local post office if an order of mine slipped through without the signature required and let them know I will pick it up. Sure it is more of a hassle and slightly a bit more money but I feel the peace of mind I get with it is worth it.
    I do have a regular postal worker. She will at least look out for the packaged I missed and leave notice that they need a signature. Unfortunately she is also the one who said she delivered a previous package. I know those comic books will never be back. They are gone and I believe they are part of some postal worker?s collection and not lost. I have one customer who says that they will one day make their way back to me and I keep telling him that will never happen, but as long as he keeps tipping me, I?ll just buy another one, and ask for a signature.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    Next up?. What about the Writer?
  13. Tnerb

    My Son's 18th Birthday

    By Tnerb,

    What do you get for a boy that already owns your heart?
    What do you get for your son when he turns 18? My father handed over cash although I have no idea what I bought (probably comic books). The fact he gave me money (a good amount at that time) had me overjoyed. I plan on doing the same (unless he wants me to buy him comic books). Throughout the years I have bought him action figures, movies (both VHS and DVD), Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh items (there are so many of them, and even coins to name only a few.
    Before he was born I wanted him to collect comic books and even bought a few for him to have and keep. An investment if you would (not a very good one). He lives with his mother and I wonder if he looks through the books that he owns and reads and rereads them like I used to do with the books I bought as a teenager, hence why my New Mutants #15 is only a 4.5.
    One of his favorite characters is Spawn. At the last major convention I purchased a few for him to get caught up with the character. His first collecting joy is coins where mine is still comic books, but when I saw a copy of Spawn #133 up for auction I had to place a bid for it. I thought the cover would be something he would really like.
    I remember collecting Star Wars Action figures for myself when he was a little boy. I would purchase a duplicate for him. I don;t think he fully understood my collecting nature but he told me ?Right now I am going to play with mine, maybe when I am older I will collect, but right now I just want to play.?
    I can still hear his voice saying that. So here I have this comic book encapsulated, unable to be read and I wonder if he is still the little boy who plays and will he open it and read it or did he turn into the young man who collects? Either way, maybe I should buy a raw copy for him to be able to read as well.
    Thanks for reading.
    Tnerb
    Next up?.Delivery confirmation VS. Signature Confirmation

  14. Tnerb

    Iron Man Rules

    By Tnerb,

    Well, only up until the Skrulls invaded.
    OK! He doesn?t, but there was a time in my life I followed Iron Man. I picked up issue #181 soon after I picked up New Mutants #15. I pretty much went back to the 7-11 and picked up anything with the Marvel emblem on it. I was able to back track to a single issue which was #175 on the 7-11 racks and I followed on to a little pass issue #200. After that I slowly pushed away Iron Man. I picked up a few issues here and there, but they didn?t seem to hold my attention. This was my first Marvel Series I collected, and then dropped. I scanned some covers seeing some I picked up and some I didn?t. I think I was just trying to see if I was still interested. I did love issue #228 though.
    I can?t really say why I shied away from Tony Stark and to be honest with you it was Rhodes who was my first Iron Man. (Remember when he was hitting on Ms Marvel back on Battleworld.) Stark was just the guy who put the suit together. Then I enveloped myself a bit more when I picked up the ?Demon in a Bottle? trade paperback. The issues I collected I marveled at the battle between Stark and Stane which was worthy of Superman/Luthor status. And then there were the covers cultivating into issue #200 (one of my favorites, another one of my top ten)
    I found a copy of issue #200 white pages and watched it slip away. There was an auction on a New Mutants #1 in a 9.9 that I couldn?t let slip away. I passed on so many books including two other 9.9?s but I had to stick with my plan. I want collections not bits and pieces and if I did start I would want a worthy collection not just a single issue (truth be told though if I could have only one it would be issue #200)
    What I loved about Iron Man was the love Rhodes had for his friend, enough to put himself in harm?s way day after day while his best friend went straight to the bottle (and eventually the back alleyways. He didn?t want to be a superhero but he did it. Then there was the way Stark overcame his addiction to alcohol to defeat Stane (loved the cover where they were changing the letters from Stark to Stane with issue #173) I felt like I was transported month after month into a superhero world that could possibly happen if we were only smart enough and could break the laws of physics.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
  15. Tnerb

    My First 9.9? Pt 2

    By Tnerb,

    I can't wait till I can write about my second 9.9....or did I already?
    I was happy winning my New Mutants #1 in a 9.9 (ecstatic even). However, I have to tell you I lied (unintentionally). It wasn?t my first 9.9. My first one of that grade was a copy of New Mutants #5 by PGX. There are a few out there by this 3rd party grading but the price of this one at the time was only $45. As everyone knows who has been reading my journals I am trying to complete this series in 9.8 white pages or better. So I decided to purchase this and bring it to Wizard World Philadelphia to get graded by CGC. Although I hoped it would achieve the same grade, it didn?t. They graded it a 9.8.
    Months passed and Bagofleas let me know about a copy of New Mutants #1 in the elusive grade of 9.9. I entered the bidding and won. I even documented how this came about. After I won another copy appeared, this time on e-bay. The starting bid was $99.99. I was shocked. The price was slow, but wouldn?t it sell for the same amount I bought mine for. Did I want a second one if I could get it for that starting price? I decided to just watch. The book only went for $140.00. less than for what I paid for.
    Although it was cheaper I had no idea it would be on the market, Comicconnect.com even got me my auctioned item within three days (the quickest I ever got an item). I am happy I have the book, and I did not bid more that I wanted to, in fact I bid less than I planned, but as they say hindsight is 20/20. If I knew I would have waited, but if I waited who knows.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    Next up?. The Fear of an Obscure Set
  16. Tnerb

    Buy to Sell? Pt 5

    By Tnerb,

    Closer to a reality
    Now that I have sent in ten books for my own personal enjoyment I have to figure out what I should send in for my own personal gain. I have about 30 books that I would hope would get a 9.8. Do I send these in to CGC and hope for the best or do I send them in to a company to look over first and get them pressed if needed. I can also wait and add another 20 for a pre-screen. My greatest hope and fear doing it this way (the pre-screen) would be that they all attain a 9.8
    I want to be able to do this for two reasons. One is if I can get a book graded a 9.8 and then sell it to someone who needs it to complete their collection I?ll feel pretty good (oooh supply and demand). Currently I am sitting on two raw copies of New Mutants #47 one of which might attain a 9.8 white pages. I am pretty sure I know of someone who would want this book. The other reason is for a small profit, this profit then would be turned around for me to buy more books for my collection.
    Even though I did not fully get through My One Month Hiatus I did work a few extra shifts to save some money, but not enough to send in the amount of books I want to get graded. I sold my copy of Incredible Hulk #181 so I know I can sell a book. I bought some books, so I know I can buy (I am good at that part). I even bought and sold some raw books so the buying and selling has been done too?.I just need to attain those 9.8?s to sell that others crave.
    I do not want to make a huge profit but a crazy dream would be able to do this for a living. I work to pay my bills but by some miracle I can buy to sell on a constant basis would allow me to cherish what I do. Only time will tell what I am going to do and what I am able to do. My question has been answered I can indeed buy to sell but now the question that has been thrown down is How much can I buy and how much will I sell?
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb.
    Next up?.My first 9.9 pt 2
  17. Tnerb
    They might not be a 9.8 but they were and are mine
    I didn?t look over my first ten books I sent in to get graded for a few reasons. The first was money. I had it at that exact moment and I knew that if I didn?t send it in right away I knew that I wouldn't at all. The second reason was at the time I was working extra hours and for some reason my extra time was spend doing chores. The third reason was, I didn?t want to be wrong.
    I do have a program that I started to log what I thought they were. At least for issues number 1-5, I never got to 6-10. I will compare those five I did grade with what CGC graded them. The following five I will state the grade and my feelings about them, but I must state that when I did this I honestly did not believe any of them would receive a grade above an 8.0
    My issue #1 I thought would be a 6.5 with Off-White to White pages (this was also my first attempt to diagnose page color). They grade it a 6.0. Normally I try to lowball the grade but they surprised me by grading it higher than I did??Ok I am now realizing that if I do what I want for all ten issues this journal will be even longer than One Month Hiatus. I will just list out the grades they gave me. When I log them onto my set registry (My second set not my first one) I will express my thoughts and feelings although issue #9 was my biggest surprise.
    #2 was a 7.5
    #3 was a 6.5
    #4 was an 8.5
    #5 was an 8.5
    #6 was a 7.5
    #7 was an 8.5
    #8 was an 8.0
    #9 was a 9.2
    And
    #10 was a 7.0
    I was shocked because a few of those received white pages. I still have about another 90 to send in to complete a fully graded set. All of the numbers after 14 were the ones I picked up off the racks, the first 14 were my first back issues I tracked down. I have not yet decided if my second submission will be more from my favorite series or if they will be a bunch of books to sell.
    Thanks for reading.
    Tnerb
    Next up?.Buy to sell Pt 5
  18. Tnerb

    My First Submission

    By Tnerb,

    ....and most likely not my last
    I've been writing journals for almost a year now. I?ve been logging my comic books only slightly longer and I?ve only submitted my books in person at the cons, until now. I grabbed ten comic books from my youth and sent them to CGC for grading with the curiosity of how I kept books then and how I keep my books now. This is how it worked.
    On 2-Sep-10 I printed a label with the shipping date of the 3rd through Pitney Bowes. On the 3rd I carefully boxed up my books and made my way to the post office. They scanned the books on arrival and I followed diligently fearing they would lose my books. They have done so before.
    The post office posted it was sorted through Philadelphia on the 3rd and Sorted through Tampa, Florida on the 5th. I waited two days and it was sorted through Sarasota on the 7th and it was delivered to CGC that same day. 4 days for shipping, not bad. So now it?s there but?.
    The same day it got there it was logged received. On the 14th (a week later) it was logged as verified, it took another two days (the 16th) to be listed on the invoice. I checked back on the 20th. There was no change. I kept checking every day and finally on the 27th, still nothing. I checked the morning of the 28th, after my shift at work with my books still logged as verified. When I woke in the afternoon I had a really good feeling, so after checking the lottery numbers (I lost) I checked the site and my books were scheduled for grading.
    Only a couple of days later they were marked as graded. I hoped that they would be sent back right away but it was not meant to be. The 5th of October marked twenty days with no change. They could not make the 20 day turn around. The next day however the status changed again, this time to safe. The books were making their way back to me. I watched intently as the books started through USPS on the 7th and they found their way to my door on the 12th. No complaints. I can deal with 21 days. Now, I just wonder how long it will take for the Stan Lee signature.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
    Next up.... A set of New Mutants Pt 4
  19. Tnerb

    30 in 30

    By Tnerb,

    Is it Possible?
    I've been concentrating my efforts on writing my journal entries and have been neglecting my blog dubbed Shot Glass thoughts. I used a site exclusively for blogging anything other than comics. This allowed me to write numerous articles on events of my life other than comic books, however comic books happen to be such a pivotal part of my life and I write journal after journal sometimes having them written a few weeks before I post them. I have mentioned before (A Shot of Comics 12-5-09) my three collecting loves are comic books (duh), Star Wars, and Shot glasses. What I have not mentioned before is my love to write. This is most likely obvious to you if you check out my journal page. I have written over 75 journals in less than a year.
    With two blogs being written I realized one I liked and the other needed a new home (I?ll let you figure out which.) The ideas flowed all about comic books and I started to write the journals to the point I am only waiting 3 to 4 days (3 vs. 4 3-24-10) before I log another journal. Most of them have some continuity so I like to post them in the order I originally write them in. I had something I just had to write in A Fond Farewell to Dane (10-23-10). This was the only journal I wished I had no reason to write?..he will be missed. This pushed back My 75th Journal by one making it technically my 76th journal.
    This got me to think that I would like to try to write thirty journals in thirty days. November would be perfect since the next month with only 30 days is April. I could easily start this journal on the 1st and keep on going till the 30th. I wonder if I can do it. At the moment I am writing because I want to but can I write because I have too?
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
    Next up....My First Submission
  20. Tnerb
    Just a small recap
    My 75th Journal?.um?.76th Journal
    I had a few journals written out already and I like to go in the order I wrote them. With the loss of my greatest influential guide I was compelled to write A Fond Farewell to Dane (10-23-10). Without him none of you would be suffering through my journals. So with that said?let me continue with my regularly scheduled program.
    Has it been 75 (76) already? It feels like I only just posted My 50th Journal (7-20-10) and it has been almost a year since I posted My First Journal (11-16-09). At this rate I?ll have My 100th Journal (N/A) in no time. At first I thought the Journals would be something I would just jot down once in a while. I didn't think it would turn into a blog (of sorts).
    During these milestones I like to review what I have written since the last milestone in the hopes if you missed one or two you would go back and check them out. This milestone reminds me of the New Mutants cover where Magneto and The Black King are fighting. One of my most successful journals (to date) is White vs Off-White (8-13-10). I clearly did not think that would get the views it has in such a short period of time. This was the first (once again, to date) over 300 views, a number I never thought any of journals would reach when I first started writing. Should I write a Part II?
    My most recent journal, the one that took over the 75th spot is One Month hiatus (10-27-10). I just wrote this but felt I should mention it here, after all it is about the Stan lee signing and what I should send in, if anything at all. And if you read that already before this, I didn?t make the month without bidding and winning on a CGC graded book, or three?.but one is for my son, so that one shouldn?t count. I mention about my thoughts about what I was collecting in Collecting Conscientiously (27-Aug-10). And then even more importantly (to me anyway) was Moving into Second (9-13-10). I don?t know if I ever will get a best in set with this but I will try, until then I will settle for being in second behind Bagofleas. I mention about my younger years when I was Working for Comics (10-2-10) and even about My First 9.9 (10-18-10)
    The journals have been a safe haven (I still need to get into the chat boards more), a place to let go with my thoughts and feelings. Whether others agree or disagree, I don?t know, at least unless you send me a message (please do so). I tried linking my journals to the chat board with Discuss on the Chat Boards (9-2-10) and Discuss on the Chat Boards Pt 2 (9-4-10) but for some reason I still can?t (due to my own ineptitude) although somehow I was able to link A Fond Farewell to Dane without even trying?.by the way thank you for everyone who replied on that one. I have 19 people currently marked me as a friend (Thank You) where as I only have four. I would love to follow what you are doing as well so if you let me know I am on your list I would be more than honored to have you on mine, and an extra thank you to Bagofleas, Surfer99, and JHolmes202. As Always??
    Thank you for reading
    Tnerb
    Next up?.30 in 30
  21. Tnerb

    One Month Hiatus

    By Tnerb,

    My longest journal yet & Stan Lee
    I pay my bills. I buy comics. Repeat. I work six days a week. Four of those six days I serve tables at $2.83 an hour plus tips. On any given day I have no idea how well (or bad) I will do. There have been days that I barely left with eighteen dollars in my pocket. Thankfully there are days that I make more than 5X that amount.
    Every Monday I budget an amount to deposit, it always is the same amount every week. As I ?down? grade my comics so too do I budget my deposit. More times than not my weekly (spelled right this time) bank deposit is greater than the amount I budget for. Once in a while I am under the allotted amount, but only by a few dollars. Then there is my cushion, this cushion is about three weeks worth of work and it is dwindling so I decided not to buy and CGC books (or send any in to get graded). At least this hiatus does not stop me from adding more journals.
    Anyway, it?s not working. CGC had to go and have a signing, and not just any signing, they had to go and pick Stan ?The Man? Lee. I have one thing signed by this comic book god who without the industry would not be the same (the signed piece is a giclee by Alex Ross) but I don?t have a comic book signed by him.
    An e-mail was sent to me with the prices (a bit more than the normal CGC fees). This only includes the signature and the grading. I still have to pay extra to ship and insure to get it there (before October 22nd) and back to me. (But wait! I can?t afford it. Maybe I can. If I save this and I don?t spend that. I can push that bill back into next month. How much gas can I save if I walk to work? Who needs three meals a day? I can survive on one. I?ll drop my daily coffee?.ok no I won?t. Coffee stays. I?ll give up toilet paper and use those old Rom issues. OK I would never use Rom in place of toilet paper, it scratches). All these thoughts raced through my head and I spent the weekend debating if I do all this (not all) I might be able to send in a comic book, but which one?
    Monday arrived (the 4th) and I went over my budget to see if it was feasible. Did I mention I thought all weekend on what to do and what I should do (two immensely different things). I came up with the decision to definitely send in ?A? comic book. How many more chances like this will I get, but which one? I also thought (while the debate raged on whether I could), which one? I came up with a small list of 236 books and started to narrow it down. After a small bathroom break later (and a few issues of Rom) I realized I really like toilet paper (I read the issues, c?mon people) and my list shrunk to five.
    The first of my five is one of my books I brought to Wizard World 2010. If I would have known about this event back then I would have saved it for this. I mean seriously having my first comic book of my collection signed by the comic deity himself is making me speechless. I drooled at the thought of Stan?s scrawl over the demon?s immerging from Illyana?s eyes from New Mutants #15, but he didn?t write it. Could I seriously pick a book he didn?t write?
    The 2nd book is my 9.2 copy of Amazing Spider-Man #129. Once again I chose a book he didn?t write. I was told the grade could change. It could drop (this is a book I swore should have been a 9.4, could they also raise it). The only thing wrong with it (according to the notes) is color break due to spine stress. How cool would it be to have a book from the early 70?s that is currently sought after in a high grade, and to me a 9.2 is a high grade.
    My third choice is a raw copy of New Mutants #1 in a beautiful near mint condition. I am still at odds on how I feel about pressing but I feel if I did this with this book it would attain a gem 10 grade, but then I couldn?t get it back in time to get signed (Did I mention all books have to be at CGC by Oct 22nd.) As for the cover it is absolutely perfect, it is the back cover that will lower this book. Before I really had the chance to look at it I thought this would be a 9.8, then for arguments sake I down-graded it to a 9.6. I wrote this before taking it out of the bag and realized the best it will get is a 9.4. (I am still bothered by my Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #12 with TWO corner chips attaining a 9.8)
    My fourth choice is a copy of Avengers #57 which at its best would grade a seven, most likely a 6.5. I bought this (because I love the cover) and I think I only did so for a profit (Buy to Sell?) and Stan Lee?s signature would make that a better possibility. As with the first three my hesitancy is due to these books were not written by the man himself. (At least he was the editor for this issue.)
    My last choice of the five that I picked for the list and probably the best choice out of all of them would be my Daredevil #1. The problem is it is only a 3.5. Is it really worth spending between $100 and $125 (not including shipping and insurance, both ways) for a book graded so low, and then won?t I just try selling it anyway. The signature would make it a lot easier.
    These are my choices. Which one do I pick? What about my one month hiatus? What amendment do I add to this or for this? I already told myself if a 9.8 of New Mutants #15 or #50 came out I would get it but I never planned (or budgeted) for this, after all shouldn?t I make an exception for Stan ?The Man? Lee?
    Excelsior?.. I mean Thanks for Reading.
    Tnerb
  22. Tnerb

    A Fond Farewell to Dane

    By Tnerb,

    A Moment of Silence.
    I tend to do things in order. If I write a bunch of journals I like to post them in order. My next journal was supposed to be One Month Hiatus. I wrote in there about holding off collecting CGC comic books. Then CGC had to go ahead and have a signing by Stan Lee. When you read that one next you will find out more. What I have to write this time is more important to me.
    I was 12 when I officially started to collect comic books. My first comic book shop was called Comic Investments. The owners of comic Investments decided to move, but two of their workers wanted to stay. I don't know if they bought the stock from them or horded in the hopes of opening a shop, either way my favorite comic shop was born....ComiCards. At this time baseball cars was also popular. They had both. The two new owners were Dane and Andy.
    Dane was instrumental in my collecting experiences. On numerous occasions he steered me towards certain books, some I didn't like (Watchman) some I did, most notable was Daredevil. I even met some artists and writers there, the one that comes to my mind at once is Neil Gaiman. I visited this comic book shop for years and amassed a great portion of my collection(which I have since had to part with the majority of them). Dane was such a role model when it came to my collecting experience and even mentioned something to me about being a father that I pass on to each new father to be.
    I found out he died a few days ago. The shock hit me as I was walking and was stopped in my tracks by the news that reached me through Facebook. I took a few more steps and stopped to read it again. I didn't read it wrong the first time. I am still shocked but the reality of life is that death follows. I will be attending his services on Sunday and when that is over I will take out the first Daredevil I purchased after his recommendation and salute the passing of a person that if he was not in my life I would not be as diligent as a collector today.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    Next Up: My One Month Hiatus...... this time I mean it.
    To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.
  23. Tnerb
    Is half an Answer still an answer?
    After reading Surfer 99?s journal that he posted 21-Sept.-10 I looked over my CGC books and wondered which ones did I absolutely have to keep, and why? I came up with five. And although I did not answer with such depth answer as he did, answer I did.
    The first book I will start with is the one I usually end any of my lists with and that is my 4.5 (yes 4.5) copy of New Mutants #15. I wouldn?t be collecting comic books without this book. Although it is not my first book, it is the first time I decided this is what I want to collect, so much for my penny collection.
    The second I would chose is also from My New Mutants collection. It is my newly acquired 9.9 copy of #1 (c?mon Gem 10 I know you are out there somewhere). It is also my only 9.9 (currently)
    My third book I would choose is My New Mutants #47(seeing a trend here?). I purchased this book because I loved the cover and although I didn?t realize it at the time of sale, it was the only one (also currently). Sorry Bagofleas.
    For my fourth book I will skip to my ASM #129 (9.2). This book is proof that I could buy a book and keep it in beautiful condition. I purchased this one after my father said no to the loan for $300 to purchase a Daredevil #1 which looked to be in the same condition. (Thanks Dad.)
    My final book is the Daredevil #1 (3.5) I finally got. I eventually will drop this from my ten ?I would have to keep?, but would only be by getting a higher grade. (I wish I could afford that 9.6 I saw recently)
    OK, quick answers. I did the best I could to answer the question even though I only picked 5. My collection is not that vast yet to warrant ten. I do reserve the right to pick another 5 another day, and even update and change my list. Thanks to Surfer99 for asking the question.
    Thanks for Reading
    Tnerb
    Next Up: My One Month Hiatus
  24. Tnerb

    My First 9.9?

    By Tnerb,

    Will I finally get my First 9.9?
    I never used Comicconnect.com before and didn?t know what to expect. Bagofleas mentioned it in passing but it never stuck until he mentioned to me that they had a copy of New Mutants #1 in a 9.9 white pages. I signed up and placed a single low bid to make sure I signed up correctly. I did. My main problem was the auction was due to end seven minutes after I was to be at work.
    I discussed my options with my boss and he allowed me to bring my net-book into work and bid there. Thank god for wireless access, especially since I wasn?t expecting what would happen next. In the final minute I placed a bid. I figured this would give me an idea what to bid in the final seconds. The bid was placed and the screen flashed with the words ?Time Extended? appearing along with an additional three minutes. I was shocked. I was bidding in an internet auction not playing Pole Position.
    If I had nothing to do it wouldn?t be a problem but I was at work sitting in front of my net-book eight minutes after I was supposed to clock in. I refreshed the screen after a minute and the time extended screen appeared with additional time, but not more than three minutes. My nemesis has struck back. So at first what was my bane now became my blessing. What now. Do I bid right away? Do I make him think I am thinking about it? How long do I wait? Will it extend again? Enough questions, I place a higher bid. I was first again. The time allotted back to three minutes.
    At this point I disconnected the power cord from the computer and brought it over to my station. At least I wasn?t going to lose by running out of time. If I were to lose it would be because I ran out of money. Again my unseen adversary placed a bid. At this point everyone is coming up to my station for this shift change (my station tonight consisted of paying out all credit card tips). Don?t they realize I am doing something important? I placed another bid still under the allotted amount, minutes clicked to seconds, seconds melted away, and I waited for the time to go back to three minutes but it was over. I won my first 9.9.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
    Next up: Answering Surfer 99's question
  25. Tnerb

    Sports and Comic books

    By Tnerb,

    Milk and cookies or water and oil?
    I was cataloging my comic books while listening to both my football and baseball teams back and forth on the radio. My football team was losing and my baseball team was winning. I opted to continue listening to my baseball team?s commentators since I prefer to watch football. I put away my three filled CGC boxes which means I?ll have to put together my fourth and last box. Once I get my books back from CGC and the way I have been buying, this last box will most likely be filled by the end of the year (or maybe by the time I post this journal).
    I was getting ready to continue onto my raw books when my stomach announced I was hungry (funny how it does that). I decided to go out to eat since my all utilitarian area (kitchen table) was filled with bags and boards. The area was already cleaned for comics and would take too much to put everything away, prep, cook, eat, and clean the area again before pulling out bags, boards, and books. This leaves the closest restaurant to me as my best available option, they just added an addition they now call a burger bar and they have TV?s (so do I?. but no cable).
    I walked over to the eatery, entered, and sat at a seat close to the television. They had the football game on (thankfully). As soon as I sat down they flashed the baseball score and my team was losing. Before I left my house I called my Dad who of course urged me to eat (why do parents always think you never eat enough) and he told me he just got home and was going to turn on the baseball game. Apparently he was true to his word because they were now losing. My father has an uncanny knack to make the home team lose just by tuning in to watch.
    The Bartender came over, handed me a menu, and gave me time to order. Once ready I ordered a milkshake (yes at a bar) coffee, and a burger. Now, even though my baseball team was losing, my football team was winning. I watched engrossed and my coffee arrived (which came quicker than the milkshake) and I listened to other patrons either guffaw at my beverage choices and/or cheer for their team. My imagination started to turn. I pictured a room with glass windows to peer in and three people in white doctorate coats presiding over a copy of Daredevil #1. The speakers blared with the commentators, one being John Madden.
    ?This is it folks?quite possible the first 9.8 Daredevil #1?
    ?Look how they are handling it folks, the gloves are on for this one?
    ?It does look good?.I remember when I was just a young kid picking up that issue from the pharmacy. When I was older my Mom threw it away, let me tell you this is a treat?
    ?Right you are, I remember those days. .....and would you look at that. Look at the spine, so tight, and those corners I don?t think I have ever seen corners so tight even on a modern age book?
    ?Wait the graders are converging, they seem to?.wait this might be it?. OH MY GOD?it is good?.it is GOOD, a Daredevil #1 in a 9.8 with white pages. They said it could never be done folks. History is made right here and you saw it first on your CGC grading network???and the crowd in the bar goes wild. Cool my team made another touchdown.
    I enjoy my sports. I enjoy my hobby more but never have I seen them mix and I don?t think I ever will. Ahh food?s here.
    Thanks for reading
    Tnerb
    PS. Both my teams won that day.