Bronty

thanks a lot. I did feel that way in a sense because 26 is probably my favorite cover in the run, and Arba and Dakarba are for sure my favorite supporting characters in the Groo universe, so these weren't random stories for me but rather ones with my favorite characters, and if they were gone, they were gone, can't really substitute. And losing the cash outlay isn't the best thing in the world either, so it was just nice all around to find the art. That being said, I'd gotten over the idea I wasn't going to see the cash again, but potentially having the art from a couple of my favorite stories just gone forever as a complete and permanent loss stung.

^ yes https://comics.ha.com/itm/video-games/goldeneye-007-n64-nintendo-1997-wata-94-a-seal-rating-variant-red-label/a/7211-92219.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515

Makes sense, really. 1950s are sooo long ago. As cool as some of that stuff is. Has to have a connection to the present to have ‘heat’. So 50s Batman is one thing, 50s I love Lucy... yikes

Yes. And perhaps before we concoct any conspiracy theories, it would be helpful for you to know that I turned down a higher offer (105k) from a single collector I've know for close to twenty years who has nothing to do with any of that? I chose the lower offer because one offer came with promoting the hobby at large, and one didn't, so I chose the lower offer to promote a hobby I care about, but make no mistake that I was getting six figures either way to let it leave my house. I'm not sure why people love conspiracy theories so much As for Danielle, perhaps a pm would draw less attention to info being public if what you're trying to protect her from info being public. I've texted Adam but in the meantime if you could delete that part of your post, it would be helpful. Btw Jim, still into White Mountains? (as an aside, the white mountain OO/hoarder had a few valuable sealed NES games so there are a few 'white mountain' NES games).

Thanks Ron. Great piece, but I much prefer the Cap cover personally. Not that one can go wrong with two such classics!

The fun part of the Space Usagi drawing (and Sergio notes it as such on the mailing envelope) is that it way predates any printed appearance of space usagi

Thanks and for sure, the error on the address no doubt got it pulled. And it sat and sat. Even after we formally requested searches. I had given up that it would be found, but there we have it

I’ll pm you

Good question; I was wondering that also

Samples from 26 - including space usagi back

Some pics from 34 of sample fronts and backs

I’ll take some pics

Thanks guys. Some fun art on the backs of the pages too. I guess Sergio was doodling on them

Similar story here i thik1 wow, 2 years! Kinda similar story I think in that the address had an issue. Postal code was OK but whomever addressed the package switched the city and the province.

Thanks everyone for the well wishes! Could have knocked me over with a feather when it showed up!!!

After 4.5 months, the USPS decided to deliver the package today!!!! No warning at all just showed up at the door! Sooper happy the Art wasn’t destroyed. Here it is!

I guess I can’t expect anything else given the situation Im sure the piece is Very nice.

Anyone have a pic of the ff59 page in question?

Well. The 'history of game grading' since you wanted to go down that road, is that a collector I was friends with bought a lot of material from Tom Derby when he was at Cloud City. Now his trust fund ran out, so Tom actually had to sue him for some payments not received, but not before Tom saw how much money my old buddy was spending on games. So it dawned on Tom that this might be a new service for AFA to provide. Tom reached out to Bucky and myself and so the lists I had finished writing a few months before on what seals came with what titles were the initial authentication reference for Tom/VGA to look at when games were submitted. I provided them with help on tricky authentication issues for many years. A large chunk of the inventory Brian's Toys purchased when they tried to get into games was from me. So, I say this from having witnessed all of it first hand. Wata has simply done a better job in that regard. They have gone out to conventions and marketed with purpose and effectiveness and got people to buy in. The results speak for themselves. Yes, VGA sent threw a picture or two up on that 1995-fresh website, but nothing much beyond that. As much as I like the guys, they don't know games very well. Their expertise is toys. How are they supposed to speak with passion and purpose on material which they can grade, yes, but don't even know what they are looking at sometimes? I can go grade star wars toys and be taught to do it within a week, I bet. Doesn't mean I know shiz about them or can explain to anyone else why they should collect them when I don't even collect them myself. How can you market something you don't really understand?

that's a lot of typing for amounts to what I said already the service isn't all that much different but the outreach wata did was 100x better.

wow! the venus in particular is just awesome! congrats! Hope you've been well.

No, its really not, I'm sorry. That may be your perception and perhaps there are good reasons for your perception from the toy collector side of the fence, but I've been on the game collector side of the fence since way before vga existed and no one on this side of the fence ever cared about that 'investigation' for more than five minutes. Honestly.

I'd say both parties are credible graders but if you require 'qualifications' of a game-centric variety frankly WATA has more of that. VGA certainly has more toy related expertise which you will be comfortable with from your toy collecting.

85+ and up was the start of 'gold' grades yes. that just meant the holographic sticker was gold (thissun's nice, podner). the + grades are the half grades I mentioned earlier.

well I'll be honest, that 'investigation' was a joke, #1, and I wouldn't repeat it or link it.. I think you'd do well to delete the link, but do what you want. #2, sure wata has partnered with heritage, so what? I would never hold that against a grading co. CGC is owned by heritage's owners after all. Let's not get sucked in by those with an axe to grind. Hobbies are relatively small business and its naive to think relationships won't exist between players.