Mmehdy

That's cool, I understand and thanks for not deleting the whole thread. This thread is gonna take a long time to play out. We don't have a real timeline here. But what we do know is that the vaccine could one of two types...the first one will slow down or shut down the symptoms that should hopefully be available early 2021, as far as a cure to prevent it, I think that is a long time off or maybe never. I know Dr Facui says masks until 2022. The last pandemic went on for 4 years. As far as the GA/SA comic book market is concerned as long as those stimulus checks of $1200 come from the government, it should starve off depression. But as some point, somebody is gonna have to pay for all this "free" money and that means me and you. More tax means less disposable income for GA/SA comic books, auction prices could increase if sales tax or shipping increases with inflation. At this juncture if GA/SA comic books could become a sold and recognized hedge against the coming tidal wave of inflation, then GA/SA comics, only investment quality, CGC unrestored higher grade and strong page quality, then like the current real estate market it should prosper or at least hold thru the toughest periods of this economic reckoning. Cash savings are gonna take a big devaluation, especially with Federal Reserve holding down interest rates, which in turn holds down what the bank can pay for your savings account. What do you do, the stock market is a yo-yo, where do you go...I understand the advantage of real estate its a tangible asset no matter what happens to the value, and its the same for GA/SA comic books, they are tangible but more than ever you should get then CGC'ed should ever be in a position where you need to act fast in a liquidation emergency. That future valuation is contingent upon the economy not going into a depression. So here is my GA/SA buying and selling advice November 2020. 1-Any purchase over $1000 in the middle of this pandemic should be considered an "Investment" purchase regardless of your economic status. So on those purchases avoid restored unless a mega key that you will never be able to afford, avoid any type of tape, poor page quality and fading of any kind. If you do purchase a ungraded book over $1000 get it graded asap and get some type of guarantee that you can return it if there is some type of undisclosed restoration. Pedigree books would be my number 1 purchase priority, those stand the best chance of appreciating in these inflationary times ahead, I just went to home depo for some lumber for a home project and the prices have gone up like 100% in the last 7 months...even a mid grade pedigree would be a good buy. So in terms of buying you might have pay more out now....but you will be safer in the long run. Pedigree GA/SA should remain a rock solid purchase during this pandemic and its inflationary after effects. 2-Sell UP....meaning if love the book, try to get a higher grade copy and sell the lower, if you have a non-pedigree copy and can get one, exchange it out. I would sell again any low grade unrestored, ungraded, restored GA/SA and take the proceeds and buy some of the quality books that are out there now, such as the ones on the current HA.com signature auction in November. Action houses now give you an advance if you consign your GA/SA comic books, and I know HA.com will either give you an auction credit as well so you can sell and upgrade very easy. For example send them some books to put in the weekly auction and buy better something in signature auction...easy upgrade. 3-Trading either to fellow collector or dealer...some dealers will trade down to get more stock while you trade up to make your collection better. Collector to collector is the best as you can get a more even deal that way. I am surprised that given the lack of conventions, flea markets, and comic shop closures that more of this does not go on. As long as you upgrade, this will work. We are in like chapter 3 or 10 chapter story. It is going to be very interesting to see given the increased demand for collectable comic books due to stay at home conditions and inflation whether we can make investment quality CGC graded GA/SA an official inflation buster.

pound for pound the boards are the best thing out there and ROBO members have come and gone for years. There are and have always been a lot of lookers whom read the boards everyday but will not post, yes its tough some times out there, and maybe some of the members who are gonna leave will come back, we just need to get through this year and I hope to look for a slow but even recovery at the end of next year. Comic book conventions whether small or large have become very important in my eyes, we are collectors are not on an island and I really miss the interaction of those events in my life. Everybody's plans have changed due to this virus and I look forward to seeing some of the greatest collections come to the market in the next 5 years. I think the more material coming out will get us excited about our collections and thus improve board traffic. Hang in there, ROBO

great auction coming up...a lot of good ones, hopefully they will be on a regular basis every 6 months.

For those on the fence of purchase or thinking about it you might want to take a look at the book we have been raving about, if you go on Youtube and type in the search " the history of ec comics-Taschen ( leaf through) there is a video of the book..she goes fast, but this should give you out there a idea of the quality and images which you can add to your collection, the writing is just as good...give it try...you will be pleasantly suprised.

The boards are vastly superior to really any other form IG...facebook might come closer to what we have here, but sometimes a older format is better. I am against any type of form censorship of another grading or different grading company as to me CGC is superior in terms of consistent grading and they should welcome the comparison. Hoping for some light at the end of the tunnel Q1 2021 in terms of a estimate to return to normal in terms of economic activity. However, we can never go back, only forwards, just look at 3 years ago..the speed of change has increased so when we go back it will be different. A factor which could increase GA/SA comic book collecting in the future is more available free time...40% of the workforce will probably remain "remote" which means less time to commute, less costs and more time to read, collect GA comic books. I think also the need or demand to go to comic book conventions might increase with the workforce at home and people wanting to change it up. Futher if you can work with a laptop you could go to a comic book con and work from the hotel....I think looking forward the extra time and cost savings could spill over to SGA/SA comic book world and a INCREASE in comic con attendance and interest.

I would say by far the best deluxe edition this year our there is "the history of EC comics" by Taschen......it took me 4 days to read, its massive and the best and by far the most comprehensive history of EC comics.

Yes

how was it?

I would correlate the reduction in traffic to the lack of Comic book conventions and comic book store reduced hours. I think a number of posters attended these conventions and that would generate excitement in the GA section. I look forward to the conventions returns big and little and we see as we get progress in this virus that more traffic will return to the GA and all forms. Also there were flea markets, and garage sales etc ....it will come back. But this is excellent time to catch up on your back reading, going thru your collection and organize it.

REVIEW: Best book of the year by a mile and a great value for price you pay...quality here. Let me say I had high expectations after seeing the preview.....it exceeds those and It took me a full 4 days to read cover to cover.....I can tell you great reread value, and printing quality second to none, especially on the blown up images, they are flawless. This book probably took 20 years of knowledge and research to fully write, and in this day and age of print media, it is just this book, this size to remind you mind why we collect REAL GA/SA real comic books and not look at them on the impersonal computer. Holding this massive volume gives this book special meaning as to what we have grown up with all of our lives in tangible books and comics.. This is a lifetime keeper book with incredible reread value. It great to get a history lesson about something you think you know everything about. Grant, thank you for a masterpiece.

I will second that, especially in excellent condition

MAD 1-23 hands down the greatest comic book run in history, yes I liked the magazine but that run is the my favorite. I like early Jack Kirby Caps especially 1-10 with those double page spreads check out the Captain America Omnibus Vol #1 with Cap 1-12. I then would put the early Batmans w/o Robin as well as Action 1-10. There are great stories you just have to find them. But here are a few GA favorites EC's 1-"My World" and "the Loathsome" are amazing, as well as Action #1 and Whiz#2.

I am with you on that ROBO, we now finally have time to READ some of the great books stacked up....GA is the best, I am looking forward to finally getting my copy of the EC book.

For those of you on the fence and those are you who are interested, there is an incredible video done for the SDCC 2020 called "The wonderful horrible world of EC comics" Grant is the main guest and the program runs under one hour but in terms of "new Stuff" check out those photos of Gaines, Kurtman, Feldstein, etc that are presented, and if in anyway have any doubts about Grants Knowledge of the EC world, give it a listen, I don't care how much you already know, I learned something. It is sort of a preview of the book and the subject, I am sure a member can link this video up....it would be interesting here comments on that video...its great.

that is exactly the issues I had with the Tashen book...until I looked at a preview copy...wortth every dime of $200....lots of new images as well as a ton of new information....I am there with you....but rest assured there will never be another one as this is the best of the best by a mile. The book of year, in the best book category for comics and in the last ten years by far.

I just today received a Email from TASHEN informing me the massive History of EC comics is in stock and available to purchase and ship NOW. Those waiting for Amazon will have to wait till 9/30 for availability. Those who know Grant and his love for EC comics is aware this could be the single greatest book on the history comic book company ever done. With over 1000 images in a massive 592 pages, this oversized 11.5 by 15.6 book looks amazing, there are 16 sample pages on the Taschen website, but I was able to preview the book on grants I-pad and let me say, in my 50 plus years of collecting..this is the best book ever created on the history of any comic book company period. I have been a EC collector since I first discovered them in the EC paperback reprints of the 1960's, which I read and reread over and over again.I know a lot of us have experienced waiting for the next issue...on the paperbacks it was the same thing..amazement when the next one came out.... The next major encounter with EC and books was the Nostalgia press , which I bought when it first came out, I think it was $20 which was a lot of money back then, you could by SF EC's for $10-15 and horror for $7-10. I liked the book so much, I set a goal, get that Master Race story no matter what, which I did and which I sold, and so be that it, as it is for many many of US. That book was great at the time....at the time the book was very impressive, especially for a book devoted to comic art, this was WAY before marvel masterworks etc, I purchased it around 1973/4 ish at Bob Sidebottom's comic book store in San Jose along with some original EC's, it bothered me at the time that I was spending my money on a book that I should of purchased the original issues, but I read that till it was worn out and I bought a replacement. I was in college when the Russ Cochran EC Weird Science slipcase box set was released..I did a college paper on it and got A...I will never forget that....Yes prior to that I had purchased some of the Russ's EC Portfolio's and all the Squa ,Spa Fon's but up to that point Nothing was like that box set or had anything been done like that before on that type of grand scale. To me at that point, it was the greatest reprint publication ever done in term of comic book art. Yes it was in black and white but just looking at how that original art was..well amazing. Next was the color corrected reprints in a smaller format but still very very well done, it gave them a sort of 3-d quality that had never existed before and they were needed to supplement the the Russ black and white volumes. So at this point I have owned and read a complete ec comic book collection less Shock 3 and TTA#1 and in the old days you read them, which I did..carefully, all the paperbacks which were reread over and over, all the Russ Cochran volumes and subsequent reprints and Grants books on EC. So we all know that as the best book publisher out there, Taschen has superior color and printing and size wise which cannot be beat by any other publisher. So I was skeptical about buying an ANOTHER book. Boy was I wrong, as I was looking at the preview of the book...my jaw dropped as I was seeing things I had never seen before and I kept repeating myself to him, "how did you find this...he had a bright smile on his face, as he did not want to do a retread book either. I am still kicking myself in the head for coming into the book with a bad attitude...it great to meet and exceed any expectation let alone create a masterpiece, and when book publishing is said and done and over, this book will be remembered as the one best of all time in our comic book world and , which some oversized computer screen could never reproduce like it is there in your lap. Given for all of us and our extra time at home, there is no better way to have this masterpiece make the best use of that. A hats off to Grant and Tashen for hitting it out of the park. The first edition is limited to 5K copies and be the one to own..

amazing...cong

It will be interesting to see if the 3 trillion dollars which just got dumped into the economy will raise prices on these.

With the US government dumping 3 trillion dollars into our economy, GA/SA buyers are probably spilt with those who got funds, the haves vs those have nots who who face possible business closure or job elimination. I think 800K including BP is very realistic...in normal times given the GA mega key appreciation rate and upcoming Batman movie ( which looks great) I think it would be 900K with BP.

I will second that, it is a very sharp copy, its a 7.0 in my opinion

150K is the old 50K and of course while the government keeping putting and printing money out there-3 trillion recently...you will see some prices pumped up.

It is a real shame that some future collectors could be taken advantage of....hopefully E-Bay will do the right thing

RIP

that is the real problem...what if somebody does it even better...real issues for long term collecting

I wonder how the paper quality is on those and how similar to the original?...