newshane

Oh...and if that Spawn comic really did belong to Holguin...then he should take better care of his comics! One corner on that copy was bent all to h**l.

I can't tell you how angry I was regarding the bad timing (for me) of this auction. I'm one of the crazy folks who would have spent the cash on that book. Only 60 copies exist. I saw one copy move on eBay last year for far less and it was in far better shape than the one that sold yesterday. The book is molten hot.

Spawn 185 B&W Just sold on eBay for 2,076.25! WOW! It was also in raw condition. I'd say no better than VF tops.

I should also add that the book is perfect except for the flaws in the picture above...as far as I can tell. The corners are all razor sharp. I would have given anything to have sat in on the grading process for these books. It would have been a fantastic learning experience!

OH and I meant for the picture to say INDENTATION not INDENTION! That's what I get for staying up all night writing papers for grad school!

Okay folks, here is a picture of one of the slabs that came back as a 9.6. I had to take dozens of pictures before I happened across one that adequately illustrated the tiny indention in the vicinity of a staple which seems to be bent and bulges a little from the edge of the book. You will also notice a small smear of some sort. It actually appears to be a spot that didn't get adequate ink for some reason. This is definitely a production flaw of some sort, although I'm not sure about a technical name for it. The indention is very, very small and is only visible when holding the book at certain angles under very intense light...that's what made getting a good shot of it so difficult. The white spots you see here and there are dust or lint particles on the slab. The spine rub looks worse under this sort of magnification than it really is. I don't think the CGC gave it much concern at all. The spine is just as clean through the slabs as any of my 9.8s and approaches the quality of some of my 9.9s. Keep in mind that I took everyone's advice. I purposefully submitted a few copies that were supposed to provide a baseline of a 9.8. This strategy apparently didn't work. It seems that I was off by two tenths of a point! I anxiously await the arrival of the additional slabs. I will once again attempt to get graders notes and will re-examine the books through the slabs. I will let you all know if I spot anything interesting...or anything at all! Can't wait to look for the flaws I missed on the 9.8s! Sorry that the picture appears to be rotated in the wrong direction. I guess the board doesn't like pictures that are wider than they are long.

Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you're enjoying the thread. Please send me a PM and we will try to make a deal.

There should be no prints because I handled them with gloves. I assume that Classics Incorporated and CGC also examined them with gloves. The flaws are on the back cover around the staple area. There is a tiny, tiny nick that can only be seen under intense light. I will attempt to get pictures. I am still waiting on the other books I submitted. I will provide updates as soon as they are available.

I did have them pressed. Classics Incorporated did the work. The 9.6s also passed their 9.8 pre-screen.

GAH! I used other lights to examine the books inside of the slabs and I did see flaws. Sick to say that I'm satisfied with the grade now? I'm still disappointed that there are no notes available for this 9.6. I think the graders notes are pretty much worthless to be honest. I guess they don't have time to take many notes these days.

That's pretty much what I'm going to say on the phone tomorrow.

I take back the flawless remark. The stapes are slightly out of alignment. Other than that I'm clueless.

Got in one of those 9.6s today. Guess what? NO GRADER NOTES AVAILABLE FOR THIS COMIC It's not a matter of the book being new because I was able to get notes from other books in the same order! I'm telling you guys...this book looks absolutely flawless...every bit as good as my 9.9s and even better than some of them. I would REALLY like the graders to tell me what is wrong with this book. How ridiculous. I am going to call them on the phone tomorrow.

Makes no difference to me, but from an aesthetic standpoint, I think I actually prefer the direct editions. Who wants a barcode on the front cover of a comic? I'd agree with Buzzetta's assertion that newsstand editions are harder to find in top condition for obvious reasons. I also agree that it's a niche market for total completists with heavy OCD tendencies. I'm in no way saying that's a bad thing, by the way. While the "rarity" element has probably been played up by a few dealers for extra dough, I haven't really seen it make a true difference in the price of a comic.

Wow! I've submitted 14 moderns--1 9.9, 11 9.8's, 2 9.6's. Guess I got lucky. had your 9.9 spent a decade in a box? I'd certainly have to agree that storage and handling make all the difference in these situations. My boxes weren't the time machines I expected. I know we're dealing with "moderns" here, so presumably it should be easier to find mint copies. But these "moderns" are 18 years-old. I know that makes those of us in our early 30s feel old as #$&@, but a fact is a fact. I'd say the very best candidates for 9.9s of that age are books that were hand-selected by comic dealers and placed directly from the box into a long-term private collection. One of the many lessons I learned? A sealed distributor's box from the early 90s is not the best place to keep books over the long-term, especially if they shuffle hands a few times. SPINE-RUB OF DEATH! I congratulate anyone who submits a 9.9 on their own! It really is an accomplishment. Furthermore, don't doubt the very existence of mint books - they are out there! I'd advise everyone to at least personally examine a 9.9 slab at some point. It really helps put things into perspective.

Sometimes it's all about the journey instead of the destination. I learned an awful lot through conducting this experiment and the bottom line is that I enjoyed the process, even if it didn't result in a happy ending. I will definitely no longer be searching through stacks of comics in search of a mint comic. I've learned to be very, very happy with 9.8 books...especially if they are over five or six years old. I've also learned that mint books are sold at an exorbitant price for a reason - they are simply next to possible to obtain on your own. I will be getting the graders' notes for these issues and I will post them here. I'm thinking they either hammered the spine rub or staple area. I knew a few of them weren't as nice as the others and I submitted them on purpose...hoping to establish a bottom baseline of 9.8. Unfortunately, I was off by a degree. Maybe they had just finished looking at a stack of pristine Grimm books...or Locke and Key? haha The thing I find most shocking is that all of the books passed the 9.8 pre-screen over at Classics Incorporated. That's why I was so shocked to hear about the 9.6 grades. I think it's also fair to expect a little bit of inconsistency in a subjective process such as the grading of comics. I think that a few of my books were every bit as "pretty" as some of the 9.9 slabs that I already own. I never expected to get multiple mint slabs, but I figured that at least one out of the seven I submitted would make the mark. The bottom line is that I wasted an enormous amount of time and resources searching for that mint book that I never found. While it was fun, it's just not economically feasible for me to try again. That money can be put to better use in my collection. I also learned that plenty can happen to a comic book over the years - even if they are never removed from the printer's box. They weren't that tightly packed in the box to begin with...I'd say all the poor handling and storage of these boxes over the years only contributed to the problem. I cringe when I think about those spines rubbing the edge of the box. Remember, some of the boxes were in great shape and others were not. My next challenge will be getting rid of the rest of these raws! I'm super happy so many people followed and enjoyed my journey! I hope to continue to improve my grading abilities and I'm excited to share and learn more about the craft! Thanks again! Stay tuned and we'll discuss the graders' notes once I actually get the slabs.

This would include looking over the whole book under high magnification under the best lighting conditions. Even then you are wrong 99.99 percent of the time. Indeed! You can read my thread on 9.9s over in the "spare a grade" forum for proof.

I'd like to thank everyone for following this thread and providing support. Unfortunately, I did not obtain a 9.9 from my first set of submissions. The results were a mix of 9.8s and 9.6s. I'm shocked at the two 9.6 grades I received because they both passed the pre-screens over at Classics Incorporated. I'm looking forward to seeing the graders' notes. Perhaps they were somehow damaged in transit? I am satisfied with the 9.8s because they will fill gaps in my registry. This entire process has given me a new respect for 9.9s. I'm not sure if I will ever manage to submit one from my own collection. I think I will stick to obtaining 9.9s which have already been slabbed. Thanks again! I'm just bummed that I couldn't deliver better news. Once again, if you know anyone with Spawn 9.9s for sale...please send them in my direction. They won't be sorry. I even offer a finder's fee for people who help set me up with the right deals. Just PM me anytime. I also have a TON of raws I need to get rid of... if anyone wants them! I also have Spawn 16 in CGC 9.8 if any of ya need that one.

I think it takes everything they have just to keep fast track on time. I called today and they said they were "deluged" a few weeks ago with modern submissions.

All seven books left Classic Incorporated on September 17. Arrived at CGC September 19. Modern Fast Track. I expect to hear something by the end of this week!

I could not agree more! (thumbs u Welcome to the boards! This place rocks!

Living Triunal is the most powerful being. The Incredible Hulk is is the strongest in regards to physical strength. I'm shocked there is an even a debate about these things. heh

Same here. If I can't afford to send them fast-tracked, then I won't send them at all. I don't mind waiting 20-40 business days....but 70+ is just ridiculous! I've decided lately that I hate my current job. Maybe CGC should hire me! Hey...every little bit counts!

My method, for what it's worth, is the following. Insert two pieces of microchamber paper...one behind the front cover and one in front of the back. Insert comic into Mylite2 Mylar sleeves from Gerber. Use fullback acid-free/buffered backing boards from the same company. Then I put the comics into corrugated plastic short boxes, which are by nature acid-free. These are available from bagsunlimited.com. The company is fantastic and sells all sorts of useful products! I highly suggest them!

No offense taken! This thread does involve the periodicals' manufacturing process, which clearly impacts the condition of the books we purchase through distributors, mail order, or the local comic book shop. The truth is that our books are handled many times before we even first set eyes upon them. Since most of us are clearly concerned about the condition of our comics (that's why most of us visit this forum, I'd imagine) , then I believe the manufacturing/shipping/handling processes are immediately relevant to our concerns.