FineCollector

Just tell the dude everyone you talked to about it says he owes you $500, and that we warned you the trade is unfair.  That'll give you an idea what kind of guy you're dealing with.

11 hours ago, Lukesaurus said:

I've been looking at Baffling Mysteries , most books on ebay seem to go 4-5 x guide prices . 

This caught my eye.  I'm a silver age guy, and there, you can pick your copy, there's always another available.  If you're playing in GA, throw out the guide.  For hot or rare pieces, you're competing with people who have been hunting for months or even years without finding a copy for sale.  They'll pay what they have to in order to get it.

I could fill a thread with WTF is that doing on the wall, so that makes me a poor judge of what will be hot in 5 years.

Whatever happened to that Vision series with a wife and two kids in the suburbs?  That was hot for a while, are people not into that anymore?  Immortal Iron Fist, Hawkeye... they all have their time in the sun, and then fade away.  Buyer beware.

Two, one Canadian newsstand in my collection, and one US direct going out for sale at a local con.  I only ever need one copy of anything, and dont collect variants, the Canadian just happens to be the highest grade.

Why do you want so many?

11 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

I never got the 'run' collection.

Not many of my keys are sentimental favorites.  If anything, the keys are expensive run filler!

I think all collectors are some blend of curator (buy to keep, sell to upgrade), and opportunist (buy to flip, sell when a better offer comes along).  Everyone has a place in the hobby, you just have to be honest with yourself and with others about where you are on the sliding scale.

30,000 books is between 120-150 longs.  How does he have that many books, and no silver or gold?  Has he just been skimming dollar bins all these years, and throwing back anything that wasn't high grade?  I'm a run collector too, but he sounded like a nut.  I'm at about 60 longs myself.  I have a house, everything fits in the room I've dedicated to my collection, and I have no wife to hassle me, but I still feel the weight of stuff I don't like enough to keep.

I don't like the "quality over quantity" argument, I hate that the hostess said that.  Would I rather have a Hulk 181 over a run of Quasar and Web of Spidey?  Of course.  Would I rather have a Hulk 181 over twice it's value of Avengers, Flash, or Shazam runs I've built?  Heck no.  He did great on the trade, but collecting has to be more than just dollars and cents.

11 hours ago, MadJimJaspers said:

Some people weren't collecting when Hulk 1s were still selling for 5k. The only way to get grails in your box like that is to hustle up so there shouldn't be judgement for doing so. 

Trading up is nothing new and I'm not saying you are one of those people, but the condescension people throw for those who sell to buy doesn't make sense to me. I sold and traded a collection I had built for 7 years for one of my grails and I don't regret it for a second. I also think doing something like that has merit. 

Easier just to put a few dollars a week aside, like when you were buying a bike or a video game, no?

6 hours ago, newshane said:

Furthermore, GSXM 1 isn't even the exclusive first appearance of the X-men! What about UXM - 94? Much better cover than GSXM and harder to find in top condition thanks to the dark cover. 

Not to mention the fact that GSXM1 is simply an ugly book aesthetically. 

Personal preference, I'd say.  I like the cover of GSX 1 better.  Rarity in high grade is what keeps the price of XMen 94 up, although I dont see the fuss about it.  It's a 2nd appearance, and nothing happens in it.  Plane takes off, and goes poof.  95 is a far better book than 94.

Anyone else think the tv heroes (Runaways, Exiles, New Mutants) are going back into bins when their shows finish?  Cloak and Dagger might stick, but not the other Spectacular appearances.

Just now, Artboy99 said:

the Miller page I posted?

Yup.  Can't think of another time when someone described Cap's voice.  Alex Ross' Marvels just said he was beloved among the old people, if I recall, but never described his command.

The price of Hero For Hire 1 seems to have been slowly dropping for a little while now.  I think Spider-Woman is next... Spotlight 32 and Spider-Woman 1 aren't that hard to find.  I don't know what's keeping them afloat.

To the question at hand, I say you have to have deep respect and understanding of the work that came before you.  You need to know what the medium is capable of, and be able to offer something we havent seen before.  It's even harder to take over an existing title.  We are all experts when it comes to our favorite characters.  Readers will know if the character doesnt speak or react the way he's supposed to.

That's my favorite line in all of comics right there.

CGC grading standards are becoming the norm in the market, so people are using their numerical grades.  I tend to grade Overstreet's way, but there are differences.  The old timers will often revert to verbal grades for uncertified books, but some young collectors dont entirely understand them, and ask for the numerical grade.

August 1993 ad... whatever happened to this place?  I never heard of a California store before.

Step 1 is Google the issue and see what the image looks like on other copies.  Quality control on comic book printing has never been top notch, the image can drift if no one's watching the press.  I'm seeing a 9.4 copy where the top of the logo is cut and his foot is a ways from the bottom.  A 9.6 copy has the full logo, but his foot is touching the bottom edge.  I cant see the bottom of yours.

1) take it out of the bag

2) what's your concern?

1 minute ago, Comcav said:

<yawn> you sure you want to wake the slumbering giant?  I mean I let you get some nice stuff today.  Take the win, not poke the bear... 

If only you talked this much in the discussion threads...

Just now, GregHa said:

I have missed both GSXs somehow.. No time for poops.

Queue Lizard in 3...2...1...

Back to work. 

First time I notice the purple slippers...

46 or 47, cant remember which Punisher magazine I have.  I like that list much better.  The first one full of Spidey keys would impress a lot of the monkeys on Facebook, but when old time boardies have flushed all of that for better stuff, it's not much to brag about.

I'd never heard of Quisp cereal before, I had to go check.