Jaydogrules

If I (or anyone else) was ever able to score that we would just have to shut the whole thread down. -J.

Thanks guys I appreciate the nice words. No need to slab the foreign editions though. A Mylar does just fine for those. -J.

+1 It really is just semantics at this point. -J.

All of the above really is just a "kind" of restoration. Particularly "cleaning" a cover, which is the epitome of a purely aesthetic improvement, no matter how much CGC strains to thread the needle to make it appear as otherwise. -J.

Not to quibble but that Action 1 being called "conserved" with a "cleaned cover" is no bueno. -J.

Well being the OCD kind of collector that I am (is there any other kind??), I was finally able to assemble all versions/reprints/prints of the Dell'otto 667. The Italian, the Mexican, and of course the original. The one that took the longest to track down (other than the original, obviously) was the print. Here is a group shot of them in all their nerdy glory.

A) Why a book does or does not sell for what it does has A LOT more to do than its "page quality". Especially in the GA. I'm sure you know that. The "PQ" on the label isn't always (or ever?) the sole reason a book sells strong, nor should it be used as the sole scapegoat when a book takes a big dump in an auction. Look at ALL the data points, not just the ones that suit the narrative you want to believe in. B) I have always agreed that "brittle pages" (the one actually palpable "PQ" a book can have, along with "slightly brittle") CAN affect the price of more readily available books. (Though not necessarily always, and you will notice that more and more people are dissenting with how CGC is classifying some books as having "brittle pages".) -J.

Well the latest overnights are in and this show continues to hemorrhage viewers en masse: 0.37 demo (down another 24.5% from last week). 0.750 total viewers (down another 28% from last week). There's no way to spin any of this into anything positive. Not with Live +7 numbers, online streaming, or whatever other desperation tactic this show's few remaining fans may try to come up with to excuse or justify this turd. Episode 4 was literally more of the same AGAIN. Self-absorbed, pretentious crapola, disguised as high-minded "entertainment". This show is an abject failure both creatively and commercially. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Noah Hawley's style IS NOT suited for this genre of story telling. Fargo is already a contemplative, moody show, that does work well for Hawley. It does NOT work in a show that's supposed to be about the X-Men. Period. It is simply a thematic and tonal mismatch that even a casual viewer can spot. Liking this show does not make you "smart" anymore so than someone not liking it, or in my case, hating it, means that I don't understand what's going on. I know EXACTLY what's going on. Nothing. That's what's going on. The plot is thin to non-existent, the characters are not engaging, the artsy fartsy junk is simply irritating and ham handed. It is all style with practically no substance. After last night I'm done with it. -J.

Yeah I think the mini-flood of Tec 31's hitting the market, one after another, sometimes a few at once in one auction may have had as much to do with it as anything else. I thought the price for the 1.8 was maybe a little on the low side, but not THAT low, all things considered. -J.

That book has chipping along the top as well as the side. Pretty easy to see why it sold for what it did. -J.

Holy wow. That's already near the most that has ever been paid for a raw, modern comic. -J.

The 6.0 on comiclink went for $23,250, which would be a GPA high if comiclink reported to them. -J.

My understanding is he doesn't do commissions anymore. The last time he did was at a European convention a year ago and his prices were very high. -J.

This was my understanding as well. If anything this makes it look like Marvel is doubling down on the Inhumans, and have accepted that they will probably never be able to make an X-Men or related movie/Tv show at this point. -J.

Wait, inhumans IS happening. It's just been turned into a show now I thought with the two hour pilot being released as a movie in advance of its premiere. It's being called "The Royals" now or something like that and is coming our later this year. Right? -J.

$85k -J.

All of those defects are visible through a slab. "Page Quality" (ie the suppleness, the "feel" of the paper) is not. -J.

None of that stuff is confirmed. They're just tossing around potential ideas throwing everything at the wall and seeing what, if anything might stick. As for for Daken, speculation was rampant (on a couple spec sites) that Daken was in fact appearing in the movie. Expect that book to drop like a rock once everyone sees first hand he's not in it (Nyx 3 will drop as well, but to a lesser extent). And Ultra is right, there's A LOT of hate for that character, the false rumours being floated that he was in Logan was the sole driver of the price of this book. -J.

Simple. Because it is much easier (ie, actually possible) to independently assesss the structural grade of a book through a slab. Even more so with the assistance of graders' notes. You CANNOT, on the other hand, assess the "quality" of the "pages" through a slab, despite the howls of protests from a few who repeatedly (and mistakenly) confuse "page 'quality'" with the literal colour of the pages (actually the cover themselves). Also, and I hate to break it to You, but even CGC will tell you that the so-called "PQ" that you see referenced on the label is just a snap shot at the time of grading, and can in fact degrade over time within the slab, even under the most optimal of storing conditions. So be careful about going out of your way to pay any sort of significant "premium" for a book that says it has "white pages" on the label, because it might not have that anymore (or it might, depending on how many times you crack and resub it. ) -J.

You would easily win since I have more tells than Bobcat Goldwaith on coke. And yes I completely and totally understand what you're saying. I simply disagree with your interpretation of the data and I find the overall variances to be both too numerous and too broad to draw any real, valid, or reliable conclusions. And since anecdotal evidence can be produced to support either position, it's all just a wash. -J.

....and what happens to your "averages" when books with "white pages" on the label sell for well BELOW the average of the other books with "inferior page quality" on the label (as what happened in this auction)? -J.

You and I are cool. Unfortunately, VintageComics had to come in after the fact and do his usual pot-stirring thing with the pro forma passive-aggressive personal swipes. Differences in opinion are fine, and debates can be lively and entertaining, and even a little sarcasm can be humourous at times, but the constant condescending, holier than thou "I know better than you" shtick can be too much sometimes. -J.

Great, I'm glad you got another opportunity to tell everybody how long you've been dealing with funny books. Bully for you. But your specific opinion about what "people" paying a "premium" for has now degenerated from being about the "PQ" on the label, into a completely generic statement about collectors paying for whatever quality (or qualities) they might uniquely prefer in particular in a book. Essentially agreeing that the "PQ" on the label is in fact NOT the sole end-all, be-all automatic "premium-fetcher" that you implied it was earlier (again, bad time to be making such a blanket statement anyway given the results of this auction). Thus making your original point essentially moot (and effectively proving mine). Yes, it does look like a good time for you to walk away, professor. -J.

You are still making imopossible to prove assumptions and stating your opinions as "facts". You don't need anyone to show up to "pay more" in either scenario (again, how much "more", who knows). These two results we have before us right now sold for well BELOW the averages, irrespective of the so-called "PQ" on the label. These books, these supposedly wonderful, highly desired by everybody"white page" on the label books, were in fact met by the market with a collective shrug. Hence, even if a book with "white pages" on the label "appears" to sell for above average at some unforeseen later date (and it is obviously for that reason and for that reason alone) the NUMEROUS below average results like these even everything out again to the point of meaninglessness. Every time miscontrue your opinions as "facts", or, worse yet, "math", you are effectively speaking in absolute terms. If I am reading more hyperbole into your statements than are intended, I apologize. Let's just agree to disagree, enjoy all of these funny books that we have, warts and all, and call it a night. -J.

Ahem. Actually that is not "math" and is still just anecdote based on your opinion and personal preferences. For as we have seen, when that particular collecting niche who may (or may not) pay "more" (how much "more", who knows? some murky, ill-defined amount) fail to show up to an auction, even books with alleged "white pages" on the label will sell for well BELOW average, and guess what!, that negates whatever imaginary "premium" that you want to believe in, even on the now-watered-down "averages" that you are now attempting to hang your hat on (although I will grant you that that is a step in the right direction from the absolute terms you were trying to speak in before). -J.