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01TheDude

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Posts posted by 01TheDude

  1. On 8/2/2022 at 9:31 PM, 01TheDude said:

    America's Greatest #5  9.0

    Fight Against Crime #14  5.5

    Showcase #4   3.5

    Fantastic Four #25  3.0

    Supernatural Thrillers #5  9.4

     

    I knew that first one was a Mile High book so I graded it way up (and I can't say it wasn't justified). It is really hard to give a 9.8 grade to a book---and I couldn't find a single thing wrong with that Thrillers book so I assumed I was just missing something and went the safe route.  8 points-- not bad for taking less than 5 minutes to look at the images.

  2. On 8/2/2022 at 8:08 PM, zzutak said:

    Respectfully (and I mean that), the scans of these books did in fact reveal these defects.  Check out the two circled areas along the spine side of the front cover scan for Book #1 (Adventure #37) shown below.  The black band at the top and bottom of the title block is offset at the original spine (which coincides with the staples).  That can only happen if the front and back covers are completely split.

    01d.thumb.jpg.703729b76b62cd6e647029d88471a37d.jpg

    And the scans for Book #8 (G.I. Combat #68) more than hinted at the inside cover tanning.  Neither the front cover shadow nor the back cover halo have sharp, well-defined boundaries.  In my experience, that's always been a good indication of tanning to the inside covers.  One man's opinion (but a man who's been active in the hobby for 60+ years).

    08.thumb.jpg.bf50600519abc321544146ac2b513f02.jpg 08b.thumb.jpg.fed20599f95f1be49675d46d7bd1bc67.jpg

    Trust me when I say that I've shaken my head more than once when CGC's grades were revealed.  But it's just a game.  And if this is anywhere close to the biggest frustration you've felt today, you truly lead a blessed life.  :foryou:

    All very good points-- and things I missed.

    My efforts weren't exactly all out or too motivated. The prize is nothing I really need (I like my raw books/never have sent in a book to be graded). Also-- never really thought I had any shot at finishing in the top three.

  3. On 8/2/2022 at 6:58 PM, CGC Mike said:

    Criticism is not ignored.  I do try hard to make these contests fun for everyone.  In the future, I will try to study the notes better, and list a hidden defect, if I see one.  :smile:

    As I said--- it is fair for all involved and I mention the CGC comments being shown AFTER as being one area I see as a possible improvement. For instance-- including all the grade notes WITH the initial showing of the images would separate this particular form of contest from all the previous ones. I can only recall a handful of times that anything from CGC grader notes was ever included. Hidden stuff though was often expressly told as if the person playing could hold the comic in hand (obvious stuff not revealed in images easily). 

    Anyway - keep up the good work as it certainly is better than NOT having a contest to play.  I think we could enhance it a bit if we could also figure out some method to have people add prizes voluntarily without sounding like CGC is begging for that type of participation.

  4. ok --- I'll keep on playing. But it is frustrating to read the freaking CGC notes AFTER the grades are shown and finding things out like "Oh yeah--- did I forget to mention the cover is totally detached?'" or the one about the tanning.

    Oh well--- they run it how they like I suppose. In other contests in the past--- things that weren't obvious but would be in if you had it in hand were given to help contestants. Every game has its own set of obstacles so of course this is fair just makes it really hard to guess a thing you cannot (or barely) see at all.

  5. didn't realize we were doing contests again. Guess I missed out on two.

    Couple of questions for general discussion......

    I see there are the three prizes just from CGC --- is anyone organizing supplemental prizes like we used to do with the fans run contests?

    are there any links to the last two contests to check out how things worked previously?

    Never mind--- found them with a decent search on "2022 CGC Grading contest"

    Here is a sample for those who have not checked out this version of the grading tournament:

     

  6. On 7/9/2022 at 6:35 PM, deadleg said:

    This yours by any chance? 

    Edit: If anybody out there has a book with a May 30th date stamp, I'd be highly interested in adding it to my collection. 

    It is my copy but it is also the only one I have and I wouldn't want to break up my Thor run. The stamp is not all that important to me but the book is-- in terms of not creating a hole in my collection. I think I gave it a grade of around 5.0 - not crazy nose bleed of course but decent enough.

    I am not unreasonable---- If you can find a decent replacement, I would be willing to trade book for book. Just a reminder though-- the stamp itself is on the back cover of the book.

  7. I didn't realize that the original golden record had two stories included--- issue #83 of course and also #97 when he battles the Lava Man. Kind of neat to read along and listen to the recording. THUMP!

    I don't have either of these original the original books but I do have the Marvel Masterworks vol 1 of Thor. PAGE 14

    Sorry-- I get a laugh out of the way the recording guides the reader to the next page too. Fun stuff! Gonna try to figure out how to download this for future reference.

  8. People like what they like for whatever reasons they use to get there. Perhaps the larger impact of the types of things you are referring to is how much readily available the information is to the entire public. So yeah-- in a media focused culture-- it will impact things more so than established knowledge or rational thought processes.

    I would not find it all that upsetting. personally as it tends to help raise the value of all our collections (for however long it continues). It might make some silly things out priced from reality but give it time and short of it becoming camp-- it will come back down.

  9. Love the responses and the funny theories but the arguing against said theories is even more precious.

    Nobody makes every cover perfect or amazing. If you are a completionist type collector and you have set your goals for the exact set of covers by Neal Adams-- you have to take ownership that this includes some less stellar examples and keep the focus on the task of the completing.

    I mean--- we might as well be arguing over the legitimacy of firing all the bullets at a stoic Superman and then thinking throwing the gun at him will work which he DUCKS away from. Suspend ones belief -- the professor had a capable assistant who has gone home to feed his dog. He is the one who removed the brain, placed it under the jar (of unknown make- where you got "under a dome of Vera Wang lead crystal" is beyond me), connected it to whatever sensory devices needed to both understand that someone else is in the room but also convert thought to speech somehow, install the air jets to impact the cape (anot to mention anticipating someone WITH a cape), and then gently covering the discarded corpse with the labs readily available DOA cover sheet.

    Phew--- sounds crazy but we are talking about a guy who had his own brain removed--- so who are we to judge? Plus this fits in with all the other insane DC covers I grew up despising (laughing at?) as completely silly as part of my membership in the MMMB.

    Totally understandable. I'd sell it.

  10. On 11/4/2021 at 12:28 AM, lou_fine said:

     

    Based upon virtually all of the overwhelmingly negative reviews which I have been reading about the Eternals, it almost sounds like it's Inhumans TV series which was pretty much of a bomb for Marvel.  :(

    So, unless you think the Inhumans related books were also undervalued, not sure what this is going to do for the price of Eternals related books going forward?  Since I've still got the entire run as I never got around to slabbing them, I hope they don't crash right through the floor on the way down which seems to be the trend for most movie and TV hype books.  As long as they don't go below my purchase price, I guess I really can't complain too much though.  :wishluck:

    I bought the entire series - all 20 books - at cover price from the racks of 7-11 back when they came out (total cost - $6.25). Most of them are in 8.5 shape or better with a few that are more like 7.0s based on my grading at the last re-bagging/boarding.

    No plans to get them graded or sell them.

    It feels like some people get way over concerned about valuation these days-- instead of enjoying the books. Not aimed at anyone in particular but it seems clear to me we have a mix of dealers, semi-dealers, speculators, and some mix in between of those as well as regular Joe collectors.

    That said-- I wish you all luck in dealing with these books.