VintageComics

1967-68 when the production quality of the books changed noticeably.

And the Everett, Wood, Romita art in the early issues is exceptionally good. The linework is just amazing.
I wasn't a huge Colon fan, though.
I think it's a combination of popularity (increasing), some poor sales years ago in the high grade range which spooked high end buyers, being a late book and being a white cover.
But if I had to choose one original art page to own from the Marvel SA it would be a hard toss up for me between Kirby FF #1 and Everett DD #1. The entire book is a work of art.

Rangers Comics #14 CGC 6.0 COW - in my opinion the greatest GGA cover of all time, after Rangers #26
Asking $1750 -I know, a CGC 7.0 just sold for $1375 a few months ago. Good luck finding front cover appeal like this. This was my personal copy for years and Chip auctioned it off for me a couple of years ago. Buyer returned it saying it was over graded (we had it graded a 5.5) and incomplete. I guess he was wrong.

Giant Size X-men #1 CGC 9.8 OWW - apparently this book is en fuego
Asking $10,000

Jim, that is a very special book.
What I remember the most about it was how fresh it felt and smelled.
Thanks for the kind words. I can also reciprocate and say that it's great to have a friend like you on the boards as we move special books back and forth amongst each other.

Jim, that is a very special book.
What I remember the most about it was how fresh it felt and smelled.
Thanks for the kind words. I can also reciprocate and say that it's great to have a friend like you on the boards as we move special books back and forth amongst each other.

Gang, since this thread is on the first page, rather than start a new thread I'm going to add another book for sale.
Marvel Spotlight #5 CGC 9.6 OWW - Extremely tough book in high grade
Asking $12,500

X-men #76 9.2 (Extremely tough book in NM range)
Asking $400

Incredible Huk Annual #1 VF+ 8.5 (NM looking book with 3/4" spine split top spine)
Asking $250

Yes, but you need to check the time machine option checkbox when submitting.

All good points.
But in general, you don't find that buying books at shows has become tougher over all for various reasons?
The general consensus seems to be that it's; tougher to find stuff over all than it used to be. Whether it's inventory for dealers, keys for customers or just high grade anything.
The exception would be lower grade filler. That stuff is common.
The Metros and the Bob Storms of the world are going to have much more supply due to networking and time in the hobby but the general consensus from the average dealer is that the good stuff has been drying up for some time.

CGC allows only Golden Age books with a small amount of glue and / or color touch to be in a blue (universal) holder if the glue and / or color touch do NOT improve the grade. The glue and / or color touch are factored into the grade as defects because they are foreign material.
If they improve the grade, the book is encapsulated in a Restored label and the restoration is factored into the grade.
It's been like this since day one.

I didn't claim to call the crash.
But several people did. People who were willing to detach from public opinion, the status quo or whatever else opposition there was.
I just was fortunate to know someone close to me who saw it coming and shared it with me and it benefited me greatly.
If I didn't have the foreknowledge that he had given me, I wouldn't have made the moves that I did.
People can call it luck, or whatever, but I've come to learn that most major pundits are blinded by ratings or social inertia or whatever it is that drives them and can't always call it like it is.
Most people (the average Joe) doesn't listen to alternative news and even if they hear it, they generally dismiss it out of hand because it doesn't carry the same weight to them.

Got another batch of books that I'll be posting for sale in both the the CA / MA forum and the GA / SA forum.
Amazing Spider-man
#194 CGC 9.8 OWW
#300 CGC 9.8 White
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 CGC 9.8 White
Giant-Size X-men #1 CGC 8.5 OWW
Marvel's Greatest Comics 52 CGC 9.8 White (2006 Reprint of Fantastic Four #52)
New Mutants #98 CGC 9.8 White
New Gods #1 CGC 9.6 OWW
Nova #1 CGC 9.8 OWW

Marvel's Greatest Comics 52 CGC 9.8 White (2006 Reprint of Fantastic Four #52. Manufactured to look aged. Not many on the CGC census and there are only 2 9.8's on the census.)
Asking $1000

Most of the dealers (if not all) are already moving everything into Southern California form all over the continent for the SD show.
If they are already there in So Cal, wouldn't another show (even if it is a one day show) make the entire trip more profitable?

I personally wouldn't be posting on the internet how much cash I carry around.

But seriously...
I tend to carry very little US cash (I'm Canadian) and have used Paypal, CC, Checks to pay for purchases.

Most of the dealers (if not all) are already moving everything into Southern California form all over the continent for the SD show.
If they are already there in So Cal, wouldn't another show (even if it is a one day show) make the entire trip more profitable?

In LA everything is close distance wise but far in regards to travel time.
It can take you an hour to drive 10 miles sometimes.
You can use Google maps and change your leave / start time and they generally compensate for traffic with their travel times.

I have a copy that is going to get graded in the next few weeks but that's it for now as far as available books. Sorry.

The market has been crazy and sellers are often pricing books into where they think the book will be next year. Nobody wants to leave any meat on the bone any more because they think that next year they be able to get double what they are getting this year for a 'hot' book.
This has definitely caused buyers to leave disappointed from shows and probably disappointed dealers because some aren't selling as many books.
Rising booth costs and shrinking margins are eventually going to squeeze out the little guys (as it is happening across the country) making shows only profitable for international dealers who can afford to bring top shelf material to every show.
 

All good points.
But in general, you don't find that buying books at shows has become tougher over all for various reasons?
The general consensus seems to be that it's; tougher to find stuff over all than it used to be. Whether it's inventory for dealers, keys for customers or just high grade anything.
The exception would be lower grade filler. That stuff is common.
The Metros and the Bob Storms of the world are going to have much more supply due to networking and time in the hobby but the general consensus from the average dealer is that the good stuff has been drying up for some time.

The general consensus from most of the usual buyers that I spoke to who fly in to this show is that it has been a tougher buying show than previous years and I would generally agree. Each year it becomes more difficult to buy at shows for various reasons.
One would be that it's a serller's market and prices are more aggressive.
Another would be that the market has matured a lot in the last decade+ since the advent of both CGC and pricing websites like GPA,Go Collect and Price Guide.com has tightened margins a lot.
As you know, there is always plenty of material at shows but shrinking margins and aggressive pricing means it takes much more effort than it used to.
I agree that having a nice score can make a show for anyone but it happens far less than it used to in my experience.
.

Or reaching customers who can't get a pass for the show or a reasonable hotel room for the city.
There are many complaints of people who want to shop at SD but can't or just won't put in the cost / effort any longer.

For what it's worth, I wasn't saying it was a bad show.
I think it depends on the dealer.
If you're savvy, have solid inventory and know how to sell you'll have a great show. It's how you get to become an international dealer with a wide customer base.
But there are definitely less and less small time sellers at shows than there used to be, and the reasoning I hear is that booth prices are pricing them out of the shows.