fastballspecial

Okay back to our normal programming hopefully. Anybody have any neat finds lately?

I too have wonder this. I have never seen a X-men 118 in a Whitman pack. I always see the common ones FF, Daredevil, Spiderwoman, Machine Man, Shogun Warriors, Micronauts and I think one Avengers. Its really fun tracking these down and some day Ill figure out jsut how many I have left here is a list I researched at STL and posted it I used Gifflefunks web site and then cross referenced it to produce this bursted/fat diamond list. Feel free to add to it if I am missing one. ASM 185-189 Avengers 176,177,179,180, Battle Star Galactica 2,3 CM 224-,230,233, Conan 91,92,93,94,95,98 DD 156 Defenders 64,67,68, Doctor Strange 33 Fantastic Four 199(Most Common I have) 201,202,203 H Fly 14,15,18 Hulk 228,229,230,231,232 Invaders 37 Iron man 115-119 Machine Man 8 MSH 75-78, 80 Marvel Tales 96-99 Marvel Team Up 75-78 Marvel Two In One 43-48, 51 Marvel’s Greatest Comics 80 Micronauts 1-3 Shogun Warriors 1-2 Spidey Super Stories 38 Spectacular Spiderman 24-27 Star Wars 16-18 Tarzan 17-21 Thor 276-280,283 X-men 118 I omitted these two by accident. Marvel Super Action 11 Spider-woman 11

Are the ones you are calling "Fat Ones" the bursted Whitman/Marvels? If so X-men 118 is fairly difficult to find in higher grades, but I have seen one. All Marvel Tales are difficult, as well as Triple Action, Human Flys are tough, Marvel Super Heroes, Marvels Greatest as well. Keep in mind many titles didnt even have any of these and like X-men many only had one issue. The easiest by far are Micronauts, BG, Star Wars, and FF for some reason(I have several doubles of them.)

I dont really collect 30 centers only certain sets. I just couldnt pass all these up at once. Its the largest find I have found for 30 centers. Just thought it was cool piles like this still exist.

Because they are virtually impossible to find in any condition? I think originally to get them on the census as existing..... Yes and Ill add to that. Probably to give the books a little more credibility when selling. Everyone here I guess seems to bid much higher on a book slabbed 5.5 versus a ebay seller selling a raw copy in the same grade. I can understand why too as it catches most restoration, defects most average sellers/buyers wont catch or dont know to look for, and the average ebay seller just doesnt grade that well. Not saying its perfect, but do the math you have a very rare book that there are only 2 or 3 existing copies of.(One of them only has 1) You have a pool of say 50 buyers(For argument's sake it mayb higher/lower) who are all looking to complete their 35 variant set. You sell one unslabbed and you sell the other copy slabbed you are probably looking at a sizable difference money wise.

It cant hurt to try it. I would put it on the bay with a BIN and a healthy reserve myself. Lot of CGC census high graders may want it as well you never know with this stuff.

I agree with all the opinions here on the 169. Its rare to even find a high grade ASM 35 center and the competition is fierce even among the hidden. Glad the completist in me doenst do ASMs.(Good Luck buying a variant cheap from Showcase they watched like the gold in Ft. Knox. I am stil hurting from the thump I took on the Avengers lot last year and everyone else made out like bandits! ) So far though all of you are leaving out the fun it is to find them. I am speaking about the hidden ones. Its once in a blue moon now that one of us finds a hidden variant on ebay get it cheap. Those days are pretty well gone, but there are still rare exceptions. There is no better thrill I think as a collector these days then to find one and even better if you get it cheap. Heck when I find one off of ebay now I look around to make sure no one else is looking to see I found one.(Its rare) Even other venues online have them as well you have to put the time into looking which as probably all of you know is pretty consuming and addictive. SA got me hooked years back now I cant quit damn it its like crack.(Or so I hear ) I still worship at the temple of the Cosmic Spiderman

Because a few dealers actually sold some Defenders variants, and (gasp) reported them? Still,these prices would hold for an average of prices reported for unslabbed sales. Probably not enough sales data points for the Westerns to affect how it is listed in Guide. The crazy prices paid for the occasional sale make for good outliers that get dropped when the Overstreet formulas get applied Nice to see the Defenders variants finally getting the respect that is long overdue these classic works of literature Give me back my Defenders 30 center I sent ya Seriously all Defenders 30 centers I have found at least a few copies of each and passed on them. For a generally conservative guide I am really suprised by that huge increase in those books. I could believe it in Westerns and a few of the Horror books, but not these. Sales data can support those I think ever see one sell cheap? Like under $20 even in low grade.? Now on to the 35 centers which are sooo much more fun to hunt and much more of a challenge to find.

I told you its next to impossible to get a 9.8 on issue 21#. I dont care how much other people say that book is easy to find. It sells above grade in [embarrassing lack of self control] condition. Its impossible to find in high grade. I am not saying it cant be done the census does show 30 copies or so in 9.4 and 9.6, but a 9.8 seems to be impossible.

I probably find as many as he does, but I don't bid unless it's on my "list". Otherwise I pass it on to someone I know collects them... like banner and his Hulks. -----> CosmicSpiderman

I never imagined being out-sniped at $90+ per book. Classic case of bumping heads.

Belated Kudos to JG as his payment was fast and knew exactly how he wanted the books. Love a buyer who stays in touch during a transaction. Now if I didnt have to drop my firewalls here I post more often. Thanx Robert

A link would be nice for they lazy/busy people who dont have time to search it out.

As said before, the Star Wars books have the "cross-over collectiblity factor" with the movie fanatics that most of the other variants don't. At least, that's the way I see it. K You are exactly correct both Star Wars and X-men collectors kill each other for these books. They are just more Star Wars fans then X fans thats why the value is higher. FF and Ghost Rider should see a small rise in the next few months also.

I saw that auction along with many others as my emails indicated. Seems there is alot of hositility toward that seller for some reason.(Could just be jealously seems to have alot of that on this board.) I dont know him so I dont really care, but seems to me he would have made more cash had he done seperate auctions especially without the paypal fee.(Guess it depended on what the individual sale price would have been.) Dont get me wrong some wont bid without paypal, but I cant blame the seller for wanted to avoid that fee.(In fact if it wasnt proven to me several times that I get more bids taking CCs I wouldnt either.) Alot of times I split the difference with my buyer as a discount if they offer to send a MO. Just my two cents.

My god for anyone not watching this take a look. I sent my copy of it off to CGC after seeing the price.(Hoping mine pulls a 7-8.0 too.) Heck I can start another Roth IRA almost on that. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...A%3AIT&rd=1

Good Luck in Nashville they do show up their from time to time I make the trip about once a month to look for them, found three the last time I went. Their are 5 comic book stores their and I have found variants at three of them all 35 cent ones no 30 centers though. Really it was a horribly listed variant as most buyers will just laugh and pass it by because the number didnt match up. Just got lucky this time. I couldnt beat the price and I found it early if I rem correctly. Ill take any copy I can that is at least a G anytime. Set collectors are fanactical I have found. Talk to a few shops down there already and many still have ABSOLUTELY no clue about these books which is fine with me. Been finding books since college that way. Ah I miss the newstand days of the early 90s such fun when I was in college. I think Ill venture the Flea Market circuit also as they really have no clue most of the time. Man I hate disable both my firewalls just to post here. Probably why I only post occasionally

Oh no I just meant that Overstreet undervalues the 35 center X-men books while at the same time overvaluing the X-men 30 centers. Collectors of both are generally the same in my findings. I I too enjoy the chase its fun and something different.

Really like all my books unslabbed, but decided to send off all my variants and one or two others that I plan to KEEP for awhile to get them sealed up. They grade tough as I found out last year so Ill put my grade down here and see what they come back as just for kicks Included are X-men 100 - 5.0 X-men 105 8.0 Avengers 161 - 8.5 or 8.0 X-men 110 - 9.6 (Not a variant I know, but best copy I have ever seen.) and a few others I may add if I change my mind.

Never realized I would cause such a stir. It was mine I found it and I was gonna get it no matter how much the bid went to as long as it wasnt over $1.51 which was all I bid. In this case I just wanted a copy I can always upgrade later. Man I remember the days when I used to find books and nobody else would know or bid. BTW anyone else every notice the disrespect 35 centers get over the 30 cent X-men books in OS. I mean I can understand the 106 being undervalued. ( -----> ShieldAgent), 98 and 99 arent keys and youd think from the guide they are harder to find. Will be traveling to Nashville next month for a wedding wish me luck looking

Yes Spider I have soaked up all the information on these boards and others the last few years. I still rely on a list for the obscure books as I only memorize the ones I am looking for. Basically you would need to find someone who worked in Comic book distribution in the 70s. I think the guy that owns Mile High Comics in Denver would know who to get in touch with as he seems to know everything. Ever read his Tales from the Database? Just reading his 2 Mile High Collection finds is chilling. I see some great homework done on here, but again you would need a source to confirm it all. One of these days when my kids get a little older Ill get on that. As it now I just find them for fun and the challenge. Nothing sweeter then paying a few dollars for a book worth $100 or so in good grade sometimes. My goal one of these days is to reach someone who worked at one of those distribution sites just to get factual information. Your print run information makes sense. It just funny how we all talk about a common rare versus a really rare like a Western or Horror. Its almost an oxymoron.)

I agree I know several buyers who wont touch any variants unless its an X-men one. I myself wouldnt have got into this variant madness hunt except for that fact a few years back I was completing my X-men run. The bug caught and I cant get rid of it. Its funny we talk about rarity of these books as if its easy to find any and its not. Even talk of a Common variant really gets a laugh from me as I realize yes it is a common variant, but in the scheme of things its still rare.(Let the normal comic collector try to wrap around that one.) My local shop has been in business for about 10 years and the only copies he has ever seen of either 30 or 35 cent copies have been mine. I do agree with Donut though above that only 5s should be Horror and Westerns though the site does point out some strange issues like the Iron Man one being harder to find.

Thanx for the link fascinating story. I read the entire Mile High Collection story. What an awesome find.

Frank, I had a similar situation occur to me about 5 months ago on Ebay. I purchased a set of Amazing Spidermans 298,299, 300 and 305-320 All in NM condition for about $70 including shipping. It was an early morning auction poorly listed. The seller didn’t take paypal so I had to send a money order.(BIG RED flag, but for years I didn’t take credit cards thru paypal so I can understand that.) Sent the money never heard from buyer. I finally called after a month. Seller claimed going thru a divorce and would mail out comics Monday. 3 weeks later no comics. Needless to say I was pissed. So I started calling my local police who told basically to bother somebody else and call his police which I did. The local deputies down there jumped all over it and within a week they had visited his house to discuss the matters. (I think it helps if you tell them you are willing to go to court as all police I think hate going to court.) 3 weeks later a and two police visits later the money order arrived for the full amount. Make sure to tell the police you aren’t concerned as much about the money(which you are of course), but more to the fact that you don’t want to let him do it to anyone else. Apparently they threatened to throw the book at him and I had always sent a certified letter stating that I would do the same. If you want more detail just PM me.