marvelmaniac

I have never purchased a comic for investment purposes or what will happen to it in the future, it was always to complete my runs and enjoy the books/stories for what they are, comic books have always brought me joy. Even though I do not buy anymore I still thoroughly enjoy my collection, I Love being able to pick up a physical copy of an old book and just look at it or take it out of the Mylite, hold it and flip through the pages. I actually Love the smell of decaying paper, (there was one LCS that had that smell, it hit you right in the face when you walked in, it was like a drug to me), just knowing that I have all of these books makes me Happy. Everytime I walk in or look in my bedroom and see all of the Collectibles/Memorabilia/Comics displayed it puts a BIG SMILE on my face. and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. When I am gone my kids are going to sell them so I have them for ME to LOVE and ENJOY, NOW.

Here is my "Beautiful, Well Loved" copy.

In the past it would have been Rawhide Kid #1, Kid Colt Outlaw #1 or any of the JIM/ST 1-20 issues I need, however... As I have gotten older I no longer have the desire to spend money on comic books, it just does not excite me as it used to and I feel the prices have become outrageous (is it because I became "that old guy"?), at this point I cannot even see myself spending $25.00 for any book.

Your intuition is not wrong, you are going through and feeling what every generation before you has felt, progress. When I was a kid growing up in the 60's all we had was one rotary phone on the wall (with party lines), 6 TV channels on a black and white set and our toys and friends who we had to play with in person, we collected and read comics and collected baseball cards. Things change and the things that can change and adapt with progress will survive, comic books have done that for 80 years. Sure your kids may not have the same interests you have and that bothers you but they are growing up in a different time with live online gaming, cell phones, etc. and when they are 40 with kids of their own they will say the same thing about their kids. Comic books and interest in "Back Issues" will remain high depending on the era, right now the books that are in demand are Gold/Silver/Early Bronze and the reason for that is they were not meant to be collectibles, they were cheap disposable entertainment that were thrown out by Mom. Will kids still want comic books in the future, probably in one form or another, two of my Grandsons (twin 10 year olds) collect Baseball Cards because they both love baseball, go to about 10 Phillies games a year, have 7 balls given to them by players and want pictures of their favorite players, kids in the future will want to have paper comic books featuring their favorite Super-Hero's. Nostalgia always brings things back, look at turntables and vinyl records and there are numerous other examples. Just remember... "the more things change, the more they remain the same".

This should help... https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/

Welcome To The Boards!!! Where are your comic boxes being stored and under what environmental conditions? Comic Books (and all paper) need to be stored in a controlled cool, dry (50-70% humidity) environment away from All light and heat sources, they cannot be stored in a non-temperature controlled attic/garage or outdoor shed or anywhere that water is present. Are these bugs present on anything else that is being stored with the comic boxes? I am not an exterminator but it sounds to me like you need one or will at least have to "bomb" the place with some sort of insecticide, hopefully your books are securely bagged and boarded.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tales-of-Suspense-39-CGC-2-5-VINTAGE-Marvel-Comic-MEGA-KEY-1st-Iron-Man-12c-/202719954236?hash=item2f330d053c%3Ag%3AJxAAAOSwTQxdFSQY&LH_Auction=1&nma=true&si=eSSTId0Ee4bFqhe9P0R0Z8pjr8c%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

NICE BOOKS!!! Personally I would not touch either one, they are both "Well Loved" books and IMO are Great just as they are. Some people do not like or want the signatures so there is no way of telling if the signature adds value to the book. After checking past eBay Auction Sales, Two CGC AF 15's by the same seller sold at auction for... CGC 4.5 Blue Label $32,229.00 on 6/23 CGC 4.0 SS $26,422.00 on 5/19 It appears the signature did not really add any value, there were two CGC FR/GD 1.5 Blue Label that sold for $10,000.00 and $12,000.00 respectively so I assume you would be somewhere in between. As far as the TOS 39... A CGC 2.5 Blue Label sold for $3000.00 on 7/10 A CGC 2.0 SS sold for $3500.00 on 6/2 but only TWO bids, in this case it appears the signature did add value...

Welcome To The Boards!!! IMO...Leave it alone, cleaning would be considered "restoration" and is probably extremely costly, IMO the writing on the cover by a newsagent for resale is part of the history of the book and gives the book "character". If this is common practice for "Aussie Newsagents" it may be treated the same as a "written arrival date" (which is also part of a books history and allowed by CGC) or it will come back as saying "writing on cover", you can contact CGC to see what they say. I "assume" you are getting it graded for sentimental reasons and wish to have it protected, if this is the case be aware that a CGC slab does not offer any more protection than a Mylite and Acid Free Board when both are stored properly other than in a slab it can never be touched again. If you are looking to display the book then Yes, it looks better in an official CGC slab with official labels and grading, either way the book needs to kept away from UV light, moisture, heat sources, etc. Hope this helped you in making a decision and Enjoy Your Book!!!

ABSOLUTELY!!! Without "Well Loved" copies I could never have afforded to complete my runs and for me that is what collecting is all about. My "Well Loved" books include ASM 2-5, Daredevil 1, F.F. 2 - 5, TTA 44 plus many others from pre-hero books such as JIM, ST, TOS, TTA Here are just a few examples of my "Most Well Loved" books.

Thee are a "Bazillion" first appearances of "common/popular characters" on covers, not all, but most are the issue featuring the first appearance of the character, IMO the cover sells the book. Just in early F.F. issues... 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 11, 15, 18, 19, 20, 30, 35, 36, 44, 45, 46, 52, 56, 62, 64, 65, 67, etc.

eBay sold auctions for books in the VG 4.0 - VG+ 4.5 with the MVS are selling for about $20.00, so Overstreet is pretty close on this one.

$200.00!!! Are you kidding? A CGC 9.0 sold at eBay Auction on July 25 for $141.66, Raw copies in the VG/FN 5.0 - FN 6.0 are selling at eBay auction for under $25.00. My suggestion/opinion is... If you only want the book then buy one raw or graded at the appropriate price, if you are looking for an "Authentic" Stan Lee signature then do as was already suggested, wait and try to find a CGC Signature Series. https://www.cgccomics.com/comic-grading/labels/

Being conservative with the obvious stress lines w/color break and the stain on the rear cover I cannot go higher than FN 6.0. 6.0 FINE (FN): Back to TopAn above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with no significant creasing or other serious defects. Some accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases. Inks show a significant reduction in reflectivity. Blunted corners are more common, as is minor staining, soiling, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor spine roll is allowed. There can also be a 1/4" spine split or severe color break. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and a few slight stress lines may be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown and fairly supple with no signs of brittleness. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. Centerfold may be loose.

It is not a "foolish" purchase if you did not overpay and you Enjoy the book. IMO, An Incredible Hulk #2 in any condition is a welcome addition to any collection. As far as a grade, I do not know how CGC would look at this... IMO, Without the piece missing the book appears to be at least a VG 4.0, missing a piece that large would place the book in the FR 1.0 - FR/GD 1.5 range, taking the overall condition of the book into consideration I would grade the book at a GD 2.0 with the defect.

And that was the cause of "Marvel Chipping".

These books/items featuring the history of comic books, characters or publisher were all given to me as gifts.

You are absolutely correct, most things do not hold up well under 5' of water, hopefully you never have to go through an experience like that again.

Better known as a "Remainder Copy". Back in the 70's I used to buy Remainder Copies and Coverless books from a local used book dealer just to read, Marvel, DC, Harvey, Archie, etc. He had entire tables filled with these books that were 3 for 25 cents or 15 for a dollar, they were stacked on top of each other and the stacks were never neat since everyone was flipping through them, ahh, the memories... I have about 10 or so remainder copies in my collection since they are less expensive to own so it is easier to fill runs on a budget. Got this in the 3 for 25 cent pile it was a Great Find for me.

IMO for whatever that is worth and going just by the pics shown... With the Blunted Corner, Stress Lines W/Color Break and the Page Corner Torn and "Assuming" the pages are not Brittle... 5.0 VERY GOOD/FINE (VG/FN): Back to TopAn above-average but well used comic book. An accumulation of bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor to moderate cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases and/or dimples. Inks have moderate to low reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A spine split of up to 1/2" may be present. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and minor stress lines may also be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown with no signs of brittleness. Centerfold may be loose. Minor interior tears may also be presen

So sorry to hear about your collection. Mylites, Acid Free Backing Boards Protect just as well as a CGC slab as long as the books are stored properly. In the future as your collection grows you may want to consider...https://collectinsure.com/?gclid=CJu3heLP8cUCFYuPHwod4kgAww Coverage is not expensive and you do not have to "jump through hoops".

Also, obviously CGC wanted people to know their "new stance" on tape and that is why this was published. https://www.cgccomics.com/news/article/3327/CGC-Modifies-Stance-on-Grading-Submissions-with-Tape/ If that has changed wouldn't it be prudent to publish your "new stance" on tape? In the medical/research world they change their mind about what is healthy and what is not every week but at least they tell you about it. Also, as I stated earlier, according to the "Published Grading Standards" tape is allowed without consequence all the up to GD/VG 3.0 and that is what I am going with, that's my story and I am sticking to it. 3.0 GOOD/VERY GOOD (GD/VG) "Tape and other amateur repair may be present."

I feel bad for you guys that send books in to be graded, it seems like it a " shoot" as to how the book will come back, it should not be that way.

OMG!!!!! I cannot stop laughing!!!!! Thank You For That!!!!!

Lets look at this for what it really is, they are "just comic books". The only difference between tape and the other items you mentioned as being restorative is that "Scotch Tape" has been used to hold comic books together for decades by kids of all ages without even thinking twice about it so tape has a looooooooooong history of use on comic books while the other items you mentioned have not. IMO tape is a part of comic book history just like subscription creases and depending on the age of the book should be treated that way, is the tape fresh or decades old? If it decades old that was the norm of the time and should be viewed that way without consequence, if the tape is being used on a book from the 90's/2000's it is not the same as a book from the 40's/50's/60's that may have been taped during that time period. Just as I referenced the Baseball HOF earlier, players from the 1890's/1900's in the Dead Ball Era cannot be held to the same standards as the players from the 50's/60's (Golden Age of Baseball), the Steroid era or today's play with Major League Baseball in a round about way admitting to a "Juiced Ball", each era has to be judged on its own merits. Sorry, starting to sound like my Mom and taking forks in the road while story telling so... and get off my lawn...Punk.