FN-2199

Yes, lots of tape is a must. Sounds like this "rule" is sporadically enforced by different companies in select locations. I found short boxes with flaps but I prefer the regular short boxes with double lids.

About $1 for a new lid from Hotflips

I've been shipping short and long boxes on and off for a few years now through FedEx because FedEx Ground seems to be a good pricing option when selling a short or long box worth of comics through eBay or PayPal. The eBay/PayPal rates made it better than USPS or UPS. I've also received long and short boxes via FedEx. Each time I've shipped them with the double lid method for extra protection (lid taped on top and another one taped to the bottom). Just last week I was shipping two short boxes within the state via FedEx using my typical double lid method. I took it to the 24/7 FedEx Office location (largest FedEx store in the county) and they would not accept either one because the box had "a lid" and that it wouldn't survive the sorting process. They also said they wouldn't accept Banker's Boxes for the same reason. They then offered to pack it in a larger boxt for a $12 fee. I declined and took the boxes home. The next day I went to another FedEx Office to drop off my short boxes. This time there was a less experienced guy at the counter and he said, "I don't think we can accept a box with a lid." Then the duty manager was next to him and said, "Just scan it, we'll put it in another box." Two days later the boxes arrived at their destination on time, the way I packed them, and intact just like usual (though one of the bottom corners was dinged up, thank goodness for the double lid method!). I'm shipping two more short boxes this week and am going through USPS for an extra $5 or so just to avoid the hassle of FedEx saying that they won't take it and then they take it. Maybe I just need to drop off all of my FedEx short boxes at 6 am to the person working the midnight shift and could care less. Anyone else getting told this by FedEx employees?

Follow someone like @shortboxed who is reputable. Then see who he follows. That should be a clue as to who is a good seller. Don't be afraid to DM a dealer or collector you follow and ask, that's the purpose of social media. Often, dealers will post their location (such as Canada) in their profile so it can easily be seen. There are reputable dealers, but I still find better deals on eBay or I had already known dealers from previous transactions and now I'm just following them on IG to keep connected.

Confirmed. A bunch of 90s books are now on their way to me...

I've used IG to buy and sell. Not as much as eBay though. My thoughts: - Most of the books I want on IG can be found cheaper with better photos on eBay - Moderns sell very well - Selling multiples of cheap books is a major pain in the butt. Example: I post a pic of a pile of comics and say "Hey, I just bought a whole run of ASM 500-600." Then there will be a long back and forth of want lists, prices, and a long PayPal invoice with each comic entered manually. At the end of the transaction I almost yearn for eBay's 10% fee just to use their invoicing system. - I have met some of my best customers through IG. International customers are there looking to buy and want to meet people who will sell to them. - Austin Reece is on the ball for @reecesrarecomics and has followed up to DMs long after business hours are over

Ultimate Spider-Man #1 is still hanging around. This book refuses to lay down and the ref just won't give it a standing TKO. Ultimates #1 however, is what I was thinking. The Wizard hype machine was all over this book. I had to get a copy back in the day and started reading the series for a bit. I drifted out of collecting (again) and years later I wondered what happened? I have a feeling this may be one of those books RMA was talking about as to possibly coming back one day. The Ultimates is what the marvel movie universe was built on right?

I left collecting right before this. When I got back into collecting I got a 149 in 2002. The dealer never changed the price tag on his copy so it sat years after the crash. I didn't plan on buying it but I just had to ask him what the heck was he thinking pricing it out of this universe. He said it was based on the clone saga story line. You mean the one that killed readership? He shrugged his shoulders because he realized it was likely overpriced. I showed him a price guide and I bought it at guide for a fraction of the sticker price. I guess we both did fine.

Happened to me over 10 years ago. I was ordering lots of used CDs for cheap at the time. I didn't even realize I didn't receive one until I got a message from the seller apologizing because he was in a motorcycle accident and had to ship all the orders over a month past the sale date. He racked up like 30 negatives in that time. I got my $5 CD and left positive feedback.

Tell him to initiate a return through eBay. They will give him postage and hold his money hostage until the package is delivered.

This is about the same time CAK was pumping Preacher on the boards before his departure. Coincidence? Naaaah.

I'm on a life-long journey for my ASM run. I'm an Excel spreadsheet guy like a few others have posted, and yes back in the 1990s I used notebook paper. I like the Excel spreadsheets. You can print a page to take with you to the con or keep it on your phone. A run of 190 will easily fit on one page, front and back so it is easy on the eyes. In the mean time you can assign grades, values, color coding, etc for quick reference. This is good for a long run like ASM with 800 issues. I need that color coding.

I don't know that collecting comics bagged in shrinkwrap during the 1990s is a thing. If anything, that old plastic will decay. When I get a bagged comic, I free it from the old plastic and put it in mylar to preserve it. If you want it graded by CGC, you'll have to remove the bag before sending it in. My opinion, a bagged copy does not increase value significantly if at all. The bag at this point is a liability and the comic should be put in a fresh bag (preferably mylar). Keeping it in the original plastic for value (ie 1990s) went away long ago when people realized that the bag can often hurt the condition of the book and hides defects.

I used to use a Ziggi HD document camera when I needed to photograph front + back for a 100+ bi-weekly auction listings. I don't do many auctions right now so I haven't used it in a while. The Ziggi is used for overhead projection and as a document camera. It is high resolution so if you zoom in on the picture, you can clearly read the text from the comics once a photo is taken. It was designed to photograph book pages for reading later and there are even programs designed for it that read text in the photo. The drawback is that it only captures a small area (little more than a raw comic) and you have to have good lighting because it does not come with a light kit. I decided to use the Ziggi instead of mounting my DSLR on a boom which can cost lots of money for the boom, light kit, lenses, etc. I would think that a boom mounted DSLR camera in a makeshift studio with light diffusser would be the fastest. It could be cost effective if you need to photograph 1000s. I'm not sure what lens would be best.

Congratulations. Looks like our kids are the same age. I wouldn't put anything valuable in his room though, he throws everything on the tile floor, including my phone. I would buy a cool book for him but keep a "reader" copy for display or to handle. "Reader" copies are affordable, low grade copies or reprints that he can handle while you keep the good copy safe until he can appreciate it. Also look up the threads here about how displaying comics can damage them by exposing them to sunlight or just artificial light. Again, who cares if you are just displaying a well-loved reader copy? I'm partial to Spider-Man but pick books he may like until he gravitates towards a certain character or genre. What action figure does he like at the toy store for instance? You can download the "Key Collector" app on your mobile device and then find the special books for that character. The price will be on a sliding scale depending on how nice a copy it is. Auctions are your friend, you're going to pay full market value or more if you buy at a flat rate.

There are people who have comic pressing or restoration companies that may offer this service or what is called a pre-screen. I would search for "comic pressing" or "comic restoration" and contact those companies to see if they can provide the service you are looking for.

This is correct. I think that it would only affect 9.9s and 10.0s if it was a manufacturing error.

Here is my latest copy. An NM newsstand copy signed by artist Todd McFarlane and editor Jim Salicrup. I'm putting together a specific ASM McFarlane run. I'm working on getting all of the ASM McFarlane books signed by McFarlane in ball point pen on the splash page old skool style. Now I've checked this issue off the list. This will go with my other ASM 300 which was my first back issue purchase in 1992 and is the foundation of my collection.

I'm not trying to argue with anyone, just try to follow my logic and see if there is anything wrong with it: So from what I understand Marvel stated 798 is the first app so they could sell more issues. CGC labels first appearances from what the publisher describes as first appearances. In the collecting world the label on the slab = first appearance (See IH 180 vs 181 and the whole Good Morty thing). It sounds to me like CGC will be placing the 1st appearance designation on 798 because that's what Marvel put out. That should settle the debate.

I sought the Granov cover more than the 2nd print.

Burn it. It is not worth the medical bills.

Who the heck is slabbing these? Why? Mid grade run filler + Slab = Profit

I just had to opt out of GSP again

I've had a few of these I've come across in ASM Bronze runs (early 100s). I've only submitted one and that came out to a universal 9.0. I remember reading an online post where Steve Borok said that this will not affect the grading except at the NM+ grades.