SECollector

What do you guys think about this CGC 4.5? I am very close in acquiring it since it meets my criteria (range 4.0 - 5.5, no MC, no writing, no rust, no missing pieces). I would love to read what others with more experience think about that too, since this is my first big hit (after 7 months of research however). Thanks a lot!

I agree that it looks very very nice in the scan. But according to the graders notes the staple is rusted and recessed and the subscription crease breaks color. I was disappointed to read the notes. I was so, so ready to go for this but you know what they say... patience is a virtue.

I was very positively surprised when I read about the 3 graders process of CGC, compared to PSA for sports cards where one and only grader decides. That makes the process extremely vulnerable for human mistakes, subjectivity and a lot of inconsistency in grading - which is a fact in the world of graded sports cards.

For me yes, thats exactly why I would not buy a book with rust. I am really not 100% sure if there is a risk (or how big of a risk) for future degradation, but for that kind of money I wouldnt take the chances, especially when AF15s in that grade range surface pretty often.

There is a very nice looking CGC 5.0 on Comicconnect right now. Some of you may know that I am actively searching for a copy in the range of 4-5.5 and this looked like the perfect candidate as it looks very nice for the grade and doesn't have a hint of chipping. Unfortunately the lower staple is rusted according to the graders notes, so I am passing and keep hunting. I wonder if people bidding on it however are aware of that...

What an inspiring story and what a unique book. I wouldn't sell it either. This is an item that you can enjoy for years and it will only become more and more valuable.

That #52 is a beauty! Absolutely love it :-)

Very beautiful congrats. One of my favourite Spidey covers (and stories), love it!

Amazing achievement! Thank you for sharing! What is your next goal? Upgrade the #1 to an unrestored copy or add an AF15?

Looks very nice! And one of my favourite covers of early Spideys.

Very nice. This is in the grade range I aim for too, and this is a beautiful example for the grade.

I was referring to quality in general terms of investment / collecting value, not referring to the quality of the art or plot of a key book vs another. In the same way I would prefer to own one single, lets say, ASM #4 CGC 8.0 than 4 copies of the same book as CGC 1.5.

Thats a good advice and something that I have also learned from collecting sports cards. Quality over quantity.

Thats a beauty. Congrats!

Yes, #50 its an iconic issue and cover, I love it. To begin with, I plan however to stick with Lee / Ditko issues and go for some of those wonderful villains first appearances (#1, #2, #3, #4, #6, #14 and #20). Issue #13, with the first appearance of Mysterio is also a personal favourite, both as a story and as a cover (I am a psychiatrist, and the line "Ever see a comic mag super-hero take his troubles to a psychiatrist? You will now!" really talks to me, ).

A very sincere thank you to each and everyone who contributed with all this very interesting information and insights in my first thread in the forums. I have already bookmarked this thread and I will use much of the info as reference in my starting comic collecting journey. Happy collecting to all of you!

Thats a stunner. Congrats!

Thank you so much for all your advice. I am aware how storing and preserving a high-end collection is a vital part of the collecting hobby, and your tips are very helpful.

Point taken, thanks a lot. I realise that AF15 is a valuable, important and sought-after book with great demand but not rare. One thing I have worked up during my collecting years is my patience and taming my impulsivity. This is a virtue that pays off down the road. I will continue saving up my comic budget, doing my research, seeing and examining as many scanned issues as possible, networking and when the time is right I guess it will feel right. Reading the AF15 and other key-issues threads here is probably the best resource available on-line by the way. So much information, knowledge, insights and material to study and learn from.

Thanks a lot. I will do that down the road.

This is an unbeatable list. Thanks. I love the ASM Ditko run and these are the books I mostly enjoy reading and most probably some I will also go for hopefully in the long run.

Thing is AF15's are going up in value the more he waits the more he will pay!! Could very well be. But better to pay $5000 more later than make a $20-30K mistake now. You are totally right. But what kind of mistake could be worth $20-30 K if someone buys a CGC Universal from a reputable seller at a price in accordance with GPA? This is an honest and genuine question.

Guys, wow thanks for all the helpful and friendly comments. I totally expected that the advise "start small and grow wise" would dominate since its actually the correct one, but sometimes rules are there to break. My point is that, as mentioned above, the value of monster keys like the AF15 or the Hulk #1 are not going to fall, so the longer you wait the more you will pay. I will have however some rules in mind: buy of course CGC slabbed, buy from a reputable seller and get a copy as nice for the grade as possible (for me its important to have the less possible marvel chipping, to be of course unrestored and have no writing on the cover). Answering some questions. @vailant: I collected sports cards (soccer) as a kid. So I reentered the hobby as an adult in another level some years ago collecting vintage issues from the 1900s - 1960s. As I said it was more the passion for collecting, hunting, researching than drove it as well as memories from my childhood. But not a passion for the sport. @bronzejonny: I actually collect only soccer cards. I started with cards of Pele, expanded to pre-war and other vintage stars and got back to Pele. I started more or less big there too. My first real collectible was the 1958 Alifabolaget Pele rookie, one of the most iconic cards. Nothing to compare in value with an AF15 of a 1952 Topps Mantle, but in proportion something similar. I started raw, since there are very very few graded European soccer cards, but worked with PSA during the last couple of years and researched and got graded MANY new cards for the first time, building up the Pele Master set with PSA, where i own the first place. It was a fun journey, but as said besides following my collecting passion, I want to focus to something else that reflects more my interests. Its funny, since I actually don't own one single CGC slab, but I have read and researched so much that I already feel like a slabbed comic books collector ;-) Thank you all kind folks once again for your very helpful comments - all the advice here is priceless.

Hello guys, I have been following the boards for some months, but this is my first post here :-) This is my collecting story: I have collected sports cards for years, and my collection consists of more quality than quantity. I enjoy the hunting, all the research involved and the networking. However I don't like sports at all, . I have throughout my life enjoyed comic books and I grew up in the 80s and 90s with heroes like spider-man, TMNT, the fantastic four and many others. Growing up in a small European country however I had never really the chance to acquire any US issues, rather than later reproductions etc. I have since some months ago decided to make a turn to my collecting area and focus on -to begin with- Marvel silver age key books. Something that better reflects my personality and that is closer to my cultural interests besides my general collecting passion. I have done a lot or research, read loads including this board daily, registered in GPA etc. I would need your opinion however about a big question: I know that the "right" way to start a collection is to start small, educate your self, build a network and take right decisions for big (and expensive) items down the road. However, at this point I am in the process of selling parts of my cards collection in order to gather funds to start with an AF #15 CGC 4.0-5.5. My thought is that, if I will ever succeed to acquire such a book, it will be BEFORE i start spending on less expensive issues. Its not that I will jump on the first issue I find as soon as I have the funds, as I am familiar with issues like marvel chipping, centering etc as well as the "right" price for each grade and condition. So what do you guys think? This was me introducing me, before starting posting "I am looking to buy an AF#15"-type of posts