SeniorSurfer

This, by one of the men who created him. Though Steranko images are more fluid, Kirby's Cap drawings bristle with power... he always looks to be in position to block, punch, leap or rush forward with the next step.

So many good and thoughtful responses that mirror what I’ve felt at differing times, as does your original post. Despite my low posting number, I’m one of the older aged collectors (60+) that has been doing this off-and-on-again, like many others. I was introduced to comics when I was a kid in the early 60s by my cousin. Older by one year, I would emulate him in most everything and this was no exception. He taught me about issue numbering and since he had more books, I would borrow a title from him to read cover-to-cover, then later return them to borrow another title. I still remember passing them back and forth in an old 45 RPM record case which would hold all the issues of a title - only 20-30 in those early days. He later stopped, but I kept going… absorbing his collection and wondering how high those numbers would reach while plugging in the ones that were missing when conventions and bookstores started replacing spinner racks. That question was answered when prices steadily continued to increase dramatically, storylines didn’t seem as interesting and the success of the comic business led to loyal readers being treated like (I felt) never-ending cash machines that were supposed to buy anything printed (multiple books with the same character, crossovers with other uninteresting books that I didn’t collect, title reboots starting with new numbers, etc.). I’m not telling you anything new as most of us lived it. I stopped buying… plugging those holes… collecting for more than 20 years. Like most here, I crated those boxes around through several home addresses. Troublesome as they were, I knew they were worth something and they also gave me a sense of comfort when I would see them… a sense of nostalgia and of happier times. Then people I knew started to pass away: Parents, friends, relatives, acquaintances. Some because of age, some unexpectedly, some way too young, but all had a lifetime of “stuff” which seemed now to be a burden to the living. I reflected how these things might have meant something to their owners and cringed to see how they were disposed of by those left… maybe not so much because of an uncaring nature but other circumstances, like lack of time, lack of storage, etc. From then on I started to pare things down, not only in comics but in any other material that could be looked at as “stuff.” The money and space accumulated, I discovered new experiences… different things to learn, traveling with my wife… new memories that made life pleasing just as those older items did, including the comics. I found (just as someone else here commented) that there wasn’t going to be enough time to see all the old movies I want to see, to travel to all the places I want to go, or to read all the books I want to go through, much less re-read or re-watch or re-visit. Solution? Step back as you’ve done and think about the future, however unknowable your remaining time. Comics still give me pleasure and I’ve refocused now to obtain some super key issues that I never had – a sort of plugging of the holes, albeit in limited form – so I can condense my collecting fervor and hopefully reach a sense of finality and accomplishment in 1-2 boxes. I agree with a previous boardie who advocated not getting rid of Omnis or other collected works of older books if they still give you satisfaction and enjoyment to read as it’s better to have choices. I retain some Omnis and those old DVDs from the GIT Corp that scanned completed runs of the books I collected (though I admit I’ll open an old book at my side so the smell of pulp wafts up while reading those more antiseptic genres). I’ll continue to watch old movies I’ve missed (hey if I haven’t seen them, they’re new to me) and continue to travel when this &$*#$@ pandemic allows. And I’ll continue to pare things down - more things go out of my house than the amount that goes in. And if I can't quite get that other book or obtain that elusive item, I’ll keep reminding myself that we’re only caretakers of any physical things that, as is often remarked, you can’t take with you anyway.

In the current spirit of philanthropy, community and giving thanks, you should run a shameless and obvious money-grabbing Black Friday Special for the sole purpose of enriching your coffers even more (though it may also have the intentional added benefit of increasing the disappointment level to consumers). I'm thinking along the line of slashing the potential $25.00 drek value 50% to $12.50 until Cyber Monday, at which time you'd be able to run another promo. Lousier books provided for the same $75.00, more crestfallen buyers guaranteed and you get to spread the same value drek over twice the amount of Mystery Boxes. Win, win and win!

"Honestly, George... Junior just locks himself in the bathroom with those silly comic books of his for hours! He's going to go blind reading those ridiculous superhero stories!"

I expect he'll take it in a Bizarro Sally Fields-like fashion ("They (sob) hate me! They really, really (sob) hate me!).

The only odd thing here is that it is from a seller with "thousands of feedback and a 100%" rating since this has all the potential for a soon-to-be disappointed buyer return and some negative feedback. I've found there are many listed that look like this or just a shade better, but still obviously not "very high grade" and are described as "gem mint," "newsstand mint," "9.8" and the like. Two other descriptions that really set me off for uselessly clicking on a listing and wasting time are: When described as above, then hidden in the additional details are things like "3 edges trimmed" or "color touch added" (I suppose I should be grateful that these defects are mentioned at all, but I don't recall buying any books from a newsstand with edge trimming). Also, the offering of "very old" or "vintage" book(s) when in reality they are reprints or 10-20 years old.

I could see an Overstreet grading course that would have maybe five respected advisors sitting around a table (or via Zoom in these days) where each takes a book with obvious differing grades, points out their defects, and establishes a (near) consensus grade to educate all watching. Have it recorded, then posted on YouTube. I think it would garner much interest, views and be very informative. By the same token in another world, my Loony Tunes mentality has one of those five being this individual. I then picture each book having their flaws pointed out (as before) with all the advisors hiding their grades until the big reveal, at which point you will have 4 sane and somewhat similar grades while one will be akin to an Olympic Russian judge's left-field, seeing-eye grade: "So Ed... What did you determine?" "I say 4.0" "John?" "3.5 for me." "Bob?" "Definitely no more than 4.5." "Mike?" "Looks about a 4.0." "Uh... D_____?" "That's a solid 7.5 with room to go 8.0 with a press." (awkward silence with mouths slightly ajar).

Add it to my pile! (Sure... I'm bored too)

ASM #12 and #18 per PM.

Hmmm.....

I did see some "Dornes" but it wasn't until I started buying up missing back issues, at which point I - kid that I was - wondered what happened to that Rockwell guy and who's this? Turns out from his Wiki page that Dorne was the one who founded that Famous Artists School along with 11 other illustrators including Rockwell. It also notes that Dorne influenced John Buscema, Al Avison and Arthur Suydam. A later picture shows he would have been a shoo-in to play Dr. Sivana.

I know this guy became famous. Probably owed it all to comics too.

"Well, Art is Art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now... you tell me what you know." Certainly words to live by.

"You call this a party? The beer is warm, the women are cold and I'm hot under the collar. In fact a more poisonous little barbecue I've never attended."

As to the preparation which you originally mentioned, I second (or third) the idea of having 1-2 boxes of the super valuables separated from the regular books for compactness, ease of removal, ease of transportation and ease of identification in case of emergencies. To deter ease of thievery, maybe code the boxes with numbers (take only the last odd number boxes for example), longer numbers that mean nothing except maybe if they end in a "27" (take 103727, not 104528) or even simple reverse dollar sign meanings ("$" are actually the expensive boxes to grab, not "$$$$"). Generally thieves don't have a lot of time to sift through boxes after they yank TVs off the walls, pull computers from their moorings and look for jewelry/cash.

Re: Wings #90 That green dress defies the physics of gravity

That's my answer. From relatives and schoolmates to casual acquaintances, everyone would just sneer or note that they were "just for little kids." Oddly, my parents never made fun of them as they saw another way to get me to read (though they would put the brakes on how many they/I would buy and when boxes started to accumulate they raised an eyebrow). Later on, these classmates couldn't string together two sentences while I was reading at college level in Junior High and taking Advance Placement classes in High School, owed - I always claimed to anyone who would listen - to years and years of reading Stan's verbose prose. His stories might have been too fantastic or bereft of logic at times but he never spoke down to the readers and as a kid I found myself running to the dictionary to find out what "distaff" or "brobdingnagian" meant. Still later as an adult, some folks would surreptitiously approach me because they had heard I knew about comics and their value and BTW "what would be the best titles to buy for investment?" Silly rabbits. You buy them because you like to read them.

Congrats to the winners and again, to Mr. Prune for being so gracious as to host this contest and share his CGC prize.

(Just thought I'd sneak in an old story before deadline. Win or lose, I laud your give-back to the community) My grandfather used to tell me stories about his comic collecting days. To hear tell, he had a collection where Edgar Church paused to doff his cap and genuflect when he passed gramps’ house. But even then, gramps knew the value of protecting his beloved books so he would tell me that, to ensure they would be around for generations, he would encase each one in steel and weld them shut. “Gee gramps… how could you tell which book was in which steel slab?” “Easy… I’d use some old Seabiscuit glue and slap a paper label on the outside of each one. Thousands of ‘em. All safe and sound and preserved for my future grandson to open and read. ” My eyes grew wide and I blurted out “WOW!” Let me at ‘em gramps!” He leaned back in his rocker with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “I gave ‘em all up in the WWII metal drives. They were needed for the war effort and by gum, I was going to do my part.” I looked at him incredulously. “But… but gramps… didn’t you open the cases and get the books out? You could have just donated the steel!” “No time for that!” he exclaimed. “The Axis was breathin’ down our necks and that steel was needed fast. If I hadn’t moved right-quick, we’d all be Sieg Heilin’ right about now and eatin’ bratwurst for breakfast. And you know,” he leaned forward conspiratorially, “how much I hate bratwurst.” I looked at him with newfound perception and awareness. On one hand, the story had the wisp of truth to it and I would hardly be blamed for the mixed emotions it elicited in me. I pictured myself beaming with pride at his sacrifice, all the while repeatedly clubbing him senseless with my Louisville Slugger™. Yet on the other hand, it could have all been a fabrication as gramps had been hit one too many times by foul balls and he wasn’t the most reliable. In any case, I quickly left his house and made my way home as it was getting dark and he would soon be out on the porch with his gun shooting at anything that moved – animal or human . “They’re all varmints” he would chuckle, as he lined up the victims in his rapidly fading eyesight.

GS X-Men #1 per PM.

I do remember his bags were strong, with some a little miscut. They lasted a long time too. When I went through my boxes re-bagging with the newer stuff after many, many years, his were still on there tough as the day they went on albeit yellowed. Each old one I'd take off I put in a pile, one on top of the other, and by the time I got to about 10-20 the film on them when held to the light was probably as efficient as a Blu-Blocker. No doubt a lit match anywhere near the vapors would have blown up the place like a powder keg.

I seem to remember a padded, brown envelope with the padding being a type of paper shreddings - not an interior bubble wrap type lining. No cardboard or (of course) backboards IIRC. As I've mentioned here before, I was just a kid so no checking account, hence I sent cash in the mail with plenty of hand written alternative choices on his want sheet. Never a problem.

You win the second prize all right, for the most heart-rending story here. Who hasn't had a parent/sibling/other rip or deface just one book and thought their world had imploded? Your lawyer however wins the first prize for acquitting you of the ensuing manslaughter charge.

"I can't take it anymore - it's either me or the comics!" Actually, that was my ex-wife.