MAY1979

I was very lucky I started collecting art in 1999. 10 years later I had obtained my "Holy Grail" in a place I never would have expected. Have a bunch of other major and minor grails. I try not to focus on what i missed out on but on what I succeed in obtaining and how it will help me retire early. What I am most proud of is all my hundreds of art acquisitions were above board and never once did I pay an artist less than what was the going rate at time of purchase. While i still make trades, it appears my buying days may have ended as my last purchase was Early March 2020. All good things....

Given similar posts I've seen on Trading Card forums it would not surprise me if it was. Yea if a book like those I mentioned turns out to be the case I'd probably need a jab of Thorazine to stop the laughter.

1950's Playboy, in many but not all issues, you are lucky if so get so much as a distant shot of side boob. Those who must read those 1950's articles that delve serious issues of their day like "How Much To Tip The Wine Steward" or "How to inform your Haberdasher you don't like the cut of fabric without hurting their feelings" then pick up the DVD collection. Above post written in jest, mentioning because many here seem to have a mission to point out any and all factual (and sometimes grammatical) inaccuracies - aka they have NO sense of humor.

When you pay for the Premium Walk-Through service you do expect to get Premium Walk-Through service, still posting on a public forum and making threats I'm sure goes against any Attorney's advice. When all is said and done I do hope it's not a copy of something like ASM361, ASM365, Spawn 1 or X-Men (1991) #1

Agreed. Still the folks that collect 1970's Marvel Price Variants for example are only a small faction of the hobby and that's been a "thing" for 4 decades. It will be curious to see...

I'm fluent (well semi-fluent) in 4 languages. English being an absurd kludge is the most difficult of all to write or speak "correctly" .

That describes modern day CGC as a firm. "On some occassions they will make things right but it will be a stressful hassle"

I submitted a fast track Modern CCS Mid Oct, I received it back last week. 7 months for Fast track economy. I have multiple non fast track submissions sent Oct 2021. Just know this 2-3 times a week when you get those CGC signing event emails that each one of them will jump ahead of you in line for pressing and grading. Due to that nonsense and complete absence of quality control I've not sent in anything since Nov 2021 and frankly may never again. I'm a collector, I do not sell comics, and was submitting only for 'fun" I did send CGC a decent amount (generally $1500-$2500 per year worth) of submissions since 2000, but it's now perfectly clear CGC does not need or want business from those like me. Blackstone certainly does not care as by the time the next lean time for CGC arrives they will have long since sold them off.

IMHO CPV's are almost genus onto themselves with their own hardcore sub-set of collectors . I purchased a bunch in high-grade raw (all since slabbed) at NYCC 2018&2019 wish i had grabbed more but glad I found a few personal keys. Of course not much nostalgia on the CPV's for me given I did not grow up in Canada.

My opinions on Direct Sale 238. Newsstand Edition may or may not follow in stride? : 1) Classic Cover 2) When the Green Goblin was "dead" and in 1983 had not appeared other than flashback for 10 years the Hobgoblin had some legs. The Green Goblin's return rendered Hobby nothing but a cheap jack imitation. 3) MCU appearance not likely as why have a 2nd rate Green Goblin when can have the real thing. 4) Book I feel destined to remain one that rides coattails of other events. In the case of 2020 it was the collectible boom (bubble). It wont sink to pre-Covid levels at least in 9.8 but its a very high pop book overall who's numbers increase every census update so will likley remain cold until the next external type event causes it to rise. Even then the pops will be much higher than even today and folks (the rubes) who were burned in past to the tune of 5-7.5K for the book likley won't make same error again. 5) As i mentioned in my last post those who purchased pre-COVID are still doing nicely. While some of those gains will go away I'd be surprised but not shocked if any time this decade a CGC 9.8 Direct Sale version of the book sinks below $1700 in the open market. Then again look what happening to Moon Knight overall and even a book like ASM 316 is now $800 down from $2000+ in 9.8. 6) Any time I receive my books, purchased when originally on-sale, back from CGC they drop in Market Value. Since Sept it's happened to me with the following Copper Spidey related books in CGC 9.8w: - ASM 299 - IMHO should have gone higher than it did and not as low as it is now - ASM 312 - ASM 316 - $2000+ at one point now struggling to hang on to $800 - ASM 328 - ASM 361 - Carnage is 3rd rate Venom and the print run of the book nearly deforested Oregon so no surprise here. - Secret Wars 8 - did receive a bounce but still lower than late Sept/Early Oct 2021 - Peter Parker 90 Now that my 238 (2nd copy) is back, sinking like a stone is in full effect.

While a decade before my collecting time, those Buckler homage to Kirby issues are great especially Namor wearing his Disco Suit.. Almost 20 years ago I decided to pursue some the interior art rather than the comics. So while I have very little in terms of the Comics themselves sure glad I decided to get those Buckler/Sinnott pages when they were within my reach.

Now in 2900-3400 range in 9.8. Only rubes purchase a book when red hot. those who purchased at 5000, 6000, 7000 suffering huge negative ROI's. ASM 194 is and will follow same pattern 238 Lower grades experiencing huge losses off their highs, especially below 9.4 My guess is a year from now 238 9.8 direct settles at 2-2.5k. Still a nice sum for those who purchased pre bubble. But Bubble baby investors be taking a good bath Of course my childhood 2nd copy of 238 just popped at CGC in the grade I expected and no its not 9.8....more on that in another thread....

^ A Seriously NICE GIFT!

Any who need to be told original comic art is rare are likley not the target audience to begin with.

You did good on the 10 as the last month or two #1 has barely hit $1000. 10 was a low pop book but the numbers are increasing seemingly every census. 21 is half the 10 pop but IMHO is more important in the Sandman mythos. For me personally these are the true keys - please note the personally part #1 #3 My favorite issue in the run, this opinion likley wont be shared by anyone else #4 1st Lucifer and 1st Nada #8 Probably the single most important book in the run from collector perspective. Given the thousands submitted to CGC its very difficult to obtain a 9.8 and only 13.9% have #21 First shown grouping of the endless (or so is my recollection), 1st Delirium who I feel has potential to be the breakout character of the show? #22 Mostly known for being the 1st Daniel, it's also the 1st Mazikeen. The story itself outstanding. #42 My 2nd favorite issue in the run. The page where Delirium orders dinner is my favorite single page in the entire series. Again this is my own private Sandman key list and not indicative of the market.

As if the seller could not be bothered and was too LAZY to do any better. Based on the lack of care (and middling feedback score) put into the auction listing I'd expect the rest of the transaction to go similar for whomever purchases it - if anyone does. "Packing the package was disgraceful. Top of box cover destroyed." "Item never shipped. Seller lists items not in their possession" "seller took forever to ship item and then completely ignored me when I informed him that the CGC slab was cracked" IMHO: DANGER! AVOID! DANGER! P.S. In at least one of their other auction titles the seller uses the word "Minty". While I'm sure there are exceptions, I never personally met anyone who uses that word who was not a total tool

As child in the 80's our family dog received several pre-approved credit card offers by mail. Many of our neighbors envied his credit limits.

This post pertains to pre 1982 only The prevailing thought is Direct Sales are more likley to be high grade due to being purchased by more "seasoned" collectors. I personally dispute that during the early direct sale years. If you were a child and happened to be located near an early Comic shop that did not make you more likley to treat comic books with gentle love and care than if you have purchased them from a Card/Candy/Cigar shop or a newsstand. Of course it's all subject to debate and the Social Media talking head speculators + others have currently elevate newsstands as being more valuable... I was a young child in the early to mid 1980's and I recall most children, teens and adults, going into the 2 LCS's near me and simply grabbing which ever comic was at top of each pile. One of the shop owners would get annoyed at those like me regardless of our age for going through the pile looking for the nicest copy. I was tolerated as I was very careful and would always yield to another customer to allow them to grab their top copy. Anyhow the current market has spoken. Newsstands are now held in higher regard by many even if they are the more populous book than the direct sale. Since the data is not recorded by CGC census there is no way to know if one version is more or less rare in high grade than the other. This post pertains to pre 1982 only

Not sure sure when it became "hot" but at least for Miller after Overstreet noted Zone's #84 (and 85) it in the Mid 1990's it became a curiosity for some collectors. Nowadays its 1st this 1st that in an endless loop. I personally am more a fan seeking out definitive and or historical works by a Comic artist. ============================= So speaking of Zone #85 as child i picked my copy up from a comic vendor at an indoor flea market around the time of the 1983 Film. I recall the dealer had half a long box full of GK Zones and #85 I thought was in nicest shape. I recall paying $2.50 which at the time for me was no small amount. If and when it is ever graded and returns from CGC we'll see how well I did with that original purchase price

Seems at least as of 2014 Andy was fine. https://www.cbr.com/comic-book-legends-revealed-456/ No mention of any lawsuit or settlement at least via google search. I am curious was there ever any pending case? There have been much stronger cases for Character creation that courts have shot down. Back in the 1970's one this legally flimsy would have been a quick loss for the plaintiff.

Based on the limited description text it was deceit. Claim say very little and hope for a rube or 2. If seller knew they were real the description would have been far more well descriptive

Totally creepy.

it's a 1st appearance

Interesting. Guess some sources are wrong; http://perez.comicbookseries.info/checklist-20/marvel-comics/f-o-o-m/f-o-o-m-22-fall-1978 Excellent work by Budiansky!

Its a subset of slabs that display the rings which means no excuse for getting back to customer like that. They simply need to inspect and reslab. CGC simply has abandoned quality control to pad the blackrocks execs bonus'. CGC may be the current market leader but much of their product looks cheap and unprofessional. Partly due to defenders and apologists they have no incentive to do anything other than raise prices Regarding physics, to put it mildly gravity is one of its very pillars. Does this mean when CGC drops a slab and sends it to us damaged and broken that we should be OK with that as it was due to gravity which too is physics? IMHO it is same as newton rings; reslab it so it looks nice and professional and then and only then send it to the paying customer.