MasterChief

Recently had the opportunity to upgrade my raw copy of SME#5 to a certified piece and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. Excellent production quality with print-proportionate centering, vertical cover spine alignment, and a squared copy cut. . It's an old label 9.6 white-pager from 2002... and it's a keeper!

BTW... here's more raw testimony from the Don Rosa Pedigree.

What jury of experts decreed that the Rosa Collection is not/not a pedigree? As far as I'm concerned -- having done extensive due diligence on the collection -- it is indeed a bona-fide pedigree. If you hold a different opinion, well, I guess you're entitled to it. But in reality you are either unfortunately misinformed or purposefully inciting chat-board provocation. First off, I like the Don Rosa books and I have many in my collection. The discussion of the collection being officially recognized as a pedigree was previously discussed to death on the Boards. Since CGC listed the collection in a tabular list of recognized pedigrees on their website many thought CGC did recognize them as a pedigree. I finally decided to call CGC and I talked to Eric, I believe. He stated CGC recognizes it as a 'collection' but not as a pedigree. This is why you see the word 'collection' on the label. With recognized pedigrees, White Mountain, Twin Cities, etc. the word collection is not on the label. So to answer your question of what jury of experts decreed it not a pedigree I answer CGC. I'm sorry if this upsets you. The statements made by "Eric" to you on behalf of CGC contradict numerous public announcements the corporation has issued when mentioning the pedigree in official correspondence (print and electronic media). If the corporation has reversed its position on pedigree status then it would be in their best interest to officially redact the same and make it publicly clear. "Eric" is spreading misinformation. There was a point (the original submission) when it had not been granted pedigree status. Sometimes you can find examples of these books on ebay and they are easily recognizable by having the "Don Rosa Collection" printed above the PQ in the center of the label. This is where ALL non-pedigree recognized collections are noted. However after CGC visited Don rosas house and inspected the comics themselves, the collection was granted pedigree status and the notation moved to the right side of the label where all pedigree labels are noted. Possibly, bomber-bob spoke with Eric prior to CGC changing the designation to pedigree. He has been with CGC quite some time. I met him there about 5 1/2 years ago. I'm having a hard time following this whole line of dialogue. While I understand and respectfully disagree with Bob's position regarding pedigree designation, I don't get how someone can support or somehow state that CGC never recognized the Don Rosa collection as a pedigree to begin with. To embrace and/or adhere to that line of rational is in deliberate disregard for the facts as they are known to be. It's just plain nonsense, IMHO. With a little bit of research one can quickly ascertain that CGC officially announced the pedigree of the Don Rosa collection with Volume 4, Issue 7, of the CGC Newsletter dated June 2005. Additionally, numerous CGC press releases and industry announcements have listed the Don Rosa collection as a pedigree to include, but not limited to, the CGC website and various CGC printed marketing material, comic-book industry news press releases, and various auction house advertisements.

Apologies all around for veering the thread off course. Let's try and git 'er back on track... (Those darn thick slabs are a bear to image. Scanner glare be damned!)

What jury of experts decreed that the Rosa Collection is not/not a pedigree? As far as I'm concerned -- having done extensive due diligence on the collection -- it is indeed a bona-fide pedigree. If you hold a different opinion, well, I guess you're entitled to it. But in reality you are either unfortunately misinformed or purposefully inciting chat-board provocation. First off, I like the Don Rosa books and I have many in my collection. The discussion of the collection being officially recognized as a pedigree was previously discussed to death on the Boards. Since CGC listed the collection in a tabular list of recognized pedigrees on their website many thought CGC did recognize them as a pedigree. I finally decided to call CGC and I talked to Eric, I believe. He stated CGC recognizes it as a 'collection' but not as a pedigree. This is why you see the word 'collection' on the label. With recognized pedigrees, White Mountain, Twin Cities, etc. the word collection is not on the label. So to answer your question of what jury of experts decreed it not a pedigree I answer CGC. I'm sorry if this upsets you. The statements made by "Eric" to you on behalf of CGC contradict numerous public announcements the corporation has issued when mentioning the pedigree in official correspondence (print and electronic media). If the corporation has reversed its position on pedigree status then it would be in their best interest to officially redact the same and make it publicly clear.

Well I guess were gonna have to agree to disagree. (thumbs u

Many thanks, Ken. I was blown away when I received the TOD#2. I am very happy with the purchase and proud to be its second owner. (thumbs u

What jury of experts decreed that the Rosa Collection is not/not a pedigree? As far as I'm concerned -- having done extensive due diligence on the collection -- it is indeed a bona-fide pedigree. If you hold a different opinion, well, I guess you're entitled to it. But in reality you are either unfortunately misinformed or purposefully inciting chat-board provocation. You know alot more about this collection than me, so maybe you can shed some light on some of the concerns I've heard raised when considering the collection for pedigree status. First, only comics from about 1969 or '70 onward have been encapsulated and reached the marketplace so far. Consequently, the collecting community at large has not had the opportunity to assess the earlier portions of the collection. How far back do the original owner runs go, and in what kind of shape are they? Second, it has been suggested that Mr. Rosa accumulated lots of older comics by buying them used. These would clearly not qualify for inclusion in a pedigree, and may complicate pedigree designation by blurring the distinction between the original owner and secondhand books. No problem. I'll try and shed some light (or maybe Rosa can himself, see link below). Rosa started buying comics off the rack in 1963 (Superman). He started buying everything off the rack in 1966 (except Archies and Harveys). The books were purchased from three primary locations in Louisville, Kentucky: The Third Street Newsstand, the Fayette Cigar Store & newsstand, and the Cherokee Card Shoppe & newsstand. The first part of the Rosa Collection was brought to market in 2005. It consisted of ~13,000 books from 1970 and later. The second part of the collection has yet to be sold (1963-1969). In 1970, Rosa discovered "one of the FIRST comic book collectors". His collection consisted of approximately 5,000 - 6,000 books from 1950 - 1965. Rosa acquired the collection in totality. All books were purchased by the collector off the rack. It is unknown if that collection will be designated as a pedigree, and if so, by what name. The following link provides some Q&A regarding the Don Rosa Collection. Don Rosa himself joined in the discussion later on to help provide insight and clarification regarding same. Hope it helps. http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=857206#Post857206

Here are a few books that were scanned some time ago and have been awaiting public dissemination...

What jury of experts decreed that the Rosa Collection is not/not a pedigree? As far as I'm concerned -- having done extensive due diligence on the collection -- it is indeed a bona-fide pedigree. If you hold a different opinion, well, I guess you're entitled to it. But in reality you are either unfortunately misinformed or purposefully inciting chat-board provocation.

I continue to buy stuff as well... and I am having a blast in doing so! Here's a recent purchase -- it's a Suscha raw copy. Having bought several certified copies from the collection I wanted to experience for myself what the fuse was by feeling, smelling and holding the natural essence with my own critical collectible-senses. I was not disappointed. If you have not experienced a Suscha raw copy, I recommend you do so. You will not be disappointed. (thumbs u

I recently donned the 'ol Mark-V dive helmet and descended to a depth of 20 fathoms... After which I surfaced with the following treasures from the MC personal collection:

What a remarkable achievement and a job well done! Congratulations on your success, Barton.

Love this copy! Wish I had seen it first.

Here's a #103... which I believed to be a great score. The cost was $1.75 and the expectation high. The book-in-hand realization, however, was the letdown as the back cover revealed (minor) moisture damage. Oh well...

You make a great point, Bob. Print production quality control lacked big time during the time period, that's for sure. There are countless PF books that illustrate both miswrapped & miscut bindery defects as depicted in the Comic Book Grading Guide.

Alright, Troops... let's stay the course and flush out the squad. Fall into formation, you Plasticbricks. The SGT is taking roll call! If you got a problem with that, well then, go...

Indeed! I feel like a winner just looking at your books, Doc. To celebrate I'm gonna have a Cohiba (and a little Scotch). Here's to you!

Sgt. Fury #96 is another tough treasure to uncover. It's even tougher to get your mitts on a well-centered copy (If you own one post that bad boy!). This picture frame is an interesting study from an artistic standpoint. The cover layouts were done by Gil Kane and originally inked by Ralph Reese. That finished cover, however, was rejected by the Marvel Brass and an order issued from the top to redo the embellishment. The short-fused task fell upon John Severin. Severin's work finally passed muster and the Brass issued a green-light-decree to roll the printing presses. A PF cover compare and contrast is presented below. First up is a recent Suscha score (thanks to a lead from a follow Howler). It is followed by the original cover, which was presented for rank-and-file inspection in Sgt. Fury #97. WAH-HOOO!

Just back from travel. While away on business I was able to break away momentarily to hunt Picture Frames. Arriving at Southern California Comics at 5:55 pm (five minutes before the store closed) I was able to quickly rifle through the back-issue bins and located the following before getting the boot out the door. It's a nice tight copy with sharp, reflective colors. A quick score to say the least. Didn't even get the chance to say thanks to Jamie Newbold.

Yes.. congrats, GT!

Educate me, what's a Wyatt original and how did you notice? "Wyatt original" refers to the original 1600 Rosa books submitted by Steve Wyatt to CGC (pre-screened ≥ 9.4). These books were driven by Wyatt directly to CGC from Rosa's house. Contrary to some beliefs, the Rosa collection was not manipulated before certification. Not the 1600 that can be identified as being original Wyatt's, anyway. How did I notice your book? Ancient Chinese Secret. (The certification date precedes that of the collections' premier at the 2005 SDCC)

Funny you should mention that. Reading that grade notation again made my eyebrows rise. I then asked myself "what the heck was I thinking" Reflecting on years gone by I remember having a heck of a time apply OS grading criteria. Basically I was doing it in a conservative vacuum, literally applying the definitions as-is without help or interpretation. From what I've learned up to this point (which isn't much) I would probably grade it as Near Mint-.

Okay, Doc... I've been staring at your books since their posting and I just notice that the Rosa copy below is a Wyatt original. I'm a nut for these copies so if you ever wanna part with it, well, you can ring me up.

You might find this to be somewhat interesting... Years ago I was a little anal retentive (I'm still that way, just don't tell anyone). It wasn't a learned behavior, mind you, it's just the way that I was wired. Anyway, I used to keep track of all my comic purchases by typing them up on 3X5 cards. Pertinent information such as title, issue number, date purchased, price paid, place purchased, etc. was painstaking typed, with one finger no less, onto these cards. The cards were stored in a little wooden recipe box, which, if I remember correctly, belonged to my mom at one time. Some years later the box broke and I started taping these cards onto the back of the bags that housed these great comic finds. Well anyway, I recently ran across one of the cards and the book that it catalogued while digging through that old collection from yesteryear. It was kinda neat to see the two of them together again... Sure brought back a lot of fond memories.