Joosh

It will be noted as not having been manufactured with the sticker. 

I have a ASM698 with 2 stickers from manufacturer, I’m guessing that would get a label note as well.
my Absolute Carnage 1 cover A has no sticker either. Interesting stuff.

Posted in a few different topics because it's so purdy. 

This right here is why I can’t bring myself to buy an ASM300 9.8 online. I bought a 9.6 for $630 and called it good.

This right here is why I can’t bring myself to buy an ASM300 9.8 online. I bought a 9.6 for $630 and called it good.

This right here is why I can’t bring myself to buy an ASM300 9.8 online. I bought a 9.6 for $630 and called it good.

That’s a personal preference choice. It’s not “trimmed” as in restoration, but a miscut. Unfortunately, CGC does not grade on centering/alignment/miscut unless it’s especially terrible to affect readability or art.
Since you noticed it on this book you’ll probably never be happy with it. There are many 9.8 graded examples of ASM 300, be picky, there will be more.
 

It's mostly the price tag on the book.
Btw, the Direct Edition GPA average is $25.00. I sold my newsie for $450.00.
 

hot potato. the guy left with the potato last looses 

Nothing specific stands out but some of my best deals were for items that were misclassified and/or described in an odd manner. 
Those types of listings are from the flea-market, estate/garage sale, dumpster diving folks (bless their hearts) who have 500 odd vintage items listed.  Most of them know how to move product quickly by pricing it low and they don't spend a lot of time getting every listing just right... So finding their stuff is like virtual dumpster diving.  It's fun.  I throw out some odd searches once in a while to fish for that stuff.

I belong to that very small group of people who don't give two hoots about a little color touch.

From this point forward, I'm making a completely uncut video of cracking and inspecing every comic I take out of the slab.

Bongo Comics NS are underappreciated .. really rare
 
 

First, I am appalled that the thread title changed from using “hobby” to “collectibles”!  I go to sleep and look what happens.    Regardless, even though “hobbyist” is the correct generic term for the comic book enthusiast, let’s go with “collector” or panelologist if folks are more comfortable with that. 
Second, someone, and it might as well be me, should address the disparaging remarks directed toward stamp collecting.  I love comic books like many of you, but there is no reason to knock stamps here.  To each his own, but some of the remarks were just wildly wrong (as in inaccurate but also mean-spirited).  Don't mean to single you out G G, but I need to single you out G G.    
You said, “I don't think you can compare stamps to comic books.”  Really?   I, for one, much prefer reading PAPER comic books and don’t see the appeal of the digital format (unless it becomes the ONLY way of reading a comic book).   Similarly, my stamps are a creative pursuit as an escape from my screen-based life, and I prefer the old-school gum-backed stamps over the stickers of today.  Also similarly, you can spend a lot of money on rare stamps or enjoy it inexpensively, and some collect stamps simply because they are intrigued by the various pictures, designs, and colors they see on them.  For example: 

 



I'm pretty sure there are comic books that are valued at least in part due to their iconic or otherwise super-cool cover?  Silver Surfer #4 anyone, or Web of Mystery #17?   The entire process of searching for stamps (including trading for stamps to complete a run or set or just get that one issue) sounds familiar too, doesn’t it?  And like with comic book collecting, you need to focus on what you really want to collect, for financial reasons but also sanity!   You might not need a magnifying glass to appreciate the finer details of a comic book, but using a magnifier to identify and/or confirm varieties (which exist with comic books too) is part of the fun!  There are many more similarities, but I need to get started on my weekend!  
You also said, “But stamps are small, fairly uninteresting and not very tactile.”  Have you seen the jumbo stamps (both regular and back-of-the-book) out there!  For example, this interesting 2.5” x 4” specimen that is on card stock (!) and fairly robust for a tactile experience:

Or this almost full-page commemorative beauty measuring 6” x 8”:

Or related smaller, but still not “small” examples:


 
Then you said, “Stamps you sometimes lick and stick on an envelope and throw into a red box to be sent wherever and never to be seen again...or you stick them in albums.”  Wrong again.  Much of my stamp collection is unlicked and otherwise original gum!   And my stamps have never been thrown anywhere.  I keep them on a table in my mancave, along with my comics on the walls, to be looked at periodically.  In fact, I am particularly fond of my Captain Marvel Jr. #21 precisely because of its connection to my complete and colorful set of U.S. War Savings stamps introduced during WWII, so I display them together (note the not-so-small $5 stamp in the middle, which is quite a specimen): 

Finally, you said, “In short, stamps suck.”   Stamps might not be your cup of tea, but they definitely do not suck. 

Anyway, enjoy what you love, whatever it is.  

Thanks. It appears I was misinterpreting the page it took me to when I clicked the link. My eBay skills are intermediate at best.
 
Thank you this is good information to know.

I appreciate the help setting me straight on this.

Agree with the chorus, leave it sealed. That is what makes it unique. If you don't personally care about it being sealed, sell it to someone who does, and use the money to purchase a slab in the condition you want. But raw copies of that book are common as dirt, whereas a sealed envelope is something most have never seen. I'm sure you're already getting lots of PM's with offers though ha

To understand bitcoin you need to understand what money is, and so few people do. Money is something that humans have assigned value to. For millennia it has been physical objects: shells, metals, livestock, and even rocks. Paper money was created out of convenience because moving around heavy gold coins was cumbersome, BUT the paper money WAS tied to gold. For the past five decades, the dollar has been back by nothing but a promise of value, but the government is proving time and time again it just can’t keep its hands out of the cookie jar. The “drug” of being able to create money, to create value, is highly addictive. And what has happened is the government and those in power have created wealth for themselves and created a widening wealth gap in the USA. 
 
Bitcoin cannot be printed into oblivion. It allows you to control your money (something humans have agreed upon to have value) in that you don’t need a bank or third party to send or receive it. Fees are low. No PayPal bullsheezy. It’s censorship resistant, meaning once you have it, no one can take it (unless you are careless). It’s open for use 24/7/365. It’s actually more secure than your PayPal account. 
 
The volatility is a challenge and happens mainly due to whales playing the market, trying to make large price swings happen to profit from them. The volatility will subside as adoption grows. You can convert bitcoin into fiat very easily though if you didn’t want to hold funds in bitcoin. 
 
I highly recommend reading THE BITCOIN STANDARD by Saifedean Ammous (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119473861/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jyGXEbWYPVDJD). It’s a lesson on the history of money, Austrian economics, and the future with bitcoin. 
 
Cryptocurrencies are here to stay. We live in a digital world. Bitcoin is an immutable, non-sovereign, digital cash. 

i know to many it's modern junk but to my eyes they're literally hot gold .. really good pick up

I was hunting that promo book cheap back around the same time you were in 2017 or so.. Got one for I believe $16... they were roughly $20-30 at that time. Sold one back in August for $200

The circled lot mentioned “assorted comics” in addition to the main lot of modern Captain America miniseries. I actually looked at all the pictures and spied a Maximum Carnage Acclaim video game promotional comic. 
I knew this was hard to find and jumped on the bin at $30.
after press, graded at 9.4. Now these are becoming more desired with Carnage getting some exposure. $600 and climbing...can’t believe it.
 
I also nabbed a second copy later on eBay in a similar situation; paid $88 and it’ll be about a 9.2. Haven’t sent it out for grading yet. It came with other decent Venom books, so all good.
ive been looking for cheap copies of this book, I doubt I’ll see any more than my 2 now that it’s popularized. 

Totally agree. I actually own the original art to the cover. I purchased it for the art but also for the fact it’s the first time you see these characters published. It really encapsulates the artists coming together at Image with their new creations and do consider it a first appearance for these reasons. Just wanted to hear what others thought. Thanks!

It could very well be accepted as the first published appearances and may be sought out by fans of those characters.
I doubt it will ever be as desired as the 1st comic book appearances though. Wizard was essentially advertising these ahead of time.
Advertising and previews aren’t usually a big deal to most collectors, more of niche to round out a personal collection.

It could very well be accepted as the first published appearances and may be sought out by fans of those characters.
I doubt it will ever be as desired as the 1st comic book appearances though. Wizard was essentially advertising these ahead of time.
Advertising and previews aren’t usually a big deal to most collectors, more of niche to round out a personal collection.

It could very well be accepted as the first published appearances and may be sought out by fans of those characters.
I doubt it will ever be as desired as the 1st comic book appearances though. Wizard was essentially advertising these ahead of time.
Advertising and previews aren’t usually a big deal to most collectors, more of niche to round out a personal collection.

Web of Spider-man 1 missing Most black ink on multiple pages.