PDGray

Agreed on the Bethlehem. I am not familiar with the Trolley books, but still consider myself a newb when it comes to the board and to the pedigree books. And, as already stated, the code has largely been cracked at this point. I just wish I knew what code was on the inside of my Crippen book. PDG

This is probably one of those pedigrees that will forever remain out of my reach unfortunately. PDG

I have read a fair amount of this thread off and on over a few months, so please forgive me if I missed it or don't remember. But the key element I don't recall being discussed is, "What is ANY given book worth to you?" Maybe it has an Overstreet price of $100, but is worth $120 to me - so I buy it!! Or maybe it is worth $80 to me - so I don't buy it. The IRS rules, as I understand them from my tax class are that assets, such as comic books, are such that are sold are subject to a 25% tax rate on the gains. The only time this is "reset" is when the book is passed on through an inheritance. So, the book has to increase by at least 25% just to offset the IRS taxes on the sale before the seller can make anything anyway. PDG

As soon as I heard the news I jumped on Ebay and managed to score a number of signed books really before the news "HIT" and the prices skyrocketed. A few arrived yesterday and I expect another one today. When I opened the package and saw his signature I felt my eyes welling up. I had to simply put them down and I will look at them more later. Neal and I had emailed a few times over the last few years. It's been more than a year since we messaged. He didn't know me well, so I won't claim that, but he did write me back - every single time. I met him at Raleigh Supercon in 2017. I posted this on another forum, but this is that story. I was fortunate enough to meet Neal Adams once. I grew up knowing his art long before I knew his name. When I started collecting as a teenager in the 1980s I saw some of his books on the shelf behind the cash register. They were there because simply, "They are Neal Adams."I went on and bought books he had worked on as I could afford them. As I entered into being an adult I left comics, but then around 2014 or so I started collecting again. In 2017 I happened to see that Neal was coming to a con close to where I was living - Raleigh, NC. I decided I was going to go - simply to see him and have him sign a few of my books. I didn't care about much else - only getting his signature. I decided my son, who was six, was going with me. As soon as the doors opened we flew down and were the first ones standing at his booth. I introduced myself and shook his hand. We talked and I had him sign about six of my books. I also bought a few of his prints, which he also signed for me.As we were there, my son had brought a Transformers Megatron toy. It was a dark gray jet and had a button that if you pressed it, the robot head popped out. My son didn't care about Neal, although he certainly knew the name by this point in his life. Neal asked if he could see the toy. My son hesitantly passed his Transformer over to him, looking up at me as if to ask if it was ok to hand it to this strange man. I nodded, telling him that this man wasn't going to steal his toy. Well, Neal became fascinated with it. Neal would push the face down, then push the button so that it would pop up again, and then laugh at it - almost as if he were fascinated by the engineering of it.Well, we would meander the auction floor, and then my son would ask to go back to see Neal again. We worked our way back and then Neal would ask for the toy again. This process repeated itself about every 30-45 minutes all day long. We were there from the time the doors were open until the doors were closed. It reached the point where my son would reach up and just hand the toy to Neal and watch with elation as Neal made the head pop up again and again.I ended up with six signed books, which all went off for grading from that day - all were low-grade well-loved copies. It was my first submission for grading ever as I want those books to pass on to my son - one day.Since that time I emailed Neal on a semi-regular basis, although it has been quite a while as I write this. I had wanted him to do a sketch of some sort for me but never made that happen. But, after we returned home from our encounter with Neal we went to a local store and found an identical Megatron Toy, boxed it up, and sent it off to Neal as a gesture of thanks, and for his entertainment. Of course, I sent it signature required for delivery and I still have my USPS Delivery Receipt with Neal Adams signature with it. PDG

A few years ago my brother texted me a photo of a commission that Neal had done for a guy. It was on the cover of a blank variant of either Action or Superman - Neal had done a sketch of Siegel and Schuster on the cover. It was an absolutely amazing piece. PDG

Honestly, there isn't anyone I think influenced the comic-art world more than he did. I don't get that same sense of drama or power that Jaylam mentioned from anyone today. PDG

I had emailed with him a while back about getting him to do a sketch for me. I just wanted it because I have been such a fan of his for most all of my life. He was always kind in replying to every email I ever sent him. I met him in 2017 and had him sign several books for me, mostly the books I really associated with him - Batman 244, 251, Green Lantern 76 and 87. Should have had him sign my GL 85 &86 too, but it just got pricey quick. He will be missed. PDG

I used to LOVE those!! I had a refrigerator magnet of Gargle. I hadn't thought about them for YEARS!! Thanks for those memories! PDG

So I love pens too. I have a bunch of simple pens (nothing you couldn't find in your local big box store) and hundreds of markers in lots of different colors and so on. In my little bit of spare time I really like printing off comic pages/images and coloring them to look like the original using my markers. My other problem is I simply don't have time to do it. I have looked at some of the lower end Montblancs just because it's a name I recognize. But what are some sources that I could use to learn a bit more and figure out a starting point? PDG

I have been a collector of everything for years!! Going back to my early youth. I just never knew how to get rid of anything. Even after all the comics I own, I have only ever sold maybe 6-8 books. I regret selling those when I think about it. But, yes, I am retired. I don't have time to pursue everything the way I want to. Most of my comics are purchased then go into a box, waiting to be filed away or into my display case - depending on which way I want to go with it. I retired in 2018. Since then I have been back in school pursuing yet another degree - it started out just because I could - then has turned into kind of needing to get a job because of inflation. So, I have a part-time job I do now, but am likely to go back to full-time work just to stay afloat. My bills have skyrocketed, especially over the last 5-6 months. I want to pay the house off, cars off, and eliminate those bills if at all possible. PDG

Absolutely LOVE the screen name!!! Welcome to the world of comic books!! Thats an amazing collection of cards! I have about 30,000 sports cards but nothing like those!! PDG

I hadn't connected Basinger with Veronika Lake, but now I can't unsee it - that's an amazing bit of knowledge to have, not that its a bad thing at all. I also had no idea she was 4'11"!! I also didn't realize Alan Ladd was only 5'6" either. I would have felt like a giant around them, even as short as I am!! PDG

While she was an amazing looker she almost looks drugged out with her eyes like that. I know the photo well and know she was trying to look seductive, but there is that bit in the back of my brain... PDG

I love that this topic has been bumped to let us talk/chat about all these different cool things!! PDG

Wow, VERY cool!!! PDG

On the watch front I have bought quite a few Gruens recently. It is kind of an under-the-radar brand that was originally in the US, but now has kind of gone defunct if my info is correct. In fact, I have a 1961 510 which is similar to what Sean Connery wore the first time he spoke the line, "Bond, James Bond." Mine doesn't have the small seconds though. I have a few others that are essentially Rolex copies of the Day Date, Datejust, and Explorer II. I also have a vintage Gruen Curvex, which is an interesting watch, shaped like an extended very narrow Cartier Tank I am kind of using those Gruens as my "beater" watches so that I don't become a target wearing my Rolexes. I just like switching it up and having different looks for different days. PDG

Although we all here have a love of comic books and old, expensive paper I do find it amazing to see how much so many of us have in common. That has been sent out for repair. It was running slower and slower, so I had my local jeweler send it to Omega who wanted to send it back to Switzerland to repair it. So, it is off to another repair shop to see if it can be repaired. I hope it can, but I don't want to sink a lot of money into it because its just not worth all that much. I will see what they come back with. PDG

I don't have many vintage photos, although I have some autographs. This is a stunning photo - it almost doesn't even look like her. It's astonishing that that even exists!! PDG

Absolutely fantastic!!! I want an Explorer, but am thinking I want a Pepsi GMT next. The Speedy is on my want list too, but the others are absolutely fantastic!! That Miura is a jaw-dropper!! What an epic car!!! I have NEVER seen that one before!! It is so unusual - I love it!! Holy WOW!!! Great collection!! PDG

The story is when I was about 10 years old my dad was a police officer. He was patroling around my hometown and found one parked in front of a house. When he got off work he came and picked me up and drove me over to see that red 308. I thought it was the most beautiful car I had ever seen and I really wanted one. This was in the days before Magnum PI was a thing. My career choices were not in line with being able to afford a Ferrari, but I worked hard to get there. Well, I bought it before I turned 40 and have had it now for about 13 years. It has been so much fun. It's heartbreaking that I haven't been able to drive it in a while. I brought my son and youngest daughter home from the hospital in that car, so that 80 years from now they can tell their kids that their first car ride ever was in a Ferrari. I had been contacted a couple of times by people who believe my car appeared in an episode or two of Magnum. I can't substantiate that, but I do believe it was used as a secondary car in the video for Sammy Hagar's "I can't drive 55.' Sammy drove his 512BB for the video (he still owns the car), but there are scenes which definitely have a black 308. My car was in that location around that time. It has been in 4-5 TV shows since I have owned it, so it has a really cool, amazing history. Finally, I absolutely LOVE Magnum PI. I wear the Hawaiian/Aloha shirts virtually every day - just because I can. I own just about every one of the shirts that he wore in the series. PDG

Nope, one wife. We will have our 20 year anniversary this December. The majority of my comics were bought LONG before we were married. I only got back into the hobby about six years ago. PDG

The last few months I have worn my Rolexes less and less because they are appreciating faster and faster - it is absurd. I am wearing my Submariner today though. I live in a mostly rural area and nobody pays attention to whatever watch I have on. The Ferrari is in the garage not running properly. I have to have some time to work on it and get it sorted. Nobody near me knows how to work on it unfortunately. PDG

Here are a few of my favorite watches and my favorite car- I might can take some other photos of the other stuff later if someone likes. The first is my 2021 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 116503, the next is my 1990 Rolex Submariner-Date, the third is my 1961 Rolex Oyster Perpetual (it still has the original strap), then my 1961 Omega Seamaster. Then my non-watch photo - my 1985 Ferrari 308 GTSi Quattrovalvole. PDG

Wow, I don't even know where to start. Obviously, I collect comics - probably 8-10,000 if I were to guess. I have a large number of celebrity autographs. I have some movie props - nothing too terribly noteworthy. I have a few cars. I have a growing collection of watches. I have a bunch of 1/18 scale die cast cars. I have probably 5,000 DVD/Blu-Ray movies I could probably keep going for a while, but will leave it at that. PDG

Epic addition to this thread!! Thank you for visiting us Bill!! Count me in to read your stories too!! PDG