shadroch

You can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't grade a comic without looking at the interior.

I tried to buy books that were in Fine, but these days they'd be more VG. However, I bought a lot of low grade 12 cent books because I was more concerned with completing a run than having a few better looking books. My friend and convention companion was the polar opposite. We'd come home from a convention and I'd have two shopping bags worth of books and he'd have a half dozen books, even though we both spent around the same amount.

Just arrived

When I started, bags were still pretty uncommon. I used to buy food storage bags at the local grocery store. As an aside, I once was approached by two female cashiers from my supermarket at a party. They were somehow convinced I sold pot. It finally came out that they'd observed me buying all those storage bags and couldn't think of any other reason why I'd be buying them. Richie had lots of raggedy Golden Age books, but I didn't collect them so I never looked at them. I doubt he had anything great at the flea market.

I bought a fair amount from them via mail order but never went to their store. In the early 1980s, they ran a CBG ad for a run of Batbooks- Batman 201- 350 and Detective 301-450 for fifty cents each. I couldn't believe it was stll available when I saw it. Some people paid a small fortune for Fed Ex to deliver the paper before everyone else got it.

I'd have to see the pages but a slight margin being cut out is different from the head of a character being cut out. I used to be more leniant on coupons or MVS's that didn't effect the story, or even missing pinups if the actual story was intact, but CGC came along and peoples perceptions changed. For example, I had a DD 7 without the pinup. If the pinup was there, I'd have called it NM, instead I sold it as a VG and had no problem moving it. I don't see how a clipped coupon could get more of a hit than a missing head. Other may disagree.

Yes, he did and he was just as friendly and talkative back then. He and his competitor( who ended up starting Crown Comics, a short lived distributor in the 1980s) didn't spring for permanent spots so every week they were someplace else. Edit- I don't know why they didn't have permanent spots. It could have been any number of reasons, not simply because they were cheap.

That is true today, but it wasn't in the 1970s when I was chasing down books. Taking two buses to the only comic shop in Queens, hoping they had gotten in a new collecton or two, haunting antigue stores, goodwill ect, flea markets. I remember walking for hours at Aqueduct flea market ,simply because the two vendors that sold comics didn't have permanent spots and could be anywhere among the 1500 plus vendors.

The internet killed the thrill of the hunt for me. Back in the day, it took me over a year to find a copy of Avengers 3 that was priced right. Today there are dozens of copies on the web. There was something special about saving up for the semi-annual convention and hoping one of the dealers would have what were then obscure Marvels. It took me forever to find a FF 2 without marvel chipping, which wasn't so accepted in the mid 1970s.

A missing head renders the book incomplete. I don't see how it could be treated any differently than a missing MVS, most of which don't affect the story itself. It should be a 0.5 or in a green label.

What choice do they have? If last months mag came out August 15th and had a cover date of December, this months mag can't be October, can it? A better question would be why comics have any month on the cover.

CGC lists the date of publication according to the publisher. A book will generally have a publication date 2-3 months after it's actual distribution date. This practice dates back to the 1930s and was an attempt to keep things on the shelf longer. When the direct market started, books were generally in comic shops two weeks before they appeared on newsstands. Before long, speeding up Direct distribution made the gap three weeks. Not every publisher uses this method so the easiest thing to do to print the publishers Month of publication, not the real one or date first distributed.

In the Fall of 1961, Perfect Film and Chemical Corporation went public. In 1968, the company bought out Martin Goodman and became the owner of Marvel Comics. They owned Marvel from 1968 to 1986. You know them as Cadence Company. Offered here is a certificate of ownership for 100 shares of Perfect Film and Chemical Corporation, issued in October 1961 and redeemed in October 1967. These don't come up very often and I've seen people asking insanely stupid prices for them. $25 shipped gets you one of these certificates, originally issued to Oppenheimer and Company. US only. Returns at your expense, paypal or Zelle preferred Price dropped. Photos to follow

4.0

I recently sold six copies to a dealer for $30 each and he was more interested in this book than X-Men 282. We laughed about it but he has the demand for them.

So damage done in the distribution chain shouldn't count?

Years ago, a friend and I were lucky enough to find an original distributors box of 100 Grendel #1s, the color versions I call Volume 2. We split them with him taking the first 51 copies and I kept 49 and the box. Over the years, I'd take out one of two, always taking the top copy. This left me with 36 copies that had never been out of the box until I counted them a few minutes ago. I am offering them here as a lot, including the original box for $1,000 shipped. These are pristine copies. Just a handful of 9.8s would make this a steal. This lot is for sale until I wake up Monday morning, at which time they will be offered in smaller lots. Paypl or zelle only, US shipping only, NO RETURNS on this offer, Trades considered. Photos to follow

Thanksgiving weekend used to be the biggest show of the year for NYC back when Phil Seuling and Creation were battling it out.

I was going to go with 3.5 but choose to give it a 4.0 just because.

Lots of new business's stumble in the beginning. I don't know if I'll give them anything but I do know I'm not happy with two of the four major auction houses and welcome the competition.

Thats too bad. I'll pass on a grade. That book is a personal favorite.

Can you show the inside cover? Water stains kill a book and I'd need to see the inside and splash page for a fair grade.

I'm seeing a 2.0, not sure what others are seeing. It's a great book and you got a good deal.

It would cost you a minimum of $100 to do the work, get it re-slabbed and shipped. Perhaps more. Almost certainly not worth it.