RockMyAmadeus

By the way, Phantalien...this seller knows exactly what he is doing. You know how I know? Because he had that canned, snide, snarky, and most telling, defensive response at the ready for anyone who dared challenge him about it. If he was honest, he would have reacted differently. He doesn't care, so he's purposely "sloppy" with his grading, because it results in him getting more $$. This isn't a mystery, after all. Does anyone believe that this seller makes such "mistakes" in the other direction...? I can guarantee you, that guy has never sold an undergraded book in his life. As to your contention that it "it seems like you were expecting a book that would come back as a certain grade if you were to send it in", that is incorrect. I was expecting a NM book, as advertised. Nothing more, and nothing less.

I have heard many, many people express the same kinds of sentiments you're expressing here, for nearly the entire 30 years I've been in comics. And, to every one, I said the same as I say to you here: if you tolerate people taking advantage of you, they will never stop taking advantage of you. Let me say it again, as clearly as I can: when someone overstates the condition of something they're selling, no matter what it is, they're going to get more money for the item than they would have if they had honestly assessed its condition. That is, in effect, theft. That seems pretty straightforward to me, does it not to you? Whether the guy was being hyperbolic or not is not the point, and doesn't negate a seller's responsibility to provide what was offered. Whether someone says: "NM book." Or... "OMGWTFBBQ, THIS IS THE MINTIEST MOST BEAUTIFUL NM BOOK YOU EVER DONE SAW IN YOUR WHOLE LIFE, AND THE LIVES OF YOUR PAPPY AND MEMAW, TOO! NO ONE COULD EVER PROVIDE YOU WITH A NEAR MINTIER COPY TO MATCH THE NEAR MINTIEST-NESS OF THIS ONE! BUY BUY BUYYY!!!!!" ...BOTH sellers are obligated...not merely encouraged, but obligated legally...to deliver what was offered, in the condition in which it was offered. This isn't a case of naivete at work, here, nor am I complaining about this particular seller and his particular book. I'm using this instance as an illustration of a far-reaching problem, that has been greatly, incredibly mitigated by CGC and third party grading services in general. Not solved. Of course not. But light years beyond the bad old days. Light years. .To your other points, "more pictures" don't generally solve the problem, as the various grading contests throughout the year on this board demonstrate. Pictures don't tell the whole story, and pictures usually don't show the differences between, say, a "NM" copy and a "VF/NM" copy. The problem is that you can't see what you don't know is there, and if you don't know it's there, you obviously cannot ask about it. Plus...and this is a real factor at work, here, that can't be lightly dismissed or discarded...sellers, most of the time, won't provide additional pictures, unless you are very specific about what you want. And you certainly can't bother sellers with overzealous requests for pics. No, it is impossible to correctly grade most books by pictures, no matter how many pictures you have. You must have the book in hand to do that. Finally: I'm not sure what you mean by a "reigning body", but there ARE guidelines and criteria to follow: the Overstreet Grading Guides. That said, however, the reason there are no published "standards and criteria" from the legitimate grading companies is because grading is subjective. That's not a catch-all excuse for sloppy grading, as with most sellers who use that phrase on eBay. No, that means, to the grading companies, that while they are educated opinions, they are still just opinions, and everyone who has a likewise educated opinion is perfectly welcome to disagree with them. Every single book is unique. Really. Every one. Every single one has some sort of characteristic that is not present on any other copy of that, or any other, comic...even the Gem Mint 10 IDW books. So, each book has to be handled on its own merits. And, like it or not, different flaws are viewed differently by different people. I've disagreed with CGC plenty of times...and that's perfectly ok. The beauty of third party grading is not perfection...that's impossible where humans are concerned...the beauty, the magic of third party grading is mitigation. That is, if CGC says a book is a NM/M copy, 999 times out of 1,000 if someone cracks that book out, they're NOT going to discover a bunch of thumb dents that they just "happened" to miss, or a NCB crease, or a cut coupon, or a 5 inch bend that isn't visible in pictures...you get the idea. With traditional raw sales online, unless you're dealing with, say, a comics4less, or a J&S Comics then 5 times out of 10...yes, I mean that number, quite seriously...you're going to get all sorts of garbage advertised as "MINT CONDITION!" or even "excellent condition, can't see any flaws"...because it's human nature to overstate the condition and/or value of things we sell, and to understate the condition and/or value of things we buy. But not only has CGC and other legitimate grading companies directly improved matters for those who deal in their products, but they have indirectly helped, too, by providing a measure which raw sellers...if they want to stay in the business...must adhere to, also. It doesn't matter if the standards and criteria aren't public knowledge...the fact is, CGC is consistent enough to provide a benchmark against which others must perform, or they will tend to be marginalized over time. In other words...third party grading has raised everyone's game. And that is only good. Just so I'm clear, this isn't a paid CGC advertisement. God knows, I have my issues with CGC, because there is always room for improvement. It's not about CGC, per se, but rather the general idea of third party grading that I'm discussing here. Third party grading, as it was for coins, and cards, has been a great boon to the comics collecting hobby, and for that, I am very, very grateful.

What, in your opinion, is that problem?

Only DC and the printer.

In case anyone reading this wonders why CGC and other grading companies are not only important, but vitally necessary to the comics collecting hobby, here's a great example I thought I'd share with you all: "<<AUTO REPLY>>Ha! Ya gotta love it! Comic Geekdom at it's finest! Kudos. I see your point and I concur. As a professional musician who has toured the planet, I find it unsettling that terminal newsprint is given greater scrutiny than the flaws of the world. " I got that answer from an eBay seller called "pop*culture*artifacts" when I wrote to them and said the "NM" Atom #17 wasn't quite as nice as he'd claimed. His answer...clearly meant to be a "stock" answer to all those "comic geeks" out there who are "concerned about condition" is nothing but an expression of contempt. "Hey, nerd, there are far worse problems in the world than the condition of your precious comic." Are there...? Don't get me wrong, I'm not a wackjob who thinks comics, in and of themselves, are all that high on the important in life scale. They're not. But what about principles...? Isn't overstating the condition of an item you sell...and thus getting more money for it than you fairly deserve...just another form of stealing, of theft? Of course it is. And isn't stealing one of the main "flaws" in the world? You bet. After all...this seller claimed the book was in "SPECTACULAR NEAR MINT CONDITION FROM MY PERSONAL COLLECTION." (His expression, not mine.) And the book is certainly decent. It's probably an 8.0 to 9.0 as is. But "SPECTACULAR NEAR MINT"...? Not quite. And if I'm paying over 400 times cover price...I should think that earns me the right to get what is offered, no...? For those of you who weren't buying in the bad old days, things were so, so much worse before CGC. For all the complaining about CGC...and they need to have their feet held to the fire, too, so they stay honest...things are ten thousand times better than they were before. In fact, without CGC, it's certainly possible the hobby would have completely died, as it almost did in the late 90's. There would be no $500,000 X-Men #1s, no $3,000,000 Action #1s, no $15,000 New Mutants #98s. The hobby would have stagnated, limped along as it was, maybe even collapsed entirely, because so very, very few could be trusted. There are people...to this day, in 2018...that STILL haven't recovered the value of the "high grade" AF #15s they bought as unrestored in the mid to late 90's, that have color touch, or slight trimming, or other forms of restoration. And that's despite the massive runup in the market since 2008. If you wanted an accurately graded, premium quality book, you either had to offer literally ridiculous amounts of cash for one, or just completely luck out. Back then...your choice really was to put up or shut up. Retailers controlled the market, and if you wanted your fix, you had to suck it up. For most of the time before CGC, there was no internet, so your local store...or expensive conventions...were your only choice. And not to say there wasn't choice...there was, and prices were a LOT cheaper than they are today. But the choices today are so far above and beyond what they were back then, it's really a whole different world. Now, you can scour eBay, Heritage, Comiclink, and the like, and get beautiful, premium quality books...and know that, 999 times out of 1,000, the book in the slab is not going to be a 7.5 masquerading as a 9.6, and you won't have to deal with smug, condescending sellers who tell you there are "more important things in life" while they gladly steal your money. I am soooooo very thankful that I discovered pressing. That has been a lifesaver for me. In the past, I'd simply get angry and frustrated at these people stealing from collectors by lying about the condition of their items. Now, however, I can fix a lot of that, so it takes a lot of the sting out of it. The Atom #17 that "pop*culture*artifacts" sent me is fixable. I will do well with it, I think. It will eventually be graded, and hopefully will grade out to what the seller had advertised it as in the first place...but not without substantial effort put into it first. Even still...I still fear leaving neutral (which is really a weak negative) or actual negative feedback. After all....there are people within this very CGC community...who understand perfectly well the value difference between conditions...who have turned on those of us who are not only seeking premium quality...but are willing to put our money where our mouths are, by actually paying for that premium quality. We're labeled "ultra picky" or "unpleasable" or worse, a fraud ourselves, who "extort" partial refunds from sellers, and then "crow about it" to others. We get harassed by sellers who either don't know what they're doing, or know precisely what they're doing, and the eBay feedback system is rendered useless by those who call in to have negative feedback removed. There are a TON of eBay sellers out there who have feedback profiles that are complete lies. And, of course, eBay itself will threaten buyers, not understanding the reality of the collectibles market, for "abusing the return system" (which, no doubt, does occur.) And worse, there's retaliation, by sellers who were angered by honest feedback and use shill accounts to go after your own sales. So, most of the time, you end up saying nothing, out of very real fear. And, lest I be accused elsewise, this does not come without some serious self-examination. "AM I being unreasonable? Am I grading these too harshly...? Am I being fair to this seller?" If I'm being honest, with myself and everyone else, I have to ask myself these questions. And, on occasion, that's been true, and I've had to deal with that. But, on the whole, the reason why CGC graded books in ultra high grade sell for the prices they do is because that's what people are willing to pay. They are WILLING to pay the $500, or $5,000, or $50,000 price for a $500, $5,000, or $50,000 QUALITY example. But they're not willing...and neither should they be....to pay $500 for a $50 quality copy, or $5,000 for a $100 quality copy. I'm happy...thrilled...to pay you a 9.8 premium for a 9.8 quality book. I am NOT happy, nor should I be expected, to pay a 9.8 price for an 8.5 or 9.0 quality book. But the attitude of many, including some in the CGC community, is "shut up and take it. Don't create problems for us, or we'll create problems for YOU, capice...?" And that's exactly why CGC exists. So stand strong, high grade enthusiasts. Hold sellers to the fire. If you pay a premium, demand a premium item. Examine yourself. Learn everything you can. And don't be afraid to say "no, I'm not going to accept your inferior quality item at an inflated price, thanks." And be very, very grateful that we live in a world in which CGC exists.

I didn't dismiss him. I simply stated that his claim to being the "discoverer" of the 30/35 cent variants is a false one, and those who make claims that are false, when there's plenty of evidence to the contrary, aren't deserving of much respect. That doesn't dismiss his other efforts, but it does cast a bit of a question over it.

Unless I'm mistaken, San Jose, CA was also a 30 cent test market, so I ran across them with regularity, too. I wish I'd been more interested in them at the time, but the whole uncertainty regarding the early Direct market versions being "reprints" was still in effect, so I was hesitant to buy them for more than regular issues would cost, and I was in college, so I was focused on other things. This would have been 1992-1996-ish. Suffice it to say, the mix of early Direct versions being identified as "reprints" by Overstreet was what really threw a wrench into the equation for me...I was just too terrified to buy a dreaded reprint. Hell, I could have been the "discoverer" of 30/35 cent variants, if I'd only set my mind to it. But I go back to the fact that, in several mid-80's OPGs and Updates, 30 cent variants (X-Men #98-100, for example) were explicitly mentioned...hard to "discover" something that was already known.

Plus, I really was trying not to post anymore, but...I let myself get sucked back in. Entirely on me.

Cool, if you did say that I missed it, hence the invites. I stopped looking but maintain an interest. I'd love to hear your thoughts though, so flag me up if you ever do post anything I'm not ignoring you and Donut. I'm trying to do some research of my own. It's a very interesting topic. I contributed a bit, but I think Lazyboy was correct about my initial analysis (i.e., I was wrong about where and why.) You know me, I'm a "get your ducks in a row" kinda guy

As I think I told you before, I am gathering my own information. When I have something I feel is worth contributing, I will. Right now, I don't have anything of value to add, in my opinion. You've done a fine job documenting things so far. No snark intended, here.

What if it's the result of shill bidding or such like? Then that's not an actual sales result...right? Despite the fact that an actual transaction may have taken place, it's not an actual sales result. The beauty is, shilling only accounts for a tiny fraction of transactions. Even the most ardent shillers cannot make even a dent on the sum total of transactions. So, the information is GENERALLY going to be quite accurate. We need not focus on the exceptions to have a valid rule.

That's not a legitimate means for determining who "discovered" something. The bar for having discovered something is pretty high, on purpose. They weren't unknown to Overstreet when McClure contacted him. They may have been unknown to Overstreet PERSONALLY, because Bob cared very little for modern books...but they weren't unknown to Overstreet professionally, as they had been published in his price guide for nearly two decades at that point. That's not how the word "discovery" works...under that test, I have "discovered" that the Maxx Ashcans exist. I DID, however, discover that there is both a Superman #50 AND Robin #1 (1990) second print newsstand. I CAN claim to have discovered those, because, unlike the OPG and 30 and 35 cent variants, there was nothing published about them before I published my research. Again: did Christopher Columbus discover North and South America, or was it, in fact, discovered by all the indigenous people who lived there for millenia, AND the Vikings who established actual settlements in North America several hundred years before Columbus was born...? You didn't, as far as I can tell, discover them. There's a distinct difference between "discovery" and "thorough research", right? Yes, right here, on multiple occasions, as well as elsewhere. This is a public forum, accessible to all. If you're going to publish something publicly, you better be fully prepared to be challenged on it publicly, regardless of venue. Those who are interested in reaching the truth of a matter will welcome a challenge, because an idea that withstands challenge becomes a stronger one, a better one. An idea that does not deserves to be discarded immediately. Do I need to have contacted Mr. McClure directly? No, of course not. He published his claim publicly, and it's easily shown to not be true. As far as history remembering the people who popularized new things...the repetition of an error does not correct that error, wouldn't you say...?

One thing about price guides...as I have noted elsewhere, there never seems to be any price guide that accurately reflects the market as it is, but instead reflects it as the guides' authors wish it to be. That's not unbiased. Doug...as much as he is respected, and he is...SELLS these books, so no matter his intent, he has a built-in conflict of interest when it comes to valuing comics. And that's been true since the beginning. Bob Overstreet certainly manipulated his price guide to reflect both what he had and what he did not, but wanted. That's unfortunate, but it's human nature. Anyone who follows these things will notice that price guides nearly always reflect higher...usually much higher...prices than And, since very, very few comic books, especially those published after 1960, are even remotely rare, there's a long and well established market that tells us very well what a given book is worth at a given point in time. Example: Tales of the Teen Titans is listed for $120 in the above price guide. Yet the last sale was for $78...substantially less...in October...and that's for a slabbed copy. Raw copies, by default, sell for less, with very few exceptions. That's true about all of those prices: they're higher, often substantially higher, than actual sales. Note what they say here: " (all guided values presented are for “raw” copies; all guided values are presented in US Dollars)" So those are the supposed "retail values" of these books for raw copies, but slabbed copies can be had for less. And, as with any price guide, if a price is LOWER than market, that's merely a fluke which will be corrected in short order, not because the guides' authors believe it is overvalued. The never-ending problem with such "price guides" is always that they present an unrealistic view of the value of things. People who don't know much come to unrealistic conclusions about the value of their comics, and then become bitter and disillusioned when someone tries to educate them...or worse, they think that person or persons is/are trying to rip them off. Any time you have someone with a built-in conflict of interest...regardless of who...I am hardly an unbiased source when it comes to valuing, say, Maxx Ashcans, no matter how honest I am or want to be....it should be treated with skepticism, and multiple opinions sought. And the best opinions of all are actual selling prices. Those are unimpeachable. You cannot argue with an actual sales result.

I don’t know too much about Mr. Nobel but I do know that Doug Sulipa who collaborated on the guide is well respected. Typically, when you have several authors/collaborators on a project, one person doesn’t taint the whole project. Doug Sulipa is well respected. However, the other collaborators on the project, including Jon McClure, are not. Mr. McClure claims to be "the discoverer" of 30 and 35 cent variants, despite the fact that they were attested as far back as the 1979 Overstreet Price Guide (Star Wars #1.) Various other 30 cent variants were mentioned in the OPG in the ensuing years. One cannot claim, much like Christopher Columbus, to be the "discoverer" of an already known fact, even if the extent of that fact is not known or has been forgotten. There were several of us...including @FlyingDonut...who were well aware of the 30 and 35 cent variants long before Mr. McClure's "discovery." We just didn't realize the extent until the advent of the internet.

That is a good reference tool, just as OSPG is a good reference tool. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect but its a start and kudos to the author for putting it together. So I would continue to use it. I wouldn't listen to cynical comments from people that whine and/or create shills on a comic chat forum. Despite your opinion of Stu, the fact is, Mr. Nobel has demonstrated a distressing lack of rigor in his methodology. In other words, he's played fast and loose with the facts, and has been openly hostile to any criticism, no matter how tame, even attempting to get people thrown off this board by calling, and having his friends call, and complain of being "cyber bullied." Those are not the actions of someone who is interested in open, honest discourse in the pursuit of knowledge beneficial to all. Those are the actions of someone who has an agenda, and won't tolerate opposing views. All statements should be considered on their merits, or their lack thereof...not who made them, or how "cynical" they may appear to be.

You don't READ them. You just admire the pretty covers.

kramerarts All I can say about this guy is....holy goosh, what a hot mess. So, pull up a seat, this will take a while. In early March, I bid on, and won, three auctions from this guy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Black-Panther-1-Four-KEYS-4-Issues-All-in-1-Auction-Jan-1977-Marvel-Comics-/173172841081?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=h27Eu9oQBRIusaPpA0bWMZnhXas%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc https://www.ebay.com/itm/X-MEN-95-96-97-98-99-100-Key-LOT-NICE-Early-X-MEN-Wolverine-Marvel-Comics/391986235469?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 https://www.ebay.com/itm/X-MEN-102-103-104-105-106-107-108-109-110-111-Nice-LOT-Early-New-X-MEN-Marvel/391986237829?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 Now, when I received the books, I was preparing for four weeks of convention madness. In the course of 4 weeks, I worked Wondercon (Mar 23-25), then Indiana Comicon (Mar 30-Apr 2), C2E2, including Diamond Retailer Summit (Apr 4-Apr 7), then Silicon Valley Comicon (Apr 8...yes, I flew from Chicago to LA on the 7th, drove from LA to San Jose the same day, and then went to the SVCC the next day...mainly because I'm crazy), and finally the Sac Anime Con last Sunday, April 15. So...I didn't have time to thoroughly inspect the books. That's on me. But the guy had a 30 day return policy, so I knew I had some time, AND...well, there's more. So, the Black Panther lot I was looking forward to, because the guy stated the books had lots of pressing potential, and I could take advantage of onsite grading at C2E2. What the seller "neglected" to mention, however, is that all four books had rusty staples. His initial response made me chuckle: "I don't remember seeing any rust on the staples, but I'll take your word for it. Sometimes staples come in darker shades due to the metal they were made from, so maybe take a closer look?" After assuring him that, yes, all four books had RUST to varying degrees, I told him I might still be able to work it out. I made him a proposition. I said I would do the press work necessary on the books (yes, between Indy and C2E2!), and if any books graded 8.0 or below...the "break even" grade...he would pay for slabbing and shipping (I was sitting at a business computer in Indianapolis at midnight or so, so I forgot to say "yes, and PRESSING ISN'T FREE") and I would send those back to him...any books that graded 8.5 or higher I would consider a "wash." Nevermind that I should NOT have had to pay what I had to pay for the books anyways...the books had RUSTY STAPLES, and therefore sold for more than they would have had this been mentioned. I was giving him quite a deal. And, of course, he went for it. He sent me a suggestion that I'd never heard of for "removing" the rust: "Oh and please keep my vibrating toothbrush secret between you and me. Certain areas may need more pressure and time, but be sure to remove all the dust that’s the key. I’ve done it many times and never been caught in grading, they look for scratches on cleaned staples....but a good vibrating tooth brush with soft bristles gets rid of 90% and sometimes all of the corrosion with no scratches because the bristles are unable to scratch and if anything they blend any leftover corrosion smooth scratch free." If that's true...and I suspect it isn't, but who knows...then I believe that would result in a Restored or Qualified grade, with "staples cleaned" as the note. Note what the guy says: "I've done it many times and never been caught in grading." Uh huh. So...why didn't this guy do it on these? He expects me to do restoration work for him, which he assures me "won't get caught"? I'll grant that he may not have seen the rust...which I doubt; it's completely obvious with the books in hand, and which the grader's notes attest...but then suggesting I do this work that was his responsibility in the first place? I tell him "no, the rusty staples are the whole reason for this exercise. I am neither qualified nor experienced to do such work, which would almost certainly result in a Qualified or Restored grade." When I mentioned that he would have to pay for pressing, he flipped his lid, and jumped up and down, saying "you didn't say anything about that!!!" To which I replied..."dude...yes, I didn't mention a cost for pressing, but you're going to get BETTER books back than you sent me, and you think that's free...? Do you think that's fair? Do you think that's equitable? That someone else do work for you, for which you are unwilling to compensate them?" And that, on top of wanting me to remove the rust, but offering nothing for the service? He still wigged out, but apparently was able to control himself enough to agree to pay the horrendous $15/book charge I thought was MORE than fair. Remember: the books weren't worth what they sold for in the first place, because all four staples were RUSTY. I SHOULD have just returned them, but...hey, I'm a sucker for a gamble. In any event, I pressed them, they turned out really well....but the rusty staples killed them all. 8.0, 8.0, 8.5, and 9.0. Notes: 8.5 - Light staple rusted Tear top of back cover 9.0 - light staple rusted 8.0 - bindary tear bottom of back cover light crease right bottom of front cover breaks color light staple rusted rust stain right center of back cover 8.0 - creasing lower right edge front cover breaks color staple rusted So, I write the guy back, and he says to send him the total cost for the two he agreed to. I had mentioned earlier that a partial refund might work, and he suggested $100, which I said would be fine, but let's wait for results. So he sends me a message, and I tell him to please wait until I got home. Instead of waiting, he just sends the $100 refund. Ok, fine. Whatever. But then...I have the chance to look over the REST of the books...and while the X-Men #102-111 lot was acceptable...barely...the #95-100 lot was not. He described it as "NICE!" and "They are all higher mid-grade to higher grade comics."..which I interpret as 7.0-9.0. Unfortunately, they're all about 5.0-8.0 (and #100 and #95, the most valuable, are 5.0-ish and 7.0-ish.) I explain to him that it doesn't make sense to pay MORE for raw books than the same books already slabbed, and I'd like to return them. I told him I'm sure he thought I was unreasonable, but that's how I look at it...and since it's my money, after all, I think that's pretty fair. He says "sorry, yes you're unreasonable (shock!) and 30 days have passed. I will not accept a return." Now...GRANTED...I passed the 30 day deadline. HOWEVER...it's not like I waited all this time and THEN contacted him. I contacted him on Mar 29...about 3 weeks after I got the box...but again, 1. I didn't expect there to be problems, as I'd communicated with this guy before, and 2. I was still, at that time, within his 30 days. And, I remained in contact with him throughout the process. Again, I acknowledge that I was now outside his 30 day "window"...but, if you claim to be concerned with having "100% customer satisfaction", why does that go out the door on day 31? I've had people contact me after 30 days...and you know what? I tell them to send it back. In any event, that's when things got really ugly. I had, in the meantime, bid on and won two MORE lots from him, these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Justice-League-of-America-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-KEY-Lot-9-issue-Run-DC/391991906839?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 https://www.ebay.com/itm/Justice-League-of-America-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-KEY-Lot-10-issue-Run-DC/391991894698?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 Now...the JLA #2-11 lot is acceptable...again, barely...but when I opened the box (again, just got home after being on the road for several weeks)...I discover that 1. JLA #12 and #13 aren't even in the box, and 2. despite assurances that all books were "complete", issue #15 has a page torn out. None of these things, in and of themselves, is a big deal. But ALL of them TOGETHER...? This guy is a hot mess. And he claims he runs an "honest and quality operation." Anyhoo...I called eBay and asked them how to file a claim when some of the items are missing, and guess what? The only option I have if the seller won't cooperate is to send what I have received back. Yay. And now, of course, we're in the snarky back and forth messaging phase. And, I left negative feedback for the missing books, the overgraded books, and the rusty stapled Black Panthers, and just the general attitude...and, as usual, another seller calls in to eBay and cries to them to get two (so far) removed. I'll be calling back in the morning to have them reinstated. There's no point in having a feedback system if sellers can convince foolish eBay agents to ignore eBay policy so easily. We'll see how successful I am. I don't want to accuse the guy of outright fraud, because, really, I don't know his motives. But...rusty staples, won't accept a late return even with extenuating circumstances, 2 out of 9 books not even in the box, and a book with a page torn out...? And, on top of all of those "mistakes", cops an attitude about the whole thing? This guy's either grossly negligent, or he's just fishing for suckers, overstating the conditions of his books, hoping for fools to bid more than the books are worth. "Honest", he is not.

I'm putting together a 9.8 set of Countdown signed by Jae Lee. I've had a couple of duds. I'd be willing to buy any 9.8 candidates. I love that run, and I love that Jae Lee did the covers.

Other people have given their opinions and analyses as to why they think it's legit. What's your analysis for why you think it's fake?

That's because Stan's people charge $140 for any and all sigs on anything. Todd still signs for free "if it's not for slabbing." That's a huge difference.

I wonder...if Bats #457 sells for this much, how much Supes #50 can. I suspect there aren't nearly as many Supes #50s left in existence.

Look harder.

Peter David is a victim. And he'll be the first to tell you so. And what he's a victim of is his own delusions about himself and his place in the world. That's sad, because he was quite a talented writer. But he has made some incredibly bad decisions, and utterly refused to take any responsibility for doing so. Taking responsibility for your actions is a hallmark of being an adult...and that is not what Peter David is. I immensely enjoyed his work from the 80's and 90's, so much so that I sought out anything and everything he wrote. But he has became the very personification of the spoiled, greedy, selfish villains he used to write.

Somewhere, somewhen, the utter frustration that these eBay drones subject people to is going to be visited upon them. It's like it's a contest to see just how much they can anger their customers, and every year they award the winner a car full of balut.

jparra112 He's the guy who sold me an X-Men #123 CGC 9.8, then shipped the slab in a single layer bubble mailer, inside an otherwise emtpy Med Flate Rate type box: (Yes, that is EXACTLY what the box looked like when I opened it, and that was the bubble mailer the slab was in.) And the resultant damage: Claims it was shipped UPS. It wasn't. It was shipped USPS, in a UPS box: Had to file a claim to get a refund. Seller wouldn't accept any responsibility, and even filed an appeal to the decision. He claims it was packed properly, still. I don't know what he imagines is proper packing, but a bubble wrap mailer banging around inside an empty box several sizes too large for it, isn't proper. It would be interesting to imagine that someone at UPS took this package, took out all the packing material, then accessed his eBay/USPS shipping account and printed a pre-paid label with his name on it, then shipped it to me via USPS. Interesting...but not remotely believable. I like to think I helped the guy out when I returned the slab by including a sufficient amount of wadded packing paper to prevent further damage to the slab and book.