RockMyAmadeus

Marv Wolfman has been very fortunate because of New Teen Titans. According to Perez, both he and Marv were given quite lucrative deals on NTT, for which George said he no longer has to work. I don't have very much sympathy for ANYONE who complains about how things used to be. No one forced them to draw comics for a living. It's a BAD argument. Bob Kane...at the very DAWN of comics...had the savvy to get National to write up a contract that gave him credit in perpetuity, and it was apparently a very lucrative deal, too. They had lawyers in 1938, and 1933, and 1952, and 1961. They had royalties in those years, too. Why couldn't these other creators have done the same thing...? Answer: because they WILLINGLY TRADED risk for security. They chose to work for established publishers, and didn't dictate terms up front. They got themselves a relatively secure job in exchange for none of the risk. That's how it works, folks, and how it's always worked. If they wanted to take the risk, they should have struck out on their own...like Bill Gaines did in 1950-ish (turning his father's Educational Comics into Entertaining Comics, and setting the comics world on fire)...or like Wally Wood did with "wiztend" in 1966 or Tower Comics...or Dave Sim did with Aardvark-Vanaheim in 1977...or Neal Adams did with Continuity in 1984...or Jim Shooter did with Valiant in 1989...or the Image boys did in 1992. These ventures carry RISK. They aren't a guarantee. That's why a lot of creators would rather work for a steady paycheck...which comes with its own drawbacks, their creations not belonging to them being the main one. Not that it's anyone's business...but if Marv doesn't count my money, I promise not to count his. Question: if I get a 9.4 New Teen Titans #29, do I get a rebate from Wolfman...? Or any of the others who charge a "CGC/slabbing premium" because I'm "making money off their sig"...? I mean, if it's profit sharing they want, the other side of that comes into play too, does it not...?

If a creator is concerned with "resale", then he/she should be made aware of ALL the facets that go into that. If he thinks his signature adds value to anything, he is GRAVELY mistaken. I would think...Jimenez seems to be a relatively savvy businessman...that he would welcome such information, and NOT want to alienate fans (yes, folks, people who "make money" can also be fans...shock, I know! I don't know ANY retailers, or distributors, or publishers, or creators, who are also fans. Strange!) by charging based on a misconception. It really is that simple. Wolfman has alienated me. I have books that his sig MIGHT add value to (DC Presents #26, NTT #2, in high grade), but I've decided I am no longer interested, because of his misinformed...and worse, unwillingness to BE informed...attitude. And I have dozens of books to which I would have liked his sig to be added, and would have been happy to pay his $5/book fee, even though it was an additional expense for books I wasn't going to sell, and to which his signature added no value (New Teen Titans #37, even in 9.8, anyone...?) What a shame. Marv Wolfman wrote perhaps one of the most influential storylines I've ever red, A Lonely Place of Dying, which I could, at one time, recite panel for panel, because, you know...fan and all...but I won't support him any further. His right, my right. Creators have gotten far too cynical. CGC needs an ombudsman.

I don't have a problem with all facilitators...just the facilitators who buy access to creators, make exclusive arrangements with creators, and muck it up for the guys doing it "on their own." If a facilitator is telling a creator "you should be charging a surcharge for CGC books", they are actively interfering with other people's business, including CGC's. And, if they're telling creators "people doing CGC are doing it for the money" or people with more than 1 comic are "subbing to flip", they are lying to them. You want to charge, charge...but charge everyone the same price, like Stan does. Charge $10,000...but don't be free for "fans", and $10,000 for "slabbers", on the erroneous assumption that anyone doing CGC is doing it to "make money", or that your sig automatically adds value to anything you sign.

The bottom line is that I love this program, and I love that it exists, and I love that it gives me the opportunity I never would have had otherwise to interact with these creators, and I hate that people whose sole and only goal is $$$$ have soiled so much of it, and I hate that no one has taken the time to adequately explain all of this to everyone involved in a way that sticks, and I hope this doesn't become what happened in sports, but I don't see any other outcome without an ombudsman/ambassador doing the heavy lifting of helping everyone involved understand how it all works, and CGC taking seriously the issues created by the $$$$$ only people, and even then, it might be too late.

Meh. I know I'm ranting, and, to a great extent, preaching to the choir. I used to hate signed books, precisely because they were so impersonal and relatively easy (if not really cost effective) to forge. I didn't discover Sig Series until 2008. I had that same "sigs are a waste of time" mentality that I developed in the early 90's. Then I had the opportunity to get in on Frazetta, and I though "huh. This is history. I can't miss this." So, I dove in...and did a complete about-face. I fell in love with the whole idea. (Forever thanks to Chainnball, wherever you are these days, for being the man with the plan.) I wish I'd discovered it earlier, so much. I don't mind buying "already signed" books...but really, the thrill is going to see these guys in person, to hand them my books, and then see it happen in front of me...and then get them graded and put in a tidy case. That just combines everything about comics collecting that makes me tick. I wish I'd been around in the early days. I wish I'd taken part in that December, 2004 signing with Byrne, the only one that ever happened. I wish I'd been involved with the Maz signing. I have boxes of Dave Stevens books...I don't think anyone ever did a single Dave Stevens signing. I do have a single Alan Moore book, and, I think, an important one as it goes, LOEG #1. But no MM, no Swamps, no KJ. Can you imagine, a 9.8 ST #21 signed by Bernie, Len, Alan, Veitch, Tot, Bissette, and Yeates...? I get excited just thinking about it, and then remember that the days of Bernie signing anything are, sadly, behind us. I missed Jim Aparo. There are a few, and I'm glad they got done, but I wish I'd gotten mine done. Batman #417-420, 426-429, 440-442...the defining moments of my early collecting days...now unsigned, forever. Sigh. I missed when McFarlane was free, and I can forget about that Infinity, Inc. run...there's probably 2 or 3 guys in the world who care about it, and I'm one of them. I can't spend $100+ a book, all in, to get quarter books signed. It makes no sense. Same with Hulk #330-339, 341-346. Nevermind. Same with Invasion #1 and #2, and Tec #476-478, and ASM #302-328, and...you get the idea. Far too expensive, and no way to mitigate the costs, because McFarlane doesn't want anyone "making money off his sig." Oh, sure, just get a bunch of 9.8 #300s and have him sign those, that'll pay for the others...know anyone selling 9.8 #300s on the cheap...? PS. ADAMANTIUM, it wasn't CGC who told that writer to charge...it was the guy...who I otherwise like and respect...who was CGC's facilitator for that show. Just for the record.

Liefeld was actually the first creator who charged different prices based on what he was signing...first, it was New Mutants #87, and then it was New Mutants #98 as well...and I didn't have any problem with that. At least there was SOME effort to understand the different values of books. It's the "these are for CGC? Oh, then, that will be more money." And despite the moronic blatherings of the incompetent know-nothings on Voldemort's board (I know, I know, tell us how you REALLY feel), no one would tolerate such a thing in the real world. Can you imagine...? Being charged a different (higher) price for something based on what you intended to do with it afterwards...? It's absurd! It's repugnant that they even ASK in the first place! But, because I have never done (to my knowledge), and would never do, anything to put CGC in a bad light, I say nothing, or very little, because...well, remember what I said about people being afraid of being cut off...? Hope you all got all the Jim Starlin books you wanted done. Starlin...and I love Starlin, quirky as he is, and have a tremendous amount of respect for him...has cut everyone who wanted to do CGC off. Exactly what I was afraid of happening. "What do you intend to do with that after I sign it...?" "It's none of your damn business what I intend to do with it, and I'll thank you not to ask such a rude and impertinent question to your fans, putting them in such a terribly awkward position, and making things generally uncomfortable, thank you very much! Sign it, don't sign it, charge for it, don't charge for it...but don't you DARE ask me what I intend to do with MY property, and then charge me a HIGHER PRICE for my answer. That's just plain RUDE." I'm incredibly thankful I got the books done that I did. At least they exist. At least someone went out there and made it possible to collect a very high grade set of Strange Tales/Warlock signed by Starlin, some of which are the ONLY 9.8 copies that now exist. You bet I made money off of (some of) them: I was the one, after all, who took the risk of buying them in the first place, when no one was interested in them, and took the time and effort to preserve them, and then developed the skill to make them better, if necessary...none of which Starlin had anything to do with. And those books were "worth money" because of their condition, not their signature. There's not much said about the legacy of these things, but think about it: because of Chainnball, there are now 125 Frazetta SS books that exist. Those books wouldn't exist without him. And yes, I understand that they're expensive, and yes, I understand that I, and others, made quite a bit of money (some more than others) off of them...but the fact is, they EXIST in the first place, one can own a tangible piece of work that Frazetta himself actually touched, and be 100% certain that he signed it...and all because Chainnball said "why not...?" when everyone else said "can't be done." THAT is pretty damn cool, and, in my opinion, the greatest reason why the Sig Series program exists in the first place. And really...who wants to see nothing but a stack of New Mutants #98 SS slabs...? I'm a hoarder of comics, and even *I* think that's dumb. That's not hard. That isn't a challenge. But a RUN of New Mutants #85-100, all 9.8, signed by Rob, and Louise, and Fabian...? Now THAT would be something worth talking about...and it's also, unfortunately, something I came close to achieving, but never did, and now...it's not worth the cost. Yeah, yeah, ok, Swamp Thing #20, 21, and #37...great. Can I show you my QUAD signed #59 9.8, signed by Veitch, Totleben, Bissette, and Sienkewicz, of which I am most proud...? Not worth anything, you say...? $100, you say? Or my QUAD signed #64, with Swampy head sketches by Veitch, Bissette, and Yeates...? Only worth $60 you say? Worth less than I paid to get it done? Don't care, it's effin' cool as hell. And Steve Bissette and John Totleben and Rick Veitch and Tom Yeates are effin' cool as hell. Who gives a damn what they're worth? And no, I don't like that these guys charged a premium because they were going in slabs. I don't like it one bit. And I don't think THEY liked it that much, either. I don't care that I've paid Totleben alone over $1,000 for sigs over the past 7 years. If I was a millionaire, I would have gladly given him $10,000 to sign my books. It wasn't about the dollar amount...it was the "oh, these are for CGC, so you're obviously making money off of me, so I'll charge you more" mentality. Veitch didn't like it, Bissette didn't like it, and I don't think Totleben liked it all that much, either. But, they were pressured into it, because someone said...or implied...that "oh, these are for money, so you need to charge more." It soils the whole experience, to a great degree. Don't sit there and count my money, and I won't sit there and count yours. Oh, no, if you're a CGC slabber, you're just a greedy flipper. You couldn't POSSIBLY be a fan. You couldn't POSSIBLY get the tears and the fanboy giggles over someone doing something as cool as sketching Nightwing and Flash in the white space of NTT #39, visually bringing their ultimate destinies full-circle, integral to the storyline of that book, fulfilling a dream you had waited 24 years to fulfill, ever since you first laid eyes on the book, finding and buying that perfect copy, and carefully, carefully preserving it over the ensuing decades until just the right opportunity, then carefully preparing and protecting it as it travels across state lines with you, and then handing it to George Perez, and then hoping, hoping that he handled it carefully so that he wouldn't, in one quick moment, undo all the care you put into preserving it for two+ decades. I think about it NOW, and I get a little misty. That book is one of my prideiest of joys. You couldn't POSSIBLY be a fan when you watch Sam Kieth do the very same thing with MCP #87, which, from the moment you saw all that gorgeous white space the day it came out, caused you to think "how cool! That would be a perfect place for a sketch of Wolvie!"...not even knowing, in 1991 when you bought it, that it would take 22 years to make that grain of an idea into reality, using a mechanism that, in 1991, was only a vague concept being discussed tangentially by a handful of dealers and collectors. Oh, no. You're not a fan. You're just a dirty flipper, profiting off of the backs of others. Yeah. Sure. Go with that.

Yup. I was at a con last year, and had about 20 books for a writer to sign. I had prepared them, and taken the time to cart them around...mostly 80's books, with essentially no value...and he says "are these for CGC? If so, it's $5/book. Sorry, but the people at the CGC booth told me I should charge for these...if they're not for CGC, then its free." These were modern books, books with no value, even as 9.8s. "Run" books. They have no value, even as 9.8s. We're talking "$15 on GPA in 9.8" worthless. (I'm being vague because they weren't my books; I was the witness.) They're not worth the extra $5 per book to get signed, and the client wasn't willing to pay the additional $100. I picked out the 5 books that were, in the client's estimation, the most "worth it", and just got those signed. The writer would have happily signed them for free, and he even said he felt guilty about it, but that his fellow creators and the people at the CGC booth told him he should charge. His signature would have added nothing to the value of the books. Thankfully, the artist signs for free, and even if offered money (which I did), he won't take it. So, I was able to get some signed and CGC got some subs because of it. But man, wouldn't it have been cool to get those mid-run 80's books that no one else cares about double signed...? You want a New Mutants #91 signed by Liefeld and graded? Too bad, it's $50 (it was free in 2013, when I got mine done.) You want Fabian to sign your copy of New Warriors #1 in 9.4 condition? $20! Fabian's gotta eat! You want a New Teen Titans #13 signed by Wolfman and graded? Tough luck, it's twenty bucks. You want an 8.5 Swamp Thing #8 signed by Len Wein and graded? So sorry, $20 now. You want a 9.0 copy of Marvel Special Edition #16 signed and graded? Make with the Lincoln. And you can forget getting it signed by Starlin. You want a 9.6 copy of Infinity, Inc. #37 signed by McFarlane? $55 please! You want a Vampirella Monthly #1 signed by Jimmy & Amanda...? $20 at least. And that's why these creators keep seeing the same issues of their work, over and over and over again. The rest of them aren't worth the premium. And you get put in a very awkward position of wanting to tell these creators to mind their own damn business, that what you do with your property is none of their concern...but if you want to play the game, you have to play it all the way. But, you know, if you're not getting them graded...and why would you, you greedy pig, unless you're going to sell them and make FAT STACKS off of their sigs?...then they're free, or, in Liefeld's case, $20 less.

Until creators understand that 90-99% of the value of any signed book is in its condition, and not the signature, this won't change. Mike Golden signs a 9.8 copy of Avengers Annual #10? That sig adds value. Mike Golden signs a 9.6 copy of Avengers Annual #10? That sig adds nothing. There is no "profit" to be made on that signature, once additional costs are figured in. But Mike Golden (because of Renee) charges the same price for both books. You reading this should know the difference between a 9.6 and a 9.8. Mike Golden and Renee Witterstaetter (and many, many others) think that ANY sig that goes into a slab "adds value." That is not accurate. Many facilitators won't explain this. Why would they? Those who take subs get paid regardless...it's no money out of their pocket (though they don't understand that they get less subs, too.) And, many facilitators are ENCOURAGING creators to charge for "CGC books." Again...no money out of their pocket. I sat in Marv Wolfman's house, at his own kitchen table, and vainly tried to explain this to him...being as polite and charming as I could possibly be...but he wouldn't listen. He thinks everyone who CGCs is doing so to sell them, any and all of them...every single last one of us...and treating his signature like "trading cards", passing them around (a sentiment echoed by Len Wein, and his moronic former PA, who told me, to my face, when I politely asked "why do you charge extra for CGC?" and this muscle-headed dipstick said "because you're making money off of Len's signature"...and I, being a witness at the time for someone else, could not challenge it, despite the fact that A. what someone does with his property is none of Len Wein's concern; B. this goon had no clue what was going to happen with those particular books, C. they weren't mine, and D. perhaps most importantly, I was a witness and I won't dare do anything that could possibly reflect poorly on CGC in even the smallest way, at any time, for any reason. The presumption of this fool...and presumption it is...remains. But I digress.) Marv Wolfman, despite writing some of the most influential comics in my own life, doesn't get any more books from me to sign. It's not worth the price he charges ($20.) Getting a New Teen Titans #23 signed by Marv isn't worth the cost of the signature...and God forbid it comes back less than 9.8. I was happy to pay $5/book to support Marv for the 1-2 seconds of his time it took to sign...$20/book isn't worth it, unless the book is a very high grade TOD #10, or NTT #1, #2, #44, or DC Presents #26. Want a New Titans #53 signed by Marv (I did!)...? Too bad, $20, despite it being functionally a quarter book, even in 9.8. CGC has lost those submissions. CGC lost a potentially 100 book submission last August because of Albert Moy and Chandler Rice. 100 books...not signed, not subbed...because of Chandler Rice and Albert Moy. Think about that. CGC lost what could easily have been a ONE HUNDRED BOOK SUBMISSION because Chandler Rice got upset that he couldn't cut in line to have his books signed, so he told Albert Moy that a stack he saw (for which I and the collector with me had waited in line all day...I at 10:30, he at 12...it was now 7) was "for CGC" and they were going to be "for sale", so Albert decided it was now "$20/book", because he didn't want anyone "making a profit off of Sam" without Sam (and Albert, you see!) getting his "cut." ...despite the fact that Sam Kieth wrote on his blog that he was signing for free, AND despite the fact that the stack that upset Chandler so much was for a private collector there to meet his favorite creator and get his Maxx and Maxx related collection signed, and who has not sold a single one, AND despite the fact that Sam wasn't being asked to sign all of those for free, that we were in the process of negotiating, but because Chandler got Albert upset, and Albert smelled money (that wasn't his), he unilaterally decided to now charge $20/book "for CGC", rather than let people privately negotiate with Sam, and forced the collector to take all his books...which weren't going to be for sale, and have since not been for sale...out of their window bags, to "prove", I guess, that he wasn't going to "flip" them. No doubt some of the books were damaged in the process...just so Chandler Rice and Albert Moy wouldn't think they'd been taken advantage of somehow. After all, as the logic perversely goes, if you're there to get your books signed, condition should be irrelevant to you...right? One hundred potential subs...not done...because now the price was $20 PER BOOK, which Sam's signature isn't worth on the vast majority of his output. Sorry Sam. CGC lost $2000+ worth of business in just that one single incident. Other people lost significant money and time wasted making the trip. And Sam lost a few diehard fans. Sam's signing in Texas this weekend. Personally, I haven't missed a single opportunity to meet Sam since he started going to conventions again in 2013. I dutifully stalked him, keeping my ear out for any upcoming appearances, hoping he'd show up. I was thrilled to get 39 books for myself signed at SDCC in 2013. Just thrilled. But I won't be going to Texas. I thought about it, and thought..."nah. Not worth the risk." I have three longboxes...yes, three...filled with Sam Kieth books. Bats, Maxx, Mage, I before E, Marvel Comics Presents...that I have been carefully setting aside for years...almost a decade...to get signed by Sam when the opportunity came up, which it almost never did. Books which, for the most part, I bought for full price, brand new, when they came out...thus supporting Sam much more than the casual "single copy to read" buyer. They won't be signed, and CGC won't be getting those subbed. They're not worth it. And God forbid I get anything less than a 9.8. It's just money wasted. Not because they have no value, and I wanted to make "fat profits!!!!", but because I don't like "not-9.8s" for modern books. Anyways, I've rambled long enough. The short and the long of it is that people are dropping the ball left and right, and business that otherwise would happily and gladly be given to CGC is not happening because of greed. Greed on the part of creators, because they're convinced that anything they sign is now worth more than it was before, and no one seems capable of telling them otherwise...some because they want to "buy" access, and others because they're afraid of offending the creators and being cut off. CGC is losing business because of this. That's the only compelling argument that should matter to CGC, and those who support CGC.

And it took FOREVER to get Warlock #9, 10, and 11 in 9.8! I think it was my third or fourth round before I managed it.

Two of those Warlocks...ST #181 and Warlock #15...are the sole and only 9.8 SS copies that exist and, perhaps, now likely to ever exist. I'm glad I didn't sell them cheap.

In case anyone wasn't getting my vibe, Jim Starlin is one of my most favorite creators of all time. Here...here's what I managed to put together:

I love Jim Starlin. If all I ever got to read that he wrote was Silver Surfer #34-50, I'd love him just as much. It's just that good. If you haven't red it, you are greatly missing out, I promise.

DC comics presents #26! My Starlin pride and joy is my Strange Tales #180...it's only a lowly 9.6 (damn it), but I got him to sign it as Jim, Sam Jiltirn, Ms. Natjiril, and J. L. Minirats...AND it has a Warlock sketch to boot!

I think that one of the neatest things about Starlin's career...and this is quite rare, in ANY of the arts...is that he enjoyed a wonderful renaissance in the early 90's, a second flowering after his first initial big splash in the mid-70's. Not that he went away or anything, but, you know, people move on, interests change, etc. Starlin essentially quit comics for a couple of years after the publication of Avengers Annual #7 in 1977...yeah, he did work on Detective here and there, and covers here and there, but mostly he was taking a break. MGN #1 was great, and that was definitely the last chapter of his first Cosmic Marvel era. It wasn't until Dreadstar from Epic that he really got to do what he wanted. I think, from what I've red, that he chafed under Marvel and DC editorial, so when Archie (Goodwin) lured him to Epic, with its much more progressive royalties program, he jumped at it. But Dreadstar wasn't a megahit, and that's all he did for most of the 80's. Ok, yes, Batman was big for him, but it wasn't because it was STARLIN, but because it was THE DEATH OF ROBIN. He had substantial success with the Cult (best Batman story he ever did), but really, BATMAN, rather than Starlin. Cosmic Odyssey was good, and even Gilgamesh II wasn't too bad. Then...he caught lightning in a bottle twice. He brought Thanos back, totally revolutionized Surfer, and created the monster crossover hit of 1991, Infinity Gauntlet. He was firing on all cylinders, and once more, Jim Starlin was a name to be reckoned with in comics. I love that, and THAT is the era into which my young self wandered...I loved every bit of it, and his fleshing out of Norrin Radd...especially issue #50...gives me chills just thinking about it while typing. Starlin has had some duds, for sure. Death in the Family, while highly entertaining, isn't high art by any means, and some of the dialogue is groan-worthy. But man did he knock it out of the park on his SS run. Just knocked it right out of the park. Very few creators get to have a second bite at the top of the comics world apple. Byrne didn't, Neal Adams didn't, you could argue for BWS and Valiant, but it's a stretch. Not even McFarlane has managed that (though Jim Lee did, with Hush.) Starlin did it. He's in very rarified air.

Agreed...without CGC, your odds are maybe 50/50 of getting a book with undisclosed resto. Hell, I just bought a Golden Age book with a friend last year that was a beautiful copy...I said it was a 6.5 or so... Came back "top right edge trimmed, small glue on several pages"...oh, and a 6.5 Sigh. WITH CGC, the odds are maybe 1 in 10,000 that a Universal book with resto will have escaped. Huge advantage.

You know what's funny? I sorely wish I had discovered pressing in 2000, instead of 2009 or so. Had that been the case, things would have been a LOT different...a lot of these issues were fixable, and have been fixed, since then. That Turtles #3? Easily fixed by a good press job. Not "9.4" fixed, but at least 9.0, which I would have been fine with. Ah well...live and learn, and it's a LOT LOT better with pressing. My blood pressure thanks me.

Addiction. And, as you and many people know, most people won't say anything unless they're reallllly unhappy. Many collectors don't care. That's why the "no one has ever had a problem with me before!" rings TRUE. Someone could consistently sell 6.5-8.0 books as "NM/M", and get away with it...and may not even be aware of it...for a very, very long time. Hell, I bought a Strange Tales #178 in 2015 that I didn't check until a couple of months ago...too busy. Opened up the package, expecting a decent upper mid-grade book...and it's been color touched. I won't go back to the seller and demand anything...due diligence on my part didn't happen...but I will, at some point, let them know. $30+ for a mid-grade ST #178 with color touch that's worth, what...$2 as is? My loss. How much of this happens every single day, with no one the wiser...? That's why slabbing has been such a boon. Those of us who DO care have an outlet...and those who don't, need not be bothered with it. Lest you think it's all bad, I'll relate a win: in 2003-ish, I bought an entire long box of every Punisher appearance from ASM #129-up to about 1995, for $300 off of eBay. When I got it, I looked over the books...and was stunned by the breathtaking condition of #135. Far and away the nicest copy I had ever seen. Couple of minor dings and dents that I pressed out. Subbed it at Baltimore last year...got a 9.8. Sold it for $1400. That one book paid for the whole box, 4 times over. So, it's not all bad.

Not surprising, and sorry to hear that. We're a growing club, sadly. I don't think Paul is a crook. He just doesn't care to the extent that he should. And though he's an amiable guy, he does treat with a degree of contempt those of us to whom it matters. Eric's worse. I spent upwards of $10,000 there in 2007...and they had an outdoor dollar book sale in October of that year. I pulled out 7 long boxes, and had to dicker to get a better price than the "buy 4, get 1 free!" price they offered everyone else...for drek. I never asked for better prices on anything else...but this was 7 long boxes of drek. Then, I heard about it a few days later...that the guy who "helped" me complained that I was a picky cheapskate for daring to ask for a better deal than they gave to everyone off the street. But, I didn't make an issue out of it because: addiction. The Avengers #1 that I bought in 2010, got signed by Stan, had it come back a restored 5.5 with a married 5th wrap...and Paul would only refund my original purchase price, though he'd gotten a signed Stan slab in return...was the last straw. I haven't been back since, and I make sure to mention it when I can, so others are aware and to be vigilant if shopping there. Frankly, I don't care if HOS goes down in (metaphorical) flames. Just another Comic Book Guy, made all the worse because Paul pretends to be such a nice guy, and outside of business, he really is, but he doesn't respect his clientele enough to be aware of this and do something about it. I get it...there really are problem customers, who overbrowse and never buy, who complain about every little thing. But spending that kind of money at a place should...and maybe I'm more entitled than I have a right to be, perhaps...but should earn you a little bit of respect and courtesy, not "oh God, here comes that skinflint again." You can really tell when something bothers someone, eh...?

No, they just don't care. They don't check, and if they do, it doesn't bother them. The manager/co-owner, Eric, once demonstrated this to me one day when I saw a rather nice looking Justice League #2, and, while counting pages, discovered the last page was missing. I pointed this out to Eric, and he shrugged, and put the book back in the case. No change in price, no note that it was missing a page...nothing. So, of course, people buy restored and other problem books, crack them out, and sell them for a tidy profit to House of Secrets. Why not? (other than ethical considerations, which aren't a problem for many.) If I buy a color touched Hulk #181 8.5 for, what, $1,200, crack it out...they'd likely pay $2,000 or so for it, and price it at $3,000 or more. They just don't care about silly things like undisclosed restoration.

It would be one thing if Beerbong had a legitimate case that he laid out, soberly and rationally, and patiently did so until he was satisfied...but he doesn't. He just makes vitriolic posts filled with bitterness, feeling sorry for himself and all the wrongs people have committed against him, mixed with liberal doses of how great he is, and all he's done for the good of comics and humanity in general. He's not stupid. He's got a wealth of experience. He's been in the business for decades. But his bitterness and self-pity render whatever good might still come from him void. And these pervicacious jags, with their "comics are meant to be READ, not ENTOMBED!!" comments...fine, dopes, OPEN THE SLAB, TAKE THE COMIC OUT, and READ IT.

A great deal of that vitriol is because it ruined the business model of many dealers who relied on overgrading and undisclosed restoration to make money. It was nearly pandemic. There are people who paid good money in the 90's for "high grade" keys like AF #15 who STILL have not, after 20-25 years, recouped their investment because the books had undisclosed restoration. Hell, there are people on this very board...the Comics Guaranty Co. board...people who, in some cases, are "well respected"...who have accused me of defrauding eBay sellers because I wouldn't let them get away with this. I bought ten of thousands of raw comics on eBay from 1998-2007-ish. Fully 50% of them had problems, either undisclosed restoration, or damage because of poor packing, or were just plain badly overgraded, by far the most common reason. I fought these people tooth and nail, and I was mostly right in doing so. The stuff I've gotten, which I've shared about over the years, would make one's hair curl. And yet, on this very board, there have been people accusing me of fraud for not letting these sellers get away with this. On this board. For the very reason CGC exists. Think about that. You would think that people who post here would understand the problem...but, some of them are those very overgrading, restoration-undisclosing dealers, so it makes some sense. CGC greatly mitigated these problems, to a phenomenal degree. Not because CGC is perfect, but simply because the conditions on the street were so appalling. If I buy a CGC graded book, the chances of getting what I expect are very, very high. Sure, there have been books I've gotten that were graded 9.8 that were no better than 9.4, and vice versa...but they were within the ballpark. On the street, you'd be lucky to get a book that would grade 7.5. And, 99.997% of the time, if I buy a universal CGC slab, it won't have any color touch...or missing pages...or cutouts...or glue...or, you get the idea. And, a lot of the vitriol is from people who don't understand that the slab was invented to facilitate transactions. It was never intended to be a "permanent tomb" for anything. The fact that people use it like that isn't CGC's fault. The fact that dopes don't bother to investigate before flapping their mouths isn't CGC's fault. Every single slab can be opened, and with the old slabs, opened fairly easily. The "entombed forever in plastic" is a spurious claim...and yet, again, people who don't know what they're talking about run their mouths. So, when someone badmouths CGC, it's necessary to consider why they are doing so. They may have a legitimate beef...and those certainly exist...or, they may just be angry that they can't screw people over as easily now. Something to consider.

Thanks! Wonderful book.

Price?

But the number one reason people come to concerts is to hear the songs they know. Not the "new stuff."

They did. Have you red most Dells from the early 60's? Or DCs? Or Harvey's? Didn't kill the medium.