lpersky

what am i missing? i'm trying to piece together a "master" collection of all of deadpool's early and hard to find appearances. so far i know of: new mutants 98 x-force 2 x-force 10 x-force 11 nomad 4 silver sable 23 secret defenders 15 secret defenders 16 secret defenders 17 wolverine 88 x-force 15 x-force 23 avengers 366 gambit 17 gambit 18 heroes for hire 10 heroes for hire 11 wolverine 154 wolverine 155 wolverine annual 97 black panther 23 am i missing any? To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

Since my books still are in a verified status... I got to thinking about when is the best month to submit books to CGC? I always tried to avoid May and June since those months are just before convention season. Also, convention season (July and August) don't seem to be ideal either. I once submitted 26 books in February and the turnaround time was really quick, well short of the published 20 days for modern submission (I think it was close to 15 day turnaround not including return shipping times). I thought late Spetember would be a good time since CGC would be sending out the convention submissions and probably would not be receiving a lot of submissions at this time but apparently I was mistaken (there's still 2 days left before we hit the 20 day estimate on my 22 books). I also once submitted 15 or so books in April and that seemed to be an ok time as well with an 18 day turnaround not including return shipping. So I guess I favor submitting in January and February, but everyone's experiences may be different. Care to share? To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

300,000 comic books can do that to you yes you read that right, 300,000... three hundred thou-sand!!! I'm sooo excited... this is by far the biggest largest purchase i've been a part of (went 50/50 on the deal). I'm going on tuesday to have the books loaded and shipped. Two trucks its gonna take. so excited i haven't been able to sleep since we learned that we had the winning bid. And from the looks of things, I don't think i'll be able to get any sleep any time soon after tuesday. Its gonna take months of diggin before I can truely assess what is in the longboxes. But then afterthat, now what? Do I open a store? Hit the convention trail? Strickly eBay? Flood CGC with submissions? So many unanswered questions. Don't think I wanna flood CGC with submissions though... I think it would be best to limit that for several reasons. One, the cost would be enormous. Two, I don't want to devalue any books currently in the market that are steadily trading. Three, I refuse to be the guy who is responsible for causing the turnaround times to double in length (I think we all would rather receive our books sooner than later). Four, customer satisfaction. Some collectors enjoy looking for raw copies in true 9.8 condition (i'm one of them), so why deprive them of the thrill of the chase. In all, of course there will be submissions, but I don't think i'll convert to a 100% CGC model or send in mass quantities. But when I look at it all, I'm still getting used to going from small time eBay store (100% feedback, 4.9 rating) to just about big time over night. Will this deal launch me and my small start up into one of southern california's premier back issue dealers? Brick and mortar or online only? What did I just get myself into... haha. Damn this addiction! To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

so i've decided... the three lucky books were the Hulk 181 that i recently aquired, my copy of Batman 232, and the Amazing Spider-Man 40. i'm thinking they'll grade out as: Hulk 181 - 9.0 - ACTUAL CGC GRADE = 8.5 Batman 232 - 8.0 - ACTUAL CGC GRADE = 8.0 Amazing Spider-Man - 6.0 - ACTUAL CGC GRADE = 5.0 not really the highest grades of these books but i think they'll be solid additions to the collection until i can afford to purchase upgrades given i'm not a multi-millionaire (yet, hehe). i sent them out via priority mail on Saturday and they were received by CGC this morning, which was faster than expected. hopefully that will translate to a quick turnaround. as always, i will keep the society updated when the grades post online... _______________ I must admit that... one of the main reasons i paid the membership was to get the coupon for 3 free gradings... the first time i used my coupon (last year) i don't think i used it too effectively and made a rookie mistake by submitting a modern tier book in the batch of three... this time, i won't make that mistake again. this time i have a new dilemma though... i have been amassing bronze and silver books all year to use my coupon on but i don't think that they'll acheive the "super high grades" i would desire... i have about 10-12 canidiates, a few lower grade silver age keys and the others are bronze books in the 8.5-9.0 range... is it even worth it to use my coupon on any of these? i was thinking that i would use the coupon on a combination of three of the following: tales of suspense #40 (2nd Iron Man) in 2.5 showcase #18 (2nd Adam Strange) in 4.0 X men #97 in 9.2 Amazing Spiderman #136 in 8.5 Amazing Spiderman #40 (1st Goblin origin) in 6.0 Superman #199 (1st Superman/Flash race) in 4.5 Hulk 181 (1st Wolverine) in 9.0... *NOTE* i just bought this one on ebay 15 mins ago and don't have it in my hands just yet but will soon. maybe i should use the coupon on just the bronze books becuase they'll achieve the higher grades... are the silver books even worth it? Do i really need CGC to tell me that my TOS #40 is a 2.5 when i know darn well, its a 2.5! then again , i do have other bronze books that will grade in the 9.6 maybe 9.8 range, but they are non key issues of random titles... i don't think they are worth it either? what a mess... To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

for those who are interested... so far the sales of my duplicates have been going pretty well... here's an update on what's been happening: ultimate spiderman #1 direct "red" edition CGC 9.8 - SOLD FOR $375 amazing spiderman #300 CGC 9.4 - SOLD FOR $165 new mutants #98 CGC 9.8 - SOLD FOR $250 new mutants #98 CGC 9.6 (2 copies) - 1 SOLD FOR $130 x men #210 CGC 9.6 x men #212 CGC 9.8 x men #222 CGC 9.6 gi joe: ARAH (1982) #2 CGC 9.8 gi joe: ARAH (1982) #2 CGC 9.6 - SOLD FOR $60 so as you can see some flew "right off the shelf" and others are still available... To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

so i decided... that i was gonna let go of a few duplicate CGC's i have laying around... plus, i needed to pay myself back for the hulk 181 i just bought... so yesterday i posted to my ebay store (here comes the shameless plug, 'pdotcomics') a few CGC items... some of the highlights include: ultimate spiderman #1 direct "red" edition CGC 9.8 amazing spiderman #300 CGC 9.4 new mutants #98 CGC 9.8 new mutants #98 CGC 9.6 (2 copies) x men #210 CGC 9.6 x men #212 CGC 9.8 x men #222 CGC 9.6 gi joe: ARAH (1982) #2 CGC 9.8 gi joe: ARAH (1982) #2 CGC 9.6 i think i might use the funds to eventually get more books graded but we'll see what this firesale brings in... one last thing... i'm not just gonna give these away, i'm quite aware of what some of them are worth, so if you do check them out on ebay and want to bid or offer, please show a little respect to the book... thanks. To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

I must admit that... one of the main reasons i paid the membership was to get the coupon for 3 free gradings... the first time i used my coupon (last year) i don't think i used it too effectively and made a rookie mistake by submitting a modern tier book in the batch of three... this time, i won't make that mistake again. this time i have a new dilemma though... i have been amassing bronze and silver books all year to use my coupon on but i don't think that they'll acheive the "super high grades" i would desire... i have about 10-12 canidiates, a few lower grade silver age keys and the others are bronze books in the 8.5-9.0 range... is it even worth it to use my coupon on any of these? i was thinking that i would use the coupon on a combination of three of the following: tales of suspense #40 (2nd Iron Man) in 2.5 showcase #18 (2nd Adam Strange) in 4.0 X men #97 in 9.2 Amazing Spiderman #136 in 8.5 Amazing Spiderman #40 (1st Goblin origin) in 6.0 Superman #199 (1st Superman/Flash race) in 4.5 Hulk 181 (1st Wolverine) in 9.0... *NOTE* i just bought this one on ebay 15 mins ago and don't have it in my hands just yet but will soon. maybe i should use the coupon on just the bronze books becuase they'll achieve the higher grades... are the silver books even worth it? Do i really need CGC to tell me that my TOS #40 is a 2.5 when i know darn well, its a 2.5! then again , i do have other bronze books that will grade in the 9.6 maybe 9.8 range, but they are non key issues of random titles... i don't think they are worth it either? what a mess...

Wasn't this supposed to be a year long thing? I find it a little dissappointing when the advertised "year long promotions" only lasted 'til mid February and were geared towards new memberships. If that is to be the only promotion, CGC will be leaving out its current membership from any sort of additional celebratory benefit. i was really hoping they would drop the grading fee for premium and associate tiers for a "limited time only". I was one who actually went to cgccomics.com/10 to periodically checked to see if any sort of new promotions were available. To date, i have not come accross any site or news letter explaining new promotions or why cgccomics.com/10 has ceased to exist (it directs you back to the homepage). is it just me or is anyone else a little annoyed as well?

I'm a little torn... should i spend money on getting more books graded now? or wait a few weeks until the Anaheim Comic Con, see what's there, and then get my books graded? i've been sitting on close to another 50 books that i would like to get "slabbed", but with ACC around the corner, that's money that could potentially be used on other purchases for my collection. however, that would mean that the books i already have will have to wait another month or so before submission. ahh! maybe i'll send in 10-15 books now, and then limit what i get at ACC? or hell, maybe i should clear out some extra CGC books i have like i really should be doing and then use that money for "reinvestment" purposes... but that's no fun... decisions, decisions...

And months of searching... An X-Men #210 CGC 9.8 with white pages finally was posted to ebay today... so I used the $100 Buy It Now option with no hesitation... did you really think I was going to risk being outbid after so long? This was the most difficult book to locate in the X-Men run i've been trying to complete so far, all the other's i've found and are easily aquireable. I'm sooo happy about this buy... I can't wait to put the cert# in the registry hehe...

I have duplicates of some of my cgc books in the registry... and I would like to aquire: Amazing Spiderman #238 in CGC 9.8 WHITE pages Amazing Spiderman #300 in CGC 9.8 WHITE pages Incredible Hulk #181 in CGC 9.2 (or better) WHITE pages Uncanny X-men #210 in CGC 9.8 WHITE pages and I am thinking about releasing the following from my grasp because I either have more duplicates or better graded copies: Amazing Spiderman #300 in CGC 9.4 WHITE pages New Mutants #98 in CGC 9.6 WHITE pages (2 copies) New Mutants #98 in CGC 9.8 OFF-WHITE/WHITE pages Ultimate Spiderman #1 (direct edition) in CGC 9.8 WHITE pages Uncanny X-Men #212 in CGC 9.8 WHITE pages The question is should I sell them for the cash straight up? Or use them as bargining chips in a trade? Market value for all books suggest a total of about $1160. I obviously like the cash option, but, I think i'll lose value in exchange for cash. With a trade, I might be able to get fair replacement value from another collector... what to do what to do?

grades are now available online.... and the winners are: New Mutants 98 - 5 copies - (9.6, 9.6, 9.6, 9.8, 9.8 OW/W *this was the only book in the group that did not have WHITE pgs) Amazing Spider-man 238 - 9.6 Amazing Spider-man 239 - 9.6 Amazing Spider-man 298 - 9.4 Amazing Spider-man 299 - 9.4 Amazing Spider-man 300 - 9.6 GI Joe: A Real American Hero 2 - 2 copies - (9.6, 9.8) Uncanny X-Men 139 - 9.2 Uncanny X-Men 143 - 9.8 Uncanny X-Men 158 - 2 copies - (9.6, 9.8) Uncanny X-Men 210 - really hoping this one is a 9.8 - 9.6 (sooo close ) Uncanny X-Men 212 - 2 copies - (9.8, 9.8) Deadpool 1 (1997 series) - 9.4 Deadpool 54 - 9.6 Wolverine: Limited Series 1 - 9.6 Ultimate Spider-man 4 - 9.6 Ultimate Spider-man 6 - 9.8 some graded better than expected, but maybe that's just me being ubber-strict with my grades... i think i'll continue to be a tight a@@ with raw books, that way i'll keep myself and others happy... definately glad i used the prescreen and i am totally satisfied with this batch... can't wait to get them in my hands though... now is time to decide which ones to keep and which to sell...

I figured i'd take advantage of CGC being in Yorba Linda, CA today... so I woke up bright and early to attend the California Comic Convention... I got there just before the doors opened, and once they did, paid my $10 admission and made a B-line straight to the CGC booth... I was probably the first at the booth... I wanted to get there early because I brought just under 40 modern books for pre-screening and knew that if I wasn't there early that it would be a long wait due to potential submissions from the dealers... my pre-screen requirement was to look for NM 9.4s and out of the bunch, only 7 didn't meet the minimum grade... wasn't too surprised about the 7 that didn't make the cut as even I thought that a 9.4 grade was questionable... definately 9.2s though... All in all it cost me just under $500 bucks to submit the roughly 30 books... and now the hard part begins, the waiting... Just some highlights of the books submitted: New Mutants 98 - 5 copies Amazing Spider-man 238 Amazing Spider-man 239 Amazing Spider-man 298 Amazing Spider-man 299 Amazing Spider-man 300 GI Joe: A Real American Hero 2 - 2 copies Uncanny X-Men 139 Uncanny X-Men 143 Uncanny X-Men 158 - 2 copies Uncanny X-Men 210 - really hoping this one is a 9.8 Uncanny X-Men 212 - 2 copies Deadpool 1 (1997 series) Deadpool 54 Wolverine: Limited Series 1 Ultimate Spider-man 4 Ultimate Spider-man 6 I'm expecting about half of the books to grade out at 9.8/9.6, and the rest at 9.4 because of the pre-screen... most of the books are going to be released to the market once slabbed but of course some will disappear into my personal collection.... I'll keep the society updated once the grades post...

Still working on my X-Men #143-300 set in 9.8 white page condition... I figured I would start in the 200 numbered issues, keys first... but one book I just can't seem to find is Uncanny X-Men #210... what the heck man? why is no one selling this book already slabbed in 9.8 white pages? I've been scowering the net for two whole months already and nothing, no listings, anywhere, period... arrrgh!!! very frustrating... very very frustrating. I guess i'll have to chance the raw copies I have to submission...

It all went by too fast... Now that 2009 is over, I can finally look back and take notes on the year that was. For me, I was able to get my little eBay upstart off the ground (pdotcomics). It did pretty well with decent sales per month, but the goal for 2010 is definately to improve 10 fold. I also had decent sales when selling at local LA area flea markets and swap meats to unload a lot of bulk dolar items, so i'll look to increase exposure at those outlets as well more often when I can. Just a few sales highlights from 2009: New Mutants #98 VF/NM (9.0) - $50.00 Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #8 CGC 9.2 - $45.00 GI Joe: A Real American Hero #2 - $35.00 Superman (vol 2) #75 (black bag sealed) - $25.00 Wolverine #1 (1982 limited series) CGC 8.5 - $35.00 Uncanny X-men Annual #14 NM (9.4) - $20.00 Amazing Spider-Man #122 CGC 6.0 - $50.00 Batman #232 VF (8.0) - $75.00 Amazing Spider-Man #129 CGC 6.0 - $112.00 Iron Man (1968) #1 VF- (7.5) - $137.50 Hands down the most in demand character was Deadpool. I couldn't keep any of his back issues in stock once I decided to sell them, especially in the beginnings of 2009. I still have a short box full of his better issues and appearances that will eventually make they're way to CGC and then into the market, but i'm holding out on selling until at least a teaser trailer for his film is produced. I think that's when demand will kick back up and will be at its highest. My sleeper Deadpool issue is still his second appearance, X-Force #2. I think it's way undervalued for a second appearance of a popular charcater and most issues i've come accross are in the FN - VF (6-8) range. I think high end copies of this book will sell really well in the future. I've noticed that other eBay sellers are asking more for this book too, so maybe its a good sign of things to come. Demand was also pretty high for older horror comics. I also sold out of them consistently, even though I never really was able to come across a big lot of 'em to purchase. When I did though, they were good sellers at $5-10 each for non-keys. Green Lantern and Iron Man books also sold better than expected on average, thanks to Blackest Night and movies currently in the works. One thing I do need to get more of is silver age books. I have very few that I can push and its getting harder to secure a huge bulk deal at a reasonable price to resell. So that's one obstacle i'll have to overcome in 2010 if I want to expand sales. I also would like to sell more CGC stuff on a consistent basis. I was able to sell a few CGC items in 2009 and was pleased with the results, but collectors want 'em slabbed and will pay more for slabbed books, especially in high grade. Its just though trying to run an upstart and one HUGE expense is grading fees. I appreciate the 10% discount though for submissions, but I would like to see it tiered depending on the number of submissions, like 10% for submissions typically but 15% for submiting more than 50 books, 20% for 100 books or more, just a thought . So here's looking to an exciting 2010. I can't wait to see what the future brings.

While editing my sets... I needed to add a few Deadpool CGC's to the registry... lo and behold, there's no Deadpool set registry! what the duece!?! as popular as this guy is in 2009, you would think that a registry set would be up for his titles/issues... i'm sure he's the most commonly submitted character to CGC right now? hmmm... i'm not saying that he's my favorite, I just thought that CGC would at least be up to curve by this point...

I have a small group of people... that keep a look out for deals for me since I can't be everywhere 24/7. so this past monday my pops came through big time, as we were able to secure roughly 4000-4500 comics from another dealer that does not deal in comics, for an 'undisclosed' amount... i barely have gone through the lot, but its awesome with tons of CGC 9.6/9.8 potential and a good variety... its mostly copper age thru current... of what i have seen so far, there's complete runs of Fantastic Four, Supperman, Thor, New Mutants (1-100) including 2 copies of #98, and Uncanny X-Men (143-350), tons of the major characters, and duplicates of key books... so i'll be busy this weekend sorting it all out for the eBay store and for CGC submissions... yay !

So I was a little perplexed the other day... when I spotted several ASM #301's commanding $750+... and it got me thinking. What is it about this book that would make it command such a premium for a 9.8? I mean, nothing that significant happens in the story, so there's gotta be more to it, right? being the nerd I am, I started doing some quick research and here's what I found... of the 433 graded, only 30 are certified 9.8s (with none grading higher). Statistically, it has a 6.93% top tier percentile. But is that good? And what is the likelihood that that percentile will hold in the long run once more books are submitted for grading? So I started doing a little more reasearch, but now expanding to other "hot" modern books... and here's some interesting stats... ASM 238 ... 9.8s = 93 ... total graded = 1789 ... 5.20% top tier ASM 252 ... 9.8s = 310 .. total graded = 3489 ... 8.89% top tier ASM 298 ... 9.8s = 172 .. total graded = 1950 ... 8.82% top tier ASM 300 ... 9.8s = 215 .. total graded = 5284 ... 4.07% top tier ASM 301 ... 9.8s = 30 ... total graded = 433 .... 6.93% top tier ASM 36v2 .. 9.8s = 862 .. total graded = 3261 ... 26.43% top tier UXM 212 ... 9.8s = 47 ... total graded = 547 .... 8.59% top tier UXM 266 ... 9.8s = 412 .. total graded = 2647 ... 15.56% top tier UXM 268 ... 9.8s = 46 ... total graded = 491 .... 9.37% top tier NM 98 ..... 9.8s = 320 .. total graded = 1060 ... 30.19% top tier ULSM 1red . 9.8s = 194 .. total graded = 2215 ... 8.76% top tier ULSM 1DYF . 9.8s = 112 .. total graded = 744 .... 15.05% top tier ULSM 1wht . 9.8s = 235 .. total graded = 1106 ... 21.25% top tier of course this isn't a perfect survey, since I did not exclude signature series from the sample pool nor are 10s/9.9s included as 9.8s, but you get the idea. so, what can I learn from all this... for starters, the smaller the top tier, the better... the "largest" top tier on the list would be New Mutants 98 (1st Deadpool) at 30.19%... that means that of all the books graded by CGC, almost a third of them are 9.8s... in comparison, the "smallest" top tier would be Amazing Spider-Man 300 (1st Venom) at 4.07%... so for roughly every 7 1st Deadpools in CGC 9.8, there's only one 1st Venom in CGC 9.8... taking this into account, you could speculate that it is much tougher to receive a 9.8 grade if you submit an ASM 300 as opposed to submitting a NM 98, and so forth. Also, if you look at the total graded of each issue, the demand for slabbed ASM 300s against NM 98s is almost 5 to 1, something that will definately benefit you in the long run if the pattern holds. so where do you put your money? for one... I would invest in 9.8s with a top teir of 10% or less with at least 1000 books graded, ideally... those will probably be the books that will hold teir the longest and not see as much drastic movement in regards to percentile fluctuations... two, what is the premium for a CGC 9.8 over an unslabbed version of the same book in the same condition? if CGC 9.8s command 2x-4x they're counterpart in the same raw grade, it might be better off buying the raw for submission, if affordable and you're willing to take the risk. case in point... if i know I can get a raw New Mutants 98 in unslabbed 9.8 for $45, why would I spend $260 for a CGC 9.8 when I know I have just about a 30% chance at receiving a 9.8 grade once submitted... flipside... i'd rather pay $850+ on a Amazing Spider-Man 300 CGC 9.8 than buying raw for $300-400 because I have only a 5% chance at receiving a 9.8 grade through submission. so this is all very interesting at this point to me and i'll be doing some additional independent anaylsis ini the future, but I just wanted to share this as food for thought...

and its a mixed results feeling... Amazing Spiderman #239 (9.2) / CGC = 9.2 Batman: The Killing Joke (9.8) / CGC = 9.4 Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 (9.4) / CGC = 9.2 Superman (vol 2) #75 (9.8) / CGC = 9.6 Uncanny X-Men #211 (9.6) / CGC = 9.8 Uncanny X-Men #244 (9.6) / CGC = 9.6 so as you can see, two I thought were 9.8s were not, but, my UXM 211 is... which is great cause I am secretely trying to buy raw copies of UXM #'s 201 - 222 and put together a 9.8 run (opps did I just type that out? haha)... also, I just yesterday picked up a better looking copy of ASM 239 for a really good price, so I think the new one will be an upgrade and then i'll list the 9.2 for sale on my ebay store.... side note, looking at these grades made me reaffirm my own selling practice as NEVER listing a book for sale as a 9.8 NM/MINT unless its been CGC certified as such... cause typically, that's the best grade you can get and i'd hate to sell a book, have the buyer get it graded, and then it comes back less than 9.8... its a horrible feeling i've personally experienced and would not want to bestow upon anyone else... anywhos, till the next submission, I bid you ado and good day...

6 more going in... these are the newest books i've submitted for grading and my estimate grades... only sending 6 books, hey, its a recession haha: Amazing Spiderman #239 (9.2) Batman: The Killing Joke (9.8) Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 (9.4) Superman (vol 2) #75 (9.8) Uncanny X-Men #211 (9.6) Uncanny X-Men #244 (9.6) once they get "graded" i'll post the actual CGC grade... it'll be fun seeing how close i am with my standards as compared to CGC...

I just read a few journals about comic variants and a new "variant" age... thought I'd share my thoughts as well... I love comics, a complete nerd when it comes to them... but when it comes to variant issues or covers, that to me is strictly about the dollars. The "core"/story of the book is no different, so why would I even buy the issue if I simply wanted the satisfaction of reading the story. Also, the retailer incentive issues don't sell for cover price when released, which I find outright outrageous... why print a $2.99/$3.99 sales price on a 1:100 issue when you know darn well it never makes it to the "rack"... those issues go straight to the showcase for mark up or get sent straight to CGC, for potentially even more of a mark up... personally, I don't waste my time with buying new variant issues because they seldomly hold value in the long run. my personal collection is all about a few key principles... 1) does the issue have historical significance? 2) does it change/introduce new character development? and 3) what is the long term potential in regards to investment value? new variant issues are all about publishing companies squeezing every last dollar out of your pocket. it happened in the early 90's, and its happening again... don't get suckered in... as far as a new age of comics, I definately believe we are in a new age... I think the new age began with the release of Ultimate Spiderman # 1, but, hollywood has a lot to do with it.... the recent comic boom and influx of new collectors is directly tied to the production of big box office movies related to comic book characters, so this is probably the first comic age that is directly tied to and relies on influnces in hollywood. just my thoughts

it was bound to happen... so effective May 1st, CGC is raising the cost on the grading fees.. no big surprise. what sucks is that they are also chopping 5 years off of the modern service, by now defining modern books as 1980 and newer... which makes grading books 1975-1979 a little more expensive. so... i guess i'll be flooding CGC with a bunch of stuff before the new fees take effect May 1st... get your stuff postmarked by April 30th and you should be good.

This week I've been contemplating about buying an Ultimate SpiderMan #1 (red) CGC 9.8 for $399 off of ebay (item #110353686787)... but yesterday my other 10 comics I sent in with the 3 Col Soc Coupon showed up as "Scheduled for Grading" online... so I figured I'd wait to see the grades online for these before I spend the $400, since I sent in one of my copies of Ultimate SpiderMan #1 (red) to get graded... and... ITS A 9.8 !!!!! I'm so stoked !!! HIGHEST GRADED COPY !!! it was the only 9.8 of the bunch, but, I did get 3 other 9.6s (ASM #298, Batman #404, UXmen #222), some 9.4s and 9.2s. Completely satisfied with this group of 10. Time to go back through my white boxes and pull more out for grading haha....

I couldn't help but wonder... if there is a "picture friendly" website or blogpost out there on the 'net that will give hobbyist a better understanding on how the accurately grade comics and some of the commonly used terms when grading comics. for example, it would be helpful to a newbie if they could visit a site a see visuals of different bindery tears, or the different degrees of foxing, page whiteness, etc... just reading about it in the different grading qualifiers doesn't allow a collector to really gain an in-depth understanding of all that can happen to a comic book and how it affects the overall condition. since I couldn't find a good example of a site out there, maybe I should start one up?...

So the three I used with the coupon show as graded through the online invoice... and I'm a little dissapointed to say the truth. The three with the coupon were a ASM #122, ASM #129, and ASM #300. I'm completely happy with the ASM #300, its coming back a 9.4 WHITE PAGES(yay!), but the ASM #122 and #129 are coming back 6.0's OW/W Pages... Based on my experience reading the Overstreet guidelines and dealing with a number of other books (slabbed and unslabbed), I figured that the ASM #122 would come back in the 8's and the ASM #129 in the 7's, based on a strict scale. But 6.0's?... CGC must be tough ... I guess the disappointment is because I bought them online as advertised VF/NM's or betters... but I knew they weren't as soon as I got them. I still have another 10 books awaiting grading and hopefully will be graded by the end of the week. Those are mostly modern books and I'm hoping they come back 9's or better... I'll keep my fingers crossed...