Mr. Spider-Woman

On 5/25/2024 at 6:55 PM, KirbyJack said:

Scroll back a page or two and check out the Curator FF 24 that Straw-Man posted. I’m prepared to call it pure white. 

You're not wrong, that #24 is pretty darn white. Not quite as bright as the #54 with the washed out scan but probably the closest to pure white I've seen.

On 5/25/2024 at 10:39 AM, Lee Enterprises said:

It's the scan. The light blue on the CGC label is washed out because of the bright light and it made the cover look whiter. The second picture shows the cover is actually a little more off-white, but even in the more natural light I would say the cover is still pretty white. Overall, I think I just posted a horrible picture the first time (which I didn't take as this book is imaged and stored in my PWCC Vault account).  I'll have to ask them to take another picture of this one because usually their image quality is great.

This also illustrates how different scans can affect our perception of what we're buying...an interesting case study. 

Thanks for replying and sharing the other picture. I figured it was the scan because the red in the Fantastic Four logo didn't look quite right, either, but thought maybe for some reason the cover to this issue is prone to browning due to a shockingly white cover. I don't think I've ever seen a Silver Age Marvel comic with a pure white cover.

On 5/24/2024 at 9:32 AM, Lee Enterprises said:

This "crooked" book is a good example of what happens when there's only one picture in the listing, you don't look at it carefully and then you jump in to bid at the last second based on the grade...ha, ha. I need to establish an island of misfit books in my collection for the poor miswrapped ones. I've been surprised over the years to see so many miswrapped comics in 9.4, 9.6 and 9.8 holders. I guess it's technically a condition over printing defect/eye appeal issue. 

Is it just the scan or is the cover on this book multiple degrees whiter than all the others?

Looooooow grade but affordable for me. Not actually new this week but I just stumbled upon the pictures I took a while back to share here.

Babylon 5 #1 (January 1995)

Babylon 5 #2 (February 1995)

Babylon 5 #7 (August 1995)

Babylon 5 #10 (November 1995)

Technically these came out of a $0.50 bin, not a dollar bin.

I just finished reading through this and I really enjoyed the look back at what was my early collecting days. I think I started seriously collecting around 1995/1996. I definitely recognize the look (trade dress?) of many of the Marvel covers you've posted. I think the only comic you've posted that I bought myself when it came out is Captain America (Volume 3) #6 with Cap as a Skrull. I do also have the Starship Troopers miniseries you posted the first issue of and the entire Earth X limited series, but bought those long after they were published.

What's most interesting to me is that when I switched from subscribing through Marvel to subscribing through Direct Comic Book Service (DCBS), I branched out from a strictly Marvel pull list and starting buying a lot of books from DC and other publishers. Scrolling through the DCBS website looking at all the covers and synopsis was a ton of fun, much like your experience with the Westfield catalogs. Sometimes I was hoping to buy something that turned into a big book later on but probably the only time that worked out was Spider-Man Noir.

I'm looking forward to continuing to see what books you unbox. I don't think you've posted any Fantastic Four issues yet, though. I hope there are some waiting to be rediscovered.

The Walmart closest to me had maybe 10-12 of the 7 for 10 bundles. I saw Eternals, Darth Vader, Edge of Spider-Verse, maybe a Venom cover. 

Oh wow, I had no idea. I love weird giveaway/promotional comics like this. 

On 3/29/2024 at 5:08 PM, Iconic1s said:

My problem is not with any grade, it’s CGC’s public relations.  I wish they would just grade books and let nature take its course from there.

When they publicize something like this then in my mind, everything becomes suspect… I mean, when it comes right down to it shouldn't this book have simply went from QC to shipping and no one inside CGC would have even known to make a big deal out of it?

Just be the best at grading and shut up, then no one will have a reason to wonder what motivations are for this grade, this grade now, etc.  Also makes me sick whenever I see CGC ranting and raving about some record sale (especially when it’s at Heritage)… just so shady.  It’s almost as if they want to suck every penny possible out of people that enjoy this hobby  

I wholeheartedly agree with everything you've written. 

On 3/24/2024 at 5:52 PM, KirbyJack said:

If it makes you feel any better, I consider raw, reading copies of Kirby Fantastic Fours to be the most entertaining (and thus, intrinsically valuable) comic books in all existence. 

I'm happy with my beater readers. They're the best I can afford. I do get a little jealous looking at nicer copies though. 

Star Trek: Voyager Paramount Comics #1 (November 1996)

Fantastic Four Volume 2 #13 (November 1997)

I've read every Honor Harrington novel, many two or three times. So I had to grab these when I found them in a $1 bin. Then I had to go and buy the rest of this miniseries and the other Honor Harrington miniseries, too.

I was excited to find the recent Playmates Star Trek: The Next Generation U.S.S. Enterprise on sale at Target. I had a bunch of the original 1990s Playmates action figures when I was a kid but none of the ships.

I was not excited when it arrived and the box is beat up. I wasn't planning on taking it out of the box, I wanted it for display. The other two items shipped with it weren't damaged and there's only a minor crease on the shipping box. The shipping box was way too big and there was nothing to protect the items, no bubble wrap or packing paper. Nothing.

I'm afraid if I keep opening returns with Target due to damaged items, they'll eventually ban me.

My understanding is non-business sellers (aka hobby sellers) can only deduct cost of goods sold (COGS) and literally nothing else.