KEY ISSUES Comics

21 hours ago, Timeless icons said:

Any grade on this book is great. I had asked because there is a key issue comics in Canada and he has/had a 7.5 last time i accessed the site. 

Please provide the URL. I owned the domain for keyissuescomics.com until recently. Thanks!

(Just curious.)

On 6/19/2021 at 12:32 PM, Timeless icons said:

Would that by chance, be a 7.5? I agree with the same basic reasoning. It just has so much going for it. 

 

Are you asking if my copy is a 7.5? If so, heck no. Just a measly 2.5, but a VERY nice looking 2.5 that cost me peanuts ages ago. 

I too have been wondering the same, as one of my few "keepers" has been my copy of this book, but I decided that the time has come to sell it once the trailer hits. I do think the book will explode and the $10K for the 3.0 will seem like a bargain within 3-6 months. Why wouldn't it explode? Everything else seems to, but unlike most books from the SA to present that are hitting ridiculous highs, this is truly scarce in comparison, and just that should be enough to fuel a rapid ascent.

Plus, it's the Rock. I'm not a fan per se of his work, but he's a money maker at the box office, and what better way to make the Black Adam character a household name?

Time will tell and I am impatiently awaiting to see what happens.

On 4/24/2021 at 11:25 AM, CDN COLLECTOR said:

Did you end up getting your shipment insured?  Which insurance provider did you use?  

Anyone from Canada know of any insurance providers that we can use when CGC sends back graded books?  

Hello,

No, I did not. But an acquaintance from the OA circle referred me to someone who he used for shipping insurance. I'd have to hunt down the info if you are interested.

41 minutes ago, BigLeagueCHEW said:

Found it hidden, eBay mentioned no recent sales in the recently ended again. Their search function is screwy.

Link

Thanks, but that's a $7.5K USD copy. Someone pointed out that a copy just sold for $9K (USD presumably).

11 hours ago, Mike_1 said:

A 9.8 signed Stan Lee and TM just sold for 9.5k on eBay

Well, there we go. What I feared! 

(Could you kindly provide the link. I see it in GPA, but for some reason my Ebay searches are acting wonky and not showing ANY 9.8s... Thanks!)

10 hours ago, kav said:

Omg I wonder what a dbl cover dbl tattooz book would be worth!
Maybe with a dbl Mark Jeweler insert!

Seriously, why aren't copies without the insert given a green label? The only thing I can think of is that the inclusion of such inserts are not printed on the front cover. 

Also, are graded comics from the '90s that are missing those Overpower or other card inserts given a green label?

5 minutes ago, Off Panel said:

Hmmm... Would I rather have my picture taken with William Shatner or an Amazing Fantasy 15?

You know, you may be on to something here.

I was actually quite serious. Sooo many people have come up to me at my booth asking to have their photo taken with books much less prestigious and valuable than say, an AF 15.

There's a great article somewhere online about ASM 238 and the whole matter of Tattooz. IIRC CGC has missed some instances of the tattooz being married, and because of that, among other reasons, many do not believe that copies with the tattooz should fetch a premium, nor the should the books without them be considered incomplete (qualified). I mean, for the longest time the OSPG specifically stated that there was no difference in value between copies with and those without (but it has been changed recently I believe). And please, correct me if I am wrong, but didn't CGC assign a blue label to copies without once upon a time? 

2 hours ago, blazingbob said:

I'm opening a Comic For View service for Big Ticket keys.  Much like owning shares you can buy "views" and look lovingly on the books you can no longer afford.  $9.99/month,  unlimited viewing.

I once thought of doing something similar at cons. Instead of pay for view, it was going to be a photo op with the book.

4 hours ago, 143ksk said:

I've stored 5 figure GA books in a bank safe deposit box for 15-20 years without any issues.

Thanks. Is there anything specific one needs to look out for when choosing a safety deposit box, or are they all essentially the same? 

I presume yours are kept in a climate controlled space. But are the boxes themselves airtight? I'm going to meet with my bank to inspect their boxes.

5 minutes ago, littlebull said:

Wow, declined for 7k.......

Well, there was more to the story. I actually offered him what he was asking for, but he was experiencing seller and buyer's remorse both at once. As it turns out, HE was the buyer of the last recored sale on GPA a few months ago, so he doesn't really want to sell it, but he needs cash to to buy something else. A classic case of playing with big books that one cannot actually afford.

13 minutes ago, jjonahjameson11 said:

So, 9K Canadian is equivalent to 7K US. Of course the dealer turned it down you are way below GPA. The dealer would have to be nuts to accept you offer 

Well, what makes you say that? Another copy sold for just that recently. I offered the same amount without the seller having to pay fees to Ebay, etc., so I think that's right on par for the course. He could perhaps sell it on Ebay for $8,500.00 USD and pay the fees and then be right back to what I offered in cash. Regardless, I'm glad he declined. The point I'm making is that who knows where the price will end for this book (and many other of its ilk). 

So, I've been reading all of these related threads and I'm still unclear about one thing: safety deposit boxes.

Are they a good choice? Not in terms of cost, but in terms of conservation. Has anyone had any problems as the result of having stored pre-80s slabbed books in one for 5+ years?

On 4/3/2021 at 4:18 AM, Lightning55 said:

Best to ship expensive items by Registered Mail.  You can insure for up to $50,000.  The insurance coverage is relatively cheap per $100. 

The total for expensive items is cheaper by Registered with insurance than Priority with insurance.  Go down to "Valuable & Fragile Items" on this page and expand: https://www.usps.com/ship/insurance-extra-services.htm

Find out more about Registered Mail with a Google search or the USPS site.

Signing off the for the night, so I won't be around for follow-up questions if you have any, sorry.  Not that I have all the answers anyway.

You can insure up to $50K via USPS?!?!?!? Wow. I think we're limited to $1K with CanadaPost.

So, I offered a local about $9K CAD for an ASM #300 CGC 9.8 SS LEE MCFARLANE yesterday.

He declined the offer.

I'm relieved! 

(Until it's suddenly a $15K CAD book in a year! )

On 4/3/2021 at 8:41 AM, chrisco37 said:

I find it absurd that a 9.8 of this will cost you more than a nice mid-grade Timely war cover or a low grade ASM 1, a lower grade FF5, etc...  Maybe I'm totally in the wrong?  

I agree with that logic, but it's old guard logic. We're people who love comics, as in the medium as a whole, and therefore appreciate a Golden Age war cover (and it's scarcity), but I venture to presume that a lot of the new money and buyers are just chasing the 1st appearances of popular mainstream characters (Venom is as popular as it gets right now with the younger generation). They're not necessarily in this because they love the medium, and therefore have little to no interest in ASM 1 (they want AF 15) or FF 5 (but wait until he appears in the MCU and is pumped on social media!).

The rules have changed and those of us from the old guard have to adapt.

On 3/11/2021 at 5:16 PM, THE_BEYONDER said:

It’s a QC disgrace .  Whoever let this book slide should be sacked.

Things do happen. I recall back in my youth when I worked for a publisher who printed travel guides and we went to print with "Britsh Columbia" on the cover of a book... That was the ONLY text on the cover. How does a team of editors of proofreaders miss that, right? Sadly, it happens. Fortunately, the mistake was caught before the books were delivered! 

On 3/29/2021 at 12:55 PM, Mike_1 said:

I agree.  Just wanted opinions on if they would go up or down.  I know it’s just an opinion and nobody knows really.  
 

Appreciate all the feedback.

What do you think Autos should add to 9.6 price?  This number seems to vary.

- Stan

- Todd

I found a 9.6 with Stan and Todd signs for $3500 and that seems reasonable but I’ve seen other sales lately for less

Good question. I'm on the fence about purchasing a 9.8 Lee/McFarlane copy.

9 hours ago, Randall Ries said:

I never did that but had it happen to me. I ordered a x4 signed DKIII in 9.6. When I opened the mail, it was a 9.8 copy. I called the dealer (I guess it's ok. Greg Reece) and told him that there was a mistake and I ordered a 9.6 and a 9.8 was sent. Said I would be sending it back and he could just send along the 9.6 when he got the 9.8 back. He was sort of surprised and said "We don't see that kind of honesty much anymore. Go ahead and keep it." I pressed him again and said I will be happy to send it back and he said "Don't worry about it." I said "Thanks very much!" and bid him good day. So, I buy from them whenever I can.

Good stuff! I would have done the same. 

8 hours ago, kav said:

Just to be clear to all humans-no one has to deal with ANYONE if they do not wish to.  No reasons are necessary.  It's a fundamental human right.

And that's why most online forums provide the option to ignore members.

Correction. The seller is sketchy as can be.

I did a little digging on Ebay and I found an account that is likely his, because it has sold listings of many of the books he showed me, including the one I purchased. It gets worse. Many of the books have been 'sold' numerous times on this account over the course of a few months, with many of the bidders/winners being "not a registered member of Ebay." It looks like his mo is to drive up the apparent value of these very low grade and often restored keys, and then try and sell them elsewhere to the unwary buyer who trusts the sales data in GPA. These books have a very limited sales history, so a few bogus sales can really skew the numbers.

*sigh*

2 hours ago, Hollywood1892 said:

What book?

An X-MEN #1. The seller seemed fishy, but it went done well. Just an odd fella.

4 hours ago, KEY ISSUES Comics said:

Oh the irony of this. I'm trying to close a deal on a big book with a local and it's as sketchy as can be.

The book I want was recently sold on Ebay from a Montreal seller and the winner, as well as several other bidders, are no longer registered Ebay users. Pretty fishy... And now said book is available locally via another online source. Don't worry, no payments until I have the book in hand. I was offered a price to which I agreed, but now they want more money because it's "guaranteed" to come back a higher grade if re-submitted to CGC. Then do it yourself!

END RANT

 

For the record, the transaction went done without a hitch. I hope to do more business with the seller.

Oh the irony of this. I'm trying to close a deal on a big book with a local and it's as sketchy as can be.

The book I want was recently sold on Ebay from a Montreal seller and the winner, as well as several other bidders, are no longer registered Ebay users. Pretty fishy... And now said book is available locally via another online source. Don't worry, no payments until I have the book in hand. I was offered a price to which I agreed, but now they want more money because it's "guaranteed" to come back a higher grade if re-submitted to CGC. Then do it yourself!

END RANT