rob_react

Just got this one in today. Curator.

I got beat up on a few books this week, but I did win these two.

Great copies. I always loved the colors on the 17.

(no, not silver. I still like it.)

I'll post some later tonight. Hopefully I'll have a few more to share over the next few weeks (bidding, bidding, bidding and more bidding.)

NOV100169 BATMAN AND ROBIN #19 $2.99

NOV100154 BRIGHTEST DAY #17 $2.99 NOV100590 THANOS IMPERATIVE DEVESTATION $3.99

I am completely with you on the concept that we will see a handful of 9.9's within 5 years. OK. How is this going to happen? We've discussed pressing, and the fact that the micro defects that separate 9.9s from 9.8s are near universally not pressable. CGC has been up and running 10 years. Hulk 181 is one of the most subbed books. One 9.9 has been graded. Dealers and collectors have subbed the low hanging fruit. So where do you see these 9.9s coming from. From the increasing pool of 9.8's. (thumbs u We discussed this just a couple of pages back. Pressing a book into a 9.9 simply isn't possible all that often as the issues that separate a book from the 9.9 grade aren't the kind of issues that can be pressed out.

But pressing isn't "new" starting today. It's been going on for a while. You don't think people have been looking at Hulk 181s for the past few years? The reality is, pressing a book into a 9.9 isn't like just turning the press to "11" and watching the magic happen. Books that can grade out at 9.9/10 are FREAKS of preservation, to find a book with a slight, pressable flaw that could turn into a 9.9 is probably just as rare as finding a true 9.9, just because it's got to be an uncanny combination of issues.

I know, I've never even heard of this Wolverine guy. I didn't even know they MADE comic books after 1965. How DARE anyone be interested in something other than Silver Age and Golden Age books. There oughta be a law! "Hey you crazy kids, get off my lawn!"

Which is still too much for an ultra-common BA book, no matter whose first appearance is inside. Plus, it`s not even really a first appearance. +1. Hulk 181 is so common it is scary. I actually can't imagine paying more than 1k to 2k for a 9.6 and even that would mean I was drunk when ibought it. And I can't imagine paying what you pay for the comics in your collection. Despite the comics in your collection apparently being cooler than the comics in my collection. +1 While it's not a book that's of any interest to me personally, to ignore the importance of Wolverine and the scale of this book in terms of its nature as a "key" is to put personal opinion in front of reason. This handy chart will help clarify things: Importance of Marvel Characters: 1. Spider-man 2. Wolverine 3. Who cares, it's not spider-man or Wolverine. I guess he doesn`t count? Mainstream would disagree. His last two movies destroyed Wolverine at the box office and his latest animated series was renewed for high ratings while the Wolverine animated series was cancelled. I put him at two for now,his licensed merchandise outsold Spider-man`s last year(kinda shocked Disney). One to watch for future generations. (At least a couple of people laughed) 2,3,5... whatever... the point remains the same- Wolverine is a HUGE character and discounting his 1st appearance because it occurs in the wrong comics era is silly. That and Iron Man sucks (that's another joke)

No one`s debating the importance of the book (at least I wasn`t). I just feel that people paying the current asking price for the book in any grade are overpaying. Not because I don`t like the book but because of years of experience observing the comic market. I agree with you about the current asking price (it's twice what I would value a true 9.9 at), but there's definitely a trend in this thread of people discounting the book entirely because it's not Gold/Silver and therefore beneath notice.

Most books that come off the press today won't even get a 9.6 much less 9.9. Those few books that make 9.9 and 10 are freaks of nature. Yeah, open a box from diamond and pick out the potential 10.0s. There aren't many.

Which is still too much for an ultra-common BA book, no matter whose first appearance is inside. Plus, it`s not even really a first appearance. +1. Hulk 181 is so common it is scary. I actually can't imagine paying more than 1k to 2k for a 9.6 and even that would mean I was drunk when ibought it. And I can't imagine paying what you pay for the comics in your collection. Despite the comics in your collection apparently being cooler than the comics in my collection. +1 While it's not a book that's of any interest to me personally, to ignore the importance of Wolverine and the scale of this book in terms of its nature as a "key" is to put personal opinion in front of reason. This handy chart will help clarify things: Importance of Marvel Characters: 1. Spider-man 2. Wolverine 3. Who cares, it's not spider-man or Wolverine.

At the time, that was probably 2x a 9.8. Since 9.8s have taken a dive since it's basically madness to list this book at $150k. That's something like 10-12x the 9.8 price. Yes, but the argument could be made that at the time, it was expected that another 9.9 copy might emerge. Instead, 10 years later, it`s still the only 9.9, thus affirming its value as a unique copy whereas the 9.8s have been dragged down by increasing quantity. Yeah, an increasing spread is definitely realistic. My estimate of this thing's value (before it was listed) was creeping into the 5-7x the 9.8 value range. That said, I feel like $150,000 is a sooooooper aggressive price.

At the time, that was probably 2x a 9.8. Since 9.8s have taken a dive since it's basically madness to list this book at $150k. That's something like 10-12x the 9.8 price. If it just makes it into your 100K-list I'l go see a shrink .... Hah! I might join you, I've thought a 9.9 of this book was worth something like $60-75k, so the leap into six figures would be an eye opener.

Wow, what's up with that URHC? Scans can be deceiving, but it doesn't look like a 9.9 to me. Has anyone actually seen the book in hand and confirmed that there is SCS on the book? The reason I ask is because you can't tell anything from that carpy scan. At least I can't. There's all this talk of SCS on the book but all of this talk is coming from a poor scan at best. , the book looks like an 8.5, I can count 15 spine stresses but I'd bet money that they aren't there in real life. For all you know that corner is just gently bent down, and in that case there is really nothing wrong with the book. I'd have to say that there is nothing wrong with the book unless we see a clearer scan or someone with first hand experience has a better look at the book. The only reason I even brought it up is because the book has had talk around it for years relating to slab damage.

Sadly, and IMO extremely suspicious, all 9.9 and 10s are put into old style cases..... Even moderns. huh?

Not if it was clearly not a 9.9 anymore. re-holdering is not re-grading. http://www.cgccomics.com/services/services_and_fees.asp "Reholder service is for a chipped, scratched or cracked holder that has not been opened or had its seals broken. We will place your comic in a new holder. NOTE: All Reholder submissions are subject to review for tampering and accuracy of grade." I've seen that language before, have you ever seen it actually happen? I don't think I've ever seen them undertake a grading on a book where the grading fee would be over $100 when the submitter paid the $11 reholder fee. I've heard of it happening. Here, of course. I'd never be able to find the thread. It's not a regrade. It's just a QC step to make sure the book is still the grade it was originally assigned. Someone gives it a once-over, not a full regrade. This book would likely fail that once-over since it's got an obvious flaw. They wouldn't need to regrade it to see that this book isn't a 9.9 anymore. Everyone that's commented in this thread can see that.

Not if it was clearly not a 9.9 anymore. re-holdering is not re-grading. http://www.cgccomics.com/services/services_and_fees.asp "Reholder service is for a chipped, scratched or cracked holder that has not been opened or had its seals broken. We will place your comic in a new holder. NOTE: All Reholder submissions are subject to review for tampering and accuracy of grade."

Not if it was clearly not a 9.9 anymore.

Not with the new cases. With the old cases, I wouldn't trust a 9.9 to move across the room without being damaged.

Wow, what's up with that URHC? ^ that was my thoughts exactly. bah. that can easily be pressed out. It may not even need to be pressed. The corner could be merely bent down. It's the kind of thing you could straighten out with a fingernail, just scooping the edge up, OR It could actually be slightly blunted.