Mile High Comics

[BlueAdept-migration]

I'm a new member but I've been reading these boards for quite a while and decided it was time to join and start voicing my opinion. I seriously don't understand why everyone has it in for Mile High Comics. I've collected comics for many years and have bought from Mile High numerous times and have never had a problem. Their grading isn't bad like you all make it out to be and their stock can't be beat.

 

No offense intended towards ANYBODY in this thread, including you, because I really have no idea whether you study grading much or not...but the reason most people are probably satisfied with Mile High's grading is because the vast majority of collectors tend to overgrade by a full grade level, or on the 25-notch Overstreet/CGC scale, by about 4-5 notches.

 

I've only had one experience with them...I bought a Spidey 11 they said was NM/M that had a 1" corner crease, multiple spine stresses, a glue splotch, and two 1/8" tears. Anybody who has studied grading in the least could have seen it wasn't NM/M, and given the price of the book, it made no sense for me to trust somebody that careless or that unskilled again. I returned it, and interestingly, they sent it to CGC, who gave it a VF- 7.5. I know this because I saw it listed on their site a few months after I returned it and recognized the defects, especially the big glue spill splotch in the upper-left:

 

 

If the vast majority of collectors tend to overgrade by a full grade level then isn't that what the standard really is? Isn't it what the vast majority of people agree? Or is it supposed to be what a bunch of anal-retentive freaks who watch Golden Girls hoping to see Bea Arthur in the nude think is the standard? I think the vast majority of collectors set the standard so how can that be overgrading?

[Rickdogg]

[BatFan-migration]

So your proof is that one book? Sorry, but everyone can make a mistake. CGC has even admitted to making one every once in a while. I know how to grade and I've bought from Mile High over the years. They have never been that far off on any of the books I bought. It's like you people just have something against chuck. He found the Edgar Church Collection. Well he must be a jerk then. Then he found the Mile High II collection. Well, that auctomatically makes him a double jerk. Then he found the Dallas Stephens collection. Well, he's now a triple jerk and everyone should make fun of him some more. Sounds like a bunch of bitter hypocrites to me who are angry at the guy because he found all of these great collections and all you people can do is complain about it.

[valiantman]

...I know what the grades mean at least. And why should it matter if there modern books? Shouldn't it be the same anyway? I see a lot of scans on eBay of Daredevil books I want to buy and lots of 9.2 and 9.4 books have spine stresses.

If you don't think it matters... try SELLING a few.

[BlueAdept-migration]

You must admit thata small order of a few comicss is not really a scientific study.

 

To play devil's advocate....

 

What if I ordered a small shipment and all were overgraded?

 

Do I buy more to test that, or move on?

 

I have never bought from MHC (based on warnings here), but have from three highly recommended dealers and have been uniformly disappointed. One was a very small order that I recouped on the flip. A second sent me a refund including shipping both ways. The third got defensive and said it was my problem.

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

 

Thank you.

 

No dealer grades the same as anyone else and every dealer can misgrade sometimes. It's a lot more important whether they have the books you are looking for and they send them to you like they're saupposed to.

[fantastic_four]

And why should it matter if there modern books? Shouldn't it be the same anyway?

 

Yes, but even if you've got a monkey picking books out of a stack at random, if one of the stacks is an average sampling of Bronze comics, and the other stack is a random sampling of Modern, the odds of the monkey picking out NM copies from the Modern stack is a lot higher because collectors kept a much higher percentage of comics after 1980 in good shape with bags, boards, and careful handling.

 

Even moms and dads new by the early 80s that comics could be worth money, so more of them are likely to be in good shape...which means that even if you can't grade worth a hoot...you might end up selling NM comics anyway because that's the shape many of them are in.

[Darthdiesel]

Isn't it what the vast majority of people agree? Or is it supposed to be what a bunch of anal-retentive freaks who watch Golden Girls hoping to see Bea Arthur in the nude think is the standard?

 

 

Personally, I prefer Aunt May in the buff, in all her wrinkled sagging, geriatric glory!

[BlueAdept-migration]

I've ordered many NM bronze age copies of Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man from Mile High and have always recieved nice copies. Some of them were VF/NM to NM- at worst. The rest were all nice solid copies, so I don't understand why everyone here jumps on the bash Mile High bandwagon. Same thing goes for Chuck finding these incredible collections and how you all complain about that. Sounds like people are just bitter because they weren't the ones to find them.

 

I don't buy Hulk or Spiderman so I haven't ordered any of those but it sounds like you got the books you wanted for a good price. Isn't that what it's about?

[Darthdiesel]

This one didn't pick up Fathom for the "good read" Top Cow is entertaining - nothing earth shattering, just nice to look at and collect if you are into that. I admit to being dazzled by all the pretty foil covers...but I'd rather pick them up now at really low prices...I've seen most of the DFs I've sold for $10 - $25 a pop when I started in 1998 -1999, sell for around $3- $5 nowadays.

[fantastic_four]

If the vast majority of collectors tend to overgrade by a full grade level then isn't that what the standard really is? Isn't it what the vast majority of people agree?

 

The vast majority of collectors overgrade because the vast majority could care less about grading. The average collector just doesn't want a comic to look nasty...Very Good or Fine comics suit most people.

 

It sounds like you've got some really strong feelings about grading and think you've got a lot to contribute to the standard...how about attending some of the Overstreet meetings so you can let your voice be heard? That's how standards are created...people collaborating and coming to shared agreements.

[BlueAdept-migration]

And why should it matter if there modern books? Shouldn't it be the same anyway?

 

Yes, but even if you've got a monkey picking books out of a stack at random, if one of the stacks is an average sampling of Bronze comics, and the other stack is a random sampling of Modern, the odds of the monkey picking out NM copies from the Modern stack is a lot higher because collectors kept a much higher percentage of comics after 1980 in good shape with bags, boards, and careful handling.

 

Even moms and dads new by the early 80s that comics could be worth money, so more of them are likely to be in good shape...which means that even if you can't grade worth a hoot...you might end up selling NM comics anyway because that's the shape many of them are in.

 

So now the employees of Mile High are monkeys? Do you people listen to yourselves? I mean really I get your point but why do you have to insult everybody all the time.

[Rickdogg]

I would say that the majority of dealers overgrade, some worse. I always use the logic of..."if they could make more money selling this book CGC certified then why is it being sold raw?" The anwser to this is easy and could be answered many ways.

 

 

 

[BlueAdept-migration]

If the vast majority of collectors tend to overgrade by a full grade level then isn't that what the standard really is? Isn't it what the vast majority of people agree?

 

The vast majority of collectors overgrade because the vast majority could care less about grading. The average collector just doesn't want a comic to look nasty...Very Good or Fine comics suit most people.

 

It sounds like you've got some really strong feelings about grading and think you've got a lot to contribute to the standard...how about attending some of the Overstreet meetings so you can let your voice be heard? That's how standards are created...people collaborating and coming to shared agreements.

 

We both know that's not going to happen. I use that same trick when my union members start complaining about not getting everything going their way. Stick em on a couple committees and they get so fed up with the red tape of trying to do anything they give up and shut up. I admit I don't know as much about grading as some people here I can admit that no problem. But I have probably bought more books from Mile High than a bunch of you people and yet you sit and complain all day about them. And you do it in a way thats just mean. I have a few hundred comics I have bought from a lot of different people and Mile High grades as well as any of them.

[fantastic_four]

So your proof is that one book? Sorry, but everyone can make a mistake.

 

No, I thought my experience might be an isolated occurence, but I've heard the same tune from dozens of other people who have shown me examples of the overgrading. I shared the Spidey 11 scan and description in the interest of presenting factual evidence. If you'd like to contribute with something other than opinion, it might be more convincing. You might be a really tight grader, but we don't know that yet since you've only posted a few times.

 

 

CGC has even admitted to making one every once in a while.

 

It's not one mistake every once in a while which convinced me...it's testimonial after testimonial after testimonial from people who are well above-average graders.

 

 

It's like you people just have something against chuck. He found the Edgar Church Collection. Well he must be a jerk then. Then he found the Mile High II collection. Well, that auctomatically makes him a double jerk. Then he found the Dallas Stephens collection. Well, he's now a triple jerk and everyone should make fun of him some more. Sounds like a bunch of bitter hypocrites to me who are angry at the guy because he found all of these great collections and all you people can do is complain about it.

 

I've definitely seen a lot of people who seem overly bitter about the Church find...but I have no problem with his personality, his discovery of those books, or his success which resulted from it. I do have a major problem with the quality of the grading I've seen out of his company. But I'm always open to new evidence...if you've got some to share, please, do so.

[BatFan-migration]

And why should it matter if there modern books? Shouldn't it be the same anyway?

 

Yes, but even if you've got a monkey picking books out of a stack at random, if one of the stacks is an average sampling of Bronze comics, and the other stack is a random sampling of Modern, the odds of the monkey picking out NM copies from the Modern stack is a lot higher because collectors kept a much higher percentage of comics after 1980 in good shape with bags, boards, and careful handling.

 

Even moms and dads new by the early 80s that comics could be worth money, so more of them are likely to be in good shape...which means that even if you can't grade worth a hoot...you might end up selling NM comics anyway because that's the shape many of them are in.

 

So now the employees of Mile High are monkeys? Do you people listen to yourselves? I mean really I get your point but why do you have to insult everybody all the time.

Speaking of monkeys, the people in here seem to be responding like well trained animals. I wonder how many of you have truly gave Mile High a decent chance and how many are just repeating what they've heard. Maybe next you all can show me how you balance a ball on your nose.

[Warlord]

So your proof is that one book? Sorry, but everyone can make a mistake. CGC has even admitted to making one every once in a while. I know how to grade and I've bought from Mile High over the years. They have never been that far off on any of the books I bought.

 

I have no opinion on MH's grading, having never made any purchases from them...

 

Just curious - have you ever bought any comics from MH that you thought were UNDERgraded? If so, what are the percentages of comics you've bought that you thought were overgraded, graded right, and undergraded?

 

 

[minutekev@50]

Okay. I don't buy supposed NM comics period unless I happen to run across a great deal...

I have bought from MHC before. At first I was okay with their grading. I bought some Spidey VG's which I agreed on. Then I bought some Neal Adam's Superman issues they listed as VG and jeez-louise they were horrible..the covers were barely hanging on, chips out of the interior pages...low-grade goods at the best...

Now, I shop at Metropolis...

[fantastic_four]

So now the employees of Mile High are monkeys? Do you people listen to yourselves? I mean really I get your point but why do you have to insult everybody all the time.

 

No, they're not monkeys. It was an attempt at levity, but a bad one since you're getting rather defensive about your position now...my fault.

 

I'm sure Chuck himself is a great grader; certainly the essay I linked to shows that he must be. But based upon the 10-20 samples I've seen of them overgrading, I question whether he trains his employees in grading.

[BlueAdept-migration]

So your proof is that one book? Sorry, but everyone can make a mistake. CGC has even admitted to making one every once in a while. I know how to grade and I've bought from Mile High over the years. They have never been that far off on any of the books I bought.

 

I have no opinion on MH's grading, having never made any purchases from them...

 

Just curious - have you ever bought any comics from MH that you thought were UNDERgraded? If so, what is the percentages of comics you've bought that you thought were overgraded, graded right, and undergraded?

 

I don't know if you were talking to me or Batman but I would say that about 1 in 5 books are nicer than they say. I get books from them that are better than the ones I get from Eddie each week. A few are a little dinged up and one time I called to complain and they gave me free shipping on my next order but other than that they're real close. As close as anyone I buy from.

[fantastic_four]

We both know that's not going to happen. I use that same trick when my union members start complaining about not getting everything going their way.

 

The difference here is that I meant what I said. It wasn't a trick, it was an attempt to get you to understand what has gone into the grading standard that Overstreet and CGC have perpetuated through the industry. If you're not interested in it, that's fine...but condemning it without even having studied it is narrow-minded.

 

 

I have a few hundred comics I have bought from a lot of different people and Mile High grades as well as any of them.

 

Were they mostly Moderns? Or would you like to share some dealer names? Many of us are aware of tight-grading dealers you may have encountered.