Infinite Marvel Picture Frame books 23 23

[Ghost Town]

Bob, you're showing us that sweet raw books are still out there in the wild. Those are some beauties.

[Off Panel]

Right? Those are gorgeous, namisgr.

What is your secret?

[namisgr]

On 9/12/2023 at 10:50 PM, Off Panel said:

What is your secret?

Mostly now, I buy slabs and free the comics.  With prices easing a bit, it's become a more affordable option.

[namisgr]

On 9/12/2023 at 5:56 PM, Ghost Town said:

Bob, you're showing us that sweet raw books are still out there in the wild. Those are some beauties.

Thanks for the complement, Barton, but it's not so.  I no longer go to the monthly Philly comic show or any of the regional larger shows, and I haven't found a LCS near where I live with a great stash of Bronze.  These days I rarely buy on E-Bay, and I'm not looking to buy parts of collections.  But slabs up for auction are occasionally going for well under their recent average prices, and I've been buying some of those.

Edited September 13, 2023 by namisgr

[Off Panel]

Thanks for sharing that. I was beginning to think you had built a time machine!

Once every couple of years or so, I’ll buy a 9.4 Silver Age Spidey in a Voldemort slab and crack it out for my raw collection. I get a really nice book that I know isn’t restored, and it’s good practice for opening those stupid clamshell cases that Home Depot loves so much.

[namisgr]

With practice I've developed a relatively easy method to crack open the newest and most tightly sealed iteration of the CGC slab.  I use a hammer and a short, thin tipped nail placed in the seam to break open a top corner and crack the post there (it only takes a few gentle taps).  After that, it's easy to wedge a screwdriver foot into the open space and wedge the two pieces of the slab completely apart.

I do miss the ease of deslabbing the early versions that could be pried completely apart by hand by just pulling on the two sides.

Edited September 13, 2023 by namisgr

[batmiesta]

On 9/13/2023 at 11:51 AM, namisgr said:

With practice I've developed a relatively easy method to crack open the newest and most tightly sealed iteration of the CGC slab.  I use a hammer and a short, thin tipped nail placed in the seam to break open a top corner and crack the post there (it only takes a few gentle taps).  After that, it's easy to wedge a screwdriver foot into the open space and wedge the two pieces of the slab completely apart.

I do miss the ease of deslabbing the early versions that could be pried completely apart by hand by just pulling on the two sides.

The new ones are very easy too, I saw someone do it on YT, and couldn't believe how easy it was. It was one of Luther Manning's videos and it was the guy who he does unboxings with called Mike, he is also a board member.

[joeypost]

On 9/13/2023 at 10:38 AM, batmiesta said:

The new ones are very easy too, I saw someone do it on YT, and couldn't believe how easy it was. It was one of Luther Manning's videos and it was the guy who he does unboxings with called Mike, he is also a board member.

All I use is a screw driver and a sharp razor. 

[Dick Pontoon]

My preferred method is a paint scraper. It's thin enough to wedge between the halves and wide enough to produce good leverage to split the case open without much effort.

 

[batmiesta]

On 9/14/2023 at 1:41 PM, joeypost said:

All I use is a screw driver and a sharp razor. 

Mike literally twisted both bottom corners and pulled the slab apart.

[Ghost Town]

On 9/14/2023 at 5:41 AM, joeypost said:

All I use is a screw driver and a sharp razor. 

All I use is joeypost.

[namisgr]

On 9/14/2023 at 9:36 AM, batmiesta said:

Mike literally twisted both bottom corners and pulled the slab apart.

I've seen that done in some videos, and it does effectively break a corner or two.  But I worry about the stress applied to the book from slight across-corner bending inside the inner well.

A short finely tipped nail gently hammered into the seam saves me from any risk using a sharp edge like a razor blade.  But there are most definitely many ways to crack the slab that do the trick just fine.

[batmiesta]

On 9/14/2023 at 4:32 PM, namisgr said:

 

I've seen that done in some videos, and it does effectively break a corner or two.  But I worry about the stress applied to the book from slight across-corner bending inside the inner well.

A short finely tipped nail gently hammered into the seam saves me from any risk using a sharp edge like a razor blade.  But there are most definitely many ways to crack the slab that do the trick just fine.

Yeah! Me too, but he would probably just press the carp out of it. 

[workingdog]

A new purchase

[Ghost Town]

Patience worked out for me on this one. There are usually a few of these for sale out there. But for the longest time, I didn't see a well-centered copy.

(Of course, I wish bought a 9.8 years ago. It would have been a bit more cost effective.)

[electricprune]

On 9/19/2023 at 2:55 PM, Ghost Town said:

Patience worked out for me on this one. There are usually a few of these for sale out there. But for the longest time, I didn't see a well-centered copy.

(Of course, I wish bought a 9.8 years ago. It would have been a bit more cost effective.)

Congrats, Barton! That one has about as nice of centering top and bottom as you will ever find on that book.

[batmiesta]

What a stunner, as you say Barton, one of the hardest books to find with perfect registration. 

[Ghost Town]

A recent auction win. I like the book. I like the grade. Not sure about the label. (It took some googling to learn about it.)

[Kevin76]

On 9/19/2023 at 3:51 PM, batmiesta said:

What a stunner, as you say Barton, one of the hardest books to find with perfect registration. 

Registration isn't about the wrap, Registration is about the color alignment.   

[Sweet Lou 14]

On 9/23/2023 at 7:32 PM, Kevin76 said:

Registration isn't about the wrap, Registration is about the color alignment.   

Interesting.  Not saying you're wrong, but every time I hear someone say "registration" they mean the wrap.