My Dilemma

[CosmicBob]

I just won a comic in Sunday's Heritage Auction that is an upgrade to one I bought this summer (way overpaid for it too - since it's apparently "hard to find"). I just won Superboy #15 CGC 9.0 for nearly $900. I bought the same comic in 8.0 this summer for $736 (ouch).

 

I'm planning to sell off the 8.0 sometime soon on eBay.

 

Here's the dilemma. Metropolis now has the same book in 9.2 for $1500. There are four graded copies of this thing and 9.2 is the highest (plus, I now have TWO of the four graded copies). I'm waiting for Metropolis to send me a scan of the 9.2 to see if it actually is appreciably better than the 9.0. But if it is, should I spend the extra for the upgrade and then end up having to sell TWO copies of Superboy #15?

 

I should add that the $1500 is 2xGuide for a 9.4, and yes I know I vastly overpaid for the 8.0. It's just that I hadn't seen a Superboy #15 for sale in good shape in many years, and there were only four on the census. How was I to know that suddenly I would know where three of the four were? Besides, it never occurred to me that they would all go on sale within 6 months of each other. I thought it would be a good long time before I saw another one. It's not like this title (Superboy) is uber-hot like ASM.

 

What do people think?

[aardvark88]

If it is 1 of your fave comics fr your youth or u just like the funky cvr, buy the Sboy 15 cgc 9.2 fr Metropolis. U can always sell or trade off your other 2 copies later. Hopefully, other DC collectors can appreciate your superior tastes.

[drbanner]

Coming from someone who has paid way too much (as in, if I ever wanted to sell I would probably lose money) on more than one occasion for a book I really wanted this might seem contradictory, but I'd say no. I'm guessing the 9.0 is a very nice book, and a year ago you would probably have been ecstatic just to get that one!

 

Chances are you're not going to get what you paid for the 8.0 or 9.0, so you would, in essence, be tacking the "loss" onto the price of the 9.2 - is it worth $1,700/1,800/1,900 to you? How much would the 8.0 and 9.0 have sold for if you weren't one of the bidders? How much if you weren't bidding, and the next guy in line wasn't bidding either (since he'll be the one to buy your 8 or 9)? I'd take a real close look at the scan, and if it's not a quantum leap...I'd pass.

[fantastic_four]

Buy the 9.2 if you've got the disposable cash to do so. Hang onto the other two until you get a good price, or even better, a good trade for them. If you do some networking, you should be able to eventually find another Superboy collector who has a comic you want who also needs the Superboys you have. I've been playing the upgrade and hold onto lower-grade copies game for a few years now to build up trade items. I've been offered trades before but didn't have the inventory to match the needs of the person who wanted to trade with me, so I figured I'd hold onto some of my upgraded copies to increase my chances for trades in the future.

 

Just don't extend beyond your current disposable cash-in-hand to buy the 9.2. We've got at least another 2 years under Bush and whichever economic advisors he chooses to replace the ones he just fired, so who knows where the economy is headed. Tough it out until Gore gets elected in 2004!

[FlComicFan]

I'd agree with Dr banner it its not a huge upgrade aethetically pass. I dont see the huge demand in a non key Superboy to warrant having three copies to play with unless you just have too much $ to play with. (in that case send me a few boxes of greenbacks so I can have that problem),

[CosmicBob]

The scan came from Metropolis and I compared it to the Heritage scan. (BTW, Heritage has great scans, I wish Metropolis had sent me a big honkin' scan like that). The 9.2 does look better, at least the front cover than the 9.0, but not appreciably. The 9.0 has some small bit missing from the back cover and there's no back cover scan for the 9.2.

 

I'm thinking that this upgrade probably isn't worth it at this point, since I no doubt will have difficulty selling BOTH an 8.0 and a 9.0! Keeping them for a bit might work, but it is hard to justify putting so much money into three copies of the same book within 6 months.

 

I bought the 8.0 from PCE, so you know it was massively overpriced, maybe 2X Guide for the VF price. The 9.0 was won in the auction for a reasonable price, I thought, and this 9.2 is 2X Guide. I obviously had no problem paying 2X Guide for the 8.0 and if I hadn't gotten the 9.0 last week this 9.2 would have been a no brainer.

 

Metropolis won't take returns on CGC books, which is industry standard policy, so I can't just buy it to see it.

 

I'm going to agonize over this for a little while longer, I'll let y'all know what I do! Thanks for the advice.

[BachelorOfComix]

Try trading the 9.0 & cash for the 9.2 upgrade.

 

Cheers,

 

Bachelor of Comic

[chrisco37]

That's what I was going to say!

 

Chris

[Illiterati-migration]

Tough it out until Gore gets elected in 2004!

 

Come on, FF! I hate Gee-Dubb as much as the next person (who happens to be capable of independent thought)... but the thought of four years of Gore is going to keep me up nights...

[lighthouse]

but the thought of four years of Gore is going to keep me up nights...

 

Somehow I doubt it would be four years... I have no doubt that the CIA would have him killed long before that...

 

Besides, there is NO chance that he will be the candidate in 2004. To beat Bush they'll need someone who is at least vaguely interesting, and it would be a bonus if there was a chance he could look scary if need be...

 

Dubya isn't the brightest bulb, but he's got that same redneck lunatic thing going that worked so well for Reagan at intimidating foreign leaders... I just can't see ANYONE being the least bit afraid of Gore... It's like being scared of Mr Rogers...

[The_Man_Of_Steel]

For those that may not remember watching the train maybe this will ring a bell. "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day in the neighborhood, would you be my friend?" -Mr. Rogers

 

P.S. - I couldn't help myself, your mention of Mr. Rogers brought back childhood memories. I couldn't stand the show even as a kid, much the same as I can't stand Gore as a politician.

[snizzenfixit]

I couldn't stand the show even as a kid

 

Yup, another one that drove me crazy was on Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, that stupid Herbie the dentist. I am normally not a violent person, but I always had the urge to sock that Herbie in the mouth, and let him fix his own teeth.

 

Phil

 

 

[comicparadox]

Only one little problem with the "toughing it out until Gore gets elected in 2004" recommendation. He yanked his hat out of the ring. Just out of curiosity, I wonder when the Superboy 15's were slabbed - maybe whoever had the high grade 9.0 and 2x9.2's saw an 8.0 go for an obscene price and sent them in? Too bad there's no real way to get to the dates of graded books, now THAT would invite some fierce scrutiny.

[fantastic_four]

Only one little problem with the "toughing it out until Gore gets elected in 2004" recommendation. He yanked his hat out of the ring.

We have entered a dark, dark time in American history. Bush shall now reign for six more years.

 

What's up with Gore's lame reason for not running again? Is he hoping the Democratic party leaders will come to him, speak more kindly for all the flak they put up, and give him a ? He's their best chance to beat Bush, and they all know it. A bunch of the people who lost their jobs during the tough economy who voted for Bush--or who didn't vote at all before--would be more likely to vote Gore now.

[The_Man_Of_Steel]

I'll bet you agree with everything you hear on CNN too. Dr. M.O.S. Recommends that you start listening to Rush Limbaugh every day. When you can handle what Rush has to say, without angry fits, then try listening to Michael Savage after a few months of listening you should be cured of the liberal-titus disease that permeates your mind.

[CosmicBob]

The 9.0 was graded on 10/18/02. I don't have the cert number of the 8.0 here at work. I can't read the cert number on the 9.2.

 

I bought the 8.0 in August of this year, before the 9.0 was graded. I don't know if they owner of the 9.0 or 9.2 would have known about the sale, since I bought it from PCE over the internet and not through an auction.

 

I'm still waiting for Heritage to ship me my auction wins from the last two auctions and so I haven't seen the 9.0 in person yet.

[snizzenfixit]

A bunch of the people who lost their jobs during the tough economy who voted for Bush--or who didn't vote at all before--would be more likely to vote Gore now.

 

It smells like liberals in here.

 

Phil

 

 

[FlComicFan]

but he's got that same redneck lunatic thing

 

Do you mean he has some balls like Reagan?

[fantastic_four]

Thanks for the link to Rush's site, I hadn't thought of visiting it. I can always use some new absolute bull to listen to while I'm sitting around programming.

 

First byline I see on Rush's site--"Al Gore says this is the end of the road for him. I don't believe it." I couldn't agree more! His reasons for dropping out were so lame, it's obvious he's got some other ideas cooking behind the scenes. I guess it is possible he has become happy with his private career and personal life and doesn't want to muck it up with a presidential run, but why didn't he just say that? That's an excuse I could half-believe.

 

His explanations for not running make me immediately think he's politicking somehow.

[Illiterati-migration]

When you can handle what Rush has to say, without angry fits, then try listening to Michael Savage after a few months of listening you should be cured of the liberal-titus disease that permeates your mind.

 

Jesus. Michael Savage is a hate-monger of the worst kind. And he would love that someone was saying that about him. "Red Diaper Doper Babies" indeed. The man has no real viewpoints except that he is Great and he is fully ready to scream at anyone who tries to pin him down to commiting to one of his absurd opinions. It's funny to listen to his show for a while... if for no other reason than to hear him verbally abuse the people who "love" him-- quite a relationship to develop with one's listeners. Oh well. Partisan politics are for fools anyway.