Doug Schmell cashing in his vaulted massive collecion. Poll: Is this the top?

[bluechip]

Would it be in your best interest to start a thread detailing how and where you make your money so that we can all jump in on the action?

With respect to comics, it's simple:

 

1. spot comics in 2002-2004 that were undervalued

 

2. always go for the highest quality

 

3. don't be afraid to pay up if you feel that your purchase price is still a relative bargain

 

4. hold them for a few years without manipulating them

 

5. sell them for big profits when everyone else realizes how undervalued they are.

 

 

 

For everything else, I lay it all out in the $500 Gold thread.

 

It still is quite possible to identify things that are undervalued, because they are ignored or even hated for irrational reasons, or because they get lost in the noise of a big auction, or because they're being sold low profile, or because they are not described in a way that accentuates what is unique about it, or because the guide is wrong but people still have a problem exceeding it, or because the book features a character, story, iconic moment or art, whatever, which you think has underappreciated appeal to people outside the tight-knit hobby, or all of the above.

 

All those criteria are more fun to me than guessing which items have been unfairly undergraded or which can be taken from the label they're in to but put in a better label by having non-grade improving "resto" removed or by pressing them or by simply resubbing them under new accounts, or by lobbying to have them called a pedigree, or by doing a concerted pump and dump.

 

People used to do much more of the former and now do more of the latter.

 

 

[Kevin76]

Well the Mile High collection and the Pacific Coast collection were both found in 6 foot stacks, So given the weight of the book on the bottom of the pile, I'd say those were pressed which could be one of the reasons why they turned out to be 9.8's. Yes pressure is pressure regardless of intent. "Pressing" is here to stay, it's up to you if you want to buy the book or not. I'm sure there are some of you will toss and turn at night after discovering the book you bought had been pressed by the previous owner, only to re-sell it as "I don't know if it's been pressed or not, but I want 3 X times guide for it"

[lou_fine]

Greg Buls purchased the Recil Macon collection in 1991. The way those books were stored a huge majority of them had a pronounced wave to them, some extreme. Greg sent these to Susan Ciccone for flattening. Susan Ciccone also later became a member of NOD. Upon the advent of CGC she also took the stance that pressing was bad. Oddly enough I do not think she ever printed up any of her famous resto certificates for the Recil Macon books, though many of them were and are pressed.

 

Richard;

 

I thought the Macon books that had been worked on by Susan had been both cleaned and pressed at the minimum. I also thought these books received the PLOD from CGC upon grading or were they able to pass CGC 's resto check and still made their way into blue slabs?

The Recil Macon books only needed flattening. They were beautiful otherwise, but they were stored for so long in a haphazard and uneven way that they were very wavy. They were simply pressed. And again, I've never seen a restoration certificate from Susan on these books.

 

I love your ability to whip out a book relevant to any discussion. You have a lot of comics.

Thank you. And the main reason I enjoy the boards is seeing all the cool books everyone else posts. We are very fortunate to have this place to share.

 

I love the Recil Macon collection. It's from Texas. It has a large number of Timelys. And I was fortunate to be at the first show where Greg Buls had them for sale, in late '90 or early '91 (I remember because I had opened my first store shortly before and I didn't have much loot to buy any books for myself). I've had that Daring for over twenty years now and I've never seen a nicer copy.

 

Richard;

 

Thanks for the info on the Recil Macon books as it sort of confirms what I remmber about the collection! (thumbs u

 

That looks like an absolutely beautiful copy with nice bright colours and sharp edges. Any reason why CGC would grade it so low at only a 7.5 because it certainly presents a lot better than the slabbed grade? I know that Macon had a propensity for writing his name all over his books and filling in the coupons. Is this the reason why the book was graded so low?

[Davenport]

Well the Mile High collection and the Pacific Coast collection were both found in 6 foot stacks, So given the weight of the book on the bottom of the pile, I'd say those were pressed which could be one of the reasons why they turned out to be 9.8's. Yes pressure is pressure regardless of intent. "Pressing" is here to stay, it's up to you if you want to buy the book or not. I'm sure there are some of you will toss and turn at night after discovering the book you bought had been pressed by the previous owner, only to re-sell it as "I don't know if it's been pressed or not, but I want 3 X times guide for it"

[shrunkenhead]

 

I know that Macon had a propensity for writing his name all over his books and filling in the coupons. Is this the reason why the book was graded so low?

 

Only on the boards would a VFish Timely from '42 be considered "so low."

 

I'm starting to feel like I'm at the Mad Hatter's tea party.

[lou_fine]

 

I know that Macon had a propensity for writing his name all over his books and filling in the coupons. Is this the reason why the book was graded so low?

 

Only on the boards would a VFish Timely from '42 be considered "so low."

 

I'm starting to feel like I'm at the Mad Hatter's tea party.

 

Didn't mean "low grade" in the technical sense.

 

I meant "low" relative to how the book actually presents from the scan.

[shrunkenhead]

 

I know that Macon had a propensity for writing his name all over his books and filling in the coupons. Is this the reason why the book was graded so low?

 

Only on the boards would a VFish Timely from '42 be considered "so low."

 

I'm starting to feel like I'm at the Mad Hatter's tea party.

 

Didn't mean "low grade" in the technical sense.

 

I meant "low" relative to how the book actually presents from the scan.

 

Noted.

 

Sorry, I'm a few glasses in.

[Larryw7]

The heat is one of the lesser concerns with the effects of pressing on comics.

 

agreed; what it does to the x-ray glasses coupons is what keeps me up at nite.

 

 

[comicnoir]

Thanks for this very interesting info.

[fc]

Chart above needs final sale price to be fully interesting at a glance. Why does it not have it?

[dr_manhattan]

Chart above needs final sale price to be fully interesting at a glance. Why does it not have it?

 

+1

[fc]

Chart above needs final sale price to be fully interesting at a glance. Why does it not have it?

 

+1

 

On a whim I picked the first comic on the list. All Winners 14. Final sale price in auction 805 was

about 1495, juice included. So from 1035 to 1495. Minus cost of grading, shipping, etc... you could

have made 400 bucks in just a few months?

 

But I could not find first sale yet....

I found it.. but heritage has pics wrong. mixed it up with all fun comics #27...

 

so i cannot compare the pics to see if true or not.

 

someone else can do the next one.

[dr_manhattan]

 

Reholdered with new barcodes and bearing higher certified grades they appeared altered by various forms of defined restoration.

 

Great info here.

 

So are you claiming that the grades of all these books improved via pressing ONLY, or other forms of resto too?

[MasterChief]

I was advised to remove subject post. So I have. My apologies.

[jimjum12]

I'm looking through the Heritage listings and I don't see any ASM's from Doug's collection. Is he keeping them ? ....or maybe they're already gone ? GOD BLESS.....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[comicnoir]

I'm looking through the Heritage listings and I don't see any ASM's from Doug's collection. Is he keeping them ? ....or maybe they're already gone ? GOD BLESS.....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

He already sold 'em.

[COI]

I'm looking through the Heritage listings and I don't see any ASM's from Doug's collection. Is he keeping them ? ....or maybe they're already gone ? GOD BLESS.....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

He sold them off a little after starting Pedigree.

[jimjum12]

Thank you, friend. I suppose that probably goes for the Hulk 1-6 also. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[Comicopolis]

Well the Mile High collection and the Pacific Coast collection were both found in 6 foot stacks, So given the weight of the book on the bottom of the pile, I'd say those were pressed which could be one of the reasons why they turned out to be 9.8's. Yes pressure is pressure regardless of intent. "Pressing" is here to stay, it's up to you if you want to buy the book or not. I'm sure there are some of you will toss and turn at night after discovering the book you bought had been pressed by the previous owner, only to re-sell it as "I don't know if it's been pressed or not, but I want 3 X times guide for it"

 

That looks like a mug's game.

[dr_manhattan]

I was advised to remove subject post. So I have. My apologies.

 

What a shame. I would have loved to have seen the 'before' and 'after' auction prices.