The one and only 9.8 ASM 14 up for grabs at HA in Nov

[VintageComics]

Yes to all, but in this case you could plausibly argue ( or convince oneself) that it's a gamble worth taking since after 15 years this is the first (and maybe) only 9.8. I'm not bidding, but you COULD make that case convincingly enough assuming you could afford to be wrong.

 

Yup. There have been quite a few people trying to find a 9.8 of this book for nearly two decades.

 

@ LouFine -my $60K esrimate is actually the floor for this book, IMO. Not where the auction will end. I think it has a real shot at $100K.

 

..... the truth Roy..... is it a "real" 9.8 ? While viewing the book, did you accept the grade with zero hesitation ? GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

Yup. I eyeballed the book and it looked like a real 9.8 in hand.

[Buzzetta]

That is jaw dropping incredible.

 

Buzz- aren't you looking for an upgrade?

 

Currently sitting on four copies... highest is a 7.5 Universal.

 

I also have:

7.0 PLOD with slight CT

5.5 Universal

3.5 PLOD with slight CT

 

So they way I see it... 7.5+7.0+5.5+3.5 means that I have a 23.5.

 

 

While I am always looking to upgrade... I am not looking to upgrade to a 9.8. That's well above my pay grade.

[jimjum12]

Yes to all, but in this case you could plausibly argue ( or convince oneself) that it's a gamble worth taking since after 15 years this is the first (and maybe) only 9.8. I'm not bidding, but you COULD make that case convincingly enough assuming you could afford to be wrong.

 

Yup. There have been quite a few people trying to find a 9.8 of this book for nearly two decades.

 

@ LouFine -my $60K esrimate is actually the floor for this book, IMO. Not where the auction will end. I think it has a real shot at $100K.

 

..... the truth Roy..... is it a "real" 9.8 ? While viewing the book, did you accept the grade with zero hesitation ? GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

Yup. I eyeballed the book and it looked like a real 9.8 in hand.

 

(thumbs u

[ThothAmon]

$100,000. Third most important Spiderman book behind AF15 and ASM 1, as Marvel's flagship character's #1 enemy is introduced. Looking at some Heritage results and census info it is scarcer than a FF 5 in 9.6 which sold for over 65K and is rarer and arguably more important than the two ASM 2 sales for around 70k. Its awful pretty too!

[VintageComics]

$100,000. Third most important Spiderman book behind AF15 and ASM 1, as Marvel's flagship character's #1 enemy is introduced. Looking at some Heritage results and census info it is scarcer than a FF 5 in 9.6 which sold for over 65K and is rarer and arguably more important than the two ASM 2 sales for around 70k. Its awful pretty too!

 

Actually, the FF #5 CGC 9.4 Curator sold for $65K.

 

I think an FF #5 9.6 recently sold for about $90K iirc.

[VintageComics]

 

ASM 14 9.6

 

Here is the book I was referring to. Someone like you who's been in the business for years can probably quickly tell me why it's graded as it is. I'm really not trying argue the grade is wrong or take away from the book. I just noticed that edge and was curious why that didn't seem to affect the grade.

 

Just from what I can see, slight tan line top back cover, slight spine stress center spine, soft bottom spine corner - there might be more but the scans aren't big enough to tell.

 

CGC is really tough on tan lines, especially in high grades. That alone would keep the book out of 9.8 IMO. I think it's a combination of tiny defects that kept the book down.

 

You're right though, very nice presenting copy.

 

Yeah, it has a noticeable stressline in the black box by the Goblin.

 

Tan line and the stress kept it out of 9.8.

 

 

To be fair, tan lines are a subjective thing.

 

Many of the Twin City 9.8's had slight tan lines on them but it's all a matter of how deep, how dark, how long, how wide, etc.

 

A tan line can make a book a 7.0 or a 9.6.

 

I've seen a few of the ASM #14 9.6's and structurally this is the nicest I've personally seen.

 

 

 

 

[Mephisto]

What is Voldemort?? A quick Google search got me no info.......

 

This is a sharp looking copy of ASM #14, the spine and corners are unreal.

 

CBCS

 

Thank You! I don't follow the boards as frequently and encountered this and some of the other times I saw it mentioned lead me to believe this was Ewert's new nick name or someone else who got nabbed for making some of the highest graded books to date...and not a competiting grading company!

[namisgr]

 

To be fair, tan lines are a subjective thing.

 

 

They're objectively and readily apparent. They're also unequivocally a post-production defect of preservation, and so don't belong on comics that receive NM/M grades. The only thing subjective about a tanning line is how much of a downgrade it should trigger.

 

By any objective standard, and to my way of thinking about high end grading, a comic with a clearly visible cover tanning line should not be graded 9.8.

[TheShadowKnows]

50K on this one

I guess 2 million.

Dollars?Or pesos?

[Ghost Town]

 

To be fair, tan lines are a subjective thing.

 

 

They're objectively and readily apparent. They're also unequivocally a post-production defect of preservation, and so don't belong on comics that receive NM/M grades. The only thing subjective about a tanning line is how much of a downgrade it should trigger.

 

By any objective standard, and to my way of thinking about high end grading, a comic with a clearly visible cover tanning line should not be graded 9.8.

I think we've discussed this in another thread somewhere, but I've always thought it was kind of strange that CGC hammers tiny or colorless stains but is pretty generous toward tan lines. I can always see the tan lines. But a lot of times I can only see the stains by holding a book at a certain angle under a certain type of light.

[jimjum12]

 

To be fair, tan lines are a subjective thing.

 

 

They're objectively and readily apparent. They're also unequivocally a post-production defect of preservation, and so don't belong on comics that receive NM/M grades. The only thing subjective about a tanning line is how much of a downgrade it should trigger.

 

By any objective standard, and to my way of thinking about high end grading, a comic with a clearly visible cover tanning line should not be graded 9.8.

I think we've discussed this in another thread somewhere, but I've always thought it was kind of strange that CGC hammers tiny or colorless stains but is pretty generous toward tan lines. I can always see the tan lines. But a lot of times I can only see the stains by holding a book at a certain angle under a certain type of light.

 

..... that and tape are my only complaints with their (perceived) grading philosophy. GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[Mephisto]

 

To be fair, tan lines are a subjective thing.

 

 

They're objectively and readily apparent. They're also unequivocally a post-production defect of preservation, and so don't belong on comics that receive NM/M grades. The only thing subjective about a tanning line is how much of a downgrade it should trigger.

 

By any objective standard, and to my way of thinking about high end grading, a comic with a clearly visible cover tanning line should not be graded 9.8.

I think we've discussed this in another thread somewhere, but I've always thought it was kind of strange that CGC hammers tiny or colorless stains but is pretty generous toward tan lines. I can always see the tan lines. But a lot of times I can only see the stains by holding a book at a certain angle under a certain type of light.

 

Personally, I don't mind if porn actresses have tan lines.

[lou_fine]

50K on this one

I guess 2 million.

 

Pennies or pesos?

 

Okay, I gave it some more thought.

 

Two million pennies......no deal.

Two million pesos........done deal!!

[lou_fine]

Yes to all, but in this case you could plausibly argue ( or convince oneself) that it's a gamble worth taking since after 15 years this is the first (and maybe) only 9.8. I'm not bidding, but you COULD make that case convincingly enough assuming you could afford to be wrong.

 

Yup. There have been quite a few people trying to find a 9.8 of this book for nearly two decades.

 

@ LouFine -my $60K esrimate is actually the floor for this book, IMO. Not where the auction will end. I think it has a real shot at $100K.

 

Ok, let's go right down the middle and use $80K for this particular copy.

 

Would $60K then be for the book itself and the final $20K paid for the hype and fluff that it is currently the highest CGC graded copy available to date so far?

 

Just trying to determine the dollar value that is being paid for this transitory and temporary designation of "CGC highest graded copy". Also just trying to determine how much the purchaser of this book could potentially lose if this is no longer the highest graded copy out there. Hopefully nothing at all.

 

We all look back now and question why somebody would pay over $35K for a GL 76 or over $100K for a Avengers 4 when copies in the same uber high grade can now be brought for substantially less. Now we can ask in advance why somebody would pay $80K or even $100K for a copy of ASM 14.

 

 

[Hammerhead]

 

To be fair, tan lines are a subjective thing.

 

 

They're objectively and readily apparent. They're also unequivocally a post-production defect of preservation, and so don't belong on comics that receive NM/M grades. The only thing subjective about a tanning line is how much of a downgrade it should trigger.

 

By any objective standard, and to my way of thinking about high end grading, a comic with a clearly visible cover tanning line should not be graded 9.8.

I think we've discussed this in another thread somewhere, but I've always thought it was kind of strange that CGC hammers tiny or colorless stains but is pretty generous toward tan lines. I can always see the tan lines. But a lot of times I can only see the stains by holding a book at a certain angle under a certain type of light.

 

I agree with this 100%, small stains vs HUGE tan lines has really got me scratching my head!

[lou_fine]

beauty

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although we are basically talking around the issue here without directly coming out and saying it, based upon what everybody knows now, would you say that the Heritage auction description for this book appears to be a bit disingenuous.

 

Not inaccurate in the technical sense of the actual words, but it does appear to be a bit misleading based upon what we now know.