SPAWN! A look back at an award-winning collection of graded slabs. 9 9

[newshane]

SPAWN 4 - CGC 9.9 - MINT 

Another book that began life in a red label holder. I had this one reholdered. I was a bit nervous because there was a tiny flaw on this book. It looked like a case where the book shifted around in the original holder. The CGC did not decide to reevaluate, but this was a crisp copy regardless. 

I think this is my personal favorite cover from the first year of the run. 

This book had the coupon for Image Comics #0. You had to collect several coupons from various books in order to get a copy. I can remember exactly ZERO hype about that give away. Fortunately, this copy retained the coupon along with its value. 

 

[newshane]

SPAWN 5 - CGC 9.8 - NM/M

Kind of a  cover, but you have to give McFarlane credit - he maintained a release schedule, unlike many artists at Image, who would make fans wait MONTHS between issues. 

 

[captainzombie]

Loving your original and this thread. Surprised you did get rid of this collection. I would of had a hard time letting it go, considering the books you had in it and some of the grades you received were fantastic.

I've been rebuilding my Spawn collection the last 2 years and some of the books in the last 180's and mid-200's were pretty expensive, but getting 9.8's was very satisfying.

[newshane]

On 12/31/2022 at 9:09 PM, captainzombie said:

Loving your original and this thread. Surprised you did get rid of this collection. I would of had a hard time letting it go, considering the books you had in it and some of the grades you received were fantastic.

I've been rebuilding my Spawn collection the last 2 years and some of the books in the last 180's and mid-200's were pretty expensive, but getting 9.8's was very satisfying.

Thanks! It was hard to let it go! I'll never again distinguish myself in the hobby like I did with this collection. 

I'll never be able to rebuild due to the price increases. As you said, some of these books are pretty ridiculous. 

[newshane]

SPAWN 6 - CGC 9.8 NM/M

Lovely cover. Fun story. Giant cyborg! 

 

[oldmilwaukee6er]

Spawn collecting seems very competitive (after the first 65+ issues). I've been a patient picker through the years for the issues I've needed and when I've hit a table / show ... the answer is likely the same - "another collector was just through asking that." It got to the point where I'd ask for any "oddball Spawn stuff" 

To collect it now seems intimidating. To put a run together like yours, newshane, seems not possible. The variants are exhausting, every once in a while one gets released at FOC and every local shop will miss it, eg 306 Gunslinger cover. Then it's $80. Or $35 for some other issue. It becomes transactional. Collecting Spawn is often an exercise in managing FOMO, and that is a part of nostalgia / collecting that is less fun. 

That said, love the thread and love the title!! Mcfarlane puts out a good product... and I'm still along for the ride. 

[newshane]

On 1/2/2023 at 5:40 AM, oldmilwaukee6er said:

Spawn collecting seems very competitive (after the first 65+ issues). I've been a patient picker through the years for the issues I've needed and when I've hit a table / show ... the answer is likely the same - "another collector was just through asking that." It got to the point where I'd ask for any "oddball Spawn stuff" 

To collect it now seems intimidating. To put a run together like yours, newshane, seems not possible. The variants are exhausting, every once in a while one gets released at FOC and every local shop will miss it, eg 306 Gunslinger cover. Then it's $80. Or $35 for some other issue. It becomes transactional. Collecting Spawn is often an exercise in managing FOMO, and that is a part of nostalgia / collecting that is less fun. 

That said, love the thread and love the title!! Mcfarlane puts out a good product... and I'm still along for the ride. 

I think that ALL of your observations are right on the money. 

The variant chase was the final nail in the coffin for me. It just wasn't fun anymore. Collecting the run turned into an expensive chore. 

I do agree that we will probably never see another Spawn run like this. It's simply cost-prohibitive for the rational collector. It would take someone with a whole lot of passion and a whole lot of money to match it. Procuring a 185 B&W alone would cost north of $20,000. That's just a single book. 

I also think this collection sets a high bar when it comes to 9.9s and signatures/OA. Some of the sigs on these books are very obscure. 

Thanks for tuning in! I appreciate your experience and enthusiasm for the character! 

[newshane]

SPAWN 7 - CGC 9.8 - NM/M 

Can it get anymore 90s? Spawn? Ridiculous guns and ammo? 

One of my favorites from the first year. Again, sorry for some of these scans. Notice how the scanner picked up the gleam from the inner well as it rested against the outer? Frustrating. 

Very interesting books coming up in the next few days! Stay tuned! 

 

[captainzombie]

On 1/1/2023 at 1:35 PM, newshane said:

Thanks! It was hard to let it go! I'll never again distinguish myself in the hobby like I did with this collection. 

I'll never be able to rebuild due to the price increases. As you said, some of these books are pretty ridiculous. 

You're welcome! Trying to rebuild this collection in the grades that you had before would be insanely expensive, and especially with those later issues in the 160-280 range where there are some pretty expensive books due to the such low print run.

We very well know too that once Todd eventually passes on down the road, this series will continue and it will only make the sought out books even more expensive.

I was trying to get every single issue for this run, but changed focus to just get the keys. I do have every single books from 1-40, but my #1 and #2 came back as 9.6's so still looking to replace those with a 9.8. The crazy part is my later books which have some of the lowest print runs came back as 9.8's and I have cleaned and pressed all of these books.

On 1/2/2023 at 5:40 AM, oldmilwaukee6er said:

Spawn collecting seems very competitive (after the first 65+ issues). I've been a patient picker through the years for the issues I've needed and when I've hit a table / show ... the answer is likely the same - "another collector was just through asking that." It got to the point where I'd ask for any "oddball Spawn stuff" 

To collect it now seems intimidating. To put a run together like yours, newshane, seems not possible. The variants are exhausting, every once in a while one gets released at FOC and every local shop will miss it, eg 306 Gunslinger cover. Then it's $80. Or $35 for some other issue. It becomes transactional. Collecting Spawn is often an exercise in managing FOMO, and that is a part of nostalgia / collecting that is less fun. 

That said, love the thread and love the title!! Mcfarlane puts out a good product... and I'm still along for the ride. 

Spawn collecting has really become competitive. I frequent many comic book shows on Facebook each week, and whenever Spawn books go up they don't last too long on the board.

Agreed that some of the variants are insanely priced. Good thing with Spawn at least, the prices will not plummet badly like 85% of the other ratios and variants for books that start off so high and then can't hold their value.

Gunslinger has become one of my favorites and I am still on the hunt for his first appearance in a 9.8. I do have the original cameo first appearance (#119) in a 9.6 and hoping that I could get a #174 in a 9.8 here at some point.

[oldmilwaukee6er]

Seeing 6-7 again it really reminds me how Todd's eye is on his toys, but he's also about to take criticism of his writing to heart with these next issues ... a man of two minds. 

[oldmilwaukee6er]

On 1/2/2023 at 1:57 PM, newshane said:

 

Spawn is a great example of how Image books just popped on the shelf color-wise. The early age of digital coloring. 

But also... Spawn and  black covers amirite? LOVED them but also UGH they showed every little spine tick, color rub, finger dent spluh

[newshane]

On 1/2/2023 at 9:38 PM, oldmilwaukee6er said:

But also... Spawn and  black covers amirite? LOVED them but also UGH they showed every little spine tick, color rub, finger dent spluh

That's exactly what made the chase so insane. 

At one point, I had procured some unopened Diamond Distribution Boxes from the 90s full of Spawn issues. I went through and hand picked the best. Hardly any 9.8 candidates. 

I journaled about this before CGC changed the journal format and made the original thread almost impossible to find or link. A very unpopular move at the time, but it looks like they've stood their ground. I'll go digging and see if I can find any of that old stuff I wrote. Most of this hunt was captured over the years as it was going down. 

Edited January 3, 2023 by newshane

[newshane]

SPAWN 8 - CGC 9.8 - NM/M 

Written by Alan Moore. I was DYING to get this signed, but Alan Moore is a pretty strange guy. At times a complete recluse. At other times, railing against petty collectors who send books off for plastic entombment. Sometimes he would only sign certain books. 

I tried. I tried so hard! 

Never could pull it off. I'd love it if someone could! I'd have to break out my checkbook again. 

The next three issues I will share are all super special books for various reasons. I was really D U M B to sell them. Stay tuned! 

Edited January 3, 2023 by newshane

[newshane]

SPAWN 9 - CGC 9.8 - SIGNED BY NEIL GAIMAN 

Just LOOK at this beauty! OMG! Why did I sell this again? 

One of the biggest of the Spawn keys. And FINALLY! A decent scan! 

If you own this, please sell it back to me! 

Even though signature series books are much easier to identify, I've still taken care to obliterate any information that would lead to its identification out of respect for the new owner. 

I thought about adding Todd's signature but decided against it. I didn't want to risk a lower grade coming back on this beauty. 

 

Edited January 4, 2023 by newshane

[Erndog]

I just want to say I love this thread and I'm along for the ride.

 

 

[newshane]

SPAWN 10 - CGC 9.8 - SIGNED, SKETCHED, AND REMARKED BY DAVE SIM.

A Cerebus sketch on a Spawn book? In ball-point pen? By the creator himself? 

Yeah. This was my book once upon a time. One of my favorites from the run. I mean, how dope is this? Truly unique. Another one I should have kept. 

 

 

Edited January 6, 2023 by newshane

[Erndog]

This may be the first time I'm sad and regret that somebody ELSE sold some books

 

 

[newshane]

SPAWN 11 - CGC 9.8 - SIGNED BY FRANK MILLER 

This was signed back in 2015, shortly before Frank changed the look of his autograph. What you see here is his "old school" signature placed vertically. 

I was always careful to work with my facilitators on signature placement. It was my idea to have Frank sign in that location. I always tried to find places on the book that weren't overly congested. I also carefully selected the pen color. Most of the time, the artists were happy to accommodate my desires. Another legend's name on a Spawn book. 

 

[newshane]

SPAWN 12 - CGC 9.8 

Probably one of my least favorite covers from the entire run. Certainly my least favorite from the first 12 issues. Sorry for the scuzzy scans. 

Spawn meets Chapel. 

 

[Erndog]

On 1/6/2023 at 7:49 PM, newshane said:

SPAWN 11 - CGC 9.8 - SIGNED BY FRANK MILLER 

This was signed back in 2015, shortly before Frank changed the look of his autograph. What you see here is his "old school" signature placed vertically. 

I was always careful to work with my facilitators on signature placement. It was my idea to have Frank sign in that location. I always tried to find places on the book that weren't overly congested. I also carefully selected the pen color. Most of the time, the artists were happy to accommodate my desires. Another legend's name on a Spawn book. 

 

Just an inch to the left and woulda been perfect imo