How do you find your 9.8 or 10.0 copies?

[Smokinghawk]

Those of you who have 9.8 and 10.0 copies of any given comic (a-hem, Darth...), how did you find them? Do you own stores and pick through new arrivals before setting the rest out? Or do you just go to a local store and browse each issue on the shelf for the "perfect" copy and take it?

 

I have yet to see a perfect copy on the shelf (especially the Ultimates - the cover stock whitenes at the spine fold, and there are inevitable slight waves and bends in the cover).

[Darthdiesel]

It is no secret who I've gotten my 10.0 copies of Origin from and all my 9.8 candidates... www.comic-central.com - once located out in Turlock CA, now sold and base of operations is located in Florida. I believe they are a comic subscription service (no brick and mortar store) and they just supply comic shops and people like me and fill online orders as well.

 

I've gotten high quality stuff from www.comicsinfinity.com from Georgia and the customer service for these two shops mentioned is the BEST!

 

I've never found a perfect copy on the shelf at the local shop. One reason is because people like me can't wait to get some of the books home and I flip thru them right there in a matter of seconds. Also I read at the comic shop when I'm deciding to tryout titles recommended by you guys here. (Damn chrisco and his Vertigo titles - now it'll take some doing before I lose the neighborhood perv label...)

 

I have found the same flaws in the Ultimates and my best example of this is #5....rough whiteness at spines and this weird indentline going across the cover at mid-height...

[chrisco37]

(Damn chrisco and his Vertigo titles - now it'll take some doing before I lose the neighborhood perv label...)

 

This from the guy whose "Holy Grail" is Cherry Poptart #1 w/ "White Pages".

Besides, I buy 100 Bullets for the story (same goes for the Playboy subscription. Fascinating Interviews in that publication!) That Risso draws the baddest femme fatales on the planet is just a bonus!

 

Chris

[lighthouse]

How do you find your 9.8 or 10.0 copies?

 

I type "CGC" and "9.8" into the eBay search box...

 

I can tell you from personal experience that less than 25% of all new comics are 9.8 when they arrive at the local shop, so finding cherry copies on the shelf is not likely. On cardstock covers the number may be as high as 50% when the box is opened, but they rapidly degrade to 9.4. The current slick stock Marvel uses for the Ultimate line sees maybe 15% at most. I ordered 25 extra copies of Ultimate Spidey 33 (beyond my normal shelf overages and back stock demands) with the intention of submitting the best 15. There wasn't a single copy in the entire order (not just the 25 extras) that was 9.6 or better...

 

And then you have books like Image's Clockmaker... which can't possibly have any copies better than 8.5, even straight off the press, because of that stupid extra fold...

[blowout]

The current slick stock Marvel uses for the Ultimate line sees maybe 15% at most. I ordered 25 extra copies of Ultimate Spidey 33 (beyond my normal shelf overages and back stock demands) with the intention of submitting the best 15. There wasn't a single copy in the entire order (not just the 25 extras) that was 9.6 or better...

 

I have noticed that all shelf copies of the newer Ultimates books have cover damage. I thought Marvel were going to fix this new cardstock?

[spidermanbeyond]

Hey Darth, how many copies did you have to order to get those magical 10.0 and 9.9's.

[Darthdiesel]

50 copies if Origin 1 submitted

[cgcdc-migration]

So far I have submitted around 100 or so comics to CGC. When I was buying my comics at my favorite comic place, I picked out the best copies that I could. I guess it is really just a matter of luck getting those. I have had several graded 9.4 and 9.6. I am hoping I have many more 9.8's because of the difference in the prices you can receive

[coastline-migration]

I shouldn't be telling you this but I have had tremendous success with a comic pulling service operated out of Canada. I pay a premium for each issue, usually $5 a copy, but I almost always receive 9.8's back from CGC. Usually I order 3-5 copies of each issue from them and 75% come back 9.8's. I have never received a 9.9 or a 10.0 but I think its just a matter of time.

 

All my current inventory on EBAY right now Click Here was a direct result of this service. DM me and I will forward on his address to you.

[Lockjaw]

I get lucky at my LCS, I do not hunt them out. Of course I have to make sure to be in the store when the new books come out, but it is worth it if I plan on trying to slab my super-moderns. I am also responding to bump this thread up (I am trying to bury another annoying thread about comics that came out from a certain company that Joe C. adores