Does anyone bring a portable light to conventions to help grade?

[fantastic_four]

In another thread in this forum, osborn_france posted a book that looks 9.4/9.6, except it turns out it has a non-color-breaking crease you can't see in the scan. I have this problem all the time at conventions; it looks like a 9.6 under the dim lights of a hotel, but when you get it home and put it under a bright, fluorescent lamp, it has some significant defect you couldn't see under normal light.

 

Does anybody take any type of flashlight or lamp with them to conventions? I've been thinking about doing it but haven't figured out what the best choice is for a portable yet bright lamp.

[awe4one]

Does anybody take any type of flashlight or lamp with them to conventions? I've been thinking about doing it but haven't figured out what the best choice is for a portable yet bright lamp.

 

Excuse the impression......but this strikes me as extremely anal. If the time has come that collectors need "portable lamps" to check their convention purchases then either their collecting urges are out of control, they are paranoid, or they can't grade a wink.

 

 

Jim

 

 

[Warlord]

Does anybody take any type of flashlight or lamp with them to conventions? I've been thinking about doing it but haven't figured out what the best choice is for a portable yet bright lamp.

 

Excuse the impression......but this strikes me as extremely anal. If the time has come that collectors need "portable lamps" to check their convention purchases then either their collecting urges are out of control, they are paranoid, or they can't grade a wink.

 

 

Jim

 

 

I don't know about that. I've been to some shows that were so dimly lit that I wished I had some extra lighting. I was thinking about one of those hard hats with the light affixed to the front like miner's wear down in the coal mines.

[justiceleaguer]

Ok, umm...firstly, i dont mean to sound cruel in any way....but that idea is ludicrous. Havent comic collectors such as ourselves been labelled as geeks for long enough. Hows it gonna look if one of us begins pulling out portable lamps...or a miners hat,. I realize that for the money that is spent at conventions we always want the best product.....but this idea just seems a bit, over the top. Just my two cents.

 

Sal

[DiceX]

Ok, umm...firstly, i dont mean to sound cruel in any way....but that idea is ludicrous. Havent comic collectors such as ourselves been labelled as geeks for long enough. Hows it gonna look if one of us begins pulling out portable lamps...or a miners hat,. I realize that for the money that is spent at conventions we always want the best product.....but this idea just seems a bit, over the top. Just my two cents.

 

Sal

 

Miner's hat and a big Sherlock Holmes magnifying glass.

[fantastic_four]

Justiceleaguefiend and awe4one--what's the largest amount of money each of you have ever spent on a raw comic at a convention? When you're buying high grade Gold and Silver books, it's not anal or extreme to want to save hundreds or thousands of dollars on a possibly overgraded comic. I wouldn't pull out the lamp on a Bronze or Modern non-key because it wouldn't be worth it, but a few minutes of preparation and effort to save days or weeks of money doesn't make sense to you?

 

Example:

 

 

I paid around Overstreet NM for this book at a con thinking it was a 9.0, but when I got it home, I saw two non-color-breaking creases on the front cover that were 3" and 5" in length. They're only visible when you hold the book at an angle under fluorescent light, and I'd say they drop the book to the 7.0 to 8.0 range. I believe I lost several hundred bucks on this book, and if I start going to big cons, I'd like to have something handy to prevent even larger losses in the future.

[awe4one]

Make sure you announce it before you pull it out, people will probably want to move away.

 

I can't get the vision out of my head of that Broward County election official pulling out the magnifying glass and looking for those chads....

 

Do whatever you like FF....but try to think of what is driving you to actually contemplate bringing a light or blacklight to a convention.

 

Also, if I was the dealer, I'd probably have a problem with you using it at my table. One because of the trust factor and two...the impression that it would give others to my grading capability.

 

 

Jim

[fantastic_four]

Also, if I was the dealer, I'd probably have a problem with you using it at my table. One because of the trust factor and two...the impression that it would give others to my grading capability.

 

If you're confident in your grading as a dealer, why would you have a problem with it? Are buyers supposed to blindly trust that a dealer's grade is absolute? Or are they just supposed to live with subtle grading mistakes and chalk the loss up to experience--and then silently bend over again the next time it happens?

[Bugaboo-migration]

If you want something tiny and unobtrusive....for looking at comics or just to have.....then go with an Arc AAA flashlight

 

It's fits on your keychain, uses a super bright Nichia white LED instead of a bulb (lasts about 100,000 hours so it'll never burn out in your lifetime). The light is smooth and doesn't have the "rings" and yellow tint that you see in normal flashlights. The LED also wont break like a bulb will. A sinble AAA battery provides 5 hours of run time. It's only 2.7 inches long, weighs less than an ounce (with the battery). It's a USA company and the owner, Peter Gransee, will immediatly take care of any problems you have with his lights, end of story.

 

It's not a cheap light ($24.95 direct from Manufacturer on sale right now) but it's the best. If anyone is interested, I can provide websites where the price should be under $20. I don't know if this kind of a light would work for this purpose or not, but thought I'd mention it anyway since it wouldn't be as obtrusive as other lights.

 

The other LED flashlight they manufacture (ARC LS) is unbelievable but very expensive.

[justiceleaguer]

FF, im sorry if i gave you the impression that you were thinking of doing something inapropriate, the idea itself just isnt suitable for the environment of a hustle and bustle convention. Personally ive never spent over $100 on any single book at any convention. I do agree though that a big ticket book should be scrutinized a bit more carefully, so maybe a con isnt the right place to be making thousand dollar purchases. If your dealing with that much money to begin with id recommend meeting up with a dealer or seller later to work out a purchase, while being able to get a better look at the book. I know that when i eventually begin making my large cash purchases, thats what ill be doing. A convention is a huge, greed infested, fast paced flea market. The fact that you can barter with the dealer instead of having fixed prices should tip you off that no grade, or price for that matter is written in stone. I myself have been decieved by wrongly graded books.....but i sucked it up and moved on. Live and learn.

 

Sal

[PovertyRow]

Does anybody take any type of flashlight or lamp with them to conventions? I've been thinking about doing it but haven't figured out what the best choice is for a portable yet bright lamp.

 

I can relate to your predicament and am honestly amazed some folk think it is weird to even contemplate it. I don't bring a light but what I will do is first, when I am in a section I know has some books I will be looking at, scope out the best lit area...only takes a minute. I usually have my want list out as well so it gives me a chance to review the list and also to see how the list looks under the various lighting conditions. Then I will either just take the book to the well-lit area (if it is at that dealer's table) or or ask the dealer if he minds my taking the book to a brighter area (indicating where I will be.) I'm talking usually no more than 10 or so feet from the table.

 

Now I have the advantage of at least a nodding acquaintance with most of the dealers I do business with so I have always been allowed to bring a book to a better lit area.

 

If the show is truly poorly lit (have never been to one that bad) I can see taking a small light. I consider it exactly the same thing as asking for a larger scan from an ebay auction.

 

As far as not knowing how to grade...well I wouldn't trust the grading of anyone - even CGC's top grader, in low light level conditions. And especially for restoration detection.

[fantastic_four]

It might work well, it's definitely worth the research at only $25. Even if it doesn't work for comics, it looks useful for the times I've got to get behind my desk to plug stuff into my computer and can't see squat.

 

If you're aware of a good link to buy this, please post it!

[Bugaboo-migration]

It might work well, it's definitely worth the research at only $25. Even if it doesn't work for comics, it looks useful for the times I've got to get behind my desk to plug stuff into my computer and can't see squat.

 

If you're aware of a good link to buy this, please post it!

This little light really is incredible and unbelievably bright. Makes those little AAA mag lights seem like a worthless toy.

 

I know I've seen them on sale occasionally in the $20 range (or just under it) from other suppliers but none of them seem to have it that cheap right now......and their regular prices are in line with what the manufacturer has it on sale for right now.

 

Arc is a little pricey on their shipping if you buy it direct from them, but at least they won't be out of stock. You can click on the "where to buy" link on the Arc website to see dealer links that also carry this light......their shipping might be a bit cheaper but sometimes they might be out of stock and you have to wait for them to get more in. There's actually quite a bit of demand for this little light.

[MrNice-migration]

Here's the one that I use. It makes grading at shows under bad lighting, a thing of the past! A little cumbersome lugging it around from table to table, but certainly worth its weight in gold for on the spot comic grading.

 

 

web page

[PovertyRow]

Here's the one that I use. It makes grading at shows under bad lighting, a thing of the past! A little cumbersome lugging it around from table to table, but certainly worth its weight in gold for on the spot comic grading.

 

 

web page

 

OK - that was funny! Very funny. Maybe TOO funny!

[OldGuy]

Hands free light.

 

http://www.radtech.us/eyelighter.html

[Illiterati-migration]

Is one of these "invisible creases" the thing running through DD's leg?

[fantastic_four]

Is one of these "invisible creases" the thing running through DD's leg?

 

Not the vertical one, no, that's my scanner. The creases are at approximately a 60-70 degree angle starting at the right edge and going down towards the bottom edge. One crease begins just above Ringmaster's shoulder and angles down ending near the right edge of the text box in the lower-left corner of the book. The other one, which is shorter by an inch or two, begins around Ringmaster's waist and angles down to the bottom edge below Daredevil's foot.

[PovertyRow]

As far as not knowing how to grade...well I wouldn't trust the grading of anyone - even CGC's top grader, in low light level conditions. And especially for restoration detection.

 

I am just repeating this again because the comments about someone not knowing how to grade really pissedmeoff. Shows total ignorance of the process. (apologies but am tired and hungry and worst of all - sober)

[Tomega]

Hands free light.

 

http://www.radtech.us/eyelighter.html

 

When I finally get mine in the mail I will have officially transferred into comic-guy from the Simpsons - heheh.

Tom