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CGC Journals
Our community journals
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Latest Entry
Getting out of the hobby 2
Slight change in plans
Upon the counsel of numerous people I have decided to stay in the hobby but only slightly. I will be getting rid of the majority of my comics and hanging onto 1 specific character. My son who is just under 2 years old has taken very strongly to my most beloved of characters. This characters name is Spider-man. I will sell everything I own minus these for the time being.
I can remember the first time I picked up a Spider-man comic and I was instantly enthralled by this character. No other comic has taken me like these and I would love to pass these on to him someday. I have not quite decided if I will keep all things Spidey or just a couple titles but they will more than likely be the last to find their way to the auction block.
I will be listing other comics (over 3000) on ebay starting within the week and I will be leaving notices on the forums under the ebay selling area if you would like to keep up there.
Thanks goes to Tnerd (mostly) for the advice.
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Latest Entry
Compulsive Collector
Are you a compulsive collector searching through internet early morning and night to hopefully add to your collection, as "I" do?
With the advent of the internet, life has been easy trying to find stuff on the Web. Or has it? I've been buying most of my collection(s) from eBAy and other auction houses as of the past 10 years. Who knows how many hours I've spent bidding, researching and searching the web. I mainly collect raw/CGC Marvel comics, sport cards and memorabilia, overfilling my office.
I wondered what drives others to collect as I do. I mainly started because I always loved superhero comics when I was younger and I figured it would be something that I could pass on to my children and grand kids one day. But now, I think I have enough to perhaps to just stop, but for some reason i'm just more driven to collect the best.
Is it a passion or compulsion? What makes you collect? And are you compulsive in buying for a good enough reason?
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Summer buying season?
Does anyone else focus on summer comic buying?
I'm well into another very successful summer buying season (more on this in bit) and was wondering if others in the hobby still have a focus on summer buying like I do. Of course, growing up in Chicago the main focus of my collecting year was the Chicago Comicon. My brother and I went for years, starting in the late 1980's. We still have books from Rob Liefeld's 24 hour signing marathon if anyone remembers that. Of course, we would be up the entire night before the show started, and it was like Christmas in July. This was way before the internet allowed comics to be bought and sold 24/7/365, so unless they had something at your local comics shop you were out of luck until the con rolled around again.
Now, even though the comics market has changed a lot, I'm still geared around the summer buying season. I suppose that part of this is due to extra funds from teaching summer school (which my ever supportive wife allows me to use on my collection), but even in years where extra money hasn't been there I still get geared up for making at least one major summer purchase. This year, so far, it has been some nice Tales of Suspense (#41, 48, & 54) and filling in a couple of black cover nemesis books in Amazing Spidey (#60 & 104, both in CGC 9.2), last year it was my grail of grails, Amazing Fantasy #15 (which I spent half the summer selling stuff to pay for). In 2008 I picked up Tales of Suspense #39, 40, 50, and a serious upgrade for my Amazing Spidey #122.
My question for the journal readers out there is whether or not you follow any sort of calendar when it comes to your collecting. Do you have a "season" or do you tend to buy whenever you have the funds or a particular book comes along? Going to conventions in the summer for so long has apparently hardwired me for summer buying, but is everyone like this or is it just me?
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I Am Here Because This Is Where I Am by FIREFLY
-Some 'friends' are only friends when give them a reason to be-
After 4 1/2 years...full of fervor, full of passion, full of wonder and hope, I realized that I wasn't 19 anymore. I was older. I was more mature that n people expected me to be. I was bolder, I was harder and more calloused about the reality we live in. After seeing people beat up to a pulp, stabbed, die in their sleep, get sick to the point of death...wouldn't you be?
Funny...my father came to pick me up. After all these years, he finally decided to show up and try to be a part of my life...my new life. We stayed at a hotel for a couple of days and then found an apartment. He wasn't there for me before all this happened...he left after a couple months.
It didn't fade me. Got used to it after a year or two in the darkness. Funny...I thought I had friends. I thought I had a girlfriend. They all left me after a month in darkness. Like my super-heroes disappeared from me...so did my 'close friends'. My mother had me at birth, by herself in the hospital while my father was at the local bar...and she was there the whole time for me, even thereafter. Friends? I had to relearn what it meant to have them again. My mindset was confused and twisted let alone suffering from Arrested development. Indeed...life had just started.
I found a girl shortly after that I wooed and convinced to go out with me. She was very special to me. Interesting enough, she had a boyfriend that she broke up with after she met me. Had no idea, but he was psycho car chases and all). But I was not psycho. I was a changed man with a short leash. No time to be a hero. She got to know my mother.
Shortly after, she died. She fell asleep with candles in her room and got burned alive. She always used to sing to me, "Champagne Supernova" by Oasis. Yes, I remember now. She used to accentuate "...faster than a cannonball..."
I had no money or friends, and one JC Penney department store card in my name. Where were my super-heroes.
But there was hope...
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Latest Entry
For My Daughters
A little explanation for investing.
I've read and loved comic books for over 20 years. I was blessed last year with twin daughters (Betty & Charley). It suddenly became important to me that I acquire some incredible books to pass down to them. In my opinion comic books will be the last printed books because of people like us who keep it alive. Hopefully, in time my girls will grow to appreciate the medium and look back at our collection with fond memories of their father. Or they can spit on my grave and sell them for a quick buck.
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Latest Entry
...And the house cleaning begins.
From a sprawling mess to a streamlined registry, this is the start of my journey where I will be refocusing my collecting habits and making my registry into something more presentable.
Over the past year or so, my collecting habits completely lost focus, and the CGC books I owned were starting to sprawl over a range of titles. My initial focus was Batman, it's the character that got me into full time collecting in the first place.
When I first started collecting back in 2008, I was picking up Batslabs left, right and centre. I had set myself no boundaries, and if it had Batman in it and was in a slab I was buying it. I ended up with grades I wasn't happy with, books I didn't really want and basically a collection that just didn't look or feel right.
I took up the task of moving the books I didn't want and defining some parameters for the books I wanted to buy. But just as I was getting somewhere, I discovered The Walking Dead and Chew. These titles were so addictive to me I started buying those up as well, Batman took a back seat and my registry declined into a mess.
Recently we moved house, the repair work needed was and still is extensive. I didn't have the cash reserves to fall back on so books needed to go. Again it was decision time, and I made up my mind to take it back to basics and go with what I orignally loved. Batman. So the WD slabs and Chew slabs were sold off, and any Batman book after 1980 that wasn't in a 9.8 slab went too. The remaining few are still trickling away on eBay right now, but finally after cleansing my collection of over 70 slabs I feel fresh and rejuvenated, my buying habits now seem managable and I have the hunger back to start buying books I'll actually love owning.
Building a large Batman collection that meets my criteria will take a lot of time, but seeing as the purchases won't be being made so often, I thought it was the ideal time to blast through my registry and turn it into a nicely presented piece.
First off comes removing all of the books that I no longer own, then it's time to update all of my photos and descriptions. The one set I will hold onto other than Batman is Thicker Than Blood. It's virtually complete with just four more 9.8s to add to the set, and it's such a great tale with gorgeous artwork to compliment it that I just couldn't let it go.
So I'll be using my journal to track my progress from here on in, updating books that have been added and keeping my registry in a tidy manner! The first purchase to the new streamlined collection should be along soon...
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Latest Entry
Silver Surfer #4 Signature Series
Stan Lee's story (Buscema art) features Thor in his only appearance in Silver Surfer (1968). A Thor movie is slated to debut next summer.
I had Stan Lee sign Silver Surfer #4 at the Phoenix Comic Convention on Sunday, 5/30/10. Although I didn't tell "Stan-the-Man" what writing instrument to use, he was smart enough to pick a beautiful Silver Sharpie to make his mark. The color is perfect on the dark purple background and I'm sure this item will be treasured for years to come.
A CGC representative was there to take the signed book immediately into their possession. I got this "low distribution" book here in Phoenix where I've seen multiple copies of this specific issue for sale at different stores in the area. Fortunately, in 1971 I don't think Phoenix had the distribution problems some other areas of the country experienced which Overstreet prices as a "low distribution" book. The 'comicpriceguide' website disputes that this is a scarce issue which is interesting to ponder.
My copy is very clean and came back rated as an 8.5, probably because of the lettering on the spline where the word "The" in the book title 'The Silver Surfer' is slightly rubbed off. The cover also had some very minor dents from earlier handling too (before I got it). I thought it would rate a 9.0, but then again I've been surprised on some lower grade books I've submitted that rated much higher than I thought they would. Amazingly, I purchased this book for $75 from a dealer who had rated at 6.5 (Fine+)! 2010 Overstreet value is somewhere around $485 in this condition (no signature). And.. CGC gave me 303 points in my set registry versus 275 for another SS#4 book of the same grade, proving that signed books are more valuable (in terms of registry points at least)!!!
I've posted a picture which I had to stitch together because the encased book didn't fit on my scanner. CGC limits the file size to 75k which is a bummer. I'll try to take another picture with my digital camera soon.
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New Teen Titans 1980 and 1984 series
Rare and uncommon issues...
Since my last post about the New Teen Titans (1980), the rare issues I listed are now common place and the price has dropped for these issues. The New Teen Titans #2 is probably the most popular and #4 is probably the hardest to find in the regular run. The Signature Series has hit this run and I have seen DCCP #26 and #1-10 frequently selling, including sprinkles of the Signature Series from the upper issues too.
Here are some problem issues currently from the 1980 run:
The Best of DC Digest #18 ? New Teen Titans ? Highest grade CGC 9.6
New Teen Titans Anti-Drug Issue (IBM Issue) ? One CGC 9.8.
These need to be added to the registry along with the above issues:
New Teen Titans Anti-Drug Issue (Keebler Issue)
New Teen Titans Anti-Drug Issue (National Soft Drink Association Issue)
Here are some problem issues from the New Teen Titans/New Titans 1984 (2nd series) run with George Perez covers:
New Teen Titans #4 ? one CGC 9.8
New Teen Titans #5 ? no CGC 9.8
New Titans #19 ? one CGC 9.8
New Titans #20 ? one CGC 9.8
New Titans #21 ? two CGC 9.8
New Titans #50 ? no CGC 9.8
New Titans #51 ? no CGC 9.8
New Titans #52 ? no CGC 9.8
New Titans #53 ? one CGC 9.8
New Titans #54 ? no CGC 9.8
New Titans #55 ? no CGC 9.8
New Titans #56 ? no CGC 9.8
New Titans #57 ? no CGC 9.8
New Titans #130 ? no CGC 9.8
Good Luck!
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Latest Entry
All Select 11 Just got back!
All Select 11 - Barn Fresh!
This is a copy of All Select 11 that came from a 26 issue Golden Age collection found outside of Milwaukee. This book was found in a tin box in a barn outside of an old school house. Also found with this book was: Detective 116, Action 102, Batman 41, and 43, All Top 8 (which is a nice fine/fine+), Superman 49, All Flash 32, and a coverless Sub-Mariner 20 among others. Also got a copy of Young Allies 20 which is currently at CGC being graded. Very nice little collection brought back into collectors hands!
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Lots #2 and 3 Ship
Lot #2 and 3 with 31 books arrived at CGC at 12:52 PM April 12th. They are now on the way back to me as of May 11th. Again CGC has shipped on the 20 business day mark.
These lots should arrive today, May 13th. If you are following my scores, they should be registered by the end of the day.
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Latest Entry
New to this but enjoying it...
6 sets of wolverine limited series 1-4
I have just picked up a set of wolverine limited series 1-4 that I am going to get graded, they are in most excelent condition and should come back 9.6-9.8 they will be my first set of comics I get graded and hopefully not my last, BTW did I mention that I got 6 sets of Wolverine 1-4 for a very nice price. As soon as the first sets come back I will update this and let people(if any one reads this) know how they came back........May 10 2010
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Latest Entry
Captain America Vol 1- Shippment Received 3/26/2010
Captain America Vol 1
Just received Captain America #101 with a 9.4 CGC grade and Captain America #102 with a 9.6 CGC grade.
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Latest Entry
Say it once!
One
Remember Longer with a apple in its hand is better. How do you submit a pre 1980 comic, what do you select I am stumped. Modern, value, economy and standard. What tier?
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Silver Surfer Collection Unobscured!
Check out my set!
Unheralded Eclectic Surfer Collection available for viewing for all whom may be interested!
CC
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Latest Entry
My 1st jounal entry
My passion...
This is my 1st journal entry. I am a collector of passion. I am collecting some main titles, but a lot of the titles I like collecting are, what I would like to call, 2nd tier titles. I believe these titles were awesome & are very nostalgic for me. Most of these titles have been revamped in recent years. But I bet they didn't do so great. I loved the horror, war, & superhero comics. And in result of having OCD, I have been trying to collect to have the highest graded copies of all the books in each of the titles I enjoy. At the same time, I have the TPBs for all of them available in TPB. For the titles that aren't in TPB form, I have been collecting reader copies over the years. I have noticed my daughters have taken up the passion of comics also. With my experience, I already know which ones are age appropriate for them. But I also believe that these 2nd tier titles from the 60's & 70's that I collect are going to be underrated for a while longer since I've noticed that there are a lot of instances where there is only a few of the highest graded copies, if not just 1 copy. But the major titles of the same age have so many more graded copies of those same eras. Of course the major 1st appearances will always go for premium prices regardless of the title its in. I am going to close now & would like to say that I'm happy to have this grading system in place where we can be competitive with collecting & compare collections. My only wish is tobe able to have the graders' notes on each book graded readily available to the person ownig the issue.
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Lazerman- Soon to be a comic book star!
Read this article to find out about america's next comic star!
Check out this journal to read about the new comic book hero, Lazerman!!! Written by Alen Herbert Jr, and art from Chris Herbert. The new company these two created is called HBcomics.
Lazerman is a new comic book hero who is a young teenager named Alex. He a computer geek that, after visiting a lazer show, got struck by a lazer that gave him incredible powers. He learned the power to fly, have a force field, and shoot lazers out of his hands. In the first 4 issues, check out his first foe called Razorman. To find out more about Lazerman, visit HBcomics.com and to buy his comics, visit indyplanet.com and type in Lazerman in the search space. Also out from HBcomics, Vindication. I bought a comic about Lazerman at a convention, and I sure am glad I did!
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Latest Entry
WonderCon 2010
March 2010
Purchased a 3 day pass the day they were (finally) available. Hope to see you there.
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The Russell B. Nye Popular Culture Collection
Since my last journal entry discussed the methodology used to assess violence in Batman Comic books. This entry will elaborate on where the majority of my qualitative research was conducted for those of you interested in conducting research related to popular culture. This discussion is also included in my Thesis under Appendix B.
Obviously it would be difficult for a researcher to obtain every Batman comic book published between 1940-2000. Some of the older Batman comics are so rare and expensive that the cost of obtaining these books would greatly outweigh the significance of this research project. The Library of Congress is supposed to have a copy of every literary work, including comic books, published in the United States. According to other researchers, (Savage, 1990) and (Inge, 1978) the library, at one time had been pilfered resulting in a substantial amount of missing material. Bowling Green State University in Ohio has a popular culture collection yet their material was also incomplete for the purposes of this study.
The Russell B. Nye Popular Culture Collection at Michigan State University holds the most extensive collection of Batman comic books within the mid-western United States available to researchers. This library quite possibly contains the largest collection of popular culture artifacts such as books, collectibles, magazines, fanzines and comic books in the world. After conducting interviews with staff, a recent inventory revealed the Russell Nye collection substantially surpasses the Library of Congress holdings. Although the entire collection of Batman comics is not complete, the majority of missing originals can be analyzed on microfilm. The Russell Nye collection dates back to the late 1960's when scholars at Michigan State University as well as other universities increasingly began to study the importance of mass media entertainment; namely pulp popular culture. In 1978, the Popular Culture Collection was renamed the Russell B. Nye Popular Culture Collection to honor one of the founders of the study of popular culture as well as being a major contributor to the collection. The collection now has over 125,000 items (at time of this publication in 2000) and is recognized across the nation as the leading research center for the study of popular culture. As far as comic books themselves, the collection encompasses over 80,000 comic books published in the United States since 1935. This is by far the largest collection of comic books available to the public therefore an excellent source for qualitative data collection.
Being there are so many materials of monetary value, there is a fairly strict level of security. It is considered more courteous to let the staff know you are coming ahead of time and what type of research you will be working on, although this is not a prerequisite of their policy. When you walk into the collection's reading room the first thing to do is tell the staff who you are and what you are looking for which can also be accomplished via e-mail. After all of the necessary forms have been filled out as to what type of study you are conducting, where you are from, and the materials needed, the researcher can then proceed to one of the tables in the reading room and begin the research. Only pencils are allowed past the front desk and backpacks, briefcases and coats are left at the entrance, no exceptions. The reading room consists of two large wooden tables in the center room with about eight or ten smaller tables located next to the wall all around the room. A staff member is, for the most part, sitting at the front desk near the entrance ready to assist with any questions as well as retrieve the requested research documents.
Copyright 2010 K.E. Runkle
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Latest Entry
My Interest in Comic Collecting
Well what can I say? I am so new it is pathetic.
I am 40 years old and so new at collecting comics my embilical cord is not even cut yet. I don't even know what a collector looks for on the cover of a book to indicate it has potential future value.
There are so many comic publishers out there it is confusing as to understand which hold a better value. Or if a collector was looking for potential monetary gain which publisher typically is the favored company.
Right now, I collect random titles and companies. If I see a comic book I like, I get it. I dont read it, I place it in a sleeve and keep it. So for now, collecting is just for the enjoyment of the art work on the cover and I dont even have complete series. I have been buying the number one books of issues if I come across it. Never know when that one collector needs the number 1 book for his collection.
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Latest Entry
SGT. Rock got me hooked
I was 12 when I got my first comic book.It was SGT. Rock #339. It blew me away.....I was instantly hooked. It was given to me by a good friend and classmate when my family moved to another town.I still have it and enjoy just staring at the cover.
From that day on I was comic book crazy. I had been collecting for about 15 yrs when my second daughter was born. That was the day I had to stop collecting. My daughter was born with one kidney that was enlarged and not functioning correctly. The chose was very simple.....doctor bills and 3 hr hospital trips for the nearest pediatric neurologist, or comics collecting.
So everything went into storage.
A few years later she got appendicitus. Once again scared out of my mind that we might lose her.
And now she is the first thing I see every morning and who knew the words "good morning daddy"are all a father would ever want to hear.
She is now in perfect health (minus one kidney and appendix)and I am trying get back into comics.
In the past years I was able get a few here and there at comic shops and stores when they were available. I live in a very small town and a kmart is all we had at the time.
I was able to get a copy ,through wizard,of TEEN TITANS#1(sketch)by Michael Turner.I have been a fan of his ever since.
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Latest Entry
X-Men Forever
Need to add...
Rogue covers for the registry, once available!
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Latest Entry
The Million and One reason for collecting
So many reasons for collecting comics is why the hobby is so engaging
I grew up with Spider-man who became part of my being back in '63 as with most. Lost all of the comics as most did also, but have been putting back together a collection of those comics for my kid, but have veered off and started collecting by Important Comic Writers and Artists of the genre for myself.
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Do Delveries still come in the 11 inch snow?
Does the mail Freeze?
Do they Deliver the books in the freezing cold to your door step.
Or do you got to pay them extra...
like a cup of joe...or cash, probably like a bill ($100).
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Latest Entry
BOY have I got comics
I or we have collected for years , I even had a store , but the economy changed all that .
I have in our area , 1 of the largest private collections ever . bar none . NOW , as a result , I am gonna try and sell them piecemeal to collectors , via EBAY , shame though ...........
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like a cup of joe...
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