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Your Set, Your Way

Custom sets are here! Yes, everybody. In case you were not aware, you can now create your very own custom sets, with personalized categories and set names, along with the ability to input whichever CGC books you feel belong in them however you like!!       My brother pointed this out to me last night and I've already taken advantage of it to create two sets that I will get busy researching to find books that fit in them and filling them with the books I already have that fit.       T
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You Win Some, You Lose Some!

Risky Business! Cracking CGC graded comics for signatures is a risky proposition. You are taking a big chance on the comic book in question. It might fall in grade, making it usually less valuable even with signatures. Of course, you are ultimately hoping it retains its original grade, thereby increasing its rarity and value. In a lot of cases, you may be creating an OAK with the upgrade to an SS copy. I have done this many, many times now. However, when the issue fails to retain the ori
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Yeah, What Are They Worth?

I was going to respond to TNerb's last journal, but instead decided to do a journal of my own. When it comes to filling out CGC forms, I have put any amount from $5 to $200 on the invoice for value of the issue, but I too have tried to value issues from the mindset of personal value and cost of creating them as they are or will be. The very rare sigs like Sal Buscema are far more valuable in my opinion. But even with the cost and readily available Stan Lee sigs, it comes down to what issue i
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WOW! Sometimes you just get lucky!

Jonah Hex #92! I can't believe it! I've been wanting to get my hands on a 9.8 copy of Jonah Hex #92, being that it's one of those Low-print-run-last-issue deals of a character that I like. So far, there are only 14 of these out there to get this grade, and they've always sold for over $100. When this thing showed up on Ebay the other day, I was blown away! 9.8, White Pages and SS signed by cover artist Klaus Janson!? HOLY ! This is currently the only SS 9.8 copy of this thing out there! Ta
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Why?...... Why Not!

Life, Desire.......... and one of a kind(OAK) comics. I often wonder why I feel the way I do about certain graded comics that show up from time to time. Sometimes it's just because I'm trying to put together a complete set. Sometimes it's because I'm just wanting to own a one of a kinder (OAK). Sometimes it's because of how it causes nostalgia from my youth. I'm always seeing issues that I would like to bid on, but I'm very careful and selective with what I go after. Otherwise I would liter
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Where is the Spider This Month?

Useless but Interesing!? It just struck me today, and its probably useless knowledge, but I find it very interesting how the cover logo for the first 35 issues of Web of Spiderman was slightly different every month. The SPIDERMAN part of the logo never changed but where the spider in the logo was placed seemed to change pretty much on every issue. It hangs from the top on every issue except for number 4 where it hangs sideways across the entire SPIDERMAN part of the logo. However the sp
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What? No #1?

What the heck? I find all of the hard ones before the most plentiful one? I bought Nick Fury vs. S.H.I.EL.D. #2 off of WorldWide Comics a couple of years ago, mainly because of the Sienkiewicz cover. Also because it is the lowest print run of the mini series. Since #3 was also available on WW at the time, I went ahead and bought it as well. I figured I could just keep an eye out for the rest. They shouldn't cost too much since it's not a fanatically sought after series by any stretch of the
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What Would CGC Do?.....

Marvel Sticker Album Remember back in the mid-80's when different companies would come out with sticker sets and then have comic-shaped albums that you could stick them into in order to display your collection? I don't specifically remember which franchises did this, but I DO remember seeing quite a number of them. None of them interested me until Marvel took notice of the phenomenon and decided to copy the trend. The Official Marvel Series Sticker Set came out in 1986, along with (go figu
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WHAT IF... you read this journal?

What if... you discuss it on the chat boards? I gotta tell you. I was surprised to see so many 9.8 copies of What If going off on auction at Comiclink.com last week! This is a series that I definitely want to get all of eventually. I dont know if I will ever be number one in the rankings on the set but that doesnt really matter to me as much as getting them all in 9.8! There have been a number of opportunities over the last three years for me to get some of these and I HAVE managed a few
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What Have I Started Now?

My second one in less than a week! OK. A few days ago I finally bought my first original art and was warned about how addicting it was to collect them. Well I would now have to agree with those who warned me. I can see why original art is so intriguing to comic aficionados. I know that I wont be able to continue buying original art at the pace that I have been acquiring graded comics. While I have been averaging over 175 graded comics a year (YIPES!) I will probably only be able to manage
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What a surprise!

Unexpected!!!! I sent three issues off to Desert Wind Comics a while back for signatures. Since they were submitted to CGC under their membership, the invoice was not listed on my submissions page. I had to call CGC with the invoice number to find out the status. When I last called them, Molly told me it was in Graded status!! Yay! Not too long to wait then. So I didnt worry about checking back on them. I figured I would just let them come whenever they came. Well, today I had an afterno
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Welcome Starlog!!

FINALLY! And another surprise on the same day as well! After wanting it for a couple of years now and requesting it from Gemma a few months back, it is finally here!! Starlog Magazine is now a part of the CGC registry! I am so happy, I am about to explode!... Or implode!... Or whatever type of -plode happens when you finally get your wish on this glorious registry! Ok, maybe I am overdoing it a bit, but I have so looked forward to being able to finally go through my many issues of this m
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UPGRADING MY NEW MUTANTS AGAIN...

Gotta get it back! OK here is the deal. I congratulate TNerb on getting the Best Copper Age award this year on his New Mutants set. He has managed to barely surpass my total registry points on this set for the first time. Mine are all 9.8 or better while his is the same with two exceptions. My Graphic Novel #4 is 9.8 while his is only 9.4. His #1 is a 9.9 While mine is a Gem Mint 10!! Here is where the difference lies. I have all but three issues to go to have them all. He has only two m
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Up To The Task!

Acquiring the Taskmaster! Earlier this year, while Tnerb and I were at the Baltimore Comic Con, we had just finished off getting everything signed that we had brought to the show. In the closing hours, we traveled up and down the aisles looking for elusive goodies to line our collections with, whether that be actual comics or TPBs or figures or whatever struck our fancy. As we were perusing through one particular dealer there, I was looking over TPBs on his shelves when Tnerb called me aro
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Untapped Potential

Or, what remains to be seen? ...................................Darkness..."There was darkness for more years than I can remember. Once, I was new and pristine; out in the world and available. I had the power to enthrall and the ability to help people lose themselves in a world of wonder.""Now, I sit. I sit and wait; for what, I don't know. I long to be out in the light again. I yearn to be useful and appreciated again. I pray that one day, someone will notice me, here in the darkness. Won't so
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Un-FOUR-gettable!!

Where it all started! Ok the next issue on the list is not an OAK, and I could replace it if I had to at some point, but because of what it represents, I would just hate to have to give it up. #4 on the list... Marvel Graphic Novel #4 9.8 Yes, yes it is the first appearance of my beloved New Mutants. There were only eleven 9.8 copies of this big, beautiful book for years until recently when a few more showed up. Even now there are only 17 of them making this a tougher item to acquire.
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Two Sell or not Two Sell

There is NO question... I will NEVER sell the comic book that sits in the number two spot of my PSL! Never never never. Get it? Got it? GOOD! What issue demands so much loyalty from me?... DAREDEVIL #168 9.6 Wait a minute, you might say. What is so special about this issue? Yeah, it is a huge Copper Age key and has good value to it, but there are plenty of them out there in both 9.6 and 9.8 condition. You could pick up a copy any time you wanted, including a higher graded copy, so what
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Turbo Tampa!

Bing Bang BOOM! Ok, I decided a couple of weeks ago theat I would try to hit the Tampa Comic Con this weekend. There were only a few comics by a few creators that I would consider having signed, but I felt that it was worth it. Since I live in Tallahassee, this is a show I could literally drive down, get items signed, and drive back, all in one day. That is exactly what I was able to accomplish in a VERY short timeframe. Bo Hampton was in attendance at this show, and he did artwork on just
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Trying To Cut Back!

Just Leave Her Be! Like Tnerb, I too am trying to putt finances up for the 3 cons I plan on attending next year. Saving up is getting hard, though with items constantly showing up that I want to try for on the different auctions out there. I have had to be more choosy and conservative, backing off and not even putting bids in on a lot of things that I would normally jump all over. There are few issues coming up over the next few weeks that I HAVE to try for no matter what! But it's felt li
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Top O' The World, Ma!!!

NYCC issues are In hand! The ten issues that Tnerb did for me at the NYCC are now back in my hands. My last journal has the full listing of everything I currently have grades on from both Baltimore and NYCC. These ten did a number of things both FOR me and TO me. 1. Five of them were New Mutants issues that were signed and retained 9.8s, thereby adding 15 more points to my NM set. These were #19,20,24,36 and 74. 2. One was my New Mutants Annual #1 which, just as TNerbs copy did, fell t
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TNerb's Ultimate New Mutants Goal

Can he do it? I have been in talks with Tnerb for a little while now. Great Guy. Lofty Goals (like me). I wish him all the luck in the world with his goal of all the new mutants in 9.8. I currently have the same passion and am only 12 away from accomplishing it. By the way, Tnerb, I got my #1 Gem Mint 10 on ebay about a year and a half ago. I made an offer and the guy took it (probably still too much $$$$, but I'm happy!).Believe it or not, there are actually 2 copies in 10 now. As fa
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Three Coins in a Fuchsbau

The Grimm reality of number three! Ok, for those of you who have not watched the TV series Grimm, the title of this journal is not going to make sense to you. It is the title of a particular episode from the show. At one point during the show these three coins show up that apparently have been around for centuries and have some sort of controlling power over anyone who touches them or even sees them. They give the owner power, glory and an undeniable charisma over other men. If the coins
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This Hobby Of Ours

Labels Labels Labels Im sitting at home. Ive had a few and Im looking through my collection and attempting to come up with a subject to write a journal about. How about this hobby of ours in general. It is a very niche hobby full of die hard collectors and nostalgia chasing grown ups. To be truthful this whole grading thing is not all that old quite yet. At first no one was sure if it would catch on or last all that long. I know I waited at least ten years before I considered getting into it
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The Waiting Game.....

The nature of grading. As graded comic collectors, we all know how it's a patient man's way of collecting. You can fork out the money to buy already graded books like I did for the first five years of my collecting cgc books, or you can submit books yourself, which is mostly what I do now. But the length of time to get them back after submission can be agonizingly slow. We understand that that's the case ahead of time, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating. But that's what happens when
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The Thunderbolts Were Framed!!

And they deserved it! They were framed in the sense that I took the Original Art for the title splash page 1 from issue number 9 and had Mark Bagley sign it at the Megacon last month and then purchased a pristine copy of the actual comic from a dealer at the same show and had them professionally framed. It came out great! The frame is black leather bound and beautiful. The matting around the art drops down at the center bottom to show Mark Bagleys signature. The comic book itself is bright a
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