Howdy Doody!

      I may start saying that more as a greeting to people even though the comic book I discovered those two words together on creeps me out.  A lot.

That's just scary.  Worse than pretty much any pre-code horror comic IMO.  If I came home from work to see that sitting on my kitchen counter I'd freak out.  Then I'd go grab my dad's nail gun

Anyway, what's up?  How's the hunt for your grail?  Or the non-hunt?  Maybe your grail is a common key book that you see listed multiple places everyday that is just so expensive you have to save up for a quarter-century to afford it...all the while it's going up in price faster than your raises at work are coming?  Either way, I hope you all are making progress.  And if you are one of those collectors that owns their grail already...don't tell me about it 

For me, it's Captain America Comics #1.  That's it.  It could be worse.  There are 7 more valuable books I could have chosen Then again, it could be a whole lot better!!  Why can't I desire Airboy #1 or Bulletman #1?  Why?  WHY?!  Whether I ever own a Cap #1 someday I do not know, but I'll die tryin' as they say.

For now, I'll continue collecting the other 78 issues in the glorious golden age run.  Speaking of which, I just replaced the raw Cap #76 I traded with cash for a CGC 3.0SS Cap #78 back in September 0f 2016.  I picked this up from the Second City Collection that was on ComicConnect this past June.

It's got a fair amount of restoration done to it.  I've never had a book that had its cover re-glossed.  Actually, it's the most restored book I've ever bought, but if it's not brittle or trimmed, I'm game!  How else am I going to get the entire run in any sort of...timely...manner......?

So, I'm more than happy to have it.  It's a white Cap cover which, besides #70, there isn't any others!  I like it!

Non Cap related, while browsing the July ComicLink auction I set my eyes upon a Fight Comics #80 for the first time.  A beautiful Maurice Whitman cover!  "Have to have it", I thought to myself.

But I guess I didn't have to have it since I stopped bidding early on and didn't win it

Thankfully, two copies showed up on eBay soon after that lost auction, which I gobbled up.  Not as high grade but they'll do!

Maurice knew how to draw females!  He had a few covers of Cowgirl Romances, but I just can't get into those.  I just can't "Ride Fast for Wyoming" if you know what I mean

Anywho, while browsing the usual auction sites and jotting down issues I'd like to bid for on way too many post it notes that are taking over my computer monitor, I see a Cap #66 CGC 3.5 listed on eBay in a true auction style format.  Finally, since most all the BIN for Cap's are way, way too high to even look at for the better part of a minute.  I was interested in winning this book even though I had a copy already.  My copy though, if you don't recall, is a true beater.  Faded, ripped, chipped, written on, chunk missing, rusted upon and soiled! 

That's still fine by me, but this 3.5 looked like a 9.0 compared to it.  So I won the 3.5 and sold my undercopy on eBay which helped offset the sting of upgrading a bit.

My new Captain America Comics #66!!

That will probably be the only time I upgrade before I grab each issue in the series, unless a deal presents itself.  Yes, I would end up with better books in the end upgrading as I also acquire, but that would slow down my pace to even slower than it's already trickling

So, those are the two new additions to the Cap collection.  That brings my total to sweet 16!

#27 raw

#33 2.0R

#44 raw

#53 raw

#66 3.5

#67 2.5

#68 raw

#69 3.0 Can. Ed.

#70 5.0

#71 3.0

#73 3.5SS Can. Ed.

#74 4.0 Can. Ed.

#75 raw

#76 5.0R

#77 2.0

#78 3.0SS

I did send in my Cap #68 & #75 to get graded while at Boston Comic Con two weeks ago.  Hopefully they come back in the grades I expect!

I do have my eye on one particular Cap book coming up for auction which will be a huge addition to the collection if I can land it

Until next time...keep pressing forward!