MBFan

On 4/15/2024 at 10:16 PM, Darwination said:

There is a Baker attribution elsewhere in the series 

What issue number is that?

On 4/12/2024 at 11:12 PM, Darwination said:

It's cheap, too!  Deals everywhere

 

New Baker sighting this week in the pulp scans group.  The scanner was just after one story, but I was able to confirm that likely the entire issue is Matt Baker illustrated (which I knew was likely the case)  Not my scans here, Terror Detective Magazine, February 1956, a crime digest from Everett Arnold.  I hesitate to even show this thing in such sharky waters (and absolutely do keep some Baker secrets to myself ).  What a fantastic cover this is (artist unknown):

 

Harlan Ellison, Day Keene, Edward Hoch are among the authors in the issue, totally killer, I'd love to get my hands on it.

 

and I found the auction where it came from and another illo, very likely all the splashes are Baker

 

That Gang Girl splash is a nice example of Baker pencils and Baker inks from an era when much of his comic book work was mangled by the inking of Vince Colletta.

On 4/8/2024 at 7:40 AM, Ahsoka Tano Jedi Apprentice said:

  Could you explain to me how this works ...I don't understand this.....You submitted the book with a pre-screen...telling CGC don't slab it if it's not at least a 8.5 ?  ....If that is the case i suppose you still pay a certain amount for a pre-screen ?   If so ...how is it determined how much you pay for a pre-screen ?   If you don't mind me asking.......If you'd rather not get into it I understand.

Since no one else has responded to you in the past 3 days, here are CGC's prescreen details from the Services & Fees page:

Only encapsulate comic books or magazines that reach your minimum grade. There is no minimum submission requirement to select Grade PreScreen. Tier fee OR $9 per reject

On 4/3/2024 at 7:54 PM, MBFan said:

Thanks for your report. CGC is obviously behind on Vintage without Fast Track. They should quit showing a 30-day turnaround on the web when it's not true. 

CGC listed my small 5-book order as Received and Scheduled for Grading 9 business days before your books. My books entered Grading/Encapsulation/Imaging the week before yours. I'm happy you got your books back and they all look great, but I'm wondering why mine are stuck in Grading/Encapsulation/Imaging.

Sent CGC an email 2 days ago regarding their lateness with my small order. Did not receive a reply, but my order was marked as "Shipped" today.

On 4/3/2024 at 6:49 PM, zzutak said:

My February 2024 Vintage (non-FT) submission is now back in hand.  Here are the vital stats:

• 2024-02-05: Accepted by USPS
• 2024-02-07: Delivered to CGC (Final USPS Scan)
• 2024-02-xx: Delivery Never Confirmed by CGC (Parcel Missed the CGC Pre-Opening Scan)
• 2024-02-12: Status Marked "Received"
• 2024-02-12: Status Marked "Scheduled for Grading"
• 2024-03-19: Status Marked "Grading/Encapsulation/Imaging"
• 2024-03-xx: Status Never Marked "Grading/Quality Control" (if this did occur, it only stood for less than one hour on 03-27)
• 2024-03-27: Status Marked "Shipped"
• 2024-04-03: Delivered to Me (via FedEx Ground, which is what I selected on the submission form)

That's 59 calendar days from raw-in-hand to encapsulated-in-hand for anyone who's counting (or 35 business days under the sole control/custody of CGC).  As a reminder, CGC's estimated TAT on the day I entered into this contract with them was 30 business days.

A visual inspection of the encapsulated books and a review of the associated Grader Notes reveal that the books are in exactly the same condition today as they were on February 4, 2024.  In other words, the books were handled with appropriate and sufficient care.  Furthermore, the labels are 100% correct and each book looks fantastic in its holder.   

Thanks for your report. CGC is obviously behind on Vintage without Fast Track. They should quit showing a 30-day turnaround on the web when it's not true. 

CGC listed my small 5-book order as Received and Scheduled for Grading 9 business days before your books. My books entered Grading/Encapsulation/Imaging the week before yours. I'm happy you got your books back and they all look great, but I'm wondering why mine are stuck in Grading/Encapsulation/Imaging.

5 Vintage (Not foreign or anything unusual)

CGC Received and Scheduled for Grading 1/30/24

Grading/Encapsulation/Imaging  3/15

If CGC was meeting the 30-working-days Vintage turnaround shown online, they would have been finished with my order by 3/15. Will update when the books move from G/E/I. 

On 3/4/2024 at 9:59 AM, PopKulture said:

That thing is as faded as a “gray” Challengers of the Unknown number one. 

I’ve had my beater copy for fifty years. It’s one of four comics my grandma found in the attic of their old balloon-frame house that my aunt had read as a kid. No Marvel Mystery, no Captain America, not even Captain Marvel. The four books were the below Youthful Love Romances, a Love Romances 9 (photo cover), My Desire 31, and a very cool oddball, Jughead 1. My brother got first and second choice since he was older, and took the Youthful Love and naturally the Jughead. That left me with a beater Love Romances 9 and an equally compromised My Desire 31. I always maintained for decades later I should’ve at least gotten choices two and four…

I eventually conned him out of this one but he kept the Jughead. I can’t say I blame him.

Your copy is the US version, with "LN" and "AUG. SEPT." at the top right. It might be rarer than the Canadian printing sold at HA.

The handwritten cursive "P" on the cover looks like the one on many Pennsylvania Pedigree books.

On 3/3/2024 at 3:50 PM, Darwination said:

He's got the credit and the dudes definitely look Baker.  I was wondering if I'd seen many Baker girls shedding a tear but quickly found other examples.

Quality Publications romance titles like Heart Throbs had a thing about featuring teary-eyed girls on the cover. Matt Baker rarely used tears to make a point, especially during his St. John run.

Baker drew an expression on the girl's face on Heart Throbs 46 that didn't require a teardrop to convey the necessary emotion. Perhaps the editor asked the inker to add one.

On 11/6/2023 at 1:18 PM, Comics-n-ERB said:

Here's some fun ones for you all.

I bought a large collection last year; part original owner, part he bought second hand.  He started collecting in the late 1950's so from there up all original, before then he bought from various sources.  The Collection originated from Ohio.

These first two books the markings looked very familiar to me.  I asked a couple friends and they agreed; they looked like Ohio Copies.  I had them graded, CGC agreed.

 

 

The markings on these books look kind of like those on your Ohio copies.

I don't know if it'll work on the "white discoloration", but I have used Novus to successfully remove scratches from CGC slabs. Disclaimer: YMMV. Practice on an inconspicuous spot on a slab you care least about.

Some people use PolyWatch, but I have no personal experience with it. 

On 2/3/2024 at 2:10 PM, Yorick said:

Book title? Issue number?

On 1/31/2024 at 7:45 AM, joeypost said:

Too bad there aren’t any experts giving him advice. 

Glad you stopped by. You are the only presser on the forum who has ever touched any of my books, and you did marvelous. You no doubt are a pro. How about kindly sharing some experienced advice on this matter?

Info for those who haven't read Kaptain Myke's Comic Book CPR and think that perhaps his instructions have created the problem being discussed here: The book strongly cautions readers not to use too much pressure with erasers, to avoid erasure marks and gloss loss. Near the end of a full page of "Eraser Cleaning Practice", he says, "This is a patient man's game and will take time."

Fritzi Ritz nn (#2 1948) and Fritzi Ritz #3

On 12/27/2023 at 7:23 PM, Robot Man said:

Yeah, comic shops and mostly boxes at cons. I collected all matter of GA giants and annuals. Some I knew what I was looking for and some just turned up and I bought them. Nobody knew about Baker, including me. And nearly no one collected "love books" so they were real reasonable. I just have a thing for square bounds. 

Wow. 

On 12/17/2023 at 11:18 PM, Changer said:

Teen-Age Romances #33 (St. John, 1953) CGC Apparent VG 4.0 Slight | Lot #15297 | Heritage Auctions (ha.com)

I knew this was a tough book but the restored price normally aint high at all, new collectors coming from Heritage market? 

That price is out-of-line for a restored book, unless the buyer can undo the restoration without further damage.       

The spine split negatively affects the grade, and the existence of tape negatively affects the grade. If the tape can be removed without worsening the spine split, the book should get a blue label and and a possible grade bump. 

Might have been a better idea to buy the TAR 33 CGC 4.5 blue label that's on the Bay right now for only $445 more. 

On 12/14/2023 at 6:47 PM, jimjum12 said:

I'm going to be in the hospital for a couple weeks and can only answer PMs sporadically. GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

Prayers for you, Jim! GOD BLESS YOU

On 12/12/2023 at 1:47 PM, MrBedrock said:

Absolutely. They are constantly amusing.

Thought it was fun when a mama Muskovy moved into the back yard with her hatchlings, until it became hazardous for the kids to walk barefoot in the grass, due to all of the poopy little landmines.

On 11/16/2023 at 3:16 PM, Changer said:

hate to ask but what is the consensus on this one ... Kamen? 

Looks like Kamen to me. 

On 11/14/2023 at 11:18 PM, Darwination said:

Stumbled across this one at eBay tonight and am like, Baker, really? The box says so, cough.

But maybe possible? An article on BC from just last year makes an argument for some sort of proof or portfolio piece or something.

https://bleedingcool.com/comics/leslie-charteris-and-the-mystery-of-avons-the-saint-4-at-auction/

I'm gonna stick with no.  What's the consensus on this one?

 

That is not Baker art. And it would be nice for the Bleeding Cool author to point out exactly "the undeniably "Bakerish" aspects to the piece overall". I do not see them.

Without a scintilla of proof, he also states, "Baker's involvement in this cover is certainly possible, and perhaps more likely than not."