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n2wdw's Tales of the Comic Book Room
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1,369 posts in this topic

On 2/23/2019 at 11:57 AM, Robot Man said:

Yeah, many times. A long time friend of mine introduced us. As it turned out we had lots in common. Dave was a great guy that left us WAY too soon. 

 

You're very lucky.  I met him one time at a SDCC, but unfortunately that was the only time.

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38 minutes ago, n2wdw said:

Two Matt Baker Pickups!

I just won these comics moments ago on Ebay!  I didn't expect to win either.  You don't see WR 13 often; in fact I don't remember the last time I saw it for sale.  Similar for WR 16, and this comic also is one of Baker's best tail light covers.  I was hoping to win one, can't believe I won both!

s-l1600.thumb.jpg.e5a830411b9940a81b39832958f0180c.jpgs-l160a0.thumb.jpg.56092289a036477d795890fcaed31dda.jpg

 

Way to go!  Those are awesome, and I was watching them too.

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1 hour ago, n2wdw said:

 

You're very lucky.  I met him one time at a SDCC, but unfortunately that was the only time.

Yes, I was. He really knew how to throw a party too. Most of them were like the bar scene in Star Wars. Wild group of characters!

The best thing about Dave was he was just a fan boy like the rest of us. He never forgot his roots. Very humble.

Edited by Robot Man
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1 hour ago, n2wdw said:

Two Matt Baker Pickups!

I just won these comics moments ago on Ebay!  I didn't expect to win either.  You don't see WR 13 often; in fact I don't remember the last time I saw it for sale.  Similar for WR 16, and this comic also is one of Baker's best tail light covers.  I was hoping to win one, can't believe I won both!

s-l1600.thumb.jpg.e5a830411b9940a81b39832958f0180c.jpgs-l160a0.thumb.jpg.56092289a036477d795890fcaed31dda.jpg

 

Great grabs Mike!  And I got lucky and picked up this nice LB Cole beauty from the same seller. Only 5 on census.

03D686B4-4A95-4A24-9428-47CA7F3711D4.jpeg

Edited by Microbia
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Additions to the Lady In White Collection

I've talked before about my Lady In White collection (which is a collection originally conceived by @miraclemet).  Whenever you have a collection like this, you have to have rules that define what's allowed to be in the collection.  Having strict rules can be frustrating, as it becomes hard to find books that meet the rules, and it can begin to feel like the collection is stagnating because you're not adding to it.  But opening up the rules too much can be worse.  Yes, it allows you to add to the collection faster, but if you relax the rules too much, the collection loses focus and really loses its appeal and interest.

The main rule is the cover has to have a gothic feel to it, with a beautiful damsel in distress wearing a flowing white dress or gown.  Now, there are comics that have a gothic feel with a woman in a white dress -- but she's the aggressor, not a damsel in distress.  You see what I mean about relaxing the rules?  I've decided not to include books like this in the collection, as it would go against the fundamentals of the Lady In White theme.

Originally, another rule was the book had to be gold, silver or bronze.  I decided to relax this rule and allow books from all ages.  This doesn't really change things, because gothic seems rare in modern books (Right now I know of only 1 modern book that fits the theme, Rom 33.  If you know of others, please let me know!). 

My final original rule was the book had to have a minimum grade of CGC 9.0.  This rule has caused me the most heartburn.  Especially with magazines.  High grade magazines are incredibly hard to find.  And they are expensive to grade.  And even more expensive to press (which I've done with comics to nudge them to 9.0; that's not possible with mags due to the high cost, at least for me, as there's only so much I'm willing to spend for this collection).  There's a treasure trove of mags that meet the theme, but I've been frustrated about adding them to the collection because of my minimum 9.0 grading rule.

I've decided to ease my grading requirement.  Now, the requirement is my Lady in White collection as a whole has to have a 9.0 grade.  In other words, the average grade of all the books in the collection has to be at least 9.0.  This allows me to have lower grade books, as long as I have enough higher grade books to compensate.

So, with these new rules, here are some additions to the collection.  I feel queasy about the Dracula Lives 3 at 7.0.  That might be too low to satisfy my anal collecting sensibilities.  So maybe my grade rule will be: the average has to be 9.0, but no book can be below 8.0.  I don't know.  I'm still negotiating with myself over this issue.

IMG_2143.thumb.JPG.bbfcd2532d6a681005899fbd69ad74d1.JPGIMG_2142.thumb.JPG.5237d0e32c25eb86544ff3783ae4b12e.JPGIMG_2149.thumb.JPG.7427dc5ca93fa85378223d5e74ec07fe.JPGIMG_2148.thumb.JPG.932cb6fbc3bc50baf267c5ef835d68d0.JPGIMG_2147.thumb.JPG.81651bfe7f2c05baafc6ba3c606e4a8b.JPGIMG_2144.thumb.JPG.ed5e5fdc304b21cd801b0caa41b5fb4a.JPG

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18 hours ago, Microbia said:

Great grabs Mike!  And I got lucky and picked up this nice LB Cole beauty from the same seller. Only 5 on census.

03D686B4-4A95-4A24-9428-47CA7F3711D4.jpeg

Nice win.  I was watching that one too.  Glad it ended up with someone here.

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On 3/4/2019 at 4:20 PM, n2wdw said:

Two Matt Baker Pickups!

I just won these comics moments ago on Ebay!  I didn't expect to win either.  You don't see WR 13 often; in fact I don't remember the last time I saw it for sale.  Similar for WR 16, and this comic also is one of Baker's best tail light covers.  I was hoping to win one, can't believe I won both!

s-l1600.thumb.jpg.e5a830411b9940a81b39832958f0180c.jpgs-l160a0.thumb.jpg.56092289a036477d795890fcaed31dda.jpg

 

Knew I should have bid higher on the 13. Great scores.

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9 hours ago, n2wdw said:

Additions to the Lady In White Collection

I've talked before about my Lady In White collection (which is a collection originally conceived by @miraclemet).  Whenever you have a collection like this, you have to have rules that define what's allowed to be in the collection.  Having strict rules can be frustrating, as it becomes hard to find books that meet the rules, and it can begin to feel like the collection is stagnating because you're not adding to it.  But opening up the rules too much can be worse.  Yes, it allows you to add to the collection faster, but if you relax the rules too much, the collection loses focus and really loses its appeal and interest.

The main rule is the cover has to have a gothic feel to it, with a beautiful damsel in distress wearing a flowing white dress or gown.  Now, there are comics that have a gothic feel with a woman in a white dress -- but she's the aggressor, not a damsel in distress.  You see what I mean about relaxing the rules?  I've decided not to include books like this in the collection, as it would go against the fundamentals of the Lady In White theme.

Originally, another rule was the book had to be gold, silver or bronze.  I decided to relax this rule and allow books from all ages.  This doesn't really change things, because gothic seems rare in modern books (Right now I know of only 1 modern book that fits the theme, Rom 33.  If you know of others, please let me know!). 

My final original rule was the book had to have a minimum grade of CGC 9.0.  This rule has caused me the most heartburn.  Especially with magazines.  High grade magazines are incredibly hard to find.  And they are expensive to grade.  And even more expensive to press (which I've done with comics to nudge them to 9.0; that's not possible with mags due to the high cost, at least for me, as there's only so much I'm willing to spend for this collection).  There's a treasure trove of mags that meet the theme, but I've been frustrated about adding them to the collection because of my minimum 9.0 grading rule.

I've decided to ease my grading requirement.  Now, the requirement is my Lady in White collection as a whole has to have a 9.0 grade.  In other words, the average grade of all the books in the collection has to be at least 9.0.  This allows me to have lower grade books, as long as I have enough higher grade books to compensate.

So, with these new rules, here are some additions to the collection.  I feel queasy about the Dracula Lives 3 at 7.0.  That might be too low to satisfy my anal collecting sensibilities.  So maybe my grade rule will be: the average has to be 9.0, but no book can be below 8.0.  I don't know.  I'm still negotiating with myself over this issue.

IMG_2143.thumb.JPG.bbfcd2532d6a681005899fbd69ad74d1.JPGIMG_2142.thumb.JPG.5237d0e32c25eb86544ff3783ae4b12e.JPGIMG_2149.thumb.JPG.7427dc5ca93fa85378223d5e74ec07fe.JPGIMG_2148.thumb.JPG.932cb6fbc3bc50baf267c5ef835d68d0.JPGIMG_2147.thumb.JPG.81651bfe7f2c05baafc6ba3c606e4a8b.JPGIMG_2144.thumb.JPG.ed5e5fdc304b21cd801b0caa41b5fb4a.JPG

Mike ( @n2wdw ) there are definitely some real celebrations here :applause:.  I am happy to see that the Eerie #25 and Dracula #12 (two difficult books) came inline with estimated grades.  A 8.5 Copy of Eerie #25 just sold in December for $200!  Not an easy book.

Further getting WHITE pages out of a handful of these is a celebration as Magazines typically were not stored as well with cheaper pulp paper.

The Dracula Lives #3 and #10 definitely got hammered harder than expectation. :sorry:

In regards to your dilemma around cut-offs with grades that is definitely a personal judgment call.  2cI have found myself over the years willing to accept lower technical grades for higher eye appeal.  For me, it's how the book makes me feel.  If there is a book I cherish but the defects simply make it un-attractive to me personally I can't buy it.  I don't want a copy that takes away from how I feel about the book in general.  If I can get a book with it's major defects on the back cover despite the hatchet to the grade I'm all for it and it makes the wallet book (and wife) happier :foryou:

 

- bounty

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1 hour ago, bounty_coder said:

Mike ( @n2wdw ) there are definitely some real celebrations here :applause:.  I am happy to see that the Eerie #25 and Dracula #12 (two difficult books) came inline with estimated grades.  A 8.5 Copy of Eerie #25 just sold in December for $200!  Not an easy book.

Further getting WHITE pages out of a handful of these is a celebration as Magazines typically were not stored as well with cheaper pulp paper.

The Dracula Lives #3 and #10 definitely got hammered harder than expectation. :sorry:

In regards to your dilemma around cut-offs with grades that is definitely a personal judgment call.  2cI have found myself over the years willing to accept lower technical grades for higher eye appeal.  For me, it's how the book makes me feel.  If there is a book I cherish but the defects simply make it un-attractive to me personally I can't buy it.  I don't want a copy that takes away from how I feel about the book in general.  If I can get a book with it's major defects on the back cover despite the hatchet to the grade I'm all for it and it makes the wallet book (and wife) happier :foryou:

 

- bounty

Yes, the Eerie 25 is the highlight of those books.  To get a Steranko cover like that is pretty amazing.  I'm also very happy with all the others.  As for DL 3, I'm happy to have it.  It's a really good copy, even though it got hammered by CGC -- it's the only book I was surprised by of all the mags I bought from you -- I had pegged the book at the same grade as you -- so I figure I'm way ahead!  I'm looking forward to your next magazine sale!

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Strip House New York City
 

I haven't posted any food pictures in a while, so here we go.

In the past month, I've been to NYC 3 times (twice for work).  And I've been to the Strip House twice.  Strip, as in steak rather than inspiration for Zenescope.

Here's a feel for the Strip House vibe.  It's a small restaurant with alot of NYC energy.

IMG_8276.thumb.jpg.c86592c0c83e536ebc4b922d433f0a36.jpg

The most recent time (this past Wednesday), I started with their vodka martini.  What sets this apart are the olives.  Not only are they blue cheese stuffed olives, they are truffle blue cheese olives.  I had this the first time at the Strip House, and craved it so much I had to have it the second time.

IMG_8274.thumb.jpg.d497ed21a0fb54d6078f329127b9e38c.jpg

 

After the martini, I got their barrel aged old fashioned, because life is short and I've got more years behind me than in front of me.  With this I said a silent pray for Luke Perry.

IMG_8279.thumb.jpg.2b20b5433602fcc51d36ae1fbdb1cbea.jpg

As for food, I got the grilled wedge salad (kissed with smoke), and a medium rare bone in ribeye.  I washed it down with a couple of glasses of their house cabernet, but as I write this I cannot remember what it was (with is a testament to the martini and old fashioned).  The food was wonderful (almost as good as the drinks).

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Here are a few recent additions to the comic book room.  First is Crime Does Not Pay 46.  I got this from a person on the boards.  This Biro cover has got to be one of the most chilling covers ever, especially for parents.  I've been looking to get a copy for some time now.  There's a very nice looking 3.5 on Lone Star right now, that I almost bought a few times over the last year.  I'm kind of surprised CGC didn't give this one a purple grade given the hole punched through above the M.  But that hole helped me get a few dollars off, so I'm happy to have it.

IMG_2162.thumb.JPG.590925b38544bca732f49ec65fa123fb.JPG

 

Here are a couple GA GGA covers I recently got back from CGC.  I'm pretty happy with the grades.  Dogface #5 is a borderline classic cover, and I've always liked Comedy 4 as my kids lifeguard on the beach (although they don't wear makeup doing it!).

IMG_2164.thumb.JPG.0a2d01353b199aa0aa1846b2277bbf63.JPGIMG_2165.thumb.JPG.798e6d126f63ebca5f06a23af707e462.JPG

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On 2/23/2019 at 11:57 AM, Robot Man said:

Yeah, many times. A long time friend of mine introduced us. As it turned out we had lots in common. Dave was a great guy that left us WAY too soon. 

 

On 3/4/2019 at 4:23 PM, n2wdw said:

 

You're very lucky.  I met him one time at a SDCC, but unfortunately that was the only time.

 

Speaking of Dave Stevens, I recently got back from CGC 2 comics to add to my Dave Stevens Covers registry set (I'm proud to say I've had the top position in this set for 2 years).  First is program from the 2002 Dallas Comic-Con.

IMG_2157.thumb.JPG.931cc35ef022739092dbe6e5cce16598.JPG

 

You may wonder how this is relevant to Dave Stevens, since the cover is by Lisner.  But, the Dave Stevens Cover set includes both front and back covers.  And for this program, the back cover is by Dave (a tribute to the Rocketeer).

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The second comic is Venus Domina.  Very tough to get a high grade copy.  I've used the spoiler function to show the full cover, so I don't have to ruin the cover art with cut outs. 

Spoiler

IMG_2155.thumb.JPG.476f5ef4be8264a3b6e62b39dcc37002.JPG

 

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On 3/17/2019 at 4:50 AM, n2wdw said:

Here are a few recent additions to the comic book room.  First is Crime Does Not Pay 46.  I got this from a person on the boards.  This Biro cover has got to be one of the most chilling covers ever, especially for parents.  I've been looking to get a copy for some time now.  There's a very nice looking 3.5 on Lone Star right now, that I almost bought a few times over the last year.  I'm kind of surprised CGC didn't give this one a purple grade given the hole punched through above the M.  But that hole helped me get a few dollars off, so I'm happy to have it.

IMG_2162.thumb.JPG.590925b38544bca732f49ec65fa123fb.JPG

 

Here are a couple GA GGA covers I recently got back from CGC.  I'm pretty happy with the grades.  Dogface #5 is a borderline classic cover, and I've always liked Comedy 4 as my kids lifeguard on the beach (although they don't wear makeup doing it!).

IMG_2164.thumb.JPG.0a2d01353b199aa0aa1846b2277bbf63.JPGIMG_2165.thumb.JPG.798e6d126f63ebca5f06a23af707e462.JPG

That Dogface is a classic in eyes and has been catching a lot of steam lately. You might say "it's got legs"  :roflmao:

The CDNP is also a sick classic. Those guys over at Lev Gleason were one weird bunch especially at the end. I would also put this one as very disturbing as well. Not the kid of books I would want my kids reading. Surprised the good doctor missed it.

comboy34.jpg

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23 hours ago, Robot Man said:

That Dogface is a classic in eyes and has been catching a lot of steam lately. You might say "it's got legs"  :roflmao:

The CDNP is also a sick classic. Those guys over at Lev Gleason were one weird bunch especially at the end. I would also put this one as very disturbing as well. Not the kid of books I would want my kids reading. Surprised the good doctor missed it.

comboy34.jpg

Yeah, that's definitely a disturbing cover, even more so in today's world.

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16 hours ago, mlansdown said:

Kids in bondage?  Snake assault?  Poison candy bars?  Ok, that's enough Internet for me today.

The Exciting Comics is chilling!  (Now it's on my want list, so what does that tell you about me?)

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