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Grail is the most over used and poorly used word in this hobby.
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107 posts in this topic

2 hours ago, BaronSamedi said:

Exactly....

It's "rare" because nobody wants it.

Most of the time yes. But every once in a while not true. CC recenty auctioned off a copy of Manhunt #12. Now, to the average collector, no big deal. But to many PCH/Crime collectors like myself it was a mind blower. A book so rare that even Overstreet gave up on it. A great run of books with an exceptional cover. Amazing that in 50 years, no other copy has ever turned up. Not just rare but a unicorn!

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4 hours ago, Robot Man said:

To me, a grail is something that is pretty much unobtainable. My grails would be Suspense #3 or More Fun #52. Real hard to find but if you have the money it can happen. I laugh when I see someone calling ASM #300 a “grail”. Come on really?

For a huge Venom fan on a limited income and with a narrow focus, ASM 300 could be seen as aspirational, and there might be closure after finally obtaining one.  

As a grail, it might seem like casually walking in the low foothills rather than conquering Everest, but for one collector it might well be far enough.

Edited by Ken Aldred
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3 hours ago, Pontoon said:

(thumbsu

When I was growing up, the FIRST page of a comic was the splash page. I never heard full panel pages used elsewhere in a comic refered to as such. The modern day trend to refer to a 3 panel page with 1 big panel as a splash is terrifically annoying.

That'$ becau$e thing$ change.  :D

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On 12/19/2019 at 10:59 PM, Gaard said:

This fact blew my mind when I first heard it...

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is an average sized galaxy. Contained in our galaxy are, as my good buddy Carl used to say, "billions and billions" of stars. In the known universe, there are more galaxies than there are stars in our galaxy (each containing the aforementioned "billions and billions" of stars.

Yeah, there's no life out there. :eyeroll:

That's what makes the Fermi paradox so intriguing. 

It makes me think there may be some validity to Nick Bostrom's vulnerable world hypothesis. 

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People use grail a lot with statues too. But at least here with something like original comic art pages. Those are grail, one of a kind pieces. Sure not everyone wants some of those pages. But if you are looking for one and it's already sold. It becomes a grail hoping the person that has it will eventually sell it.

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My use of the word depends on the universe in which you are talking about. For example to me Tales of Terror Ann 1 is one in the EC universe....especially 7.5 or above. Does it compare to Action 1....no but that is in a different  universe. 

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On 12/20/2019 at 6:48 PM, Foley said:

That's what makes the Fermi paradox so intriguing. 

It makes me think there may be some validity to Nick Bostrom's vulnerable world hypothesis. 

Can you give me a brief outline of this please?

I googled it, but all I got was the entire paper, and sadly it takes philosophers a long time to say nothing.

If there is a theory that there is some sort of biological disease that is waiting to be unearthed and it will destroy humanity that is psychobabble, the human race will destroy itself with the weapons it builds long before that.

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On 12/19/2019 at 11:16 AM, Ken Aldred said:

I'm maybe too liberal, then.

I've always thought that if someone has aspired to obtain, focused, fixated, on a certain item for a very long period of time, a certain comic, piece of original art, then it's a grail for them, regardless of its market value or relevance or scarcity to someone else.  As long as it would provide a significant amount of closure after obtaining it, that's satisfying and definitive enough for me.

I think you hit the nail on the head!

Sorry if my use of ‘hitting the nail on the head’ offended anyone.  Perhaps that’s overused too!

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On 12/19/2019 at 12:16 PM, Ken Aldred said:

I'm maybe too liberal, then.

I've always thought that if someone has aspired to obtain, focused, fixated, on a certain item for a very long period of time, a certain comic, piece of original art, then it's a grail for them, regardless of its market value or relevance or scarcity to someone else.  As long as it would provide a significant amount of closure after obtaining it, that's satisfying and definitive enough for me.

(thumbsu

 

grail
/ɡrāl/
noun: Grail; noun: the Grail; noun: Holy Grail
    
    1.(in medieval legend) the cup or platter used by Jesus at the Last Supper, and in which Joseph of Arimathea received Christ's blood at the Cross. Quests for it undertaken by                   medieval knights are described in versions of the Arthurian legends written from the early 13th century
    2. a thing that is being earnestly pursued or sought after.
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On 12/20/2019 at 11:33 AM, Robot Man said:

To me, a grail is something that is pretty much unobtainable. My grails would be Suspense #3 or More Fun #52. Real hard to find but if you have the money it can happen. I laugh when I see someone calling ASM #300 a “grail”. Come on really?

If by some miracle, these two were to ever land in my lap, would my quest be over? Heck no, I’m a comic collector. I would have to find another unicorn to chase...

The word grail hearkens back and has it's root in the 'Holy Grail' that so much has been written about.

It was nearly impossible to obtain and highly desirable and so has been the object of many searches through the ages.

Most noobs now consider anything a grail that they want until they get distracted by the next 'grail'. Squirrel meet nut. lol

They're obviously not grails since they are so soon chasing another.

And so traditionally, it's usage is wrong.

My grail always was Marvel Comics #1.Since I was a teenager. I owned one and may never own one again but will continue to consider it my only grail.

In recent times that word has been watered down (especially since the age of the internet) to mean almost anything you want to obtain.The usage is totally wrong  but we all know that if you apply enough pressure, and enough people accept it, the wrong usage can be accepted. Words change their meanings over time.

I attribute it to the internet and everyone needing to take 15 minutes of fame by pronouncing that they've found a 'grail'...only to chase another soon after.

Edited by VintageComics
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On 12/26/2019 at 9:48 PM, Turnando said:

'grail' has meaning only from the perspective of the seeker.  It is a personal thing.  Whether or not you think something is a grail is immaterial if it is not your grail.

So, if a group of people disagree that blue is blue then it's no longer blue?

Edited because maybe I misunderstood you.

I understand that my grail doesn't have to be your grail but it should be limited to something extraordinary and unrepeatable.

Like someone stated above about the art world, you can't have a new grail every week.

Words have meanings for a reason and the word grail (which comes from the historical 'Holy Grail') used to mean something truly epic. Not something light or easily obtained.

That has now been watered down to mean everything is epic if someone thinks it's epic. Kind of like the 'everyone gets a trophy' mentality so nobody feels left out.

Personally, I've always believed that a grail can only be one thing because that is what the word traditionally meant. It's only in recent years that there is a such a thing as 'multiple grails'.

It would be interesting to see the demographic (age) of the people who disagree on the use of the word grail.

 

Edited by VintageComics
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On 12/20/2019 at 12:00 PM, Robot Man said:

Most of the time yes. But every once in a while not true. CC recenty auctioned off a copy of Manhunt #12. Now, to the average collector, no big deal. But to many PCH/Crime collectors like myself it was a mind blower. A book so rare that even Overstreet gave up on it. A great run of books with an exceptional cover. Amazing that in 50 years, no other copy has ever turned up. Not just rare but a unicorn!

Just came across another manhunt 12 on "the bay".  Remember reading this topic so thought I'd mention it if you curious in following this type of book.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1947-53-MANHUNT-12-ME-COMIC-CMC116A/184090423318?hash=item2adca4f016:g:SGYAAOSwlHJd~Swu

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On ‎12‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 6:48 PM, Foley said:

That's what makes the Fermi paradox so intriguing. 

It makes me think there may be some validity to Nick Bostrom's vulnerable world hypothesis. 

This post sent me down a series of rabbit holes on the internet.  I appreciate the reading recommendations. 
(thumbsu

 

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8 hours ago, waaaghboss said:

Just came across another manhunt 12 on "the bay".  Remember reading this topic so thought I'd mention it if you curious in following this type of book.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1947-53-MANHUNT-12-ME-COMIC-CMC116A/184090423318?hash=item2adca4f016:g:SGYAAOSwlHJd~Swu

Thanks, yeah I saw that. So there are at least two... as I figured, once one sold big, it would fish out other copies. It is already on the move. Interesting, the one on the bay appears to be a Canada copy. I don’t remember if the other one is or not. Might just be a Canada only issue. If so, this would explain some of it’s rarity. 

Not a “grail” to me. But, a very cool book I wouldn’t mind finding. I love “rare” books and this one qualifies. 

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