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n2wdw's comic book room
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890 posts in this topic

Jenevieve Broomall Commission -- Gwen Stacy

 

I have a double cover Jenevieve Broomall commission of Gwen Stacy in progress. Today I got the layout from Jen. It looks great!

 

Jen has an interesting facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/JenBroomall. I find it fascinating to see the development of many of her pieces.

 

 

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What Makes Your Collection Unique?

 

I guess it's possible to objectively rate comic collections. cheetah and others at the top of the CGC Registry certainly must have some of the best comic collections in the world.

 

But "best" doesn't necessarily mean "unique." For example, say someone has high grade issues of Action 1, Detective 27 and Marvel Comics 1. Those are certainly amazing comics, but how unique would that collection be?

 

I enjoy these boards because I like reading about other collectors' collections. I remember the Lady In White collection. That's unique! Hibou's underwater collection, newshane's Spawn collection, the brothers bagofleas and Tnerb's SS books (as well as other things), they all make for interesting and unique collections.

 

After 40+ years of collecting, I think I've put together a unique collection. Not necessarily valuable (at least money-wise), but unique.

 

For example, I have almost every Dennis the Menace comic every published. Dennis is important to me because when I was a kid, whenever I got sick with a cold or something like that, my mom would bring me McDonalds and a few Dennis the Menace comics for lunch.

 

I'm a big Neal Adams fan. A few years ago I decided to collect his entire Continuity comics run. These comics are difficult to collect, not because they're expensive (they're not), but because the numbering is all over the place, and more than a few listed comics were never published. I asked Neal one time at a con about these issues. He didn't know either!

 

I collect keys, and I really like keys of minor or supporting characters. I'm kind of obssessed with it. Here's a new one I recently picked up, the first appearance of Sharon Carter.

 

 

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Anyway, those are a few things that I think makes my collection unique. I don't think it's possible to ever get the "best" collection. Who defines "best"? And even after you decide on a definition, someone can always one-up you.

 

But building a unique collection, that's something no one can take away from you. Because you're building it based on what you want. And since we're all different, it means no one's collection will ever be as unique as yours.

 

I'm a lot happier person now ever since I switched my goal from "best" to "unique." Now I just collect what I'm interested in, and I don't feel like I need to compete with anyone else. I try to apply that to the rest of my life. It's made collecting and life more fun and less stressful.

 

Thanks for reading.

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I'm a lot happier person now ever since I switched my goal from "best" to "unique." Now I just collect what I'm interested in, and I don't feel like I need to compete with anyone else. I try to apply that to the rest of my life. It's made collecting and life more fun and less stressful.

 

 

That's a great insight, especially because it's so easy to become too focused on competing for the best sets.

 

Personally my sets are unique in the way that I only collect what I truly love (ok, maybe not all, but probably 95% of my books, and all the art). This way it's not so hard if something should lose GPA value, because I never intended to sell it anyway. And then books and art are not just things, but items you really care about and that (greatly) increase your quality of life (uh-oh, did I just provide arguments for materialsm* hm Well, you all know what I mean :baiting:;) )

 

*interest in and desire for money, possessions, etc, rather than spiritual or ethical values

 

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Registry Update - Almost to Page 3!

 

I've almost made it to page 3 of the CGC Registry. Just need about another 1000 points.

 

As others have written, there's a temptation to buy a book just for the points. Sure, we all say "buy what you like." But what if it's a book on your want list, and you can significantly increase your registry points if you buy 9.8 instead of 9.6?

 

Here's a book I was pleasantly surprised by. I have the X-Men "Days of Future Past" comics in raw (X-Men 141 & 142), but I've wanted graded copies since before the movie came out (my raw copies are too well read to submit). I got priced out as the movie approached, but now prices have come down a bit. I won this #142 on eBay a few weeks ago for a decent price.

 

 

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I didn't look at the Registry scores when I bought it. I guess I was hoping for, I don't know, 100 points or so? The comic isn't cheap but it's not expensive either.

 

I was shocked when I entered the comic into my set. 500 points for 9.6! Holy cow. Then I looked at 9.8. 800 points! Well shoot! It's not that big a jump in price to go from 9.6 to 9.8 for this comic. I should have held out for 9.8!

 

By the way, the Registry is fun, but you have to take it for what it is. Issue #141 is clearly more expensive than #142. Yet, the Registry has 141 at 350 and 560 points (for 9.6 and 9.8).

 

There are a few books I'm currently watching. They fit in my collection, but higher grade than I normally go for. They'll be expensive (at least $250 each), but big points. I'm currently struggling over whether to go for these.

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I really enjoyed your thoughts about a 'unique' collection and thank you for the mention. I would certainly say that yours is quite unique in its own right and I loved the story behind your Dennis the Menace books. That's great!

 

Great looking X-Men 142, btw!

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Frank Miller and Maxim

 

My new approach of submitting a CGC invoice every month is working out. I've got it timed now so I get an invoice back around the middle-end of the month. This month I got back 4 magazines. Here's one of them, Maxim #89.

 

This is the issue with the great Frank Miller Sin City cover. I bought this copy a few years ago on eBay. Since then I've searched for a better copy to submit. They're hard to find in high grade as every copy I've looked at has warping and scuffed spines. So when I put together this magazine invoice I decided to just go ahead and grade the copy I had.

 

In fact, my CGC 9.2 is the highest graded copy in existence. But then, right now there are only 2 graded copies. The other one is SS 7.5.

 

Since I was on the Maxim census page, I took a look through the other issues. There are only 7 issues of Maxim with graded copies. And less than a dozen graded copies among those 7. The highest grade is 9.4 (2 copies). A small sampling, but it seems that even if you buy new off the stand it's hard to get a high grade copy of this magazine.

 

Does having one of the two graded copies of Maxim #89 (and the highest graded copy at that) give me an advantage in the Frank Miller cover set? I don't know as it's not part of the set yet, I'll have to add it. I don't expect many points though for a 9.2 copy.

 

 

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Game of Thrones Bummer

 

Was anyone else as bummed out as me by the Game of Thrones season ending episode? So much left up in the air. Now we have to wait months for the next season. Ugh!

 

As for comics, a couple weeks ago a half dozen GOT CGC comics went up for auction on eBay. They rarely come up for sale. Why is that? Are collectors the only people submitting these comics for grading?

 

Anyway, I bid on all of them but didn't win any. The winning bids were all at least $75, more than I'm willing to pay.

 

I did recently pick up a SS GOT via an eBay BIN/BO. It has 2 signatures, Julian Glover who played Grand Maester Pycelle (and was also General Veers in Star Wars), and Gethin Anthony who played Renly Baratheon. I paid a little more than I wanted, but SS copies with actor signatures are tough to come by (as opposed to ones signed by the author George R.R. Martin that are all over the place, albeit expensive).

 

I guess I might have been able to get Glover's and Anthony's sig at a Wizard World con in the future. But if I factor in the likely cost of those autograph tickets, then what I paid is a great deal.

 

Also, the process of getting sigs at cons isn't alot of fun. I always get nervous the CGC witness won't show up, or if the witness instead waits with me in line I feel uncomfortable with imposing on him (even though I know it's his job). Then there are the long lines when waiting in actor lines (comic lines aren't so bad, and with comic writers and artists I can have a quick chat, whereas with actors I don't know what to say). So, my preference has become to buy SS books rather than get the sigs myself.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

 

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What Makes Your Collection Unique?

 

For example, say someone has high grade issues of Action 1, Detective 27 and Marvel Comics 1. Those are certainly amazing comics, but how unique would that collection be?

 

I enjoy these boards because I like reading about other collectors' collections.

 

Anyway, those are a few things that I think makes my collection unique. I don't think it's possible to ever get the "best" collection. Who defines "best"? And even after you decide on a definition, someone can always one-up you.

 

But building a unique collection, that's something no one can take away from you. Because you're building it based on what you want. And since we're all different, it means no one's collection will ever be as unique as yours.

 

I'm a lot happier person now ever since I switched my goal from "best" to "unique." Now I just collect what I'm interested in, and I don't feel like I need to compete with anyone else.

 

I agree! I'm always amazed when so many collectors chase the same comics regardless of whether those particular comics mean anything to them personally. If a collector instead concentrates on those comics that he once liked as a kid, chances are that his collection will be unique and thus interesting.

 

:cool:

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I was bummed also at the GoT ending, I binge watched the series about half way through this last season. After the binge, it was tough enough waiting a week, now I can't take the extended absence. So far, I've resisted the temptation to read any spoilers or theories online. Thankfully,True Detective will help me though those summer Sunday nights.

 

So many comic covers came to mind while catch up on GoT!

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Brandon - I did exactly the same thing last year, watched the entire series over a long weekend and then it was torture to have to wait an entire week for each new espisode.

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Using the Registry to Find New Things to Collect

 

Lately I've been browsing the collections of people located around me in the Registry, as well as others who's average score per comic is under 250 or so. As well as being interesting, it's led me to searching out new things to collect.

 

For example, I've started collecting Aurora Comic Scenes. These are the instructions that were included in the superhero model sets from the 70s. I already had a few raw copies in my collection. They're somewhat hard to find and when I do see them at cons they're at best in "ready copy" condition.

 

That's why I find it surprising to see how affordable graded copies (at least the common issues). You can get CGC 9.8 copies for well under $50 each. And, they earn 240 registry points each.

 

Here are a couple I won in last month's Comic Connect auction. I now have 3 of the 10 issue set. It won't be easy to complete the set as it seems the same 4 are always offered (Robin, Superman, Superboy and Captain America). Also, now that I'm spoiled by the under $50 a book price, I probably won't be willing to pay more.

 

 

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Additions to Gwen Stacy Collection

 

As I wait for a couple of invoices to move from "Graded" to "Shipped Safe," I'll post some recent additions to my Gwen Stacy collection.

 

I said before I'd be holding off adding to my Spider-Gwen set until prices come down. Well, I think prices are softening a bit with so many variants of all the issues (and so much inventory of graded copies on eBay). Here are 2 I picked up recently, the 2nd being the holy grail of this set. I'm not sure why this Hughes cover variant goes for so much. Prices are all over the place right now on this book so be careful if you're looking to buy. I think you can get it for around $225 right now if you shop around, although people are still paying crazy prices ($350 and more). It would be nice if the Registry gave more points for this book (right now it only gets the same points as the other variants of #1).

 

 

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Here are 2 other Gwen books. The first is the Noto variant of ASM #14. I've held off buying this book because I don't understand the cover. Peter gave Gwen a signed copy Gwen reading the Daily Bugle? I haven't actually read this comic so maybe after I do it'll make sense to me.

 

 

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The 2nd book is Amazing Spider-Man #56, which is the first appearance of Gwen's dad, Captain Stacy. Something that fascinates me about Gwen is her tragic life, and the tragedy centers around Peter Parker/Spider-Man. If she never met him, or dated him, both she and her father probably wouldn't have died.

 

 

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June ComicLink Wins - Part 1

 

I was bottom feeding last month at the ComicLink auction. I won 5 CGC books for a total of only $133! In winning 5 I was able to take advantage of C-Link's shipping policy, which screws you if you win just 1 comic but is favorable if you get multiple wins.

 

John Byrne's Alpha Flight #3 cover has always been one of my favorites, and I'm working on a CGC 9.8 set of Camelot 3000. I'm also working on completing the Ultimate Spider-Man series in raw, but the CGC 9.6 of #3 was so cheap I decided to get it to check that one off my want list.

 

 

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June ComicLink Wins - Part 2

 

Here are the other 2 comics I won in last month's C-Link auction. The first is Spider-Man Blue #2 for my Gwen Stacy collection. I wanted to get a 9.8 but I've looked for some time (for either a graded 9.8 or a high grade raw I could submit myself), but I haven't had any luck. I entered a low max bid, and then won it at my initial bid of $11! You just can't beat that, it's half the price of grading (when you include the service fee and cost of shipping both ways).

 

 

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The last comic is this X-Men 8. It's missing a page, but the story is complete and it's a nice looking 4.5 (I don't mind the browning around the edges for a 50+ year old comic). I decided to bid what I would pay for a raw copy. I won it for only $28! I'm trying to get a complete run of the original X-Men series (in either raw or graded), so now I can check this issue off my list.

 

 

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I'd love to see a complete 9.8 set of Camelot 3000...

 

Congratulations on the new acquisitions!

 

I also admire how you're very forgiving in the books that you simply want and enjoy to have in your collection. That mindset has actually had an effect on my collecting habits as well. :)

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newshane and Brandon - Thanks! I love those covers too, and the CGC holder makes them look even better (almost worth the grading fee by itself).

 

Hibou - Thanks for your nice note. It's very flattering. I enjoy high grade, but for the most part I'd rather get 10 books at lower grades than 1 book at a higher grade. I'm the person at the con struggling to carry huge stacks of comics bought from dollar boxes. Honestly this is not the best approach for investment. There are some high grade comics I have splurged on, and those are worth the most in my collection (whereas the lower grade comics, certainly not as much). But, while financial appreciation is always an issue (as you never know when you might need the money), I collect for the love of comics.

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My New Comic Book Room

 

I mentioned before how my wife and are going to move to our beach vacation cottage when we retire (in about 10 years of so). But to retire there we need to make it a little bigger. We decided to do the renovation sooner than later, so we actually did a small addition this winter. The addition included my new comic book room!

 

Here's the layout of our cottage. My new comic book room is the "bedroom" in the upper left corner. The main space is about 10x11. Connected to that is a loft (labeled as "Storage") that's about 6.5x11. So altogether the space is about 17x11, or 187 square feet. I'm very lucky my wife lets me have this room just for my comics but it's going to be a major challenge to cram all my stuff into this space, as I have a lot more stuff than comics. To give you an idea, my existing comic room is almost 3 times as big (that house in the burbs is a lot bigger than the beach cottage).

 

 

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So this has been the summer of moving things over to the new comic room. It'll take a few summers to get everything over, but mostly this summer I want to figure out what I'll be able to fit in the room. The other stuff I'll sell.

 

I've already reduced my comic collection. I used to have 180 long boxes; I'm down to 80. I also have about 50 short boxes. (Shorts are so much easier to deal with than longs.)

 

But I also have a ton of books, big Star Wars and Star Trek collections, and a lot of action figures. Also, I like displaying my CGC books. So I'm stressing about getting this all into my new comic room.

 

The reality is, I won't be able to keep everything. As I mentioned, I've already reduced my comic collection, and I know I won't be able to keep all the books and action figures. I'm actually okay with that. There's a lot I want to keep, but other stuff is just blah. It's inevitable if you collect long enough -- you end up with a lot of blah. So the blah gets left behind.

 

In my existing comic room I have narrow shelves that I use to display my CGC books. They're like the shelves used to hold wall books at cons.

 

In my new comic room I don't have space for as many shelves. But, I decided to make them deeper. So instead of being able to only hold 1 or 2 books deep, my new shelves can hold 6-10 books deep. True, you can only see the CGC book at the front. But I enjoy flipping through my books, so this makes it easy to browse (and I'll also have fun rotating the books displayed at the front).

 

Here's a picture of the shelves. I'm no carpenter but they were easy to make from wood I bought from Home Depot. This picture shows a few things that I put on the shelves to make sure I got the spacing right.

 

 

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And here's the shelves as of this moment, loaded with some of my stuff. Welcome to my new comic book room!

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My New Comic Book Room - Wall Books (SA Marvel Keys)

 

I'm only at my beach house during the weekends so that's the only time I have to move things from my existing comic room to my new room.

 

I wanted to show more pictures of the wall shelves. Here's how they look in my existing comic room. These are "dustless" shelves that are positioned upside down. At most they hold 2 CGC books deep.

 

 

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Here are the new shelves. These are deeper so can hold more comics.

 

 

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Here's my shelf of Marvel Silver Age keys.

 

 

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