Perfect Storm
Happy Solstice everyone. The Heritage Auction results are in and in the words of a friend of mine that had a bunch of items in the auction “it was a blood bath”! He says he actually lost money on most…
Comic Book Daily
Discussing the minutiae of comic book collecting.
Comic Book Daily
Discussing the minutiae of comic book collecting.
Tag CGC
Read MorePerfect Storm
Signature Series
Over the past few months, I’ve been flooded with emails from the CGC and CBCS Comic Grading companies promoting exclusive inhouse signing events by artists and writers. These events are now a regular occurrence at the grading sites thanks to…
Scarcity of Grade
It looks like most of us have a very difficult time defining what kind of collectors we are; we seem to be opportunistic and have erratic buying habits. If we can’t be more focused on what we buy let us…
Market Watch Revisited, Part 2
Summer is well underway and I’ve spent the better part of this month fixing little things around the house. Next on the list is to give our deck a fresh coat of paint. I saved the old paint can so…
Crack and Flip
I was at a local shop last month wanting to buy an X-Men #120. The book was certified by CGC as a 9.0 but the slab was cracked and scuffed so I thought maybe I could negotiate a deep discount.…
Thoughts on “Slabbing: The Results Are In”
Eric Kaylor in response to Charlie Kim’s Slabbing: The Results Are In. Eric started this as a comment on the site but it became so much more. Very nice summary of the CGC grading experience, Charlie. Anyone interested in collecting…
Have Comics Peaked?
If you troll the auction sites as much as I do then you’ve noticed something interesting lately. It’s hard to account for every book but many of our favourite keys seem to be levelling out and some even trending downward.…
Slabbing: The Results are In
It was a year ago that I went hunting for deals during Boxing Day. I end up with a handful of cheap keys, all purchased under $5. One of the books that I picked up, Adventure into Fear #19, was…
What to Buy
If you’re in this hobby to read books and be entertained, then far be it for me to tell you what you should be buying. The answer is simple: buy books you like and don’t let guys like me tell…
Pressing Issues
Many CGC collectors are engaged in an activity called “pressing”, which can greatly enhance the value of your comic books. Unless you own a perfect “10”, all comics have some degree of flaws. But, there are good flaws and bad…
Toronto Comic Book Show Report
On July 6th I had the opportunity to attend the Toronto Comic Book Show (TCBS) for the first time. This was the second TCBS after its inaugural show in May. You won’t see any cosplay or signings at TCBS—the show’s organizers are 100% focused on serving those who just want to get their hands on books (both raw and graded). The admission person I spoke with said they expected over 400 people throughout the day. While that’s a far cry from some of the bigger Toronto shows or US shows, it’s a pretty respectable number considering TCBS is a collector-first show.
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New Grading Company: Comic Book Certification Service
A few weeks ago, I attended a local comic convention here in Vancouver and I heard about the new company Comic Book Certification Service (CBCS). This company was started by Steve Borock, the former president of CGC so he definitely…
Collector or Businessman?
I often find myself arguing between Dennis the Collector and Dennis the businessman. The good part of this argument is Dennis always wins, one way or the other. But seriously, it is difficult sometimes to pick and choose what to…
A New Tipping Point?
On May 23, CGC announced a new class of labels. Starting next month CGC will introduce the Conservation Label and at the same time expand the Purple Label into five tiers. We’ll now have: 1. Slight 2. Slight/Moderate 3. Moderate…
Interpreting Numbers
We’ve all heard the term “information age” and no where is this more true than the collector market. Armed with smart phones, buyers are able to access online resources and historical prices in order to gauge value. And when it comes to collectible back issues, the name of the game is to pick up books below market… or is it?
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Restored Grade CGC
The thought of Restored Grade , also known as the dreaded "Purple Label", has been known to make an avid comic collector or two, shudder, when they receive the assigned grade on a CGC submission. Nothing makes you want to raise your fist to the heavens , and scream NOOOO!!! like getting a great grade only to have the dreaded purple label.
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Love ’em or Hate ’em? CGC Signature Series
I guess my dislike for Signature Series books would go all the way back ,to when 10 year old me stupidly signed my name to the top right hand corner of Silver Surfer # 1,2,3, and yes, number 4, only to realize as I became more knowledgeable in the collecting world, that this was a great way to make my books very unattractive to sell or trade. As well as devalue them.
Read MoreLove ’em or Hate ’em? CGC Signature Series
To CGC or Not to CGC?
This is always a hot topic among collectors and dealers alike. Now, I have resisted writing this column because of the heat that goes along with the debate. Nowadays it seems very difficult to have a serious debate about anything, because of the highly charged state of political correctness. But what the heck, here goes.
Read MoreTo CGC or Not to CGC?
Starting Over!
When I began my quest to rebuild my comic book collection, the world of collecting had changed in a big way. Walt at Big B Comics in Hamilton was a big help in getting me reacquainted with grading and CGC. EBay and the internet made it possible to get anything you wanted, in any shape you could afford, on any given day.
Read MoreStarting Over!
What If Superhero Movies Fail?
Superhero movies have been on an incredible run. Ever since X-Men premiered in 2000 and Spider-Man two years later, superhero movies have been box office gold. Perhaps even more incredible is the fact that most of them have been well…