Valiant CGC eBay Store....

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 9:41 am

...an idea whose time has come. Be sure to check out the "About" page.

http://stores.ebay.com/The-Art-of-Comics

Some of you guys have stumbled on this already. I opened an eBay store currently focused on CGC Valiants.

I've been getting a few questions, so I want to explain a few things.

- I'm not dumping or selling out for goodness sake! Collecting my 9.8 set and everything Valiant related I can put my hands on takes a lot of $$, and I need to fund this hobby. If I can't break even, I can't do it.

- When I sumbit to CGC, I keep one of the highest grade I get back, and I sell the rest -slowly, without any haste or hurry. There is not a single book I have for sale that I do not have at least one CGC copy of in my own collection, as well as innumerable raw copies that did not make the cut.

- If I submit something I already have, it is because I perceive a demand for that book at the price I am willing to sell at. Witness my recent sale, where the demand was strong for even the more common CGC valiants in 9.8.

- I am trying to set the market price, not ruin it. I listed my store items at what I think that particular book should sell for, and they aren't going to budge much.

- I will *not* lower prices to anything below what people on this board have bought from me recently. Remember, shipping was free on the board sales, not free for eBay. So, you may see a $2-$5 drop over the sale list that I posted here - but no more than that.

Feel free to comment, but be nice even if you hate my guts.

DawgPhan · Post by **DawgPhan** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 10:40 am

Do people really not like this? Hmm...never would have thought that would happen.

Good luck.

dino · Post by **dino** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 11:36 am

Nice books, almost hit the bin on the 9.8 a&a #0 but then I remembered I don't like cgc books. It is a graded copy though right? the picture threw me.

greg · Post by **greg** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 11:54 am

dino wrote:Nice books, almost hit the bin on the 9.8 a&a #0 but then I remembered I don't like cgc books.

That particular book at that particular price might change your mind.

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 12:23 pm

Everything up right now is graded. You can request a scan of the actual book you would be getting.

I came to the unfortunate conclusion that I have too many books to scan to keep a store like that, and for CGC 9.6+, all the scans look the same anyway. Unless you are looking for QP, which is why I will do it upon request....

dino wrote:Nice books, almost hit the bin on the 9.8 a&a #0 but then I remembered I don't like cgc books. It is a graded copy though right? the picture threw me.

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 1:59 pm

greg wrote:
dino wrote:Nice books, almost hit the bin on the 9.8 a&a #0 but then I remembered I don't like cgc books.
That particular book at that particular price might change your mind.

So something's worrying me.

Census shows 5 at 9.8. NONE at 9.6. Eight total graded.

CKB, how many did you submit and get back 9.8?

I now have 2, Greg has 1, CKB has at least one, and another for sale. That accounts for the 5 'currently' known.

So...I assume more will show up?

Oh, and when I found out CKB was selling an A&A #0 9.8 for $29, I pounced on it in a heartbeat. That's an absolute STEAL (unless, of course, CKB submitted and got like 10 copies back in 9.8...which is conceivable.)

It's the 'scarcest' pre-unity first issue in grade.

dino · Post by **dino** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 2:17 pm

ZephyrWasHOT!! wrote:(unless, of course, CKB submitted and got like 10 copies back in 9.8...which is conceivable.)

I think he did.

greg · Post by **greg** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 3:02 pm

ZephyrWasHOT!! wrote:So something's worrying me.

Census shows 5 at 9.8. ...

I now have 2, Greg has 1, CKB has at least one, and another for sale. That accounts for the 5 'currently' known.

So...I assume more will show up?

The five on the census were graded prior to 12/16/2004.
I'm sure CKB's books weren't graded that early...
so the next update of the census should show the differences.

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 3:49 pm

ZephyrWasHOT!! wrote:
greg wrote:
dino wrote:Nice books, almost hit the bin on the 9.8 a&a #0 but then I remembered I don't like cgc books.
That particular book at that particular price might change your mind.
So something's worrying me.

Census shows 5 at 9.8. NONE at 9.6. Eight total graded.

CKB, how many did you submit and get back 9.8?

I now have 2, Greg has 1, CKB has at least one, and another for sale. That accounts for the 5 'currently' known.

So...I assume more will show up?

Oh, and when I found out CKB was selling an A&A #0 9.8 for $29, I pounced on it in a heartbeat. That's an absolute STEAL (unless, of course, CKB submitted and got like 10 copies back in 9.8...which is conceivable.)

It's the 'scarcest' pre-unity first issue in grade.

Errrr..... I bought one from CKB. The census is off if your numbers are correct.

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:11 pm

greg wrote:
ZephyrWasHOT!! wrote:So something's worrying me.

Census shows 5 at 9.8. ...

I now have 2, Greg has 1, CKB has at least one, and another for sale. That accounts for the 5 'currently' known.

So...I assume more will show up?
The five on the census were graded prior to 12/16/2004.
I'm sure CKB's books weren't graded that early...
so the next update of the census should show the differences.

Um. Yeah. I thought that was a given, thus the 'currently' in quotes. Sorry that wasn't clear. (But you should know me better than that.

)

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:14 pm

Let me be more clear:

CKB...HOW MANY 9.8 A&A #0's DID YOU GET WITH YOUR LATEST BATCH?

There.

All clear.

greg · Post by **greg** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:16 pm

ZephyrWasHOT!! wrote:Um. Yeah. I thought that was a given, thus the 'currently' in quotes. Sorry that wasn't clear. (But you should know me better than that. )

I figured as much, but your "something's worrying me"
and then mention of the census made me think you
might not have noticed that the census is running almost
two months behind.

As far as 9.8's being "tough" for this book... I don't think that was
ever really the case. With 100,000 copies in print, it was "rare in 9.8"
because it was "not worth grading"... from the standpoint that it's only
a $4 book (including shipping).

The "big score" comes from 9.8s on more valuable books,
and CKB is really only making a couple of dollars per book
on these "commons"... even though A&A 0 is pre-Unity.
(Makes me want a 9.8 on Harbinger 7 and Solar 11, though!)

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:23 pm

greg wrote:
ZephyrWasHOT!! wrote:Um. Yeah. I thought that was a given, thus the 'currently' in quotes. Sorry that wasn't clear. (But you should know me better than that. )
I figured as much, but your "something's worrying me"
and then mention of the census made me think you
might not have noticed that the census is running almost
two months behind.

That'd be a rookie mistake.

I'm no rookie...I think.

As far as 9.8's being "tough" for this book... I don't think that was
ever really the case. With 100,000 copies in print, it was "rare in 9.8"
because it was "not worth grading"... from the standpoint that it's only
a $4 book (including shipping).

The "big score" comes from 9.8s on more valuable books,
and CKB is really only making a couple of dollars per book
on these "commons"... even though A&A 0 is pre-Unity.
(Makes me want a 9.8 on Harbinger 7 and Solar 11, though!)

Could be, could be. I'm not so sure, but....it could very well be the case.

BUTTTTTT.....as for 'not being worth grading', Shadowman #1 CERTAINLY falls nearly as solidly in that category as A&A #0, but there are FORTY TWO 9.8s and 26 9.6s. Huge difference that isn't supported by the variances in population and/or demand.

I'm still of the opinion that A&A #0 in 9.8 is a 'tougher than normal' book to find in uber high grade, simply because of how the book was manufactured.

Notice the 1/8" horizontal 'dimple' about an inch down from the top left corner, right on the spine.....?

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:46 pm

I have reporting the complete results of my last pre-screen to Greg on my TODO list. I'll get it done soon.

My best recollection is that I got 7 A&A 0 9.8s back. I do not have my spreadsheet in front of me with the right numbers on it, though. I do think I am down to my last one or two that are already in the slab. I had many more raw candidates to choose from though.

Remember, the only reason I submitted that many were so many people asked me for one in advance, and commited to buying them - and they all did. Since I already have a 9.8 now, I am not planning on submitting any more, unless I percieve a demand at $35 or so. It's not worth it for much less than that, and you have to pay for the rejects too, which are high when screening at 9.8.

ZephyrWasHOT!! wrote:Let me be more clear:

CKB...HOW MANY 9.8 A&A #0's DID YOU GET WITH YOUR LATEST BATCH?

There.

All clear.

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 4:57 pm

greg wrote:[The "big score" comes from 9.8s on more valuable books,
and CKB is really only making a couple of dollars per book
on these "commons"... even though A&A 0 is pre-Unity.
(Makes me want a 9.8 on Harbinger 7 and Solar 11, though!)

I'm going to list a Harbinger 7 9.8 tonight, at least I plan on it.

"big score" is what I got on comiclink last year. I'm just trying to keep ahead of my expenses with this stuff. I must admit I was able to cover the grading fees quickly with the latest batch. I have not covered the cost of the set of books than many of the submissions came from, though.

Again, if the perception is that I will cut my prices just to sell these slabs, that is incorrect. While I may make minor adjustments, you are not going ever to be able to buy a 9.6 Harbinger 3 from me for less that I have it listed at now. I will keep them. They are pretty pretty.

If the time comes that I cannot break even with my submissions, I pack up the shop and go home until a time comes about that I can.