Tag CGC

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…

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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…

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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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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.
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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.
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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.
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