A month or so ago I started seeing those beautiful full page ads in all the comics for the Hero Initiative Limited edition Overstreet Priceguide hardcover. It features some nice cover art by John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson where the pay homage to Barry Smith’s Conan #1 cover from 1970. I’ve always been a HUGE Conan fan and a fairly serious reader/collector of Robert E. Howard comics. So I knew I had to get my hands on one of the 500 limited edition hardcovers. Even though as a Comicbase user I no longer need to purchase Overtsreet guides for me it was a win-win situation since the money goes for a GREAT cause. If you are a comics fan at all you should consider donating to the Hero Initiative as many of the legendary artists and writers we all grew up on are now elderly and in poor health with little or no insurance. So I figured this was $35.00 WELL SPENT.
I’ve owned reprints of Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian #1 in various forms for years but I always wanted a copy of the real deal. Last week I finally found a good deal on a copy in Very Good+ condition. I STOLE one off of eBay for $41.01. And would you believe it’s CGC slabbed? Or I should rephrase it WAS CGC slabbed as I just LIBERATED the comic mere moments ago. I HATE The whole concept of “slabbing” a comicbook. For me the whole point of collecting is for the FUN of it and reading and enjoying the art. Also they SMELL really NICE. Seriously I want the whole deal. So I broke that silly seal and cut that inner plastic. And YES it was worth it! I use Mylar Mylite2s for my books along with acid free boards. And I don’t use TAPE. I fold and tuck the bag closed. This preserves the comic but also allows the thing to be read and enjoyed. You simply cannot enjoy a book that is SEALED in a hard plastic shell. CGC is even more of a rip off when you consider the plastic shell is NOT made of Mylar and therefore NOT ARCHIVAL.
Larry's Library 
HELL YEAH ! Ive been collecting comics since i was a kid and collecting comics back then was for nerds and geeks . Back in the day when the San Diego Comic Con wasnt Hollywood and shit. It s good to see someonce Crack the Slab and read their shite. Good show !
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By: HSOSA on August 9, 2010
at 9:00 pm
In the LCS where I help out on Comics Day, a few months ago we had two customers bring in a comic each to be CGC graded. One was a person who bought Amazing Fantays #15 from Mile High, which they told him was in 2.5 condition. The other was a copy of Green Lantern (2nd series) #76, in poor-good condition at best. We told him the condition, but he insisted he wanted CGC’d as well. When they both came back, 9the guy with the Green Lantern kept calling us and getting angry when it was not back in 4 weeks.) When the Amazing Fantasy as 2.5 the customer was happy. He told us he will open it the next time he wants to reread it. He only wanted to be sure he was not ripped off.
The guy with the Green Lantern was upset, he said he wanted to make some money off the book, and the Slabbed Grade ruined the amount he was going to ask for the book.
I’ve been readin comics for over 40 years, and when in my teens & early twenties I was a dealer at comic conventions. Overstreet was, and still is my comics bible. And i pegged the condition of both books. The arrival of CGC as the whole source of condition of comics, and the practice of slabbing In My Not So Humble Opinion will be the point that will kill the back issue buisness in the coming years.
The advent of bags in the 70’s helped bring down the value of most of the comic value, and market in the days that followed.
I now look at those days, as a golden age, better then how I feel CGC will kill the mid-grade market in the future.
Your Mileage may vary.
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By: Bobb on August 24, 2010
at 4:25 pm