Bragging rights - your best deal of late?

dino · Post by **dino** » Sat Aug 14, 2004 12:35 am

$150 Hong Kong, about $20 USD:) I havn't found any hong kong versions yet though:(

Mr.V · Post by **Mr.V** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 4:37 am

A&A 0 Gold
Turok 47 2 copies
Bloodshot 51
Harbinger 41 2 copies
Hard Corps 30
Ninjak 26
Unity 1 Platinum
Unity 1 Gold
Magnus 64
Rai 33
Q&W 1 variant cover
Magnus 1 vol.2 variant cover 2 copies
Bloodshot 16 vol.2
Bloodshot 1 vol.2 2 copies
X-O 1 vol.2 variant cover 2 copies
Ninjak 1 vol.2 variant cover 3 copies
Armorines 2 vol.2
Shadowman 1 vol.2 variant cover 3 copies
Shadowman 5 vol.3
X-O 21 vol.2
Magnus 12
Magnus 57 error copy 6 copies
X-O 1 2 copies
Secret Wepons 21 2 copies
Solar 8
Solar 9 2 copies
Magnus vs. Predator 1 Platinum Edition 2 copies

Marvel $.35 variant covers 3 books
Marvel $.30 variant covers 3 books

Wildcats 11 2 copies
Wildcats 11 variant cover 2 copies

All for the low, low price of $11.50.

Not bad huh?!

Chuck · Post by **Chuck** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 5:19 am

Wow V, where in the heck was this.

depluto · Post by **depluto** » Sun Aug 15, 2004 11:11 am

Mr.V wrote:All for the low, low price of $11.50.

Not bad huh?!

Sure, sounds impressive, but that's like $85 in Hong Kong dollars.

Mr.V · Post by **Mr.V** » Mon Aug 16, 2004 12:25 am

Chuck, I found those books this weekend at Wizardworld Chicago. I had a dealers pass so I was able to scrounge around a bit on Thursday and Friday before the show opened. It was kind of slow today, so I went out on the floor again and came up with the following:

Shadowman 1 2 copies
Q&W entire run plus dupes
Magnus 57 error version 2 copies
Bad Eggs 1-4 2 of each
Rai 0 Glossy version
A slew of Vol.2 Acclaim issues; Magnus, Ninjak, Turok, etc.
A&A 0 3 copies
Bloodshot 40-47
Sliders various issues
Harbinger 7

All for $.50 each

Rai TPB Blue version
Harbinger TPB Bluebird version

Both for $12

Marvel $.30 price variant 4 books

All for $13

And that was it. The con was pretty much cleaned out of anything of value "on the cheap". I had originally promised to post a summary of what I had seen on Thursday, but due to the long weekend, I had to put it off. I had checked just about every dealer only to find a very few vc.com guide priced Pre-Unity and over priced final issues. Most dealers either didn't have or didn't care about Valiant/Acclaim. I think I might have been one of the only dealers to have a Valiant book on the display board (Bloodshot Last Stand, final issues, etc.). All in all it was decent to fill in holes for the common/semi-common books, but everything else was slim pickens.

V

soundoftheuniverse · Post by **soundoftheuniverse** » Mon Aug 16, 2004 2:15 am

Interesting. Did you sell any of the Valiants on your board? What kind of stuff did your patrons have to say about the Valiants or didn't anyone notice?

Mr.V · Post by **Mr.V** » Mon Aug 16, 2004 12:37 pm

soundoftheuniverse wrote:Interesting. Did you sell any of the Valiants on your board? What kind of stuff did your patrons have to say about the Valiants or didn't anyone notice?

Noone really asked about them as I was sharing boardspace with 2 friends and didn't have the room to spread them out for maximum viewing. Not one sold as noone even asked for Valiant except one guy who wanted a Harbinger 1 which I didn't have any dupes of.

Xero · Post by **Xero** » Tue Aug 17, 2004 9:18 pm

Solar 1-10 all NM- to NM, except #6 had I think sun damage or is just dirty one? I also got other issues like 15-18, 26-29, the auction was for 25 Solar issues, and came with Deathmate Black, Blue, and Yellow, but the guy sent me 2 extra comics Deathmate Red, and Solar #50, which was cool. Since the guy lives in the same state it only took 3-4 days via media mail, and he didn't charge an additional tax like some people do if you live in the same state. The only complaint I have is that inbetween issues 9 and 10, their was a loooong black hair

All 30 comics for $45 including S&H, that's the most I've ever spent on comics... I think that means I'm officially addicted to Valiant?

TLC55555 · Post by **TLC55555** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 11:02 am

Escaflown4 wrote:
x-omatic wrote:All you have to do is look at the ration of the books graded.
Look at the current cencus for harbinger 1
72 books (3@9.8, 14 @9.6, 24 @9.4, 19 @9.2, 3 @9.0, 5 @8.5, and a few other lower grade.)
You can see by the numbers that people are sending in books they think are higher grade and getting on average 9.2 or 9.4 as those 2 grades account for 1/2 the books.

Now look at Harbinger 0 pink.
84 books (27 @9.8, 33 @9.6, 17 @9.4 and a few lower grades)
You can see that most books sent in fall around 9.6 to 9.8. Well over 1/2 the books sent in.

You can compare every Valiant graded and you will find Harbinger 1 to be the hardest to get in 9.6 or better.

The 2 I sent were the best copies I have ever owned and have ever seen. 1 was my original copy from when the book was new.

There may be other books that are easier to get in 9.8. Harbinger 1 is not one of them.
If you read my post above, you will know why I would say that a Harbinger 0 pink will always be worth more then a Harbinger #1 at 9.8. Simply put, even tho there are currently alot more Pink 9.8's, the print run is only at 3000. Harbinger #1 has a print run of 48,000. That's a huge difference! Out of those 48,000 copies, I refuse to believe that pink 9.8's can outnumber the Harbinger #1 9.8's. I've been to many LCS and I can vouch for you that 95% of them do not know the true value of these valiant books. Once more and more people find out that people are willing to pay some serious $$ for these, you will see alot more CGC submissions and thus Harbinger #1 9.8's will not be as scarce as it is now.

I disagree. It's not just about print run. I believe that most of the Harbinger #1's were read several times. They were also in the beginning of the Valiant frenzy, so folks didn't use kid gloves when they did read them. By the time Harbinger #1 through #7 were out and the coupons were cut, folks new that Harbinger #0 should be handled carefully and put into plastic.

Also remember, 3000+ Harbinger #1's don't have coupons. I wouldn't personally purchase a CGC 9.8 Harby #1 without it's coupon. I'm actually suprised that couponless Harbies are getting a "qualified" green lable from CGC.

DawgPhan · Post by **DawgPhan** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 11:06 am

Actually there is probably less than 3000 harbinger 1s with the coupon cut out..I doubt that valiant printed 1 harby pink for every set of coupons sent it. I am sure that they printed up a run of the books and sent them out to whoever sent in the coupons..I think that lots of comics during that time where treated with kids gloves because it was the high point in comic "collecting" hig point meaing highest number of people not reading just collecting books...

x-omatic · Post by **x-omatic** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 11:07 am

I agree that print run is not so much a factor with CGC books. The main factor is the number that has been graded, and the results of them. The main reason Harb 1 is hard in high grade is the cover stock. It was lighter and has major issues with tears at the staples and along the spine. Harbinger 0 has a card stock cover and doesn't have these issues. Thus, easier to get in high grade.

greg · Post by **greg** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 11:07 am

While the three posts above were being typed,
I had moved the discussion of Harbinger 1 (CGC 9.8) to another topic...
http://valiantcomics.com/valiant/forum/ ... php?t=2201

Let's let this topic go back to "best deals of late...".

(Sorry, but the software won't let me move those three posts to the new topic...)

skiw · Post by **skiw** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 12:04 am

I checked out one of the LCS that I have not been to in a long while and picked up a couple of late issue X-Os, Deadside #1 and some miscellaneous Marvels for cover, which was nothing to write home about. However, while I was waiting in line to pay I decided to look over at the TPB section and low and behold there was a copy of Predator vs Magnus TPB sitting with the rest of the Aliens TPBs. It has some minor shelf wear (drops it to a VF or a bit better) but I was able to snag it for cover. I asked the employee at the till if they had any additional copies, and he said that have a few that he would dig up for me over the next couple of days. In addition, he said they still had a ton of Valiants in their warehouse that he would pull out all of the Pre-Unities/Golds/Reds/VVSS. Hopefully they do not check eBay before I can pick them up!

wrunow · Post by **wrunow** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 7:16 pm

I had a nice visit to a new store today and found the following:

Chaos Effect Omega Gold

Shadowman V1 18,23,24,26-36,38-42,43x3, + YB1
V2 1x2,2,3x4
V3 5

Visitor 3-8,11-13

Ninjak V2 1

Unity 2000 2 in bag

Solar 33-37, 58
Destroyer 0

Timewalker 3-5
Geomancer 3-5 (2ea) 6-8
Harbinger 7-40
EW 17-22, 26-29, 33,34,37x2,39,40,41x2,42,43x2,44x2,45,46,47x2,48,49x2,50
F+s #2, Wings special

Chaos epilogue 1,2
Outcast special
Bloodshot 49

That's 155 issues, a few nice ones, and a free long box to carry them in for $40, that's U.S. currency Dino, the guy didn't want any of that HK funny money.

Brother J · Post by **Brother J** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 8:00 pm

minor score, but it's been a while since I've posted something here...

Quantum and Woody Holy S-Word We're Cancelled TPB for $5.00 at Half Price Books. They had a Magnus:Steel Nation TPB and a Rai TPB for the same price but I passed on those. Still hoping to find a Predator vs. Magnus Trade at Half Price Books sometime, but it hasn't happened yet.

dave · Post by **dave** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 9:02 pm

are you in texas?

johnpaulbill · Post by **johnpaulbill** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 10:54 pm

Shadowman V2 #5 Retailer Preview found for $.20. Sold for $26.99. I'd have to say a good investment and return on my part. Oh, and I found about 8 other Retail Previews too. Just will have to wait to see if/when I get around to selling them.

Brother J · Post by **Brother J** » Fri Aug 20, 2004 11:20 pm

dave wrote:are you in texas?

who? me?

I assumed because your post came right after mine.

If so, no, I'm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, home of the cheese.

dave · Post by **dave** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 7:41 am

yeah you bro j...i was just wondering because i picked up many many discounted comis at 1/2 price books when i lived in texas-didn't realize the were out here in the so-called mid-west...as an aside-does that bother anyone else? the midwest? arizona and nevada should be the mid-west!!! are we still using maps from 1770?

sorry! i haven't seen any new books around at all lately.
been too busy and broke anyway-seems like a few of you have scored some really nice stuff though.

Eric Jackson · Post by **Eric Jackson** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 9:43 am

They have many in ohio too, 3 locations in columbus (where i used to live). However it changed greatly between 1/2 priced book stores. One store would have all comics bagged/boarded.. the other didnt and put priceing stickers all over them.. I've found some good books there that had price stickers all over them.. such a shame.

myron · Post by **myron** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 3:06 pm

Brother J wrote:minor score, but it's been a while since I've posted something here...

Quantum and Woody Holy S-Word We're Cancelled TPB for $5.00 at Half Price Books. They had a Magnus:Steel Nation TPB and a Rai TPB for the same price but I passed on those. Still hoping to find a Predator vs. Magnus Trade at Half Price Books sometime, but it hasn't happened yet.

which one...milwaukee??...I checked booth madison locations...they have nothin...

(although a few years ago I did get magnus 0-12 for about $5...all with cards(those that have them...)

Brother J · Post by **Brother J** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 5:37 pm

which one...milwaukee??...I checked booth madison locations...they have nothin... (although a few years ago I did get magnus 0-12 for about $5...all with cards(those that have them...)

There's three of them in the Milwaukee area, I usually go to the one in Greenfield, across from Southridge Mall since I live right around there. The thing with Half Price Books is that they are constantly bringing in new stuff, so you can never really say they definitely don't have something. I've never pulled any decent regular Valiant comics out of there, but I have found some good deals on trades and even got a Solar hardcover (not sealed but in good shape) there once.

dave · Post by **dave** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 7:07 pm

back in 98 i got all of my tpb's from different 1/2 price book shops up and down that main interstate that goes from san antonio to corpus (i-70? i forget now!). at the time i had no copies of those issues so i was great-valiant was pretty much gone-but no one had any pre-unity for sale!

myron · Post by **myron** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 7:57 pm

if you can get them at half price before they have been beaten to death in the long boxes they can have some good stuff...but you have to check often...

skiw · Post by **skiw** » Sat Aug 21, 2004 8:23 pm

Hit a couple of additional stores today, and I did okay at the first store:

Magnus vs Predator TPB NM (unread store stock) - 2 copies at $15 each.

It is funny how many stores say they can dig them up now that the movie is here but for some they could not make the effort to find them before!

At the second store I made a nice non-Valiant score:

Donald Duck #221 VG $1 (SCARCE pre-pack only issue)
Donald Duck #223 VG $1 (SCARCE pre-pack only issue)

AND

Uncle Scrooge #179 FN $1

They had a few long boxes of Disney books so I am going to go back with a list tomorrow to see if I can't pull out any other scarce issues - the clerk was a bit suspicious when I asked him for his guide to check them out!

This is the first time I took the baby comic shopping, and although she cut it short by starting to fuss I think I will have to take her along more often - so far she is good luck!

Cheers,
Skiw