Just bought Harbinger #1 (1992) CGC 9.8 SS

[DirtbagSailor]

So I just bought Harbinger #1 CGC 9.8 SS Signed by Jim Shooter and colorist Janet Jackson.

Price was $1100.

Now, I know that I could have picked up CGC 9.8 for $450-$500 unsigned with no effort, but I did want this specific issue in this condition and signed by Shooter (would have liked Bob Layton too...). I'll be honest, at first I was REALLY uncertain since I immeadiatly thought that the book had been signed by Janet Jackson the singer and pop-star of 80's/90's fame, which really made no sense to me whatsoever.

However, after a small amount of research, my ignorance was quickly corrected.

Anyhow, what are your thoughts? Did I pay WAY too much? As an item of nostalgic value, I'm happy, but as an investment...? Thoughts?

[DirtbagSailor]

[GGSAE]

If this is something that means a lot to you, and you have no plans on selling it down the road (need for cash). Then what you paid is meaningless....

Having said that. That seller is a former board member that a number of us here are friends with, and has had that book listed for eons! That price was based off Harbinger 1 (Blue label) sales back when they were around a grand, and thus that price was very competitive. Since then, the price plummeted off that level, yet the seller maintained it despite diminishing interest...It wouldn't have hurt to make a best offer to save you some cash. I don't know what he would have accepted for the book, but you may have been able to save a few bucks.

[FormerReader]

As GGSAE said, if you intend to hold onto the book in your personnel collection then great pickup! There are very few SS 9.8's on the census.

[DirtbagSailor]

I feel so, as my intention is to hang-on to it. It is unlikely that I will stumble across a 9.9 or 10 SS, and even if I did odds are it will be beyond my reach (reasonable reach that is...).

I already had Harbinger #1 in my collection, but it just looked out of place next to my other Pre-Unity SS books of higher gradeings, so call it OCD but I sort of wanted to match quality for completeness and intrinsic value.

Part of me finds it odd that such a great and historically important/relevant book has suffered a drop in value, especially with the re-boot of the series and the re-birth of Valiant to the market. But that is just how the ball bounces I suppose, and to me such masterpieces are virtually priceless anyhow.

But if history teaches us anything, it is that years from now when we are on Harbinger #183, it may dawn on collectors to look for where this story started, and who it was that started the revolution.

[DirtbagSailor]

It wouldn't have hurt to make a best offer to save you some cash. I don't know what he would have accepted for the book, but you may have been able to save a few bucks.

Now this is very true, and perhaps had I made an offer of $750, I might have been able to take that extra $350 saved and snag a splash-page or two, or perhaps a copy of Magnus #7 in decent quality. But I'm happy with it, and can't wait to add it to my man-cave!

[Blood of Heroes]

It sounds like you are you are happy with it, and that is what really matters. Nice book!

[String]

So I just bought Harbinger #1 CGC 9.8 SS Signed by Jim Shooter and colorist Janet Jackson.

Price was $1100.

Now, I know that I could have picked up CGC 9.8 for $450-$500 unsigned with no effort, but I did want this specific issue in this condition and signed by Shooter (would have liked Bob Layton too...). I'll be honest, at first I was REALLY uncertain since I immeadiatly thought that the book had been signed by Janet Jackson the singer and pop-star of 80's/90's fame, which really made no sense to me whatsoever.

However, after a small amount of research, my ignorance was quickly corrected.

Anyhow, what are your thoughts? Did I pay WAY too much? As an item of nostalgic value, I'm happy, but as an investment...? Thoughts?

Jackson worked at Marvel back in the 80s when Shooter was EIC. Back then, I was somewhat confused by her name as you were till I saw a picture of her in the Marvel Age magazine. Ah, good times.

Great score too. If you plan on keeping this book long-term, then cost really doesn't matter in the end.

[Chiclo]

This is why she often goes by JayJay and not by Janet.

[bribri]

This is why she often goes by JayJay and not by Janet.

Or Ms. Jackson...if you're nasty.

[DirtbagSailor]

This is why she often goes by JayJay and not by Janet.

Or Ms. Jackson...if you're nasty.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uh_gaaUiNs8

OR

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bc5A-QAQM9o

[nycjadie]

I recently bought an unsigned 9.8 and totally sympathize. I love the book and it's arguably the holy grail of Valiant books.

[iggy101us]

Congrats on the purchase.

Price seems a little high with recent sales of unsigned at around $400. On the other hand, there are only a handful of the SS copies and the seller has/had most of the SS copies so there is really no other way of getting a SS copy (unless you buy an blue 9.8, get a CGC witness and get Shooter and JJ's signatures at the risk of damaging the blue 9.8).

[comicsyte95]

Congrats on the buy! If you have the cash and love a comic book enough then it is definetly worth the money.

[jmatt]

This is why she often goes by JayJay and not by Janet.

Or Ms. Jackson...if you're nasty.

[DirtbagSailor]

I love the book and it's arguably the holy grail of Valiant books.

Holy Grail of Valiant books? Yes, agreed. Only perhaps Magnus #1 or #0 signed would come close (though a Solar #10 CGC 9.8 SS [Shooter/Layton] with a sketch would certainly be up there too...).

August was a hell of a month for me buying-wise. Picked up about 7 Splash Pages (and had them all professionally matted and framed).

Then focused on locating key-books that I had wanted for a while but had just not got around to locating. Picked up:

New Mutants #98 CGC 9.8 SS
Spawn #1 CGC 9.8 SS
Amazing Spider-Man #129 CGC 6.5 SS
Wolverine Limited #1 CGC 9.8 SS
Harbinger #1 CGC 9.8 SS
Silver Surfer #4 CGC 5.5 SS
Incredible Hulk #181 CGC 5.5 (no SS )
Solar #1 CGC 9.8 SS
X-O Manowar CGC 9.8 SS
Unity #0 (Red Logo Variant) CGC 9.6 SS
Unity #1 (Platinum Edition) CGC 9.6 SS
Magnus #0 CGC 9.8 (no SS )
Magnus #1 CGC 9.8 (no SS )
Archer & Armstrong #0 (Gold Edition) CGC 9.8 (no SS )
Rai #1 CGC 9.8 SS

So I'm relaxing for the next 30 days before my wife asks me how much comic books cost... ...lol!

I would of course like to get every original pre-unity Valiant Key-Issue in high-grade and SS at some point in the near future, and may do just that. But there are a few other things that may require attention and funding as well on my horizon outside of the comic world. I do think this was a worthwhile buy, at least for me it was. Not sure if I would have paid much more than I did though.

[DirtbagSailor]

Jackson worked at Marvel back in the 80s when Shooter was EIC. Back then, I was somewhat confused by her name as you were till I saw a picture of her in the Marvel Age magazine. Ah, good times.

Wonder if I could get her to sign a copy of the Rhythem Nation album!

[FormerReader]

I love the book and it's arguably the holy grail of Valiant books.

Holy Grail of Valiant books? Yes, agreed. Only perhaps Magnus #1 or #0 signed would come close (though a Solar #10 CGC 9.8 SS [Shooter/Layton] with a sketch would certainly be up there too...).

August was a hell of a month for me buying-wise. Picked up about 7 Splash Pages (and had them all professionally matted and framed).

Then focused on locating key-books that I had wanted for a while but had just not got around to locating. Picked up:

New Mutants #98 CGC 9.8 SS
Spawn #1 CGC 9.8 SS
Amazing Spider-Man #129 CGC 6.5 SS
Wolverine Limited #1 CGC 9.8 SS
Harbinger #1 CGC 9.8 SS
Silver Surfer #4 CGC 5.5 SS
Incredible Hulk #181 CGC 5.5 (no SS )
Solar #1 CGC 9.8 SS
X-O Manowar CGC 9.8 SS
Unity #0 (Red Logo Variant) CGC 9.6 SS
Unity #1 (Platinum Edition) CGC 9.6 SS
Magnus #0 CGC 9.8 (no SS )
Magnus #1 CGC 9.8 (no SS )
Archer & Armstrong #0 (Gold Edition) CGC 9.8 (no SS )
Rai #1 CGC 9.8 SS

So I'm relaxing for the next 30 days before my wife asks me how much comic books cost... ...lol!

I would of course like to get every original pre-unity Valiant Key-Issue in high-grade and SS at some point in the near future, and may do just that. But there are a few other things that may require attention and funding as well on my horizon outside of the comic world. I do think this was a worthwhile buy, at least for me it was. Not sure if I would have paid much more than I did though.

Holy *SQUEE* you're been on a hunt.

[DirtbagSailor]

Holy *SQUEE* you're been on a hunt.

Just a little bit I guess lol!

Not to mention the other art picked up this past month. It was actually too much, and I'm not really sure if I'll even have room on my walls at home. At least without cluttering to a point of of sensory overload which would actually defeat the purpose of such things. Will prob need to take inventory, and sell a few things (or give them away as gifts) to different family and/or friends.

[lorddunlow]

Holy *SQUEE* you're been on a hunt.

Just a little bit I guess lol!

Not to mention the other art picked up this past month. It was actually too much, and I'm not really sure if I'll even have room on my walls at home. At least without cluttering to a point of of sensory overload which would actually defeat the purpose of such things. Will prob need to take inventory, and sell a few things (or give them away as gifts) to different family and/or friends.

Hey, friend. How's it going? I would be more than happy to help you unclutter your life!

[DirtbagSailor]

Hey, friend. How's it going? I would be more than happy to help you unclutter your life!

Lol! If I do decide to lighten the load a little, I'll certainly post a few pics. A lot of what I have is original hand-painted production art from old cartoon show that I had matted and framed (e.g. Ninja Turtles, X-Men, He-Man, G.I. Joe, Smurfs, Thunder Cats, etc). Mostly 80's and 90's cartoons.

Actually, what I might do with a few of them is to combine the art into a single piece, like having the Ninja Turtles battle Skeletor from He-Man and then frame it. True, this NEVER happened, but the nostalgic value of such a thing would be as they say "off the hook!"

Here's example of one I haven't hung-up (prob going to give this one to my younger brother...):

[Chiclo]

This is why she often goes by JayJay and not by Janet.

Or Ms. Jackson...if you're nasty.

This is why she doesn't come around here.

[Dr. Solar]

Nice. If you're happy with the book, then it is a good purchase.

Also, I think I was there when that book was signed at NYCC in 2009. Double verified!

[chriskay99]

I'll be honest, at first I was REALLY uncertain since I immeadiatly thought that the book had been signed by Janet Jackson the singer and pop-star of 80's/90's fame, which really made no sense to me whatsoever.

However, after a small amount of research, my ignorance was quickly corrected.

I always thought Ralph Macchio got into comics after The Karate Kid.

[myron]

I'm surprised someone who didn't really know who the sigs were would pop that much for that book, after all you could buy a nice silver age slab for that...but as long as you're happy, great buy