Chaos Effect Alpha Red, other key issues up for auction

matthigh · Post by **matthigh** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 10:40 pm

Greetings all,

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I have a few of the harder-to-find Valiant comics up for auction on Ebay right now:

Chaos Effect Alpha Red
Armorines #0 Gold Edition
Bloodshot #0 Gold Edition
Chaos Effect Omega Gold
Deathmate Prologue Gold Edition
Deathmate Yellow Gold Edition
Second Life of Dr. Mirage #1 Gold Edition
Harbinger #1, 2, 3, 5, 6
Magnus Robot Fighter #4
Rai #4
X-O Manowar #15 Pink Edition

All of them are in the Near Mint range, and I've included extra-large scans so that you can grade them for yourself (I'm an amateur when it comes to grading).

All of the books have "buy it now" prices that are based on the current values listed on the valiantcomics.com site, and minimum bids of $3 each. Auctions end next Thursday evening. For more information, visit:

http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/mlhradio

Also note that I am not a regular to this message board (this is my first post, and I only registered to post this for-sale message), so if you have any questions, email me at mhigh@coldcut.com. Happy bidding!

dino · Post by **dino** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 10:44 pm

I was gonna bin that cear but i missed it, someone killed the bin

x-omatic · Post by **x-omatic** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 11:17 pm

dino wrote:I was gonna bin that cear but i missed it, someone killed the bin

The BIN was high considering the grade.

soundoftheuniverse · Post by **soundoftheuniverse** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 11:31 pm

Ok, this is a GREAT EXAMPLE of a VF condition book imo.

Those corners terrify me, yet I've seen books as bad or worse described as NM. What grade would you give that CEAR?

dino · Post by **dino** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 11:35 pm

From the scan it looks like CGC would say it's a 9.0 possibly a 9.2

x-omatic · Post by **x-omatic** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 11:44 pm

dino wrote:From the scan it looks like CGC would say it's a 9.0 possibly a 9.2

I would be afraid to buy from you Dino if you think it would get a 9.2. It would be a 9.0 at the very best. If we can see enough in the image to grade it a 9.0 it might even be worse in person.

dino · Post by **dino** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 11:47 pm

I didn't say I thought it was a 9.2, I said CGC might say it was one. From my experience they are pretty lenient with 9.2's. I've got a 9.4 Unity Red that looks like this book minus the top left corner.

x-omatic · Post by **x-omatic** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:00 am

dino wrote:I didn't say I thought it was a 9.2, I said CGC might say it was one. From my experience they are pretty lenient with 9.2's. I've got a 9.4 Unity Red that looks like this book minus the top left corner.

My bad.

dino · Post by **dino** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:06 am

x-omatic wrote:
dino wrote:I didn't say I thought it was a 9.2, I said CGC might say it was one. From my experience they are pretty lenient with 9.2's. I've got a 9.4 Unity Red that looks like this book minus the top left corner.
My bad.

Thats okay, Im a terrible grader. If I were selling the book I would have said it was 9.6 for sure

matthigh · Post by **matthigh** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:20 am

Thanks for the feedback, guys -- it helps to let me know whether I'm grading too high or too low. If anyone sees any other books that they think I've overgraded or undergraded, feel free to speak up -- I could use the pointers.

As I noted in the auction description, I am an amateur at grading, so it's nice to know I'm not too far off base. I had first considered it as a solid NM, until I spotted the spine crease and dropped it down to NM-. On closer look now, I might even drop it down to VF/NM 9.0 just to be on the conservative side, but I would keep it at NM- 9.2 if I were an optimist. But that's why I included the big scan, so people with more experience can judge for themselves. I've sold literally thousands and thousands of comic books on Ebay in the past four years, but nearly all of them were on the lower end (i.e. cover price or less, where grade is not important), so I haven't had much of a reason to get picky on the grade much before now.

soundoftheuniverse · Post by **soundoftheuniverse** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:25 am

Personally, if a book has any spine creases what-so-ever It's an immidiate 9.2 at best... in my book.

Any more than 2 creases drops it to 9.0 or lower. And don't get me started on corner dings. Any dings and it's a 9.0 at best in my book.

So to call something a 9.4 or better... in my book... It has no spine creases... maybe an itsy bitsy teenie tiny one that's only noticable waaaaaay up close. Otherwise it's got tight clean sharp corners with slight valiant corners acceptable.

9.6 is perfect to the naked eye. Average joe will call it a MINT... but it's not. And 9.8, hmm leave those to CGC since you can't really tell the difference.

dino · Post by **dino** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:28 am

soundoftheuniverse wrote:Personally, if a book has any spine creases what-so-ever It's an immidiate 9.2 at best... in my book.

Any more than 2 creases drops it to 9.0 or lower. And don't get me started on corner dings. Any dings and it's a 9.0 at best in my book.

So to call something a 9.4 or better... in my book... It has no spine creases... maybe an itsy bitsy teenie tiny one that's only noticable waaaaaay up close. Otherwise it's got tight clean sharp corners with slight valiant corners acceptable.

9.6 is perfect to the naked eye. Average joe will call it a MINT... but it's not. And 9.8, hmm leave those to CGC since you can't really tell the difference.

I used to think the same way but thats not the way CGC sees it and these days they are making up the rules. I've seen plenty of CGC 9.4's with noticable creases (non colour breaking and never more than a couple though).

soundoftheuniverse · Post by **soundoftheuniverse** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 2:55 am

Aye, I'm a tougher grader than CGC... not better, since I don't understand all the fine shades that differentiate each grade, half grade etc.

I just know what damage is and seek out books with as little of it as possible.

How strict is CGC when it comes to the backs of the books? Are they equally as anal or do they let more slide on the backside?