It's Halloween! What's your comic book horror story? (Comic Book Forums)

It's Halloween! What's your comic book horror story?

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The Bobarian Comic Guru lifetime member Location: New York Posts: 825 My Collection	Posted: October 31, 2014 1:07:54 pm Here's mine - Sometime during my freshman year in college (1985-86) I either lost, accidentally threw out or let someone borrow and forgot to return my first 4 or 5 issues of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Eastman and Laird. And yes, they were first printings. Also, I was probably drunk at the time. Oh well, if someone can top this, I feel really sorry for you.

CrossoverKing Teacher Location: Johnstown, PA Posts: 263 My Collection	Posted: October 31, 2014 2:32:23 pm I can't top it...thank . Mine actually had a happy ending. In 2004, after moving from Pittsburgh to Johnstown, I was unpacking all my intercompany crossover posters. I couldn't find my mint condition promo poster for Superman vs The Amazing Spider-Man from 1976 ANYWHERE! I was SICK. I opened box after box. I mean...i was sick!!! I gave up after a couple of weeks, convinced that I'd left it on the front porch of the house we'd moved from. Our old landlord said he didn't see it, but I figured some kid snarrfed it up. Then... ...when opening a chess set box, of all things...there it was! I must have packed it there so it would be seperate and safe! Since this thread was started on Halloween...I'll have to say the poster looked "BOO"tiful!
The Bobarian Comic Guru lifetime member Location: New York Posts: 825 My Collection	Posted: November 1, 2014 5:30:12 pm Really? No one has a horror story about their comics? Someone's mom must have tossed some out ...
Tex75455 Wise Beyond the Years lifetime member Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 1871 My Collection	Posted: November 2, 2014 11:45:30 am I was always very stern with my mom when I was a kid... no throwing out of anything. Luckily enough, she respected that
The Bobarian Comic Guru lifetime member Location: New York Posts: 825 My Collection	Posted: November 2, 2014 12:40:35 pm I really thought there would be a good number of responses to this.
joe_mccarty Comic Guru Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 684 My Collection	Posted: November 3, 2014 8:43:02 am I had a cat that decided a long box of comics was a litter box.
Rapha1978 Comic Guru Location: North Carolina Posts: 939 My Collection	Posted: November 3, 2014 10:29:40 am I feel like I'm currently going through a horror story. I just sold my signed (by Rob Liefeld) New Mutants #98 on Ebay. I'm not a professional grader, I just grade comics by my own personal experience in collecting. I rated it at an 8.5 which was in the description and I feel was being modest. Even had pictures up and was very detailed in the description. It's been two weeks since it sold and now the buyer is asking for a refund because his opinion is that the comic is more like a 6.5 or 7. He is complaining I was not being honest. Ebay has been hounding me to refund him and I will end up losing money due to shipping/tracking and their ridiculous fees. I don't but sell maybe 1 or 2 comics on there a year and this whole experience has been a headache. It's just left me wanting to just close my account. We strike hard and fade away into the night
joe_mccarty Comic Guru Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 684 My Collection	Posted: November 3, 2014 10:39:02 am Rule number 1 about selling comics on ebay, "Don't give it a grade, the buyer will always disagree with you."
Rapha1978 Comic Guru Location: North Carolina Posts: 939 My Collection	Posted: November 3, 2014 12:07:57 pm What's crazy is that in my description I even stated I was not a professional grader. We strike hard and fade away into the night
joe_mccarty Comic Guru Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 684 My Collection	Posted: November 3, 2014 1:26:03 pm That fact that you mentioned a grade allows them to disagree with you. You should mention what you see is wrong with the item and leave it at that. Any additional opinions all room for disagreements.
Rapha1978 Comic Guru Location: North Carolina Posts: 939 My Collection	Posted: November 3, 2014 2:28:17 pm You can view the item here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/261618463192?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5336824214&toolid=10001&ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1561.l2649 I feel like I was pretty descriptive about everything and the photos were clear. Buyer says there is a very small ding on the bottom right corner. It's a ridiculous claim if you ask me. Ebay seems to not care about what the seller thinks and sides with buyer... even after auction states "Seller does not offer returns." I wonder why they even place that option for me to select before I set up the auction?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5336824214&toolid=10001& We strike hard and fade away into the night
joe_mccarty Comic Guru Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 684 My Collection	Posted: November 3, 2014 2:35:17 pm The problem is with the following two lines " It's a Very Fine+ condition of New Mutants #98 from 1991" and "..would rate this one at Very Fine+ condition at 8.5+" You should have said look at the pictures to determine the condition and list any known defects. That fact that you mentioned you are not a professional grader does not change the fact that you graded the comic. If you had not mentioned the two lines above, ebay could only ask you to refund if the comic did not arrive in the condition pictured. It sucks but that's just the way it works. I would agree with the buyer, that's not an 8.5 comic. I would say 6.0 at best due to the corners, in particular the bottom right corner. Last edited November 3, 2014 2:37:10 pm
logerine Comic Guru Location: Tennessee Posts: 725 My Collection	Posted: November 3, 2014 2:49:34 pm With an item like this that has been signed without a COA, it might've been better to sell it through www.mycomicshop.com. You have to pay shipping to Texas, but they grade and sell it for you, then send you a check. I believe they take 10% which is what eBay takes. I agree that eBay can be a source for headaches. As a buyer, I bought a raw copy of Thor 229 that was graded a 9.2 by the seller. The pictures didn't show that the comic had moisture damage to one corner. Needless to say I was pretty upset. The seller claimed he didn't notice the moisture damage when he scanned it, but he did step up and refund some of my money. Sometimes the seller is wrong, and sometimes the buyer is. Rapha1978 said: You can view the item here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/261618463192?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5336824214&toolid=10001&ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1561.l2649 I feel like I was pretty descriptive about everything and the photos were clear. Buyer says there is a very small ding on the bottom right corner. It's a ridiculous claim if you ask me. Ebay seems to not care about what the seller thinks and sides with buyer... even after auction states "Seller does not offer returns." I wonder why they even place that option for me to select before I set up the auction?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5336824214&toolid=10001&
Rapha1978 Comic Guru Location: North Carolina Posts: 939 My Collection	Posted: November 3, 2014 3:09:59 pm Well the buyer is stating that he is going by CGC standards. I find his reasons bogus and unfair because I did not even mention CGC in the auction. I could understand if I had claimed it was CGC but it was not. In all my years of collecting I’ve never dealt with CGC because I’m one of those that doesn’t see the point in sealing a comic forever and not getting to enjoy seeing the pages. To me that is part of collecting... smells, pages, all that jazz. Old school buyer’s guide’s list an 8.5 as the following: A VERY FINE comic book appears to have been read a few times and has been handled with some care. It allows for some more defects. • Some of the above defects along with a small fold or crease in the cover. • Very few stress marks on spine. • A few small chips on the cover • The cover has some slight surface wear but still has its original gloss and there is nothing major wrong with it. Overall an exceptional, still very collectible. I would think that a ding on the cover would not even be as bad as "A few small chips" as listed above. This comic did not have folds or creases on the cover or stress marks on spine. Is it that grading today has gotten a lot more picky than it use to be? What would an 8.5 comic be considered like today? Last edited November 3, 2014 3:14:09 pm We strike hard and fade away into the night
logerine Comic Guru Location: Tennessee Posts: 725 My Collection	Posted: November 3, 2014 3:21:54 pm I looked at it. It seems that CGC is more strict on newer comics than they are on older ones. Maybe that's what the buyer was thinking. I think it looks like a solid VF. Plus it's a newsstand edition, which is a plus among many collectors. I think the buyer is, perhaps, being a bit too picky in this case. But I personally would not buy a signed comic that does not have a COA. I know that isn't what the buyer is fussing about. You were up front with the item you were selling, so I don't see a problem on your part. Hope it gets resolved for you soon. If you're having that much trouble expect negative feedback from that buyer.
Rapha1978 Comic Guru Location: North Carolina Posts: 939 My Collection	Posted: November 3, 2014 3:52:33 pm logerine said: But I personally would not buy a signed comic that does not have a COA. I know that isn't what the buyer is fussing about. I'd rather buy one that wasn't. A lot of the one's that are COA are auto signed comics where the artist/writer has signed maybe 2,500 of them in the exact same location. You can tell the difference and it doesn't really make a signing unique. I always take pictures and feel this is a lot better than just going on someone's word. I've also been collecting baseball cards and animation art from the 1940s-50s. Most of those pieces which are signed can never be authorized but good collectors know a fake when they see it. I have a few animation cels that were signed by Disney artist Marc Davis. These were purchased from his late wife's estate and I have the paperwork saved to prove it. I sold a few signed comics last month. One set included the Infinity Gauntlet storyline signed by Perez and Starlin. It sold for a good amount and as always I include the actual photographs and send them to the winning bidder. Here's that auction if you want to check out: http://www.ebay.com/itm/261611134110?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5336824214&toolid=10001&ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1561.l2649 How is the average person suppose to get something authorized?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5336824214&toolid=10001& I attend probably 2-3 conventions a year and get probably 50-60 comics signed. No way I would be paying CGC per issue. I just take a camera, and right at the moment the creator signs it I take a pic. Last edited November 3, 2014 3:55:51 pm We strike hard and fade away into the night
logerine Comic Guru Location: Tennessee Posts: 725 My Collection	Posted: November 3, 2014 7:11:27 pm The definition of auto signed is when an item isn't signed by a human hand. It is either stamped or a machine traces the celebrity's signature onto memorabilia. Are you saying that, for example, 2,500 comics signed by an artist at Dynamic Forces are merely stamped or traced onto the comics?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5336824214&toolid=10001& Rapha1978 said: logerine said: But I personally would not buy a signed comic that does not have a COA. I know that isn't what the buyer is fussing about. I'd rather buy one that wasn't. A lot of the one's that are COA are auto signed comics where the artist/writer has signed maybe 2,500 of them in the exact same location. You can tell the difference and it doesn't really make a signing unique. I always take pictures and feel this is a lot better than just going on someone's word. I've also been collecting baseball cards and animation art from the 1940s-50s. Most of those pieces which are signed can never be authorized but good collectors know a fake when they see it. I have a few animation cels that were signed by Disney artist Marc Davis. These were purchased from his late wife's estate and I have the paperwork saved to prove it. I sold a few signed comics last month. One set included the Infinity Gauntlet storyline signed by Perez and Starlin. It sold for a good amount and as always I include the actual photographs and send them to the winning bidder. Here's that auction if you want to check out: http://www.ebay.com/itm/261611134110?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5336824214&toolid=10001&ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1561.l2649 How is the average person suppose to get something authorized?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5336824214&toolid=10001& I attend probably 2-3 conventions a year and get probably 50-60 comics signed. No way I would be paying CGC per issue. I just take a camera, and right at the moment the creator signs it I take a pic.
junobeach Wise Beyond the Years moderator Location: Victoria, BC Canada Posts: 2148 My Collection	Posted: November 4, 2014 1:21:33 am From your scans that looks like a Very Fine comic to me. Another Ebay horror story. I would never buy a comic that somebody else had signed unless it was certified. I have a few signed but they are not for sale; I just wanted it for myself.
tangledwebs Wise Beyond the Years Location: Buffalo Posts: 1189 My Collection	Posted: November 4, 2014 12:22:36 pm I bought ASM #91 off ebay in fn/fn+ for around $18 shipped. The day I got it I went to take it out of the bag for inspection and the tape got stuck on the front cover taking off a layer of color which left a frayed white spot ruining the book.
Rapha1978 Comic Guru Location: North Carolina Posts: 939 My Collection	Posted: November 4, 2014 4:25:56 pm junobeach said: From your scans that looks like a Very Fine comic to me. Another Ebay horror story. I would never buy a comic that somebody else had signed unless it was certified. I have a few signed but they are not for sale; I just wanted it for myself. Dang you guys are really picky. I'm thinking about putting up a few signed Stan Lee comics I have for sale (including a FF#48 and Amazing SpiderMan #16). Stan's people would not allow photography while he was signing but I sneaked a few pics and they are clear as day. Hope it not being certified doesn't affect sale value. We strike hard and fade away into the night
logerine Comic Guru Location: Tennessee Posts: 725 My Collection	Posted: November 4, 2014 4:34:38 pm I still don't understand the rationale you made that a comic signed at a convention is more desirable than one signed at a sit-down when an artist signs several in a row. At least the ones signed at the sit-down are witnessed by a third party and assigned a certificate of authenticity. A photograph with your name Photoshopped ontop of it doesn't mean anything to me.
joe_mccarty Comic Guru Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 684 My Collection	Posted: November 4, 2014 5:15:44 pm The Stan Lee autograph that is not certified is worth less than what you paid for it. He has signed many hundreds of thousands of books and if the price is the same for certified or uncertified, what woudl you pick? For the most part a undocumented signature is rarely worth anything and in fact can lower the price of a book. At some point there will be a service like in the sports industry that will validate signatures but it is not part of the comic world at this time. Hopefully you don't have too much money tied up in this learning experience. In the future, at least with the expensive stuff, get it CGC'd if you plan on selling it. Not that you are doing this but it would be real easy to forge an autograph to look like one that was signed in the picture, so the picture is not much more that an interesting story added to the book.
junobeach Wise Beyond the Years moderator Location: Victoria, BC Canada Posts: 2148 My Collection	Posted: November 4, 2014 8:25:11 pm joe_mccarty said: The Stan Lee autograph that is not certified is worth less than what you paid for it. He has signed many hundreds of thousands of books and if the price is the same for certified or uncertified, what woudl you pick? For the most part a undocumented signature is rarely worth anything and in fact can lower the price of a book. At some point there will be a service like in the sports industry that will validate signatures but it is not part of the comic world at this time. Hopefully you don't have too much money tied up in this learning experience. In the future, at least with the expensive stuff, get it CGC'd if you plan on selling it. Not that you are doing this but it would be real easy to forge an autograph to look like one that was signed in the picture, so the picture is not much more that an interesting story added to the book. Actually there is: http://comicbookrealm.com/topic/10/21787/cbcs-signature-authentication
joe_mccarty Comic Guru Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 684 My Collection	Posted: November 4, 2014 8:36:08 pm Cool. Hopefully this will gain acceptance in the collecting community.
The Bobarian Comic Guru lifetime member Location: New York Posts: 825 My Collection	Posted: November 5, 2014 5:55:54 pm So any other horror stories out there? Like, a baby brother doodling on your comics, a water main break flooded the basement where you stored your comics, you lost your comics in a divorce or your ex tossed them out? ...
L0ngB0x Grasshopper lifetime member Location: NJ Posts: 131 My Collection	Posted: November 5, 2014 7:20:58 pm Last year I had just came home from picking up my new books at the LCs and I dropped a justice league comic face down on a freshly mopped floor...... I opened the basement door and threw it down the steps shortly after i went back down and read the book Last edited November 6, 2014 9:53:02 am " alt="Image" title="Image" /> " alt="Image" title="Image" /> " alt="Image" title="Image" />" alt="Image" title="Image" />
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