Just Give Me a Friggin’ Sign!!

This post will be somewhat of a rehash and it won’t focus as much on comics like normal, but it needed to be written.  Consider it therapeutic.

It’s no secret that my son and I are trying, very hard mind you, to get our business regional and national attention.  The fact is that this blog is read internationally as well as nationally.  I want to thank all of the readers in China, Japan, Malaysia, Germany, the UK, Portugal, the US, Canada, and several other countries.  The hard part about thanking people is that you don’t want to miss anyone, so if I missed you I apologize.

Anyway, we are trying to get our business more exposure.  As you know, we buy, sell and appraise comic books and we run a charity called “Comics Help Kids Read” that gets comic books in the hands of kids who are learning to read.

Recently I’ve felt as though we weren’t gaining enough traction and saw that we were actually losing followers on Twitter and Facebook.  Being a hard working and ethical person I often look to the universe to somehow reward me for staying on the right path and doing the right thing.  In the past this has always been the case.  I also look for signs that the universe is listening and look for any possible forms of “feedback” that confirm that it’s “listening".

I got that feedback recently and here’s the story.

I keep notes posted all over my office and bathroom (the two places I spend time thinking) that are motivational and designed to help me with my “self-talk”, the stuff I say to myself in my head.

Oh, don’t tell me you don’t talk to yourself in your head.  You give yourself feedback constantly.  Things like, “I look terrible in this shirt” or “Why couldn’t I get that thing to work?”.  That kind of stuff.

Having read that your “self talk” is very important I keep these notes hanging all over the place and my wife puts up with it.  I want to remind myself to think positive.  To put those positive vibes out into the universe.

Then I check to see if the universe is listening.

It sounds freaky and new-ageish, if new-age is even a term anymore, but it’s not.  It’s being written about more and more that what you say to yourself is important and what you think changes your life.

I recently started a business partnership with someone to do something outside the comic book industry.  Like you, I need income so I needed a revenue stream to keep a roof over my head.  But in doing so the doubts hit me.  Shouldn’t I stay focused on one thing?  Shouldn’t I stick with the comic book business and keep pushing until it takes off?  I admit I was really torn.  It’s no secret that my wife has cancer and if I don’t have income I can’t take care of her and my kids.

So, I put it out to the universe.  What should I do?  Where should I focus?  I need an answer!!

I didn’t immediately see an answer as I had hoped.  Trust me, I looked and looked.

So, here’s the rehash part.

Then yesterday it came.

I was in my office working on plans for The Comic Whisperer and how we could continue to grow and I, as always, heard a piece of a TV show my wife was watching.  It was the Garage Brothers.  A show I blogged about previously.

As I said in the previous blog I don’t watch much TV, I prefer to read or mess around on my iPad, so I don’t catch many episodes of, well, anything.  Name a show and I can virtually guarantee you I haven’t seen more than a couple of episodes...if any.  There are exceptions; I love American Horror Story, Impractical Jokers, The Carbonaro Effect and Dexter (which is no longer making new episodes) but in general I don’t spend much time in front of the TV.

So, since Garage Brothers has had many episodes that aired the chances of me seeing (or hearing in this case) an episode I was familiar with was virtually nil.  Actually, that’s what’s nice about not watching TV.  Whenever you sit down in front of the boob tube you are almost guaranteed not to see a rerun.

Hearing it was on, and me needing to take a lunch break,  and almost guaranteed that I hadn’t seen the episode, I sauntered into the living room and sat down.  The show was at a point where they were just uncovering something so I came in at a good point.  I recognized the piece immediately.   They were uncovering a statue of the Silver Surfer.  This was the show with the comic book expert....the only episode I have ever seen.  The very one I blogged about.  What were the odds??

I took it as my sign.  Stick with the comic book business.  Stick with doing what I know and love.  After all, isn’t naming a show Garage Brothers making a commitment?  They can’t exactly go off and start an accounting firm.  They are committed.  American Horror Story can’t start showing a romance (unless it has a gruesome ending).  They are committed.  Michael Carbonaro can’t do a show on remodeling houses (unless he just makes new furniture appear).  He’s committed.

Again, I owe a debt to the Garage Brothers.  It’s just weird that the lesson comes from the same freakin’ episode.

All this being said, we can’t fail can we?  The universe told us so through that episode, right?  The odds of seeing the same episode when countless others could have been aired is too small, right?  It had to be a sign.  Well, this sign said “Garage Brothers” and I am going to take it and run with it.  It’s what I wanted anyway.

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We look forward to many years of serving you.  The universe said so.

Did You Tell Me To Go To Shell?

It's an interesting argument that is going on nowadays.  What appraiser should be used for accurate grading and do you want your appraised comic in a Shell that, if opened, voids the appraisal?  I have heard, and read, both sides of the argument and needed to take a stand on the shell, the large appraisal companies, and what those same companies are doing to the comic industry.

First, I have to praise Metropolis Comics and Collectibles.  When I do a search on "comic appraising" or "comic appraisals",  Metropolis Comics and Collectibles is the first to come up.  That is either incredible search engine optimization (SEO) management or it's just that so many searches are made on them it puts them near the top.  My vote is that they do some incredible SEO management.  Either way, my hat is off to Metropolis Comics and Collectibles.  I'd like to go there just to tip my hat in person.

The funny thing is that the big appraisal houses aren't even on the first page of the search.  Neither is the Comic Whisperer, mind you, but we don't even have a site up yet.

Now, let's talk numbers really quick, they will be used to prove a point:

In order for CGC to do their "Modern" service they estimate turnaround time at 20 business days.  BUT their current turnaround time, according to their website, is 55 business days.

Cost?  $18 per book, with the book only being allowed to have an estimated value of $200.

For the "Modern Fast Track" service the estimated turnaround time is 10 business days.  BUT their current turnaround time, according to their website, is 25 business days.

Cost?  $28 per book, again with the maximum value of $200.

So, let me see if I get this right, their current turnaround time for the "Fast Track" is LONGER than their estimated turnaround time for the "Modern" service of 20 business days, but you are paying $10 more per book.

Don't forget the $5 "handling fee" per invoice that applies to all grading tiers.

Let's do some more math.  CGC claims to have over 100,000 comics submitted to them per year.

If we make the assumption that they don't work on weekends (which you can bet on) we can estimate that they work approximately 22 business days per month.  22 x 12 is 264 working days per year.  BUT WAIT!  Don't forget holidays.  Companies offer between 10 and 17 holidays per year.  Let's go with 10.  264-10=254 working days per year.  Check my math.

So, we take 100,000 comics divided by 254 days per year and we get...um...394 (actually 393.7) comics going through their door per business day.

Assuming an 8 hour work day you have 394 divided by 8 and we get...hmmm...49 (49.25 actually) comics being graded per hour.  Keep in mind that each comic goes through 3 different people looking at it before being graded.  So, let's say your comic gets some incredible levels of attention and you have 3 people taking a total of 1 hour to look at it.  That's 147 people looking at 1 comic per hour (49 comics per hour times 3 people doing the grading).  How do they pay for all that?  Wait, they don't...you do.

Although I could go into the other big house, it's a lot of the same, just different prices.

So, after they're done, they put your comic is a custom designed shell with all sorts of gadgets and doohickeys that keep it from being opened.  You pay for that too.  But should you do a shell at all?  Here are the two side of the argument:

TO SHELL:  If you are submitting a comic that you intend to sell there is no better way to confirm value than to have it appraised and have it in a shell with the grading right on it.  To make it even better, as long as the seal isn't broken the appraisal will always be considered accurate.  If I then look in a pricing guide I can make the grade to a price and put it up for sale.  Another advantage is preservation.  If I have a $5,000 comic and I don't want anything to happen to it, the shell is an excellent way to preserve your comic.  There is no doubt that for the person selling the comic or preserving a comic, this may be a good choice.

NOT TO SHELL:  If you're a comic collector like me, you read your comics.  You enjoy them.  It's why you bought it in the first place.  You may even go so far as to bag and board them in a quality bag with a quality board.  You then keep them in a box in a dry cool place.  I can pull out a comic from 20 years ago that I bagged and boarded and it will be in the same shape it was when I got it and without a shell.  The key part?  I can read it, put it back in, and not have to pay to get it reappraised.  I know I didn't damage it, and I know the value didn't change, so why all the fuss?  If I really want to sell them, non-shelled books take top dollar all the time on buyer boards, eBay, etc.

The choice is yours and there are advantages either way, but there is a catch that not many are aware of...so let me fill you in.

The big comic appraising houses can sway the marketplace.  In one of my previous posts I talked about my own test with the two big houses where the same comic was was graded different and the grades were 1.0 full point apart (see my previous post Comic Book Appraising...Why People Need To Think Twice About Who Does The Appraising).

So, let's use the example from that blog...the same comic came back from one appraisal house at a 7.2,  the same comic came back from the second appraisal house at a grade of 8.4.  A difference of 1.2 points.  That is over a 10% difference on the 10 point grading scale.

But how could that effect the industry?  By swaying the prices garnered by those comics and possibly devaluating them.

Let's look at Captain America #100.  According to Comic Book Realm, our favorite pricing site, that comic at an 8.4 (or VF+) is valued at $900.  But if you go by the grading of 7.2 (or F/VF) you get a value of $550.  That's a difference of $350 that's a remarkable 38% difference!  And, take my word for this, if we are talking Action Comics #1, the price difference is closer to $1,100,000.  Ouch!

So, when these comics are let go into the marketplace they can swing pricing dramatically and overvalue or undervalue comics.  Think of it this way.  If you and one other person showed up for auction, and the same comic (but two copies) went up for sale would you rather buy the 8.4 or the 7.2?  Would you rather be the seller for the 8.4 or the 7.2?

Will it make a sweeping change that will destroy the industry?  No. Is the pricing and turnaround time for 2 different ratings on the same comic out of hand?  Sure it is.  Metropolis Comics and Collectibles offers to give your comic the once over and give an estimated appraisal for FREE.  How far off would it be from the big houses, not much.

But the fault for all of this lies with the sellers and buyers.  Yes, those of you who INSIST on a shelled, big appraisal house, grading.  I was in a pawn shop recently and I asked if he carried comic books.  He said that he didn't and, if he did, he would insist on grading from CGC.  It's a shame really.

Am I saying the big houses are not worth it or they should step aside for your hometown appraisers?  No, there are needs that are met thoroughly and easily by them.  Should they be the only grades worth working with?  Not when they can be separated by 1.2 they're not.

Why Comic Book Realm is our 'go-to' site!

If you haven't visited the site www.comicbookrealm.com you are truly missing out.  This site has more comic book information and pricing than anyone can possibly digest in a lifetime.  The real value?  This site knows what it's talking about...they get it.  In a world full of high priced pricing guides (sorry about the redundancy) Comic Book Realm is a breath of fresh air.

Current stats as of today's date?

44,109 members
12,074,186 comics owned by members
940,536 comics wanted by members
170,588 comics for sale
300,689 covers
2,724 publishers
38,857 titles
320,749 comics listed
$33,162,731.00 tracked value

These are incredible numbers.  I thought I had alot of comic books.

Let's take a brief, and certainly not all encompassing view, of Comic Book Realm (it's here I should note that I am not being compensated by the site, nor do I know anyone connected to the site...but I'd like to!)

First, it's a free online comic book community that features one of the most impressive, and accurate, pricing guides I have ever seen.

I remember when I was younger (that was a long time ago) I could not wait for the new pricing guides to come out.  They were a little bit high priced for my budget, but I made it work.  I would sit for hours looking through my collection and finding out what things were worth.  Remember, this was the days before computers, spreadsheets, and other easy ways to keep track of things.  Anyway, enough about me.

I have a comic book collection verging on 10,000 comics and I have yet to find one that is not on Comic Book Realm.  It's really simple to find the comics; you just punch in the title of the comic, hit return, and PRESTO there are dozens of titles and volumes to choose from.  The cool thing about this is that next to each title they include the years the title ran and the publisher.  So, if a title changes publisher you can clearly see which one you are looking for.

Once you click on the title, all of the issue numbers line up in a nice column for you to see.  In the upper right hand corner you see the cover of the first issue along with all of the relevant information associated with the comic.  For instance, you may be looking for issue #700 of the Amazing Spider-Man.

For this particular issue there were dozens of variant covers.  So, in the list of comics you see before you all you have to do is click on each one and see the different variant covers pop up for you to see.  Check the box next to the comic you have and it's added to your collection or 'Realm'.  Further, as you click on separate issues you see the information on the right change as well as the cover.  So, if you are looking for a particular artist or variant, it clearly states it in a text box under the cover.  Have the regular cover?  It's listed there.  Have the foil cover,?  It's shown in the text box that it's the foil cover.  You literally can't choose the wrong edition to put in your collection.

So, what if you want to see the cover close-up, let's say there's a couple of variants that look remarkably similar,  just click on the picture icon and you get a blown up version of the cover.

My favorite part, however, is the pricing.  If you click on the value next to the comic you choose you get a list of prices that correspond to the rating assigned to the comic.  So, if you have The Amazing Spider-Man #700 and you had it professionally appraised, you know the rating.  Let's say it's a 9.2.  You look next to 9.2 and VIOLA you have an estimate of the current value.  But it doesn't stop there. Comic Book Realm has reports you can run that show the comics in your collection that are increasing in value and decreasing in value.  For instance, you might find that if you collect Civil War, that they are rising in price due to the impending movie.  I love when my comic values are on the rise.

Second, I have my own realm!  I am the King!  In my realm I can see all of my comics and a total value of what they are worth.  Now, when I say I can see all my comics what I mean is that I can create different categories in which to keep my comics and see the respective value. 

Here's an example.  I have all of the Civil War comics in one category labeled, of all things, Civil War.  This means that all of the comics that are related to Civil War, including variants and spin-offs, etc. I can assign to the Civil War category I set up and keep them all in one spot.  Comic Book Realm then shows me how much all the comics in that category are worth.

In my Realm I can not only see my comics but I can run reports like I addressed earlier.  One of my favorite reports appeals to me as a collector.  I was trying very hard to collect every comic related to Fear Itself.  I desperately wanted them all.  After putting in all the volumes that I had already Comic Book Realm let me run a report that showed all the issues I have, all the issues that are missing from the collection (including variants) and told me the approximate price of the missing issues.  Cool!

Oh, did I say missing issues?  I forgot to tell you one more thing about the initial listing of issues in a volume that I talked about you earlier.  If a particular issue has eBay next to it,  I can click on the eBay icon and it will take me to a list of sellers that are selling the copy I need on eBay.  Could it be more convenient?

Third, it has an app...sort of.  I can have the Comic Book Realm (CBR) icon on my iPhone and iPad but it is a limited version of the website.  Don't get me wrong, it is an awesome app, I can look up prices on volumes while I am in a comic store, or even see if I have the volume, with a simple internet connection.  However, I can't add to my collection if I am on the app.  Please understand, part of this is due to my laziness.  I could just log into the website instead of using the app and do whatever I want.  So, App or no app, CBR is my go-to site.

Fourth, is the home page.  It has more comic information, headlines, and ads to the coolest of comic related websites than you can shake a stick at (if you're into that kind of thing).  I can go to Sideshow Collectibles or check on the latest comic book deals that are being offered or see the newest covers coming out.  I could spend all day just following links on their home page.

I honestly don't know how many people they have working on the site nor how long it takes to update it every day.  Frankly, I would love to know how many connections they have to keep everything so up to date.

What I can tell you is that the site is a blessing to me and comic collectors everywhere.  Thanks Comic Book Realm, I'll be on the site in a couple of minutes.

A Story of Solid Appraisals and Humanity

My wife was watching a TV show the other night that was mildly amusing.  It's about a group of 3 guys that offer to clean out storage spaces (such as houses, garages, etc.) for free as long as they can keep the contents.  Frankly, I'm amazed at what people let them clean out for free because they were PACKED with valuable items.  It's called Garage Brothers.

The mildly amusing part is the guy who is in charge, his name is Kraig.  Although he is the brains behind the whole thing, and this concept is incredible on his part, he doesn't give off a strong visual impression.  He certainly doesn't have a comb.  His hair looks like it just came out of a blender, his glasses look they were run over by a bus then put back on, and he looks like he just rolled out of bed.  All that being said, the guy is a genius.  This concept he came up with is pure gold.  So he looks like that, with a big smile, all the way to the bank.  I admire that.

The reason I bring it up is because on one of the episodes he traversed into my arena...comic book stuff.  In one of the garages they found a statue of the Silver Surfer which was a limited edition.  There were approximately 350 made in celebration of the Fantastic Four movie, Rise of the Silver Surfer.  The movie was mediocre at best, but the statue was pristine.  No scratches, no breakage, nothing.  It was, as we say, Near Mint.

That wasn't the only thing they found, though.  They also found a drawing of the Ghost Rider done by Joe and Andy Kubert, legends in the comic book arena.  Unfortunately, Joe passed away in 2012.

So, Kraig said he was calling in a "Comic Book Expert" to value the Silver Surfer statue and the drawing of Ghost Rider by Joe and Andy Kubert.

Just to be on the same page I researched them both myself.  Not that I'm trying to prove anybody right or anybody wrong, I just like to stay in practice so I can be on top of my game.

Researching the Silver Surfer statue the prices ranged from $1,600 to $6,500.  The comic guy came in at the low end at $1,600.  It's a safe call on his part, but it's also the price it was going for on eBay at the time.  With it being a limited edition and not having a single thing wrong with it, the estimate seemed low.  That being said, he was giving market value as to what he felt it could sell for and that appraisal seemed reasonable.  So, although it may be appraised for $6,500 on the high end, the appraiser made a safe call with what he felt it would sell for.  Frankly, there's probably not much of a market for a 4' tall and 6' long Silver Surfer statues even if it was limited edition.  Also, I can't imagine that an appraiser with that much knowledge would go strictly by the eBay pricing.  The statue might draw a high price tag, but it would take awhile to sell, and it wouldn't be cheap to ship.  Good call on the statue.

The drawing, however, is another story.  I was first surprised that an established comic book person would not recognize the picture as the actual cover of a Ghost Rider comic.  After first looking at it he made some guesses as to what it could be, made some comments that were irrelevant about the front and back, and then said he had to go back and research it.  I appreciated the research part, the worst thing we can do as appraisers it take a wild guess as to what the value is.  It's a disservice to our clients. I didn't appreciate his comments about what should and should not be on the front and back, they didn't make much sense. That's a story for another blog.

As an aside,the creation of a comic book is an amazing and under-appreciated process that has changed over the years.  There are various stages such as pencilling and inking and there are a number of marks that can be made on the pages.  Many are artist notes or specific things to focus on during the process.  See below for some drawings and sketches that illustrate part of the process.

Anyway, he came back and valued the picture at a reasonable price between $4,000 and $6,000.  I believe he was dead-on based on the incredible standing the Kubert's have in the comic industry, the fact that Joe Kubert is no longer with us, and the fact that sketches like that can appraise very high, but sell for about half of the real value.  Good call on the sketch, but I am hoping some the the random comments were made for TV and inserted to sound impressive.

I give high marks to the appraiser's pricing but low marks to the comments he made and the inability to recognize a cover from Ghost Rider given the prominence of the title.  He should stick with the appraising and less with the pontificating.  I would say that by his vast knowledge (and I mean that sincerely) that he was coaxed by the TV crew to keep talking to fill space.  I applaud him for even getting in front of cameras where he can be critiqued by comic lovers everywhere.  It can't be easy.

The most impressive thing, however, was the ending of the show.  Remember, Garage Brothers is a show about emptying out storage spaces, houses, garages, etc. for free, but they get to keep what's in the space.  Kraig could have walked away with both the Silver Surfer and the incredible Ghost Rider drawing and netted a possible $6,000 - $8,000, but he did the thing I thought I would never see on TV.  He did the right thing.  He took the drawing back to the owner of the space, told him the value, and gave it back to him.  It turns out that the drawing had special significance to the owner.  It had an emotional tie because it was given to him by a loved one and it held some strong memories.  The owner said it was the hardest thing he would have had to part with and it was difficult for him to let it go.

Yes, you read it right.  Someone had the humanity to let the money go and give a high value item back to the owner even though, by contract, it was property of the Garage Brothers.  I was humbled.  I was taken aback.  In this day and age where shows like Pawn Stars offer excessively low values on items they buy, and then sell them for ungodly prices, we see a show with humanity?  Wow!

My hat is off to Kraig and all the members of the cast of Garage Brothers.  Some cynics may say that the network reimbursed Kraig for the drawing so it was no loss for him to give it back, but I prefer to think otherwise.  I prefer to think that this was a blatant demonstration of humanity in lieu of the almighty dollar.  Although I may not continue to watch Garage Brothers because it's not my cup of tea, I have to say it restored my belief in humanity.

Amazed and Frustrated

I must admit I am amazed and frustrated about something that I shouldn't be.  Before we go into that let me tell you a quick story.

When I was a boy I sat with my dad in a bank loan officer's office when he was "applying" for a car loan.  The conversation went something like this:

"So, Pete, how much did you need and what were you going to buy?"

"I need a loan for a car and I need $x,xxx financed to get the car."

"I'll have it done for you this afternoon.  I'll call you."

(papers are signed, they stand up and shake hands, my dad and I leave)

A HANDSHAKE GOT HIM A CAR LOAN.

Granted, this was a long time ago, and this wouldn't be possible today due to the amount of garbage people try to get away with today, but this set my moral and ethical compass.  When you shake hands your word is your bond.  When you shake hands you follow through.  When you give your word you keep it...no matter what.

When my son got into the buying, selling and appraising of comics with me I told him the golden rule in this business:  don't ever, for any reason, deliberately cheat someone out of money.  Ever.  It's the honest, ethical and moral way to run a business.  There is one exception.  If you are buying a comic, on the spur of the moment at a flea market, garage sale, etc., and you honestly don't know the value, paying the asking price is fair game.  An example is my wife buying an obscure comic I didn't recognize and asking me if $1 was a good price.  It was in good shape, had a name I didn't recognize, and I couldn't imagine it being worth anything, so I told her it looked good.  When we got it home we found the value to be $200 in the shape it was in.  I don't feel as though we cheated anyone.  That was a week ago.

Cut to yesterday.

My son and I went to a flea market in 80 degree heat to search out some good deals on comic books.  While making our rounds we came across a kind gentleman who was not selling comics, but was selling superhero action figures.

"Do you ever sell comic books?", I said.

"No.  I have boxes and boxes of them but I never bring them along?", he replied.

I introduced my son and I and gave him our card.

"We buy, sell and appraise comic books.  Is that something you would be interested in?", I said hoping for the best.

"Absolutely!  I'll give you a call and we can see what the value is of some of the comics I have.", he said.  He actually seemed genuinely excited!

"Can I ask you your opinion on something?"  he said hesitantly.

"Sure."

"I had the comic book with the first appearance of Ant-Man."

(As an aside, he is referring to Tales to Astonish #27)

He continued.

"I sold it the other day for $350, did I do the right thing?"

Now this is a question with no good answer for a couple of reasons.  First, I have no idea what condition the comic was in.  Second, this comic is of extreme value because it was the first appearance of a major character.  Third, it's old and rare and I don't know how many would be available at this point in collector condition.  I only knew what the approximate value was in Near Mint condition off the top of my head, but I couldn't bring myself to say it.

In Near Mint condition that comic is valued at $20,000.  Chances are it wasn't Near Mint just because the older the comic the less likely it is to be Near Mint because comics weren't necessarily coveted in those days and people didn't store them well.  Still, $20,000?  Ugh.  This guy is super nice, what do I say?

In my silence my son spoke.

"You made the buyer very happy.  You did the right thing for him."

The answer wasn't perfect, but it was the truth.  But do we share the value of the comic with him.  If he's reading this he knows (and I am really, really sorry).

What many will say is that the comic could have been in extremely poor condition, maybe even falling apart, and probably wasn't even close to $20,000.  That's very true.  However, according to Comic Book Realm (which is a site I absolutely love!) even in reprehensible condition, I mean flat out crappy with creases and tears and rusted staples, it's valued at $600.  Even at a rating of .5 out of 10, which is where a sneeze could vaporize the comic, it's valued at $100.

Now you're going to say, "Well, a comic is only worth what someone will pay for it."  Um, yeah, and I can tell you that any moderate to serious collector would buy this comic because of it's incredible value.  I would.

So, how to you view this?  Do we feel sorry for the seller?  I do.  Some may say that he should have done more research before he sold it and I agree.  But the real question to me is what did the buyer know?  Did they know the value or didn't they?  Did they see the comic, guess it might be old, and offer $350 in an act of pure honest ignorance?  I don't think so.  I'm going to guess that the buyer bought it knowing full well the worth and ran all the way home to tell his friends or, even worse, tried to sell it on eBay for $30,000 (trust me, I've seen it done).

Yes, I'm making an assumption.  The buyer could not have known just like I didn't know about the comic my wife bought.  But we're talking Ant-Man, my wife bought one of those "risque" comics, with actual nudity in it, so there's really no comparison.  Did the buyer not know who Ant-Man was? not likely.  Marvel has been pounding the release of this movie now for months.  You can't walk 10 feet without tripping over a sign for the movie.  They knew.

So, is the buyer at fault for taking this poor man to the cleaners or is the seller at fault for not doing their homework.  I would say both have equal responsibility in this transaction, but I would also say that the kind gentleman seemed happy with the deal.  So, who am I to trample on his happiness?

I let the words my son said be the final say in the matter.  Thankfully the topic changed when his son said, "I have a mint condition Amazing Spider-Man with the first appearance of the Punisher, how much is that worth?"  The answer is about $1,300 in Near Mint (any collector worth his salt knows this is Amazing Spider-Man #129).

I told him it was around $1,300 but I would have to see it.  I could see in his face the sheer delight at what he had.  He should be proud, there are a ton of people that would pay the asking price for that comic.  Not only is Spider-Man huge, but the Punisher has made more than one movie appearance himself and has hundreds of comics with him in them.

The bottom line is simple.  Get you comics appraised, know what you have, and get what they are worth.  I am very happy, and I mean it, that the gentleman was happy with the sale.  In reality that's all that matters.  Would he have been much happier with a couple thousand?  Probably.

Me?  I'm amazed and frustrated because I think he was deliberately taken by the buyer.  I can only hope that the kind gentleman has some incredible sales days at the flea markets because he deserves to make that money.

Comic Book Appraising...Why People Need To Think Twice About Who Does The Appraising

But, Comic Whisperer, isn't this what you do?  Why do a complete overhaul on something that you are passionate about and love to do???!!!  Has the whole world gone insane?

(angry rants from the mob, torches being lit, Democrats and Republicans holding hands and smiling...)

Please, everyone, calm down. Let me explain.

(angered mumbling, people shaving their heads, mice turning their nose up at cheese...)

I spent 20 years training in the martial arts.  Aikido, specifically.  I broke all my toes at least once, suffered numerous contusions, and watched a friend continue through his black belt test even after he broke his leg during the testing.  I thought that everyone went through this suffering and torment when training and that this was what it took to hand to be honored with a black belt.  But it was filled with rules!

I was taught to never wear your uniform in public, that it was a tasteless display.  I was taught never to wash my belt because in ancient Japan belts turned from white to black after many years of soaking up blood sweat and tears.  We were not GIVEN different color belts or CHARGED  for testing.  This was about honor and advancement.  I was even taught never to discuss my training in public as it was considered a boast.  I had colleagues I worked with for 15 years that never knew I even set foot in a martial arts school.

I thought this is what it took to hang a shingle on your own school and become a Sensei.

I happily, but painfully trained, to become a 4th Degree Black Belt and decided to branch out on my own and opened up a school, soon followed by a second school.  It was fantastic!

Then reality hit.

I heard that one chain martial arts school promised you a black belt if you paid some ridiculous sum of money.  You could earn it in 2 years.

What?!  I had practiced almost daily for 5 years, my black belt test was 4 hours, and I still wasn't sure if I passed.

I heard that another martial arts school was giving black belts to kids 10 and under!

What?!  I was taught that the belt came with discipline and the ability to sustain great stress without cracking.  These kids weren't disciplined enough to clean their rooms or do their homework.  No, I didn't know them personally, but I do have kids and know that at 10 there is very little discipline in anything.

To make matters worse, one day I was teaching my students and another instructor from another school walked in a spoke to me while I was teaching.  He was wearing a red, white and blue uniform and broke the code of speaking to an instructor while he was teaching his students (or her students, let's not get a gender argument going).  There was no respect shown and there was a definite "Karate Kid" type of vibe going.

What?!  A red, white and blue uniform?  Is there fashion in the martial arts now?  To say nothing of interrupting me while I was speaking to my students and challenging me?  Did I draw the short straw?  I didn't even know this person.  I politely asked him to leave, did not take up the challenge, and went back to teaching.

But the lessons were learned.  Anybody and their dog can set up a martial arts school.  There was nothing to keep someone who had never trained in their life from setting up, and teaching at, a school.

"Why would't someone notice?  I mean, if they weren't that good why would someone pay to be taught by them."  (Screams a gentleman in the back.  No, not that guy, the one next to him.  Yeah, that's him...)

The answer is simple.  Very few people know what "good" looks like and a person in a uniform often gain respect just by the fact that they are in a uniform.  My students often looked at me like I don't have to pay taxes, don't bleed and have a perfect life.  I kept them from thinking this by letting one of them wear my black belt for the class to show they didn't magically change.  My Sensei would have been ashamed of me allowing someone else to wear my belt, but it proved a point.

The bottom line is that as long as I can befuddle you with my "skills" I can convince you that you should let me teach you.  Once I have your respect as a student, which often came from the simple fact that I was the Sensei and it was my school, I can tell you just about anything.  I wouldn't, but I could.

Hey, "Sensei" are you going to get to anything resembling comic book appraising or am I reading the wrong blog?  (says the guy in the red, white and blue uniform with a 40th degree black belt who just started training 2 months ago and has a school)

Yes, I am.  My long winded point is that anyone can open a comic appraising business and claim that they are the authority on the topic, just like the martial arts business.

"Yes, um...so?"  (Man that guys annoying, maybe I should challenge him to a fight  (slap)  Ow!  Who slapped me?  Oh, Sensei I didn't see you there... (me bowing))

So, let's look at some of the "appraisers" that are out there.  I won't mention any names, that would be rude, but there are some that irritate me.  Companies that hire "appraisers" and put them through a "training" program to help them become appraisers.  Or a person who bought a comic book shop because he thought it would be cool and now consults with people on the value of their comics.

Is there no shame?  How did it come to this?

Sure, I can see how sales companies can hire sales people by training them on their products and certifying their knowledge through testing.  Some damn good salespeople are out there and would never question their knowledge.

But are you telling me that an accountant can decide to change jobs, go through a "training program" and become a comic appraiser?  I'm not being sarcastic, I know the person.  A person who has NEVER picked up a comic before and doesn't even own one is now a comic appraiser for an appraisal company that has 3 letters (I'm not being rude, this still leaves two appraisal houses.)

Shouldn't there be some requirement that you have to have read a comic in order to appraise comics? Shouldn't there be a law that you have to do more than own a comic store for 2 weeks to be able to appraise comics?

Now, you can try to compare one to the other and say that the sales people I previously mentioned were allowed to sell after being trained and they didn't have to take the pill in order to sell the pill.  It's apples and oranges, people.

Did anyone watch Pawn Stars where the Amazing Spider-Man #1 was deemed to be Fine - Fine- by the "appraiser" so he valued it at a ridiculously low price?  Who was that guy?  He valued the comic at $6,000?  W-W-W-What?  Then Corey (Cory, however you spell it) bought it from the guy for $4,000.  REALLY?  I'd pay $4,000 all day for that comic.  Beside that fact that the book was appraised by the "appraiser" after what would be considered a glance.  It was, in no-way, a Fine - Fine-.  On Comic Book Realm that book is valued between $8,000 - $12,000 at that rating.  As it is in other reliable sources.  But this guy, this "appraiser", was a joke.

Now, consider this happening in mass quantities at the larger comic appraisal housed.  I sent several of my comics to the larger houses to get them appraised.  I even sent the same comic to two different companies and got two different appraisals.  They weren't off by a small fraction, they were off by a full point.  From one place it came back as a 7.2 and from another it came back as an 8.4.

Are you kidding me?  A full 1.2 points off?

The reason is simple.  When you are getting hundreds of comics a day it becomes a matter of metrics.  My friend who works for one of the big houses says that one of his metrics, upon which he is judged by, is number of books graded per day.  The higher his average the better.   So, if he grades 10 (a number I made up to protect the innocent) an hour he is looked upon better than if he grades 6 an hour (again, a made up number).

So, what happens when appraising is rushed by someone who has never read a comic in his life?  He grades a 7.2 as an 8.4.  Then, when people like me go into a auction house who says that they only rely on grades given by "insert big appraisal house here" I cringe.

I have sold at big companies,  I know the eternal struggle between quantity of sales calls and quality of sales calls.  Appraisal companies are no different.  How do you expect them to pay their bills if they don't increase the flow of comics?  But to say to someone "the more you do the better" is like saying that rushing and giving 10 crappy appraisals (or mediocre appraisals, I don't want to say all of them, or even most of them, are bad) is better than slowing down and giving 5 high quality appraisals?

The reason this irritates me is not because I appraise comics and am saying I am better than them.  It's because rushed appraisals are effecting an industry that I love.  Poor appraisals can lead to lower values than deserved, or higher for that matter, and effect the whole industry.  Those of you who bought pet rocks or mood rings remember how something cleverly marketed can swing an entire economy.

My request would be to you, as a comic book fan, is choose your appraiser carefully.   Do you want to be part of 5,000 comics coming through that are appraised by people who are being asked to push through as many as possible?  I don't.  I don't even appraise my own, I ask another private appraiser to do mine.  You should too.  Go to someone who cares and knows comics inside and out, not someone who was a WalMart greeter yesterday and is an appraiser today.