Happy New Year!

Best wishes to all for a happy, safe and prosperous 2005! May all your collections be filled with gems.

As of 12:00:01 am tomorrow morning, I will be officially unemployed for the first time since I delivered newspapers over 20 years ago. It's a weird feeling, but I am looking forward to the new experiences and people I will meet once I land a new job.

Be safe out there!

Jerry Orbach: 1935-2004

I was really saddened to hear of the death of Jerry Orbach. He was a favorite for many years. Several years ago I was fortunate enough to get a signed photo and a handwritten note from him. Rest in peace, Lenny...

Eagle Has Wings

My friend Bob McLeod has a superb website that highlights his world class astronaut and cosmonaut autograph collection. The site also has excellent information on some common forgery types.

For a primer on space exploration history through autographs, check out Bob's site.

STL Comics Forum

STL has started a new comic book forum, and so far, it seems fairly lively and intelligent.

Check it out here.

Collection of Distinction

My good friend Al Hallonquist has created an online gallery of his aviation autograph collection. While this is only a small portion of Al's entire collection, it is truly a collection of distinction. I am in awe.

The beauty of his collection is that he has put together these signed gems through his own efforts by meeting or writing to the aviation pioneers... very few pieces were purchased.

Al's love of the subject matter shows and has created a collection that contains some real museum pieces. This is what "collecting" should be all about.

Uh, No It's Not

The more I see of CGC, the more the cracks become apparent. I just received a standard submission back (which was submitted in the beginning of August.) I am not happy.

First, the Boston Pedigree book came back without the pedigree designation on the label -- even though I submitted it with all the proper documentation. My previous submission also had a quality control problem as the microchamber paper was sticking 1/2 inch out of the bottom of the book and was sealed into the well. I had to send it back twice to get it properly fixed. Quality control is lacking.

Second, their grading is all over the map and getting less and less consistent. I don't want to sound like sour grapes, but I know grading and have seen enough slabs to know this book IS NOT a 9.0!

It's a 9.2 at least with a shot at 9.4. I've seen Bronze Age 9.4s with bent corners, small creases and other various visible defects. The only problem with Batman 222 is a very small, non-colorbreaking bend near the top staple. That's it... otherwise it's almost perfect. I am really pissed this book got a 9.0, especially when I see weak 9.4s everyday on eBay and the CGC Boards.

Babe Ruth Bat Sells For Over $1 Million

So what do you do with a $1.265 million bat? Buy a $15 wall display case, get the cordless drill, put in a few wall anchors and let her rip?

From eSCD...

The newest member of the sports collectibles hobby's rare $1 million club attracted national attention last week. The bat Babe Ruth used to sock the first home run at Yankee Stadium in 1923 sold for $1.265 million Dec 2 at the Sotheby's/ SportsCards Plus auction in New York City, precisely matching the price paid for the famed T206 Honus Wagner card (also $1.1 million, plus the 15 percent buyer's premium) in a MastroNet auction in 2000 and establishing a record for the most money ever paid for a game-used bat. It is only the third piece of sports memorabilia to sell for more than $1 million.

Mercury Astronauts Signed Limited Edition Print

Twenty years ago, America's original Mercury astronauts reunited to encourage the next generation of space explorers. Their efforts led to establishing the Mercury 7 Foundation, which later was renamed the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) to include their fellow Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle peers. To date, the Foundation has awarded nearly $2 million to exceptional college students pursuing degrees in science and engineering.

To celebrate their 20th anniversary and to continue to raise scholarships, the ASF has introduced a special, limited edition print signed by four of its founders: John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Walter "Wally" Schirra and the late Gordon "Gordo" Cooper. (This project was the last ASF activity that Cooper participated in prior to his passing earlier this year. His family approved of the prints' sale as planned, as it continues the efforts that Cooper worked to achieve.)

Available for $195 each, the 20th Anniversary Astronaut Scholarship Foundation signed and numbered print is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity certified by ASF Executive Director Linn LeBlanc. Limited to only 300, supplies are limited. Prints can be ordered here.

Who Doesn't Love Super-Gorillas?

With great fondness, I recall having a beat-up copy of Super-Heroes vs. Super-Gorillas as a kid. I probably bought this comic off the stand. Since I couldn't find my original copy, I obtained a replacement copy recently. A very nice 9.2.

It contains 3 stories reprinted from the 50s and 60s -- one Superman, one Batman and one Flash. Still a highly entertaining read. The only downpoint is that they -- like most older reprints -- did not indicate from what original issues the stories first appeared.

Is a Clean Staple Tear a Production Flaw?

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope you can enjoy a relaxing day with family and friends.

Here is a book that I've been seeking for quite a while. It is the Green Printing Error Variant of Fantastic Four #110. I recall Metropolis Comics had a VF-ish copy on their site for a long time for around $30. Of course, by the time I finally decided to pull the trigger it was gone. So, I searched eBay everyday for about 6 months before I found this copy to bid on. It was listed as a VF+ 8.5.

It is a really sharp book that appears to be a 8.5, but, there is always a "BUT"... at least where I am concerned.

There is a clean vertical staple tear running parallel to the back side of the bottom staple. It's like the staple actually cut through the paper when it was being stapled. Thankfully, the tear lies flat and is difficult to see when the book is closed and the cover is still firmly attached at the top and bottom staple.

Does anyone have experience with this type of flaw? I don't know if I would call it a "popped staple" because it still holds down the cover and has not completely popped free of the cover. Is it considered a production flaw? Given the great condition of the book, I don't think this happened through mishandling, more likely it happened when the book was stapled.

Steiner: What's Good For Us is Bad For Regular Fans

Steiner recently announce an exclusive deal with pitching ace Curt Schilling. I love how the spinmeisters at Steiner announce this like it's a good thing for the fans! Yup, now the loyal fans can be assured they'll have to bend over and pay nosebleed prices for signed items. Further, you can now be assured that Steiner will keep him on a tight leash, so need to worry that Schilling might do a local card show near you and sign for reasonable prices! Steiner also means that sanely priced items like signed 8x10s (e.g., items under $100 that regular folks can afford) are most likely out of the question. Not too worry however, a few dozen [well-connected kids] will get a free clinic at Fenway and they'll make some charitable donations... so that should make you feel better about skipping that mortgage payment to buy a signed bat.

Highly-paid executives, Stephen King, Hotel Heiresses and Robber Barons rejoice -- Steiner will have a wide selection of signed bats, game equipment and framed 16x20s starting at what regular folks pay for their monthly car payment!

Here is the release from eSCD.

SCHILLING SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DEAL WITH STEINER
Steiner Sports Marketing has signed an exclusive deal with Red Sox pitching ace Curt Schilling for autographed memorabilia. The contract also gives Steiner exclusive rights for Schilling's signature on trading cards, meaning the company will coordinate all of the Red Sox pitcher's autograph deals with the various baseball card manufacturers.

"This (deal) will help us to penetrate the New England markets," said Steiner Sports CEO Brandon Steiner. "When you think of Curt Schilling the word "superstar" comes to mind, and we are proud to be able to welcome Curt to the Steiner family.

Schilling has already signed individual and team-signed items for Steiner for products relating to the Red Sox World Series championship. In addition to the autograph element of the program, Schilling will host a skills clinic for youngsters at Fenway Park that will be sponsored by Steiner. Meanwhile, Steiner has agreed to make a donation for every win Schilling records in 2005 to the SHADE Foundation, a charitable organization run by Schilling and his wife to help prevent skin cancer in children.

"I look forward to working with the people at Steiner, who particularly impressed me with their willingness to work with me on my commitment to charity," said Schilling. Katie Leighton, Schilling's public relations and marketing director, said the pitcher has been concerned for some time with the number of non-authentic items in the marketplace. "We have been looking for an exclusive deal that would enable fans to know that they have a source through which they can acquire authentic Curt Schilling memorabilia," Leighton said.

Thanks

Thanks to all those that wrote privately expressing sympathy because I lost my job. Your kindness is appreciated.

I've spent the last week regrouping and trying to get the ball rolling on a new start. I've updated my resume, bought a few new suits and have an appointment with an outsourcing consultant next Tuesday. I already have a plan of attack, but I'm sure the consultant can help me refine and focus my strategy. I have a good attitude, great experience and a terrific resume... so I'm looking forward to starting a new job energized and enthused. I have no doubt I will be successful, hopefully sooner rather than later!

Green River Pedigree Database

This is an interesting site being developed by Red Hook (Brad) of the CGC Message Boards. It's in the beginning stages, but looks very promising. I've sent Brad scans of my 2 Green River books -- Thor 149 and Superman Annual 7. I'd love to see this type of information available on more pedigrees.

There's No Crying in Blogging!

I typically avoid personal information here, but I will share that I was laid-off from my job yesterday. I was one of the unlucky 3,000 that got axed in a "reduction in force."

It's not a good time in Corporate America.

It really makes me want to forget the Master's Degree in Marketing & Advertising and open a Bar-B-Que Restaurant. Standing behind a counter that I own in a sauce-stained apron doesn't sound so bad.

A CGC Undergrade?

Here's one that I still scratch my head over when I look at it. I picked this up earlier this year... it's a CGC 6.0. And I must say, this is about the nicest 6.0 I've ever seen.

A few very small spine creases, light edge and corner wear, and that's about it. There is a small area of color loss on the lower portion of Doctor Doom's cape. It looks as if a piece of tape may have caught it. Could this be what lowered the grade from what otherwise could be a 6.5 or 7.0? Frankly, I've seen worse looking 7.5s.

I dunno, but I will take Silver Age 6.0s that look like this all day long!

Who Is This Guy?

I'm the marketing manager for a small division in a very large international corporation. I develop marketing strategy, create collateral material, write and publish newsletters, websites... basically I do whatever it takes to increase awareness of our division and the services we offer to internal and external audiences.

I've been at this firm for four and a half years. In that time, we've come a long way. When I was hired, marketing manager was a new position and the firm had absolutely no organized marketing efforts or professional materials. Now, we look like a contender.

I worked in New York City for the first four years at this job, but transferred to an upstate New York office this past April. The vast majority of my communications are by telephone or Internet anyway... and if I'm needed for a meeting in New York, I can hop on a train and be in New York City within two and a half hours.

There is always the concern that being away from the home office I may isolate myself politically, but that's a chance I'm willing to take to be able to afford a nice home in upstate New York.

The house is coming along nicely and the wedding is set for next May.

My Bargain of the Year

$9.99. It's a solid 9.2 with a shot at 9.4.

This made my day.

A Dreamy 8.5

I picked this Conan 17 PGA (CGG) 8.5 VF+ on eBay recently for $7.14. It is absolutely stunning, and I have no doubt this would be a CGC 9.2 minimum -- maybe even 9.4.

This slab also has the new PGA inner well which features a tapered sealed edge. The sealed edge is about 1/8th of an inch from the edge of the comic. Slab damage is an impossibility in this well. I shook the book fairly hard and there was no movement or damage. The key is that the seals are close enough to the edge of the comic to prevent movement -- this prevents slab damage to the corners and it also prevents the interior from tearing loose from the cover.

I understand that restoration detection and the archival quality of their materials have been issues with PGA. I'm not going to worry about restoration on fairly inexpensive books and I will crack it out of the slab for long term storage. So, for now, I'll take PGA 8.5s all day long... especially at $7 each!

Anatomy of a Restoration

I'm going to do something most other comic collectors would not publicly admit -- I'm going to tell you about a comic book I had restored, and show you a pre- and post-restoration images.

It all started a few years ago when I bought a Fantastic Four #1 on eBay. The scan looked decent, the seller had good feedback and I placed a lowball bid and won. I anxiously awaited my prize. When it arrived and I gazed at it through the mylar and I was thrilled. It looked even better than the scan.

The excitement was short-lived however. When I opened the cover, I saw a few dreaded marker bleedthroughs. Yup, it had some amateur restoration.

What to do? The marker touches were small and couldn't be seen from the outside, and I did get it relatively inexpensively... it would be very difficult to get a comparable copy for even close to what I paid...

After thinking on it for a few days, the book grew on me and I decided to keep it. Sure, it had a few small marker touches, but it was my FF #1. The book was a very clean VG with nothing worse than general wear, some bends, small creases and a corner chip.

After a year or so I started thinking about having a bit of professional work done on it. Heck, technically it was already restored, why not make it a bit better with a professional touch-up? The book had no major flaws, and most of the bends didn't break color -- it might benefit greatly from some minor work. So, I sent it Matt Nelson and instructed him to evaluate it for what could be done to improve the book as much as possible, yet keep it within the "Slight" restoration designation. Matt suggested a cleaning, press, fill to replace a small corner chip and a tiny bit of color touch.

I got the book back today, and here it is:

The major difference is in whiteness and brightness. The cleaning made a huge difference and actually enhanced the glossiness as well. The pressing made a significant difference as well. The only downside is that the cleaning made some of the original marker touches bleed a bit, and the bleeding is actually more visible on the inside of the front cover. (It is not significant, but it is more apparent than before.)

Now, I would say the book is a Fine- (5.5).

Here Matt's breakdown of the work done.


And a side by side slice for comparison:


For a modest fee, slight restoration increased the condition of this book at least a full point in my opinion. Best of all, my book is still 99.5% original parts.

I tell my story not to try to convince anyone that restoration is the way to go for them, but rather hopefully this will educate some about the benefits of restoration and demonstrate that restored books are not necessarily cobbled together "Frankenbooks." "Restoration" may be a dirty word in today's collecting market, but I predict there will come a day when restored books -- especially those with slight restoration -- will lose the stigma and assume their rightful place in the hobby.

What a Waste of Time...

I can't believe I spend a good chunk of my lunch hour yesterday reading about the travails of CGC message board drama queens. That's 40 minutes I will never get back.

Message Boards can be informative, but they are addictive. You gotta know when to ignore threads and move on.

Interestingly, it's always the same small group of people that are involved in "controversies." I suspect a high number of controversies are manufactured by people with too much spare time on their hands.

BTW, the CPG Boards have really gone down the dumper. There are some good folks there, but content is sparse and the moderators seem to do more harm than good.

Pilots of Aviation History

This mind-boggling signed photo has dozens of historical aviation and space autographs. Wow.

No price listed. If I had to guess, I'd say it's probably around $20,000.

My Pledge

God willing, by this time tomorrow there will be a decisive winner in the Presidential election.

Of course I am hoping my candidate will win, but if he doesn't, the republic will stand and life will go on. Neither man is perfect, and neither man is the devil incarnate.

If the other guy wins, he will be my president. I pledge to support him in the face of foreign evil, and I may not always agree with him, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt.

The United States of America needs to get past this era of bitter partisan division and rally behind the fact that we have much more in common than not. All Americans need to wake up to the fact that there is an enemy dedicated to destroying us, and we need to stand together, or we will fall individually. We need to stop giving credence to the propagandists and conspiracy mongers on the left and the right.

"Our Nation this generation will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause, by our efforts and by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail."

Two Sides of the Moon

CollectSpace is selling Dave Scott signed copies of this book for a very reasonable $25.95. I ordered my copy today.

Two Sides of the Moon

From CollectSpace:

In this unique dual autobiography, astronaut David Scott and cosmonaut Alexei Leonov recount their exceptional lives and careers spent on the cutting edge of science and space exploration.

Accurate Comic Evaluators LLC

Another comic book grading company throws their hat into the ring.

Accurate Comic Evaluators LLC, High Quality Comic Grading!

Other than a few online scans, I haven't seen or held one of their holders, so I will reserve judgement on the quality of their grading and holder. The label looks nice, but obviously that shouldn't be a major criteria for judging a grading service.

I would advise them to learn from the mistakes of CGG (now PGA) and add the following to their website:

• Bios on their principals
• Bios on their graders
• What materials construct the holders?
• How are the books stored and are they insured?
  

The key to success for any grading company is building public trust. The answers to these questions will go a long way to getting ACE off on the right foot.

Next Blog

Every once in a while I hit the Next Blog button in the upper right portion of the screen.

When I do, I am reminded what a vast wasteland the Internet has become. From the hyper-sensitive self-absorbed sops to the worthless baby blogs, most personal sites and blogs are authored by human trainwrecks bent on sharing every inane detail of their shallow lives... or even worse, their bad poetry. Who cares what you had for dinner last night, how you are feeling today or that "bitch" at the office gave you a dirty look?!

A special circle in hell should be reserved for those that feel that their baby deserves its own little home on the world wide web. Hint: Not everyone is enthralled by your kid. In fact, I'd be very concerned about the motives of those adults who do seek out and enjoy viewing your baby blog. Cripes... baby blogs are a free smorgasbord for pedophiles and you're serving your kid up like mac & cheese at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

One thing all these sites have in common is lack of content.

I don't want to be rude, but give me content, or get the hell off the information superhighway!

Ok, It's Over.

Congratulations to Sawx Fans. The Curse is over.

Now that they've joined the club, the lovable loser mystique is gone with all the requisite charm. They are now just another franchise that managed to win 1 in the past 86 years.

Welcome to the esteemed ranks of the Kansas City Royals and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Masterworks, Archives and Collected Editions Fan Site

Check out this message board... lots of good stuff. It'll take me a while to work through this.

Masterworks, Archives and Collected Editions Fan Site

BTW, has anyone else picked up the Barnes & Noble softcover Marvel Masterworks? I recently bought Spider-Man Volumes 3 and 4. At $12.95, it's the best reprint value anywhere. I'm hoping they expand the Uncanny X-Men softcover line.

Captain America - Bronze Age Pac Coast Pedigree

One of my recent collecting goals is to get at least one sample of as many comic book pedigrees as possible. The Pacific Coast Pedigree presents a problem in that I think the Silver Age books are typically overpriced by a lot. I understand that paying a premium is all part of collecting pedigreed comic books, but the Pacific Coast premium is way too high. This is somewhat perplexing to me because, in my view, the pedigree isn't any nicer than most other pedigrees that can be had for a much smaller premium. Is it due to hype?

In any case, I picked up a Pac Coast, but opted for a much less expensive Bronze Age book. It's a 9.2, but looks just as good as many slabbed 9.4s or 9.6s I've examined. How can you go wrong with a Jack Kirby Captain America Bicentennial cover?

The Curse: Not Over Yet

All the people that say that "The Curse Is Over" are driving me crazy!

No, it's not!

NOT until Boston wins the World Series. What the heck do these people think the "1918" chant is about?!?

The point of The Curse is that Boston will not win a World Series, not that they won't ever beat out the Yankees at the end of the year. There have been plenty of seasons since 1918 that Boston came out ahead of the Yanks and even appeared in the World Series (to lose). If The Curse wasn't over then, it's not over now.

If they win next week, the curse will be over, but not before.

Devastating Collapse

As the most embarrassing and humiliating defeat, this far surpasses the loss in the 95 Division Series to Seattle.

The best medicine now is to look back on happier times and forget the hideous collapse. Here are some signed photos from my collection...

Next year, the Empire Will Strike Back!

John Dehner

John Dehner is one of those actors that you've seen a million times, but you never know his name. Dehner was a supporting character in hundreds of tv shows from the 50s through the 80s. He got his start in show business as an uncredited extra in many movies in the 40s, but finally made a name for himself in radio. John Dehner had an unmistakable deep, gravelly voice that meant more often than not, he was cast as a vicious killer or prairie trash in Gunsmoke. Dehner got his own radio series, Have Gun, Will Travel, and starred as Paladin for several years. In addition, he appeared on countless other radio shows of the era.

Dehner made the transition to tv smoothly, and appeared many times on the tv show Gunsmoke, often playing the same type of remorseless killers he portrayed on the radio. He had a long career in tv and passed away in 1992.

It took a while, but I was able to find this signed photo of John Dehner to add to my Gunsmoke collection. I'd love to find a pose of him taken from Gunsmoke or some other western, but signed photos are so few and far between, I'll take this one until a better pose comes along.

Bring Back The Polybag!

To further expand on the idea of the comic buying public slowly withering and dying...

Why don't comic book publishers sell comics through big chains such as Walmart?

Now, I know there would be massive problems with selling new releases through this distribution channel, but what about bringing back the old style polybags that had books that were a few months old?

You'd think this would be job #1 for the boys and girls in marketing at Marvel and DC. It just might stop their slow slide into oblivion and get kids interested in comics again. Why not sell the polybagged 3 packs again? Walmart would be the perfect venue for something like this. Take the newsstand returns and put 'em in polybags .... 3 for $1.99 or something like that. They're only going to destroy the returns anyway, right?!?

Seems like a no-brainer to me, but perhaps there are behind the scenes issues that make this impractical....

The Comic Market - Estimated Time of Death, 2025

The great dilemma of comic book publishers is that they are not building a new audience. If I am not mistaken, the average new comic book buyer is in his mid to late 20s. Sure, some teens and younger read the monthly pamphlets, but not nearly enough to sustain the market once the older fans drop off.

Certainly comic book licensing has never been stronger with the movies, video games, etc... but that does not necessarily translate into people buying comic books.

Many of the fanboys on the various comic message boards seem to think as long as Marvel is pumping out movies, their comics will continue to grow in value exponentially (as we have seen in the past 5 years with the emergence of CGC slabbing.) My response is, "If today's 15 year old isn't reading comics now, what makes you think he will suddenly want to drop THOUSANDS of dollars on an old Spider-Man comic in 20 years?!?" Sure, there will be SOME demand, but not enough to sustain insane price levels. The analogy I like to give is, "I like James Bond movies, but I've never had the urge to collect first editions of the original Ian Fleming novels."

I think the same will apply to comic books in 20 years. The movies may be chugging along, but the people who cared enough to collect the original comics will be entering retirement homes, dead and/or looking to sell their collections [to a tiny market]. Someday when our culture moves on to the next "big thing", comic books will be what old movie postcards are today -- crammed into dusty shoeboxes at your local flea market.

I think there will always be demand for iconic issues... pieces of Americana such as Action 1 and Amazing Fantasy 15 because they have crossed the line from being of interest to comic collectors only to being of interest to collectors of all sorts of pop culture and Americana. There will always be rich businessmen who will have an interest in displaying the the first copy of Superman in their office or den. Conversely, in 20 years will anyone but hardcore comic geeks -- remember, this is the audience that is dying off -- have an interest in Ms. Marvel 18, the first appearance of Mystique? (a CGC 9.8 copy recently went up to $1,225 on eBay and didn't hit reserve!) I can't think of a worse long-term "investment."

I love my comic collection, and someday I hope to get a few dollars back. But I don't delude myself into thinking that there is a 5 year old walking around now that will pay big bucks to take these things off my hands in 30 years.

AS IS Makes Me Nervous

As Fantastic Four 13 is the only remaining FF I need to complete the run, I was thinking of dropping a bid on this copy. It's listed as a VG+, but it has really nice eye appeal and may actually grade slightly higher than advertised based on what I see in the scan.

So, as is my practice, I asked the seller if the book was restored, and if so, what it the return policy. Here is his response:

I have not detected any restoration on this comic but even though I consider myself a excellent grader, I may not catch some forms of restoration. This came from a collection that hasn't been removed from its storage box since the early 1970's and this gentleman did use touch up on some of his books but it has been evident when applied. So I don't believe this has any restoration. I'm selling the FF 13 with a starting bid of $9.95 and willing to accept the final price whether it the current $36 or $500 so I do not wish to be bothered later if minute restoration is detected. I'm willing to answer any questions to the best of my knowledge and even send further scans but these comics are being sold AS IS.

Unfortunately that answer doesn't cut it. Obviously this seller doesn't understand that even "minute" restoration makes for a tremendous price difference in today's market. Given that he admits that others books from this collection were touched up, I'm not willing to roll the dice with this book.

My quest for FF 13 continues...

10/18 FOLLOW-UP

Mind boggling.

This comic book closed at $158. A princely sum for a book that a) the seller offers no guarantee against restoration and is sold "as is", b) the seller admits came from a collection that had other restored books, and c) can be had in higher grade for less from reputable dealer websites (that is, dealers who will accept returns if you are not happy with the book.)

eBay is the land of uneducated buyers and sellers who are more than happy to serve them.

Stan's Sports Memorabilia Faces The Music

Here is an article from eSCD regarding the forgery mill, Stan's Sports. It saddens me to think about all the people that have "treasures" framed on their walls with no idea they are fake. As the article indicates, Stan's is responsible for selling up to $7 million in forgeries... that's a lot of fake autographs sitting in collections.

I'd love to see Stan and his whole crooked family rot in jail.


GUILTY PLEAS ENTERED IN FORGERY CASE
A prominent purveyor of fake autographs is close to facing justice as the Fitzgerald family – Stan, his wife Donna and mother Josephine – pled guilty Sept. 30 to felony charges stemming from the sale of forged sports memorabilia. The Fitzgeralds, from Caldwell, N.J., and operators of Stan’s Sports Memorabilia during the 1990s, pled guilty to the charges in San Diego federal court, home of the FBI’s Operation Bullpen investigation, which has been overseen by San Diego-based FBI agent Tim Fitzsimmons.

The Fitzgeralds were charged four and a half years after Bullpen’s primary raids shut down their business and more than 50 others on Oct. 13, 1999. For a variety of reasons – among them the work-flow crunch on federal prosecutors – the Fitzgeralds almost “walked” despite almost five years of fake-autograph sales and anywhere from $2.5 million to $7 million in fake-autograph revenue, as a five-year statute of limitations loomed this month. But assistant U.S. attorney Melanie Pierson was able to get charges filed in April.

Stan Fitzgerald, 37, pled guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud. Because of the dollar amount involved, he faces a federal guidelines recommendation of 70-87 months in jail, along with a fine. Donna Fitzgerald, also 37, pled guilty to aiding and abetting tax evasion, admitting she failed to declare $100,000 in income from the sale of counterfeit memorabilia. She faces a recommended 12-18 months in jail. Josephine Fitzgerald, 61, pled guilty to assisting the preparation of false tax returns with federal guidelines recommending 10-16 months in jail.

Sentencing is set for Jan. 10, and Judge Larry Burns made it clear the sentencing judge does not need to follow the guidelines. “He may follow the recommendation, he may listen to your counsel, he may listen to Ms. Pierson, but he’s not bound to do that,” Judge Burns said. It’s very possible that each of their sentences could be lighter than even the lowest recommendation jail term, especially for each woman.

Unfortunately for collectors, while assets seized from the Fitzgeralds were valued in an FBI press release at more than $2 million, only $19,326 in restitution was ordered. At this point, the restitution will only be available to the seven victims who assisted Fitzsimmons and Pierson during this specific investigation and, according to Pierson, have items the FBI has been able to confirm were forgeries. In other words, there will very likely not be a method of applying for restitution for those victims who are not contacted by the court, although Pierson suggested collectors who believe they have a claim for restitution can contact the Victim/Witness Coordinator’s office at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego for instructions on how to proceed.

Stan’s Sports Memorabilia sold both real and fake memorabilia, the latter being primarily provided by the Marino family, the well-documented group that included the forgers and several of the key distributors of the fake material. Stan Fitzgerald told the judge that he sent items to an address in San Diego to have the phony signatures applied, but didn’t know the specific person performing the forgery. “(I) utilized the service. At the time, I did not know (where the forger was),” Fitzgerald told the judge. The Fitzgeralds sold a wide variety of fakes from both current players and deceased legends during the period from November 1995 to October 1999. Along with those fakes came bogus certificates of authenticity.

Both Donna and Josephine Fitzgerald admitted to the judge they knew Stan was selling fake autographs.

Along with still-unspecified fines, back taxes and the restitution, the Fitzgeralds will forfeit their two primary Caldwell homes, plus a third residence that Donna told the judge they purchased about a week after the October, 1999, raid on their business.
– Rocky Landsverk, reporting from San Diego

Big Apple Pedigree

I recently picked up a few Big Apple Pedigree books from Metropolis Comics, and I couldn't be happier.

These are gorgeous comic books. You can't tell from the scan, but the colors are deep and the books are super glossy. They have a nice fresh feel to them. If not for the slight toning, they must look like they did when they came off the rack almost 40 years ago. I recommend this pedigree... they are nicer than the Winnipegs, Bostons, Mass. and Green River comics I have in my collection.

I love the old style rendition of The Watcher on this one... and Kirby's blocky, bowl-cutted Hulk is no slouch either...

One of my all-time favorite covers. Marie Severin is wonderful...

How I Store Comic Books

I use Mylite2s with Fullback Buffer Backing Boards. I tape the flap closed, but I don't seal it all the way across... just a centered piece of tape about an inch long. The book is protected from spills, moisture, dust and insects, yet is not totally airtight so it can still breathe a bit. In my opinion, this is the best storage option for comic books, bar none -- including CGC or PGA slabs. The MyLite2s also display beautifully and can make even slightly worn comic books sparkle.

I recently purchased microchamber paper and insert that between the front and back covers of my more expensive books.

I think acid-free boxes are overkill and don't worry about it as it's not in contact with the books. However, I do change out the boxes when/if they start to yellow.

I keep my comic books on steel industrial shelving with wood shelf surfaces. The dehumidifier is running 24/7 and keeps the room at a steady 53% humidity +/- 2%. The room is about 68 degrees year round.

Any questions? ;-)

John Romita Sr. - Fantastic Four 105 Art Page

There are some nice Fantastic Four pages on eBay right now, including this great page by John Romita Sr. There does seem to be a lot of white-out on this page, but I'm sure that won't stop it from ending at a price way above what my budget will allow.

Godspeed, Gordo

Gordon Cooper, 1927-2004

He was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts. The best of the best, a pilot among pilots and a man among men. He was a hero and a patriot before those terms became overused.

I was lucky enough to meet Gordon Cooper a few years ago. Even though he was ill, he was gracious and friendly. I feel very fortunate to be able to say I shook his hand. He signed this photo for me at that time.

Here is another favorite from my collection...

Wonderful Cheese

Ok... too much negative lately, so I want to switch gears and focus on the fun of collecting... at least in this post.

I love the wonderfully cheesy sports covers on some of the early DCs, and World's Finest Comics features some of the cheesiest. Here is a copy of World's Finest 24 from my collection. I love it!

One More Fantastic Four To Go

With this recent purchase, I have one more Fantastic Four to go to complete the run and I will have Vol. 1 #1 to the current issue. I bought this off eBay and it was advertised as a 6.5. I agree with that grade. The small chip at the bottom left corner isn't actually a chip -- it's a small tear that can be folded down and lays flat.

The missing comic is #13. I'm seeking this issue in the 6.5 range give or take a half a grade. It's more difficult than I anticipated... all that seems to come up are VG or worse copies. It is a difficult issue to find in decent shape and it will kill me to pay the price, because even thought it is the first appearance of The Watcher, #13 is not a very good story and among the weakest of the early Fantastic Fours.

ComicsPriceGuide.com - PGA Name Thread

ComicsPriceGuide.com - Comic Grading Group changes their name to PGA

This is a fairly interesting thread -- replete with the requisite flaming -- regarding the future direction of PGA (CGG). Daniel from PGA weights in, and you can see my "expert opinion" of what their advertising should accomplish. ;-)

That said, I suspect all the armchair marketing directors will have a different opinion.

FANTASTIC FOUR 10 - Kirby Page!!!!

Kirby FANTASTIC FOUR 10---Sensational Page!!!!

Nice page with an opening bid of almost 6 grand. Seems a bit steep... wonder if anyone will bite...

My God, It's Minty Fresh

This is just staggering. This was recently passed around a message board and I don't know where it came from, but I had to share. As you can see on the label, it's a Curator Pedigree copy.

Scotty & Neil Armstrong

The James Doohan Farewell Convention

Wow. This is bizarre and strangely ironic. For those that may not know, for many years, scores of historical space dealers and show organizers that have been trying to woo Neil Armstrong - a very reclusive man and a non-signer. He finally agrees to appear, but it's at a Star Trek show... and he's not even the headliner!

By the way, I'm surprised that James Doohan is able to appear publicly. I met him at The NYC National Comic Convention in 2000 and he appeared very frail and somewhat "out of it" then.

This show does have an incredible line-up. Creation Entertainment (who handles most of the Star Trek shows and somehow missed out on this one) must be kicking themselves. There has to be some behind the curtain politics as to why Creation didn't produce this event.

Mile High gets a bad rap sometimes due to their grading and/or high prices. But, as my story will show, Mile High can be an excellent dealer in some circumstances.

I ordered 31 NM books from Chuck in his recent blowout sale. Most where $1. I checked off 31 books from my want list and filled 31 holes. The books were all 80s and early 90s including Punisher (1987), various Valiant, The Thing, Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, etc.

The results are in... of the 31 NM books...

26 were 9.4 or better (a few possible 9.6s)
4 were 9.2, and
1 was 8.0

In all, a good experience.

Rest In Peace: Fay Wray

I've never heard it mentioned before, but she had a great movie star name. It sings.

Ms. Wray was a good mail responder up until about 10 years ago.

Now she belongs to the ages.

It seems as though every comic collector has his/her own acceptable grade guidelines. As much as I would love to only have uber-high grade gems, if that was the case, I wouldn't have very many older comics.

So what are my grading guidelines?

I go for eye appeal and strive to get clean, structurally sound, well-cut books with no major ink-breaking creases or pieces missing. Even though some of my more expensive books may be "technical 4.0s" due to hidden defects or an accumulation of small flaws, the book may actually look much better than the technical grade. The minimum grades I shoot for are:

Gold - VG 4.0
Silver Keys - VG+ 4.5
Early Silver - Fine 6.0
Later Silver - F/VF 7.0
Bronze Keys - VF- 7.5
Bronze - VF/NM 9.0
Modern - NM 9.4

I try not to obsess over condition and avoid the "must upgrade" mentality. I am not always successful.

Kirby Original Art - Fantastic Four 20 Watcher Splash

What a gorgeous page. My God, I'd love to have this, but I'd have to sell off a chunk of my collection. Sometimes I wonder if I'd be better off if I sold 90% of my collection and just had a handful of really nice gems like this.

KIRBY ORIGINAL FANTASTIC FOUR PAGE

The Quintessential Hulk Artist

To me, the quintessential Hulk artist is Herb Trimpe (preferably with Marie Severin inks).  Most Trimpe Hulk art under issue 200 is very pricey, but I picked this Trimpe page from Hulk Annual 6 for a fraction of the cost of a page from a regular issue from the same time period.  It's still the classic late silver/early bronze age Hulk "look."  Go figure...  It's inked by Frank Giacoia and/or Mike Esposito.

 

And here's the cover to the issue in which this appeared...

Detecting Color Touches

One of the most common forms of restoration on comic books is color touches.  Color touches can be professional (acrylic paint), or amateur which are usually marker or a dry powder rubbed into a crease.  Many people are not aware of the dry powder type color touch.

I bought a few silver age books on ebay that I suspect had this type of color touch.  Not a great loss because they were $20 books... but, this goes to show you any book can be restored -- not just expensive keys.

The touch is some sort of fine black powder that is rubbed into small creases.  It's hard to detect because the color rub only sticks to the creased area where the original inks are broken, so the touch is actually only as wide as the crease itself.  If you look at the cover at an angle, the affected area may be a bit duller than the gloss on the rest of the cover.  Also, if you gently rub your finger over the area, a tiny amount of black may rub off.

One way to detect color touch is to look for fine creases where the ink does NOT appear to be broken.  Then look much closer.  This is where many color touches will be found.

Regarding the ebay seller that sent me the color touched book, he replaced the first book that had a certain dry rub color touch with another one that I suspect had a smaller touch.  At that point, it wasn't worth pursuing any further.  I just avoid his auctions now.

Slab Damage

One of my concerns with the growing and aging comic book slab market is the increasing occurrence of slab damage.  Slab Damage is when a book is damaged during the encapsulation process, or more commonly, when a book is damaged by sliding around in a slab.  The damage most commonly takes the form of blunted or creased corners and is especially prevalent when there is a bit of an overhang on the cover.
 
I think I have the dubious distinction of having the worst slab damage ever. The label says 9.4 and that's the price I paid for it.
 

 
So, now I'm stuck with it.  Makes you want to think twice about dealers with no return policies on CGC books, huh?

35 Cent Variant Madness

As predicted in my 7/14 entry, the Iron Fist 14 35 cent variant closed at a mortgage level price - $1,296.58... although I expected it to go higher.

Here's another 35-center with a $300 Buy-It-Now - eBay item 2257851918 (Ends Jul-24-04 15:48:13 PDT) - Fantastic Four 186 CGC 8.5(ow-w) 35 cent variant

A pretty copy, but is it worth 4 times what I paid for this copy?

I'd grade mine at 7.5 (VF-)

A Byrne Namor Page

I picked this up a few years ago.  I'm sure it would cost me much more now.  It's not an action packed page, but I really liked it because the linework is so clean, and it captures Prince Namor at his most regal.  Namor is wearing the same type of crown he did on the classic cover of Fantastic Four Annual #1.  A very nice example of the Submariner signed by John Byrne...
 

A Fantastic Four Page

For your viewing pleasure, another page of original art... this one from Fantastic Four #225, page 12. Bill Sienkiewicz drew it and Joe Sinnott inked it.



Not the most action-packed FF page in the world, but I am finding that FF pages are very tough to come by. Part of the difficulty is that with a team comic, there are not many pages that feature all 4 team members - let alone all 4 in action!

I'd love to get a Perez or Pollard page in the issue 170 - 200 range, but I just can't find any. And, I'd hate to think how much one might be!

Healthy Reserve To Protect Sentimental Attachment

Frank Miller Elektra Battle Page From Daredevil 176

I've seen a lot of hokey reasons for a high reserve, but never "There is a healthy reserve to protect my extreme sentimental attachment to this wonderful piece of artistic genius."

Interesting that some people's sentiment can be bought if the price is high enough.

My First Kirby Page

I've bought a few pages of original art over the years... mostly lowball bids on eBay that I was lucky enough to win. But, I always wanted a page of original art from my favorite comic artist, Jack Kirby. I recently decided to make the wish a reality. I've always had a soft spot for Machine Man... I recall buying the originals from Shelburne Pharmacy in Rotterdam, NY. I am now the proud owner of page 10 from 2001: A Space Odyssey #10 (1978).

Some Rare Autographs Get More & More Common - A Guest Editorial

Here is a guest editorial from AeroSpace collector Bob McLeod. Bob is a super guy and has a keen eye for forgeries. Because he is a polite Southern Gentleman, he is not as direct as I might be, but as astute readers, I'm sure you will get the idea...

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I like to check out my "favorite" eBay seller, "Maksuta," occasionally. His large & varied eBay material has been likened to a flea market. He offers a usual big selection of Yuri Gagarin signed items & many deceased cosmonaut autographs, plus many various non-space Russian collectibles.

He seems to specialize in rare Soviet/Russian space material and is considered by many to be the leading supplier of the ultra-rare Soyuz 11 crew signed items. The Soyuz 11 crew were killed during their flight and their autographs are considered the rarest of all space autographs. Because of tradition & superstition, rarely did early Soviet cosmonaut crews sign anything before their flights.

"Maksuta" has a history of offering items signed by the Soyuz 11 crew going back at least to early 2002, with a postcard on eBay signed by the S-11 crew. I have kept records of at least 7 items he's offered signed by the S-11 crew and have seen many more in other auctions just like he offers. The first ones made their debut some years ago in a Superior auction and sold for around $4,000. But because of them becoming relatively common since, few seem to sell publicly & Maksuta's usually don't sell on eBay and are re-listed over & over.

So they don't seem to be a serious problem, as probably most collectors have learned of the questionable nature of these many & varied S-11 crew signed items. But they can still be a danger in our hobby, as described below.

One S-11 that originated from Maksuta sold about a year ago on "Dealer A's" Website for around $4,000. Maksuta was proudly named as the source in the elaborate description
and was referred to as a "respected dealer." I contacted Maksuta about the one being offered by Dealer A and was told that he sold it to Dealer A for $1,000.

Dealer A was informed of Maksuta's less than distinguished history & history of offering them, but it had no effect and the S-11 stayed on Dealer A's Website until it eventually sold for $4,000 - with a no return policy.

I have since seen an identical one offered by Maksuta on eBay for less than $1,000. I have seen at least five S-11 training photos signed by the crew that were offered by
Maksuta and two philatelic items, which I've all made copies of. I've seen many more of the same types offered elsewhere. At least one other eBay seller sold one for around $700. They have become so readily available, that practically anyone can own the world's rarest space autographs.

Maksuta now has on eBay, besides his two S-11 crew signed training photos, two ASTP crew signed covers, one said to be flown, with certain fake signatures by the three Apollo crew members. His history is anything but respected or respectable & his autographs should be carefully checked out.

Bob McLeod

Thoughts On Private Auctions

Some eBay sellers use private auctions and justify it by arguing that "all the big auction houses do it." True, but the big auction houses are established businesses and the identity of the principals should be a matter of public record. The reason why it's okay for established auction houses to have private bidding -- and not okay for eBay -- is that an established auction house is supposed to adhere to a code of ethics and be above reproach in this regard. We place trust in the good name of the established auctioneer and expect that the auction will be conducted fairly (i.e., no shill bidding.) Not the same can be said for eBay sellers who conduct private auctions. We don't even know who they are and/or what their real name is and they expect to be trusted?

The Last Reagan

This will be my last Reagan signed item. It's a nice 8x10 White House photo signed by Nancy and President Reagan. If I had to guess, I'd say it was signed in the early to mid-90s. As many collectors have stated, the trick to getting Reagan to sign a photo in the mid-90s was to send it to Nancy and ask them both to sign it. I suspect that this is how this photo was signed.

I obtained this from R&R auction a few years ago for a very reasonable price. I got this for a song while the bidding war erupted over a another item -- a "perfect pose" signed photo was "perfectly fake"!

Godspeed, President Reagan.

A Signed Governor Portrait

When I started collecting political autographs, getting a signed photo from Ronald Reagan was already an impossibility. So, I had to buy one. Given the high number of forgeries and secretarials -- and the fact that most dealers can't tell the difference -- this was a daunting task.

I did the usual ebay and dealer search for months before I came up with this signed photo. If I am not mistaken, I bought this from a dealer (Adam Andruiser) in the UK. It's the classic Governor portrait with a nice long inscription. To me, the more handwriting the better! And unlike many of his governor portraits, it has not been signed by his secretary Helen VanDamme. There is a penciled date on the back of the photo of June 1972... so I presume this is when this photo was received by Ms. Hazel Hale. The signature style is consistent with that time frame.

A Reagan Expert Weighs In...

Autograph collector extraordinaire, Dr. Stephen Beck, has told me that Reagan did sign books (on the book itself, not on a bookplate) for a short period in 1993. That said, books signed on the book are still very uncommon, but they do exist.

Another Reagan Book

Continuing with the Reagan signed books, this is the second book I had signed through his office in late 1997 or early 1998.



As you can see from the bookplate below, this is most likely a later signature as the rounded Rs start to take on a squarish shape. It is my understanding that his later signatures evolved into a square block like script.



Next: Signed photos

Bats 222: Mind Boggling

A few days ago I featured a Batman 222 (Beatles Cover) that I picked up at my local comics shop. My copy is in the 9.0 range... give or take a half grade.

Well, here's a CGC 9.4 that closed at $587 on ebay. My God... I'm speechless.

Caveat Emptor!

Browsing through ebay, Reagan forgeries outnumber the real deal about 10 to 1. Now is a very bad time to purchase a Reagan signed item... the market is flooded with fakes, and you will overpay for authentic material. Be patient, there is plenty of authentic material out there, and in several months the prices will go to normal levels.

A few pointers... stay away from:

* Unusual signed items - baseballs, flags, etc. 99.9% of them are fake.
* Items of opportunity - these are items that someone finds at a garage sale for 25 cents and is a "cheap investment" as forgery fodder. Examples include, postal covers, signed buttons, signed pamphlets, signed postcards, signed books that are not the books he would sign through his office, etc.
* Items with "too good to be true" inscriptions such as "Tear Down the Wall", "I Forgot to Duck", etc. Almost all of these are fake, and beware of signed typed quotes. There is a guy on ebay that has been selling these for years... I think they are all fakes.
* Unpersonalized signed photos in the perfect pose (flag in background, etc.) These are almost always fake.
* Books that are signed (not on a bookplate). Reagan never did any booksignings and books sent to his office were affixed with a bookplate. Authentically signed books are very rare.

If you have any items you'd like me to take a look at, please leave a link in a comment and I'll look into it.

Speaking My Mind

As my previous post indicated, Ronald Reagan would sign books, if you sent the right one (or two). Speaking My Mind is the first of the two that I sent to his office in 1997.



It returned several weeks later with this authentically signed bookplate, my first Reagan success. It's very close to the classic Reagan signature and my guess is that this bookplate was probably signed prior to 1997 because it shows a little weakness, but no substantive deterioration.



More to come...

Reagan Signed Books

As late as 1998, one could get an authentic signature from Ronald Reagan's office. With the proper request, his office would affix an authentically signed bookplate into a book - if you sent the right book. Here is a letter on how to do it from his office:



It has been theorized that they gave President Reagan stacks of bookplates to sign... almost as form of therapy as the illness took hold. As you will see in later examples, someone from his office added the recipient's name in calligraphic form, but the Reagan signature itself was authentic through 1998. Requests after 1998 were answered with an Autopen signature. Perhaps the supply ran out and he was no longer able to sign at this point? Signed book examples will follow tomorrow.

A Great American Rides Into The Sunset

Unless you've been under a rock for the past 30 hours, by now you know that Ronald Reagan has died.

I'm really too sad other than to say that he was a hero of mine. I mourn his loss, but I am relieved his suffering is over.

In the next few days I will display some of my Ronald Reagan autographs.

CGC Bound?

Picked up a few nice books at the local comic shop. After I give 'em a thorough reading, I'm debating if I will send them to CGC.

The Bats 222 sports a classic Neal Adams cover and is very desirable in high grade. This copy has a few hairline ticks along the spine, but CGC can be very forgiving when it comes to certain books. There is a small horizontal bend above the top staple... I fear that CGC would knock it down more for the bend than the small spine stresses. My guess on this one would be CGC 9.0... but I would not be surprised to see it swing between 8.5 or 9.2.



This Captain America Annual #3 is real nice, a sure 9.2 and probably a 9.4. I just love this Kirby cover... I still have the beat-up copy I bought from the newsstand way back when.

Photos from Air & Space Show

Hey, I finally figured out how to put photos in the blog! So, here are some pictures from the Air & Space Show in Titusville,Florida this past weekend.

This is me with Apollo 15 moonwalker Dave Scott:



And here I am with ISS Cosmonaut Yuri Usachev:



More to come...

First Annual Air & Space Show

The Air & Space show I helped to produce went off this past weekend with great success. To see photos and what some of the attendees had to say, go to

I was lucky enough to get a bunch of photos signed, including my wooden Saturn V model which I added Dave Scott, Paul Weitz and Jack Lousma. I'm running out of real estate on the model, so I'm not sure I can add many more signatures. If Neil Armstrong wanted to sign, I might have to find room by whiting out a previous signature. ;-)

Once I figure out how to put photos in this Blog, I'd be happy to post some of my own pictures.

Stay tuned for the Second Annual Air & Space show.

Dealer List Updated

I've removed a few listings from my Dealer List page, most notably Eagle Sports. I've received reports that they were selling items with "J. DiMaggio" COAs, and at least one of the items was submitted to PSA/DNA and came back as a forgery. As you may know, "J. DiMaggio" COAs (no relation to the baseball player) were among those exposed by the FBI a few years ago in Operation Bullpen.

Come To The Air And Space Show in May

Air And Space Show - Florida

I am assisting my buddy Al with organizing the first annual Air & Space Show. Check out the website and make your travel plans!