shadow

all messages by user

12/31/2015
Topic:
Guidelines for Uploading Cover Scans to CPG

shadow
shadow
Administrator
Originally posted by Rocket...

First off, thank you for helping us make CPG the best comic resource on the web. Here are some guidelines to upload comic cover scans to the database. If you don't see your scan approved within a 2 week period it might have not been up to par, please review the items below and make sure the scan meets all requirements.
First off if you are new to scanning comics, take a moment to read a quick step by step to scanning I have here at my website. You can also see some examples of bad scans that will not make it into the database.

Covers must be:
  • 1. Cropped properly. No background showing.
  • 2. No digital camera pictures.
  • 3. No covers with URL, company watermarks or logos.
  • 4. No covers with scanline patterns will be accepted.
  • 5. No covers scans with the comic still in the bag and board.
  • 6. No grainy or blurry scans.
  • 7. Adult covers with nudity must be edited with black boxes.
The only exception to the above rules are Golden Age covers.
We are a little more flexible with these, due to the rarity of getting a cover scan.
If you are scanning in your own covers to upload I recommend a 200 to 300 DPI setting and then resizing the covers to a 350 x 535-pixel size before saving. This is a standard I have used for a few years that makes a good clear scan without being a huge filesize.
Thank you for helping to make CPG the best comic site on the net. smile
edited by ronbatman on 5/17/2019
12/31/2015
Topic:
So You Want to Sell Your Comics?

shadow
shadow
Administrator
Our site provides easy communication between collectors.


Through our site your options include:

Marking them as "For Sale" Within your Collection
Pull up a title...click on "view your collection"...mark the box next to the issues you want to sell...click on the "sell" button...read and follow the instructions that come up...

Posting a "Classified Ad"
Click on "Classified" in our hotlinks on the front page...click on "your classifieds"...follow the instructions...

Posting a Notice in our Forum Market Section
Click on "Forum" in our hotlinks...separate registration for the forum is required...Go to the forum "Marketplace"...follow the posted rules...let fellow collectors know what you have for sale...

Payment methods and shipping costs are between buyer and seller. All sales are the direct responsibility between buyer and seller. CPG does not monitor, police, nor charge fees or commissions on sales. Buyer Beware! Any information concerning confirmed fraud or misuse will result in members removal.
edited by netstuffers on 12/31/2015
12/31/2015
Topic:
Forum Rules and Guidelines

shadow
shadow
Administrator
CPG Message Board Rules and Notes
Update March 30, 2008
  • CPG Message Board General Rules
  • CPG Message Board Private Message Rules
  • Reporting a Violation
  • Disciplinary Actions (the warning system)
  • Moderator Rules

The CPG Message Boards are here for the enjoyment of the online comic book community. The CPG Message Boards are a free service, and by using this service you agree to abide by the rules and policies noted below. The CPG Message Board's goal is to offer a friendly, family-safe atmosphere, relatively free of the flame wars that bring so many message boards to a standstill. Because of this goal, you may notice that the CPG Message Board rules and policies are strongly enforced. Please respect the forums and the members when posting on the boards. Most of all, just have fun!
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CPG MESSAGE BOARDS GENERAL RULES
1. This is a family safe forum intended to build community conversation, so we don't allow obscene, racist or sexually explicit language. Personal attacks are not permitted. We reserve the right to remove posts that are abusive, hateful, or defame or insult anyone in any way. We also reserve the right to remove posts that are off-topic or posts that try to repeatedly move the conversation away from the current topic.
2. It's a comic book forum, not a bar. Do not threaten, intimidate or attempt to make another poster uncomfortable with hints towards personal action of any kind (including but not limited to: physical harm, meeting in the 'real world', other inappropriate contact). Your account will be deleted.
3. No solicitations or advertisements are allowed. This includes advertisements for your business, your own online endeavors or online auctions (other than CPG Auctions/Sales).
4. You may link to other informational web sites when relevant to the discussion, but links to commercial sites are generally not allowed. (The exception is for posting links to images or specific information. Also moderators are permitted a subdued link to a website that is related to their own business. Since moderators serve here in a volunteer capacity, they are allowed this perk as compensation for their time.
5. Choose a username carefully. You may not use names that are offensive, that suggest illegal activities or that are meant to imitate other users. Any such names will be blocked from posting on our message boards. Do not activate multiple accounts; one username per member.
6. You must respect the privacy of individuals. This means no posting of phone numbers, addresses, social security numbers or any other private information. We discourage users from posting such information even about themselves, as we cannot control how that information may be used beyond our message boards.
7. Don't broadcast your post. Do not post the same (or even cleverly re-worded) topic of conversation in more than one thread.
8. One thread per topic. Don't post more than one thread about what could generally be considered the same topic. Example: if COMICBOY has a thread going about graded comics, don't create a new thread to talk about graded comics. If the topic is clearly about something else, fine, but this rule will be not be dissected so try and keep same-type topics on one thread.
9. Signatures. Please keep signatures in the body of your posting to no more than three or four short lines to ensure that the thread's content remains eminently readable. Signature content falls under the same rules and policies mentioned here.
10. This is a comic book and related forum, there are thousands of forums on the web that support conversation for a wide variety of topics (politics, religion, etc.), this is a forum for the discussion of comic books, comic related material, and material that could be of interest to the general community.
11. Don't help the bad guys. If you encourage, support or otherwise aid someone else in violating the rules of the board, you may be 'grouped into' the action taken. If somebody's starting a flame-war, the best thing you can do is stand aside and let them be dealt with.
12. Remember the house. The CPG Message Board is a free service for the comic collector's community, please respect the house by not posting messages that are disparaging to the CPG, it's staff or moderators. If you have a complaint about a moderator or administrator, please private message mballard or bneely.
13. You participate at your own risk on the bulletin boards, and in private messages. You take responsibility for postings under your username and use the information provided here at your own risk. ComicsPriceGuide.com takes no responsibility for the content or opinions posted here.
14. We reserve the right to remove any post or user from our message boards - although we have no duty to do so. When posts are deleted, it's usually because they violate one or more of our house rules. Repeated violation of these rules may result in the suspension of your posting privileges.
The moderators help maintain a fun and free flowing board (see Moderator Rules below). The moderators act under supervision of the CPG Message Board Administrator Mike Ballard (mballard), who operates directly under Bryan Neely (bneely).
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CPG MESSAGE BOARD PRIVATE MESSAGE RULES

The private message function is provided for the convenience and enjoyment of the CPG Message Board members. ALL OF THE ABOVE RULES AND POLICIES ARE TRUE FOR PRIVATE MESSAGE CONVERSATIONS. However, the private message feature is intended for private discussion between members, so the rules are dependent upon the attitude of the conversation and it?s participants:
1. You may use the private message feature to discuss topics not related to the message board community.
2. You may use the private message feature to continue a conversation that has drifted away from a forum topic.
3. Discussing your own commercial site, advertising your product or online auction or discussing other advertisement/selling activities is allowed, as long as the other user has openly expressed interest in the discussion or topic. Unsolicited advertisements will be considered spam and may disrupt your CPG Message Board membership.
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REPORTING A VIOLATION
If you notice a violation of the above rules on the board, please private message a moderator or Shadow with a link to the violation (or the category and topic name).
If someone has violated the rules in a private message, please private message a moderator or Shadow with a copy of the violation.
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DISCIPLINARY ACTION
Although on violations are different, please be advised of the following theory of warning and action:
1. A moderator will inspect the thread or private message where the violation occurred.
2. If the violation is considered offensive (name calling, foul language/image, etc.), the moderator will immediately edit the post and send the violating member a copy of the violating post with a statement regarding the policy that was violated. The violation and action taken will be forwarded to Mike.
3. Violations not immediately edited by moderators will be discussed by the moderator group and the appropriate action will be approved and taken. The violating member will be contacted as per the process in #2 above.
4. While not all violations are immediately excusable and not all violators will enjoy the same warning system process (depending on the violation), please remember the following items:
a. The standard process of warning will be based on the three strike rule: first warning (private message or email), second warning (private message or email), third warning (locking of membership pending discussion)
b. Not all violations are equal, and some can get you booted right away. Depending on the severity of the violation, the above three warning system may not be appropriate.
c. Violators will not be reprimanded on the boards. You may not see evidence of warnings and actions taken and we do not discuss the particulars of the situation with other members (even reporting members). Please be assured the all posters are handled equally and fairly, but the action taken may not always be noticeable by all members.
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MODERATOR RULES
The moderators are the people who make sure that users are following the CPG Message Board rules. They are here to help members by answering questions about CPG and to protect members and the forum itself, fro. Their job is not an easy one, so I have to thank them all for offering to help me run this site. The rules below are established in order to make their life and member's life easier.
1. The moderator's role is to enforce the CPG Message Board rules among the forum members. This is an administrative task, not a law enforcement task and should be treated as such both by the moderators and the members.
2. The moderator acts as a role model for the rest of the members. The moderator's behavior has to set an example to how other members should behave in the forum.
3. The moderators actions should not change depending on his/her relationship with the member: all members should be treated the same by every moderator. A moderator should not allow his personal feelings to influence his judgment about the content of this forum or the behavior of the members. These are defined by the forum rules and the moderator's personal feelings have nothing to do with them.
4. Moderators are allowed to: a) delete a post if it contains foul language, threats or insulting language towards another members or if the post contains a clear attempt at spam, b) edit a post if contains any of the items in the previous statement, and c) move a conversation to the appropriate thread. If you are subject to an edited or deleted post, you will be notified by the moderator via private message or email explaining the action. If your post is moved to an appropriate location, a relocation message will be left behind if possible.
5. When a moderator participates in a discussion, he should do it in accordance with rules (2) and (3) above. In no case, should a moderator use his moderation role as a weighting factor in such a discussion. When participating in a discussion, the moderator is treated just as any other member and is subjected to the same rules that apply for the members (and even more closely).
6. If you have a specific complaint about a moderator, please consider the moderator as a fellow forum member and contact him/her directly about the problem. Direct contact can go a long way in mending fences and getting each other?s point across, and may possibly provide a better result than the standard forms of complaint. If this form of troubleshooting is either not appropriate or does not achieve the desired results, contact mballard (CPG Message Board Administrator) by private message or email
12/31/2015
Topic:
Guidelines: Please Read Before Posting!

shadow
shadow
Administrator
Welcome to the Missing Issues and Errors Forum

When members need us to add books or correct errors in the CPG database this is where you make your request.

General Guidelines

  • 1. We are not adding signed or re-marked books at this time.
  • 2. We do not list publications which contain less than 40% comic strip material
  • 3. The more information you can supply the faster we can add the books.
  • 4. No more than 10 outstanding requests per member please.
  • 5. Please wait at least a week following the release of standard US comics before posting a request for them to be added to the system. These are usually all listed on a release list we get weekly that can take up to a week to get through.

-----------------------------------

An Example Request

Please supply the following information when asking for comics to be added

Title: Uncanny Space Cowboys
Missing Issues: All
Country: USA
Publisher: Cowboy Books
Publication Years: 2002-Current
Cover Price: $2.25
Variant Cover of #1 (Cover A was by Peter Murfin, B was by Alex Ross)
These books can be seen at the publishers Web Site at http://examplesite.com/Cowboys

-----------------------------------

Occasionally some requests can take a few weeks to resolve. These complicated requests may get moved to our research team area while they are being investigated.

Please use the following template when requesting missing titles or issues be added to the database. To use the template simply copy all the information below, paste it into a new message, and fill in the missing data. If title contains more than one issue please repeat fields 5 thru 11.

Thanks

-----------------------------------

01. TITLE:
*Note, please use the indicia for correct title information.
*If title already exists in the database please copy and paste the link to the database entry in the space below.

02. PUBLISHER:
*Note, please use the indicia for correct publisher information.

03. COUNTRY PUBLISHED:
04. COUNTRY PRINTED:
=====================================================
05. ISSUE #:
06. COVER PRICE:
07. DATE:
08. ISSUE NOTES:
09. PRINT RUN (If Known or Listed):
10. ISBN/ISSN# (If Listed):
11. URL TO COVER SCAN (If Available):
*Note, www.photobucket.com is a free image hosting website and good place to host your cover scans.
12/31/2015
Topic:
Signed and Remarked Comics

shadow
shadow
Administrator
This policy is in regards to how signed (and etc.) comics will be handled by the CPG database:
1) Dynamic Forces VARIANT COVERS (signed or unsigned), along with all other variant covers like Catch A Star, will be included in the regular database. COA's (certificate of authenticity) will not be mentioned because they are not an actual part of the comic and we can place no value on the COA itself (although most collector's do consider a NM signed comic to imply an included COA, this is up to the individual collector).
2) Users will be able to check whether a comic in their collection is signed or not - whether that be a DF Teen Titans #1 bought on the net or an Alf #7 they got signed in McBee South Carolina - and they'll have a notes section to include information about their signed comic
(USERS: this will be YOUR PERSONAL information for that comic and will NOT be included in the CPG database of comics).

The CPG Staff
edited by ronbatman on 1/12/2022
12/31/2015
Topic:
Post Pictures of Your Comic Room!

shadow
shadow
Administrator
This was a fun thread on the old forums, and we're sad to have lost it. So let's start it up again. Here's a look at the CPG offices!














Admittedly, a lot of the comics are in storage, but we have some of our favorites displayed and plenty of statues. We get visitors from the building who wander in all the time to check out the office.
12/31/2015
Topic:
"Raw" Prices vs. "Graded" Prices

shadow
shadow
Administrator
It used to be that getting a book graded almost always meant that you would get above "guide" for it...

Everybody was jumping on the "speculation wagon"...

It's not so true anymore.
If your book grades at 9.6 or better, you're apt to get over guide for it because they really are that rare...Having it professionally graded, in some people's minds, is the "seal of approval" that "Yes, my book really is a 9.6."...

Anything 9.4 or below, is just as likely to get you the same price for a "graded" as you can for a "raw"...All slabbing does is give the buyer a little more comfort that it really is a 4.5...and not just the seller saying it is...

Our graded prices have long been based on a formula created from market data. Since not every issue in every grade has been slabbed and then sold and then recorded...it obviously is just a "best guess" formula based on common factors.

What is causing some confusion...is that on some of our titles...after the last upgrade...the "graded" column is pulling from the wrong formula...making it look like the graded are worth less than the raw...
It's not happening on all titles, and we still haven't found the common denominator on the ones that are pulling wrong.

Rule of thumb: Your comic is worth at least "raw" prices...graded or not. If it's graded and a 9.6 or greater, you can probably get over guide for it...

Staff are working to remove the confusion and the price survey team is constantly watching market reports for any changes...

My advice?....Go read a comic and relax Cool
12/31/2015
Topic:
Autographs/Signatures on Comics!

shadow
shadow
Administrator
People tend to think having a signature on a comic is going to raise it’s value..Is this right or wrong?

Many people debate this issue on comic forums daily so here is a small guide to help make up your mind before you get an artist to sign your comic.

Ask yourself some simple questions beforehand:

1. Why are you getting the comic book signed?

2. Is the comic going to be just for your personal collection?

3. Should the comic be signed on the cover OR inside of the cover?

If you're getting your comic signed for personal reasons then by all means get it done when you have the chance. The comic itself will hold more personal value to you even if it’s not worth much money wise. Some people get their comics signed on the inside of the comic book (first page) to not wreck the front cover appearance. But again if you have no intentions of selling it get the signature where you want but if you plan to possibly resell in the future think about where the signature is going to be put.

In general people are only going to pay for a signature on a comic book if it’s a key book or they really want to own the book. As Joker states on the CPG forum- “The only time signatures truly increase the value of the book is when it is a key book, signed by a key person in the creative process and CGC Signature Series encapsulation.”

Comics that are signed by well known artists and are dead could possibly raise the price of the comic but again you’ve gotta consider the condition of the book too.

Overall signatures on comics comes down to personal opinion!
12/31/2015
Topic:
Ready to Add a Few UGs to Your Collection?

shadow
shadow
Administrator
Originally Posted by oldmilwaukee6er
Over the next few weeks, I will attempt to highlight a few tiers-based on pricing, importance, etc.- of Key Underground (UG) comix for any collecting budget. These posts largely represent my opinions, research, and experiences in actively collecting UG comix for the past 2+ years—a small amount of time to be sure.

-------------------------

So why collect UGs?


They’re dangerous.
Anti-censorship reaction to the Comics Code Authority proved a big influence to UG pioneers. As youngsters, future UG artists were deeply affected, with some watching their parents tear up their comics collections (see back cover to Zap Comix #1). UG Comix are their payback.


They’re forbidden.
They are counterculture-inspired stories dealing with social issues like sex, drugs, rock music and anti-war protest. For this reason, these new comics became known as "comix" to set them apart from mainstream comics and to emphasize the "x" for x-rated.
They’re important…
Comix dealt with burgeoning social issues such as racism, sexism, and anti-war protest. The UG movement contained some of the earliest feminist work in comics.
…and they’re gaining credibility.
Jerry Weist, in his book titled The 100 Greatest Comic Books, rated Zap Comix #1 higher than many ‘straight’ powerhouses such as Detective 27, Showcase 4, X-Men 1, Fantastic Four 1, and ASM 1. Art Spiegelman won a Pulitzer Prize for his work on MAUS, which first appeared in Funny Aminals[sic] a UG published by Apex Novelties. The UG comix phenomenon is now largely recognized as an important avant garde Art movement.

-------------------------
Getting started…
“I want to add some underground (UG) comix to my collection, but don’t know enough about them to buy confidently.”
For UG comix collectors, this sentiment is often heard and easily understood. I started this thread in an attempt to quicken the learning curve for those of you who might like to add a few key titles to your collection.

When I first began collecting I was amazed at the paucity of publicly held knowledge on UGs. After being gifted a few UG reprints, I watched Ebay auctions on Zap Comix and Freak Brothers for the better part of two years and learned one thing… there are so many different printings of these books! Did you know that as of 1982, Zap Comix #1 had gone through an estimated 17 printings, totaling around 300,000 comics? Determining first (or early) printings from later ones remains important to value-minded collectors.

So, I embarked on the old cliché… Educate oneself:

The Official Underground & Newave Comix Price Guide (Kennedy 1982)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/offer-listing/0960665439/ref=dp_primary-product-display_1//104-9920118-2981502?condition=all
Eventually, I gained knowledge of this source. Kennedy’s guide is widely held as the seminal source on UG Comix, and I will not dispute that here. But, d@mn… did you see the price of this book ($147.35 - $251.99)?! Having said that, this book has proven nearly invaluable for determining UG printings or artists contributing to a particular book, and as a buying guide. Trust me, its fun to pick up a nice copy of a UG still priced at around Kennedy Guide!

Bottomline:
Hold out for a better price. Copies of this rarity are available and affordable, but it may take some time, research skills, and luck (e.g. check your local library). For example, my wife—akin to the online book merchants—found me a usable copy for about $12. Also, there have been long-held rumors on the publishing of a new guide book (see also http://www.comicspriceguide.com/forum2/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17163 ), potentially as early as 2005. It is foreseeable that a new UG Guide would drive down demand/prices for Kennedy (1982) or, less likely, render it quaint.
Sources for the rest of us:
The Comic Art Price Guide (Weist 2000)http://www.budplant.com/prod.itml/icOid/5697
Nestled within this guide on comic art is a small section on Underground comix (<1/6th of the book, really), which was probably intended be a market check and supplement to Kennedy (1982).

Bottomline: Neither as extensive nor as informative as “The Guide” (not intended to be), Weist (2000) still represents the minimum one should arm themselves with when hunting for UGs. As it brings UG values out of the Bronze-age, this Guide will also give you a better sense for UG values than Kennedy.

UG Comix Info http://www.ugcomix.info/hub.html
However you hunt, DO supplement your searches with the information contained in “A Visual Guide to Underground Comix Reprints” located at the web address above. This site is very useful, both an excellent supplement to Kennedy (1982) and a great tool for bidding on Ebay — this is a labor of love for many friends and collectors of UGs. For newbies such as myself, I can only say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!
Tier One KEYS: The GA of UG Comix.
Generally pre-1969
Generally >$1000/book
The pioneers of the UG movement

CGC 9.4 Zap Comix #1, 1st print (Plymell printing). This is the highest graded copy in CGC’s census—Hot d@mn!
http://www.mindscapemedia.com/store2/view_product.php?product=ZAP5SUEB7&searchlink=yes&search=ZAP%20COMIX&page=1
Zap Comix #1, 1st
http://www.artcomic.com/cat/underground/books/zap1p.html
Zap Comix #1, 2nd (Donahue printing)
http://www.mindscapemedia.com/store2/view_product.php?product=ZAPIEMLK7
Snatch Comics #1
http://www.mindscapemedia.com/store2/view_product.php?product=SNA50UMF7&searchlink=yes&search=ZAP%20COMIX&page=1
CGC 6.5 Zap Comix #0, 1st print
http://www.mindscapemedia.com/store2/view_product.php?product=ZAP1C76I7

Others might include 1st prints of the following:
Gothic Blimp Works #1
http://www.heritagecomics.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=811&Lot_No=8523&src=pr
Feds N Heads
http://www.mindscapemedia.com/store2/view_product.php?product=FED7NU197
Lenny of Laredo
http://www.deniskitchen.com/thestore/prods/X_JB_lenny1.html
God Nose
http://www.heritagecomics.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=814&Lot_No=5565&src=pr
or Adventures of Jesus
http://www.heritagecomics.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=808&Lot_No=4837&src=pr
http://www.heritagecomics.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=812&Lot_No=2552&src=pr

Bottomline: These are important books and rarities that were often distributed only to friends. As most were hand-assembled and stapled, folded into jeans pockets, etc., high grade copies are sought after and very expensive. It is downright amazing issues remain in this condition. Perhaps, like me, you’re saddened to learn that you are already priced out of many of THE most influential and seminal comix. But fear not, I believe there are other key books in the UG fold that would compliment any collection.
edited by netstuffers on 12/31/2015
12/31/2015
Topic:
Rules for Want List

shadow
shadow
Administrator
This is only for posting issues you want. Once a post has been made with a want, people are free to reply with what they have. CPG sale links are acceptable after a request has been posted


List what books (issues, trades, sets) you want. Hopefully someone out there has that item you are needing to fill that big gap in your collection.


If you find the book or dont want it anymore, please post that its closed.
2/23/2016
Topic:
Adored by millions? Become a forum Moderator!

shadow
shadow
Administrator
Okay...maybe adored by a few and hated by millions...smile
If you were a mod in the old forum...and you'd like to continue with that sort of public abuse...email me.
cpg_shadow@comcast.net


If you'd like to join the ranks of Mt Olympus and control the lives of mere mortals...email me.
cpg_shadow@comcast,net
and tell me why you think you are worthy....
Only the strong shall survive....


Shadow
3/1/2016
Topic:
Please welcome our newest Moderators!

shadow
shadow
Administrator
CapnDoug and Kairi are now moderators!
Feel free to direct questions, compliments, and complaints their way.


Welcome! smile
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