For spec’n I agree…Get the best you can to sell for the highest amount possible…but sometimes I miss out on a new book that becomes popular and just want it for my personal collection where I have no ambition to sell and a 9.6 will do just fine. The money saved as opposed to the 2 to 3 times a 9.8 costs over a 9.6 goes toward other keys I may want more. Sometimes that one tiny stress mark that barely breaks color isn’t worth the extra money… BUT sometimes it is. I guess it really depends on how much I like the book.
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Absolutely 
… There’s great value hidden in 9.6 as a buyer, sometimes you just want the book for PC, or you feel 9.8 is over priced, etc… These are all valid points as to why a raw or 9.6 would be perfect for your needs… I’m not a grade snob whatsoever, just try and get the best possible with your resources… My point is when it comes to 98% of moderns you generally should be able to attain a 9.8 CGC with relative ease so don’t bother with a lesser grade… Preorder your books, pick your stacks, always treat modern comic book purchases like it could be the next TT #12 or NAOMI #1… You’ll thank yourself later when you slab up straight 9.8’s and avoid the dreaded 9.6 kiss of death. It’s equal hassle/cost/wait for way less profit and CGC lines get backed up… (Again, please see my earlier comments regarding exception books of course.) Very solid points man good to hear from you… 
I hear ya rigger! Trust me no one thinks you are a comic snob, especially here on a comic book spec site 
! We all have our 9.8s and every person on here would be lying if they said they didn’t want more!
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Guilty as charged. Well played sir… 
I need to send 9 copies of TT #12 off they are all 9.8s if people are buying at $400-$500
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Wow I wasn’t aware they’d hit that high of price yet, that’s awesome!! I did some serious shelf clearing that morning of release of TT #12. I too also own a tidy stash all at cover price… I picked from a stack of 50 copies if I recall, I tried handing the rest out to friends/customers at my LCS but few listened… Many doubted BWL, then there was the sour grapes period of those who missed the boat… I think everyone can agree we chose wisely…
You’re absolutely correct it’s time to slab up and I’m sure I have 9.8s but I’m still not selling yet, too much meat left on the bone IMO… At approx 25k print run for cover A, and yes @agentpoyo people only want cover A (because of the BWL cover appearance…) I really believe the organic popularity of this character will launch BWL quickly on screen within the DCU. By that point we’re looking at $1000 for 9.8 CGC. Sky’s the limit. I’m going to be patient and hold, I can’t see that book losing any value anytime soon…
I also hold a tidy stash of the BWL METAL one shot with the origin story which are also doing pretty well, current sales around $30… I feel many BWL fans will settle there as a consolation prize when TT #12 gets further out of budget range. It’s an all black cover, horrible for 9.8 be mindful if purchasing friends… Happy hunting 
Lucky… out of the 3 shops in my area at the time, 1 shop had a cover A left on the shelf I grabbed. I was out to grab at least a handful of this book but nope, only got a chance at the one.
I think even if he wasn’t on Cover A, it would still be the clear winner. It’d be just like Naomi… The only other reason people would flock to Cover B is if it was a hard to find ratio’d variant.
I was totally lucky I wasn’t working that day!! I knew about the first appearance but I hadn’t preordered… What saved me was my LCS at the time was one of the largest shops in Canada just outside of Toronto, west end… It was a heavily underordered book. I recall 50 copies total between both covers… This is a shop that often bought 250 plus copies on regular books just for context…
I did the Wed warrior deal and walked through as the door was unlocked… I picked the stack and loaded up. I then started handing them out to friends/regular customers. As I said before, many weren’t aware and didn’t care. There were several people who I put a copy in their hands and they put it back on the shelves… I was there about 2 hours that day digging back bins and all copies were gone by the time I left and the phone was ringing off the hook with requests for the book… The rest is history… 
This came out when I made trips to the shops on Wednesdays and usually the first one there. The usual first stop had none. The second shop had none (got there 10 minutes later) and then the 3rd shop had 1 on the shelf (I got there about 30 minutes after it opened).
I always laugh at your cover A meme it never gets old haha, I know we all like that ongoing running joke… You’ve been absolutely correct with your theory of cover A on many books, NAOMI #1 and TT #12 especially… I actually recall trying to get you to buy NAOMI #1 in my NAOMI #2 article months ago haha… I certainly would still pick up B covers of both books there’s value there but the grail/top earner has been cover A for sure…
Personally, I’m a COVER B type guy. I always go for the smallest print run whenever possible as long as the art isn’t awful… It has served me well as a huge DC fan for my entire KILLER B run… Whenever I saw a great artist I preordered the B and I feel I’ve won that battle… I have a few B covers to both NAOMI #1 and TT#12 but fortunately over the years I have an eye to look sometimes and recognize the “hot” cover and act accordingly… So there are always exceptions to any rule of course…
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I hear this exact story often, it was a really underordered book, initially like 22k print run for cover A before reups… Impossible to find at smaller shops… Sorry bud, I totally understand I’m like you now, way smaller shop, if I don’t preorder I don’t get it…
I love that Meme I made… it’s the best meme I’ve ever created. And yes, I’ll take credit as the first to use! 
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Now if Midtown would stop sending my books with a damn spine tick or two grumble grumble, I don’t have a great LCS in my area and for the most part regulated to ordering online. Screw that ordering 2 copies of everything crap I have to be selective these days.
I know a lot of you guys like to order from TFAW but I’m done with them after sending multiple books to me in a flimsy cardboard mailer. Not even a cheapo Gemini mailer! sanctum sanctorum comics though those guys know how to ship a book!
/EndofGripeSession
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I stacked my LCS there wasn’t even a single subscription for it. I told them what was in it and they could of cared less and told me I could take them all. I did leave all the B covers because he’s not on the cover wish now I grabbed the 4 B covers that were sitting there too.
Midtown is notorious for that…I’ve had the same issue with TFAW and their flimsy mailers.
I use unknown comic books. It’s rare I don’t get a 9.6/9.8 book from them. And if you order 3 or less they ship them in Gemini mailers.
Golden Apple and Samctum are my other go to’s.
I never had issues with Midtown for the longest time. Then it seemed they started getting sloppy with their packing techniques. I just now pay the extra $7 to bump the order to Priority Mail now, most come minty fresh and if they don’t, I don’t even bother with Midtown, I just open a insurance case with USPS to get my money back.
We made some funny meme’s about Tyson B’s kids if I remember correctly.
I order from them all the time and haven’t had an issue in a while. Normally because I order more than a few books at a time in order to force them to use something other than the cheap mailer.
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It shouldn’t matter how many comics in an order. They’re the only company on this side I’d the pond that uses flimsy mailers, in my experience.
THe other was forbidden planet…I ordered Action #1000 trade/virgin set signed by Jock…spent nearly $100…shipped from th UK in a flimsy mailer…never had a chance.
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