Another Albedo #2 on Ebay (CGC 9.6)

Post by **Steve Hubbell** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 16:51 -0700

Albedo #2 - CGC 9.6 - First app of Usagi Yojimbo
Only CGC 9.6 NM+ and only one higher (9.8 )

Current bid: US $670.00 (Reserve not met)

Ends Nov-29-05 10:28:26 PST

http://cgi.ebay.com/Albedo-2-CGC-9-6-Fi ... dZViewItem

[quote="ebay seller "comicsbymike""]Albedo Anthropomorphics #2 T+I 1984

1st Usagi Yojimbo - Very Rare - Only 2,000 made, never reprinted

Only CGC 9.6 (NM+) and only one higher (in 9.8 )

Wow.

One of the rarest and most valuable comics from the 1980's, this one isn't up for sale too often, and this may be the highest graded copy ever offered for sale anywhere! This is my copy - I looked for like 12 years before finding it, and finally got this a while back. Recently slabbed, and as you can see, the 2nd highest graded copy, with only one higher. See below - this is even rarer in high grade that Amazing Spider-Man #1 from 1963!!! Anyway - you already know if you want this or not. And yeah - I have a reserve (which I never do) - but it's way less than what some other eBayer is asking for his 9.4 copy! Next week I'll post Albedo #1 (first printing) CGC 9.2 - ties for highest grade. Here's a larger pic of the front cover [PS - As the CGC label states, the comic is autographed with a sketch by artist/creator Steve Gallacci. This does not affect the grade of Blue Label 9.6.]

Let's compare this with some other hot comics:

Albedo #2
CGC 9.6 - 1 copy (mine)
CGC 9.8 - 1 copy. None higher
Total copies graded: 24
Amazing Spider-Man #1 (1963)
CGC 9.6 - 3 copies
CGC 9.8 - 1 copy. None higher
Total copies graded: 723 (unrestored)
Incredible Hulk #181
CGC 9.6 - 103 copies
CGC 9.8 - 6 copies. 1 higher
Total copies graded: 2,384 (unrestored)
Click to see other auctions (including Sensation #94, Superman #71, some rare 70's fanzines and some current hot comics). More to come!

Accurate grading and excellent service - check out my great feedback! Over 3,000 comic shipments since 1997! Winner adds shipping and insurance, but no "handling" charges - I LOVE handling comics! Will ship worldwide. Win more auctions = save on postage. PAYPAL, BidPay, Money Order (Money Orders from outside US must be Post Office issued) and Check (US only) ok. Email me with any questions. Good luck bidding!
[/quote]

BID HISTORY:

US $2,024.99 Nov-24-05 05:07:48 PST

US $1,999.99 Nov-24-05 15:08:10 PST

US $1,999.00 Nov-24-05 05:04:38 PST

US $1,500.00 Nov-23-05 20:12:34 PST

US $1,280.00 Nov-23-05 08:32:46 PST

US $1,001.00 Nov-22-05 14:36:23 PST

US $950.00 Nov-23-05 05:16:52 PST

US $901.00 Nov-22-05 14:36:19 PST

US $900.00 Nov-22-05 17:24:55 PST

US $800.00 Nov-22-05 14:36:14 PST

US $750.00 Nov-22-05 17:24:45 PST

US $660.00 Nov-22-05 14:04:04 PST

US $500.00 Nov-22-05 11:04:05 PST

US $400.00 Nov-22-05 10:44:23 PST

US $250.00 Nov-22-05 11:37:14 PST

US $120.00 Nov-22-05 11:15:02 PST

US $100.00 Nov-22-05 10:40:39 PST

US $70.00 Nov-22-05 10:37:17 PST

US $60.00 Nov-22-05 10:37:03 PST

US $50.00 Nov-22-05 10:36:43 PST

US $40.00 Nov-22-05 10:36:22 PST

US $20.00 Nov-22-05 10:36:07 PST

Post by **Maka** » Tue Nov 22, 2005 19:54 -0700

It's now up to > $900 and the reserve isn't met yet. WOW!

Do you think it will sell? I couldn't justify spending that much, even though I like to own one. Give me a Good graded one for under $50 bucks and I'd be there.

Peace,

maka

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 16:13 -0700

Wow.. already at US $1,026.00 with 5 days left and reserve not met! No telling how high this one will go. I noticed this guy is really into the grade of the copy, and looking at the large scan, it's obviously in superb shape -- not one crease on the spine. I'm the assuming the spotting is from the plastic cover.

I did look over the bid history and am wondering if some of the bids are for real. With a reserve I wonder if people go in just to expose what he's asking. Either that or maybe the seller (or someone who knows what the reserve is) is artificially inflating the price under different usernames. I mean, $20 to $1000 in a single day? And look at the $100 jumps in the bids. Unlikely...and suspicious...

Another possibility I've theorized on before is a staged sale. You put up your copy of TMNT #3 with the variant "Laird's Photo" on the cover and place a huge reserve on it. Then you or friends go in under false usernames and bid exorbitant amounts to make it look like it sold for a huge sum, in order to set some kind of record. Or maybe you do it to sucker someone desperate enough to place a real bid on it, to counter your own bid... I wonder if this is what's happening here...did anyone from the UYD bid so far? The "Camden" bidder looks familiar. Just curious.

Post by **Steve Hubbell** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 18:40 -0700

Here is some info from the CGC web-site for Albedo #2:

estee · Post by **estee** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 13:24 -0700

Current bid is $1200!

Are these people nuts?

Stan Sakai · Post by **Stan Sakai** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 13:42 -0700

It's up to $1850, with almost 5 days left.

And this is for a book they can't read!

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 14:41 -0700

Incredible! And the reserve has finally been met. It must have been $1500. It still looks suspicious to me though, with the huge spikes in bid prices. Although, you never know -- with a comic like this in such a high grade -- could bring all the hardcore serious collectors out of the woodwork. Some of these high price bidders I've never seen before...

Post by **Maka** » Thu Nov 24, 2005 19:16 -0700

Hello UY collectors,

Now it's over $2000.

So Mr. Sakai, did you EVER think when you were starting out that a copy of a comic you created would sell for over $2000? Amazing.

Although I respect Mr. Sakai work, I think it's crazy that it's that high. CGC has truely change the collectors market.

What other 22 year old comics are selling for $2000?

Any bets if this comic will go for more than the original cover? Now that would be crazy.

Peace,

maka

shaxper · Post by **shaxper** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 0:25 -0700

The really messed up part about all of this is that Stan won't see a dime of the money from that sale! It's his hard work and imagintive vision that made that comic book collectible, after all. Maybe we need to initiate some form of customary creator tipping; perhaps 15% from every ebay transaction over $1000

I still don't understand that whole CGC phenominon either. It made sense for coins and baseball cards, which can be enjoyed almost as easily inside a thick plastic case, but who needs a comic you can't read? You might as well just photocopy a front and back cover.

estee · Post by **estee** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 15:11 -0700

shaxper wrote:The really messed up part about all of this is that Stan won't see a dime of the money from that sale! It's his hard work and imagintive vision that made that comic book collectible, after all. Maybe we need to initiate some form of customary creator tipping; perhaps 15% from every ebay transaction over $1000

I still don't understand that whole CGC phenominon either. It made sense for coins and baseball cards, which can be enjoyed almost as easily inside a thick plastic case, but who needs a comic you can't read? You might as well just photocopy a front and back cover.

co-signed...you pay two grand for a book and you can't even read the bloody thing.

CGC is a scam.

cynlee · Post by **cynlee** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 15:13 -0700

Cut and pasted from the ebay description above:

..."this one isn't up for sale too often"...

Seems to me that it is CONSTANTLY up for sale!

Post by **Todd Shogun** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 18:45 -0700

I went to the CGC website and found this:

Increase Confidence Among Buyers and Sellers
With a consistent grading standard and a tamper-evident protective holder, buyers and sellers will be able to trade with more confidence by mail, phone, or on the Internet, because they'll know what to expect of a CGC graded book. Buyers that know what they're getting are more likely to be confident and aggressive bidders. Sellers can be more confident they're getting paid a fair price for their book's condition.

Holder Can Be Safely Opened
Our holder is designed to allow optimal visibility of the comic book. We have designed our holder so that it can be opened carefully, allowing safe removal. Due to the fragile nature of comic books, once our holder is opened, we then recommend the immediate re-certification of the comic book.
When Re-Certifying the comic book, the inner label should be returned to CGC for a $5 re-certification credit ($10 off WalkThru Service).

Better Protection for Comic Books
The CGC holder is made of state-of-the-art materials and is designed to meet the needs and demands of comic book collectors. There is no other holder which protects comic books as well as the CGC holder.

I guess it makes some sense with all the trading happening on eBay and such. And since the comic can be removed safely, a buyer who doesn't care about it can safely buy the issue, remove it from the slab and actually read it.

shaxper · Post by **shaxper** » Fri Nov 25, 2005 22:24 -0700

Well it would make sense if a CGCed comic went for the regular price plus the cost to CGC. Instead, we see NM issues going for 4x the regular price, which makes no sense.

All CGC has done (and, I suspect, intended to do) was initiate a new craze in which NM wasn't collectible enough anymore. Now people are paying the big bucks for 9.8s, which most collectors can't even spot without a CGC certification. It's no longer about using CGC to safely trade collectibles. It's about making CGC into a collectible commodity, itself.

Post by **Steve Hubbell** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 0:33 -0700

Then someone goes and does something like this to promote the CGC's reliability in grading comics:

http://cgi.ebay.com/USAGI-YOJIMBO-1-FAN ... dZViewItem

shaxper · Post by **shaxper** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 6:12 -0700

Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Another Albedo #2 on Ebay (CGC 9.6)

Another Albedo #2 on Ebay (CGC 9.6)

CGC seems like such a scam

WoW!!!