Ever since getting back after graduating college, I’ve been applying for jobs and interviewing over the phone. The one thing about the whole application process is that you spend a lot of time waiting. Waiting for phone calls, waiting for responses, waiting for interview dates.

I’ve had a fair amount of time to do stuff. Get caught up on games, etc. I got a 32″ 1080p samsung HDTV, so the video games have been getting a fair amount of my time.

I’ve also been indexing and pricing my Dad’s large comic collection. He’s got a bunch of old comics that he got as a kid; stuff that wasn’t worth anything then but is worth a lot now. After the whole process, the count came to about 1314 comics, worth about $50,000. That could almost get you through a year at GW, although I feel like you’d be better off just keeping the comics.

We’re gathering a handful of the most valuable ones that are in good shape to send off to a grading company. They’ll give it an official quality grade, and encase it in a hard plastic case to preserve that quality. I took some pictures of the ones we’re sending out (apologies again for the shitty iPhone camera. I need money to buy an actual camera).

Metal Men 1
NM Value: $750

Incredible Hulk 181
First appearance of Wolverine
NM Value: $1450

Giant-Size X-Men 1
1st appearance of New X-Men
NM Value: $1050

Avengers 4
Revival of Captain America & first Silver Age appearance
NM Value: $2950

X-Men 94
The Doomsmith Scenario
NM Value: $1185

Silver Surfer 1
Origins of the Silver Surfer & The Watcher
NM Value: $825

Showcase 37
1st appearance of the Metal Men & Doc Magnus
NM Value: $1300

Silver Surfer 4
Thor Appearance, Low Distribution
NM Value: $725

Tales of Suspense 58
Captain America vs. Iron Man
NM Value: $510

Tales of Suspense 57
First appearance & origin of Hawkeye
NM Value: $390

Fantastic Four 49
First appearance of Galactus
NM Value: $550

Iron Man 1
Origin of Iron Man
NM Value: $680

Marvel Spotlight 5
First appearance & origin of Ghost Rider
NM Value: $400

Showcase 38
NM Value: $700

These aren’t all the valuable ones, just the ones we think would receive the best quality grades. There are others, such as Fantastic Four 48, the first appearance of the Silver Surfer.

These comics used to be in the semi-rigid Mylar cases. However, Mylar is slippery, which would mean the comics would move around in the box when being shipped to the grading company. So I had to transfer the comics to new acid-free bags with backing boards. Let me say that after keeping these comics sealed in mylar bags for so long and having to transfer them by hand to another bag is a bit of a nerve-wracking experience. The more imperfections there are, the more the grade goes down – so causing any damage while handling them could be disastrous. Holding an almost $3000 comic book in your fingertips (to minimize the amount of oil from your hands on the comic) that’s older than you are can make you really nervous.

Went to New York to attend the NY Comic Con this past weekend with a couple friends. I don’t actually have time to write about it now, but I’ll post a couple pictures I took. I don’t own a digital camera so these are all crappy iPhone pictures, and unfortunately the quality shows.

Of the Gears of War figures on display, this one was definitely the coolest. Headshot!

This was an enormous Hulk statue at the Marvel booth.

Not exactly Comic-Con related, but this is the fairly famous Apple store on 5th Avenue. I believe it’s built in a decommissioned train station – there is a glass spiral staircase inside the cube that leads a floor down to the Apple store underneath.

Import Asuka Langley Soryu figure from Neon Genesis Evangelion. I didn’t really pick up many comics since you can get those from most any comic book store. I mostly looked for less common stuff such as collectibles and figurines, especially import ones, since they have a hefty premium tacked on when you import them online. (I mean, these do too, but not quite as much…)

Import Nagato Yuki figurine, from The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi.

Square Enix had a merchandise booth, so picked up Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII.

Also picked up Vincent Valentine from the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children set.

This is the Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume I: From Fear Through The Eyes of Madness trade paperback, written by Claudio Sanchez and illustrated by Christopher Shy. Claudio Sanchez is the frontman of the rock band Coheed and Cambria, and the comic details the story that is told in the group’s music. This is the comic version of their third album, which shares the same title. This trade paperback is actually old and discontinued, but I picked it up since I don’t have it. Notice Claudio’s autograph in silver sharpie – he was doing autographs at ny comic con.

This was just premiered at comic con, the trade paperback of the Amory Wars. It’s the comic version of Coheed’s first album, The Second Stage Turbine Blade. The silver sharpie autographs are of Claudio Sanchez (writer) and Tony Moore (cover artist).

I kind of wish I had taken more pictures (hell, I wish I could afford an actual digital camera), especially of some of the interesting cosplay girls. There were two girls dressed up as light and dark Chii from Chobits that I kind of wish I got a picture with. Oh well.