For This Is the Day... That a Superman Died
Superman: The Man of Steel 20 Second Printing

COMIC DETAILS

Comic Description: Superman: The Man of Steel #20 Universal
Grade: 9.8
Page Quality: WHITE
Certification #: 3709450021
Owner: Iconic1s

SET DETAILS

Winning Set: For This Is the Day... That a Superman Died
Date Added: 9/26/2020
Research: See CGC's Census Report for this Comic

Owner's Description

"dil·ly-dal·ly - verb - waste time through aimless wandering or indecision." Dictionary

<i><b>This book missed being the first 9.8 copy of this issue to enter the census by one day!</b></i>

This book was graded on 17 September 2020 and was thought to be the first 9.8 in the census until another showed up on eBay, literally the day I received this one in the mail, that had been graded on 16 September 2020! Crazy that two 9.8’s of this book were submitted by two different people, in different parts of the country, and graded within a day of each other, 27 years after the release date... <i>wow!</i> This is still the first 9.8 copy to join a registered set... <i>yes!</i>

<i>With the addition of this book I only needed three more 9.8’s to complete this set in all 9.8 or above!</i>

I bought this book from fellow CGC forum member <i>onlyweaknesskryptonite.</i> I had bought some other books (raw and graded) from him in the past and was always really happy. In fact, I had previously bought a raw copy of this book from him that I submitted, and which ended up grading 9.2. That 9.2 was the second copy to enter the census.

The book that previously occupied this slot was a 9.6 and was the first copy of this book to <i>ever</i> be graded. I have included a picture of all three of my copies together in the second picture slot.

The consensus on the CGC forums seems to be that this is the rarest of the DC Universe logo books from this set. I got the 9.6 off of eBay when I had the one that would become the 9.2 submitted for grading. I knew my submission was not a 9.8; I was just going to be happy to have a copy of this book graded at all, but I also couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have the 9.6 at the time either.

Although this may indeed be the rarest of the <i>DC Universe logo books</i> from this set I do not personally think that it is the rarest of <i>all the books</i> in this set. I think that distinction goes to the Legacy of Superman 1 second printing. I am basing this opinion on the amount of time I spent looking for these books. I have seen several copies of this book available. They all may not have been 9.8 candidates but they existed nonetheless. Try looking for a second printing of Legacy of Superman 1 and see how that goes; I spent a lot of time looking for that book and wasn't able to unearth even a single raw copy, or find anyone that said they had one. The only copy of that book anywhere was in <i>the 'NO ONE CAN KILL SUPERMAN!' collection</i> and it is now in this set.

This 9.6 was listed on eBay one morning and I considered it for a couple hours, asked my Wife what she thought, and then said <i>what the heck</i> and went ahead and bought it. It also helped that once I watched it, the seller sent me an offer within 15 minutes. I ended up paying $400.00 for that book. Yes, that was a lot of money for a 9.6, and of course I would have preferred a 9.8, but it was still pretty cool to have the first and only copy of this book ever graded at the time!

I knew I would likely never find a 9.8 raw copy of this book. I considered sending the 9.6 in for CPR if enough time passed with a 9.8 never showing up. I had looked it over pretty well and didn't see anything that would keep it from having a shot at being graded 9.8, but I waited, and waited. Interestingly, when I first added the 9.6 to my set the Registry did not even have comic scores for this book, and I had to ask for them to be created.

<i>Then...</i>

On Thursday evening, 24 September 2020, I was up looking at the forums and got a notification that <i>onlyweaknesskryptonite</i> had posted in the <i>This Week Back From CGC</i> topic. I went to check his post to see what my friend had gotten back from CGC and saw some pretty amazing books, including the beautiful 9.8 you see here. My jaw dropped! Once I picked myself up off the floor, I sent him a message asking if he intended on selling it. After a couple messages back and forth, I made an offer. I did not <i>dilly-dally</i> with this book and only made one offer which I knew was the top of what I was willing and able to pay. He agreed that my offer was fair; I paid immediately and he shipped it the very next day. On Saturday, 26 September 2020, less than 48 hours after seeing it on the CGC forums, I had the book in hand... <i>FAST!</i> At the time there was one 9.8 that just popped up in the census and I think we were both under the impression it was this book, until the <i>eBay incident</i> mentioned above. Even if I had known about the other 9.8 I still would have made the same offer. <i>I love having this book in my set and am really happy with where it came from!</i>

Thank you <i>onlyweaknesskryptonite</i> for your help wth adding this book!

The other 9.8 ended up selling for the <i>low low</i> price of $813.99 on 1 October 2020.
  
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