Can we talk about how I ruined a signed copy of Amazing Spider-Man #300 at a con in Chicago?

I was showing off my CGC 9.8 copy to a buddy in the dealer's room and knocked a full cup of coffee off the table right onto the slab, and the guy next to me just stared while I stood there frozen for like 30 seconds before grabbing napkins.

2 comments

2 Comments

scott.miles7h ago

Honestly I used to think "just grab napkins" was overreacting but reading this changed my mind completely. Seeing it described like that, the frozen moment and the stare from the guy next to you, it hits different once you picture how fast something can go from perfect to wrecked. I'm not gonna lie, I used to be careless with slabs at shows but now I'm double checking everything around my table before I move.

reese_nelson4h ago

That detail about the frozen moment got me too. I used to hear stories like this and think "come on, it's just a slab, grab a towel and move on." But then I saw a buddy drop a raw Incredible Hulk #181 at a show last year and the look on his face was exactly that, just standing there staring while the book hit the floor. It's not about the coffee or the napkin, it's about that split second where your brain realizes something expensive and rare is gone and you can't take it back. Now I keep drinks on a separate table behind me, never near the books, even if it means walking extra steps. You probably think about that moment every time you open the case now, right?