What, exactly, constitutes a "Grail"?

[pixletwin]

what grail is that ment to be?

The Doctor should at least do some research before posting a disparaging comment about something he knows very little about.

 

[insomniac]

A grail is a personal ideal that differs from person to person. That said, I my opinion the word grail is throw around much too quickly nowadays. For me a grail is something that is almost impossible to obtain, something that the search or journey is as rewarding as the item itself. I think people nowadays equate a grail to be something that is expensive and an item they really want. A grail should not be an item you can plug into the search on eBay and return a dozen results.

 

[The Mike]

I think another thing is that there are accepted grails where people agree that its a unique item that is worth having. The interesting thing is people are always looking for the "next" grail and pushing this and that as the next grail.....the talk started around Captain America....again with Lurtz.....I agree the term gets used too loosely.

 

[ridimous]

Grail is whatever a certain collector really want. Those Tonner dolls can be grails.

 

[tylerd]

imo, most grails are the result of the leming effect. there is really no rhyme or reason why one item becomes a grail except current popularity. edition size helps because if it's very low, there weren't many to begin with and when people realize 'i want one', it may be too late to get one via conventional means. then it's off to ebay to overpay and get raped.

you can bet that a grail is way overpriced, that's for sure. if you're into the flipping thing, you can never forecast what item will turn into a grail, except maybe the light up feature statues from sideshow. they all seem to have raised the bar in popularity and value. so if your intention is to flip an item sooner or later, you need deep pockets to buy up everything big and wait to see if it goes up. if it doesn't, the best you can hope for is to get your money back at least.

 

[Mooncat]

I always thought it was a shiny cup that jesus used at the last supper

(not to be confused with the grail shaped beacon at the top of Castle Anthrax)

[trumpets] NARRATOR: The Tale of Sir Galahad. [boom] [wind] [howl] [howl] [boom] [angels singing]

[howl] [boom] [howl] [boom] [pound pound pound] GALAHAD: Open the door! Open the door! [pound pound pound] In the name of King Arthur, open the door! [creak] [thump] [creak] [boom] GIRLS: Hello! ZOOT: Welcome, gentle Sir Knight. Welcome to the Castle Anthrax.

GALAHAD: The Castle Anthrax? ZOOT: Yes. Oh, it's not a very good name, is it? Oh, but we are nice and we will attend to your every, every need! GALAHAD: You are the keepers of the Holy Grail? ZOOT: The what? GALAHAD: The Grail. It is here. ZOOT: Oh, but you are tired and you must rest awhile. Midget! Crapper! MIDGET and CRAPPER: Yes, O Zoot? ZOOT: Prepare a bed for our guest. MIDGET and CRAPPER: Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!... ZOOT: Away! Away, varletesses. The beds here are warm and soft and very, very big. GALAHAD: Well, look, I-- I, uh-- ZOOT: What is your name, handsome knight? GALAHAD: 'Sir Galahad... the Chaste'. ZOOT: Mine is 'Zoot'. Just 'Zoot'. Oh, but come.

GALAHAD: Look, please! In God's name, show me the Grail! ZOOT: Oh, you have suffered much. You are delirious. GALAHAD: No, look. I have seen it! It is here in this-- ZOOT: Sir Galahad! You would not be so ungallant as to refuse our hospitality. GALAHAD: Well, I-- I, uh-- ZOOT: Oh, I am afraid our life must seem very dull and quiet compared to yours. We are but eight score young blondes and brunettes, all between sixteen and nineteen- and- a- half, cut off in this castle with no one to protect us. Oooh. It is a lonely life: bathing, dressing, undressing, making exciting underwear. We are just not used to handsome knights. Nay. Nay. Come. Come. You may lie here. Oh, but you are wounded! GALAHAD: No, no. It's-- it's nothing. ZOOT: Oh, you must see the doctors immediately! No, no, please! Lie down. [clap clap] PIGLET: Well, what seems to be the trouble? GALAHAD: They're doctors?! ZOOT: Uh, they... have a basic medical training, yes. GALAHAD: B-- but-- ZOOT: Oh, come. Come. You must try to rest. Doctor Piglet! Doctor Winston! Practise your art. WINSTON: Try to relax. GALAHAD: Are you sure that's absolutely necessary? PIGLET: We must examine you.

GALAHAD: There's nothing wrong with that! PIGLET: Please. We are doctors. GALAHAD: Look! This cannot be. I am sworn to chastity. PIGLET: Back to your bed! At once! GALAHAD: Torment me no longer. I have seen the Grail! PIGLET: There's no grail here. GALAHAD: I have seen it! I have seen it! [clank] I have seen-- GIRLS: Hello. GALAHAD: Oh. GIRLS: Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. GALAHAD: Zoot! DINGO: No, I am Zoot's identical twin sister, Dingo. GALAHAD: Oh, well, excuse me, I-- DINGO: Where are you going? GALAHAD: I seek the Grail! I have seen it, here in this castle! DINGO: Oh, no. Oh, no! Bad, bad Zoot! GALAHAD: Well, what is it? DINGO: Oh, wicked, bad, naughty Zoot! She has been setting alight to our beacon, which, I have just remembered, is grail-shaped. It's not the first time we've had this problem. GALAHAD: It's not the real Grail? DINGO: Oh, wicked, bad, naughty, evil Zoot! She is a bad person and must pay the penalty! Do you think this scene should have been cut? We were so worried when the boys were writing it, but now, we're glad. It's better than some of the previous scenes, I think. LEFT HEAD: At least ours was better visually. DENNIS: Well, at least ours was committed. It wasn't just a string of ***** jokes. OLD MAN: Get on with it. TIM THE ENCHANTER: Yes, get on with it! ARMY OF KNIGHTS: Yes, get on with it! DINGO: Oh, I am enjoying this scene. GOD: Get on with it! DINGO: [sigh] [clunk] Oh, wicked, wicked Zoot. Oh, she is a naughty person and she must pay the penalty, and here in Castle Anthrax, we have but one punishment for setting alight the grail-shaped beacon: you must tie her down on a bed and spank her. GIRLS: A spanking! A spanking! DINGO: You must spank her well, and after you have spanked her, you may deal with her as you like, and then, spank me. AMAZING: And spank me. STUNNER: And me. LOVELY: And me. DINGO: Yes. Yes, you must give us all a good spanking! GIRLS: A spanking! A spanking! There is going to be a spanking tonight! DINGO: And after the spanking, the oral sex. GIRLS: The oral sex! The oral sex! GALAHAD: Well, I could stay a bit longer. LAUNCELOT: Sir Galahad! GALAHAD: Oh, hello. LAUNCELOT: Quick! GALAHAD: What? LAUNCELOT: Quick! GALAHAD: Why? LAUNCELOT: You are in great peril! DINGO: No, he isn't. LAUNCELOT: Silence, foul temptress! GALAHAD: You know, she's got a point. LAUNCELOT: Come on! We will cover your escape! GALAHAD: Look, I'm fine! LAUNCELOT: Come on! GIRLS: Sir Galahad! GALAHAD: No. Look, I can tackle this lot single-handed! DINGO: Yes! Let him tackle us single-handed! GIRLS: Yes! Let him tackle us single-handed! LAUNCELOT: No, Sir Galahad. Come on! GALAHAD: No! Really! Honestly, I can cope. I can handle this lot easily. DINGO: Oh, yes. Let him handle us easily. GIRLS: Yes. Let him handle us easily. LAUNCELOT: No. Quick! Quick! GALAHAD: Please! I can defeat them! There's only a hundred-and-fifty of them! DINGO: Yes! Yes, he will beat us easily! We haven't a chance. GIRLS: We haven't a chance. He will beat us easily... [boom] DINGO: Oh, ****.
LAUNCELOT: We were in the nick of time. You were in great peril. GALAHAD: I don't think I was. LAUNCELOT: Yes, you were. You were in terrible peril. GALAHAD: Look, let me go back in there and face the peril. LAUNCELOT: No, it's too perilous. GALAHAD: Look, it's my duty as a knight to sample as much peril as I can. LAUNCELOT: No, we've got to find the Holy Grail. Come on! GALAHAD: Oh, let me have just a little bit of peril? LAUNCELOT: No. It's unhealthy. GALAHAD: I bet you're gay. LAUNCELOT: No, I'm not

 

[hairlesswookiee]

Grail = Hard to get piece that makes you drool.

in that case consider my jockstrap a grail. :chew

 

[amarcord]

For me : A "grail" in the collectorsworld is something you know exists, but are unable to find no matter how hard you try )even with the much needed money in your hands).

 

[creecher]

A grail, to me, is something one wishes to obtain, but, for what ever reason, is beyond one's grasp. You can want it all you like. Sideshow produces a limited number of any particular item, and once it is absorbed into the collector market, becomes a grail, much like Patient zero, because it is no longer available, and those that have it no longer want to part with it. Once the flippering has been done to death, that article is by all means, no longer within anyone's grasp.

 

[King Darkness]

Are there any non-MARVEL grails besides zero?

 

[Boba Fett]

For me, my own personal grail is the Green Hulk PF, because it was a birthday present from my fiancee.

As noted before, it all depends on the person and not what is listed on eBay.

 

[JSA]

A grail is a very personal item, that to me is a combination of two things:

1) Rare - as in one of a kind, or very low edition size, or just not available.
2) Personally wanted and desired by ME (or you as the case may be)

If it is regularly and commonly on Ebay, I don't consider it a true grail,
because there is no hunt or difficulty at all in obtaining it.
It is just a matter of choosing to pay the price asked for it.
Very simple and very easy to get.

Some grail examples for reference:

Batman Vampire Statue - 1 of a kind
(to me a grail, but to someone who doesn't care for the looks of it,
Batman, or vampires, then it is a worthless doorstop)

Bowen Bronze Rancor - I've been looking for years, and I've yet to
come across one, or even know somebody who has or ever had one.
I've searched high and low, to no avail.

Grey Hulk AP or Sculptor's Sample - That'd be a true and rare Hulk grail,
(but only if you were a big Hulk fan. If not, it'd be a worthless doorstop to you)
where just a regular Grey Hulk PF or vs. is still easily and commonly attainable.

The recent Sideshow light-up Red & Gold Iron Man. That is a grail piece.

Other examples would be one-of-a-kind movie props or sculpts that
were used in films you like, such as Star Wars, Raiders, Alien, etc....

Some common non-grail examples for reference:

Doom PF Exc. or Regular
Iron Man Comiquette
Sideshow WETA Balrog
Sideshow WETA Cave Troll

All are very nice and many here want them, but they aren't really grail pieces.
Again, my reasoning is that all you've got to do is punch in an Ebay search,
find them listed almost any day of the week, and choose to hit BIN for one.

Now I know of a Cave Troll statue that was personally signed by most of
the WETA people involved with the LOTR trilogy including Richard Taylor, and
THAT would qualify as a true grail piece, due to it's rarity and one-of-a-kindedness.
(again, only if you like LOTR & Cave Trolls, otherwise - worthless doorstop again)

All of course, all just my humble opinion.....

JS

 

[bagelsncheesey]

To me (and a few other people here who have the same view) a grail is a piece that is most valuable to you, the owner. I do agree that low es and price should be taken into consideration, but in the end, it's all about what you like the most in your collection.

 

[Fat Head]

I have 2 grail pieces I've yet to attain. The Iron Man Exclusive Comiquette (Red & Gold) aand the X-Men Vs. Sentinel Diorama #1 Exclusive. I'll probably never get them, just because I refuse to become a victim of "Flipper Nation" and pay the crazy prices for them, maybe if they were around $450-500 i would, but not $1300, that's just nuts. On a side note if anyone has one they don't really want (Preferably the X-men) and wants to be a saint and trade it for a Cap vs. Dio and A Yellow DD LS Bust, PM me.

 

[The Mike]

I have to agree that the light up IM Comiquette in standard Red and Gold coloring is a grail simply because there are two true pieces and they'll cost an arm and a leg to get.....of course that is if you don't want it then it wouldn't met the criteria right?

 

[Anton Phibes]

Back in the day (before ebay), a grail in one's scope of collecting was an item that had been searched for for years, and was not easily found. Now, its an item that means a lot to a collector, but can generally be found in little or no time due to the advent of online auctions and the popularity of the internet.

 

[SolidLiquidFox]

The greatest Marvel grail for me is the Doom PF. Extra points if you get an exclusive. It's one of those pieces that transcends comic statue and leaps into work of art. It is so intricate and there is so much thought put into this dude sitting in a detailed chair. It just nails the whole mood of what it is trying to convey.

That said, Hulk PF (either version) is also a grail. It is a future mega-grail meaning that people have not really fully understood that this is going to be perhaps the greatest Hulk sculpt ever made. Same goes for the Cap PF.

Regarding the Vs dioramas, I think a full set of the 3 Sentinel dioramas can be considered a grail. Individually each piece will be nice. The light up feature adds the most to the first one because that one has the head. Therefore owning all 3 exclusives will give you big collector bragging rights.

Other than that, we got a bunch of very nice Marvel statues. Wolverine, Iron Man, Punisher come to mind. They are all VERY well done but I would not set them up on the "grail" pedestal.

 

[praxitas]

I've been talking to a guy that I won a few auctions from and he has all the grail marvel SS pieces you could want. Though they are $teep in price as they should be they are all for sale. I believe this is what JS was referring too..

Little blurb from the guy explaining them:

"i was able to get my hands on the rarest o' sideshow stuff. the ones i have are not numbered. they say "Marvel Sample" on the bottoms of the bases and are considered Tour Samples or Prototypes. None were ever available to the general public. here's what i have available..."

Wolverine Vs Sabretooth Statue ARTIST PROOF
Doctor Doom Archive Set ARTIST PROOF
Archangel Archive Set TOUR SAMPLE
Captain America Archive Set TOUR SAMPLE
Hawkeye Archive Set TOUR SAMPLE
Doctor Octopus Archive Set TOUR SAMPLE
Magneto Comiquette TOUR SAMPLE
Magneto Comiquette Exclusive TOUR SAMPLE
Wolverine Comiquette TOUR SAMPLE
Wolverine Comiquette Exclusive TOUR SAMPLE
Fantastic Four Dioramma Exclusive TOUR SAMPLE
Fantastic Four Dioramma TOUR SAMPLE
Captain America Vs Red Skull Statue TOUR SAMPLE
Captain America Vs Red Skull Exclusive TOUR SAMPLE
Spider-Man Negative Zone Premium Format TOUR SAMPLE
Spider-Man Retro Version Premium Format TOUR SAMPLE
Hulk Green Premium Format TOUR SAMPLE
Hulk Gray Premium Format TOUR SAMPLE
Juggernaut Premium Format TOUR SAMPLE
Beast Premium Format TOUR SAMPLE
Hulk Vs Spider-Man Dioramma Green TOUR SAMPLE
Hulk Vs Spider-Man Dioramma Gray TOUR SAMPLE

If anyone may be interested shoot me a PM and I will talk to him for you and see what we can work out. I'm sure if you are seriously interested pics can be taken and all that good stuff.

 

[Darth Madden]

My grail is the actual Holy Grail... wonder if I will ever have a shot at getting it.

 

[insomniac]

My grail is the actual Holy Grail... wonder if I will ever have a shot at getting it.

Which one? The Cup or Mary Magdelene?