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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2023 9:19:31 GMT -5
I understand that graded books are here to stay but it makes me shake my head when I see really low grades on slabbed books. I started watching a video about the market that tartanphantom posted and in the background there's an early Spider-man on the wall graded at 1.3. Really ? that book must be in pieces. What value could it possibly have? There I said it.
I think an Amazing Fantasy 15 graded 1.0 was priced about $15,000, so there's still a market for those who want really beat up pieces of history.
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 5, 2023 9:22:36 GMT -5
I understand that graded books are here to stay but it makes me shake my head when I see really low grades on slabbed books. I started watching a video about the market that tartanphantom posted and in the background there's an early Spider-man on the wall graded at 1.3. Really ? that book must be in pieces. What value could it possibly have? There I said it.
I think an Amazing Fantasy 15 graded 1.0 was priced about $15,000, so there's still a market for those who want really beat up pieces of history.
I understand, but it's still crazy. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2023 9:28:07 GMT -5
I understand, but it's still crazy. I can understand it.
This would grade poorly...but I can understand someone wanting to preserve its last shred of integrity where structure is concerned by putting it in a slab.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2023 9:50:11 GMT -5
It's just different mindsets. I see a really beat up old comic like that and for me it's "reading copy!" and I would further devalue by taping, restapling, etc., basically whatever it takes to hold it together and keep enjoying it as reading material.
Others see it as an historical item benefitting from preservation, and it becomes more a collectible museum piece. And might argue they could just read a reprint/digital version for the actual content. I mean, some people even slab a single page from a comic book.
I think that's why the neverending slabbing conversation, from any facet really including this discussion on lower grades, will always come back to the significantly diverse outlooks on what an old (or any for that matter) comic book is "for" at the end of the day. While I'm strongly at the "no slabs for me" end of the spectrum, I don't think there's a right or wrong either. Whatever makes people happy at the end of the day.
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Post by driver1980 on Nov 5, 2023 10:36:21 GMT -5
It's just different mindsets. I see a really beat up old comic like that and for me it's "reading copy!" and I would further devalue by taping, restapling, etc., basically whatever it takes to hold it together and keep enjoying it as reading material. Same mindset for me.  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2023 10:46:42 GMT -5
While I'm strongly at the "no slabs for me" end of the spectrum, I don't think there's a right or wrong either. Whatever makes people happy at the end of the day.
I'm a walker between both worlds. About 3% of my collection is slabbed, just over 210 of them. Although I roll my eyes at about 80% of what others believe they can sell them for. Like 300% the price of a raw NM which is BS...lol
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Post by tarkintino on Nov 5, 2023 11:02:17 GMT -5
Kane's layout for the cover. It's his art, finished by Romita. I would say this is a 50/50 piece. Shows what I know! In my defense though, little of Kane's style (at least what I associate with him) ended up in the final cover. True; even if someone had surface-level awareness of the two artists, they'd be able to see how Romita took a basic sketch and made it his own. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 5, 2023 12:08:33 GMT -5
It's just different mindsets. I see a really beat up old comic like that and for me it's "reading copy!" and I would further devalue by taping, restapling, etc., basically whatever it takes to hold it together and keep enjoying it as reading material. Others see it as an historical item benefitting from preservation, and it becomes more a collectible museum piece. And might argue they could just read a reprint/digital version for the actual content. I mean, some people even slab a single page from a comic book. I think that's why the neverending slabbing conversation, from any facet really including this discussion on lower grades, will always come back to the significantly diverse outlooks on what an old (or any for that matter) comic book is "for" at the end of the day. While I'm strongly at the "no slabs for me" end of the spectrum, I don't think there's a right or wrong either. Whatever makes people happy at the end of the day. I have a few books that are sought after that I stapled together. Something in very poor shape shouldn't be slabbed. The exception would be Action 1 or something that special. But I'm sure CGC doesn't turn away any submissions. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2023 10:36:20 GMT -5
Well it might be a time-capsule of the comics scene back in the early to mid 60s but I still can't bring myself to buy coverless books. Back then they were repackaged and resold in packs of 6. They do make great reading copies though especially in the loo. Now if they were remaindered and bundled together under a 'new' cover like the 'double double' brand in the UK, that's a different story.
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Post by impulse on Nov 6, 2023 10:44:58 GMT -5
In general, I don't care much about slabbed books. I don't have any. That said, I can see the appeal as a display/collection piece and for preservation. There are plenty of ways to read comics now digitally or reprinted that it's not a great loss if a single issue is slabbed and not readable. I also don't have anything rare or valuable enough I would even consider sending them off to be slabbed. I also have little to no interest in spending that kind of money.
...that said, I recently saw a grail book of my own in a local shop, slabbed, at a low grade. X-Men # 1 from 1963. The cover is in good enough shape that it looks great as a display piece, and like others, I like old things, and priced at under $200 it's pretty damn tempting. As a kid I never dreamed I could afford a copy, and looking a little weathered is different by decoration standards versus comic collector standards.
So, I don't care about slabs...until I do, which is apparently sub-$200 lol. I haven't bought it, but I told my wife by the way, if you need a Christmas gift idea for me for the family to go in on, you could do worse than this.
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Post by impulse on Nov 6, 2023 21:32:42 GMT -5
Did I say I was coming around on slabbed books? I take it back. I'm rejoining team "slabbed books are stupid!"
Gem that my wife is, she tried to sneak out and nab the book for me, but what we thought were the two zeroes in the cents column were in fact just two regular zeroes, so, yeah. This guy was asking 5 digits for a 2.5 graded copy of X-MEN # 1. That's a bit rich for my blood.
In hindsight, I should have known that was too good to be true, but with such a low grade it seemed plausible-ish. Maybe I'm just really off on what slabbed books go for.
We had a good laugh about it.
*edit*
Well, I did some searching on recently sold copies in garbage condition, and two things leap out to me.
1.) I really should have known better. Some of the copies I'm seeing look like used toilet paper and they went for $2,000.
2.) I cannot believe people are paying this much for books in such terrible condition. Am I nuts, or 30+ years ago didn't the value on even old rare books absolutely crater when they were beat up beyond a certain point? A beat to hell and back, ungraded, but estimated at 0.5 sold for $2,000. A graded 0.5 went for $2,250. I'm just floored.
Slabbed books are stupid.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2023 21:50:24 GMT -5
Gem that my wife is, she tried to sneak out and nab the book for me, but what we thought were the two zeroes in the cents column were in fact just two regular zeroes, so, yeah. This guy was asking 5 digits for a 2.5 graded copy of X-MEN # 1. That's a bit rich for my blood. You have an awesome wife for trying to surprise you with it though! |
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Post by impulse on Nov 6, 2023 21:51:22 GMT -5
Gem that my wife is, she tried to sneak out and nab the book for me, but what we thought were the two zeroes in the cents column were in fact just two regular zeroes, so, yeah. This guy was asking 5 digits for a 2.5 graded copy of X-MEN # 1. That's a bit rich for my blood. You have an awesome wife for trying to surprise you with it though! That I do! |
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Post by Icctrombone on Nov 7, 2023 19:02:07 GMT -5
In general, I don't care much about slabbed books. I don't have any. That said, I can see the appeal as a display/collection piece and for preservation. There are plenty of ways to read comics now digitally or reprinted that it's not a great loss if a single issue is slabbed and not readable. I also don't have anything rare or valuable enough I would even consider sending them off to be slabbed. I also have little to no interest in spending that kind of money. ...that said, I recently saw a grail book of my own in a local shop, slabbed, at a low grade. X-Men # 1 from 1963. The cover is in good enough shape that it looks great as a display piece, and like others, I like old things, and priced at under $200 it's pretty damn tempting. As a kid I never dreamed I could afford a copy, and looking a little weathered is different by decoration standards versus comic collector standards. So, I don't care about slabs...until I do, which is apparently sub-$200 lol. I haven't bought it, but I told my wife by the way, if you need a Christmas gift idea for me for the family to go in on, you could do worse than this. I'm too cheap to pay for the slabbing process.  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2023 20:51:02 GMT -5
I had a lower grade reading copy of one of these....
Tried to get refamiliar with it, a retelling of his origin as Frank talks to an escort named Audrey...but the black and white artwork is a turnoff. Can't imagine why they'd want this to be a hit back in '76 with such subpar work. Wound up giving it away to an older gentleman who looked at the cover and got an instant hit of nostalgia...at least I made his day.
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