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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2021 10:34:16 GMT -5
My question regarding slabbed books, which didn't even exist when I started collecting, is this: Does it bother the people buying these that they can never view the contents of the book without breaking the slab open? The thought of me owning a comic I can never look at or flip through to examine seems silly. It bothers the heck out of me! I can't imagine never being able to actually read a book I own. Plus I would much rather grade a book on my own, I know how to do it including my own subjective preferences (like eye appeal) that ultimately determine the worth to me. I don't sell comic books though, so I'm not under the weight of current market preferences that can influence one trying to maximize market value, philosophical differences aside.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2021 10:55:02 GMT -5
I know there are a lot of new folks here who have not had a say in this matter yet, but every time someone on this forum has opened up the can of worms of the slabbing vs. not-slabbing in the past, things have gotten nasty and people have quit the boards. I am not a mod, so it's not up to me whether this discussion happens or not, but I will no longer participate in those discussions, and I just hope we aren't opening that particular can of worms again to lose people again.
-M
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2021 13:10:01 GMT -5
Yikes, that doesn’t sound good
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Post by tartanphantom on Aug 3, 2021 16:06:49 GMT -5
I know there are a lot of new folks here who have had a say in this matter, but every time someone on this forum has opened up the can of worms of the slabbing vs. not-slabbing in the past, things have gotten nasty and people have quit the boards. I am not a mod, so it's not up to me whether this discussion happens or not, but I will no longer participate in those discussions, and I just hope we aren't opening that particular can of worms again to lose people again. -M
Oh, even though I don't buy into the slabbing thing, I have no problem with others spending their money and managing their collection as they see fit... what they do with their books is none of my business, and I'm not trying to convert anyone to my way of thinking.
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Post by Ozymandias on Aug 3, 2021 16:23:20 GMT -5
The whole concept of an independent agent acting as the ultimate word on grades sounds like a leap of faith to me. I've seen some high grade copies on sale on eBay, and judging from the cover scans, I can't say I always agree with their grading. Given that, how would I trust them with what I can't see? If I opened it and disagreed... would they reimburse me? Not likely, since I broke the seal. Kind of a catch 22 situation.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2021 16:26:47 GMT -5
I know there are a lot of new folks here who have had a say in this matter, but every time someone on this forum has opened up the can of worms of the slabbing vs. not-slabbing in the past, things have gotten nasty and people have quit the boards. I am not a mod, so it's not up to me whether this discussion happens or not, but I will no longer participate in those discussions, and I just hope we aren't opening that particular can of worms again to lose people again. -M
Oh, even though I don't buy into the slabbing thing, I have no problem with others spending their money and managing their collection as they see fit... what they do with their books is none of my business, and I'm not trying to convert anyone to my way of thinking.
Fully agree, different strokes.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 3, 2021 22:28:05 GMT -5
I know there are a lot of new folks here who have not had a say in this matter yet, but every time someone on this forum has opened up the can of worms of the slabbing vs. not-slabbing in the past, things have gotten nasty and people have quit the boards. I am not a mod, so it's not up to me whether this discussion happens or not, but I will no longer participate in those discussions, and I just hope we aren't opening that particular can of worms again to lose people again. -M It's been a long time since it went that route. So long as folks can still respect each other even when they don't respect each other's choices, we don't have a problem. I personally loathe what slabbing has done to the hobby, but I also see where the money is and am not above riding those coattails.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2021 0:12:49 GMT -5
My question regarding slabbed books, which didn't even exist when I started collecting, is this: Does it bother the people buying these that they can never view the contents of the book without breaking the slab open? The thought of me owning a comic I can never look at or flip through to examine seems silly.
Nope, doesn't bother me in the slightest. I have almost 250 slabbed books. And if I want to read the actual comics, I have 'raw' copies as well in normal mylars with backing boards.
And the truth is, you can break the slab open. The only thing that gets voided is the grade (and consequently, the big premium if it's a rare book with a high grade) but to a reader who's more interested in reading the book than having it mummified, that shouldn't be a problem.
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Post by Icctrombone on Aug 4, 2021 5:09:38 GMT -5
Man, I skimmed the article and am Leary of CGC giving out hiring bonuses because they don't have enough staff to grade books. It makes me think that they have unqualified people handling and deciding the fate between you getting a 8.0 or 9.0.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Aug 4, 2021 9:18:38 GMT -5
Do CGC-graded comics come with a precise report card? Things like "staples are loose, there is a 5mm tear at the bottom of page 22, the marvel value stamp is cut out but no artwork was affected, it's signed by Jack Abel" and so on?
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 4, 2021 10:35:12 GMT -5
Do CGC-graded comics come with a precise report card? Things like "staples are loose, there is a 5mm tear at the bottom of page 22, the marvel value stamp is cut out but no artwork was affected, it's signed by Jack Abel" and so on? I believe they include all that info on a report that can be accessed by typing the slabbed book's CGC serial number into a database. Never tried it, myself.
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Post by Ozymandias on Aug 4, 2021 13:01:48 GMT -5
This doesn't seem to be the case with the most commonly found "Universal Label (Blue)":
"This label is given to collectibles that are simply the grade as marked, with no qualifiers or special considerations."
There can be notes for "Qualified Label (Green)":
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Post by Deleted on Aug 8, 2021 10:20:06 GMT -5
I know of 3 people right now who are annoyed with CGC and might drop them permanently...not only are turnaround times disgusting but when mistakes are made it adds to the confusion.
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Post by String on Aug 12, 2021 1:57:24 GMT -5
Black Knight #1-4 written by Roy & Dann Thomas, art by Buckler and Tony DeZuniga, published 1990. I'm not sure how much prices for this mini were affected by the announcement of the Eternals movie (and Dane's appearance therein) but just glancing over prices recently, I'm a tad flabbergasted. Lonestar has a CGC 9.8 copy of #1 for $400, eBay slightly cheaper with some slabbed 9.6 - 9.8 copies of #1 for around $260. Lonestar has the copies of the rest of the series but even VF 8.0 copies are listed for around #16 an issue. Sets listed on eBay start off around $30 and up with a good amount of the listings now referencing either the Eternals movie and/or Kit Harrington's upcoming portrayal of Dane (key issues y'all!) On the surface, this mini looks like something I could find in the dollar back issue bins if I look around enough but maybe it's scarcity helped drive up prices overall and the movie just boosted it even more now, I don't know.
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Post by tartanphantom on Aug 12, 2021 7:21:26 GMT -5
Black Knight #1-4 written by Roy & Dann Thomas, art by Buckler and Tony DeZuniga, published 1990. I'm not sure how much prices for this mini were affected by the announcement of the Eternals movie (and Dane's appearance therein) but just glancing over prices recently, I'm a tad flabbergasted. Lonestar has a CGC 9.8 copy of #1 for $400, eBay slightly cheaper with some slabbed 9.6 - 9.8 copies of #1 for around $260. Lonestar has the copies of the rest of the series but even VF 8.0 copies are listed for around #16 an issue. Sets listed on eBay start off around $30 and up with a good amount of the listings now referencing either the Eternals movie and/or Kit Harrington's upcoming portrayal of Dane (key issues y'all!) On the surface, this mini looks like something I could find in the dollar back issue bins if I look around enough but maybe it's scarcity helped drive up prices overall and the movie just boosted it even more now, I don't know.
Keep in mind that in this case, the $400 copy on Lonestar/MCS is a consignment item, which means that the price is set by the book owner, not MCS. I see this a lot, and many of the consignment items on MCS are way over-priced as a result.
In this case, the eBay prices are likely more inline with current speculation-driven market value.
There is a day of reckoning coming on the current slabbed comic "investor" mania... when prices outstrip actual long term demand, they won't hold forever. If you're looking to sell, the time is NOW. If you're a collector and not an investor, and you don't really care about market price trends, it's time to sit back and read, and enjoy what you have.
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