CGC: worth it?

[jediracer]

I don't want to sell it, but I'm considering getting an old comic of mine CGC graded. However, most everyone is telling me it's not worth it. Thoughts?

[JKCarrier]

If you're not selling it, then I'm not sure what the point would be. What are you hoping the grading will accomplish?

[Schmakt]

unless it's extra valuable or in extra nice condition, don't do it.

a Mylar and a Fullback is plenty of protection...

EDIT: Come to think of it... unless you're selling or, maybe, displaying... maybe even condition doesn't matter. The Dentist copy of Action 1 sits unslabbed...

[jediracer]

It's Incredible Hulk #3. So, yeah, it's pretty valuable, and it's in pretty decent shape. What am I hoping the grading will accomplish? I just want to preserve it the best possible way I can.

[Schmakt]

It's Incredible Hulk #3. So, yeah, it's pretty valuable, and it's in pretty decent shape. What am I hoping the grading will accomplish? I just want to preserve it the best possible way I can.


Sorry, didn't see your reply before my Edit.

if you're just looking to preserve, go with the full back and a mylar... maybe some chamber paper inside... and make sure everything's acid free. Unless you're handling the book often, there's no need for the slab. Even if you are handling it often, slabbing it opens you up to the risk of SCS, so there's that.

If you sell it, definitely slab it... otherwise... buy some more comics with the money you save. :)

[jediracer]

thanks for the input!

[PBozzy]

The CGC stuff always made me sad. I always figured the purpose of comic books was to read them, not to encase them in carbonite. The fact that the price on the book skyrockets after being graded was always weird for me, too. Why would you pay so much for something that's now only good for placing on your mantle?

[prince hal]

Questions I never have seen answered...

How does the CGC charge for its service, by a percentage of the value of each comic they grade, or by the book? Do they give volume discounts?

[jediracer]

I found out that their fee is based on the value of the book, which seems odd to me, because if they wanted to charge you more they could just technically grade it higher, yes?

Not sure about volume discounts....that's a good question.

[MDG]

When my friend's looked into getting some things slabbed to sell, turned out that you have to go through a known dealer (or at least a known GCD customer) to pre-screen the book. It sounded like they don't want to waste time on run-of-the-mill books.

[benday-dot]

I found out that their fee is based on the value of the book, which seems odd to me, because if they wanted to charge you more they could just technically grade it higher, yes?

Not sure about volume discounts....that's a good question.

I don't have a single comic of mine slabbed or CGC'd, and am not interested in considering it (even for whatever ostensibly valuable issues I might have).

But I have heard it said that the CGC might be inclined to overgrade their clients comics so as to allow/encourage a greater return for those same comics once they hit the market. The idea is of course that such increased profits will keep the clents coming back for more "sweetheart" grading. Kind of an incestuous arrangement.

It all sounds rather "mobsterish" and I hope its not true, but there you have it. I'm sure others around here have heard similar arguments.

[Jolly Mon]

I don't have a single comic of mine slabbed or CGC'd, and am not interested in considering it (even for whatever ostensibly valuable issues I might have).

But I have heard it said that the CGC might be inclined to overgrade their clients comics so as to allow/encourage a greater return for those same comics once they hit the market. The idea is of course that such increased profits will keep the clents coming back for more "sweetheart" grading. Kind of an incestuous arrangement.

It all sounds rather "mobsterish" and I hope its not true, but there you have it. I'm sure others around here have heard similar arguments.

Thing is, if you buy a slabbed comic that has been overgraded, how would you know? Other than the front and back cover, you'll never see it. In my opinion, a slabbed comic ranks right up there with wine that is too rare to drink and a car that is too expensive to dare to drive. Just so you can say you have it.

[MichikoS]

CGC grading is a quirky and somewhat mystifying development in the comics world. Unlike coins or stamps, which can be encased to protect condition while still remaining completely viewable, slabbed comics have little intrinsic value, only extrinsic value.

A possible partial solution to the slabbed comic dilemma would be an accompanying high-resolution digital copy of the subject that can be viewed as a substitute for the original.

But even a perfect digital copy is only viewable. It can't be touched, smelled, or apprehended by any of the other senses that collectors use to appreciate an item's full intrinsic value.

Not to mention the expense of creating such a copy, and the possibility of damage to the original.

I don't have anything against collectors who slab their books, but I hardly see the point, personally. The intrinsic value of my comics outweighs the extrinsic, but that may not be true for everyone, or for every item in a given collection.

I'm not a Michael Turner fan, for example, but there's a current market for his work. So I guess if I had a high-demand, mint condition Turner variant cover issue, I'd consider slabbing to increase its extrinsic value so I could resell it immediately at profit. Then I'd use the money to buy some comics that had more intrinsic value to me.

Hulk #3? Nice book, lots of both intrinsic and extrinsic value there. If you DON'T intend to sell it pretty quickly, however, you will eat the cost of CGC slabbing for the foreseeable future, and you will not be able to enjoy its intrinsic qualities beyond staring at the front and back cover. If that's the kind of compromise you are willing to make, then go for it!

Michi

[Simon Garth]

Not having ever had any interest in anything other than reading the things, I had thought that "slabbing" was just shrinkwrapping the comics onto some hard backing to stop them being bent or touched (but that they could be taken out by cutting the plastic, say).

Are you saying that this isn't the case, and that they're permanently sealed into plastic or something?

If so, what on earth is the use of that, even to a collector who doesn't want to read them? Is the idea that the value is preserved until the point where some future collector de-slabs it and can then read it?

[dan bailey]

Are you saying that this isn't the case, and that they're permanently sealed into plastic or something?

Yes. It's absolutely insane. There's a word for people who pay for it to be done &/or buy comics that have been subjected to such treatment & don't immediately pry them open -- "suckers" is the polite version.

If so, what on earth is the use of that, even to a collector who doesn't want to read them? Is the idea that the value is preserved until the point where some future collector de-slabs it and can then read it?

Your guess is as good as mine. I assume it's a manifestation of some sort of mental illness, which as we know isn't always open to logical interpretation.

[Simon Garth]

So the comic book equivalent of this?

http://www.brendanmcgetrick.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/han-solo-frozen-in-carbonite.jpg

Crrraaaaaazzzzy people!

[Jolly Mon]

Same concept. People can say they have (insert favorite rare comic here), but don't care about being able to read it. Makes no sense to me, but I always was a reader as opposed to a "collector".

[Drusilla lives!]

As an insane person who has actually had a couple of comics CGC'd, I'd like to clarify the procedure.

CGC charges are on a tier system... $25 for gold, silver and some bronze age books (I think the cutoff is for comics printed after 1976). Moderns are $15 and magazine size are $25. Those are for standard service (turnaround time is about 30-45 days from receipt) with a comic of no more than $350 in insured value, but there are higher priced options for quicker service... and bulk, economy rates... and higher prices for higher value books. There are insurance charges (optional, but who would send valuable books without it) and shipping charges.

You can submit comics directly by becoming a member of the Collector Society, of which CGC is a part or you can submit them through an existing member. The former option entails a $100 dues fee (I think, the last time I looked) and gives you three free standard submissions... and a 10% dealer discount on all others (in effect you become your own dealer). In the latter method of submission you send your comics into CGC also, they are never seen by the existing member/dealer... you are just using their submission code (which BTW usually gives you the 10% discount, sometimes more if that dealer has high volume with CGC, so try finding out who has a better discount, amazon, ebay, etc...).

The comics are sealed in an inner plastic cover which is air tight and then encased in the outer plastic case which has identification info and a hologram seal. The outer case and plastic can be opened and the comic can be handled again if you choose. But it invalidates the rating and there is a re-slab fee (I think $10). You can also have it digitalized (again, I think for an extra $10).

I did it to a few of my comics that I have no intention of rereading again and are being kept now for investment purposes. Honestly, I wouldn't do it for comics with an Overstreet value of less than $150 at one grade below your guesstimate grade.

Let's say you think your IH #3 is VF (8.0)... it's value is about $1275 (2006 Overstreet) and at 7.0 its value is about $862. Might be worth slabbing depending on your cost and whether you can live with not reading the actual copy. But bare in mind most of the time people who buy CGC rated comics look for 8.0 and above.

You can get more general information here (CGC FAQ's). (http://www.cgccomics.com/faq/index.asp)

And it looks like they changed their pricing/tier structure substantially since I last used their service... pricing info here. (http://www.cgccomics.com/services/services_and_fees.asp) So forget most of what I said above with regard to pricing. :)