I REGRET Grading My Key Issue Comic Books
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
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I love getting old books out and looking at all the old advertisements…. And then burying my head into the pages and inhaling deeply. Nothing better than the smell of mildewing newsprint. Other kids were sniffing glue or paint… I was doing hardcore comic newsprint…
Yes yes yes......THIS ☝️
Slabs are ruining the hobby in my opinion!
Yes!
It went from a way to establish a verified grade for books that need it like big big books to a circus. Guys are turning in facsimile foils at my lcs because the odds of getting a 9.9 are super high. It's ridiculous.
You're not the only one.
I don’t have a big collection maybe a couple hundred books I think there’s only one I would have sent to CGC and graded. Evil Ernie #1 signed. No certificate for the signature but I bought it when it came out I’m 99% sure it’s real. But it has some value and having verified and protected might be a good idea. I might have a couple others that might be worth it, but I doubt it.
It's not really a hobby, just collecting. I have some I wanted graded but after seeing a lot of videos showing how much of a waste it is, I'm going back to just keeping them.
That's the main reason I don't want to get into slabbed books. A good mylar and acid free backing board is a good alternative
That is the way to go! Top loaders are nice too
My only regret about getting my books graded was not knowing/understanding the value of cleaning and pressing books before getting them graded. I have wasted countless amounts of money with CGC getting my books graded, only to have to crack them out years later to be pressed and cleaned and resubmitted for regrading. Lots of dollars down the drain. Lots of money can be spent needlessly on this hobby, and if you have been in the hobby long enough, there is always some story of regret to tell.
yea alot of ppls regrets come from jumping into this hobby too deep right away instead of gradually collecting and learning. Especially with all the social media / youtube type stuff, ppl want to start in the hobby and go straight to buying slabs and stuff. Its almost ALWAYS gonna end up with tons of mistakes being made. Also, imo, slabbing books just to collect its literally throwing away tons of money for no reason if you think logically about it. It might look cool or whatever but slabbing is 100% useless for personal collections and there are way cheaper ways for displaying them if thats the excuse ppl use for slabbing personal collections. Slabbing is made for selling to the other suckers that think they need slabs for their PC
I try to have reader copies of my graded books just so I can read them, look through them, etc. I have a few books off to the side right now ready to be sent out for grading, but I'm not in a hurry, mostly because I don't have any reader copies available and I still like paging through them.
Also, no shame in 9.6 grades - those are still NM books, you just don't get the premium on the sale side. Sucks for the seller, great for the buyer
You have to be careful on what you decide to grade, especially with modern books. Unless they're a tried-and-true key such as Batman Adventures 12 or Ultimate Fallout 4, most modern books aren't worth it in my opinion. Tried-and-true keys such as Silver-Age Amazing Spider-man and X-Men that have been around for decades are much safer bets because of their longevity. Anyway, good video and thanks for sharing.
Thanks for always watching buddy
My first submission was a rookie disaster. I didn't press or clean anything and hadn't done a pre-screen for condition on books that were only worthwhile in 9.8. But I definitely learned on the second go-round. That first submission was a LOT of books, though. I was able to sell them all before the collapse of 2022, so I didn't really lose money, but some were pretty much a wash.
I’m starting to grade to make it easier on family when I’m not around
Me to
That’s what I was doing
Grading is for collectors, and Flipping is for businessmen. As a lifelong reader and collector, I have graded many books. The selection process is important depending on the book.
For many titles, you can buy the book graded 9.6 for under $100. Grading is fun and subjective to negative opinions depending on what you use it for.
I love how slabs will keep those books safe for decades but I enjoy reading my books way too much to start slabbing anything. I own maybe 4 CGC slabs
I feel that for someone that also collects and reads collected editions, then just having some key books and having them graded works well. We don't need to collect runs to read or feel them when we have shelves of omnibus. Just get the really important issues that resonate with you personally in terms of what you like and then the virtues of keeping those graded shines through more.
I might be wrong but I’ve found buying the book you want already graded on eBay at the dip is the best way of obtaining those keys at a price you’ll be more than happy with.
Buying already graded is the way to go in my opinion
@@Stickygoose Its strange as well because if everyone else starts to also do this less books will be sent for submission and the census count will remain the same for years to come 😂
What I did with my few slabbed books(I have 6). Buying them slabbed wasn't that much more than raw
Some of the graded comics I have I also have raw. My collection is around 30,000 comics so I get the feel and smell of old comics.
The thing I love about having a slabbed comic is the fact it is graded. There have been so many times a dealer or private seller has told me something is gem mint and it is just straight up garbage. Slabbing keeps people honest.
Man that’s a bunch of books
🤣🤣 This had me cracking up man!!! You are BIG PRESSIN'!! Sticky's been pressin the press since the press been pressin!!!! 🤣🤣 "The key to any pressing job is to get completely within the press. Rookies don't know about it. Rookies don't do it." -Sticky Goose 🤣🤣
Hahahaha damn I had fun making that
The old presser scene is hilarious 😂😂
Appreciate that
There’s still plenty of mystery left after CGC slabs our books. Mysteries like: Why do grading criteria change so much over time? Why did this slabbed Avengers #3 pop open two days after it - finally - arrived? How did my TMNT #1 9.4 come back a 9.2 with a 1/4” chip on the cover? Why do we subject ourselves to this opaque mastermind with the power to crush our hopes and dreams in an instant?
ps Your display wall is awesome to gawk at.
Now you've got me wondering how a book with a 1/4" chip on the cover can be graded a 9.2. I would've thought the absolute maximum grade a book like that could receive (if it were undamaged in all other respects) would be 8.5.
I had a slight color break on the bottom right corner edge of a book and CGC gave me a 7.5 grade. They are truly lacking grading skills and quality control.
@@marcfrancis8683
A 7.5 for a slight color break?
Nothing like waiting months and then opening that brown box of bad news. Thanks again CGC.
There's no mystery whatsoever. It's a con.
It's absolutely nuts how much faith we put into an anonymous, secretive, subjective process like this.
I appreciate that this isn’t a standard “don’t slab your books video.” There’s nuance in it.
I agree about the bummer of going through your run in a box, and then the big books are missing because they’re in a slab. This is where facsimile copies come in IMO. I buy those as placeholders sometimes.
I also let my CGC subscription lapse, multiple times. I recently re-subscribed about 2 weeks ago. I’m taking a different approach now. If I am sending something in, it’s only going in as a prescreen of whatever grade I think it can get. If it fails, I am out $9. I’m submitting books once again because I really, really enjoy pressing and cleaning, and so as a result I want some legitimate feedback on the quality of my work.
My first submission was 6 books on a 9.8 prescreen last week. If I get less than 4 back in plastic, I’m gonna feel bad about my high score, but my wallet isn’t going to hurt (not my soul) in getting back my book in a 9.6.
My next submission is going to be 5 early X-Men books (before issue 50), that I’ve done some more in-depth cleaning methods on. I plan to prescreen at a 5.0 on those.
I was very anti-slab for a long time, and there’s a record of that on some Internet forums. I still think it’s somewhat weird that we all collectively have decided that some dudes in Sarasota are the authority on comic grades; but at the same time… who else is better qualified?
I’m not really anti slab I just slabbed too many damn books
The only reason to slab a book is to plan to part with it. There are other ways to preserve and protect.
Love the vulnerability! ❤ Oh, I’ve made mistakes.
Those clips of the DIY pressing tutorial 😂
That’s big gangsta goose
@@Stickygoose intimidating 😳😂
Interesting point. Makes me want to use EGS grading more, if i'm just looking to persevere my grails.
For 9.99 a month marvel has an app. Where u can read any issue u want going back to the beginning of marvel!
Also, same. The most I've ever spent on a book is a 4.0 Fantastic Four 5 that was already slabbed. I realized after dropping that cash that I'll never even be able to flip it open and read it myself (I'm the weirdo that likes the smell of 'old books' as well), as happy as I was to have it.
Got no problem sending in the newer books though. Especially the variant covers that could sell well. They're usually not that hard to get ahold of again.
Damn I want that book
@@Stickygoose I'll bear that in mind. Maybe someday if I decide to move on from it, we could do a trade of sorts?
It really depends on what you intend to do with the comics in the future. If you're planning to sell them at some point, then leave them entombed until that day because they're in the best condition they'll ever be.
If, however, you have no intention of flipping them for cash, I'd set 'em free and get 'em read because that's what they were meant for.
The choice is, as they say, yours to make.
I figured that out as soon as I became aware of slabbing so not doing it. Would rather have them readable.
Great video, love the topic and introspection and your taught on your slabing journey.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Done with CGC. Almost 1000 books graded. Around 300 sent back for mechanical errors, some more than once. Careless quality control. I feel bad for their customer service crew. Thinking about a class action suit regarding warped inner cases, which not only cause Newton rings, but even warped some of the books.
bruh, its ok pal. In the beginning of my CGC journey, I graded some that I regretted naturally, but with time I learned what books justified grading and what didn't.
I’ve learned from the school of hard knocks in my whole collecting journey
I had this copy of Amazing Spider-Man 300 for many years and it was such a nice copy but had a small stain. I assumed it was a nice grade, no ticks or bends, clean. I send in and because of the stain it came back a 6.0.... it completely ruined how I felt about that book and as such traded it off. Grading that comic completely ruined how I felt about it.
I’m a big sports card card and have been since I was 7 in 1980 ..I never really read comics but I always loved the artwork.so much so that I had a Batman comic cover from the 80’s tattooed on my leg.i buy comics, because I think the artwork is beautiful having them graded. Not even so much the grade just being able to hang them on the wall in a perfect frame to enjoy the cover art is good for something like me it’s not just comic books I don’t like reading at all I’d rather listen to it, or watch it.
I feel you where you have some books that are graded in a run and others that are not, but higher value books being graded in a run will help you later as far as investment purposes. I don't grade a lot of my books, but some are worth it for investment and keeping them in nice condition so they just don't deteriorate further. It's up to each collector, so moving forward, maybe just buy graded books or be very particular on what you send in. BTW - let's see more videos of the OP (Original Presser)! That part was great!!! Keep up the great work, buddy!!
OP is retired
I’m going to a comic show and I’m wondering how the slabbing works with signatures on comics and if it’s worth the investment
You don't know how long I went back and forth on getting my Claremont/ Bryne X-men run graded. I'm talking YEARS. I finally decided that I'm keeping them until I die, so it would make it easier for my family to make decisions with.
They're on their way to CGC right now, and I can't wait to get them back.
That run is so perfect…. The pinnacle of art and story. I think the old newsprint adds to his art and the overall reading experience. Oh the smell of old newsprint comics…triggers so many memories!!!! Yet getting them graded is best to preserve them. I went and scouted dollar bins for Classic X-Men from the late 80’s which was still on newsprint so I could read that run forever.
good luck Hopefully they come back nice grades
I for one do not grade my books. I have been collecting comics since the 1990s. I have some great 90s keys in my collection that are in excellent condition. I also have moved around the US multiple times with my comic books. The main way to protecting your collectibles is to simply care about them. Keep them properly stored. Bagged and boarded in comic book boxes. I understand the desire to have them up on a display so you can see them. There are many different ways to do this that also allow you the freedom to still open, feel, and read the comics. I like products from Crafti Comics and Comic Capsules. You should try them out.
From a collectors point of view I never regret any book I send to CGC. I consider the long preservation of my books as reward in itself. But if you are a Flipper with short time horizon I can understand the disappointments and regrets cgc slabbing might bring.
I think when your main concern is whether a comic is a 9.8 or a 9.4 you've already lost the enjoyment of comics and collecting.
I think it's a status thing amongst collectors, it's kind of sad.
Most of my favorite books of all time are worth nothing but they are priceless to me because it's my collection and I think that's what should be important.
Having said that they do look great on display.
I regret falling into the Image #1’s hype. Bought and slabbed numerous first copies speculating on which one would be the next Walking Dead #1.
One thing that stuck out in the content was that you mentioned 9.8 as 'perfect' at least a few times. 9.8 is by definition not perfect - it is however the most common grade possible for brand new books if not mistreated. To me, the price difference between 9.8 and 9.6 is just a tax on the misconception that a 9.8 is preferable in some way, when the reality is out of the case it would be a coin toss in a lot of cases. I don't need a 3rd party, through grading, to affirm I should be happy with a copy I have chosen to hold in my collection.
Agree..I don't buy 9.8s at all as I've seen many 9.6s vs 9.8s and the difference is not very detectable. You're basically paying hundreds or thousands more for the 9.8 label, kinda like buying a Tag watch with a $30 movement you're paying for the brand.
I just got comic capsules and they are a game changer for me. They look and display great and i can take my books out when i want or change out what i want to display.
I love to see people losing $ on getting books graded that have no business being graded. Only old key issues belong in a slab.
Great video. Thanks,….but……the pressing section scared me, major nightmares on the way
Some people can’t hand the Ol’ Pressa’s energy
I purchased the first appearance of Knull for $115 and its value went up within 3 months to $400
I bought a raw copy of X-Men # 14 which the comic dealer said it was around 4.5 and I had it signed Stan Lee at Mega Con and I submitted it at cgc booth at the con and around a year later it came back as a 6.5 off white pages.
I feel ya. I only grade for two reasons: key issues I plan to sell, and preservation of rare books. I've switched from CGC to EGS., and I have to say they've done a great job. I know collectors are reluctant to switch grading companies due to valuation on the secondary market. But change has to start somewhere. Like you've stated, "we placed CGC and CBCS into the position of power". Know your options and take back your power.
I just got into the Comic Book hobby less than a month ago. I had heard about the HoX/PoX run for the past few years and finally pulled the trigger and bought essentially bought the entire run in a mix of Hardcover and TPBs.
Over the past week, I started looking into the slabbed side of the hobby and just educating myself. I pulled the trigger on a few raw key issues and some modern variants I liked. After educating myself a little more, I wish I had avoided buying them raw and just gone for slabbed covers. For modern stuff, I'll be bummed if I ever send in anything that doesn't come back as a 9.8 as getting a 9.6 just means that it will cost more to get a copy of a 9.8 (whether by sending another raw copy or just getting a 9.8 at that point). As for older comics, there's only 1 key issue I would consider sending it and I will likely do so at this point.
Granted, while I am new to the hobby, now with a few raw copies, I feel I will just send them in anyways as I'll likely never want to manipulate/read/open the raw comics I've acquired as I would be risking the condition of that comic should I ever decide to send it in. There's plenty of collected editions that can get me the story out there. Going forward, getting already graded comics is the way I'll be going.
You are getting in at the best possible time wow I’m jealous
First off you have a great collection, slabbed or raw. But it seems its nothing but madness and drama with slabbed books. I still read a lot of books and just the nostalgia alone gets me every time. Ill never slab my books, raw collector for life.
Thanks for sayin that
Shouldn’t someone start grading slabs too? A 9.8 Spider-Man no. 1 in a 5.6 slab would surely be worth less than a 9.8 copy in a 9.8 slab.
Awesome content! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
you understand the books and the process but I you can benefit from focusing on your goal prior to submission. Are you focused on profit? Focused on collecting and never selling? Having that 9.8 copy everyone wants?
Overall if you have multiple goals and want to adapt after the grading then you should always own at least two raw copies prior to submission if you want your book graded. If you are focused on getting a specific grade and there is even 10% chance in your mind it won’t come back they way you want… then focus on just buying a copy that already has the grade you want.
Separate your collecting and investing goals along with separating your goal outcome to make a more risk managed decision.
It can be easy to chase your tail and blow money but it comes down to executing your goal with minimal risk.
I love to read them so I have never graded any yet. That was a thought i had. Like I want to be able to read em when I want 😅
Not sure on old comics but I believe some would be uploaded to read online if it helps
Great video!!! I do not buy or slab my Comics personally, but I have considered getting a few order. Comics graded just to preserve them for the rest of time. Keep up the great work. 😎
Appreciate the support Dale
Bro.... you're comic pressing video is hilarious!! 😂
The Ol’ pressa
And this is why I hate slabs and refuse to submit to CGC
Fair enough
That pressing books accent was crazy you’re a good actor 😂😂😂
thank you a lot people hated it lol
There are a couple that came back with green and purple labels for missing pages or glue spots I didn't know about. If I knew, I would not have sent them. I just see it was a waste of grading fees.
Now I do have some modern I want slabbed with CBCS because their slabs are tights and the comic does not move.
I’ve never collected comics/books until the last 3 months. I always use to have them as a kid over here in the UK 70s etc but just read and gave them away. It was only when my daughter did her English literature degree that I got back into comics/graphic novels etc as she chose many of these for her studies. We both went together to a very small comic sale where I picked up stuff from my child hood such as doctor who and Gerry Anderson she though went for the marvel. Well now I have nearly a thousand Marvel/Dc comics plus 450 Dr Who and 200 Star Wars. I’ve learnt so much watching your channel as well as others so I understood this grading system and variant covers etc (I am a quick learner and have a photographic memory) and I’ve started to get back into what I actually graduated in engineering and graphic design (I could design cars etc) and started doing some drawings and helped my daughter with her last project at university where she wrote the story and between us we developed a comic me doing doing the drawings. Grading is again as you say an individual preference I;m not sure whether I could stomach, apart from the cost, the possible realisation or disappointment of something coming back which was no-where near where I though it should be. I must admit I think this is an American thing regarding grading I have some absolute immaculate 1970s Dr Who stuff which I couldn;t stomach if came back so low. So I’m with you I won’t be going down that avenue and also what makes the guys that do the grading so special? I can see a crease, a tick, a rusty staple, a fold or crease etc and then using data from other sources can identify where and when the item was produced. It’s although they’ve been made gods overnight I reckon most of the serious collectors have more knowledge than some of them at CGC
Welcome back to the hobby
@@Stickygoose just bought my first ‘slab’ Mandalorian no 1 cgc 9.6 got it down to a reasonable amount so I’ll see what it looks and feels like oh dear more money ha ha
I slab books that I care about. Not caring about the value of it. But the personal care for the book. If I get a 3.0 or a 10. Doesn’t matter for me because I plan on keeping them for life and just love that book.
I'm working on a semi-run of TTA for covers I like. I also feel like I'm missing something when some of the books I buy for the run are in a slab. I won't be able to read them when i finish the run I'm looking for. The thing I'm seeing though, some of the raw books I need are often in worse shape and more expensive than the slabbed book I can buy in a middle grade. So, I still have the books but also the gaps in the reading of the title.
holy cow. You must have had a lot of charisma in a past life. Those flashbacks were painful
Go to sleep Phillip
They will not keep that high rating in the slab indefinitely.
I actually bought my first slab book because I thought it was cheap. Daredevil issue 270 first appearance of Black Heart CGC 9.0. I was able to get it for $40+$12 shipping. Most of my comic books are raw and with the Marvel Unlimited subscription I just read digital versions of the books however there is a limitation and sometimes a book is not available to read on the website due to copyrights so in that case owning a raw and reading them is more ideal. It was really annoying to learn that Marvel lost the rights of Connan the Barbarian so the entire Savage Avengers series are not available to read so I have to start collecting the runs. Fortunately most of them were in the $1 bins in my local comic shop but I am still missing a few issues and have luckily paid for cover prices for some of them when online sellers are asking for a premium due to it being a key issue.
I wish I could get a She-Hulk #1. There are a million in slabs, guess I can wait until they are cracked. I'm a comic collector, so I can outwait the grading fad.
Good for you!!! I’m all about the raw anyway!
With those mid grades i would be regreting it too. People stop sending in your mid grade books. Cause there very common
I have my main run bagged and boarded, then I purchase the key issues cgc 9.8......so raw copies and cgc keys, best of both worlds.
the only books i like to slab on CGC are for CGC JSA Signature yellow band editions is that a better mindset sir?
I understand the appeal of having your valuable keys graded. I have pondered it many times but never followed through. I like skimming through them. Sometimes I'll get a wild hair up my ass and want to read every superman title from 91 to 2002 (The triangle numbering years) or read the full 90's X-Men run. I think the best thing to do is buy 2 of every issue and only when an issue gets valuable get one of them slabbed.
I don't get CGC slabs. I love my comics and it feels like I would be paying someone a lot of money to takeaway my ability to flip through the pages
I don't understand slabbing gameboy games either.
Pokemon cards make the most sense to me
Comics brings joy to reading and art. I have a lot of ultimate spider-man direct market issues and I enjoy reading those from time to time
Did you have them pressed? Even being brand new, a slight press could better chance 9.8 one thing I learned is when you think it's a 9.8 it's most likely not. 9.8 is almost a lottery win. Could be just a printing flaw on the book you really can't avoid or fix.
I thought you said you wouldn’t be watching
All of the books in my collection are raw, though I've been tempted many times to either submit books for grading or simply buying a graded book. I do enjoy the smell and feel of handling a raw book. In my mind, the only books I could stand to get submitted for grading are books that are keys/books that are so old and fragile that preservation is the goal.
Good video. I suggest work on the being anxious part as like you mentioned, walk thru tier was very unnecessary from some of those submissions. I appreciate you view books like your children, but they should be "fine" if you raise them right going to college on their own. :P
If it bothers you having a raw run (Tomb of Dracula) with the two most valuable books graded (1 & 10), I'd buy secondary copies to scratch that itch. I keep buying multiples of some books because I just really like them.
If you don't like the grade but you love the book and want to read it? Crack it and don't look back! I've got a few of those in my sub-collection called: F that Grade
I like that f that grade
To be fair, not selling them.is also throwing money away
Bro don’t trip on never being able to look at them again, they are on that beautiful wall. And you can read every single book in a TPB or Omnibus form
One dqy im gonna hqve every comic book ever published
Yeah, because the majority of collectors only have one copy and happen to enjoy re-reading, plus viewing them... that's why slabs Suck.
Are collectors aware that grading companies grade the entire book not just the cover?
The 10pt grading system is one of the worst things for the hobby imo.
Did the same thing, sent in about 20 moderns, got back 2 9.8s and mostly 9.6 on the rest. Definitely sticking with older books ive collected over the years, but im always checking Covrprice to see if theyre worth the $ to slab.
And they usually aren’t
But for the young avengers, you didn't have a 9.8. You thought it was, but it wasn't. Right?
I love to huy 9.6's because they look the same as a 9.8, can't tell the difference between the two.
Great Video - You're not alone! I graded a lot of low-grade stuff that I regret. We have to see them staring at us to realize the problem - lol. Looking at the census, thousands of people have graded 2.0 to 5.0 non-key silver, bronze, copper and modern... Like you, most people now know that slabbing low grade is a waste of $ and a net negative - the CGC fees, shipping to and from, it can easily outweigh the value of the book. A $20 book can cost $25 to slab, and the slabbed book is only worth, in an LCS (drumroll) - $20 retail, and LCS will only offer $3. A mid grade slab, non-grail book is actually worth LESS than the same book raw, because of the space they take up, LCS's don't want them, and their weight (they weigh a pound a piece) so the cost to ship to a buyer can be $15 a piece, which is too much to justify for a $20 comic, so people won't buy them through the mail. Bry's comics just had a great video... where a collector had 200+ mid-grade slabs that were worth basically nothing. Also, if something is a 5.0 or less, you can carefully read it, and not diminish its condition - but not if it's in a slab.
Thanks for watching
I’m about to start my grading journey. Have about 15 000 books and about 10 graded. Good video.
Good luck!
If you're planning on selling getting some selective books graded is probably a good idea for trust and liquidity, also you can handle them without worry. I only buy graded now, though I have some raw ones when I was a kid I'll probably get graded.
Not easier to sell if there are 35 other people trying to sell the same graded book.
I had a bunch of Marvel and DCs key issues slabbed earlier this year, and the only reason I did it was to make it easier for my daughter to sell them when the time comes. I ain't gettin' any younger!
Sometimes I just slab something with a special cover to preserve and display the amazing artwork. I know where you're coming from and know of people who have bought silver and golden age slabs and broken them out to get them raw again ?
I get the books I love graded. Hope for the best , but don’t care…. They display better! Reading them? I got the Omni’s😊
9.6 is the death stamp for modern books unfortunately
I honestly prefer getting Signature Series CGC Slab books. I can't agree with regular blue labels, but I do understand why people want to do the blue labels.
Thanks for sharing. I just started collecting again after 30 years and you gave me something to think about. I think Id agree with you if I did start grading.
Welcome back
Getting a 9.6 instead of a 9.8........The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
PSA: A rule of thumb that has served me well.
1) All my slabs are for Sale at some point, while some are held back, because I like to display them in my PC.
2) If you are a new collector starting with CGC / CBCS Gradeds slabs, there are several options to reading the material you are slabbing:
A) Omnibus Volumes, Trade Paperbacks, and HC volumes.
B) For every major and minor key, you can either buy a “Facsimile”, a modern Reprint of that key, and / or for under $75 you can likely find and purchase a “reader” copy of that issue.
3) Will the reader copy be: heavily creased, stained, cracked, ripped, and at times brittle? YES. Likely, not always - but likely.
That is why it’s a “reader’s copy”, it ain’t supposed to be pretty.
This bifurcated mind-set has served me well in collecting both RAW Comic Books, and Graded Slabs.
I have gathered slowly over time - and within a working man’s budget - all four versions.
HC’s, TP’s, some facsimiles, and reader copies.
- Thank you.
I use top loaders, I have no interest in grading, because I'm not into the hobby for price value🤷♂️
i been trying to tell ppl that slabs arent the optimal way to protect comics, and i think that will prove more true as time goes on. A good mylar bag and board in a box provides more stability. The suspended nature of slabbed books is gonna fck em up over time. Nothing escapes gravity, and slabs are subject to gravity at many different points. They arent uniformally supported on the edges or front and back. Now its not feasible to store every book optinlmally cuz honestly that would be in a good bag and board, laid down in a dark, clinate controlled spot with no real weight stacked on top of it. I also think even tho it will still cause damage, i think laying slabs down is better over time than standing them up. Laying down, then flipped over every so often to keep the gravity effects equal, to balance out the sagging in the middle. But that sagging will be less profound than the damage from them standing considering the support across the bottom isnt uniform. Every single bit of surface area of a comic needs to be supported to keep it structurally sound over a long period, and slabs just dont provide that. Also, any kind of byproducts that may build up in a slab are just locked in there with the book. It cant be "aired out" and that micro paper doesnt serve its purpose forever, at some point it will become saturated and not effective for its purpose, and could possibly have the opposite effect its intended. But also on that point, ppl worry too much about that aspect of preserving their comics as well. These things arent going to dissolve and wither away into dust during your lifetime. Also, a slabbed books grade will drop over time....imagine in the future when slabs are older, ppl will be buying 9.8 slabs for example, that are no longer 9.8's and that could turn into a huge issue. Slabbing is still super young and we have no idea what all negative effects may come from it. But we do know we have books from the 40s that have been perfectly maintained without slabs. In my opinion and for now, slabs only serve one good purpose and thats for selling. And doing so soon after they are obtained.
and i also forgot to mention Newton rings and inner well scuffing to boot
if you love comics, you don't slab them. if you love or need money more, its a different story
Love hearing your perspective thanks man. 🪿
I appreciate that!
I never have and I never will buy a slabbed book. What a waste...
All the books I’ve had slabbed some regardless of value I don’t regret as those were books I liked be it due to sentimental value or purely for the cover art. But I deff get having a few regrets if going for value absolutely.
As an older long time collector I can see possibly doing this for old expensive books but for most newer comics is a waste of money and or a gambling game...I would guess as much as 90+ % of those submitted books should not be graded. Getting a few favorites for a wall display I could see.
It is completely gambling