Anyone else starting to disdain 9.6 or less Modern books...?

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:47 pm

I've come to a very recent conclusion that I just sorta have a great big:

EH. <shrug>

...when it comes to 9.6 or lower graded modern books (post 1980).

As a guy who's spent 15 years carefully picking out the very best of the best copies, I can confidently say that all the books I picked up NEW are 9.8 or better copies, because I'm that anal.

So....I just bought an Avengers #1 gold sig book (a nice variant, by the way) in 9.6 for something like $25 shipped...

...and I look at it...and I'm like....EH.

Anyone else starting to feel this way?

Don't get me wrong, late 70's books are KILLER in 9.6...but anything past about 81...eh.

By the by...anyone see the 9.8 Spec Spid #2 end for $66 the other day?

Signs of the times, my friends.....five years ago, that was a $500 book as sure as day.

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 7:56 pm

Yeah, mainly because that is what seems to be taking place in the market place. I personally wouldn't mind having a 9.6 for a few bucks less than a 9.8, but it will be a lot tougher to sell them in the future. Therefore, I'm not buying anymore sub 9.8 unless it is a book that I really want or need.

As far as the differences in grades between a 9.6 and a 9.8, I can't really say that it is consistent from CGC. I have some 9.8s that I wouldn't even call 9.4s and some 9.6s that easily look 9.8.

However, the new disdain for sub 9.8s on moderns is too much to overlook and it is important to be conscious of whether the book will be movable or not in the future. Particularly on the newly released books.

KO2003 · Post by **KO2003** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 8:58 pm

I prefer the 9.6 books. I know I didn't pay alot ( anytime you get a CGC comic for $20-$25 you fundamentally get the comic inside for free with the seller only recuperating the cost of having the comic graded) , they are better than NM, and compared to the unslabbed,overgraded, & pricey comics at my local comic shops are a better value.
The way some Shop owners display their comis- stored in those shelf cubbies, almost all of the issues have this huge bend along the spine. Calling it a stress mark would be an understatement. The shop owners often have more than one issue bunched together. Non-collectors come in and bend the comics forward to see what other issues are behind the front copy.

It may come to a point where getting a NM 9.4 modern comic may be a challenge.

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 9:22 pm

KO2003 wrote:I prefer the 9.6 books. I know I didn't pay alot ( anytime you get a CGC comic for $20-$25 you fundamentally get the comic inside for free with the seller only recuperating the cost of having the comic graded) , they are better than NM, and compared to the unslabbed,overgraded, & pricey comics at my local comic shops are a better value.

But.....there's going to be a breaking point, because even the COST OF GRADING doesn't justify $25 for a 9.6....FF #238.

Ya know?

It's a $2 book, graded or not.

So....will we see people just give up and see CGC's trading for $2? Doubtful, at least on eBay...S&H too high.

But at shows? Maybe.

What to do with the literally THOUSANDS of JUNK books that have been graded? I mean, Spawn #1 in 6.5? Come on.

x-omatic · Post by **x-omatic** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 9:29 pm

It doesn't cost 20 plus to get books graded. I sent in @35 and the total with insurance and return shipping was about 13.50 each.

DawgPhan · Post by **DawgPhan** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 9:49 pm

Hell I dont even know that FF 238 is a $2 book...I guess in 10.0 it would be.

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 10:03 pm

DawgPhan wrote:Hell I dont even know that FF 238 is a $2 book...I guess in 10.0 it would be.

Why do people even grade these common books?? I think that in a few years, people will come to their senses and we won't be seeing random non-key Iron Mans, DDs, FF, etc with a guide value of cover price get graded. I'm not buying that crap, but I guess some people with a ton of disposable income are. I guess I can understand getting complete runs, but who wants a complete run of CGC'd common crap?

With that said, I did just purchase A&A 9.8 #4 and #12 for $26 shipped, but that's just because I love those BWS covers!!

greg · Post by **greg** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 10:41 pm

In general, I would agree... however, I will gladly buy any "pathetic" 9.6s
you guys can find for Harbinger #1.
How does $20 for the book plus $15 for the slab sound?

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 10:55 pm

greg wrote:In general, I would agree... however, I will gladly buy any "pathetic" 9.6s
you guys can find for Harbinger #1.
How does $20 for the book plus $15 for the slab sound?

There are always exceptions.

KO2003 · Post by **KO2003** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 12:02 am

ZephyrWasHOT!! wrote:
KO2003 wrote:I prefer the 9.6 books. I know I didn't pay alot ( anytime you get a CGC comic for $20-$25 you fundamentally get the comic inside for free with the seller only recuperating the cost of having the comic graded) , they are better than NM, and compared to the unslabbed,overgraded, & pricey comics at my local comic shops are a better value.
But.....there's going to be a breaking point, because even the COST OF GRADING doesn't justify $25 for a 9.6....FF #238.

Ya know?

It's a $2 book, graded or not.

So....will we see people just give up and see CGC's trading for $2? Doubtful, at least on eBay...S&H too high.

But at shows? Maybe.

What to do with the literally THOUSANDS of JUNK books that have been graded? I mean, Spawn #1 in 6.5? Come on.

Naw man, I 'm not talking about buying a CGC graded copy of every piece of crap lying around or sending in every monthly subscription comic to get a 9.8 copy. What I was referring to was Valiant Pre-Unity CGC comics, CGC key issues and some of the more collectable issues of late. Example,I won three auctions for Solar #4,#5 & #7 graded at 9.6 for $15 a piece. I bought them from the same seller who only charged me $15 for shipping from Canada. I am very pleased with them and I am not even considering upgrading to 9.8's ( unless it was like a $10 buy-it-now

)
I am content to buy a quality comic that I like in 9.6 condition. I only buy CGC copies of comics that I plan to have in my collection for a long time. This is my philosophy for buying comics.

For a lot of folks its 9.8 or nothing and 9.8 of anything. The price differentials are just too great to justify buying 9.8's only. For example, I picked up a CGC 9.6 Incredible Hulk: The End for $30 at Wizard World Dallas. Back home i knew one local dealer had an unslabbed NM copy for $30. So if I crack that puppy open it wouldn't lose its guide value of $38.
CGC 9.8 copies sell for $100 and up on ebay. I think one sold for like $255 in an auction earlier this month. I cannot justify paying $225 more for a 9.8. If you cracked the case open it would only be worth $38.

Now when I buy a comic to send in to be graded then, of course, I want them to grade at 9.8 or better. I do my research before I send in comics to be graded. I know beforehand what kind of return I want for a particular comic. I don't send in comics out of my collection to get graded for my keeping. I do enjoy reading them after all. To get comics I want to add to my never- to- sell collection I let some else do the leg work. I'd rather buy them already graded for the price I want to pay.

I am a very patient man and I have broken the best dealers who were determined to get top dollar for their inventory. You will like this one Zeph, I picked up high grade silver age and bronze comics( i.e;Hulk,JLA,Batman,Conan) for 90% below guide from one shop that has been around for 20 years. They were not even going out of business.They just realized that having cash on hand was what they were in business for, not hoarding comics.

That's my take on collecting and selling CGC comics in the Glut age.

400yrs · Post by **400yrs** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 12:18 am

KO2003 wrote:
I am a very patient man and I have broken the best dealers who were determined to get top dollar for their inventory. You will like this one Zeph, I picked up high grade silver age and bronze comics( i.e;Hulk,JLA,Batman,Conan) for 90% below guide from one shop that has been around for 20 years. They were not even going out of business.They just realized that having cash on hand was what they were in business for, not hoarding comics.

That's my take on collecting and selling CGC comics in the Glut age.

90% Below guide? Meaning that you paid $10 on a book worth $100? Now that's a deal. Damn, I thought I did good buying a half a dozen SA Mile High Spideys at guide 4 yrs ago. Bronze stuff, you can often get for pennies on the dollar if you are patient, whereas silver age can be tougher to find deals on.

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:08 am

greg wrote:In general, I would agree... however, I will gladly buy any "pathetic" 9.6s
you guys can find for Harbinger #1.
How does $20 for the book plus $15 for the slab sound?

Harby's a whole different ball o' wax.

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:09 am

x-omatic wrote:It doesn't cost 20 plus to get books graded. I sent in @35 and the total with insurance and return shipping was about 13.50 each.

Whatev. Still more than $2.

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:15 am

KO2003 wrote:
Naw man, I 'm not talking about buying a CGC graded copy of every piece of crap lying around or sending in every monthly subscription comic to get a 9.8 copy. What I was referring to was Valiant Pre-Unity CGC comics, CGC key issues and some of the more collectable issues of late. Example,I won three auctions for Solar #4,#5 & #7 graded at 9.6 for $15 a piece. I bought them from the same seller who only charged me $15 for shipping from Canada. I am very pleased with them and I am not even considering upgrading to 9.8's ( unless it was like a $10 buy-it-now )
I am content to buy a quality comic that I like in 9.6 condition. I only buy CGC copies of comics that I plan to have in my collection for a long time. This is my philosophy for buying comics.

Yeah, ok, you hadn't clarified in the first post, and I was just giving an example. There's a lot of 9.4 and 9.6 modern stuff up now, and I just wonder at it...$20 for a 9.4 Batman #406? Please. I'll take the raw 9.8 for $2, thanks.

The GRADE of the book is all that matters to me, raw or not.

By the by...I've done the 10% thing, too....got what I am sure is a 9.6 #6 and #7 (we'll find out in March) Conan for..get this...$4 EACH from a dealer. Yay me!