Valiant CGC books.... does it lead to the dark side ?

hotshot_JVB · Post by **hotshot_JVB** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:05 am

Hello everyone ,

I love Valiant books , but I do not own any CGC books.

The pre-unity books look so amazing in that CGC case. If I got started collecting them , I'm afraid I'd never stop.
( classic covers , amazing value , Story by Jim shooter)

Has this happened to anyone ?
Can someone tell me the joy of CGC ?

Thanks hotshot_JVB

greg · Post by **greg** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:22 am

I would say that it's more about the "joy of knowing"...

That is, I had a large amount of pre-Unity books before there even was a CGC...
for some books, I had dozens of copies. But what condition were those books, really?

I don't have a local source for pre-Unity Valiant books,
so EBay has always been my primary source of books.

I sent in many of my pre-Unity books to CGC and I got 9.6 and 9.4 for the most part...
I got a few 9.8s and I got a few 9.2s (and lower!)

The questions I had to ask were...
"Do I want to keep rolling the dice and buying books that are really 9.4s?"
...or...
"Do I want to know for sure what condition the book is in before I buy it?"

Since I already had (stacks of) books that were "unslabbed", it was easier
to just buy a CGC 9.8 or a CGC 9.6 than to send in my "best copies" and
have them come back anywhere from 9.8 to 8.0.

I've got "reader copies", so it's not a matter of the books being "unreadable in the slab".
I've got "nice copies", so it's not a matter of the books being "missing" from my "keeper" collection.

What I didn't have was the assurance that a particular pre-Unity book was in my collection
in a 9.6 (or better) condition... somehow surviving the bargain boxes and poor storage
that many supposedly "near mint" books suffer from... wondering if my best copy might be around 9.2.

CGC gave me the "joy of knowing"... not just for the grade on the slab...
but for the fact that I could ALSO have unslabbed high grade copies in my longboxes,
and that I don't have to rely on "EBay luck" in order to be sure anymore.

dave · Post by **dave** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:53 am

but greg, knowing is only half the battle.

iggy101us · Post by **iggy101us** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:59 am

dave wrote:but greg, knowing is only half the battle.

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:18 am

dave wrote:but greg, knowing is only half the battle.

Knowing is also half the hassle.

-slym (likes his sig line)

JustCallMeAric · Post by **JustCallMeAric** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:39 am

well said greg

IanAlexavier · Post by **IanAlexavier** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:58 am

With the help of a friend, Ryan, I was able to send in about 13 books that came back mostly 9.6's and 9.8's. I was very happy with my submissions.

Do I feel compelled to do more? A bit. I already have my next stack ready to go to be prescreened. Out of the 30 books that I THINK might come back 9.6 or higher, I will probably get less than 15.

For me, the fun is about looking through my collection and determining which books might be in that 9.6-9.8 range. It was quite a learning experience.

Also, as I go to conventions or go LCS'ing, I know what to look for. Even if its a 'common' it might be worth something in CGC form.

For me its not about owning a 9.8 A&A gold.. or a Magnus 12 9.8... I could care less about those.. its all about enjoying the hunt

Ok, so that last line is complete rubbish!! LOL

Dr. Solar · Post by **Dr. Solar** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:24 pm

CGC will only lead to losing your money and soul.

Daniel Jackson · Post by **Daniel Jackson** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:29 pm

Dr. Solar wrote:CGC will only lead to losing your money and soul.

Hahaha

BloodOfHeroes · Post by **BloodOfHeroes** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:37 pm

I don't have any CGC. I, personally, don't see the appeal of CGC. But I did find this quote after a Google search:

I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. Not like CGC. CGC is soft and smooth.

CGC does lead to the dark side. Q.E.D.

gavster · Post by **gavster** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 1:53 pm

For me it's knowing I have the best of what I can afford at the time, the chase for perfection. CGC collectors are a breed apart I think. Yes I still love to read the comics but after I've read them several times I don't read them again, I just want a perfect copy.

http://comics.www.collectors-society.co ... SetID=7002

If you start to collect them you will feel the need to get them all, maybe not now but certainly in the future, its like an addiction, why only get the #1's when you can get the #2's as well, then its only a few more if you get the first appreances, then you have a few gaps to make a full run.

Right now there is a bucket load of pre-unity stuff on EBay going for very modest prices, this is a great time to get into it.

iggy101us · Post by **iggy101us** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 2:10 pm

gavster wrote:Right now there is a bucket load of pre-unity stuff on EBay going for very modest prices, this is a great time to get into it.

For sure. My guess is that prices are about 20% off compared to a year ago for slabbed pre-Unity.

gavster · Post by **gavster** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 2:25 pm

iggy101us wrote:
gavster wrote:Right now there is a bucket load of pre-unity stuff on EBay going for very modest prices, this is a great time to get into it.
For sure. My guess is that prices are about 20% off compared to a year ago for slabbed pre-Unity.

At least.

lobo · Post by **lobo** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:11 pm

iggy101us wrote:
gavster wrote:Right now there is a bucket load of pre-unity stuff on EBay going for very modest prices, this is a great time to get into it.
For sure. My guess is that prices are about 20% off compared to a year ago for slabbed pre-Unity.

Lower than 20% in a lot of cases. NOW is the best time to buy CGC Valiants. Some great deals out there...

maraxusofkeld · Post by **maraxusofkeld** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:48 pm

Hey lobo, nice sig line

xodacia81 · Post by **xodacia81** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 7:15 pm

Does it lead to the dark side? I wouldn't know. I've been too broke to put money in CGC, yet.

*SQUEE* · Post by ***SQUEE*** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:07 am

Dr. Solar wrote:CGC will only lead to losing your money and soul.

But you can sell your books later and get your soul back.

Dr. Solar · Post by **Dr. Solar** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:43 am

My serious answer - since I have sold all but two of my CGC books (Solar 1 and 2):

I don't like having CGC books. In my mind, I know when I have good books. I know some of my books are NM/Mint, and I don't need CGC to tell me that. In fact, CGC might not agree for some reason, and a book that to ME is a 9.8 might to CGC be only a 9.6. Their opinion is valid, and so is mine. The difference between 9.6 and 9.8 is splitting hairs as it is.

That said, I can see the appeal of CGC books. You know they are recognized by others as being in great shape (if they are 9.6/9.8), and they make for a spectacular collection. The CGC collections of some of the guys on this board are amazing, and beautiful to see.

The best thing to do is to try it. Buy a couple books, or submit a couple books, and see how you like having those slabs. They might be the prize of your collection, or they might just be other books in a funny plastic holder.

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 2:00 am

Dr. Solar wrote:My serious answer - since I have sold all but two of my CGC books (Solar 1 and 2):

I don't like having CGC books. In my mind, I know when I have good books. I know some of my books are NM/Mint, and I don't need CGC to tell me that. In fact, CGC might not agree for some reason, and a book that to ME is a 9.8 might to CGC be only a 9.6. Their opinion is valid, and so is mine. The difference between 9.6 and 9.8 is splitting hairs as it is.

That said, I can see the appeal of CGC books. You know they are recognized by others as being in great shape (if they are 9.6/9.8), and they make for a spectacular collection. The CGC collections of some of the guys on this board are amazing, and beautiful to see.

The best thing to do is to try it. Buy a couple books, or submit a couple books, and see how you like having those slabs. They might be the prize of your collection, or they might just be other books in a funny plastic holder.

Great post! To throw one of my

in here, it is NEVER a bad thing to buy "slabbed" books at or below the cost of the same book in "raw" grade. My personal story, I have an Uncanny X-Men #135 that I bought for less than $20 shipped, CGC 7.5. That's less than it costs to slab it, and a few bucks less than it was worth at 7.0 raw. I looked at this book and looked at this book, and I can't see anything wrong with it. I even called CGC for grader's note but they didn't say anything in particular, SO - I cracked this thing out of the slab, look it over inside and out, and SWEAR that it's an 8.5-9.0, easy. I can't find any hidden stains, no nothing. So... there is that. I'm not saying it happens often, and I'm not trying to sell anyone a 9.0 that CGC said otherwise on, but they aren't perfect. Take that either way you want.

-slym

slym2none · Post by **slym2none** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 2:04 am

The other one of my

is that, for me, the only reason to get a book graded is now one of two things (I have to revise this for one reason I'll get to):

1) to sell the book, since online sales, esp. eBay buyers, trust a CGC grade over what you think it is, no matter how good you may be. I have had five books slabbed, and they are all either for sale, have been sold, or in one case, given away.

2) if you have an older book, a Bronze key or any nice Silver age or older, CGC has a pretty good restoration check. The "competition" isn't as trustworthy, so if there is any doubt, the price they charge is well worth the resto-check alone.

-slym

greg · Post by **greg** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:15 am

The order of progression to the dark side could be seen as:

FEAR - that you missed a good story
1) Buying comics you want to read in whatever condition reading is possible.
(Some may stop at this point.)

ANGER - that reading copies look raggedy
2) Buying comics you have already read in the best raw condition possible.
(Some may stop at this point.)

HATE - that no one believes your grading skills
3) Buying comics you have already read in the best slabbed condition possible.
(Some may stop at this point.)

SUFFERING - felt by the wallet, the wife, and the wasted life
4) Buying comics you have not read in the best slabbed condition possible.
(Some who reach this point never stop.)

JustCallMeAric · Post by **JustCallMeAric** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:25 am

Thanks Yoda Greg

Dr. Solar · Post by **Dr. Solar** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 11:47 am

Speaks wisely does Darth Greg.

Before you know it you will be hunting down and exterminating the last of the CGC deals.

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:32 pm

I'd like to state for the record that collecting CGC Valiants is not addictive.

So, I'd be happy to sell you some. The first one is $15. The next two are $20 each. The next three are $30 each. At this point I can just charge whatever the hell I want and you will pay it smiling from ear to ear because you need 4 registry points to go from 47th to 46th place.

It's not the dark side, it's perfectly safe. Keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle and ignore the broken safety bar...

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:34 pm

*SQUEE* wrote:
Dr. Solar wrote:CGC will only lead to losing your money and soul.
But you can sell your books later and get your soul back.

That's what YOU think Mr. #1 Registry Set....