How to CGC pre-screen?

mrwoogieman · Post by **mrwoogieman** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 9:00 am

I'll add a comment or two:

Even if you pre-screen your books before you send them in, then pre-screening by CGC would still make sense as a fail-safe device. Let's say you can pre-screen accurately 100% of the time (no one can, sorry, the best I'd give ANYone, even CGC'ers, is 99% accuracy, less for the vast majority of 'people who can grade', and much less for everyone else). So, you send the books in and you are looking for x grade and above; you've already done your pre-screening and you are confident that your books are all x and above. Sweet, good job. Now, those who are WISE with their money would be pleased to hear that someone's got their back. Simply give CGC the heads up that these books are to be pre-screened at x grade and above (something you've already done, to be sure). Okey-dokey CGC says, we will pre-screen for x grade and above. And what happens? Either

1) CGC finds that, in fact, every single book submitted was x grade and above (how about that? 100% accuracy!) and therefore the TOTAL COST OF THE PRE-SCREEN WAS $0. How nice. Imagine in this day and age, a service from a company that doesn't cost you any money. Or, alternatively,

2) CGC finds that, in fact, one or more of your pre-screened books has certain defect(s) that keep it from x grade and above. Shock, horror! Humans who can allegedly grade are taken to the figurative woodshed by CGC when 1 or 2 or 3 of their 50 or more books turns out to have some kind of something which decreases the grade (a lot or ever so slightly, doesn't really matter)? Who would've thunk it?! The result? CGC kicks those 1 or 2 or 3 books and charges you $2 or $3 a kicked book, as opposed to the alternative of encapsulating the book below x grade (which you didn't want to happen anyway, thus the pre-screening) and charging you full grading rate for those kicked books. So, let's see: $2-9 for kicking one to three books, or $12-$36 (modern tier cost with standard 20% discount, not including shipping and insurance since you pay for that in either case whether kicked or approved and graded). Hmmmm, which would you prefer: to pay LESS or to pay MORE?

Nothing to argue about as far as I can see....

Vault-Keeper · Post by **Vault-Keeper** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 9:20 am

Hey Greg! If a fight breaks out here, can you please not erase my Grading Guide?:)

depluto · Post by **depluto** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 10:05 am

Vault-Keeper wrote:Hey Greg! If a fight breaks out here, can you please not erase my Grading Guide?:)

It's funny how some of these threads just kind of cruise along on a low boil ...

myron · Post by **myron** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 1:19 pm

I think ZWH and VK have both had great input in this thread...hopefully it won't degrade (there might be another person or two who should keep their potshots to themselves)

one thing no one has mentioned (as far as I've found) is how are you getting these books to CGC...if you are going to a show where they are doing on site grading, great...then if you know how to screen yourself and are confident in your ability don't use CGC's pre-screening (not even sure if they would do it that way on-site anyhow)

BUT

If you are sending via usps, I would think you would want to use the screening service...we've all had packages damaged in the mail, regardless of how well they've been packaged...I would call the service a CYA type of thing...you can't guarantee they are going to arrive at CGC in the same condition they left your abode, so to be on the safe side, pre-screen...It may not have anything to do with your grading ability...

just my $.02

DawgPhan · Post by **DawgPhan** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 6:19 pm

myron wrote:I think ZWH and VK have both had great input in this thread...hopefully it won't degrade (there might be another person or two who should keep their potshots to themselves)

one thing no one has mentioned (as far as I've found) is how are you getting these books to CGC...if you are going to a show where they are doing on site grading, great...then if you know how to screen yourself and are confident in your ability don't use CGC's pre-screening (not even sure if they would do it that way on-site anyhow)

BUT

If you are sending via usps, I would think you would want to use the screening service...we've all had packages damaged in the mail, regardless of how well they've been packaged...I would call the service a CYA type of thing...you can't guarantee they are going to arrive at CGC in the same condition they left your abode, so to be on the safe side, pre-screen...It may not have anything to do with your grading ability...

just my $.02

Some people might believe that a CYA kinda thing shows an inability to do something. I think that they would argue that there is no need to CYA when you are perfect and would never have that need. Some of us think that CYA is just an insurance policy. You pay a little bit more for peace of mind.

ckb · Post by **ckb** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 6:20 pm

You know a thread has been around too long.......

...when the stuff at the top starts to reappear at the bottom, being said by different people....

Not that I mind! Keep em coming!

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 7:09 pm

mrwoogieman wrote:I'll add a comment or two:

Even if you pre-screen your books before you send them in, then pre-screening by CGC would still make sense as a fail-safe device. Let's say you can pre-screen accurately 100% of the time (no one can, sorry, the best I'd give ANYone, even CGC'ers, is 99% accuracy, less for the vast majority of 'people who can grade', and much less for everyone else). So, you send the books in and you are looking for x grade and above; you've already done your pre-screening and you are confident that your books are all x and above. Sweet, good job. Now, those who are WISE with their money would be pleased to hear that someone's got their back. Simply give CGC the heads up that these books are to be pre-screened at x grade and above (something you've already done, to be sure). Okey-dokey CGC says, we will pre-screen for x grade and above. And what happens? Either

1) CGC finds that, in fact, every single book submitted was x grade and above (how about that? 100% accuracy!) and therefore the TOTAL COST OF THE PRE-SCREEN WAS $0. How nice. Imagine in this day and age, a service from a company that doesn't cost you any money. Or, alternatively,

2) CGC finds that, in fact, one or more of your pre-screened books has certain defect(s) that keep it from x grade and above. Shock, horror! Humans who can allegedly grade are taken to the figurative woodshed by CGC when 1 or 2 or 3 of their 50 or more books turns out to have some kind of something which decreases the grade (a lot or ever so slightly, doesn't really matter)? Who would've thunk it?! The result? CGC kicks those 1 or 2 or 3 books and charges you $2 or $3 a kicked book, as opposed to the alternative of encapsulating the book below x grade (which you didn't want to happen anyway, thus the pre-screening) and charging you full grading rate for those kicked books. So, let's see: $2-9 for kicking one to three books, or $12-$36 (modern tier cost with standard 20% discount, not including shipping and insurance since you pay for that in either case whether kicked or approved and graded). Hmmmm, which would you prefer: to pay LESS or to pay MORE?

Nothing to argue about as far as I can see....

As I said...if it's FREE (as in, there's no cost if you get no kicked books), there's no reason not to use the service.

You're right, that's a no brainer.

now we'll see how many books I get kicked next (and by kicked, I mean 'surprised with a MUCH lower than expected grade', I have no intention of sending in 50+ books at a time to even QUALIFY for pre-screening...and for the record, the score is so far CGC 0, ZWH 10, with 10 books [mainly Byrne X-Men in 9.0-9.4 shape] grading within a 1/4 grade...I graded a quarter grade LOWER than they did...which is the standard margin of error.)

ZephyrWasHOT!! · Post by **ZephyrWasHOT!!** » Sun Dec 19, 2004 7:12 pm

DawgPhan wrote: Some people might believe that a CYA kinda thing shows an inability to do something. I think that they would argue that there is no need to CYA when you are perfect and would never have that need. Some of us think that CYA is just an insurance policy. You pay a little bit more for peace of mind.

I'd hate to be that person, and I've yet to meet anyone like that. That's just uncalled for hubris, and is bound to lead to a downfall.

If books are damaged by the USPS (which, as I said before, is the #1 reason *I* am squeamish about sending them in that way) then OBVIOUSLY it's not a reflection of the sender's ability to grade.

That's another no brainer.

So...down boys. No one's said anything about being perfect, so enough with the giant killer posts, huh?