mephistopheles

On 3/29/2024 at 4:01 PM, EastEnd1 said:

Well said... I agree entirely.  There's no point to a 9.9 pre-screen... based on the rarity of getting 9.9s with the countless 9.8 pre-screens that have already been submitted, the cost/benefit simply shouldn't be there, UNLESS you're moving the goal posts. 

Bingo. I predict the 9.9 rate will need to be bumped up to 3-5% from the current < 0.1% or no one will buy into the 9.9 pre-screen money grab. 

On 3/28/2024 at 4:55 PM, COI said:

I saw an interview Matt Nelson did sometime in the last few months where he said that the decision to give a book like this a 9.9 is made by multiple people. As in, when the grader decides this is a potential 9.9, more people are called to weigh in. Based on that alone, you could see how a number of circumstances (like introducing a 9.9 prescreen, recently making an official video about 9.9s and 10s, and so on) might impinge on that decision process. 

Again, we don't know, but if you're a fan of simple explanations, it doesn't seem far fetched to bump a high profile book to 9.9 because it dovetails nicely with a new marketing initiative. That doesn't mean this is what actually happened, but I think it's much more plausible than you're making it out to be.

Matt walks by the grading floor "Let me see that GSX!" (flips through it) "Looks like a 9.9 to me." 

Do you dare disagree with the big dog as a mere peon?

On 3/28/2024 at 4:10 PM, namisgr said:

It looks stunning to me, with the edges and corners really standing out, along with clean cover.  But I've only seen scans of 9.8s, and images don't always show everything there is to see, so I don't have much to compare it to.

Honestly, I have seen better looking 9.4-9.6's. 

On 3/28/2024 at 4:02 PM, BrashL said:

You forgot option D: Bronze and Modern will be graded on a different scale going forward and this is just the start. If that's the case then yes, that's a sea change.

I would argue they always have.

3.0

5.0

6.5-7.0, shame about that crease on the back. 

9.4

9.6

8.5 spine tics and color rub on back.

On 3/27/2024 at 3:14 PM, MAR1979 said:

With pressing 9.2/9.4. Seeing a bunch of color breaking spine ticks/breaks that should preclude it from grading higher.

 

I only see 2 on the back, otherwise it's a beauty. A solid 9.4,

8.0, alot of spine tics.

Am I seeing things or are there weird creases on the left side front and back? Bad pressing?

6.0

4.5

8.0-8.5

2.0

8.0-8.5

Need better lighting.

9.4, make sure you press those creases on the back out.

On 3/16/2024 at 7:47 PM, Upgrayedd2 said:

First and foremost, I am so happy to see CGC is providing Grader Notes for 9.8s and 9.9s.

I just discovered you can have the following defects and get a 9.9 for the only 9.9 graded Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 (Marvel, 1968). 

CGC Grader Notes:

Spine Small Chip Out

Top Front Cover Small Crease

I looked at the comic very close, and I believe the small crease is above the CCA box. However, the certification number did not appear in the registry when I looked it up: 0010138012. I'd like to know when this comic was graded.

 

Grade Date

02/21/2000

That is crazy. There appears to be no consistency in grading, and silver age seems to get graded much more lenient.

My last submission of 25 was peppered with:

light bends to cover
light creasing to cover
light spine stress lines to cover

but no finger bends. I think they just randomly pick their favorite bs notes from a dropdown list in their grading application. Everything was pressed and there were no creases/bends. I learned my lesson. Never submitting again without a prescreen.

8.5 might be a stretch. You have a lot of spine ticks plus a corner crunch. I would put in the 7.0-7.5 zone, but sometimes you get a harsh grader. As for having similar experience, yup. This is easily in the 9's and they graded it 7,5 Unfortunately it's not worth the time/money to resubmit.

On 3/8/2024 at 3:33 PM, Stefan_W said:

About 80-90% of my Ebay sales are to the USA.

The charge depends on a few things, including packaging, whether you have a business account with Canada Post, and how much you are paying for your boxes. I charge a flat rate of $25 to anywhere in North America even though it does not cover my shipping expenses because I know people will not pay more. 

Here is a funny thing about shipping to the USA - because it is transferred to USPS a couple of our local charges do not apply, at least not in the same way, including the fuel surcharge and taxes. This leads to some bonkers situations. For example, one day about a month ago I had one box with a slab in it going to Hawaii and another same size box with a slab in it going to a city two hours down the road. Shipping to Hawaii cost me $24.12 and the one down the road cost me about $28. You will find stuff like this happening again and again. 

In the past I used to hate orders from the USA, but now I love shipping down there because I save so much in shipping costs (mean avg approx $3.50 per shipment for me).  

Yeah I've been selling stuff on ebay for a few years and never could understand why shipping domestically cost more. 

If you don't mind me asking, what type of boxes do you use for shipping single slabs? Assume you use $25 flat rate boxes for Canada, but what do you pack US bound slabs in?

Wondering how well they work.

https://geminicomicsupply.com/products/graded-comic-book-mailers?variant=44362089693439