Hello everyone!
I'm a high end Yu-gi-oh! collector (mostly world championship cards), but I have also collected 100s of graded cards. I recently have been wanting to cross over into graded comics. Mostly keys of comics that I've enjoyed over the years (majority being bronze age). I'd also like to note that even though I spend large amounts of money on these items, I am not an investor of any kind. My goal is not to make money, so I'd appreciate if the advice was not revolved around doing so.
I'm wondering what grades would be considered worth collecting for actual condition? To give an example, I'd like to use trading cards. Simply put, a PSA 10 sells for less than a BGS 10 a BGS 10 will sell for even less than a BGS Black Label. Generally, BGS 10s and Black Labels are pretty rare to come buy but are a complete sham. There are no real visual signs of a BGS or black label being better than a PSA 10. I could give a dozen reasons for why this is, but essentially it's a grade for investors. I'm wondering if that exists in comics. At what grade does condition reach its absolute peak? The difference between a 2.0 and a 9.0 is obviously large, but is there a difference at all between a 9.6 and a 9.8 for example? If you can visually see an improvement in condition I am all for paying the extra money, but an imaginary improvement for the sake of money is not for me.
I would like to note, that I believe even the smallest upgrades in condition are worth paying for. If it turns out that a 10.0 is even slightly less damaged than a 9.9, I support the price increase. However, if those two are identical in reality, it's not worth it for someone who's not investing in the comic since you are buying the grade and not the comic at that point. Interested to hear what the veteran collectors think about this, and I appreciate the advice!