Motor City Rob

8.0. Very nice!

8.5. Beautiful!

I was way too harsh on the Four Color (7.5). Even if I ignore the small piece missing on front cover bottom right corner, and the stain on back cover bottom right corner...maybe the book is a 9.0. Not sure how we get to 9.0 with those other defects included. Golden Age halo effect? 

Beautiful book. Looks like an 8.5.

Hard to tell from the picture, but if that's a tear on the upper left back cover (along the top edge), might be an 8.0.

On 7/30/2022 at 5:12 PM, Black Bat said:

Here's a good one

https://www.ebay.com/itm/374195429311?hash=item571fc91fbf:g:h4QAAOSww9Vi5WkT

no way this is a 5.0

No surprise. Seller with one item listed and no feedback as a seller. 

On 7/30/2022 at 1:08 AM, Tedsaid said:

You don't just count up defects and total the points to get a grade.  You look at the book holistically, and then use defects (or virtues) to refine the overall grade of the book. 

Yep!!! 

On 7/29/2022 at 4:52 PM, DC# said:

Working the CL Session 1 recap.   In the meantime....another WTH sales on Heritage.      90 day is around $1700 for newsstand.   Did someone think this is Canadian variant?  

 

Makes no sense. Not even white pages. There are better prices on ebay right now with WP . Predicting this one will be for sale again very soon.

Even though I clean and press my own books, Signature Series books can only be cleaned and pressed by CCS, if you want to keep the yellow label. I've sent in four SS books in the past to CCS. Three had no grade change and the other got a slight grade bump. Overall happy with their work, but I only use them for SS books. 

On 7/26/2022 at 10:53 PM, WolverineX said:

 

Well done.  Right before the pain hits in a few months

What's hitting in a few months?

On 7/24/2022 at 7:49 PM, Lightning55 said:

If you are going to be sending slabs regularly, and want to double box, I'd recommend ordering some 1097 and 1095 boxes from usps.com.  They're free. 

A slab with small bubble wrap around it should fit into the 1097, and you can add whatever extra materials (more bubble wrap, peanuts) you feel appropriate to keep it centered. 

Then that box can go into the 1095, again with some room to add packing at the ends, very small margin of room at the edges of the 12" dimension. 

I tape a 6" long strip of small bubble wrap onto the middle of each of those narrow 3" box sides, and when you slide it into the 1095, it's a snug fit along the width.

 

Agreed. 1097 inside a 1095 is the way to go!!!

That is a good question. I have never had that happen to me, but I will assume that it will ship as a separate tier.

On 7/20/2022 at 1:18 AM, Tnexus said:

Let's just ignore the fact that there's enough potential evidence for someone to create a class action lawsuit against two giant companies, but sure, let's blame socialism...

On 7/20/2022 at 1:25 AM, Domo Arigato said:

And just how much "potential evidence" is required to create a class action lawsuit? 

 

My thoughts exactly.

I had to read the first comment a couple times. 

On 7/14/2022 at 8:22 PM, Ed Hanes said:

I just sold a slew of comics on MCS auctions..everything I bought between summer 2021 and jan 2022 ( I bought at FMV posted by online source )..these were all impulsive buys ...and yes..I was a fool to buy them (we will get to the reason why in a second) but to my defense, I suck at saving money and how I prevent myself from spending money on useless stuff? ..is to buy comics I can sell later. 

What I had were some silver age ASM, FF and Xmen, some golden age (whiz comics 155, captain marvel 80, tracy feature book 6 and batman 80), bronze age ASM, Avengers 196. I did really great on the whiz comic...only made my money back on the ASM and the other golden age but lost a lot on the Xmen and FF...overall I lost about 15-20 % on my return.  I still have some bronze age and modern at auction in this auction group but it's not looking good for Young Avengers 1 and Marvel team up 141...although my ASM 4 first silk is doing pretty good

Just my two cents worth..my regret is putting my money into the silver age FF and Xmen (except for the FF 48/49 I am keeping)...that was a really bad call...live and learn

 

Anyway, I have been selling on MCS since last September, trying to get rid of all my impulsive buys over the pandemic (maybe I am not alone)  ..this was my first significant loss ...luckily my earlier sales compensated for this one

 

 

BTW, I have noticed a very significant rise in listings on MCS website (non auction) of silver age ASM's over the past couple months

Appreciate you sharing. I'm surprised that your Silver Age FF and X-Men did not do well. Usually that stuff is like gold. 

On 7/14/2022 at 1:25 PM, Ice Cream Bunny said:

"Buy the book, not the label". 

Words of wisdom.

Unfortunately, I see it differently. If people want to chase a label, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. If others chase the book and don't care about grades, that's great too!!!

On 7/14/2022 at 11:37 AM, toro said:

Whatsnot sales data?  

Instagram sellers?

GPA should just have a category for NerdyGirl sales.  I swear all of the geek boys go crazy for her and her friends sales on WhatNot and Instagram.  I will watch for a while, but honestly can't believe how some of the guys trip over themselves trying to show who has the biggest bankroll.

I couldn't agree more about whatnot.  Blows my mind that someone will pay $25 for a FN copy of Avengers #335 when you can get a NM copy for $5 (or less) all over ebay. This is just one of thousands of examples on whatnot. 

I feel like I'm missing something. Noone in their right mind would do that.....would they?

Your start is better than what a large majority of collectors can do in a lifetime. Well done!

As for comments about 9.8 grades,  I see it differently than some others on the boards.  If someone wants to chase 9.8 books, and pay a large premium for it, then I say go for it!  I applaud collectors who want nothing but 9.8s in their collection. I also applaud collectors who do it differently. The point is, collecting is fun because everyone has their specific interest and only each person knows what they enjoy.  Unfortunately, you will run into some people that that will try to tell you that what you find enjoyable is stupid.  Just ignore them and go with what you like.

Looking forward to seeing your next acquisitions.

On 7/12/2022 at 7:17 PM, Lightning55 said:

That was one person's opinion, which they are entitled to.  Some may agree, some may disagree, whatever.

Some people chase high grade books.  That's ok.  Other people may think they are crazy.  That's ok.  I bet some who chased the high grade books made out well financially over the years, some maybe not so much.  People are free to make their own choices.

Completely agree that everyone should be able to collect how they want. Also, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But part of the fun of the boards is diving into opinions and having entertaining discussions. Unfortunately, sometimes those opinions are more based on emotion than based on facts, and we really don't get anywhere. Oh well. 

On 7/12/2022 at 11:02 AM, F For Fake said:

I think the disagreement here is due to differing interpretations of the original intent of the phrase "buy the book, not the label" as it has been used on these boards as long as I've been here, and no doubt much longer. It's a general statement meaning that not all books in a single grade are created equally, so look at the book in question. There are 9.8's sitting in 9.6 slabs, and vice versa. And even buying online, you should be able to get some idea via scans and pics. For instance, eBay, or CLink, or whoever, may have a dozen copies of Spawn #1 9.8 at any given time. But these copies aren't identical, and if you look at the scans, you can get an idea of which 9.8 is the best. Some books present better than others, even in the same grade. You can find some really beautiful 9.6's, hell, even 9'4s, that look as good as the same book in a 9.8 slab.

So, it's not sour grapes or jealousy, it's just good advice, generally speaking.

Now, if someone wants to apply that philosophy to ultra highgrade books like 9.9's and 10's, the phrase would have a different connotation, I'd agree. In those instances, sure, it seems like a buyer may be chasing a label rather than the book because frankly, for a long time, the difference in a 9.8 and a 9.9 could be practically invisible, and seemed somewhat arbitrary. So, the logic of "overpaying" for a 9.9 or 10 when they are oftentimes virtually indistinguishable from 9.8's could be called into question, especially when we're talking about thousands upon thousands of dollars in difference of cost. In those instances, I'd say it's less a matter of "buy the book not the label", and more "caveat emptor". With shipping, mishandling, SCS, etc, I wonder how many 9.9's and 10's that were slabbed years ago would still qualify for those grades? To me, it would be too risky to pay a premium for those grades. If I hit the lottery upon submission, better believe I'd be selling the book ASAP, picking up a 9.8, and pocketing the difference. But in 20 years or so of subbing, I've only hit a 9.9 once.

At the end of the day, everyone should collect how and what they want, but I do think that the "buy the book" philosophy, as originally intended, is a good one.

The original statement was that the TF1 9.9 buyer was "the poster child for the classic example of a CGC label chaser buying the label, as oposed to buying the book."  How can anyone make that assumption? When that statement is made, so definitively, with zero information on the book, the buyer, the circumstances, etc...it sounds completely misplaced, among other things. 

On 7/12/2022 at 2:10 AM, Lightning55 said:

No more ridiculous than concluding that anyone buying ANY graded book in ANY particular grade is 100% getting an accurately graded book.  There are discrepancies throughout the world of graded books, sometimes large discrepancies.  You have to be diligent.

==============================

My comment was mostly about your interpretation of the "Buying the book" mantra.  It has nothing to do with raws.

My first line in that response is "Buy the book, not the label" means that you shouldn't go exclusively by the grade on the slab.  It means that you shouldn't blindly accept the grade on the book, especially since you are the one who may be forking over big money to buy it. 

Maybe the comic isn't even in the same post-grading condition for a variety of factors - shaken comic syndrome, physical damage (dropped), not properly stored (humidity affecting it).  You would want to be comfortable with the grade assessment, in agreement.  And that becomes more important as the price point increases.

Which led to: "Some people make the mistake of relying too heavily on the label, and now own a 9.8 that is hard to sell because no one is convinced that it is a 9.8."

=============================

As for the Transformers 1 at 9.9, I have no particular opinion on that specific purchase.  If the buyer is happy, and the seller is happy, what more could you ask for?

I am saying that there are 9.9's out there that should/could be 9.8's.  And maybe some 9.8's that should/could be 9.9's.  The difference is so fine, almost impossible to quantify.  And yet the prices are exponentially different.  Buyer Beware.

 

 

 

 

Agree with inspecting books before you buy them. But for the millions of auctions that happen each year, there is no way to know for sure if the book is properly graded since you don't have it in hand. So how can anyone put that label on a buyer? Remember, this all started with someone saying the TF1 9.9 buyer was "buying the grade and not the book". Using that logic, then you might as well put the same label on the millions of CGC auction winners each year. Makes no sense. Just comes across as sour grapes from grumpy (or jealous) boardies. 

On 7/10/2022 at 8:56 PM, Ryan. said:

I think he's a CBCS grader now.

Correct.

On 7/9/2022 at 11:59 PM, Lightning55 said:

"Buy the book, not the label" means that you shouldn't go exclusively by the grade on the slab.  If it is a 9.8 with some very visible defects, which are out there in numbers, you might pass on it until you find a 9.8 that looks like a 9.8 to you. 

Or one that a consensus of people would agree is a 9.8.  Not one that, through divine intervention, accidentally became a 9.8 on a certain magical day.  Check out the actual book in the slab very carefully, as best as you are able.

Many times there are 9.8's held up to example, experienced people giving their opinion, the majority overwhelmingly saying NOT a 9.8.  Don't buy that book.  Same for any grade, not just the top grades.

Some people make the mistake of relying too heavily on the label, and now own a 9.8 that is hard to sell because no one is convinced that it is a 9.8. 

And a 9.9?  Odds are 999 out of 1000 that if you cracked that and resubmitted it in the very same condition, it comes back a 9.8.  Or worse.  Just depends on the grader, the day of the week, the atmospheric pressure, the roll of the dice.

Appreciate all the detail, and no offense, but everything you just said isn't applicable at all to the original comment about the buyer of the 9.9 TF1. Are you saying that buyer was just "buying the grade and not the book"? Is your conclusion that anyone who bids on a book that they can't physically hold and inspect for themselves to guarantee it's the grade stated on the label...is just buying the grade? I'm sorry but that's utterly ridiculous. 

On 7/9/2022 at 6:35 PM, THE_BEYONDER said:

To preserve the copy you bought off the stands well enough to get a 9.9 is a great accomplishment.   Dropping 45k on a pre-existing copy isn’t an accomplishment at all.   I suppose having the extra 45k to drop on a 9.9 copy could be considered an accomplishment though....

Definitely an accomplishment IMO. The same as someone dropping 45K to get an AF15 2.5. Just because someone likes a TF1 9.9 more than AF15 2.5 doesn't mean they are wrong.

Fantastic!!!!!

On 7/7/2022 at 9:50 AM, mycomicshop said:

Our structure already creates decreasing percentages, just not 1% or 0%:

The things our service is doing that MySlabs isn't:

• saving you labor on shipping/fulfillment: make one large shipment or drop-off with us, vs packing and shipping however many individual shipments to buyers. We've recently had drop-offs/convention pickups of several hundred slabs, 1000, 2000 slabs at a time--that's a tremendous amount of labor the consignor is saving not doing hundreds or thousands of individual shipments to buyers.
• imaging
• submitting books to CGC for grading/reholdering if desired
• storing your items until they sell (desired in some circumstances, not in others)
• putting your book in front of our audience on MCS, and eBay, and most recently StockX (currently for a very small segment of our inventory because they haven't expanded their catalog much yet)
• making your book accessible to buyers worldwide at pretty reasonable shipping rates, without you having to worry about complications of shipping internationally
• insulating you from buyer issues including fraud, returns, and misc questions/complaints
• insulating you from shipping issues: damaged and lost shipments, etc.

Our service is more comparable to CL, CC, and HA in terms of what we do for our consignors, and they're charging 10% or more. If we were to expand into also offering a marketplace service in which we're not physically handling books for people, I think we would do that really well. We could offer that platform with lower rates though I don't want to speculate on what we would choose to charge.

Thanks for the clarification. On your website, I missed the detail where commission reduces to 8%. Obviously customers would love to see even smaller fees but I understand you guys offer more than than most other consignees and there is value to that.