alexanderjk

Well, now I know why my lightning-fast, five-week TAT for CCS and FT grading for two modern comics happened: CCS didn’t even press the books, apparently.

Posted a thread in the grading and restoration forum. 

(Oh, and a bonus corner bend that wasn’t there when I sent it, and wasn’t even acknowledged in the notes.)

On 3/28/2022 at 10:10 AM, Stefan_W said:

I am about to send in a modern FT in a couple of days from now. Based on what people here are saying it is exceptionally fast once it hits SFG, but the slow part right now is it is taking a month or more to even get the boxes open and into the system. Once this backlog clears out though it should be pretty smooth sailing. 

That was my experience. Took three weeks to open my two comic Modern FT w/CCS pressing submission, then a week and a half total at CCS/CGC, and then shipped. Assuming the currently-in-transit package arrives this week, my TAT was about five weeks. 

Thread of the year right here. Fun and inspiring to witness this community pitch in to problem-solve the OP’s missing books.

On 3/18/2022 at 7:28 PM, shadroch said:

If all you want is to preserve it, a $2 mylar does the job just as well as an $80 slab.

Seconded. 

A Mylar with a full-back board will look just as good, IMO. Decided not to slab any of my Silver Age DD because they look so good in the higher quality bags.

On 3/11/2022 at 8:53 PM, Poekaymon said:

I disclose any significant scuffing and significant newton rings.  Have had some that were truly awful but the pics didn't show it well.  I generally try to avoid returns even if it means losing bids/sales.  Minor scuffing I wouldn't bother.

I do same. A 9.8 Joe #1 I sold looked like the slab had been dipped in oil. Sold for $200 less than other books in its grade, but couldn’t, in good conscience, not mention the defect in the listing.

But kudos to MCS for taking pics of the slab blemishes and noting them in the listing. Picked up this ASM #252 for a good price, which may have been due to this scuff mark. May reholder eventually (it’s for my PC), but can live with it, especially at a $75 discount. 

How many of you would be bothered enough by the scuff mark to pass?

On 3/9/2022 at 4:46 PM, Turtle said:

Am I the only one that likes the look of the green stripe on the gold label for this particular book?  I think the whole thing looks terrific!

Blows that the label doesn’t include the artist’s name, but the yellow label does look really sharp. Beautiful art and slab. 

On 3/5/2022 at 3:34 PM, THE_BEYONDER said:

Savage beating on that Marvel  Premiere 1 

And DD168. Paying $13K for a book that shows up on eBay for $6500 is absolute insanity. 

On 3/6/2022 at 4:24 AM, Ryan. said:

Since when is Marvel Age 36 a $100+ book? 

Prices may have gone up due to this recent Woman Without Fear variant cover.

On 3/4/2022 at 10:26 PM, Poka said:

Don't think submitters of 25-50 books are the reason. More like the 3-5 signing events CGC is announcing every week and which get grading priority

TAT on economy is now 11 months

People submitting 50-100 modern books at a time, every month, are absolutely one of the reasons why TAT are so long. 

More dollar bin fodder getting the just-announced-in-the-MCU/Sony boost.

I have a couple of other SA comics that aren’t stapled at the spine, but instead, a couple millimeters into the book, as pictured. Is this a manufacturing flaw, sign of resto, just the way comics were assembled in ‘64?

On 2/2/2022 at 3:04 PM, valiantman said:

The CGC 9.6 that sold for $700 was a newsstand #155.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/143747232882

CGC 9.6 direct editions of #155 are available under $400.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125042473923

There are only direct editions for the GIJoe Special 1995, so that one's got no "competition" for collector preferences.

Yeah, prices on #155 are pretty stable. I sold a slabbed 9.6 direct with white pages for $400 three years ago. 🤷🏻‍♂️

On 1/29/2022 at 11:42 AM, B2D327 said:

It’s a scam to get you to “buy” it outside of eBay by contacting the seller. I see similar posts for rare audio equipment all the time and just report it. Done correctly, the auction disappears and the account is shut down

You’re right. All of the listings disappeared within minutes of my post. Also remembered that a couple of the pics were from other auctions that I’d been following. 

So what’s the catch here? Eight or so slabbed DD #1s posted at once with a starting bid of $1. No BIN option, but BIN price listed in description. All pics have diff backgrounds. UK-based seller, but ships from Santa Monica. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Daredevil-1-cgc-6-0-First-Appearance-Of-Matt-Murdock-Karen-Paige-N-Foggy-/175134059709?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

On 1/26/2022 at 4:12 AM, BDubs said:

I sent this package registered mail and there hasn't been an update since January 20th... 

Your item departed our USPS facility in SARASOTA, FL 34260 on January 20, 2022 at 12:31 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.

This is my worst nightmare as it contained all the low quantity CGC 9.6/9.8 comics for TMNT teens as well as a perfect condition Malibu Sun 13 first appearance of Spawn...

 

Fingers crossed for you, but for what it’s worth, something similar happened to one of my first submissions to CGC three years ago (well before USPS’s current troubles). Had visions of my thousands of dollars worth of comics just sitting on someone’s desk, waiting to be processed, or worse, sitting in the back of a USPS truck, getting crushed daily by other deliveries. A couple days later the books showed up on CGC’s site for processing. Guessing yours have arrived at CGC already, but weren’t signed for to show delivery. 🤞🏻

On 1/23/2022 at 7:33 AM, ADAMANTIUM said:

Those are sweet prices. If condition is a issue, then that is a bonus. A reader copy, and one for other uses too, perhaps.

 

😉😉

I mainly collect DD, so my grail(s) outside of a high-ish grade DD #1 are slabbed 9.8s of nostalgia-triggering favorites like DK #2, Power Pack #1, Elementals #1, Fantasy Quarterly #1, Conan #1, etc. About a couple dozen issues total that ignited my love of comics. 

On 1/19/2022 at 7:22 PM, SuperBird said:

Daredevil 168 CGC 9.4
Thor 337 CGC 9.8!

DD 168 is my pick as well. But I’d snag a high-grade raw, CGC it and hope for a 9.6, and use the difference — $150 to $200? — on  a high grade raw of a book with long term potential. 

On 1/19/2022 at 1:59 PM, revat said:

good luck, and although its obviously more expensive to go standard, putting them both on the same form does save a LITTLE bit in invoice and shipping fees.  If you send now for press and sub, you're probably in line to get them back for a Christmas gift to yourself (hopefully Halloween gift).  

Sounds like standard is the way to go. Didn’t even consider that timeline, but you’re right: opening that box will be a great “gift” to myself. Thank you for the input! 

On 1/16/2022 at 6:55 AM, FoggyNelson said:

On 1/19/2022 at 10:53 AM, revat said:

I agree that they will eventually "catch up".  BUT I don't think it's worth it to wait, assuming you can afford it now and don't mind having your comics out of hand for a while.

For example, lets say it would currently take a FULL Calendar year for the whole process for press and sub right now.  But at best six months from now the whole process would take 9 months, which is a significant 25% improvement.  But you wouldn't get your comics back until 15 months from now, which means you would get your graded comics back later (meaning you might miss the chance to capitalize on a price spike in the 3 month difference), and you might be subject to CGC raising (or USPS/UPS) raising their prices on either grading/pressing/membership/shipping or any or all of the above within the six month wait (prices don't go down).  Now if you've got your money invested in something with a pretty good return for the six months (good for you!) prior to submission then maybe it's worth a wait for a shorter actual submission turnaround time.

 

As for submission tiers:

DD 131 Is almost certainly a 'standard' submission unless you think it'll press to a 9.8.  But I would submit as 'standard' and CGC can upcharge you later if they deem it necessary.

DD 168 I would submit 'modern' if you think it'll go 9.4 or less, and let CGC upcharge if they think it necessary.  If you're sure it'll go 9.6 or higher it should be 'standard', then you can submit on the same form as 131.  If you go modern, than fast track is optional of course.

Generally if you think you're near a border of tiers, you can try to submit to the lower tier in (reasonably) good faith.

Thank you! This is all super helpful. 

I may move in the next 15 months, which adds an additional wrinkle, but I’m not in a rush to get the books back as I have no intention of selling. I’m guessing an email or phone call to CGC can resolve that issue. 

I’ll take your advice and submit both to the standard tier (pretty confident that they’ll grade at 9.6), hope for the best, and then…wait. Sigh.

On 1/19/2022 at 9:03 AM, Kevin76 said:

Wait till they catch up before submitting, but thats up to you

Thank you for the reply. No snark here, but will they ever “catch up”? 

Been about three years since I last submitted to CGC, and before I take the plunge again (and steel myself for a year-long wait for the books to come back to me), I figured I’d ask the experts here for some advice first. 

I have two high grade DD keys (131 and 168) that will definitely be submitted for a clean and press, but which which service should I pursue?
 

On 1/15/2022 at 8:31 PM, kimik said:

Check out the prices people are paying for the recent facsimile editions of the SA and BA keys. As the big keys price out segments of the market, the reprints rise as well

Crazier still is that these facsimile editions are being slabbed and sold at a premium. (At least at my local shop, where they have a shelf devoted to slabbed facsimiles.)