9.8 vs. 9.6 and future value

[Mac Man]

Well.. the way I understand the difference between a 9.6 and a 9.8 is by looking at the difference between a 1.5, a 1.8, and a 2.0. THOSE grades I know pretty well, and yet, I sometimes hear from some senior board members that they tend to get a little when it comes to the lower grades. At that level, the books generally seem to appear the same. To me, once you get to 9.2 or higher, they're all the same--but that's not my Comic-OCD. Show me a weak 1.5 or a strong 1.8 and the difference couldn't be more clear. But that IS my Comic-OCD.

 

What do I think about the values? Again, I can understand the values by looking at the values of my low grade books. I hear ever so often how low grade books will retain little to no value and it's not worth the investment. Without taking my love of collecting these bugger books for granted, they still manage to do well with online sales. And while they might not command book prices, they also sell well here on the boards. Why, it works within the structure of certain collectors' Comic-OCD needs. In like fashion, 9.6s and 9.8s will still retain some value down the road as they too feed into certain collectors' Comic-OCD needs. Do I think they will retain their non-collector investment value? Certainly not. But I don't think they'll all become table coasters.

 

[dekeuk]

To me, once you get to 9.2 or higher, they're all the same

 

 

Are you saying 9.2 is good enough for you and you don't need a higher copy? If so, then fine, to each his own.

 

Or are you saying there is no physical difference between a 9.2 and a 9.8?

 

If so, then I disagree.

 

Because I have about 30 bronze 9.8's in my collection, and there is a HUGE difference in the number of small defects between a 9.2 and a 9.8 if you look closely at the book

 

The reason I refuse to collect 1975-1983 bronze in 9.2 is because I already have a decent raw copy of all the Batman books from that era, plus 9.2's are everywhere, they are extremely common.

 

Where is the challenge in that?

 

 

But try to get a copy of each book in 9.8.... THAT is a challenge.

 

Most are not even available to purchase even if you wanted to buy them. It will take me 10 years to get a copy of every book from 1975-1983 in 9.8, maybe even longer.

 

That is the reason I collect them in 9.8..... because it is DIFFICULT.

 

 

[Mac Man]

To me, once you get to 9.2 or higher, they're all the same

 

 

Are you saying 9.2 is good enough for you and you don't need a higher copy? If so, then fine, to each his own.

 

Or are you saying there is no physical difference between a 9.2 and a 9.8?

 

If so, then I disagree.

 

Because I have about 30 bronze 9.8's in my collection, and there is a HUGE difference in the number of small defects between a 9.2 and a 9.8 if you look closely at the book

 

The reason I refuse to collect 1975-1983 bronze in 9.2 is because I already have a decent raw copy of all the Batman books from that era, plus 9.2's are everywhere, they are extremely common.

 

Where is the challenge in that?

 

 

But try to get a copy of each book in 9.8.... THAT is a challenge.

 

Most are not even available to purchase even if you wanted to buy them. It will take me 10 years to get a copy of every book from 1975-1983 in 9.8, maybe even longer.

 

That is the reason I collect them in 9.8..... because it is DIFFICULT.

 

 

Easy, read what you quoted from me--I even highlighted it for you. That's just MY opinion. And I was making reference simply to the argument others had about the difference in grading between a 9.6 to 9.8 and how I better relate to my fellow collectors who prefer the other end of the market through comparing it the differences in the lower grades. There is a difference to those who specialize in it, and for those who do not, the difference is not as noticeable or (sometimes) at all important.

 

You and I have no beef, so no need to defend yourself or your collection (thumbs u

[divad]

Two recent 9.8 stories - right here in River City

 

1st - John (cd4ever) posts a Secret Wars #8 in one of his sales threads, says something like, "not much wrong with this book, except for a small bend to the LRFC - let's call it a 9.2". It gets buried by about eight pages of the usual graemlin chatter and fanboy exchanges, and no one buys it - 2 days later (no Sherlock) I buy it along with a couple others in a "mop up" deal with John. Arrives a couple of weeks later, and I can't see a thing wrong with it - the "bend" turns out to be barely visible (if at all). I put it in with my next 3-book modern submission, and VOILA! 9.8

 

2nd - I cherry pick a local collector's 16 long box collection of late BA to moderns - don't even open most of them, as the price is right and I'm going for all popular items and keys. I pick-up about 30 books and head home. I list a few here, including a solid copy of Hulk #340 which I put at 9.6. Joe (joeypost) is interested but tells me I have to leave something on the table for him, as "raw 9.6's" are basically a dime a dozen. I resist ordering a dozen, and come off my price $15 and cover shipping as well. Three weeks later he drops me a thank you note: scans of his new 9.8 Hulk #340.

 

We're all adults here, and we know there is always an element of chance involved, so we all listen to what sounds reasonable and make adjustments (if you think it's easy to routinely submit 9.8's - and I'm talking about books of a certain age - it's not.) But the point really is -- it IS somewhat ARBITRARY! 9.8's (particularly, books from 1980 on) are passing through our hands all the time, and many of us don't have the time, interest or motivation to submit them.

[ChemEng]

You can tell by the analysis here:

 

http://www.gregholland.com/CGC/statsbydecade.asp

 

For comics from the 70's, 9.4 and 9.6 are really the average, whereas a 9.8 is harder to get, but doable. By time you get the 80's, average grades are pretty much around 9.6, with a good chance of finding 9.8's. For the 90's and today, anything less than a 9.8 won't have a lot of resale value because a 9.8 are still common to come by.

[seanfingh]

[

 

And as for there being no difference to the naked eye between a 9.4 and a 9.8..... that is also wrong. There is a noticeable difference. But yes, there is little noticeable difference between 9.6 and 9.8 to the naked eye.

 

 

This is a little misleading from my experience. The visual difference in a 9.4 and a 9.8 will be evident many times, but not all the time. The main instance includes when the back cover is the determining factor. You would be hard pressed to tell the difference in many 9.4s and 9.8s if the 9.4 is being downgraded for NCBC or slight fingerdents on the back cover. I have many of these in my collection, many of which I have subbed myself. With my eyesight, I need magnification to catch everything going on on a white back cover. There are a lot of absolutely gorgeous Bronze books that are sitting in 9.4 and 9.6 holders. I do not argue that the 9.8 will almost always be technically superior, but it sometimes requires magnification to tell.