High Grade CGC books - How long will they last?

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

Is there an implied length of time that high grade CGC books will last? I wonder if anyone has witnessed any decay in older higher grade CGC books. The distinction between a 9.2 to a 9.8 is so miniscule that it seems that the books themselves might be able to suffer damage while encapsulated that could lower the grade.

 

Boxes of CGC books in dealer stock boucing around in the back of the van on the way to the comic show are certainly being subjected to low levels of destructive wear. Boxes of CGC books in private storage where they do not move are obviously under much less stress.

 

Anyway, maybe this has been covered but it crossed my mind today while looking at some posts on paper degradation.

[BustedFlush]

I would think anything subjected to long hauls in the back of some venders' van would degrade, from faux broad swords to Teletubbie figurines. We should consider switching hobbies from comic book collecting to empty CGC case collecting. That plastic is sweeeet.

Please PM for mailing address on where to send those damaged HG books.

[Tomega]

The distinction between a 9.2 to a 9.8 is so miniscule

 

 

That is like saying the distinction between having all 10 fingers and losing 3/4 of a thumb is miniscule.

It does not sound like much until it happens to you.

[Monkeyman]

Another question is "How old a slab would you buy?" I crack out all the slabs that are going into my long-term collection. I have been asked why I do this because I will have to pay to get them reslabbed when I want to sell. My thinking is "Who will want to buy a 20 year old slab anyway?" Grading standards change, slab damage occurs, who knows what has happened to the page quality, etc...

 

Would you guys buy a book that has been in a slab for 10 years (we are there now with the earliest slabs)? 15 years? 20 years? 25 years? I am already suspicious of the grades on slabs with old labels, but will still buy them if they look good. Where is the cut off?

 

Mike

[nearmint]

A lot of folks think that books in old-label slabs were graded tighter than new-label slabs, making them an attractive purchase.

[DiceX]

A lot of folks think that books in old-label slabs were graded tighter than new-label slabs, making them an attractive purchase.

 

I disagree. Grading is still tight. Given that they have been in business for as long as they have, I think they're pretty consistent. Given the occasional anomaly, of course. But they're human.

 

I think the appeal of the older slabs is that pressing wasn't as rampant as it is now, so you're more likely to get a book that has not yet reached it's potential.

 

 

[Norrin_Radd]

The distinction between a 9.2 to a 9.8 is so miniscule

 

 

That is like saying the distinction between having all 10 fingers and losing 3/4 of a thumb is miniscule.

Yeah. Those statement are roughly similar.

[joe_collector]

Would you guys buy a book that has been in a slab for 10 years (we are there now with the earliest slabs)? 15 years? 20 years? 25 years?

 

That's a major concern of mine as well, as some of the SCS I've seen has been horrible, yet the grade remains consistent, potentially forever. Or how about some water-damaged books that are still being sold at the stated grade?

 

CGC makes buying unrestored books easier, but there are a lot of negatives to the grading game.

[Mr. Zipper]

Would you guys buy a book that has been in a slab for 10 years (we are there now with the earliest slabs)? 15 years? 20 years? 25 years?

 

That's a major concern of mine as well, as some of the SCS I've seen has been horrible, yet the grade remains consistent, potentially forever. Or how about some water-damaged books that are still being sold at the stated grade?

 

CGC makes buying unrestored books easier, but there are a lot of negatives to the grading game.

 

I presume there will be some point when critical mass is achieved, that is, a significant numbers of slabs contain books that have clearly degraded from their label grade simply due to frequent handling, age, poor storage, slab damage, etc.

 

It'll be interesting to see what happens. I suspect there will be a lot of unhappy buyers handcuffed with "no returns on CGC books" policies.

[COI]

As long as the label remains legible, there's no problem.

[Inaflash]

That's true. Its very important to buy the lable and not the book.

 

Ken

[Monkeyman]

A lot of folks think that books in old-label slabs were graded tighter than new-label slabs, making them an attractive purchase.

 

This may be true, but will people be willing to buy one of those old slab in 2025 or will the collecting community start wanting it to be regraded? I personally can't see myself buying a book that was graded 25 years ago. Imagine if a dealer tried to sell you a raw book today with the sales pitch that he graded it in 1985 and hasn't looked at it since. Of course, a CGC slab is more secure than a mylite, but you get the idea.

 

Mike

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

TOmega, I think you missed my point, or perhaps I can state it more clearly.

 

The difference between a 9.2 and a 9.8 is so small that it can be dramatically affected by the handling of the slab. That is what I am trying to get at here.

 

For those collectors paying many multiples of guide for very high end copies this has to be a concern. I assume that they view these purchases as investments and as such must be concerned about the preservation of their investment. Having witnessed the degradation of many of my comics over the last 20-30 years as they were moved around this is an issue that surely must be considered.

 

By the way, I would grade my hands a solid 9.2 and they have all appendages attached!

[paperheart]

TOmega, I think you missed my point, or perhaps I can state it more clearly.

 

The difference between a 9.2 and a 9.8 is so small that it can be dramatically affected by the handling of the slab. That is what I am trying to get at here.

 

For those collectors paying many multiples of guide for very high end copies this has to be a concern. I assume that they view these purchases as investments and as such must be concerned about the preservation of their investment. Having witnessed the degradation of many of my comics over the last 20-30 years as they were moved around this is an issue that surely must be considered.

 

By the way, I would grade my hands a solid 9.2 and they have all appendages attached!

 

ever hear the story of how steve wynn put his elbow through a Matisse that he had sold for $40mm- mess happens.