Pedigrees... are they really worth the cash

[goodrockrich]

I was perusing videojug.com and came upon a video with Mark Zaid about Pedigree comics. In it he didn’t flat out say that a vf pedigree book is nicer than a normal vf book but he sure did imply it. I was just wondering what everyone thinks about pedigrees and is such a book really worth the extra cash? Here is the link to the video.

 

http://www.videojug.com/interview/comic-book-pedigrees-2

 

This is my virgin post so be gentle

 

[divad]

[Boozad]

[John A III]

I think the only thing between a pedigree and a normal book is the idea of owning something the is recognized as a pedigree by an company. Other than that I can't think of anything different between two copies of the same name and grade that would make one more special than the other, unless it is signed or something extra done to one

[thehumantorch]

I don't think the grade of a pedigree book is any higher. I think they are worth more because they have a history or provinance. Some of the more popular pedigrees such as the Pacific Coast or White Mountain or Green River have multiple collectors actively seeking out those books. They sell quickly and for more money. I think they are worth more and I've started picking them up when I can find them.

[Benchwarmer-migration]

Hadn't really given pedigrees that close a look. It might be fun to own a couple. If I wanted to buy a few without breaking the bank, which ones should I consider first? The ones you mentioned sound pretty pricey to start.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[buttock]

Some (WM, MH, PC, Spokane, Salida, Reilly, Larson) are particularly desirable due to the state of preservation. In many cases, a copy from that collection is more desirable than another in similar structural grade due to the overall freshness of the book. Others (e.g. Crowley, Rockford, Crippen) are not as fresh and don't really command a premium.

 

 

[Benchwarmer-migration]

I would be more interested in cheaper Silver or Bronze age pedigrees to start with. Those are all Golden Age, right?

[PokerKid]

I would be more interested in cheaper Silver or Bronze age pedigrees to start with. Those are all Golden Age, right?

 

White Mountain and Pacific Coast will have plenty of silver age. Green Mountain is pretty much a silver age collection.

There are a couple dozen or more pedigrees, so you will find them. Just keep an eye on the books you are interested and you will eventually come across pedigrees of those books. You can then decide if they are worth the price they command. Some books, your answer may be an easy "Yes, it is worth it."

[Benchwarmer-migration]

Thanks! I appreciate the information. I guess I have to do a little more homework before jumping into this area of collecting.

[drbanner]

For me, all things being equal, I would not pay much of a premium for a Pedigree over an identical, non-pedigree book. That said, I would pay a premium for a fresh/glossy/bright colored copy with nice PQ over one in identical grade that might have a little less eye appeal but be a little more structurally sound. So...what you end up with is a premium for Pedigree books that are "same grade" but look nicer, it's all in what you prefer - less structural defects vs. a fresher book.

[Benchwarmer-migration]

Got it. (thumbs u

[Speedy-D]

I'm still pretty baffled by the incredibly-high-end collectors. I think a lot of aspects of that type of collecting, a pedigree being a great example, are neat, but not worth any money, especially the kind of money they pull. If a comic is a 9.0 it's a 9.0 as far as I'm concerned. What do I care who bought it originally? If CGC, or a dealer or whoever, is going to give a comic a higher grade because of the provenance, that's pretty lame. I like to think CGC doesn't do that.

 

Also, the fact that people are paying such high premiums for pedigrees must result in dealers and the industry in general trying to crank out as many as possible. Why wouldn't they? If they can manufacture a pedigree, get people excited about it, and triple their profits, that sounds like a no-brainer to me.

 

But as with just about everything in the comic collecting world, to each his own. If you get off on knowing who owned your comic before you, or who bought it originally, then pay what you think it's worth and consider yourself lucky. It's not for me, but that just means you have one less collector competing with you for the buys.

[goodrockrich]

Freshness? This is what Zaid was talking about. What do you mean by freshness w vs ow vs cream? Is this not something taken into account when getting a book slabbed? Can pedigree 9.2 be fresher than regular 9.2? I understand the prestige factor, I would pay more for a Mile High copy also, but when talking straight grade a 9.2 should be a 9.2 regardless of pedigree or not.

[namisgr]

Freshness? This is what Zaid was talking about. What do you mean by freshness w vs ow vs cream? Is this not something taken into account when getting a book slabbed? Can pedigree 9.2 be fresher than regular 9.2? I understand the prestige factor, I would pay more for a Mile High copy also, but when talking straight grade a 9.2 should be a 9.2 regardless of pedigree or not.

 

The numerical grade does not take into consideration a number of features important for the overall appeal of a comic: cover color preservation, whiteness preservation, cover registration, staple placement, squareness of cut, cover cleanness. If you collect comics and not labels, then these factors in addition to the structural grade and page quality are very important.

 

Provenance is important to some collectors, because without it a high grade book might just be one of very many. After all, most Silver Age Marvels from 1965 and later are available in high grade in abundance. Rather than owning one of 24 copies of Thor 134 in 9.4 or better, some would rather own the one and only Thor 134 from the Pacific Coast pedigree collection in 9.4.

[divad]

Freshness? This is what Zaid was talking about. What do you mean by freshness w vs ow vs cream? Is this not something taken into account when getting a book slabbed? Can pedigree 9.2 be fresher than regular 9.2? I understand the prestige factor, I would pay more for a Mile High copy also, but when talking straight grade a 9.2 should be a 9.2 regardless of pedigree or not.

 

The numerical grade does not take into consideration a number of features important for the overall appeal of a comic: cover color preservation, whiteness preservation, cover registration, staple placement, squareness of cut, cover cleanness. If you collect comics and not labels, then these factors in addition to the structural grade and page quality are very important.

 

 

What he said.

[divad]

For me, all things being equal, I would not pay much of a premium for a Pedigree over an identical, non-pedigree book. That said, I would pay a premium for a fresh/glossy/bright colored copy with nice PQ over one in identical grade that might have a little less eye appeal but be a little more structurally sound. So...what you end up with is a premium for Pedigree books that are "same grade" but look nicer, it's all in what you prefer - less structural defects vs. a fresher book.

 

Me and Dr. B agree . . .

[Rocketeer]

....FIRST RULE OF CGC CLUB....

 

 

1.) Buy the book,...not the label,...

[Guest Grails]

I don't have much interest for many of the pedigree collections out there but I have and will continue to pay a premium for Church copies over any other copy in the same grade.

[goodrockrich]

I always thought that the grade took those above mentioned details into consideration. It's all making sense now. That being said buying CGC books of the the internet isn't as fool proof as one would think. All 9.2 books are not created equally.