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Purchasing a key Plod

Started by BucOne-migration,

34 posts in this topic

VintageComics

VintageComics

Posted
Posted

I've got lots of PLOD books so that means that I own a book that looks like it's worth $50,000 for less than 1/10th the price.

 

(thumbs u

 

On many the resto is so minimal you can't even spot it.

 

They will also have upside but not in the same increments as the unrestored copy will have...still there are plenty of nice PLOD books to be found cheap.

 

 

R.

 

 

 

 

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The Troll King

The Troll King

Posted
Posted

It's really all about personal preference.

 

If it's a book you like, the price is decent, and you're ok with the restoration... BUY IT.

 

If you don't someone else always will.

 

MAJOR key books are many times unaffordable unless they are restored copies.

 

Minor tear seals and minor color touch don't bother me. Trimming, cleaned covers, replaced staples DO bother me.

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ft88

ft88

Posted
Posted

Another couple of things. Comic values do not go up forever, and therefore while unrestored keys have greater percentage upside potential, by definition they have greater percentage downside as well.

 

Another point. Many unrestoreds GA keys have plenty of "notes" that create a muddy middle. Slight color touch, glue, or piece of tape get a blue label and many view that as quasi restored so resale value, even if the market value doubles may not be as high.

 

Then there are Green Label books. Such as, married covers, ceneterfolds, staples replaced that aren't nearly as hammered as an extensive restored book.

 

And finally, level of restoration and providence is a key. Pieces added or major reconstruction are a bid problem to the market. Are there before and after pictures of the work done. etc.

 

Many things to consider.

 

Ed

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Wally's Comics

Wally's Comics

Posted
Posted

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm new here and would like to say this is a great forum to better educate me on comics.

Now getting to my question, Do key GA and SA plod books have any upside potential?

or is it better to purchase the best universal grade you can afford?

 

 

 

Welcome to the Boards!

 

First and foremost buy what you like...

 

I have seen both plods and the unaltered rise in value.

 

Go for it!

 

(thumbs u

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Bruce1971

Bruce1971

Posted
Posted

I would try to stick to universal. If I was to buy PLODs I would go for books with slight work, even better if you might be able to remove it without lowering the grade to much if needed.

 

If you are talking silver age books I would stay 100% away from PLODs. Way to many copies out there, more then enough to meet demand. I would only pay for a book what the grade would be with the resto removed if it could be removed.

 

You not only have to think about upside potential but liquidity as well. PLODs are generally a hard sell unless you discount heavily or the book is truly rare.

 

Bruce

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JazzMan

JazzMan

Posted
Posted

I wouldn't mind an MMC, early Action Comics, early Detective Comics, AF15, ASM 1 PLODs. It will all depend what you want to do with it. If it'll stay in your collection then a PLOD will do, especially a key one. If you're looking to sell, then you will have to be picky.

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dikran

dikran

Posted
Posted

Nothing wrong with PLODs as long as you weren't duped into buying it raw unrestored and got a nasty surprise from CGC. PLOD 9.0s look much nicer than Blue 5.0s for 1/10th the price. Either way in another 50 years all GA books will be reduced to dust.

 

Plus, without restoration there would be no Sisteen Chapel ceiling or Last Supper...

 

:jokealert:

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Mio

Mio

Posted
Posted

There's a brutal stigma that hangs around the purple label currently. I think in the longer-term this will lesson on golden aged books as more and more of them get rusty staples [replaced] etc.

 

Especially if the restoration is minor (cleaned cover, sealed tear...) I would not hesitate to pull the trigger on a key golden aged PLOD at the right price. I don't know if trimming will ever be appealing, so would stay far, far away from those books.

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Mr. Zipper

Mr. Zipper

Posted
Posted

Right now there is a strong stigma attached to PLODs and my sense is the pendulum will swing the other way eventually... especially if key books move beyond the means of most collectors, there will be increased demand for PLODs with slight work.

 

Books with slight resto are 99% original parts. In many cases they are priced irrationally low now.

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trmoore54

trmoore54

Posted
Posted

I have a collecting goal at present of ASM 1-100 and FF 1-100 in CGC 9.0 or better. When I get to the very expensive books (which is pretty much where I'm at) the blue labels are largely beyond what I'm willing to pay, at least for now, so I'm happy to fill the whole with a PLOD for a FRACTION of the price for the same grade in blue.

 

As people have mentioned, trimming is extremely frowned upon and most people here have two categories of PLOD, trimmed restored books (deal-breaker) and non-trimmed restored books. As previously mentioned, some PLODs have just a single very small dot of color touch for example, while other books have EXTENSIVE restoration. Obviously if this were the same book in the same PLOD grade, the slightly restored book would (or should) be worth much more than the extensively restored book. (And some minor restoration can be removed and the book returned to an unrestored grade, but doesn't necessarily mean you'll get the same grade in blue, most likely not...).

 

But I've seen PLOD sales prices often be about the same for minor and major restored copies in the same grade...meaning people see the PLOD and they're all the same in the potential buyer's mind...to me deals can be had here by concentrating on minor restored books.

 

I'm not thrilled about trimmed books but I own a few...view them as placeholders until a non-trimmed PLOD comes along or I can afford a blue label.

 

There have been discussions here and elsewhere that maybe someday CGC would have a tiered designation somehow alerting collectors and buyers, and presumably establishing tiered values for a given PLOD book in a given condition...somewhat like W, OWW, OW and COW pages assign different values to the same book in the same grade. I've always thought this would be a very logical and welcome development...but I haven't heard if this still has any steam to it and/or no real interest by CGC or others...

2c

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BucOne-migration

BucOne-migration

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

thanks for all the responses. I was looking into key GA plod books, such as Cap 1, Batman 1, early AC superman covers and early Tec batman covers. I noticed CGC grades on these books are about 50/50 for early GA but only a very small fraction for key SA. I would agree to stay away

from SA restored books.

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