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Getting started

Started by tchalla8,

18 posts in this topic

tchalla8

tchalla8

Posted
Posted

Alright guys....right up front. I'm a newbie to this, so instead of asking a lot of questions that's going to take up a lot of your time to answer, can you point me to links with those answers maybe here on the forum somewhere.

 

I was a collector in my younger days (36 now), but then I got away from it for a whle. I'm very interested in the CGC thing both as collector and investor.

 

Is there a link that gives advice on how to get started on using CGC as a way to enjoy the hobby again?

 

Mainly, these things.

 

How do you guys evaluate your books before determining whether to send them for grading or not? Most likely it's based on past experience with CGC, but if you're starting from scratch are you just destined to screw it up initially before you figure out which books are worth getting graded and which are not? Or is there a way to look at your "raw" books and say "Yeah, i can get a 9.8 on that." Or "Nope...this is a 9.0. Not worth it".

 

Anyway, if there's a link you can point me to that will answer a lot of these beginner questions, I'd appreciate you posting it for me. I've looked over the forums and didn't see anything addressing this kind of thing, but I'm sure I could have missed it. Definitely would like to know recommendations for getting started.

 

And I'm curious. Why did you guys getting into the CGC business? Is it a combination of collecting and profiting? I'm sure both are part of the equation.

 

Sorry to take up your time. Feel free to trash the newbie, but I'm very interested in what and how you guys do your hobby via CGC.

 

Gracias

 

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DiceX

DiceX

Posted
Posted

First of all, welcome to the boards. :foryou:

 

To learn how to grade, go here.

To find out how much certain books sell for in certain grades, go here.

 

Don't be afraid to submit a few books to help you learn. Be prepared for many big surprises until you get the knack.

 

I suggest using the modern tier (1980 and up) to learn as it's a much cheaper lesson.

 

Finally, you're in the right place. All the tools you need to learn are here. Just start reading, and be sure you ask questions when you can't find an answer.

 

 

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rodan57

rodan57

Posted
Posted

Also, buying CGC graded books and looking at the defects in relation to the grade helps.

 

This is good advice. (Even spending some quality time at a show scrutinizing CGC books helps.) (thumbs u

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FFB

FFB

Posted
Posted

You should immediately buy a copy of the Overstreet Grading Guide, Second Edition.

 

Don't waste your money on the Third Edition. It's garbage. Second Edition is way better.

 

This will answer most of the early questions you'll have about grading. Spending time in the grading forums is a great way to go too, but I think your time there will be far more conducive to your learning if you get acquainted with the Overstreet Grading Guide (or "OGG" as we like to call it) before you spend too much time watching other forum members grade books.

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thehumantorch

thehumantorch

Posted
Posted
Alright guys....right up front. I'm a newbie to this, so instead of asking a lot of questions that's going to take up a lot of your time to answer, can you point me to links with those answers maybe here on the forum somewhere.

 

I was a collector in my younger days (36 now), but then I got away from it for a whle. I'm very interested in the CGC thing both as collector and investor.

 

Is there a link that gives advice on how to get started on using CGC as a way to enjoy the hobby again?

 

Mainly, these things.

 

How do you guys evaluate your books before determining whether to send them for grading or not? Most likely it's based on past experience with CGC, but if you're starting from scratch are you just destined to screw it up initially before you figure out which books are worth getting graded and which are not? Or is there a way to look at your "raw" books and say "Yeah, i can get a 9.8 on that." Or "Nope...this is a 9.0. Not worth it".

 

Anyway, if there's a link you can point me to that will answer a lot of these beginner questions, I'd appreciate you posting it for me. I've looked over the forums and didn't see anything addressing this kind of thing, but I'm sure I could have missed it. Definitely would like to know recommendations for getting started.

 

And I'm curious. Why did you guys getting into the CGC business? Is it a combination of collecting and profiting? I'm sure both are part of the equation.

 

Sorry to take up your time. Feel free to trash the newbie, but I'm very interested in what and how you guys do your hobby via CGC.

 

Gracias

 

First things first, welcome to the boards. You sure asked a long box full of questions. Follow Dice's link to the grading forum. Read as many of the threads as possible. Study the scans, guess the grade and then compare your grade to the other posted grades. Keep in mind that some defects are hard to grade without the book in hand but by and large the grades suggested are usually close to CGC grades.

 

The other link Dice provided leads to GPA. GPA is a database of reported sales of only CGC graded comics. You can test GPA out but after that it will cost you a monthly fee. It is certainly well worth the expense to me. I also like to check out other auction/dealer sites like Ebay, Heritage and Comiclink for recent sales prices.

 

Check out the CGC census which is a database of every book CGC has ever graded. Before submitting to CGC it is important to know how common a book is in a certain grade. If you submit a fairly expensive book and it comes back as the highest graded book in the census, i.e. best known copy, you've hit the jackpot tiger.

 

http://www.cgccomics.com/

 

You may be required to create yet another CGC user name and password, then click census

 

I don't submit comics to CGC for reselling but I don't like to buy expensive books unless they are CGC graded. There are lots of overgraded books out there and lots of books that are sold without disclosed restoration. I think of CGC as insurance, a promised grade and all restoration revealed or discounted. The CGC market report from last year's Overstreet guide discussed the high percentage of expensive books that graded as restored. The CGC report also stated that many of the people who submitted books were upset with the discovered restoration and had bought the book as unrestored.

 

 

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tchalla8

tchalla8

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Posted

Thanks for all the answers and links, guys? I know it's a PIA to explain all this every time some new guy shows interest.

 

Part of my goal is to take select books I currently have....get them graded...and sell them to help finance getting the books I truly want. Let's say I have predominantly modern age stuff (1980 and up...a run of Frank Miller DD, for example). Just based on what I'm seeing so far, it seems like if you don't get a 9.8 on a modern age book, you might not even make back the money you spent on it to get it graded in the first place unless it happens to be a specific book. Almost like if its not a 9.8 people don't want it unless there's something significant in the book (1st appearance, etc)

 

Am I right in this assessment?

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tchalla8

tchalla8

Posted
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OK, last question for the night, and I'll leave you guys alone. I can't seem to find anything about how CGC evaluates books that are signed and authorized by Dynamic Forces. I know they aren't CGC witnessed signings, but how does CGC look at signed books from Dynamic Forces?

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DiceX

DiceX

Posted
Posted

They will not certify a signature unless it was witnessed by a "Signature Series" dealer. The books you have can be graded, but they will put it in a green label slab (Qualified). The green label denotes that the book has some significant defect on an otherwise higher grade book. In this case, the signature is viewed as it had been signed by possibly anyone. It doesn't mean it wasn't signed by the creator, it just means that CGC does not certify signatures other than those that a representative of CGC has physically witnessed.

 

 

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mschmidt

mschmidt

Posted
Posted
They will not certify a signature unless it was witnessed by a "Signature Series" dealer. The books you have can be graded, but they will put it in a green label slab (Qualified). The green label denotes that the book has some significant defect on an otherwise higher grade book. In this case, the signature is viewed as it had been signed by possibly anyone. It doesn't mean it wasn't signed by the creator, it just means that CGC does not certify signatures other than those that a representative of CGC has physically witnessed.

 

 

Dice is right on the money - in general, you'd never want to submit already-signed (and not CGC-witnessed) books to CGC because of the green label "stigma". It's called a GLOD (Green Label of Death) around here because they pretty much automatically detract from the value of a slabbed book.

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DiceX

DiceX

Posted
Posted
in general, you'd never want to submit already-signed (and not CGC-witnessed) books to CGC because of the green label "stigma".

 

Unless THIS is the book. ^^

 

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