Upgrading GA books - share your stories!

[Kakapo]

Afternoon everyone,

 

I was fortunate enough to locate an upgrade for my Archie 50 recently, from a gap-filling 1.8 to a that's-more-like-it 3.5. Now, since even a 3.5 is at the low end of what I'd like to have, I may well buy another one in the future - or two, or three.

 

I'm guessing most of us would buy an 8.0 to replace a 2.0 if the price seemed reasonable, but what about a 4.0 to replace a 3.0? A 9.4 to replace a 9.2? How much improvement would it take to make you go through the hassle of selling the undercopy? Or would you just hoard them?

 

Has anyone bought a large number of copies of a particular book, slowly upgrading along the way?

[143ksk]

I think you already know most of my upgrading stories

[kelholt]

About 7-8 months ago I picked up one of my favorite books in the run of Planet Comics, issue #33. It has an awesome cover and is extra tough to find in high grade due to a mostly black cover. The book I picked up was a CGC 9.2 crippen D copy. I was elated to get it at the time. About 2 months later, someone offered me a #33 in CGC 9.4. At first I thought, well it is just a 9.2 to a 9.4 which depending on who you talk to is almost the same book just graded on different days if you know what I mean. I really got to looking at the 9.4 scans sent to me and talked for several days with the seller, who by the way has been in the hobby for a long time, and he said that he was at the Heritage auction where my copy was sold and the copy he has was much nicer. At first, again I thought "yeah right, convenient for you to say since you want me to buy your book", but the more I thought about it and the true honesty he had shown in prior deals, I trusted him. I put the 9.2 up on ebay and sold it for a little more than I paid (so no real loss) and then purchased the 9.4. It is hard to tell from the scans, but the 9.4 is WAAAAYYYY nicer than a 9.2. It's the biggest difference I have ever seen in a 9.2 and 9.4. The 9.4, when holding it in person, has a true freshness/gloss that the 9.2 just didn't have along with print run color that just is so bold it jumps off teh page. It also doesn't have the chipping at the top like the 9.2. Long story short, I trusted the seller and bought the book to move up one level and have not regretted it for a second, even though the 9.4 cost ALOT more than the 9.2. It is well worth the difference.

 

[ft88]

Upgrade whenever you can at whatever level you can afford. Just make sure it's truly an upgrade in terms of page quality, production quality and appearance. Some folks, me included would even down grade (based purely on CGC's number) if the right intangibles were there. I'd rather have a 6.0 OW than a 7.0 Light Tan to OW with a small piece of tape on the interior. Same with the light color touch or glue (still unrestored), to me that's a real downer.

[Primetime]

about two weeks ago, my Torch 8 went from a 3.0 raw, to a CGC 4.0 cr/ow, to a CGC 4.5 ow/w all in about a week's time

[batman_fan]

I recently did this upgrade

 

 

to this one

 

 

I also upgraded a decent non-CGC Batman 20 with this one

 

[hockey&comicsguy]

I went from this:

 

 

To this:

 

 

To this:

 

 

To this: Nothing

 

Along the journey I realized that I still love this book yet have no desire to own the best copy. The process actually helped me to realize I am perfectly happy with a book that simply presents well, no matter the numerical grade assigned.

[G.A.tor]

I spend half of my time upgrading my collection... buy a copy to "have and fill" the hole, then, as an opp presents itself, upgrade!

[Straw-Man]

i went from this [now the property of our agro],

 

 

to this, thanks to our ciorac.

 

[october]

I had to think awhile, as I have not done much upgrading, but here are two.

 

 

From this...

 

To this...

 

From this...

 

To this...

[catrick339]

Har. Rookies.

 

From this

 

 

 

 

 

to THIS!

 

 

 

[rjpb]

ALong story short, I trusted the seller and bought the book to move up one level and have not regretted it for a second, even though the 9.4 cost ALOT more than the 9.2. It is well worth the difference.

 

 

The big difference here is on the 9.2 the reds are actually Fiction House Orange - where as they are red orange on the 9.4. With FH books in particular this seems to be the biggest reason to upgrade. I've generally been too lazy to upgrade anything but the most beater copies of books in my collection, and the only FH book I own is a Fight #31 and I hate that the blood spurting out of the decapitated guys neck is orange, but the book is hard enough to find as it is and i was outbid on my only attempt to buy a "red" copy.

[seank]

the only FH book I own is a Fight #31 and I hate that the blood spurting out of the decapitated guys neck is orange,

 

I'm happy to take that, um..., er... "piece of faded junk" off your hands for a reasonable price, say 80% of OS to account for the fading.

 

Deal?

[Silver Surfer]

I went from this:

to this once:

[GACollectibles]

One of my favorire GA covers

 

There was a lesser grade copy, then moved up tp this one with tear at upper staple

 

 

Then this one

 

 

Now this one

 

 

 

 

On a positive note, I believe 2 of the copies I have had are/were currently owned by board members.

[catrick339]

HOO! That Subby 31 might JUST squeak past my Leading 12....(Then again maybe not, but it's so close I have to give the nod to the Timely)

 

That's a durned niced book.

[justin]

I recently did this upgrade

 

 

to this one

 

 

That 4.5 looks a lot better than the 7.5. Maybe it's just the scan

[rjpb]

the only FH book I own is a Fight #31 and I hate that the blood spurting out of the decapitated guys neck is orange,

 

I'm happy to take that, um..., er... "piece of faded junk" off your hands for a reasonable price, say 80% of OS to account for the fading.

 

Deal?

 

let me burn another bowl while I think about it.

[spoonerism]

So many nice books!

[spoonerism]

I recently did this upgrade

 

 

to this one

 

 

That 4.5 looks a lot better than the 7.5. Maybe it's just the scan

 

Yeah -- maybe you should resub.