Deciding when to slab?

[mackenzie999]

I'm wondering what are the factors people weigh when deciding to slab a book. Is there some value threshold where it makes more or less sense to slab? Very high grade or vulnerable books? Something else?

 

The reason I ask is because I collect mainly Silver age books, primarily keys but also the occasional just-a-nice-cover book. I'm probably a mid-grade collector, VG-VF mainly, although I'll be lucky to get some of my grails in VG. My collection is pretty small, and I would like to slab everything I have (minus the readers of course), but it doesn't seem worth it for some of my stuff. Here's a couple of good examples: I have a Strange Tales 101 and a Silver Surfer 4, each one is probably worth about $100. I think these are cool books and would look great in slabs, but spending 1/3 of their value to do so seems a bit foolish.

 

I'm not buying to sell or flip, although since I'm a low-mid grader there is always room for me to upgrade, so I'm sure I'll eventually sell something.

 

So...how do you guys decide what to slab? I'm not looking to be told what to do, just curious what triggers the slab response for others.

 

thanks!

[scottish]

To me slabbing is a primary question of selling. If you have a key book (or any book for that matter) that you are thinking of selling then consider the cost of slabbing.

 

There are myriad of better ways to display and/or store a book without slabbing it.

[VintageComics]

Many collectors will slab for aesthetics even if they have no intentions to sell the books.

 

No doubt future liquidity plays a factor in the decision even if they have no intentions of selling at the present time.

 

Others only slab for resale.

[JazzMan]

When the moon is in the seventh house,

and Jupiter aligns with Mars...

[october]

I slab only for resale, so I do a simple cost benefit analysis.

 

Price I can sell if for raw - cost of the book = potential profit

 

Price I can sell it for slabbed - cost of slabbing - cost of the book = potential slabbed profit

 

The second has to be greater than the first by at least $50 on cheaper books, $100+ on more expensive stuff, for me to bother sending it to CGC. On between grade books I now err on the side of caution and submit them, especially when there is a large gap in value between grades.

[c-mack]

Many collectors will slab for aesthetics even if they have no intentions to sell the books.

 

No doubt future liquidity plays a factor in the decision even if they have no intentions of selling at the present time.

 

Others only slab for resale.

 

 

yup i rarely sell i just love having the book in the case for display...( after i read it 1st)

 

but when i did sell the book it made it alot easier to do....

[dekeuk]

 

There are 3 times to slab:

 

1. when you intend to re-sell it

 

2. when you own a 9.4+ and you are worried that general handling might degrade the book

 

3. when CGC announces major price increases

 

[Bomber-Bob]

I don't slab for resale but it does make selling easier.

- Slabbing allows me to better evalulate the value of my collection.

- It is a benefit for insurance coverage. By putting my books in the registry, I have a documented online inventory for my insurance company.

- Protection, I can now safely show them without fear of mishandling.

- The resto check yields piece of mind.

[Boozad]

3. when CGC announces major price increases

 

Yep, I have my Bronze pile ready to go before the cutoff date moves.

 

Oh, wait...

[dekeuk]

3. when CGC announces major price increases

 

Yep, I have my Bronze pile ready to go before the cutoff date moves.

 

Oh, wait...

 

too late