The Perfect Grade

[kc120us]

There is no reason to press or resub a book other than profit, or to elevate the status of your collection, regardless of whether or not you sell that book, or your collection, next year or 10 years from now. Therefore, the only logical reason to press or resub a book is to receive a higher grade on the label; and the reason you want that higher grade is because it increases both the value and status of your collection. And there's nothing wrong with that, from my perspective, just call a spade a spade.

 

Hi Andrew,

 

Increasing the value or the status of their collection is obviously a big factor in making the decision to press and/or resubmit. I'm just saying not everyone who has books pressed are doing it to flip and score a quick buck. Which is the game I believe everyone is speaking about and which seems to be the focus of many of these threads. I guess I'd like to see more perspective when these threads are introduced and new collectors are educated.

I want to stress that "gaming" to increase the value or grade of books in your collection has no direct correlation to your love of the hobby, or lack thereof. I do believe that there are collectors such as yourself who wouldn't be striving to put together the best possible collection they could, if they didn't genuinely love the books, just as I believe there are speculators, flippers and dealers who are "gaming" strictly for profit. But the fact is, pressing, resubbing or flipping is about availing oneself of opportunites that have become inherent in the high grade segment of the hobby. There's nothing else to it.

 

(thumbs u

 

Btw, hope things are well with you.

[kc120us]

That's still not PC as there is still a lingering dishonest undertone to the term.

 

I suppose that's the problem I have with the other terms (gaming and players) as well. I understand there are some dishonest individuals. There's dishonesty in everything.

 

To me, someone who resubmits a book for a higher grade, with or without pressing it, and then offers disclosure, either proactively or when asked, is not a dishonest individual and I take offense at the implication whether intentional or not.

 

Then you would hate to hear what I call it. I call it the "Hustle." In the 80's I was a hustler. Hitting all the comic shops in town for the hottest books that just went up in the CVM. It was hard work, but if you hustled you could make goood bread.

 

This is the same deal, just higher stakes. It isn't dishonest, but it is a hustle. I knew in 1989 that those copies of ASM 298, Hulk 330 were worth 20x the 75 cent that they were marked. I bought 'em all and flipped 'em for $5 a piece, leaving the other shops a decent margin as well. Re-sub (or CPR) is the same deal. You have to have the eye and the cash and you can make a good bit of bread on the come.

 

To me it is not dishonest, at all. But it is not like you are out planting trees in vacant lots with your spare time either.

 

Zactly. "Gaming" or "hustling" has a negative connotation for some, but that's ultimately what pressing, resubbing or flipping comes down to. It is what it is. There's nothing wrong with it, as far as I'm concerned, and these terms don't automatically imply dishonestly.

 

So you are saying that every collector who takes books from their collection, presses them, and puts them back in their collection is a hustler? I know collectors who do just that. Or every collector who thinks that he/she received a bum grade and resubmits is a player? Or how about if a collector buys a book, holds onto it for 10 years in which it subsequently goes up in value, and then sells it for a profit. Is he a player too? I

 

'm sorry but that kind of blanket statement is inaccurate. Yes, there are people who look for books soley to press them, resubmit and flip. But they are only part of the collecting world. What about all the people who go to Con's and buy stacks of raw books and slab them? No pressing is involved. Are they gamers as well?

 

 

Does this seem redundant to anyone else? I mean really, who thinks that those are the people we are talking about.

 

I know the way he phrased it makes it a blanket statement if taken literally. But come on, a little common sense. Who cares about the people who are buying books for personal collections and there's no pressing or flipping involved? Seriously, what bearing do those people have at all on the conversation?

 

I'm just saying that pressing is about more than just the press/flip game. But that is all we seem to focus on. If we want to educate newbies, then the discussion should be well rounded.

[kc120us]

. What about all the people who go to Con's and buy stacks of raw books and slab them? No pressing is involved. Are they gamers as well?

 

With this statement, I was referring to the arguement that pressing is flooding the markets with HG books. Presing is a factor but so are straight raw submissions. If we want to rally against pressers, should we not rally against them as well?