Please explain why people spend $20 to slab a books that sells for $9

[tonytiger]

I think that part of the problem is that CGC is just charging too much. Given their current pricing structure, people just have better tools to analyze which book to slab and which books not to.

 

Why doesn't CGC list the GPA prices directly on their site? Then again, they might not want to.

 

Which GPA prices?

 

All of them, I assume, as you never know what people want to submit.

 

So why would anyone subscribe to GPA?

 

Not sure I'm getting what you're on about here.

 

All of them. Yes.

[the blob]

I listed two GA Bats for BIN prices as I didn't want to get reamed on them. Listed them three times with no bites. Listed them as 99p no reserve auctions and sold them both for more than my BIN prices.

 

90 days on show at BINs, 10 days on show at auction. It had nothing to do with listing fees, sometimes lower starting prices attract more interest. there is no set rule.

Totally agree, Gav, that the potential to win books for cheap initially attracts attention. But if you only post a few Modern books, no key issues, and try to start at a low price just to cut corners, the results most times end badly when it comes to recouping your costs.

 

At least yours were Batman issues from the GA. Big difference compared to the folks that list Astonish X-Men CGC 9.8s for $.99 and are surprised when they go for low bids.

 

I missed the GA reference. Yeah, with GA you're not talking about something with 15 other copies for sale that week, people like their GA Bats, even if they don't pay full guide for them, there are going to be multiple bidders at any starting bid at 50% or below of guide, for the most part. 99 cents is going to practically always be bid up to 30-50% on a slab, if not more.

[NewWorldOrder]

5) Maybe they're just stupid.

 

+100

 

Unless they slab the books for personal reasons, which of course is cool then MOST of the books from the 1977-current are not worth slabbing.

 

Most of the time you profit margin is the same as if you would have just sold the book “raw.”

 

Prime Examples are Copper Age ASM’s as they are not worth slabbing anymore as the keys would have to hit 9.8 just to be worth your time.

 

A lot of 9.8’s from 1980-now are not even cost effective anymore.

 

Just simple supply and demand.

 

Again if these books are for your collection then so be it, but for resale it’s a waste.

 

I won’t anymore.

 

[the blob]

Prime Examples are Copper Age ASM’s as they are not worth slabbing anymore as the keys would have to hit 9.8 just to be worth your time.

 

A lot of 9.8’s from 1980-now are not even cost effective anymore.

 

Just simple supply and demand.

 

Again if these books are for your collection then so be it, but for resale it’s a waste.

 

I won’t anymore.

---

 

man, don't burst my bubble, i was hoping to retire on a long box of these in 9.6 and 9.8....

[tonytiger]

We should set up an auction pricing system with CGC.

 

You should be able to tell CGC that you would be willing to offer $5 (for grading fees) for a given group of books that may only sell for $5-$10 in the retail market. If they reject the bid so be it. But that is the only way those books should be graded.

 

WE NEED MORE COMPETITION IN THE GRADED COMIC MARKET!!!!!!!!!!

[Shark]

We should set up an auction pricing system with CGC.

 

You should be able to tell CGC that you would be willing to offer $5 (for grading fees) for a given group of books that may only sell for $5-$10 in the retail market. If they reject the bid so be it. But that is the only way those books should be graded.

 

WE NEED MORE COMPETITION IN THE GRADED COMIC MARKET!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

There's no way that CGC would ever do that. They're far enough behind the way it is let alone screwing around with this kind of idea.

[Jeffro.]

I don't get why anyone slabs non key moderns and even some coppers. I once thought about trying to compile a HG slabbed run of Amazing Spideys from the early to mid 80's because it's one of my favorite periods of the run but then realized that the reason I love those books so much was not because of some number in the upper left hand corner but because I love those stories. I decided to just keep my reader run.

 

Your preferences and results may vary of course.

[Boozad]

We should set up an auction pricing system with CGC.

 

You should be able to tell CGC that you would be willing to offer $5 (for grading fees) for a given group of books that may only sell for $5-$10 in the retail market. If they reject the bid so be it. But that is the only way those books should be graded.

 

WE NEED MORE COMPETITION IN THE GRADED COMIC MARKET!!!!!!!!!!

 

You are able to tell them. Just email them. You'll probably have to wait until they've stopped laughing for a reply.

 

Why don't you just buy the cheap copies already slabbed?

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

Edit: "I don't get why anyone slabs non key moderns and even some coppers." I am glad some people do as I can purchase slabbed Bat and Tec issues. :End Edit I once thought about trying to compile a HG slabbed run of Amazing Spideys from the early to mid 80's because it's one of my favorite periods of the run but then realized that the reason I love those books so much was not because of some number in the upper left hand corner but because I love those stories. I decided to just keep my reader run.

 

Your preferences and results may vary of course.

 

(thumbs u

[the blob]

You should be able to tell CGC that you would be willing to offer $5 (for grading fees) for a given group of books that may only sell for $5-$10 in the retail market. If they reject the bid so be it. But that is the only way those books should be graded.

 

WE NEED MORE COMPETITION IN THE GRADED COMIC MARKET!!!!!!!!!!

------------------

 

the answer is: don't slab these books!

 

i don't understand why it costs so much to slab these post-76 books though. should be about $10, with CGC charging more for the more expensive books that might be more prone to resto.

[etanick]

I don't even understand the need to slab $50 books, let alone $5 book.

 

 

[FrankCastle]

I'm one of those guys who sells slabs for $9.99, and my main answer is because if I don't get rid of them now, within a few years you won't even get $5.00 for them!

 

It really comes down to the overall profit, NOT individual sales. For instance, if I send in 50 moderns and get a couple of 9.9's and a few 10's, really everything else will be gravy. There was a post on the boards months ago about the Avengers 278 I sold for $799.00 in CGC 10--I didn't expect to get the 10, but I knew at the time 10's were showing up all over the place on ebay so I sent 40 books in. My submission came back with 4 9.9's and 5 10's! So a month or 2 later I sent in another 50 books (just common nothing books but sure fire 9.8's), and everything came back 9.8--I litterally wasted $600.00 even though at the time you could get your money back (plus a few bucks--alot of moderns were selling for $40+ in 9.8, which is really not the case anymore)! But I had made more than $2K off the last batch so it was still woth the try--that boat has sailed though folks, honestly don't bother!

 

There have been a number of conversations on the boards about CGC guarding their 9.9's and 10's like Fort Knox, I can tell you it's true, they just don't like giving them out anymore for whatever reason. There is no true distinction between 9.8/9/9 and 10 anymore, so that marketplace, where you used to be able to expect 9.9's and 10's on truly perfect books, no longer exists. Sure, they'll still hand out the odd 10 every now and then, but it's a token thing, and part of the reason why I believe the New Mutant books went for so much cake in 9.9 (they may decide to not grade another 9.9, who knows?). And by the way, I just sent in a box of 80 books that I had pegged as 9.6 (from more than 2 years ago, I have written on the box 9.8 rejects), but I've seen their standards heading down the toilet so I shipped them over as pre-screen 9.8's--guess what, roughly 70% passed as 9.8! Albeit most of them were Valiants (but all keys), that I'm going to have to keep now (because that market has crashed as well), but I'll have a very good start on the run in 9.8.

Jay

[Shark]

I don't even understand the need to slab $50 books, let alone $5 book.

 

 

Because $50 - $17 - cost of book = $$ profit

[VintageComics]

There have been a number of conversations on the boards about CGC guarding their 9.9's and 10's like Fort Knox, I can tell you it's true, they just don't like giving them out anymore for whatever reason. There is no true distinction between 9.8/9/9 and 10 anymore, so that marketplace, where you used to be able to expect 9.9's and 10's on truly perfect books, no longer exists.

 

Without getting into a drawn out OT debate I am going to gently yet definitely disagree with you on this.

 

R.

 

 

[etanick]

I don't even understand the need to slab $50 books, let alone $5 book.

 

 

Because $50 - $17 - cost of book = $$ profit

 

you are assuming the book can't be sold for more than $33 raw?

[RockMyAmadeus]

I think that part of the problem is that CGC is just charging too much

 

Well, if they're charging too much people seem to be paying it. Their Economy tier has been backlogged for months with a shatload of submissions

 

That's cuz everyone's trying to get their books slabbed and sold before they hit bottom.

 

Same thing happened with coins....

[Shark]

I don't even understand the need to slab $50 books, let alone $5 book.

 

 

Because $50 - $17 - cost of book = $$ profit

 

you are assuming the book can't be sold for more than $33 raw?

 

Yes. There are a LOT of books out there that only guide for $5 to $15 each and you might be lucky to get that amount if you sell raw. But if you get some of those graded and they came back in 9.8 you'd definitely make more profit off of the books.

 

I know a lot of people say they slab books to protect them or slab books to verify whether it's restored or not, but the main reason most people have books slabbed is for immediate or future profit.

[etanick]

I do agree that the majority of people slabbed for profits..even protecting right now is for future profits. I hope that those 9.8 books that you mentioned that can fetch $50 can maintain that price before they are selling for less than $17. Slabbing moderns will be like driving a brand new car out of the lot..it drepreciates the moment you touch it.

[lizards2]

I don't get why anyone slabs non key moderns and even some coppers. I once thought about trying to compile a HG slabbed run of Amazing Spideys from the early to mid 80's because it's one of my favorite periods of the run but then realized that the reason I love those books so much was not because of some number in the upper left hand corner but because I love those stories. I decided to just keep my reader run.

 

Your preferences and results may vary of course.

 

Which brings up reason # 6:

 

Because people keep slabbing tons of worthless drek.

[MR.COMICBOOK]

I do agree that the majority of people slabbed for profits..even protecting right now is for future profits. I hope that those 9.8 books that you mentioned that can fetch $50 can maintain that price before they are selling for less than $17. Slabbing moderns will be like driving a brand new car out of the lot..it drepreciates the moment you touch it.

That`s the best way anybody ever put it. you hit the nail on the head. (thumbs u