Will MODERNS be harder to find in MINT 10.0 condition?

[Mister_Comics]

Lately when I'm at the comic shop and looking throught the books, I'm finding it harder to find nice crisp copies. To me it looks like the cover stock is made cheaper. Kind of wavey, not really flat. It also seems to be a bit more thinner. Has the comic companies gone and changed the paper stock for the comic covers? Or am I just imagining this. It seems only a couple of months ago the covers were pretty nice, possible MINTS. Now I see a bunch of NEAR MINT comics. If the comic companies have changed to a lesser paper then it may be even harder to find a 10.0 modern.

[blowout]

marvel have changed the cover stock for the ultimate line. glossy thiner paper, and you are right, much easier to damage.

i wouldn't bother trying to find any 10.0 candidates at your local comic book store though, you'll need to get books direct from wholesaler/disributor for any chance of that.

[Rickdogg]

I know what you mean. I usually go to atleast 4 stores a wekk to find my HG copies since most of the new books are damaged upon arrival

[Mister_Comics]

This is just another reason why I think CGC should make a deal with the publishers and slab 10.0's right off the press. Just like uncirculated coins are slabbed. I brought this up on another thread once and after going to the comic shop and not finding any HIGH GRADE new books, this got me thinking, just maybe there won't be any HG in the future. No 10.0's to be slabbed because of cheaper easier to damage covers.. Wouldn't this discourage people from buying modern comics and having them slabbed. I think it would be a good idea for CGC to look into something like that. Call it a MINT SERIES and give it a gold color label or something like that. It may be the only way to get a 10.0 from what I'm seeing at the stores. Even comics that I had bought straight from the dealers weren't all in that great of shape. NEAR MINTS but nowere near a MINT. Just another reason why I think CGC should look into this.

[Guest]

Not being able to find that illusive 10.0 is what will keep the prices up in the future for those same comics though. What would they even charge for a perfect 10.0 right off the press? How many would they make? Just my opinion but I think doing that would be a mistake.

[chrisco37]

Just picked up my USM #32 from the shop the other day and I kind of like the "new" cover. The old card stock covers always had that "white line" down the spine. It'll be interesting to see if more 10's pop-up now as that common problem is now eliminated.

 

Darth, what do you think? You probably have the most experience in dealing with high grade modern books. How much would you guess CGC downgrades for that spine-line on the card-stock covers? Could a book have this and still get a 9.8 or higher? Do you think it'll be easier or harder to get high grades?

 

Chris

[JLA_ALL_THE_WAY]

NEAR MINTS but nowere near a MINT.

 

Anybody else see the "tragic ridiculousness" in that line? I know what you're saying MC, but that one sentence just sums up the scary future waiting for comic collectors. I mean investors. No...uh, speculators. Whoever is BUYING comics!

 

Not that I totally agree with CI & company, but this sure adds to his side of the argument...unfortunately.

 

Rick

[Mister_Comics]

The point I'm trying to get across is that there may not be any MINT 10.0's in the future. Take forinstance ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN's that are being slabbed. Issue #15 has a 10.0 and that was before the new thinner paper covers. A lot of Spider-Man's are being slabbed, brand new books and the best I'm seeing from the census are 9.8's. And not that many to booth. From what I've seen, folks don't want a modern thats a 9.4 or lower. Check out ebay sales and you will see for yourselves. The 9.4's and lower that are slabbed and up for sale do not sell. The people buying the slabbed moderns want 9.6 and better. This is why I think CGC should look into slabbing straight from the printer. Again look at coin collecting. Mint uncirculated sets sell big time. (Are there cards that are uncirculated?) There is a demand for these type of comics. Every time I see a 10.0 go up for sale it gets a lot of bids. People pay big money for them. A pre-slabbed 10.0 cound be a cost savings. Would it hurt the comic industry? I don't know.

The thing I really wanted to stress was that there is a better chance to get a MINT 10.0 with the older cover stock then the new cover stock. And I also feel that the comic companies by doing this are giving us comic buyers an inferior product. Probably a cost savings to make more money.

 

As far as the fold in the older covers I'm not sure if its taken into consideration by the graders. Maybe someone else would know.

 

BTW, Most of what I collect are golden, silver, and bronze. I don't buy many moderns, but I still like to check out whats new in the comics. This thread subject is only from my own observations of what is in the stores and what is selling on eBay.

[Darthdiesel]

You probably have the most experience in dealing with high grade modern books.

I would probably have to concede that honor to moajor submitters like Paradise Comics or SuperDuper Comics.

 

How much would you guess CGC downgrades for that spine-line on the card-stock covers? Could a book have this and still get a 9.8 or higher?

 

I know for a fact that the frayed spine line takes it out of 9.8 and up contention, as my Ultimate # 4's and Origin 5's all exhibited this flaw. Just how far down the slippery slope it slides, there's no telling.

 

Do you think it'll be easier or harder to get high grades?

 

I don't think I can accurately comment until I submit some of these new USMs...will wait for the USM 33 b4 submitting next prescreen though.

 

IMO, it will be easier to get high grades if you have a direct source of great books. The "waviness" mentioned above is not a flaw IMO, it is just the flexibility of the cover and book due to lack of cardstock. Actually the stiffness of the cardstock contributed to the the fraying and roller pinches and evident staple impressions on past books. Will the "softcovers" be more prone to nicks and bends on the rack...Definitely. But if you get them direct (mail order) in super nice shape and can get them to CGC that way you have good chances for your 9.8 and ups...

[chrisco37]

Actually the stiffness of the cardstock contributed to the the fraying and roller pinches and evident staple impressions on past books.

 

I knew I could count on you, Darth. This was exactly my point. I cherry-pick through all my shops USM's (even though they set one aside for my subscription) to find the best copy. But, it is near impossible to find one without the roller pinches or spine-line.

 

It'll be interesting to see your results (if you don't mind putting them up) on the USM #33.

 

Chris