Ouch - Latest CGC Submission = FAIL....

[supapimp]

 

Historically, when I've had fellow Bay Area graders prescreen for me...it's about 90% accurate at the minimum and usually higher.

 

 

 

 

 

and are handsomely compensated too.

[N/A]

I don't think the answer is prescreening looking at the list of books. You likely would have paid more than $3 a book given your failure rate and quite a few of those will more than pay for the grading fees.

 

 

Whether you prescreen or not you would still be wise to try and learn what you're not grading by CGC standards. I would hope that if there was a problem in transit then CGC would have made you aware. I do a combination of prescreening and straight submissions and for the most part the difference in profit is negligible.

 

The most clear case for prescreening is $30-50 9.8 moderns but even given that scenario your failure rate would not have saved you much at all.

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

There's a topic that hasn't been brought up yet though... Wonder if it will?

 

 

Is it that he said he got 9.2's on his Spidey #36's, but on the list they show as 9.6?

 

UPDATED!!!

 

Thanks! (thumbs u

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

I have always been somewhat baffled as to why people submit (very) modern books for CGC slabbing. Why would you spend whatever the CGC fee was to be told your copy of Action Comics #1 is 9.4? So is mine. So are ~50,000 other copies. Slabbing makes sense to me for books that are pre-1975 (before most folks understood comics would be valuable collectibles), or more modern books that are worth far more than CGC fees (e.g. Walking Dead #1-10). But the September issue of Action relaunch? I just don't get it. Nor all those slabbed Jim Lee issues of Superman and Batman from a few years ago. "Wow...you have a 9.4 Jim Lee Superman? Yeah, we have a dozen of those in the back issue bins for cover price. Help yourself."

Well, to use that particular book as an example, the variant was fetching about $100.00 in 9.8. The regular about $30.00-50.00.

 

Seems like a good investment on $3.50 (or whatever) comic. But alas, my gamble crashed and burned.

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

I don't think the answer is prescreening looking at the list of books. You likely would have paid more than $3 a book given your failure rate and quite a few of those will more than pay for the grading fees.

 

 

Whether you prescreen or not you would still be wise to try and learn what you're not grading by CGC standards. I would hope that if there was a problem in transit then CGC would have made you aware. I do a combination of prescreening and straight submissions and for the most part the difference in profit is negligible.

 

The most clear case for prescreening is $30-50 9.8 moderns but even given that scenario your failure rate would not have saved you much at all.

I'm not talking about a busted box or anything like that. This is actually the 1st time I've followed THEIR packaging instructions instead of my way, and I wasn't 100% sold when I sent them off. Perhaps some of them moved around, and got dinged. A 9.8 can quickly become a 9.2 if that's the case. That's not something CGC would notify one about.

 

It's quite possible I dropped the ball this time. But, considering close to 90% of my previous 35 or so modern submissions came back 9.8 and most of my other submissions came back higher than anticipated, I can only wonder if they did get dinged.

 

I've cried all the tears away and I'm over it. Now it's time to sell the 'junk'.

[N/A]

I don't think the answer is prescreening looking at the list of books. You likely would have paid more than $3 a book given your failure rate and quite a few of those will more than pay for the grading fees.

 

 

Whether you prescreen or not you would still be wise to try and learn what you're not grading by CGC standards. I would hope that if there was a problem in transit then CGC would have made you aware. I do a combination of prescreening and straight submissions and for the most part the difference in profit is negligible.

 

The most clear case for prescreening is $30-50 9.8 moderns but even given that scenario your failure rate would not have saved you much at all.

I'm not talking about a busted box or anything like that. This is actually the 1st time I've followed THEIR packaging instructions instead of my way, and I wasn't 100% sold when I sent them off. Perhaps some of them moved around, and got dinged. A 9.8 can quickly become a 9.2 if that's the case. That's not something CGC would notify one about.

 

It's quite possible I dropped the ball this time. But, considering close to 90% of my previous 35 or so modern submissions came back 9.8 and most of my other submissions came back higher than anticipated, I can only wonder if they did get dinged.

 

I've cried all the tears away and I'm over it. Now it's time to sell the 'junk'.

 

I disagree

[Pirate]

I don't think the answer is prescreening looking at the list of books. You likely would have paid more than $3 a book given your failure rate and quite a few of those will more than pay for the grading fees.

 

 

Whether you prescreen or not you would still be wise to try and learn what you're not grading by CGC standards. I would hope that if there was a problem in transit then CGC would have made you aware. I do a combination of prescreening and straight submissions and for the most part the difference in profit is negligible.

 

The most clear case for prescreening is $30-50 9.8 moderns but even given that scenario your failure rate would not have saved you much at all.

I'm not talking about a busted box or anything like that. This is actually the 1st time I've followed THEIR packaging instructions instead of my way, and I wasn't 100% sold when I sent them off. Perhaps some of them moved around, and got dinged. A 9.8 can quickly become a 9.2 if that's the case. That's not something CGC would notify one about.

 

It's quite possible I dropped the ball this time. But, considering close to 90% of my previous 35 or so modern submissions came back 9.8 and most of my other submissions came back higher than anticipated, I can only wonder if they did get dinged.

 

I've cried all the tears away and I'm over it. Now it's time to sell the 'junk'.

 

I disagree

 

+1 i have been called before to be mocked about bad packaging. It's how Joe P gets those warm fuzzy feelings

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

I don't think the answer is prescreening looking at the list of books. You likely would have paid more than $3 a book given your failure rate and quite a few of those will more than pay for the grading fees.

 

 

Whether you prescreen or not you would still be wise to try and learn what you're not grading by CGC standards. I would hope that if there was a problem in transit then CGC would have made you aware. I do a combination of prescreening and straight submissions and for the most part the difference in profit is negligible.

 

The most clear case for prescreening is $30-50 9.8 moderns but even given that scenario your failure rate would not have saved you much at all.

I'm not talking about a busted box or anything like that. This is actually the 1st time I've followed THEIR packaging instructions instead of my way, and I wasn't 100% sold when I sent them off. Perhaps some of them moved around, and got dinged. A 9.8 can quickly become a 9.2 if that's the case. That's not something CGC would notify one about.

 

It's quite possible I dropped the ball this time. But, considering close to 90% of my previous 35 or so modern submissions came back 9.8 and most of my other submissions came back higher than anticipated, I can only wonder if they did get dinged.

 

I've cried all the tears away and I'm over it. Now it's time to sell the 'junk'.

 

I disagree

I don't follow.

 

How can CGC tell me if something moved a bit and got dinged? How do they know what the book was like when it left my home? Perhaps the books were too loosely packaged (my fault if so). There's BAD packing and then there's less than PERFECT packing. I think mine was leaning towards the latter.

[DiceX]

 

Okay, fine. You're right. Those of us who have subbed and resubbed moderns for years don't know anything. You are the authority on pre-screening and submitting moderns, RMA.

 

 

 

 

[Dark Prime 0]

they do let you know if the order is damaged in progress, but only if it's clear that it was droped or something to that effect

 

sent in an order where PO droped the box, it was crumpled on 1 side and a # of the books were too

 

they called me and went through each books describing the flaws and asking which i wanted graded and what to send back and just gave me a credit for what was sent back

[N/A]

they do let you know if the order is damaged in progress, but only if it's clear that it was droped or something to that effect

 

sent in an order where PO droped the box, it was crumpled on 1 side and a # of the books were too

 

they called me and went through each books describing the flaws and asking which i wanted graded and what to send back and just gave me a credit for what was sent back

 

I've been called a few times and once the box was damaged and the others it was interior damage from less than perfect packaging. If they can tell it may have been damaged they they will call. If I sent a submission for books I thought were 9.8 and got a bunch of 9.2's I would be surprised if i did not receive a call.

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

Okay, fine. You're right. Those of us who have subbed and resubbed moderns for years don't know anything. You are the authority on pre-screening and submitting moderns, RMA.

 

 

Oh, look, an unnecessary potshot AND a stupid, ignorant one at that.

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

Pre-screen, pre-screen, pre-screen....

 

I throw absolute drek at the wall to see if it sticks, and amazingly enough, a lot of it does.

 

By the way, the pre-screen fee is $4/reject now. Has been for a while.

 

The last time I subbed onsite (WWLA 2008), I got back 11 9.6s, and two 9.4s along with a swath of 9.8s.

 

Of those 13 "not 9.8s", I cracked them and resubbed them in May-ish of this year...pressed one of the 9.4s, did nothing to the other 12....and got back 11 brand new 9.8s, with 2 rejects.

 

To me, they were 9.8s to begin with (or I wouldn't have subbed them onsite.)

 

And the second batch of graders agreed with me on 11 of the 13.

 

Those 2 rejects have been pressed and resubbed.

 

Those who say pre-screening moderns is dumb clearly aren't modern subbers. If I sub a Bats #428, and it gets a 9.6....or 9.4....it's a $20-$30 slab, for which I have paid about $20 for the privelege. If it is rejected, it's $4. It it passes, it's $250.

 

And I have had all sorts of rejects pass the second, and third, and sometimes fourth, time around.

 

Remember: only ONE person sees the books on a pre-screen, so it's just that one guy's opinion.

[Logan510]

If a book pre screens at 9.8, is that a rock solid guaranty that it will come back as a 9.8? Seriously curious.

[RockMyAmadeus]

If the books are valued at around $100+ in 9.8 and the pre-screeners pulled 10 books.

Out of those 10 books, if 1 or 2 of those would have been given 9.8 it makes up for several mistake submissions.

If those books are pulled, the graders never touch them. You're losing money.

 

 

And you're taking a far more massive hit on the "not 9.8s" being slabbed.

 

Sub 50 books.

 

30 pass, 20 fail (a not untypical result.)

 

Total grading cost (including rejects, assuming 20% discount) = $488

 

And you now have 30 books for which, if you're selling, you'll get the "maximum" amount they're worth on the market (as opposed to 9.6s or less.)

 

Sub 50 books (no pre-screen.)

 

Total grading cost (assuming 20% discount) = $680

 

And you now have slabbed books that weren't worth the cost of the slab.

 

And that doesn't even address the hidden issue of books that could have gone either way. You say 1 or 2 of those that were subbed COULD have gotten 9.8 anyways....and I agree...but now you're arguing nothing but possibilities, with no real way of knowing. This way, you have hard numbers.

 

I'd rather have CGC tell me that some of my books aren't 9.8s according to CGC, rather than have them tell me that, on this particular date, this particular book was a 9.4 according to CGC (but which could have been a 9.8 on another day.)

 

 

 

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

If a book pre screens at 9.8, is that a rock solid guaranty that it will come back as a 9.8? Seriously curious.

 

I would assume no. The other graders may see something the pre-screener did not.

[DrWatson]

If a book pre screens at 9.8, is that a rock solid guaranty that it will come back as a 9.8? Seriously curious.

Depends on what you mean by pre-screen.

[N/A]

If the books are valued at around $100+ in 9.8 and the pre-screeners pulled 10 books.

Out of those 10 books, if 1 or 2 of those would have been given 9.8 it makes up for several mistake submissions.

If those books are pulled, the graders never touch them. You're losing money.

 

 

And you're taking a far more massive hit on the "not 9.8s" being slabbed.

 

Sub 50 books.

 

30 pass, 20 fail (a not untypical result.)

 

Total grading cost (including rejects, assuming 20% discount) = $488

 

And you now have 30 books for which, if you're selling, you'll get the "maximum" amount they're worth on the market (as opposed to 9.6s or less.)

 

Sub 50 books (no pre-screen.)

 

Total grading cost (assuming 20% discount) = $680

 

And you now have slabbed books that weren't worth the cost of the slab.

 

And that doesn't even address the hidden issue of books that could have gone either way. You say 1 or 2 of those that were subbed COULD have gotten 9.8 anyways....and I agree...but now you're arguing nothing but possibilities, with no real way of knowing. This way, you have hard numbers.

 

I'd rather have CGC tell me that some of my books aren't 9.8s according to CGC, rather than have them tell me that, on this particular date, this particular book was a 9.4 according to CGC (but which could have been a 9.8 on another day.)

 

 

 

 

This is the only part that I see as debatable. When I choose not to prescreen I tend to get either my slabbing cost back or within the $4 I would have been charged if they were prescreened. The fixed costs of shipping/duty can be spread over more books and I do often break even on the less than 9.8's. This is not always the case but it really depends on the books and the submitters grading skills. This is a skill I believe one can learn so rather than jumping to prescreening I place the emphasis on learning to grade.

 

If someone reads this thread and blindly assumes prescreening is always the right choice then this would be incorrect.

[RockMyAmadeus]

If the books are valued at around $100+ in 9.8 and the pre-screeners pulled 10 books.

Out of those 10 books, if 1 or 2 of those would have been given 9.8 it makes up for several mistake submissions.

If those books are pulled, the graders never touch them. You're losing money.

 

 

And you're taking a far more massive hit on the "not 9.8s" being slabbed.

 

Sub 50 books.

 

30 pass, 20 fail (a not untypical result.)

 

Total grading cost (including rejects, assuming 20% discount) = $488

 

And you now have 30 books for which, if you're selling, you'll get the "maximum" amount they're worth on the market (as opposed to 9.6s or less.)

 

Sub 50 books (no pre-screen.)

 

Total grading cost (assuming 20% discount) = $680

 

And you now have slabbed books that weren't worth the cost of the slab.

 

And that doesn't even address the hidden issue of books that could have gone either way. You say 1 or 2 of those that were subbed COULD have gotten 9.8 anyways....and I agree...but now you're arguing nothing but possibilities, with no real way of knowing. This way, you have hard numbers.

 

I'd rather have CGC tell me that some of my books aren't 9.8s according to CGC, rather than have them tell me that, on this particular date, this particular book was a 9.4 according to CGC (but which could have been a 9.8 on another day.)

 

 

 

 

This is the only part that I see as debatable. When I choose not to prescreen I tend to get either my slabbing cost back or within the $4 I would have been charged if they were prescreened. The fixed costs of shipping/duty can be spread over more books and I do often break even on the less than 9.8's. This is not always the case but it really depends on the books and the submitters grading skills. This is a skill I believe one can learn so rather than jumping to prescreening I place the emphasis on learning to grade.

 

If someone reads this thread and blindly assumes prescreening is always the right choice then this would be incorrect.

 

I have excellent grading skills, I imagine.

 

I would never sub without pre-screening.

 

Why?

 

Because I have gotten books graded 9.4 that have then...having had nothing whatsoever done to them in the meantime...graded 9.8.

 

It has very, very little to do with my grading ability, other than not sending in "obviously never going to be 9.8 books."

 

It's just not my opinion that matters. It's CGCs.

 

Until 9.4s sell for $100, 9.6s for $120, and 9.8s for $150, that's not going to change.

[N/A]

None of that means prescreening is always financially preferred.