What would you do?

[mintcollector]

A fair question, Nick.

 

I *always* include the CGC label when I sell or trade a cracked book. For better or worse, the CGC grade is now part of the book's history.

 

It can seem like walking a tightrope at times, true. For example, a few years back Metropolis bought (in auction from Heritage) Mile High/Church copies of Tip Top that CGC graded 7.0, cracked them, and listed them on their website raw at 9.0. If I were the buyer of those books and was unaware, I know I would most likely be unhappy once the facts came to light.

 

The easiest course to take is to provide full disclosure, and let any potential collateral issues fall where they may. You have such an outstanding and well-deserved reputation in the hobby, I doubt there will be any problems.

 

I completely agree with this. Nick is a very patient and honest seller. I bought from him before and was very pleased.

 

That being said, I think as much information about any antique or collectible sold is never a bad thing.

 

'mint'

[Sal]

I would sell it at the grade I thought it was and include the CGC grade as another data point.

 

[Flaming_Telepath]

as a buyer, If I am shown that a books was slabbed a as a 9.2, Im not going to buy it as a 9.4 at a 9.4 price unless I just needed the book so badly (a scarcer book) or was planning to gamble that you are correct and slabbing it again would get the book the higher grade.

 

So, let's say the book was graded by CGC at 9.4...but the seller considers it to be no better than 9.0 (no post cracking damage).

 

Would that seller have to sell it at a 9.0 price, or should he sell it at the 9.4 price?

 

And given your argument, would you buy it at the 9.4 price?

[skypinkblu]

Once the book is cracked, there is no guarantee, so the grade is your estimate and the label is just a point of interest.

 

I'd include the label as a point of interest, plus trying to keep the census somewhat intact.

 

Of course I'm thinking of books that are now lower grade after being cracked. I always figure people crack books to read them and something could happen while reading (like turning a page and actually looking at words and pictures;)

 

HOWEVER, if you are cracking a book to RAISE the grade... and not resubmitting it, you are probably not someone who plays by normal rules, so the whole discussion is moot.

 

Sky, who actually feels safer buying a book from Nick, than CGC, XYZ or FYI;)

 

[Whizzer]

Once the book is cracked out, the cgc label becomes redundant, because there can now be no gaurantee that some kind of damage has not occurred since it's cracking. Just because the label says at one time it was a 9.4 so what? At one time or another it was probably a 9.8. If it's not in the slab it's irrelevant.

 

If you think it's a 9.0, then you would sell as a 9.0 with a 9.0 price tag. The thing is though Nick, YOUR 9.0 is most other peoples 9.2 or 9.4. Which essentially means you're back where you started.

[Aman619]

as a buyer, If I am shown that a books was slabbed a as a 9.2, Im not going to buy it as a 9.4 at a 9.4 price unless I just needed the book so badly (a scarcer book) or was planning to gamble that you are correct and slabbing it again would get the book the higher grade.

 

So, let's say the book was graded by CGC at 9.4...but the seller considers it to be no better than 9.0 (no post cracking damage).

 

Would that seller have to sell it at a 9.0 price, or should he sell it at the 9.4 price?

 

And given your argument, would you buy it at the 9.4 price?

 

assuming I trusted the seller wasn't hiding any damage once it was cracked, Id be comfortable buying at the 9.4 price. Minus the cost of a new slab however, because selling it down the road will require the slabbing fee (in most cases) so at that point, Id have paid more than slabbed 9.4 value.

 

but overall, Im saying that CGCs 9.4 is of greater value to me than YOUR 9.0 grade.

 

However, if you or anyone else want to sell me a 9.4 at a 9.0 price because YOU grade harsher than CGC, be my guest. why would you except in a rare grossly overgrazed book? In our experience here, sellers mostly add grades to what CGC gave it.

 

[Aman619]

oh I frgot:

 

 

Aman, who is also bothered by Cal's ridiculous posting postscript stylings!

[lizards2]

as a buyer, If I am shown that a books was slabbed a as a 9.2, Im not going to buy it as a 9.4 at a 9.4 price unless I just needed the book so badly (a scarcer book) or was planning to gamble that you are correct and slabbing it again would get the book the higher grade.

 

So, let's say the book was graded by CGC at 9.4...but the seller considers it to be no better than 9.0 (no post cracking damage).

 

Would that seller have to sell it at a 9.0 price, or should he sell it at the 9.4 price?

 

And given your argument, would you buy it at the 9.4 price?

 

assuming I trusted the seller wasn't hiding any damage once it was cracked, Id be comfortable buying at the 9.4 price. Minus the cost of a new slab however, because selling it down the road will require the slabbing fee (in most cases) so at that point, Id have paid more than slabbed 9.4 value.

 

but overall, Im saying that CGCs 9.4 is of greater value to me than YOUR 9.0 grade.

 

However, if you or anyone else want to sell me a 9.4 at a 9.0 price because YOU grade harsher than CGC, be my guest. why would you except in a rare grossly overgrazed book? In our experience here, sellers mostly add grades to what CGC gave it.

I've got a B&B 64 9.4 that I cracked out and it was no better than a 9.0 - if you want to pay me the 9.4 price I paid for it, (or even a 9.2 price) you're welcome to it. I could not in good conscience market the book without noting my opinion of the shoddy grading by CGC. :shrug:

 

And it was old label too....,

[shadroch]

Why grade them at all?

Price them and let the prospective buyer do his own grading.

As long as you are not trying to pass off former purple label books, I don't think the fact that it was once graded something by CGC matters if you are not assigning any grade to it.

 

[sacentaur]

Once the book is cracked, there is no guarantee..

 

This is a point worth noting again, thnx Sharon.

 

At WonderCon last week, I spotted a fairly expensive SA Marvel at a dealer's booth. The book was raw, with the CGC label attached.

 

While grading is subjective, the pages were listed on the label as being white when in fact they were obviously far from it. To his credit, the dealer fully agreed with me, which reinforced my opinion.

 

So, had the PQ deteriorated since the book was cracked? Was this yet another CGC quality-control mistake? Did the label actually belong to this book?

 

A whole host of questions thus arise true, but still I prefer buying a book raw with the label attached - it's not foolproof, but it usually does provide me with the information I need (including the resto check) to make an informed buying (or not) decision.

[porky]

Why grade them at all?

Price them and let the prospective buyer do his own grading.

As long as you are not trying to pass off former purple label books, I don't think the fact that it was once graded something by CGC matters if you are not assigning any grade to it.

 

(thumbs u

[lizards2]

Once the book is cracked, there is no guarantee..

 

This is a point worth noting again, thnx Sharon.

 

At WonderCon last week, I spotted a fairly expensive SA Marvel at a dealer's booth. The book was raw, with the CGC label attached.

 

While grading is subjective, the pages were listed on the label as being white when in fact they were obviously far from it. To his credit, the dealer fully agreed with me, which reinforced my opinion.

 

So, had the PQ deteriorated since the book was cracked? Was this yet another CGC quality-control mistake? Did the label actually belong to this book?

 

A whole host of questions thus arise true, but still I prefer buying a book raw with the label attached - it's not foolproof, but it usually does provide me with the information I need (including the resto check) to make an informed buying (or not) decision.

One thing I could recommend to fellow crackers is to keep a photo of the book in the slab - at least you can verify that it is the same book, even if the slab hides flaws which might be a grading issue, which is typical. I would contest that you never know the true grade of a slabbed book until you crack it out.

[lizards2]

Why grade them at all?

Price them and let the prospective buyer do his own grading.

As long as you are not trying to pass off former purple label books, I don't think the fact that it was once graded something by CGC matters if you are not assigning any grade to it.

 

(thumbs u

And always price at the projected after-press grade :thumbsup:

[DrWatson]

Why grade them at all?

Price them and let the prospective buyer do his own grading.

As long as you are not trying to pass off former purple label books, I don't think the fact that it was once graded something by CGC matters if you are not assigning any grade to it.

Why would you do this? I can think of only two reasons. 1) You are someone who doesn't know how to grade and you are hoping to maximize your profit in spite of your ignorance. 2) You do know how to grade and you are hoping to maximize your profit based on someone else's ignorance.

[Aces]

Why grade them at all?

Price them and let the prospective buyer do his own grading.

As long as you are not trying to pass off former purple label books, I don't think the fact that it was once graded something by CGC matters if you are not assigning any grade to it.

Why would you do this? I can think of only two reasons. 1) You are someone who doesn't know how to grade and you are hoping to maximize your profit in spite of your ignorance. 2) You do know how to grade and you are hoping to maximize your profit based on someone else's ignorance.

Ignorance is bliss broke.

[G.A.tor]

I use Cgcs grade since I am generally a little tighter

[Kevin.J]

I think that you should stand by what you would grade yourself as once its cracked out the label is useless, other than a talking point.

[roulette44]

I list the history of the book (cracked, old grade) provided I have the proof (I.e, I saw it cracked)

 

I also advertise the grade which I think it is. At the end of the day, our kudos threads depict our ability to be fair with grading!

[DrWatson]

At the end of the day, our kudos threads depict our ability to be fair with grading!

No it doesn't. If neither the buyer nor the seller know how to grade, then all the kudos thread shows it that they both know how to pat each other on the back and congratulate one another for it.

[gaz973]

but overall, Im saying that CGCs 9.4 is of greater value to me than YOUR 9.0 grade.

 

 

Then if Nick had a comic in a 9.4 slab that he felt should be a 9.0, you wouldn't care that he sold it as a 9.4 with out mentioning his opinion?

 

Buying for my collection, Nicks grading would be of greater value to me than CGC's.