For collectors. buy raw or slabed

[mrblond4]

I am wondering if its better to take your luck with a maybe 9.8 book for less money or simply wait for a slabed 9.8? As I have no local LCS, I am forced to pretty much buy from Ebay. I have been trying to pick up slabs when I can but sometimes the book I want is only found raw. SHould I roll the dice and hope the raw issue I get is a 9.8 candidate or simply be patient.

[synch]

depends on the book sometimes you get lucky on raws but other times if you want a 9.8 its simply cheaper in the long run to buy it

 

[Tuff Ghost]

I think there is a service where you can subscribe to slabbed 9.8's. I think BeachBum offers this.

[tjanse]

Yeah contact beachbum I just started using his service and let him know what you want.

[oakman29]

All my moderns are raw,but I do cherry pick the best ones.They all would get a 9.8 if submitted. (thumbs u

[AnthaiHERO]

It all depends on personal preference. I buy both raw and slabs. You do take a gamble with raw books, but sometimes picking up a raw copy and subbing it yourself can be more cost effective. Also vice versa. Sometimes buying an SS is almost the same cost, maybe a little more than subbing a book to get signed and having the risk that it grades lower. Plus you save on time buying slabbed versus waiting for CGC, which are usually off on their estimates.

[Nico Esq]

I'm going to start experimenting with pressing raw books when I pay for NM/MT and get a book that never was NM/MT or is damaged by my mailman (who is a terrorist when it comes to delivering packages - this guy is quickly becoming my nemises). The reason I say this is that sometimes the disparity in price is often incredibly substantial (e.g., Luther Strode 1 CGC 9.8 costs about a $100 on ebay and you can get a raw LS 1 for $10 - $15, press it for $10 and slab it for another $30 so in that case you may be able to get two CGC 9.8s for the price of one). Just some food for thought.

[Underground44]

I'm going to start experimenting with pressing raw books when I pay for NM/MT and get a book that never was NM/MT or is damaged by my mailman (who is a terrorist when it comes to delivering packages - this guy is quickly becoming my nemises). The reason I say this is that sometimes the disparity in price is often incredibly substantial (e.g., Luther Strode 1 CGC 9.8 costs about a $100 on ebay and you can get a raw LS 1 for $10 - $15, press it for $10 and slab it for another $30 so in that case you may be able to get two CGC 9.8s for the price of one). Just some food for thought.

 

Good advice... but If you live in a foreign country or in an isolated place (Country Australia in my case), the cost of pressing and slabbing books is off the charts after return postage and it works out a lot cheaper to buy the books already graded if possible

 

 

[synch]

+1 on beachbum he is great if you just want modern books that have not been released yet

[bass4punk]

I'm going to start experimenting with pressing raw books when I pay for NM/MT and get a book that never was NM/MT or is damaged by my mailman (who is a terrorist when it comes to delivering packages - this guy is quickly becoming my nemises). The reason I say this is that sometimes the disparity in price is often incredibly substantial (e.g., Luther Strode 1 CGC 9.8 costs about a $100 on ebay and you can get a raw LS 1 for $10 - $15, press it for $10 and slab it for another $30 so in that case you may be able to get two CGC 9.8s for the price of one). Just some food for thought.

 

While I do agree that package handlers can wreak havoc on books, I find 99% of the problem, are sellers who DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PACK You can package a raw book to prevent any damage if you take the time and effort.

 

To the OP, buy raw if you know what a 9.8 looks like and you can find them around your area. It's much cheaper to buy your own and submit, although Beachbum does have a superb service at a reasonable rate My local shops suck, plus most of them still use wire shelving. Many nice looking books have been ruined by those stupid shelves, as if taping some cardboard down is that hard to do

[mrblond4]

I have no local shop so Ebay is pretty much it.I have bought some raws from dealers on Ebay, Like Frank, who say they are NM+ and they come and look NM+ while others will say only NM and they are borderline VF at best. I may look into beachbums service though.

[bass4punk]

I would be extremely careful relying on eBay for 9.8 material. Just too many sellers who overgrade or can't pack properly. Dre (beachbum) has an excellent subscription service for 9.8's. If you're looking for one off books, here and there, I'd also utilize the "Want to buy" section. If you're not aware of current price trends (GPA is an excellent slab pricing tool ) you could risk overpaying for some books on eBay, due to seller overpricing or bidding frenzies on trendy titles

[Nico Esq]

I send packaging instructions to sellers on ebay and they never follow them. ebay is a disaster a lot of the time. I've had just as many bad experiences on ebay as I've had on Amazon. I also find that it's helpful to send messages to sellers advising them that you intend to submit the book to CGC when I buy on ebay. It's tough. The boards on the other hand are an excellent place to purchase comics in my experience. I've not had any bad experiences on the boards but it's hard to get what you want on the boards.