Do any of you take your CGC grades personally?

[BassGMan]

I know, kind of an odd question.

 

But I have to admit, sometimes after I have received a fresh box of slabs from CGC, as I take them out of the box one by one, it almost seems as if I'm reading a report card.

 

Student receives a 7.0 in Amazing Spider-Man #129

student not working at his full potential

 

Student receives a 9.2 in Daredevil #168

student is meeting average criteria for the class

 

Student receives a 9.8 in Uncanny X-Men #266

student is an asset to the class

 

I know, it doesn't make logical sense. But I get a twinge of a personal grade with each book I receive slabbed by CGC. This may partially have to do with what I graded them myself, and if I am off, it is kind of like my own grading ability has been judged. Especially at the beginning when I was not accustomed to CGC's grading criteria. I received most books within 1.0 to 2.0 lower than what I had expected. I couldn't help but to take my "report card" personally. It's not a bad thing, but it did affect me a little that way. Not so much anymore, but I still feel it a bit. After all, these are our possesions that are being graded. I guess if it affects you personally or not depends on how attached you are to the book. Some people to feel as if their possesions are "part of them". I don't feel that way, but I do still feel like I'm reading a report card. And believe me, some quarters and some classes I certainly do better than others. Perhaps I need to study more so that I can be an "asset in every class". -------Sid

 

P.S. I just hope that I don't get called into Principal Borock's office for sending in restored books or anything with a coupon or ad missing

[Jgel]

I know what you mean. I ALWAYS start to sweat. I am normally sending to flip so I see dollar signs either large or small. Sometimes I feel like a loser when I want a book for my 9.4 collection and it comes back a 9.2. I have to sell it and start again for the same book. This can really be a frustrating hobby.

[fantastic_four]

But I get a twinge of a personal grade with each book I receive slabbed by CGC.

 

I'm this way on every book I ever grade, period, including when I grade my personal collection. It always ticks me off when I record one grade for a book in my database, and then when I go back to look at it later, I can't figure out how I gave it the grade I had previously given it. I've only submitted two books to CGC--one I guessed exactly right and the other I undergraded by one notch and found the same restoration they did. However, I'll probably be submitting a few dozen over the next few months, and just like you, if I overgrade some of them, I'll definitely take it personally.

[Darthdiesel]

as long as it comes back 9.8 or higher, I'm happy... otherwise, I'm selling it anyway so I don't lose sleep over it...

[BassGMan]

as long as it comes back 9.8 or higher, I'm happy... otherwise, I'm selling it anyway so I don't lose sleep over it...

 

Sounds like somebody trying to be at least a 3.9 student. Probably had very strict parents who would be disappointed with anything less.

[kryptonitecomics]

I haven't to admit that I have had more bad surprises than good. I recently got a lot of 10 books back. 6 were as expected including (5) 9.4/9.6's and (1) IF #14 that came back a 7.5, which is exactly what I believed it was. I also received a 9.2 and a 9.0, which looked like 9.4's or better, but I can live with the grades since I certainly could have missed a few minor flaws that knocked them down from NM.

 

The two surprises came in the form of what I believed to be a 9.6 copy, which came back a 7.0 I am not the proud owner of the lowest graded copy. I will be calling for graders notes on that one and also what I thought was a Iron Man #55 8.0, which came back a 6.0 . Again I will be getting a hold of the graders notes, because from what I can see, the books are undergraded. Now since they are slabbed, I can't see inside, which I hope is where the problems lies because I have never been too careful about looking at all of the pages if the cover looked good.

 

No mater what, this has been another learning experience for me

[Darthdiesel]

as long as it comes back 9.8 or higher, I'm happy... otherwise, I'm selling it anyway so I don't lose sleep over it...

 

Sounds like somebody trying to be at least a 3.9 student. Probably had very strict parents who would be disappointed with anything less.

 

3.9 is pretty close AS for the "strict parents...", that's pretty easy...what Asian kid didn't/doesn't have them... I play the piano, was pre-med, Bio major, perfect Math SATs; AP/ Advanced Math all my life... I fit the stereotypes to a tee...

[BassGMan]

Darth, actually I was joking with my comment, but after what you just said, I can understand how trying to attain perfection in all aspects of your life seems to be understandable. I hope you don't feel as if 9.6 or less is garbage though. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. -----Sid

[sterlingcomics]

Well, with the first batch, you could say I was "auditing the class".

 

I am finding that as I study harder, and apply myself, the grades come back better.

[Darthdiesel]

I hope you don't feel as if 9.6 or less is garbage though. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. -----Sid

 

 

These are my modern readers

[FFB]

I know what you mean. I ALWAYS start to sweat. I am normally sending to flip so I see dollar signs either large or small. Sometimes I feel like a loser when I want a book for my 9.4 collection and it comes back a 9.2. I have to sell it and start again for the same book. This can really be a frustrating hobby.

 

If you think a book is nice enough for your collection, who cares what CGC thinks? The guys at CGC are excellent graders and they definitely know their stuff, but how does their opinion suddenly turn a book that was "nice enough for your collection" before submission into a "get that piece of [!@#%^&^] away from me" just because CGC gave it a 9.2?? The book is either nice enough for you or it isn't. I think the guys at CGC are solid, but I would never let them dictate for me whether or not a book was nice enough for my collection, and more to the point, I don't think that any of them would want that either. Their grades are an OPINION. That's all. If you think the book is nice enough for your collection, then who cares what CGC gives it? And what if CGC gives your book a 9.6, but it sustains slab damage in the mail on the way to you? Do you bounce the book from your collection, or happily place it in the box with its banged up corner because you have the 9.6 label? Are you collecting comic books or labels fer chrissakes?

[FFB]

as long as it comes back 9.8 or higher, I'm happy... otherwise, I'm selling it anyway so I don't lose sleep over it...

 

Sounds like somebody trying to be at least a 3.9 student. Probably had very strict parents who would be disappointed with anything less.

 

3.9 is pretty close AS for the "strict parents...", that's pretty easy...what Asian kid didn't/doesn't have them... I play the piano, was pre-med, Bio major, perfect Math SATs; AP/ Advanced Math all my life... I fit the stereotypes to a tee...

 

All those brains and you still don't like silver age Marvels. What a waste, man!!! What a WASTE!!!!!

 

I hope you cure cancer some day because on the comic book front, you are very disappointing to me.

[tth2]

All those brains and you still don't like silver age Marvels.

 

Sounds like a perfectly logical correlation to me.

[FFB]

All those brains and you still don't like silver age Marvels.

 

Sounds like a perfectly logical correlation to me.

 

To quote Robin Williams from the underappreciated film "Survivors":

 

Blasphemy! Oh, you'll smoke a turd in hell for that!

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

To quote Robin Williams from the underappreciated film "Survivors":

 

I love this film! Full of great zingers....what was that other one..."just another wart on the of society"? Great movie.

[dolphinsrwj]

the first batch is always the hardest to get used to because you realize that their grading is very tough.the last batch i sent in i had almost all the grades on or close to right,but a couple really surprised me x-men#27 i thought 7.5-8.0 but it came back 9.4 then iron fist#1 8.5-9.0 came back 7.5 restored

[Calamerica]

My take on this Thread:

 

One should NOT take the CGC grades personally. CGC is grading the actual comic book, not the submitter. I am sure CGC takes each individual book and focuses on JUST THAT BOOK at that time. Anything else does not make any sense.

 

I still maintain that CGC has gotten MORE consistent in the past two years, they have improved but were already good in the first place, and they have made some changes as they "grew" into what they are presently. And their resto check has been outstanding and I don't recall too many naysayers throwing the rocks at CGC for their resto checks.

 

I think it is easy to fall into the trap of " Hey, CGC was tough on my books" or something close to this; everyone goes through that in their minds. A normal reaction and there are some very dissapointed submitters out there. But this is true with stamps, coins, cards, and toys. It happens.

 

The old adage of " I see things in your items that you don't WANT to see and you see things in MY items I don't want to see" is well -placed here. Human nature tends to have us a little overconfident in our tastes and abilities to do things, and acquiring a collection of a collectible is not immune to this. We all want to believe our "things" are somewhat nicer than they really might be. The Emporer has really bad outdated clothes on, but who is going to tell him? The grading services.

 

For comic book grading, like any other endeavor, it takes time, patience, and the DESIRE to learn and constantly improve. Me? I am known in circles as a "tough" knitpicking sob grader, but I am not where I should be, IMO. I want to be the best, and not miss ANYTHING. A lot of my posts are in the Grading and Resto Threads, because I like grading comic books. Given a choice of fighting with the other Forum Members over some nonsense or grading some comics, I am going to grade the comics first. I can always pick up the flame-thrower some other time. I love looking at the page quality( PQ) for some reason, and it is quite rare that we can do that online. But in person the PQ is the FIRST thing I like to evaluate.

 

Taking a CGC or AFA or PSA grade personally is detracting your energies in the wrong places and ways. Focus on figuring out WHY you accepted this collectible in the first place, what was it about this collectible that induced you to acquire it in the first place, do you want to upgrade later on and then slowly sell off your lower-graded items? Having a goal in the first place eliminates these decisions later, but most collectors grow and change and eventually find their own "niche" within their respective hobby(ies). Try to accept things a little easier is probably good advice here. OK, so my FF 48 only got a CGC VF 7.5 I bought at the LA Wizard World Con. I did not even call for the graders' notes on any of them and have not called for them in about 3 years now. But I got it at a good price anyway and now I can sell my FF 48 CGC 7.0 next year when FF movie is released. I am fortunate to be able to enjoy my hobbies in the first place. I am grateful everytday that I am where I am in my small place here on this planet. But knowing myself, I will probably want to keep this FF 48 as another "pet" of my hundreds of my pets I just cannot part with!

 

Excelsior!

 

CAL

[Red Hook]

The first three books I sent in on my coupon had me expecting some 9.0s and 9.2s.

I got an 8.0, an 8.5 and a 9.0 PLOD. But you know what? They are all still sitting in my collection and much loved (well, I did try moving the plod unsucessfully). I guess if I was more into flipping for profit it would make a difference, but of the 65+ slabs I've purchased or gotten from CGC over the last year....I've sold two...one to upgrade and one to get a little extra dough for my house.

[1st-and-keys]

 

If you think a book is nice enough for your collection, who cares what CGC thinks? The guys at CGC are excellent graders and they definitely know their stuff, but how does their opinion suddenly turn a book that was "nice enough for your collection" before submission into a "get that piece of [!@#%^&^] away from me" just because CGC gave it a 9.2?? The book is either nice enough for you or it isn't. I think the guys at CGC are solid, but I would never let them dictate for me whether or not a book was nice enough for my collection, and more to the point, I don't think that any of them would want that either. Their grades are an OPINION. That's all. If you think the book is nice enough for your collection, then who cares what CGC gives it? And what if CGC gives your book a 9.6, but it sustains slab damage in the mail on the way to you? Do you bounce the book from your collection, or happily place it in the box with its banged up corner because you have the 9.6 label? Are you collecting comic books or labels fer chrissakes?

 

[OldGuy]

Are you collecting comic books or labels fer chrissakes?

 

I think the answer is self evident.