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TIME MACHINE! Sealed boxes from the distributor. Will I find a 9.9?
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Started by newshane,

165 posts in this topic

MODOK

MODOK

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anger.gif

 

I feel your angst!

 

Apparently, it is virtually impossible to get either a 9.9 or 10.0 from CGC.

 

Scarcer then hen's teeth!

 

Thanks for the great thread, and I appreciate you letting us take this exciting journey with you. We were all vicariously feeling your anticipation as you waited to hear back from CGC.

 

P.S. I would also like to know how you got those 9.6s if you cherry picked the best copies. Seems like a raw deal to me.

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newshane

newshane

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Sometimes it's all about the journey instead of the destination. I learned an awful lot through conducting this experiment and the bottom line is that I enjoyed the process, even if it didn't result in a happy ending. I will definitely no longer be searching through stacks of comics in search of a mint comic. I've learned to be very, very happy with 9.8 books...especially if they are over five or six years old. I've also learned that mint books are sold at an exorbitant price for a reason - they are simply next to possible to obtain on your own.

 

P.S. I would also like to know how you got those 9.6s if you cherry picked the best copies. Seems like a raw deal to me.

 

I will be getting the graders' notes for these issues and I will post them here. I'm thinking they either hammered the spine rub or staple area. I knew a few of them weren't as nice as the others and I submitted them on purpose...hoping to establish a bottom baseline of 9.8. Unfortunately, I was off by a degree.

 

Maybe they had just finished looking at a stack of pristine Grimm books...or Locke and Key? haha

 

The thing I find most shocking is that all of the books passed the 9.8 pre-screen over at Classics Incorporated. That's why I was so shocked to hear about the 9.6 grades.

 

I think it's also fair to expect a little bit of inconsistency in a subjective process such as the grading of comics. I think that a few of my books were every bit as "pretty" as some of the 9.9 slabs that I already own. I never expected to get multiple mint slabs, but I figured that at least one out of the seven I submitted would make the mark.

 

The bottom line is that I wasted an enormous amount of time and resources searching for that mint book that I never found. While it was fun, it's just not economically feasible for me to try again. That money can be put to better use in my collection.

 

I also learned that plenty can happen to a comic book over the years - even if they are never removed from the printer's box. They weren't that tightly packed in the box to begin with...I'd say all the poor handling and storage of these boxes over the years only contributed to the problem. I cringe when I think about those spines rubbing the edge of the box. Remember, some of the boxes were in great shape and others were not.

 

My next challenge will be getting rid of the rest of these raws! lol

 

I'm super happy so many people followed and enjoyed my journey! I hope to continue to improve my grading abilities and I'm excited to share and learn more about the craft!

 

Thanks again! Stay tuned and we'll discuss the graders' notes once I actually get the slabs.

 

 

Edited by newshane
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Bomber-Bob

Bomber-Bob

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Maybe they had just finished looking at a stack of pristine Grimm books...or Locke and Key? haha

 

The thing I find most shocking is that all of the books passed the 9.8 pre-screen over at Classics Incorporated. That's why I was so shocked to hear about the 9.6 grades.

 

 

First off, thanks for a great thread, In my opinion, a candidate for thread of the year. It was fun and unique.

I think your statement about CGC just looking at a stack of pristine Grimm books may have some truth to it. Everything is relative. I think this is defintely true with Silver Age after they just finished grading a bunch of pedigrees.

As good as Classics Incorporated is, it goes to show that you can't rely on the estimated grade. There are just so many things that can go wrong by the time it reaches the hands of the graders.

Of the hundreds, maybe a thousand books I have submitted I have only received one 9.9 . It's definitely tough.

 

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Hado

Hado

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Of the hundreds, maybe a thousand books I have submitted I have only received one 9.9 . It's definitely tough.

 

Wow! I've submitted 14 moderns--1 9.9, 11 9.8's, 2 9.6's. Guess I got lucky.

had your 9.9 spent a decade in a box? hm
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newshane

newshane

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Of the hundreds, maybe a thousand books I have submitted I have only received one 9.9 . It's definitely tough.

 

Wow! I've submitted 14 moderns--1 9.9, 11 9.8's, 2 9.6's. Guess I got lucky.

had your 9.9 spent a decade in a box? hm

 

I'd certainly have to agree that storage and handling make all the difference in these situations. My boxes weren't the time machines I expected.

 

I know we're dealing with "moderns" here, so presumably it should be easier to find mint copies. But these "moderns" are 18 years-old. I know that makes those of us in our early 30s feel old as #$&@, but a fact is a fact. I'd say the very best candidates for 9.9s of that age are books that were hand-selected by comic dealers and placed directly from the box into a long-term private collection.

 

One of the many lessons I learned? A sealed distributor's box from the early 90s is not the best place to keep books over the long-term, especially if they shuffle hands a few times. SPINE-RUB OF DEATH!

 

I congratulate anyone who submits a 9.9 on their own! It really is an accomplishment.

 

Furthermore, don't doubt the very existence of mint books - they are out there! I'd advise everyone to at least personally examine a 9.9 slab at some point. It really helps put things into perspective.

 

 

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Hado

Hado

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Yup, sending in a book you bought today that was just printed, while still impressive, isn't the same thing as sending in a book thats as old as these.

Don't get me started on 10's

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The-Collector

The-Collector

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thanks for the great thread it was a pleasure to read.

 

I have been meaning to post this quote from the classics incorporated website re pressing 9.8 books to 9.9s or 10's:

 

"Even though the value of any 9.9 or 10.0 is much higher than 9.8, we feel that trying to achieve a 9.9 is not feasible. Because 9.9’s are given out so infrequently by CGC, there is no realistic way to predict when a book will grade 9.9, even with a pressing. Some have been lobbying CGC to open a 9.9 Pre-screen service, but this would require more manpower from CGC and a slight lowering of standards for 9.8 and 9.9. It could also have a detrimental effect on values if the market knew there was an assured way to achieve 9.9.

 

During the month of 12/09, the ratio of graded 9.8’s to 9.9’s by CGC was roughly 1 to 64, while the ratio of 9.9’s to 10.0’s was almost 1 to 4. This ratio shows the difficulty of achieving a 9.9 in relation to 9.8 is 16 times greater than that of a 10.0 to 9.9. Given the logarithmic nature of the CGC census, the opposite should be true. There should be more 9.9’s coming out of CGC. "

 

 

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bane

bane

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I would think that its definitely the luck of the draw, I just had a look at 1 of my 9.9s and it doesn't have any describable difference to a 9.8 that my eyes can detect anyway.

 

Get out of the super-high grade market! :whee:

 

I am :shy:

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Kevin.J

Kevin.J

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I would think that its definitely the luck of the draw, I just had a look at 1 of my 9.9s and it doesn't have any describable difference to a 9.8 that my eyes can detect anyway.

 

Get out of the super-high grade market! :whee:

 

I am :shy:

 

I am not in it.

I have slabbed books ranging from 0.5 - 9.9, I would rather be able to buy all my comics raw.

I just love any comics that I dont own and if I find them I will take them in any condition until I can get a better copy. (thumbs u

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bane

bane

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Grading is rather subjective in the eye of the beholder. As such not all same grade books are the same. That's why even when buying graded book I still want to see close up front and back scans/photos.

 

(thumbs u

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newshane

newshane

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Got in one of those 9.6s today.

 

Guess what?

 

NO GRADER NOTES AVAILABLE FOR THIS COMIC

 

It's not a matter of the book being new because I was able to get notes from other books in the same order!

 

:mad:

 

I'm telling you guys...this book looks absolutely flawless...every bit as good as my 9.9s and even better than some of them.

 

I would REALLY like the graders to tell me what is wrong with this book.

 

How ridiculous.

 

I am going to call them on the phone tomorrow.

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newshane

newshane

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I take back the flawless remark.

 

The stapes are slightly out of alignment.

 

Other than that I'm clueless.

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