• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

To Slab or not to Slab? Low-Grade keys....

Started by Soft-Serve,

46 posts in this topic

zuulioso

zuulioso

Posted
Posted
Slab all key books and silver age books. Even in low grade, so when you do sell them there is no questioning the grade.

 

Just don't slab modern books as you will slow down the books that deserve to be graded properly like Silver Age books.

 

Any book I decide to send in deserves to be graded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DWL

DWL

Posted
Posted

I agree with those who suggest that if your planning on selling them at some point, get them slabbed.

 

In fact, while this forum only represents a portion of the larger collector community, I suspect knowledgeable collectors may wonder why those keys aren't slabbed.

 

One of the great things about this hobby is that there is a niche for everyone. There are those who want nothing but high grade. Hey, they can have at it. But just look at the collection of keys Erndog and JerseyComicBoy have put together. Who cares if they are mid to low grade, they still look great.

 

JerseyComicBoy's signature line looks awesome!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
shadroch

shadroch

Posted
Posted

Here is another alternate way to go.

When you are going to sell them, send them to MycomicShop on either consignment or for auction. They will accurately gade them and give you a far wider ranging audience than almost any other method. If they think you'll do better slabbibg them, they'll tell you. They work strictly on a percentage of the final sale so they will do all they can to get top dollar for you. They also lay out the slabbing fees and take it out of the winning bid so you are not out any upfront cash.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Magneto

Magneto

Posted
Posted

I agree with the consensus here. Slab the books. There is a great market for silver ages keys in those grades. Over the next couple of years I plan to buy a FF#1 in around 4.0 and Avengers, #1 Spiderman #1, TOS 39, JIM 83 all around the 5.0 - 6.0 range.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
thehumantorch

thehumantorch

Posted
Posted
Hello all,

 

I've got a small stack of key books (Hulk #181, DD #1, DD #7, etc...) all in around 4.0-6.0 raw conditon. I would like to sell these books at some point, but am wondering if I would do better to have them slabbed. At these grades, there seems to be quite a bit of contention regarding pricing in raw form. Professional grading would seem to solve this problem. That being said, at these grades, the books aren't really worth more per se, unless someone is willing to pay a small premium for the piece-of-mind a CGC slab offers.

 

So, should I continue to try to sell raw, or bite the bullet?

 

I'm gonna go against the herd. Books like Hulk 181 sell great on ebay, clink, heritage or mycomicshop unslabbed. I wouldn't bother slabbing them unless they were high grade or very expensive. From the 3 books you mention the only one I would slab is the DD1.

 

If you check ebay's completed auctions for each of your keys you'll be able to compare prices of slabbed and unslabbed books in similar grades and determine if it's worth paying for CGC's services.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
JazzMan

JazzMan

Posted
Posted

Mega keys, no matter what, should be slabbed.

 

I still don't think you have a case to slab DD7 & Hulk 181 in low grade, just because you'd probably not gain much if the grade deviates a little in the range you stated. If they were in high grade I would not hesitate because a variation of 0.5 or 0.2 either way may mean high hundreds or even thousands. I don't consider DD7 a mega key either. It's a key, just not a mega key.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dick Pontoon

Dick Pontoon

Posted
Posted
Hello all,

 

I've got a small stack of key books (Hulk #181, DD #1, DD #7, etc...) all in around 4.0-6.0 raw conditon. I would like to sell these books at some point, but am wondering if I would do better to have them slabbed. At these grades, there seems to be quite a bit of contention regarding pricing in raw form. Professional grading would seem to solve this problem. That being said, at these grades, the books aren't really worth more per se, unless someone is willing to pay a small premium for the piece-of-mind a CGC slab offers.

 

So, should I continue to try to sell raw, or bite the bullet?

 

I'm gonna go against the herd. Books like Hulk 181 sell great on ebay, clink, heritage or mycomicshop unslabbed. I wouldn't bother slabbing them unless they were high grade or very expensive. From the 3 books you mention the only one I would slab is the DD1.

 

If you check ebay's completed auctions for each of your keys you'll be able to compare prices of slabbed and unslabbed books in similar grades and determine if it's worth paying for CGC's services.

 

I’m with Human Torch, except I’d only slab the DD #1 after making the comparison he recommends based on how much you already had into the book. I don’t want to sound rude, but I think your grading may have been a bit optimistic and pricing a tad aggressive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
chromium

chromium

Posted
Posted

I don’t want to sound rude, but I think your grading may have been a bit optimistic and pricing a tad aggressive.

 

A good reason to have these books graded by CGC... Once you get books back from CGC you can see how your own grading stands up to scrutiny.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TheMightyJohn

TheMightyJohn

Posted
Posted

I don't slab modern books unless I plan to have it sketch or signed. I really don't see much point in slabbing say "DCNU Batman #1" just to have the book in a blue label 9.8 or whatever.

 

I do tend to slab low-mid grade keys and low keys on SA and BA books for the preservation or if I plane to sell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Soft-Serve

Soft-Serve

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Wow, this question has gotten a lot more responses than I imagined! I do intend to sell these books as I've already replaced them with "upgrades". You've al convinced me to slab the DD #1 for sure, and the others possibly. I think I will based on how they are selling on Ebay. The raw copies are sitting around for a while, and the slabbed books are moving. The DD #7 is a problem though. I consider it a major key (I'm a DD nut), but it would seem other's don't. I bought my 6.0 CGC copy and paid retail, so maybe someone else will if it's in slab.

 

Now I didn't intend for this thread to discuss my own grading/pricing, but since it was brought up, I'll answer it. While some may disagree with my grading (in a recent sales thread), there were many more who felt it was fair and accurate. I found those who disputed my grading also wanted a fire-sale price) Anyway, I replaced those raw copies with slabbed versions around the same grade and used those slabs to help my grading. Judging both side-by-side, they are in a dead-heat. (at least the DD's, My Hulk #181 CGC is 8.0.) As it would turn out, one of my potiential buyers actually posted the pics I sent him via Craigslist here to be looked at by the PGM forum crew. Everyone pretty much backed up my grade. As for the pricing, they are all currently priced well below the 42nd OSG. So, that's that. I'm sure I'll have to accept less at some point, but I'm in no hurry. They are good books and someone will like both the books and the pricing. I'm just looking for a more clearer way to sell books some may be hesitant about buying raw. At any rate, I'm simply a collector who has a few nice books that I need to sell to pay for their replacments. Not trying to make a profit

 

Thanks again everyone for the comments!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Go to topic listing