Why do CGC books cost more?

[Comixroc]

All you're getting from a CGC book is the knowledge that it was graded by at least three people, none of which have any vested interest in the sale/purchase/value of the book. This knowledge imparts higher value for a book in the marketplace than a raw book in similar condition in almost all cases.

 

Also, and this is probably not at all an issue for the run you're going after, you're getting a high-quality restoration check.

 

+1

 

CGC is a more useful resource when dealing with high-dollar gold, silver, and bronze. Also, the resto check is pretty critical when you start getting into spendy books.

 

But for Transformers, a raw run seems to me the way to go.

Raw is definitely the way to go. Graded Transformers books are just a waste of money

 

Gotta disagree with this. Creating a full graded run of a series you love is awesome. Heck, nobody gives a rats butt about ULTIMATES 3, but i'd love to have all 5 books, as well as the variants and subsequent printings, graded and signed by Joe Mad!

 

.....but then again, i don't get books graded and signed for resale value anyway.....to each his own i suppose....

[Underground44]

$200 is a bit high for a #1 9.8 IMO. I'm sure you could get it under $150ish CGC'd.

If you're ever thinking of resale value, it will be a lot easier to unload a graded book vs raw.

 

Yes I was thinking that myself. I have a Transformers #1 9.8 (well CGC has it at the moment) They are definitely not a $200 book, although I wish it was. Are you looking at Ebay completed sales or listings?

[ThoseBackPages]

Peace of Mind when buying, especially online.

 

i dont give a how "well known" a raw seller is. Lets say you buy a few important-to-you books from a "well known" seller. You get them and send them to CGC yourself. they come back "restored". you contact the seller and they say "sorry, that was part of a large buy, these things happen." and they gladly refund your money. Sure that sounds great, but damn if that doesnt get annoying after it happens a few times.

 

After all, we just want what we want. Buying it already graded bypasses a lot of that heartache.

[r100comics]

Looks like the first comic book website ever made for the web.

 

I'd rather have his archaic website and tight grading than some slick website where NM's are really VF's.

[shrunkenhead]

Looks like the first comic book website ever made for the web.

 

I'd rather have his archaic website and tight grading than some slick website where NM's are really VF's.

 

Why does it have to be either/or?

[Yoshi]

Thank you all for your advice. It really has been a big help and its making me a more informed collector as well as buyer.

 

I will try dropping Doug an e-mail and see if he can help me out.

 

@*James* - I have just been looking at listings on ebay.

 

[B-Smooth]

Because when you buy CGC graded, you know pretty much exactly what you're getting. Fairly graded book.

 

When you buy raw off ebay, you know pretty much exactly what you're getting. Screwed.

 

That about sums it up. But every once in a while, you'll find a diamond in the rough. I've found some of my best books on eBay, but have purchased many nice looking NM books that ended up being more like VF, at best. Personally, I only buy cheaper books on eBay, that have the potential for 9.8's (I buy mostly copper books), because I don't take that much of a loss if they aren't quite what I was hoping for. It's like panning for gold. Lots of misses, with the occasional nugget. More fun than investment. If it is, you'll be wasting time and money.

[gyro-1]

Also having a graded CGC Graded comic is very RARE due to the length of time it actually takes to get one back from CGC

This

[B-Smooth]

If you're trying to put together a nice, high grade run of Transformers and don't want to pay the CGC 9.8 premium, get in touch with Doug Sulipa. I'd guess that he could hook you up on a good portion of the run, raw HG.

 

Thw website is (still) archaic...but he's one of the best.

 

Link for the lazy

+1. He's one of the best graders I know of. You'll pay a little more, but i've always gotten what I've paid for. And the books are far cheaper than their CGC counterparts.

[Speedy-D]

All you're getting from a CGC book is the knowledge that it was graded by at least three people, none of which have any vested interest in the sale/purchase/value of the book. This knowledge imparts higher value for a book in the marketplace than a raw book in similar condition in almost all cases.

 

Also, and this is probably not at all an issue for the run you're going after, you're getting a high-quality restoration check.

 

+1

 

CGC is a more useful resource when dealing with high-dollar gold, silver, and bronze. Also, the resto check is pretty critical when you start getting into spendy books.

 

But for Transformers, a raw run seems to me the way to go.

Raw is definitely the way to go. Graded Transformers books are just a waste of money

 

Gotta disagree with this. Creating a full graded run of a series you love is awesome. Heck, nobody gives a rats butt about ULTIMATES 3, but i'd love to have all 5 books, as well as the variants and subsequent printings, graded and signed by Joe Mad!

 

.....but then again, i don't get books graded and signed for resale value anyway.....to each his own i suppose....

CGC loves you

[DR.X]

Peace of Mind when buying, especially online.

 

i dont give a how "well known" a raw seller is. Lets say you buy a few important-to-you books from a "well known" seller. You get them and send them to CGC yourself. they come back "restored". you contact the seller and they say "sorry, that was part of a large buy, these things happen." and they gladly refund your money.

 

I don't get your point here. This stuff happens. Even reputable dealers make mistakes and can let something get by. The good part is that they stand by the product and will refund your money.

 

Sure, it may be a bit of a pain, but at least you have recourse and just lose some time and effort. It's not a perfect science grading out books and checking for resto, but it should give you peace of mind knowing you'll get your dough back. That's a good thing. Try getting your dough back from e-bay and see what happens!

[Speedy-D]

Peace of Mind when buying, especially online.

 

i dont give a how "well known" a raw seller is. Lets say you buy a few important-to-you books from a "well known" seller. You get them and send them to CGC yourself. they come back "restored". you contact the seller and they say "sorry, that was part of a large buy, these things happen." and they gladly refund your money. Sure that sounds great, but damn if that doesnt get annoying after it happens a few times.

 

After all, we just want what we want. Buying it already graded bypasses a lot of that heartache.

Getting a full refund for a problem the seller didn't know about is your horror story proving how horrible it is to buy ungraded comics?

[gyro-1]

You have not lived till you drove through (or past) STEINBACH Manitoba in 12 seconds !

To bad back in those days I didnt know about Doug

 

 

[Davenport]

Peace of Mind when buying, especially online.

 

i dont give a how "well known" a raw seller is. Lets say you buy a few important-to-you books from a "well known" seller. You get them and send them to CGC yourself. they come back "restored". you contact the seller and they say "sorry, that was part of a large buy, these things happen." and they gladly refund your money. Sure that sounds great, but damn if that doesn't get annoying after it happens a few times.

 

After all, we just want what we want. Buying it already graded bypasses a lot of that heartache.

This seems opposite of reality. Isn't a buyer more likely to encounter "all CGC sales are final" combined with an unlimited time to return any missed restoration with raw offerings?

 

Aren't "well known" reputable dealers more apt to take responsibility for their own reputation, while leaving CGC to take responsibility for themselves?

 

[sterlingcomics]

Because when you buy CGC graded, you know pretty much exactly what you're getting. Fairly graded book.

 

When you buy raw off ebay, you know pretty much exactly what you're getting. Screwed.

 

 

Yep. That pretty much sums it up.

[rodan57]

Peace of Mind when buying, especially online.

 

i dont give a how "well known" a raw seller is. Lets say you buy a few important-to-you books from a "well known" seller. You get them and send them to CGC yourself. they come back "restored". you contact the seller and they say "sorry, that was part of a large buy, these things happen." and they gladly refund your money. Sure that sounds great, but damn if that doesn't get annoying after it happens a few times.

 

After all, we just want what we want. Buying it already graded bypasses a lot of that heartache.

This seems opposite of reality. Isn't a buyer more likely to encounter "all CGC sales are final" combined with an unlimited time to return any missed restoration with raw offerings?

 

Aren't "well known" reputable dealers more apt to take responsibility for their own reputation, while leaving CGC to take responsibility for themselves?

 

Good point. Why a raw book can be assessed for quality and the same book in hard plastic cannot be is a good question. I am buying a book from the seller and not the CGC.

 

The seller should be willing to stand behind the book whether it is graded by them, the CGC or Joe down the block.

 

If I ask to see a CGC book at a convention, I can look closely, as I would with a raw book, and decide what I think. I have opportunity to pass on it. Why the difference when buying at a distance?

[ThoseBackPages]

Peace of Mind when buying, especially online.

 

i dont give a how "well known" a raw seller is. Lets say you buy a few important-to-you books from a "well known" seller. You get them and send them to CGC yourself. they come back "restored". you contact the seller and they say "sorry, that was part of a large buy, these things happen." and they gladly refund your money.

 

I don't get your point here. This stuff happens. Even reputable dealers make mistakes and can let something get by. The good part is that they stand by the product and will refund your money.

 

Sure, it may be a bit of a pain, but at least you have recourse and just lose some time and effort. It's not a perfect science grading out books and checking for resto, but it should give you peace of mind knowing you'll get your dough back. That's a good thing. Try getting your dough back from e-bay and see what happens!

 

i guess my point is that it comes down to more then "money" for some people. its much easier to make more money, then it is to find whatever collectible it is you're collecting. in the big picture, "moderns" in high-grade raw form may very well be "easier" to obtain, but that isnt the point. its about the owner of the book being happy with what theyve gotten.

 

Of course CGC makes mistakes, everyone does.

[Davenport]

Peace of Mind when buying, especially online.

 

i dont give a how "well known" a raw seller is. Lets say you buy a few important-to-you books from a "well known" seller. You get them and send them to CGC yourself. they come back "restored". you contact the seller and they say "sorry, that was part of a large buy, these things happen." and they gladly refund your money. Sure that sounds great, but damn if that doesn't get annoying after it happens a few times.

 

After all, we just want what we want. Buying it already graded bypasses a lot of that heartache.

This seems opposite of reality. Isn't a buyer more likely to encounter "all CGC sales are final" combined with an unlimited time to return any missed restoration with raw offerings?

 

Aren't "well known" reputable dealers more apt to take responsibility for their own reputation, while leaving CGC to take responsibility for themselves?

 

Good point. Why a raw book can be assessed for quality and the same book in hard plastic cannot be is a good question. I am buying a book from the seller and not the CGC.

 

The seller should be willing to stand behind the book whether it is graded by them, the CGC or Joe down the block.

 

If I ask to see a CGC book at a convention, I can look closely, as I would with a raw book, and decide what I think. I have opportunity to pass on it. Why the difference when buying at a distance?

It's the nature of the beast: Both you and the dealer enter into a transaction that defers authority to a third party. That's the mutual agreement.

 

Right? Why should the dealer accept a return based on your opinion, when you've both agreed to transfer that power over to a third party? So if you're dissatisfied once you take possession, contact the third party. Again, that's the agreement.

 

 

[Sal]

Peace of Mind when buying, especially online.

 

i dont give a how "well known" a raw seller is. Lets say you buy a few important-to-you books from a "well known" seller. You get them and send them to CGC yourself. they come back "restored". you contact the seller and they say "sorry, that was part of a large buy, these things happen." and they gladly refund your money. Sure that sounds great, but damn if that doesn't get annoying after it happens a few times.

 

After all, we just want what we want. Buying it already graded bypasses a lot of that heartache.

This seems opposite of reality. Isn't a buyer more likely to encounter "all CGC sales are final" combined with an unlimited time to return any missed restoration with raw offerings?

 

Aren't "well known" reputable dealers more apt to take responsibility for their own reputation, while leaving CGC to take responsibility for themselves?

 

Good point. Why a raw book can be assessed for quality and the same book in hard plastic cannot be is a good question. I am buying a book from the seller and not the CGC.

 

The seller should be willing to stand behind the book whether it is graded by them, the CGC or Joe down the block.

 

If I ask to see a CGC book at a convention, I can look closely, as I would with a raw book, and decide what I think. I have opportunity to pass on it. Why the difference when buying at a distance?

It's the nature of the beast: Both you and the dealer enter into a transaction that defers authority to a third party. That's the mutual agreement.

 

Right? Why should the dealer accept a return based on your opinion, when you've both agreed to transfer that power over to a third party? So if you're dissatisfied once you take possession, contact the third party. Again, that's the agreement.

 

 

Yeah, but the deference is about the structural grade and to a lesser extent, the resto check. A 9.6 isn't a 9.6 isn't a 9.6, if you know what I mean. Certain flaws are allowed in grade that might not pass muster for a collector, such as printer's creases or miswraps.

 

Not to mention the fervor with which some people approach page quality