Dark Mysteries 19 ebay auction

[Wrightson fan]

The WTOF 1 8.0 that ended last night sold for 350 less than I paid for my 8.0. I saved pics of their scans.. and will post scans of mine...and then we can discuss. Night and day between the two...mine for the better of course.

 

What did it end at?

 

685

That's a good price for the buyer.

 

Yes...if it had been an 8.0...it would be a great price. I can't post comparison pics at the moment...but I will asap.

No, I meant that even if it were a 7.0 DM 19, the buyer got a good price on it. 8.0 is more like 1K.

 

I think Wrightson fan was referring to the price on a WTOF 1 8.0 not a DM 19

 

You are correct. Here is the link to the one that closed last night.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350750461991?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

 

Here is the front of my 8.0. The back is just as clean. I will try to get it scanned soon. Look at the back of the SC 8.0....and especially the left edge. What the hell?

 

[bcc]

Can't give it higher than a 7.0 with that color breaking crease.

 

As a matter of fact I believe this book was graded a 7.0 at one point, if I'm not mistaken.

 

You are correct. In fact I believe it was a PGX 7.0 and I thought overgraded then as well.

[rjpb]

The WTOF 1 8.0 that ended last night sold for 350 less than I paid for my 8.0. I saved pics of their scans.. and will post scans of mine...and then we can discuss. Night and day between the two...mine for the better of course.

 

What did it end at?

 

685

That's a good price for the buyer.

 

Yes...if it had been an 8.0...it would be a great price. I can't post comparison pics at the moment...but I will asap.

No, I meant that even if it were a 7.0 DM 19, the buyer got a good price on it. 8.0 is more like 1K.

 

I think Wrightson fan was referring to the price on a WTOF 1 8.0 not a DM 19

 

You are correct. Here is the link to the one that closed last night.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350750461991?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

 

Here is the front of my 8.0. The back is just as clean. I will try to get it scanned soon. Look at the back of the SC 8.0....and especially the left edge. What the hell?

 

 

Your 8.0 looks undergraded ( but as we all know scans don't always tell the whole story), the Sparkle City obviously overgraded, the back cover should limit it to 7.0.

[Wrightson fan]

The WTOF 1 8.0 that ended last night sold for 350 less than I paid for my 8.0. I saved pics of their scans.. and will post scans of mine...and then we can discuss. Night and day between the two...mine for the better of course.

 

What did it end at?

 

685

That's a good price for the buyer.

 

Yes...if it had been an 8.0...it would be a great price. I can't post comparison pics at the moment...but I will asap.

No, I meant that even if it were a 7.0 DM 19, the buyer got a good price on it. 8.0 is more like 1K.

 

I think Wrightson fan was referring to the price on a WTOF 1 8.0 not a DM 19

 

You are correct. Here is the link to the one that closed last night.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350750461991?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

 

Here is the front of my 8.0. The back is just as clean. I will try to get it scanned soon. Look at the back of the SC 8.0....and especially the left edge. What the hell?

 

 

Your 8.0 looks undergraded ( but as we all know scans don't always tell the whole story), the Sparkle City obviously overgraded, the back cover should limit it to 7.0.

 

I agree about the scan aspect, but in instances like this, it is all we have to go on. However, I cannot help that the grades SC garner turn my stomach. I have been doing this a long time, and it is really discouraging.

[rjpb]

The WTOF 1 8.0 that ended last night sold for 350 less than I paid for my 8.0. I saved pics of their scans.. and will post scans of mine...and then we can discuss. Night and day between the two...mine for the better of course.

 

What did it end at?

 

685

That's a good price for the buyer.

 

Yes...if it had been an 8.0...it would be a great price. I can't post comparison pics at the moment...but I will asap.

No, I meant that even if it were a 7.0 DM 19, the buyer got a good price on it. 8.0 is more like 1K.

 

I think Wrightson fan was referring to the price on a WTOF 1 8.0 not a DM 19

 

You are correct. Here is the link to the one that closed last night.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/350750461991?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648

 

Here is the front of my 8.0. The back is just as clean. I will try to get it scanned soon. Look at the back of the SC 8.0....and especially the left edge. What the hell?

 

 

Your 8.0 looks undergraded ( but as we all know scans don't always tell the whole story), the Sparkle City obviously overgraded, the back cover should limit it to 7.0.

 

I agree about the scan aspect, but in instances like this, it is all we have to go on. However, I cannot help that the grades SC garner turn my stomach. I have been doing this a long time, and it is really discouraging.

 

If it sold for 1/3 less than your 8.0, the market may be correcting for the perceived misgrade. Perhaps people are actually buying the book not the label. It's still an improvement from the pre-internet, pre CGC era where Dealer X and Dealer Y might both have a VF copy of a book for sale, and unless you were at a con and could see them both in hand, you had only reputation to go on in guessing which might be the nicer copy.

[goldust40]

 

If it sold for 1/3 less than your 8.0, the market may be correcting for the perceived misgrade. Perhaps people are actually buying the book not the label. It's still an improvement from the pre-internet, pre CGC era where Dealer X and Dealer Y might both have a VF copy of a book for sale, and unless you were at a con and could see them both in hand, you had only reputation to go on in guessing which might be the nicer copy.

 

Perhaps but this sort of inequity shouldn't be occurring.

[rjpb]

 

If it sold for 1/3 less than your 8.0, the market may be correcting for the perceived misgrade. Perhaps people are actually buying the book not the label. It's still an improvement from the pre-internet, pre CGC era where Dealer X and Dealer Y might both have a VF copy of a book for sale, and unless you were at a con and could see them both in hand, you had only reputation to go on in guessing which might be the nicer copy.

 

Perhaps but this sort of inequity shouldn't be occurring.

 

I'll agree with you there, but there seem to be examples of it from the very inception of CGC. Even with guidelines and teams of graders, the variance of having different graders review books at different times seems greater than that of a single grader. Even the most consistent grader is going to have books that others feel they missed the boat on.

 

Collectors find this variance more disconcerting from CGC than they would from a large dealer, because there is the expectation that the CGC grade can be more readily monetized than the opinion of any dealer. I find it a bit strange when board members congratulate a fellow boardie for getting a grade far higher than even the submitter thought the book deserved, as if the book was now in better shape than it had been before submission, and yet if that same book were listed on ebay there's a good chance it would be the topic of a thread on how CGC has dropped it's standards.

 

CGC provides a useful service in both resto detection and giving an educated opinion of a comic's grade, but at the end of the day, that's what it is, an opinion, and I'm actually heartened to see that the CGC grade on a book isn't the only consideration buyers make when figuring out how much they want to pay.

[Flex Mentallo]

 

If it sold for 1/3 less than your 8.0, the market may be correcting for the perceived misgrade. Perhaps people are actually buying the book not the label. It's still an improvement from the pre-internet, pre CGC era where Dealer X and Dealer Y might both have a VF copy of a book for sale, and unless you were at a con and could see them both in hand, you had only reputation to go on in guessing which might be the nicer copy.

 

Perhaps but this sort of inequity shouldn't be occurring.

 

I'll agree with you there, but there seem to be examples of it from the very inception of CGC. Even with guidelines and teams of graders, the variance of having different graders review books at different times seems greater than that of a single grader. Even the most consistent grader is going to have books that others feel they missed the boat on.

 

Collectors find this variance more disconcerting from CGC than they would from a large dealer, because there is the expectation that the CGC grade can be more readily monetized than the opinion of any dealer. I find it a bit strange when board members congratulate a fellow boardie for getting a grade far higher than even the submitter thought the book deserved, as if the book was now in better shape than it had been before submission, and yet if that same book were listed on ebay there's a good chance it would be the topic of a thread on how CGC has dropped it's standards.

 

CGC provides a useful service in both resto detection and giving an educated opinion of a comic's grade, but at the end of the day, that's what it is, an opinion, and I'm actually heartened to see that the CGC grade on a book isn't the only consideration buyers make when figuring out how much they want to pay.

 

I agree with everything you say, especially the last part.

 

Alas, while I always buy the book and not the grade, it is much easier to sell the grade than the book. I wish it were otherwise.

[mrmyst]

I just got beat on this one.

 

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&_trksid=p2047675.l2565&rt=nc&item=290886597365

 

$281 for a G-VG. Thought sure I'd win it with a bid of $260. The '8.5' despite the iffy grade, was a good buy.

Nice price for a decent presenting VG copy.

The "8.5" is still going, is 2+ days left on it.

 

 

My bad.

[jimbo_707]

 

If it sold for 1/3 less than your 8.0, the market may be correcting for the perceived misgrade. Perhaps people are actually buying the book not the label. It's still an improvement from the pre-internet, pre CGC era where Dealer X and Dealer Y might both have a VF copy of a book for sale, and unless you were at a con and could see them both in hand, you had only reputation to go on in guessing which might be the nicer copy.

 

Perhaps but this sort of inequity shouldn't be occurring.

 

I'll agree with you there, but there seem to be examples of it from the very inception of CGC. Even with guidelines and teams of graders, the variance of having different graders review books at different times seems greater than that of a single grader. Even the most consistent grader is going to have books that others feel they missed the boat on.

 

Collectors find this variance more disconcerting from CGC than they would from a large dealer, because there is the expectation that the CGC grade can be more readily monetized than the opinion of any dealer. I find it a bit strange when board members congratulate a fellow boardie for getting a grade far higher than even the submitter thought the book deserved, as if the book was now in better shape than it had been before submission, and yet if that same book were listed on ebay there's a good chance it would be the topic of a thread on how CGC has dropped it's standards.

 

CGC provides a useful service in both resto detection and giving an educated opinion of a comic's grade, but at the end of the day, that's what it is, an opinion, and I'm actually heartened to see that the CGC grade on a book isn't the only consideration buyers make when figuring out how much they want to pay.

 

I agree with everything you say, especially the last part.

 

Alas, while I always buy the book and not the grade, it is much easier to sell the grade than the book. I wish it were otherwise.

When bidding on a book, I value the CGC's resto check, and I look at the page quality. Beyond that, I don't pay much attention to the numerical grade. I basically try to re-grade the book myself based on what I can see. If all I have to go on is a low-res scan of the front cover - which is the norm for CLink - I assume the book is overgraded 1 full increment and enter a proxy bid accordingly.

[silvers]

I'm just wondering why there seems to be a ton of bashing for Sparkle City and not CGC? I know these are the CGC boards but I don't think Sparkle City grades their own books CGC does??? I would totally agree Sparkle City has books that are overgraded by CGC (so does every major dealer I've delt with) I think the problem isn't Sparkle City but the grading being done by CGC or am I wrong? I've had dealings with Sparkle City and they've always been very easy to deal with and always helpful etc. Again I do agree on some of the overgrades but I don't really think their the ones to blame. I don't think everyone who has overgraded books is sending them back to CGC asking them to lower the grade either. I think everyone can agree with CGC you get overgraded and undergraded books!

[jimbo_707]

I think the question in some people's minds is, does CGC have a double standard for grading books submitted by a major dealer versus books submitted by Joe Schmoe? Hopefully the graders don't know whose books they're grading - if they do it's almost a given that they would be unconsciously influenced. It's often seemed to me like they're more lenient with pedigree books, but that could be in my imagination.

[Artboy99]

I think the question in some people's minds is, does CGC have a double standard for grading books submitted by a major dealer versus books submitted by Joe Schmoe? Hopefully the graders don't know whose books they're grading - if they do it's almost a given that they would be unconsciously influenced. It's often seemed to me like they're more lenient with pedigree books, but that could be in my imagination.

 

I have nothing against Sparkle City. I started this thread to bring the grading of the book to the attention of fellow board members and ALL of those who have responded agree that book has no business being in a CGC 8.5 case. As the above poster mentioned it does bring forth the question: why is it?

If it was an otherwise 9.4 book and had that massive top right corner crease could it even then be an 8.5? In this case the book has other things that can be seen from the scan that bring it down. I think it is an 8.0-8.5 at best without that corner crease as there are enough minor defects. This book is a 6.5 tops.

[VintageComics]

I think the question in some people's minds is, does CGC have a double standard for grading books submitted by a major dealer versus books submitted by Joe Schmoe? Hopefully the graders don't know whose books they're grading - if they do it's almost a given that they would be unconsciously influenced. It's often seemed to me like they're more lenient with pedigree books, but that could be in my imagination.

 

I have nothing against Sparkle City. I started this thread to bring the grading of the book to the attention of fellow board members and ALL of those who have responded agree that book has no business being in a CGC 8.5 case. As the above poster mentioned it does bring forth the question: why is it?

If it was an otherwise 9.4 book and had that massive top right corner crease could it even then be an 8.5? In this case the book has other things that can be seen from the scan that bring it down. I think it is an 8.0-8.5 at best without that corner crease as there are enough minor defects. This book is a 6.5 tops.

 

I can see 7.5 - 8.0 on a good day.

 

8.5 is out of the question IMO, unless of course the crease does not break colour - I realize it looks like it does but that could be scanner artifact. Does it break colour in hand?

 

The 8.0 that someone posted earlier was also a loose grade. I wouldn't have expected more than a 7.0/7.5 with that back cover paper missing.

 

I just don't get it and being a seller who almost exclusively deals in CGC graded books it's frustrating as heck to see this type of inconsistency. Especially when books that I am getting back from CGC seem to be on the tight side.

 

 

[Sqeggs]

 

If it sold for 1/3 less than your 8.0, the market may be correcting for the perceived misgrade. Perhaps people are actually buying the book not the label. It's still an improvement from the pre-internet, pre CGC era where Dealer X and Dealer Y might both have a VF copy of a book for sale, and unless you were at a con and could see them both in hand, you had only reputation to go on in guessing which might be the nicer copy.

 

Perhaps but this sort of inequity shouldn't be occurring.

 

I'll agree with you there, but there seem to be examples of it from the very inception of CGC. Even with guidelines and teams of graders, the variance of having different graders review books at different times seems greater than that of a single grader. Even the most consistent grader is going to have books that others feel they missed the boat on.

 

Collectors find this variance more disconcerting from CGC than they would from a large dealer, because there is the expectation that the CGC grade can be more readily monetized than the opinion of any dealer. I find it a bit strange when board members congratulate a fellow boardie for getting a grade far higher than even the submitter thought the book deserved, as if the book was now in better shape than it had been before submission, and yet if that same book were listed on ebay there's a good chance it would be the topic of a thread on how CGC has dropped it's standards.

 

CGC provides a useful service in both resto detection and giving an educated opinion of a comic's grade, but at the end of the day, that's what it is, an opinion, and I'm actually heartened to see that the CGC grade on a book isn't the only consideration buyers make when figuring out how much they want to pay.

 

I agree with everything you say, especially the last part.

 

Alas, while I always buy the book and not the grade, it is much easier to sell the grade than the book. I wish it were otherwise.

When bidding on a book, I value the CGC's resto check, and I look at the page quality. Beyond that, I don't pay much attention to the numerical grade. I basically try to re-grade the book myself based on what I can see. If all I have to go on is a low-res scan of the front cover - which is the norm for CLink - I assume the book is overgraded 1 full increment and enter a proxy bid accordingly.

 

A sound procedure and I try to follow a similar approach ... but it's hard to win many Clink, CC, or HA auctions entering bids based on the book actually being a full grade below what the label indicates.

[silvers]

I would think as its only human nature for CGC to give a little on the grades with the major dealers due to the large volume of books they submit. I think we all wish that was not the case and any of use would be treated the same but that doesn't seem to be what happens. I would agree that some of the grades are off and sometimes way off but I don't think its the major dealers fault and to bash them like their the ones doing the grading is missing the point. Nothings perfect when someone is giving an opinion, which sometimes really sucks!

[Spiderphill]

I would think as its only human nature for CGC to give a little on the grades with the major dealers due to the large volume of books they submit. I think we all wish that was not the case and any of use would be treated the same but that doesn't seem to be what happens. I would agree that some of the grades are off and sometimes way off but I don't think its the major dealers fault and to bash them like their the ones doing the grading is missing the point. Nothings perfect when someone is giving an opinion, which sometimes really sucks!

WTF? They're a monopoly and have no competition. They have no incentive to give anything.

[mrmyst]

I would think as its only human nature for CGC to give a little on the grades with the major dealers due to the large volume of books they submit. I think we all wish that was not the case and any of use would be treated the same but that doesn't seem to be what happens. I would agree that some of the grades are off and sometimes way off but I don't think its the major dealers fault and to bash them like their the ones doing the grading is missing the point. Nothings perfect when someone is giving an opinion, which sometimes really sucks!

Nope.

[Artboy99]

As a comic book dealer if I submit books to CGC that come back as 8.5 when it should be 6.0 you can bet I am sending them more books.

 

The incentive is more business yes?