Why I'm only buying modern raw books from now on...

[MacFarlane]

...or, I can now re-afirm: I do need glasses.

 

This year for my coupon books I decided to send in some key issues that I had been scouring the Toronto Convention scene for over the last two years: Tarzan #207, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134, and Forever People #1.

 

These are specific comics that I went to these shows looking for the best condition book at the show and I paid the bucks for the best condition. In each case I went to each booth asking for the particular issues and then did a comparison of them all buying the best one at the end of the day.

 

Well the results are in to say I was disappointed would be an understatement. Of the three books I noted above the highest grade given was a 7.5. What the heck is the matter with me that I'm so far off on my read of the condition on these things? As near as I can see the only raw books that I've had good luck slabbing are my modern collection-is this an issue where there are different qualities for the grading between the bronze and modern era? I don't know. What I can tell you though is don't go the route I did on this one. The best grade of my last set in was on Shazam #1 from my own old collection which came in at an 8.5-so much for paying top dollar at the conventions. From now on if it's bronze I'm buying it already slabbed.

 

The good news though is that my raw book budget just freed up a lot of room-watch out Valiant Comics-I think my Unity set is far to sparse.

 

Thanks for reading the rants of an old man!

 

See more journals by MacFarlane

[surfer99]

I am right there with you so I must be an old man that needs glasses too...or as I stated at the time, maybe I was blinded by the lights if the con. I did the same thing you did last year at WonderCon. Scoured, compared, and paid top dollar for Avengers 47 and 53. 47 came back an 8.5 (itl looked like a 9.4 to me), and 53 came back a 7.5 (it looked like a 9.0 to me). After pledging to only buy graded bronze age from now on, i submitted a couple other issues at this year's WonderCon, but i also had them pressed so we'll what happens.

 

 

[SW3D]

Dear MacFarlane,

 

I feel your pain.

 

I got back some comics from my childhood collection that came back 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, and 9.2.

 

Prior to sending them to CGC, i did a cursory review of their conditions, and i was confident and hopeful they would all get 9.2's or better.

 

I was shocked and dissapointed when they came back in the grades they did.

 

Now i am somewhat reluctant to grade anymore because i doubt my abilities to judge the condition of a comic.

 

I was hopeful they would achieve high grades so that i could sell them and use the money to purchase Silver Age comics i really would like to collect.

 

But now that they are graded in 8.0's - 9.0's... i feel they are utterly worthless. I believe the market doesn't respond favorably to such grades... and the only way to sell them would be at discounts... which means a potential loss on my investments.

 

I am planning to give it another shot... going to send in 50 of my "best conditioned" comics... but if i get the same results... i may give this up all together and focus my dollars on other things.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

SW3D

 

 

[MacFarlane]

I tell you - I totally feel the same way with the books I have. I've lost faith in my ability to gauge grades now on these older ones. I have had no problems gauging roughly with my newer ones, but I was sooooo far off with these-I'm just stopping on anything older than modern now.

 

That being said I'm prepping a group of 20 early Valiants right now that I'm sending in as a test-I think I'll even include some Image comics for the heck of it to see what comes of that. I'm writing down my best estimates now on each and will have that handy for when they come back.

 

Fingers crossed!

[thehumantorch]

Sorry for your loss.

 

It's a tough lesson to learn. Most people who submit to CGC for the first time are disappointed. In my case I was more than happy with the grades but missed the trimming on a couple of books that had been in my collection forever.

 

Study the books. Ask CGC for the grading notes. Figure out what you missed or didn't understand and why you got the grades you did. In the long run learning from this submission will pay you huge dividends in the future.