I love raw books!

[Bo_Hogg]

Raw books are great! My books are too rare for me to read and damage them but I love looking through them and looking at the artwork and I love the smell. They should turn that smell into a cologne. But you can't do this with slabbed books. Slabbed books are like a Christmas present you are not allowed to open. The wrapping is nice and pretty and the big red bow looks nice but you are wondering what is inside. And cgc lovers will tell me but Bo, you can open a slab, that's what they are designed for. The way the system is now, when you open one, you are setting yourself up to lose copious amounts of money especially if it is high grade. You know what I think is disgusting? When I guy buys a brand new comic fresh off the rack for like $3.50 and submits it to cgc and gets a 9.8 grade and then sells the book for $500 and somebody actually buys it!!!!!!!!! This is mind blowing to me. This is why I believe that cgc is destroying the hobby. Yes cgc is useful in detecting restoration but that is about it but that is not enough for me to like it. Everything else about it is bad in my opinion. I never thought I would see the day when the grade of the book is way more important than the cover and contents of the book. I would take a 2.0 Black cat mystery 50 over a 9.9 Samurai Penguin anyday!!!

[Straw-Man]

i'll take a book i need in low, mid or high grade in most cases, but i do surely see the pov of the high-grade or bust guys.

 

 

[Flex Mentallo]

I sympathize with Bo's pov.

 

When most of my books were raw I tended to break out the few CGC books I obtained.

 

Now it's the reverse, but I only have a tenth as many books. So when I do buy raw books I tend to want to get them graded. But then I'm mainly a cover collector, wherever possible in decent grade, and I enjoy seeing them well-presented and protected.

 

So wherever possible I use Archive editions to access the contents.

 

The recent publication of 3 volumes of Planet Comics was a long wished for event.

Ditto Harvey horror.

 

And I have all the Marvel Masterworks.

 

So the completist - and the reader - is still in me - but in terms of actual books, it's a representative selection of favorite covers.

 

Though I would also take a 2.0 Black cat mystery 50 over a 9.9 Samurai Penguin anyday!

 

[rjpb]

Bo,

 

While I agree that slabbed books are like a Christmas present one isn't allowed to open, and crack out books for my personal collection if I happen to buy them slabbed, it's a serious overstatement to claim CGC is ruining the hobby.

 

It's in CGCs interest to promote the idea that slabbing adds value, and while it's not always the case ( at least in relation to costs incurred), the market often agrees. Personally I don't care if people want to pay what I consider absurd premiums for somewhat arbitrary numbers in the top left corner, particularly with moderns where a an equally nice raw copy can be bought for a fraction of the price. Comic collectors like a challenge, and with most modern comics easy to find in high grade, they have to resort to seeking out low print variants, hard to find later printings and top census copies to find one.

 

As far as older books in higher grade, you can still slab the book again if and when you want to sell, if you believe it will add significant value. Sure, it will take additional time and expense to do so, but if you are the type to buy the book, not the label, you probably didn't pay a huge premium for the slab in the first place, and might even get a grade bump on resubmission.

 

Beyond the resto check, many folks like buying slabbed for increased liquidity and piece of mind. If they are willing to forego the enjoyment of a raw book, that's their concern not mine.

 

For me the toughest books to own are ones I feel I got a good deal on slabbed even if I think they are overgraded ( often part of the reason they were a good deal). As I sometimes sell things out of my personal collection, it can be hard to crack a book that I would feel obligated to drop a couple grades if I sold raw. I guess I hope that there would still be someone out there who would buy the label not the book

 

 

 

 

[gino2paulus2]

Raw books are great! My books are too rare for me to read and damage them but I love looking through them and looking at the artwork and I love the smell. They should turn that smell into a cologne. But you can't do this with slabbed books. Slabbed books are like a Christmas present you are not allowed to open. The wrapping is nice and pretty and the big red bow looks nice but you are wondering what is inside. And cgc lovers will tell me but Bo, you can open a slab, that's what they are designed for. The way the system is now, when you open one, you are setting yourself up to lose copious amounts of money especially if it is high grade. You know what I think is disgusting? When I guy buys a brand new comic fresh off the rack for like $3.50 and submits it to cgc and gets a 9.8 grade and then sells the book for $500 and somebody actually buys it!!!!!!!!! This is mind blowing to me. This is why I believe that cgc is destroying the hobby. Yes cgc is useful in detecting restoration but that is about it but that is not enough for me to like it. Everything else about it is bad in my opinion. I never thought I would see the day when the grade of the book is way more important than the cover and contents of the book. I would take a 2.0 Black cat mystery 50 over a 9.9 Samurai Penguin anyday!!!

 

I respect that opinion but I personally love CGC and the way the books look inside the holders...just my Please don't get me wrong I also love the way an old book smells and think you got yourself a great idea going with that cologne!!! I would prolly spray it on my new books

However I also enjoy knowing that I have a tangible piece of history and also enjoy reading DC archives and things of that nature...I still keep many of my books in the mylar 2 fullback combo and my new books get just the regular pollybag and board treatment after reading but to say CGC is destroying the hobby in my opinion is off base at best...

I won't bore you all with bullet points of why CGC is simply NOT destroying the hobby but take my All American Comics #61 for example...this copy when I received it was raw...The cover was both detached and split the entire length of the book...I gave it one delicate read at my big table (took it all in ) and then placed it in some mylar and sent it off to CGC...the smallest part of this book was a little, "delicate" hence the PQ it came back as which I was disappointed in but what can you do...Anyways, this book is an awesome piece of history and is not something I would want to pull in and our mylar without restoration of some type being done which is not the way I would want to go...I love the way it is now in fact i couldn't be happier with my copy...It is my favorite book at this time and I have owned a 3.0 as well...I sold it though because I thought my 1.5 presented better d/t the 3.0 having writing on it...anyways I love this book in its slab...I handle it all the time and hand it to my friends to show them as well putting it up side by side with the commission I had Artboy99 do for me for comparison...I am very comfortable doing this in its slabbed state as to where I would not be so easy if it were simply in some mylar...I know some people on here dont like low grade books in slabs and think it is a disservice to the hobby to have them placed this way. I can respect everyone's opinion and I certainly respect your standpoint but I simply have to disagree about your statement that CGC is ruining the hobby...

 

comics can still be read and enjoyed...there is no argument that over the past "X" amount of years comicbooks have gained a real foothold in our culture and some of the recent prices realized for these books is bordering crazy numbers...I believe CGC has helped the hobby and made things as simple as buying with confidence in regards to internet purchasing that much more reliable...I dont get to go to the Cons and things as much as I would like and most brick and mortar stores simply do not carry the back issue selection that is readily available at our fingertips anymore making confidence in purchasing high dollar books that much more important...grading has been and always will be a subjective art form that some do differently than others...having a 3rd party handle this portion of the negotiation makes it so much easier I believe for both parties...

I do agree with you that a lot of people pay crazy money for books that are slabbed that havent even had time to cool off from the press but if that is their thing than hey, you know what, just one more person enjoying this fine hobby...Now quit worrying about CGC as they are not going away anytime soon on go work on something more important, like designing that cologne b/c I want a bottle good sir

[Griff]

No reason you can not do both, pick up a high value copy for collecting and a reader copy for reading.

 

I picked up this one for reading

 

And since I collect the series I picked up this one for collecting

 

It is possible to have the best of both worlds. This is very true for modern age collectors.

 

"I'm not sure it would work for folks with action comics #1 but then again that's what reprints are for :)"

 

~Griff

[Cat-Man_America]

Raw books are great! My books are too rare for me to read and damage them but I love looking through them and looking at the artwork and I love the smell. They should turn that smell into a cologne. But you can't do this with slabbed books. Slabbed books are like a Christmas present you are not allowed to open. The wrapping is nice and pretty and the big red bow looks nice but you are wondering what is inside. And cgc lovers will tell me but Bo, you can open a slab, that's what they are designed for. The way the system is now, when you open one, you are setting yourself up to lose copious amounts of money especially if it is high grade. You know what I think is disgusting? When I guy buys a brand new comic fresh off the rack for like $3.50 and submits it to cgc and gets a 9.8 grade and then sells the book for $500 and somebody actually buys it!!!!!!!!! This is mind blowing to me. This is why I believe that cgc is destroying the hobby. Yes cgc is useful in detecting restoration but that is about it but that is not enough for me to like it. Everything else about it is bad in my opinion. I never thought I would see the day when the grade of the book is way more important than the cover and contents of the book. I would take a 2.0 Black cat mystery 50 over a 9.9 Samurai Penguin anyday!!!

 

Raw books are great and I'd agree that resto-detection is CGC's primary service, but the only way to provide a sustainable level of trust (customer assurance) in the evolving marketplace is through encasement. "Slabbing" has provided stability and confidence in the high grade market over the last 15 years. One could argue that this is bad for the hobby, but it would be the minority held view.

 

My position is that rare and/or high grade GA comics should be slabbed whenever possible to preserve a fragile book's uniqueness in that condition. Conversely, mid-grade slabbing is more arbitrary and best assessed on a book by book basis, but as I see it low grade copies make great readers.

 

As far as the smell of pulp paper in the morning, ...well, that's more complicated. Maybe some enterprising collector will develop an over-the-counter pulp fragrance for the enhancement of archives, omnibuses and trade editions. Note: Rumor has it that our own forum's beloved Gator has been working on this scent for years, but has thus far failed to achieve the right aroma.

 

BTW, I agree with you that slabbing new comics for grade is a foolhardy endeavor. IMO, this can only lead to a top-heavy bubble, fueling more speculation and market instability (not good for the hobby overall). Speculators don't collect for fun or long term investment, they tend to buy in quantity seeking quick returns based on popular trends. GA collectors & investors usually take the longer view (...the crack, press & grade-bump game notwithstanding).

 

 

i'll take a book i need in low, mid or high grade in most cases, but i do surely see the pov of the high-grade or bust guys.

 

 

The way GA cards are dealt, sometimes it's easier to see that POV than raise it.

[mrmyst]

I book love raw. Boys.

[The_SandMan]

I'm with ya brother. Their only good for restoration purposes IMO. I don't worry about cracking mine out because they were graded like **** in the first place.

[cheetah]

I remember walking by Jamie Graham's satellite booth at WW Chicago a few years ago. He must have gotten a musty old bunch and they set off my allergies for the next month.

 

The smell of old books is great. The smell of moldy, musty old books ain't.

 

I'm okay with what you collect. I'm just even more okay with what I collect.

[VintageComics]

Raw books are great! My books are too rare for me to read and damage them but I love looking through them and looking at the artwork and I love the smell. They should turn that smell into a cologne. But you can't do this with slabbed books. Slabbed books are like a Christmas present you are not allowed to open. The wrapping is nice and pretty and the big red bow looks nice but you are wondering what is inside. And cgc lovers will tell me but Bo, you can open a slab, that's what they are designed for. The way the system is now, when you open one, you are setting yourself up to lose copious amounts of money especially if it is high grade. You know what I think is disgusting? When I guy buys a brand new comic fresh off the rack for like $3.50 and submits it to cgc and gets a 9.8 grade and then sells the book for $500 and somebody actually buys it!!!!!!!!! This is mind blowing to me. This is why I believe that cgc is destroying the hobby. Yes cgc is useful in detecting restoration but that is about it but that is not enough for me to like it. Everything else about it is bad in my opinion. I never thought I would see the day when the grade of the book is way more important than the cover and contents of the book. I would take a 2.0 Black cat mystery 50 over a 9.9 Samurai Penguin anyday!!!

 

So CGC is responsible for ruining the market because people want to grade $3.50 books? Don't blame CGC for what the market wants.

 

If all you care about is the comic and the internet is your primary source for comics you are much better buying a CGC graded book than a raw one unless you're dealing with someone you trust.

 

I crack out most of my personal books and am happy to pay the small premium it costs to get an independent, impartial opinion on what I'm buying rather than rolling the dice and crossing my fingers.

[thunsicker]

I'm okay with what you collect. I'm just even more okay with what I collect.

 

What I collect rocks, what you collect rocks also, but perhaps a little less?

[cheetah]

I'm okay with what you collect. I'm just even more okay with what I collect.

 

What I collect rocks, what you collect rocks also, but perhaps a little less?

 

What I collect rocks for me.

[Cat-Man_America]

I'm okay with what you collect. I'm just even more okay with what I collect.

 

What I collect rocks, what you collect rocks also, but perhaps a little less?

 

 

[font:Times New Roman]IOW.....

 

 

as opposed to.....

 

 

...right? [/font]

 

[font:Times New Roman]Sorry, couldn't resist.[/font]

[Flex Mentallo]

I book love raw. Boys.

 

I always thought you cooked your books.

[jimbo_707]

I'm okay with what you collect. I'm just even more okay with what I collect.

 

What I collect rocks, what you collect rocks also, but perhaps a little less?

What I collect really rocks, but what you collects only rocks a little bit - I guess you could say it pebbles - unless you decide to sell it to me, and then it really rocks, too. That's after I've bought it. While we're still negotiating, it's junk.

[vaillant]

Reprints for me are not even remotely the same thing as the original books.

And this often goes for anastatic reprints as well.

 

I understand Michael’s point, but just to make an example the Marvel Masterworks (as many other reprints) are often recolored ugly and with different color schemes, plus they do not have all the other content (besides the comics).

The letter pages or the ads are as much compelling as the comics stories themselves…

[rodan57]

I'm okay with what you collect. I'm just even more okay with what I collect.

 

What I collect rocks, what you collect rocks also, but perhaps a little less?

 

What I collect rocks for me.

 

I collect rocks.

 

[Darth Corgi]

I'm okay with what you collect. I'm just even more okay with what I collect.

 

What I collect rocks, what you collect rocks also, but perhaps a little less?

 

What I collect rocks for me.

 

I collect rocks.

 

 

Nice! Is that a piece of obsidian in there?

 

Rock on......

[Flex Mentallo]

I'm okay with what you collect. I'm just even more okay with what I collect.

 

What I collect rocks, what you collect rocks also, but perhaps a little less?

 

What I collect rocks for me.

 

I collect rocks.

 

 

Now you're cooking!

 

They look yummy.