Submitting books that will come back with a green label. posted by Brian Hartman

[CSJournals-migration]

Green label questions

 

Just curious if anyone has ever submitted books knowing they will come back with a qualified label? I have a few key high grade books I would like to submit but haven't knowing they will come back green label.

Do they downgrade for sigs?

Is this frowned upon in the community?

Will this affect the value of the book?

Any comments would be appreciated!

 

See more journals by Brian Hartman

[Ogami]

There are some with better formed understandings and opinions than my own, but I will give my perspective.

 

If I had a book I loved with a signature of a master who was no longer with us and never had yellow labels done, I would absolutely get that book greened up. Or a book where it is next to impossible to get a yellow label but raw sigs exist.

 

The majority of the CGC community frowns on green labels. They are called GLODs, or green labels of death.

 

I have five or six books, at the moment raw, that I plan on eventually getting green labels on.

[bagofleas]

The majority of the CGC community DOES frown on green labels, but that's only when the green labels are done because of unwitnessed sigs, for the most part.

 

There are a number of reasons that a comic can get a green label.

 

I will tell you that the grade of the issue is not affected by an unwitnessed sig. It just won't get a yellow label. I agree with Ogami that you should definitely get a book "greened up", as he calls it, if it has a sig from a deceased creator. I sure would.

 

But green labels can be put on issues for extreme manufacturing defects, too. Like missing staples, different book on the inside from the outside cover, missing pages from the manufacturer, improper printing, etc etc...

 

Luckily, a book with multiple covers is not given a green label. It is simply noted on the right side of the label, along with the individual cover grades just under the title.

 

You shouldn't feel like submitting your books is a waste of time because they will get green labels. If you don't plan on selling them and they mean a lot to you, and you want them protected and graded, go right ahead and don't worry about what others think.

[Canadian Mutant]

On the whole Green Label, don't sell as well as Yellow Label or even Blue. There are some exceptions.

 

Comics that come with a COA (Certificate of Authority) from an industry reputable comic book producer of limited edition and autographed memorabilia. If you have a green label comic with a COA from one of these reputable companies I would consider that as close to a yellow label book as you can get.

 

A couple of examples I would give are Dynamic Forces and Jay Company Comics.

 

 

[Tnerb]

I had three of my Sandman comic books graded knowing full well that they would get a green label. It didn't matter though because they were mine and I got to watch them get signed by Gaiman himself at my first LCS. I'm ok with getting my own books graded with the knowledge if a green label, but I wouldn't go after one on eBay.

[XXXPHOENIX]

Unfortunately signed or sketched DF (Dynamic Forces) books always receive a green label even if the authenticity certificate is attached...

 

I.E.:

 

http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/registry/comics/ComicDetail.aspx?PeopleComicID=275269&PeopleSetID=40106

http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/registry/comics/ComicDetail.aspx?PeopleComicID=234176&PeopleSetID=48571

http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/registry/comics/ComicDetail.aspx?PeopleComicID=261204&PeopleSetID=48572

http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/registry/comics/ComicDetail.aspx?PeopleComicID=234177&PeopleSetID=48573

http://comics.www.collectors-society.com/registry/comics/ComicDetail.aspx?PeopleComicID=375913&PeopleSetID=69598

 

Federico

[Dark Prime 0]

some books were only put out for sale signed already, there are a # of dawn books that only came signed, grimm fairy tales 1 con book only has green labels except for 2-3 that were graded by zenoscope themselves that have yellow

 

i have a terot book that was through the website and all were sappose to be sold signed from the info i found, yet i have an unsigned copy

 

all these examples will get a green label yet people get them graded green bc that is the only way to have a graded copy

 

i also have 2 SiP 20th ann books from boston last year, all were signed before they were put out for sale, according to the censes my 2 are the only 2 graded (both yellow) so as of now any others that are graded will get green labels

[Ogami]

?...but I wouldn't go after one on eBay.

 

Not even if you had great confidence it was authentic? (For instance, the signature matched others that you trusted, I.e. yellow labels)

[wardevil0]

It's funny, but just last week I sent in one book that I know will get a green label for an unverified sig and one book that may even get an NG. Both are small-press books that are scarce enough I'm willing to take the chance. The signed book is one of those that are always signed, so I have no doubt as to the authenticity, and the potential NG is an ashcan printed in a single color. Hopefully they won't assume it's a photocopy, but stranger things have happened. Either way, since I don't intend to sell them in the foreseeable future I'll be happy with them slabbed in green.

 

However, if I were buying a book as an investment to resell later, I would be very hesitant to buy a green label without some pretty strong evidence. Jack Kirby signing a New Gods 1 with a CoA from a reputable intermediary and maybe a photo of the King with the comic, for example.

[Neeidea]

Curiously manufacturing errors that affect a whole batch of comics are usually on a Blue label, examples:

• Bloodshot #0 Platinum error (no gold ink)
  
• Sandman #18 & #19 error editions (pages switched)
  
• Fantastic Four #110 "Green Printing Error"

This is particularly interesting for FF #110 and Bloodshot #0 as the error is on the cover. There seems to be different rules here for what is perceived to be one-off manufacturing errors affecting one or two copies of a comic and those where there is a significant quantity distributed. The description for the Green label states "A Qualified label is used by CGC for certified books that have a significant defect that needs specific description...", I would say accidentally switching the Cyan and Magenta (2 out of the 3 colors used) on the cover is a significant defect!

 

Just to add to the above the description for a Blue label states: "This label is applied to comic books that are simply the grade as marked, with no qualifiers or special considerations." - well all the above comics have qualifiers on the label (as do unwitnessed signatures inside the comic) so this statement is not completely true.

 

Signed comics, where the entire print run is signed on the cover, always come on a Green Label, examples:

• The Hooters Girl #1 Gold
  
• Ultimate Spider-Man #160 Signed edition with certificate of authenticity as the back cover).

This seems to follow the rules for one-off signed comics where any unwitnessed signature on the outside of the comic would get a green label but anything on the inside would get a blue label and some text on the label itemising the "defect".

 

I have no real issues with Green labels (I own 3 and submitted them all knowing I would get a Green label) or Blue labels with qualifying text (I own at least one) but I would prefer to get a yellow label if possible for signatures/sketches for the authentication it provides.