Has CGC High Grade Comics Killed the fun in Collecting Lower Grades?

[DangerZoneComics-migration]

I was just wondering if anyone else feels that CGC high grade comics have hurt the industry? I had fun collecting any older Silver-Age or Bronze-Age Comics untill everyone only wants the CGC 9.6 or higher graded books.These are hard to get unless you have lots of money. VG to FN Silver-Age and Bronze-Age are still pretty cool comics to collect,but i find it hard to find anyone whom collects them.

 

 

The Serious Collector of Comics

[DangerZoneComics-migration]

not trying to be negative just wondering,cuz i love all comics and i have seen alot of decline in lower graded comics since CGC high grades have been so advertised in the last few years. I have a store and when anyone comes in or calls the first thing i think of is that they probably have [#@$%!!!] compared to the newer standards of the high grade CGC's I've seen online etc.

[Red Hook]

I'm sorry,....we can't answer your posts....you're from Oregon.

[tth2]

I'm sorry,....we can't answer your posts....you're from Oregon.

 

 

DZ, on a serious note, I think high grade is just where the money has gone as a result of CGC. In other words, all the big multiples and big spikes in prices have been experienced there. My impression is that lower grade comics, slabbed or not, are pretty much selling at Guide or small multiples or discounts from Guide, just as they always have.

 

Heck, if you go by the discussions on these boards, a lot of collectors seem to have thrown up their hands at the high prices for 9.4 or better books and are focusing on the lower grades, which still offer good values.

 

One thing I think CGC has definitely done is educated the general collecting public about grading. Less and less people are willing to pay NM prices for books that they now understand are VF or even less.

[namisgr]

CGC hasn't had an iota of negative impact on my 12 year old. He started by getting beat-but-complete reader copies from me of Silver Age Marvels, fell in love with the work and imagination of the masters Lee, Kirby and Ditko. Now, he attends cons with wantlist in hand, reads, bags, boards, and inventories his low grade purchases. There's still plenty of room in the hobby for low grade. In my family, it's just the way it should be: high grade slabs for the long-collecting Dadster, and the love of reading and collecting comics in low grade form in my son.

[tth2]

CGC hasn't had an iota of negative impact on my 12 year old. He started by getting beat-but-complete reader copies from me of Silver Age Marvels, fell in love with the work and imagination of the masters Lee, Kirby and Ditko. Now, he attends cons with wantlist in hand, reads, bags, boards, and inventories his low grade purchases. There's still plenty of room in the hobby for low grade. In my family, it's just the way it should be: high grade slabs for the long-collecting Dadster, and the love of reading and collecting comics in low grade form in my son.

 

That is so cool! I hope my daughter will have interest in comics when she's older, I plan to help her to learn to read using comic books, the same way my Dad did with me.

[october]

I collect 6.0-9.0 exclusively and I for one am glad CGC is around and that people are paying crazy multiples for super HG stuff. It takes collecting dollars and competition away from what I collect and allows me to get some great deals (at least to my mind). There has never been a huge demand for stuff in the fine or very fine range, but demand right now is in the basement, which makes it a good time to buy I guess....

[arexcrooke]

I collect 6.0-9.0 exclusively and I for one am glad CGC is around and that people are paying crazy multiples for super HG stuff. It takes collecting dollars and competition away from what I collect and allows me to get some great deals (at least to my mind). There has never been a huge demand for stuff in the fine or very fine range, but demand right now is in the basement, which makes it a good time to buy I guess....

 

Andy, you summed up exactly how I collect, and probably how many other people collect as well.

[sfilosa]

It seems to me that eBay has had a much more negative impact on low/mid-grade books than CGC.

 

Two main reasons:

 

1) The availablity of every person to sell their books creates huge supply.

2) The fact many sellers on eBay overgrade their books means collectors have learned to bid /pay a small percentage of guide as to not be as dissappointed when the books arrive.

[Hobgoblin]

I was just wondering if anyone else feels that CGC high grade comics have hurt the industry? I had fun collecting any older Silver-Age or Bronze-Age Comics untill everyone only wants the CGC 9.6 or higher graded books.These are hard to get unless you have lots of money. VG to FN Silver-Age and Bronze-Age are still pretty cool comics to collect,but i find it hard to find anyone whom collects them.

 

 

The Serious Collector of Comics

 

I still like to collect low grade silvers. My two favorite books that I own are an ASM 50 around a 3.0 or 3.5 and an X-Men 13 around a 4.0. The have a pretty dinged up spine, and have lost some gloss on the cover, but they still make me proud to own them.

 

I will probably never buy a SA book any higher than a 7.0 or so. They are just too expensive. Maybe if I ever open up my own shop someday, I'll get a few to re-sell, but as a private collector, I'm going to stick with moderately low grade SA's and high grade modern keys. If I could someday get the first 10 issues or so of ASM, XM, and FF all in about 3.0-5.0 grade, my life will be complete.

[uclapeterg]

CGC hasn't had an iota of negative impact on my 12 year old. He started by getting beat-but-complete reader copies from me of Silver Age Marvels, fell in love with the work and imagination of the masters Lee, Kirby and Ditko. Now, he attends cons with wantlist in hand, reads, bags, boards, and inventories his low grade purchases. There's still plenty of room in the hobby for low grade. In my family, it's just the way it should be: high grade slabs for the long-collecting Dadster, and the love of reading and collecting comics in low grade form in my son.

 

That is so cool! I hope my daughter will have interest in comics when she's older, I plan to help her to learn to read using comic books, the same way my Dad did with me.

 

Ummm, she's a GIRL?

[Hobgoblin]

CGC hasn't had an iota of negative impact on my 12 year old. He started by getting beat-but-complete reader copies from me of Silver Age Marvels, fell in love with the work and imagination of the masters Lee, Kirby and Ditko. Now, he attends cons with wantlist in hand, reads, bags, boards, and inventories his low grade purchases. There's still plenty of room in the hobby for low grade. In my family, it's just the way it should be: high grade slabs for the long-collecting Dadster, and the love of reading and collecting comics in low grade form in my son.

 

That is so cool! I hope my daughter will have interest in comics when she's older, I plan to help her to learn to read using comic books, the same way my Dad did with me.

 

Ummm, she's a GIRL?

 

To be honest, I'm not sure I have ever met a girl who was interested in comic books. Maybe one, but strictly for reading purposes, not collecting.

[ninanina]

... everyone only wants the CGC 9.6 or higher grade books

 

Nope...not everyone. I'm actually running the other way whenever I see "CGC" and "hi-grade" in an auction.

 

I'm perfectly happy with VF and up...many others with their "reader" copies. You may get the feeling "everyone" goes after the highest grades as many of these comics are discussed in this forum. It is after all a "CGC" forum....so expect that. But believe me...... most collectors don't want or expect the best. They are a minority.

 

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[DangerZoneComics-migration]

Thats great to hear from everyone, I'm glad everyone is still so positive about collecting the lower grade and mid grades, cuz looking for a 8.5 or better non graded is like looking for a needle in a haystack.I have about 20 people a week come into my shop with their collections and most of the time its modern comics,but if i do get that rare opportunity to see some silver-age or golden-age its almost always 2.5 to 5.0 which i think are great books, but As a seller I have found that they are harder to sell even at half the Overstreet Price.Purhaps your right on about the Sellers on Ebay whom overgrade their stock and give good graders a bad rep.thanks for all the replies and positive comic book collecting info.

 

www.dangerzonecomics.com The Serious Collector

[Khumbu]

I'm sorry,....we can't answer your posts....you're from Oregon.

 

 

What?

[tay666]

Add another to the list that isn't looking for top shelf stuff.

Most of my bronze stuff is in fine. Nice looking books but not awesome.

Fine by me and my wallet though.

The few silvers I have are probably in the G - VG range.

Hell most of those came from trading with friends when I was in grade school.

[Underdog]

I've been pretty much reader copies from the beginning. I love to read everything I'm currently getting my hands on.

Maybe one day, after I hit the lottery........

[DangerZoneComics-migration]

whats up with that? no replys to Oregon? what does that send a message tooo?

[tth2]

CGC hasn't had an iota of negative impact on my 12 year old. He started by getting beat-but-complete reader copies from me of Silver Age Marvels, fell in love with the work and imagination of the masters Lee, Kirby and Ditko. Now, he attends cons with wantlist in hand, reads, bags, boards, and inventories his low grade purchases. There's still plenty of room in the hobby for low grade. In my family, it's just the way it should be: high grade slabs for the long-collecting Dadster, and the love of reading and collecting comics in low grade form in my son.

 

That is so cool! I hope my daughter will have interest in comics when she's older, I plan to help her to learn to read using comic books, the same way my Dad did with me.

 

Ummm, she's a GIRL?

 

To be honest, I'm not sure I have ever met a girl who was interested in comic books. Maybe one, but strictly for reading purposes, not collecting.

 

Uh, the owner of the only complete DC collection in the world is a girl.

[Rob]

I love mid grade comics. I teased the board last year about starting a mid-grade forum, since mid grade collecting gets no appreciation on this board, but never got around to making it. My problem is, I can't decide what grade range I want to focus on. I know I don't need 9.8's, but I do love the way 9.4 slabbed silver age DC's look. But that's generally too high grade for my budget. I can also appreciate a beat but complete golden age book. I considered collecting pre-100 Detectives 2.5 and below. I just like CGC for the authentication purpose.

 

Another interesting thread about mid grade