Is it worth it?

[clarkkentdds]

Due to the new CGC fees, I am having a hard time trying to decide if it is worth slabbing some of my bronze non-keys that could come back 9.0 or 9.2. The new fee for economy is $29...So what if a bronze book comes back below 9.2?? The book might not even be worth $29! I'm wondering if CGC might see a decline in bronze books that look 9.2 or 9.0 due to this new fee...Perhaps it just isn't feasible to slab a NM- bronze now. Hopefully CGC will come along with a tier that can accomodate these books.

[aardvark88]

Sign up with a Cgc charter member like Heritagecomics.com to get 20% off Cgc fees.

Think Cgc is the only grading company that charges 1-2% of the fair mkt value to grade a very hi-end comic. Hi-end coins or sportscards don't get away with this b/c of competition in the slabbing field.

[thecomicsheet]

Do you have enough to put together a batch for pre-screening? It can be a lifesaver if it avoids several 8.0 or 9.0 disasters on low priced books.

[clarkkentdds]

I submit through Heritage already...Even with the 20% discount, it is a gamble now to send in bronze age books that might come back 9.2. I am not familiar with the prescreening process...What does that entail??

[Rickdogg]

Here ya go!

 

Some info on pre-screens

[blowout]

I wouldn't bother slabbing any bronze age non-keys unless they are going to achieve at least a CGC 9.4 grade.

[fantastic_four]

Me neither. As a buyer, I don't even have much interest in buying Bronzes that are below 9.6. Why do I need a slab tripling or quadrupling the cost of a book if it isn't in a very rare grade like 9.6/9.8? Case in point--I bought an FF 130 CGC 9.4 for $40, which is just over double guide. I ended up finding this same book at a con in unslabbed 9.6/9.8 for around Overstreet NM ($20) the next month! This made me decide to stop paying premiums for all Bronze with an Overstreet NM value under $50 unless it's an issue I've had trouble finding or it's at 9.6 and above.

 

A CGC slab gives me two things--protection against restoration and confidence in grade. The risk of restoration on books like this is extremely low, so that half of the value of a slab is gone for low-dollar Bronze. Also, the majority of the non-key Marvel Bronzes I collect aren't rare like Gold or early Silver books, so the added value on Bronze below 9.6 doesn't register in my mind except for some issues which seem quite difficult to find. Slabbing any book that has a value less than $100 has never made much sense to me due to the low risk of restoration.

 

I'm seeing more than a few Bronze CGC 9.4s going for flat Overstreet NM prices...on the books that Guide for $25-$35 or less, that means the seller would now be giving the book away for free under the new pricing structure.

[joe_collector]

>>The new fee for economy is $29...So what if a bronze book comes back below 9.2??

 

You really have to think about it to realize how whacky the new price structure is. It hit me while I was searching on EBay and found a very nice looking Marvel Special Edition 15 (1st MOKF) in CGC 9.0.

 

The guy had in his auction "Remember, this books costs $29 + S&H to slab now...". Although I knew the dollar amounts for grading, for some reason seeing that statement in print seemed just too bizarre.

 

He was probably better off just selling it raw, although on the other hand, raw NM comics have fallen in value since the CGC price increases. More risk on both ends.

[MonumentalCo]

Actually it would cost you 23.20 instead on $29 with a 20% discount. Granted, this does not include the cost of shipping or the book.

 

 

[thecomicsheet]

When you do submisstions from your website, does it have a provision for selecting pre-screen?

[clarkkentdds]

It seems that these non key bronze books that don't grade in the 9.6 realm are having a tough time finding a "niche"... What I'm trying to say is; With the new CGC economy fees, it is not feasible to get a 9.4 bronze book graded, HOWEVER-These books also won't sell very well because they aren't certified! CGC really needs to accomodate these books with a lower fee...Something besides "economy"

[MonumentalCo]

When you are sending in books for pre-screen grading it would be best to call CGC's customer service first. They can explain the process best.

 

 

[vic6string]

I keep hearing about non-key bronze books in this debate, but many of these are actually key books...lesser keys, but keys. Stuff like the 1st appearances of Iron Fist, MOKF, Hero 4 hire, etc are books in the range everyone is talking about. The difference from 9.4 to 9.6 is a judgement call at best, but that really is the cut-off point. Well, alot of people aren't even in the market for 9.6, or 9.4 for that matter. I know alot of collectors that buy 8.0-9.0 books because they are very nice copies, but still affordable. They would all love to buy slabbed copies to insure that the books are at least in that range, but for the most part they can't because the market is becoming nothing but super high grade. And when people do sell something like a 9.0 copy, they try to sell for at least the price of the slab and then a little. Why pay 30 bucks for a 9.0 book that you can get in ungraded better condition for 20-25? I have tons of bronze and early modern stuff I would love to send in because it is in the 9.4 and up range, but I have only sent in a couple of books that I knew for sure would do really well. Even then, I got back a 9.8 on one, but a 9.4 on the other. As much as I would love to send in some of my 20 and 30 dollar books (and even some lesser stuff) I can't justify putting out almost 30 bucks a pop and cross my fingers hoping for that 9.6 and up.

[clarkkentdds]

Exactly! The new fee hike is really causing me to second guess any bronze age submissions (and 9.0 silver age books!).