How much would you pay to get new comics in "raw" 9.8 condition?

[Vikingreed]

I also may be confused.

 

Is your end game to have 9.8 raws, or are you trying to find a cheaper way to get 9.8 Modern slabs?

 

In both instances I still agree with RMA though.

[IntoAnother]

The best advice anyone can give: buy them already slabbed

 

 

Since most collectors have numerous titles they purchase each month this is really not possible. If a collector purchases 20 different titles per month that would cost around $750 a month to get them slabbed.

 

Hobbies can be expensive.

 

You've answered your own question: it's not worth it.

 

Not to mention, the risk involved. If you want to keep that 9.8 raw, what happens if you decide, months down the road, to get it signed...meanwhile, the book has been exposed to who knows what....and it comes back a 9.4. What is going to stop someone from complaining....and damaging....a "9.8 service" that "failed" to deliver a 9.8 as promised?

 

No, the easiest thing to do is buy them slabbed, or just learn how to do it yourself. Would you be willing to pay $10-$20 per book for someone else to do it?

 

100% agree.

If you want them raw for the PC, then crack them out after you receive them.

 

Did Reed just suggest a sin?

I enjoy the hunt of 9.8 candidates at my LCS. If the monsters of Diamond shipped them once again as if they were baggage handlers I'd move on and if I really wanted one pick it up down the road. Yet I do pull several 9.8 candidates off the shelf. Poor shelf has a bad rep.

[GeeksAreMyPeeps]

"mellowed drama"?

 

I think that so such service exists because it's simply not worth it for a company to provide such a service. There are always issues with new books that could keep 9.8s tough to find. I think the issues are:

 

• Would a person be willing to pay for a service that will look for 9.8s, but couldn't guarantee that they would slab at 9.8, or perhaps couldn't guarantee that they would find a viable candidate?

 

• A company offering a service would likely have to order a substantial number of copies to have a chance of filling orders. Who buys the extras? If you're already a company like DCBS that is offering a service, do you hold up delivery of comics to customers that aren't opting for this service because you need to check your entire order until you find the number of 9.8s that people are looking for?

 

• If you're a customer of such a company that offers such a service, but you don't subscribe to that service, would you continue to give that company your business, knowing that it's possible you're getting the "reject" copies (i.e. you're less likely to get 9.8s with that company than a similar company that doesn't offer that service)?

 

• If you subscribe to such a service, are you okay with paying a fee to the company if they screen their issues but can't find a viable candidate? The workers still need to be paid.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Yes, yes, yes, and yes. All important points.

[Glitch215-migration]

The thing that slightly bothers me about guaranteed 9.8's is that sometimes a small misjudgment leads to a 9.6 but a similar under-estimate could lead to a 9.9. In one case you'd be cursing the "guarentee" in the other you'd be making a hell of a profit off of their "miscalculation."

 

Anyways I just make comics, and read my weeklies, not much of a speculator, and have had horrible luck with slabbing (mainly due to shipping.)

[Jackhartmann]

I pay cover price, select them at the LCS every week myself. That method works just fine

 

Same here.

[raybowles]

I also may be confused.

 

Is your end game to have 9.8 raws, or are you trying to find a cheaper way to get 9.8 Modern slabs?

 

 

 

Neither. I have no end game. I purchase my comics at my LCS. I pick out my own copies to insure that I get 9.8 candidates and I'm not looking to get them cheaper.

 

My subject post speaks for itself. I'm wondering how much the comic community on this site would be willing to pay for "raw" 9.8 candidates and if there is or has there ever been a provider for this service? I must not be explaining myself that well because a lot of the responses have nothing to do with what I was asking. If I have not been clear about my question then I apologize.

 

[raybowles]

Again...are you going to be willing to pay someone $10-$20 a book to do it?

 

I'm not currently looking for a service like this. Before I knew how to grade sure but not now. Currently I can pick out my own 9.8 candidates and I do it every week at my LCS shop. My post had nothing to do with me looking for a service I was just interested to hear if their was a market for this type of service. I wanted to get some opinions form our community.

 

In your opinion would a service like this charge $10 - $20 a book like your numbers above are stating? Personally I think that's way to high and I doubt that many people would be willing to pay that. I'm curious why no LCS provides this service to their customers. Why not offer a special service like this since it can only make them more money. Does anyone in the community know if any LCS ever offered something like this?

[RockMyAmadeus]

Again...are you going to be willing to pay someone $10-$20 a book to do it?

 

Sir I'm not currently looking for a service like this. Before I knew how to grade sure but not now. Currently I can pick out my own 9.8 candidates and I do it every week at my LCS shop. My post had nothing to do with me looking for a service I was just interested to hear if their was a market for this type of service. I wanted to get some opinions form our community.

 

I'm referring to the general "you." I'm not asking if you, raybowles, are willing to pay this price. I'm asking if you think $10-$20 is a reasonable price to pay for anyone.

 

In your opinion would a service like this charge $10 - $20 a book like your numbers above are stating? Personally I think that's way to high and I doubt that many people would be willing to pay that. I'm curious why no LCS provide this service to their customers. Why not offer a special service like this since it can only make them more money. Does anyone in the community know if any LCS ever offered something like this?

 

That's correct. You...and the market....think that $10-$20 a book is too high, and that's why no one's willing to do it. The market wants a service, but the market doesn't want to pay what it is worth.

 

Say I charge $10 a book...I get a case in (unlikely for most stores, but go with it.)

 

I look through the entire case....and find zero 9.8 candidates.

 

Are you going to pay me for the substantial amount of time it took to look through that entire case, to find not a single 9.8 candidate?

 

No, of course not.

 

Here's the truth: 9.8s of new books happen mostly by accident. What I mean is, people find them not because they are necessarily looking for them, but simply because they are there to be found. You send in an entire case of books to be slabbed, with a 9.8 pre-screen, and you pay $5/book....for each and every book....that doesn't pass the 9.8 pre-screen. And that's for weeding OUT, which is much, much easier than looking for one that is IN 9.8.

 

It's not worth the time it takes. That's why no one is offering this service.

[bffnut]

I could imagine a shop trying this idea out. Maybe not as a subscription service, but available for anyone to buy at a marked up price. I've seen stores that store their variants behind the counter, displayed on the wall. Maybe a store could put their 9.8s in the same space marked up to $10 - $15 (or more if it is a variant).

 

I don't think the idea of selling raw 9.8s as a subscription would work. It would take up too many resources on a Wed when the focus is probably needed on processing the new comics for subscribers.

 

However, most comic stores seem to have a lot of idle employees on days other than Wed. What if the comic shop spent its idle time on Thursday (or Wed after the new comics are taken care of) looking thru the new releases for 9.8s, marked them up (say double cover for non-demand books, $10 for event books, popular books like Batman and Deadpool, $20 for "tough" 9.8s like DC Combo books, all black covers, etc) and made them available for anyone to buy?

 

I think this might work well for a store that already sends comics regularly to CGC for grading. If the store is already prescreening their new comics for 9.8s, then maybe it would be beneficial to sell a raw 9.8 now for $10 then sell it in a few months for $35.

[IntoAnother]

I could imagine a shop trying this idea out. Maybe not as a subscription service, but available for anyone to buy at a marked up price. I've seen stores that store their variants behind the counter, displayed on the wall. Maybe a store could put their 9.8s in the same space marked up to $10 - $15 (or more if it is a variant).

 

I don't think the idea of selling raw 9.8s as a subscription would work. It would take up too many resources on a Wed when the focus is probably needed on processing the new comics for subscribers.

 

However, most comic stores seem to have a lot of idle employees on days other than Wed. What if the comic shop spent its idle time on Thursday (or Wed after the new comics are taken care of) looking thru the new releases for 9.8s, marked them up (say double cover for non-demand books, $10 for event books, popular books like Batman and Deadpool, $20 for "tough" 9.8s like DC Combo books, all black covers, etc) and made them available for anyone to buy?

 

I think this might work well for a store that already sends comics regularly to CGC for grading. If the store is already prescreening their new comics for 9.8s, then maybe it would be beneficial to sell a raw 9.8 now for $10 then sell it in a few months for $35.

 

If a shop did that each Wednesday to regular covers it would be a shop that no longer had my business.

[PurpleZeke]

Online selling would be even a greater risk for the seller to list as 9.8 raw. Once the new comic is shipped no matter how good the packaging, the seller has no idea how the shipment to the customer and the customer's handling of the book would go after the shipment leaves them.

 

Nothing worse than selling a modern as NM (9.4), and getting a message that the customer would like a refund as they do not think said comic will receive a 9.8 grade when it was not advertised as such to start with.

[CheeseFrog]

'If a shop did that each Wednesday to regular covers it would be a shop that no longer had my business.'

 

+1

 

My business would go elsewhere in a heartbeat. Marking books up (dealer incentive covers aside) the week of their release is in poor taste. At least wait a week until the next Wednesday...

[GeeksAreMyPeeps]

'If a shop did that each Wednesday to regular covers it would be a shop that no longer had my business.'

 

+1

 

My business would go elsewhere in a heartbeat. Marking books up (dealer incentive covers aside) the week of their release is in poor taste. At least wait a week until the next Wednesday...

That's pretty much my opinion. I'll go to another shop where there's a better chance I'll find a 9.8 at the same price as all of the other copies.

[UltraMaximus]

^Yup. I walked out of a store for asking double cover on day of release once. Drove 5 minutes, and got it for $1.00 under cover price. Everyone who cares about a 9.8 copy, would rather screen their own for free, than pay another person to pull a raw for them. If they want a 9.8 by paying for it, they will buy one slabbed already.

[bffnut]

Interesting. For all the people who said they would no longer shop at stores that offered 9.8s at a premium for anyone to purchase, can I assume that you would also not shop at a store that offered a raw 9.8 subscription serice at a premium price?

 

Do you also refuse to shop at stores that pull 9.8s to be submitted to CGC for grading for the store's inventory?

[revat]

Interesting. For all the people who said they would no longer shop at stores that offered 9.8s at a premium for anyone to purchase, can I assume that you would also not shop at a store that offered a raw 9.8 subscription serice at a premium price?

 

Do you also refuse to shop at stores that pull 9.8s to be submitted to CGC for grading for the store's inventory?

 

these are good questions. I'm not sure.

 

But IF I shopped for 9.8 raws regularly, I would go to whichever store locally I had the best chance of finding them at cover. If a store pulled some or submitted some but still had plenty available, it would not affect my shopping habits. If I had very choices in my area, it might not affect my shopping habits.

 

I think just as with most comic stores, its a matter of knowing your customer base and giving the most people what they want.

[IntoAnother]

Interesting. For all the people who said they would no longer shop at stores that offered 9.8s at a premium for anyone to purchase, can I assume that you would also not shop at a store that offered a raw 9.8 subscription serice at a premium price?

 

Do you also refuse to shop at stores that pull 9.8s to be submitted to CGC for grading for the store's inventory?

 

I wouldn't mind as long as it was a shop that ordered heavy enough to leave a few 9.8 candidates on the shelf. Your idea may be a really good one though for those who can't make it to a shop each Wednesday morning. I'd have no issue if they spent a little more to secure nice copies. Nor with the shop. Now if the shop pulled all the 9.8 candidates weekly for submissions that would just stink and I'd hit the next shop. I live in a area with quite a few shops though now. I did however live in rural New Mexico for a while and the closet shop was three hours away. That was rough since Hastings was the only store in town. We all know how well they handle books.

[Catwomancomics]

IMHO anyone willing to pay more for a raw 9.8 candidate on the week of release is throwing their money away.

 

Most comics will never be worth the money you paid for them in the first place. Try reselling your 9.8 raw books later and see who actually wants them.

 

Even collectors that are careful handling books will occasionally damage them. Years from now when you want to get rid of your collection, you will be very disappointed on the loss you will take selling them.

 

Save the money you would've spent on your new raw 9.8 books and buy a key graded comic.

[GeeksAreMyPeeps]

IMHO anyone willing to pay more for a raw 9.8 candidate on the week of release is throwing their money away.

 

Most comics will never be worth the money you paid for them in the first place. Try reselling your 9.8 raw books later and see who actually wants them.

 

Even collectors that are careful handling books will occasionally damage them. Years from now when you want to get rid of your collection, you will be very disappointed on the loss you will take selling them.

 

Save the money you would've spent on your new raw 9.8 books and buy a key graded comic.

Just don't buy comics.