Cover me/I'm going in!!!

[Frisco Larson]

This past weekend had me pondering a topic which has long been on my mind: I don't like not being able to see inside my certified books I started wondering this morning if anyone else who collects G.A. comics struggles with that as well? How do my fellow board members collect? What percentage of your collection is raw vs. slabbed? Are you content just seeing the covers or do you need to get inside them?

 

This book is so stupid high grade, that I'm fine with it being in a holder.

 

 

However, this beauty had to be cracked out immediately!!!

 

[G.A.tor]

Yes

[skypinkblu]

About 2% 3%of my collection is slabbed. It used to be 1%.

 

I've never cracked a book open, it's bad for manicures;)

 

Edit, I forgot I slabbed some to sell.

[ciorac]

95% of the comics in my collection are raw

[thunsicker]

Most of my comics are slabs now. I'm slowly getting rid of or slabbing my remaining raws. If I want to read one I just go to the DCM.

 

Here's the Contact Comics.

 

Here's the Exciting.

[GoldenPRGuy]

3% of my collection is slabbed and I have dupes of most of them that are raw. I have only submitted a dozen or so, the rest were bought that way. I have cracked a few in my day, but it's rare. I've also purchased one or two PGX books and cracked them the second they arrived.

 

From a storage standpoint I'd prefer they all be raw.

[rob_react]

3% of my collection is slabbed and I have dupes of most of them that are raw. I have only submitted a dozen or so, the rest were bought that way. I have cracked a few in my day, but it's rare. I've also purchased one or two PGX books and crack them the second the arrive.

 

From a storage standpoint I'd prefer they all be raw.

 

The latter point is huge. I've got around 400 graded books and I'm pretty sure I could store 5x that raw in the space I'm using for comic storage.

[woowoo]

Most of my comics are slabs now. I'm slowly getting rid of or slabbing my remaining raws. If I want to read one I just go to the DCM.

 

Here's the Contact Comics.

 

Here's the Exciting.

 

They dont have DC or Timely?

[Straw-Man]

significant majority of mine are raw, but i rarely crack out the slabs i do acquire.

[Primetime]

About a third of my GA is slabbed. 90% of my Timelys are raw though

[CrocHntr]

This past weekend had me pondering a topic which has long been on my mind: I don't like not being able to see inside my certified books I started wondering this morning if anyone else who collects G.A. comics struggles with that as well? How do my fellow board members collect? What percentage of your collection is raw vs. slabbed? Are you content just seeing the covers or do you need to get inside them?

 

This book is so stupid high grade, that I'm fine with it being in a holder.

 

 

 

I never get tired of seeing that beauty! For some of my high grade (or high value) slabbed books, I certainly avoid cracking them out of the case. But many times I still want to get to the meat of the book, so I try the following:

 

1. Look for a reprint. This is good for some high profile "bigger" keys.

2. Try to buy a low grade beater to read. I've done this a couple of times, but in some cases even finding a beater is a bit tough.

3. A lot of these books are in the public domain. I also have a 8.5 Crowley of Contact 11, do didn't want to crack it out. Instead, I read it on the Digital Comic Museum (DCM) site. I don't know much about the site other than they've got some great books available to read. Here's the link to the Contact 11: DCM Contact #11

 

 

[rjpb]

I don't like having slabbed books in my personal collection. I'm frequently tempted to crack books I'm planning on reselling. Even if I don't take them out, I think books look brighter behind mylar, the thickness and slightly blue/grey cast dull the impression in a slab. It's also a tactile thing, a comic in a thin mylar with a backing board still feels like a comic to me, the weight and thickness aren't much different from a comic without them. A slabbed comic feels like a big chunk of plastic with the image of comic inside it.

 

The difference between raw and slabbed, is like the difference between a glass door that opens out to the ocean, and a glass window with the same view that doesn't open.

[nearmint]

Like your Contact, this one will remain entombed...

 

 

[rjpb]

Owning a 9.8 slabbed GA would be torture. Logically it would be foolish to crack, from both a financial and risk to the comic standpoint. But the temptation to handle a 70 year old comic that looks and feels like it was fresh off the newsstand would be overwhelming, especially a legendary Church copy.

[Frisco Larson]

Great answers & participation gang!!! Thanks for playing along

[Frisco Larson]

Owning a 9.8 slabbed GA would be torture. Logically it would be foolish to crack, from both a financial and risk to the comic standpoint. But the temptation to handle a 70 year old comic that looks and feels like it was fresh off the newsstand would be overwhelming, especially a legendary Church copy.

 

I know exactly what you mean! That's why this book was so easy to crack out. Every book around it in the Church run is a 9.4 ..... and this one would be too, except for a small piece out of the back cover. All the beautiful colors & gloss & killer paper ..... at a fraction of the cost

 

[Pat Calhoun]

I don't think slabs have been kind to the literary aspects of the hobby, but they are just keeping pace with most of the world. That said, I'd really appreciate a list of digital comic resources (libraries). ps- Go, Frisco!

[Cat-Man_America]

About 90% of the comics in my collection are slabbed and I don't do "crack".

 

That said, with rare exception I don't see a compelling reason for keeping lower grade books slabbed (below 6.0). My

[rjpb]

About 90% of the comics in my collection are slabbed and I don't do "crack".

 

That said, with rare exception I don't see a compelling reason for keeping lower grade books slabbed (below 6.0). My

 

Uniformity of collection is another factor. If I had nothing but awesome high grades I might be happier with all slabs, but when the majority of ones collection isn't really "worth" slabbing due to grade and/or value, the slabbed books feel like they don't belong.

[Badger]

Owning a 9.8 slabbed GA would be torture. Logically it would be foolish to crack, from both a financial and risk to the comic standpoint. But the temptation to handle a 70 year old comic that looks and feels like it was fresh off the newsstand would be overwhelming, especially a legendary Church copy.

+1 Yeah, it would kill me. My wife made me get my AS #1 graded because I would not leave it alone. Having a GA in 9.8 in a holder would ultimately get me in a lot of trouble with the wife.

 

I buy both raw and slabbed. I prefer raw because people are willing to negotiate more, it seems; however, I almost always get them slabbed if they have any real value at all.