Who Upgrades and Under What Circumstances?

[skybolt]

I have upgraded in the past, but it's usually because either I receive a good deal, or the book is a much better copy than what I own. For instance, if I like a certain GA cover then I'll purchase the book in VG condition. However, I probably won't upgrade until I see one in VF condition or better. Are there collectors out there that would upgrade even for a 0.2 difference?

[arexcrooke]

I have upgraded in the past, but it's usually because either I receive a good deal, or the book is a much better copy than what I own. For instance, if I like a certain GA cover then I'll purchase the book in VG condition. However, I probably won't upgrade until I see one in VF condition or better. Are there collectors out there that would upgrade even for a 0.2 difference?

I have started the process recently of selling off some of my late silver/early bronze Avengers. I have sold off most of the books that I ahd gotten over the last 2 years after I realized that the books werent quite up to snuff for what I wanted my collection to be. So I have sold most of them so I could save up money to buy an Avengers 1 within the next three months. I plan on buying vf or better copies when i get around to it.

To put it in a nutshell:

I sell to upgrade stuff because I want a vf or better Avengers run.

I will have to do the same for some of my Thor run in the mid 200's

[sfilosa]

have upgraded in the past, but it's usually because either I receive a good deal, or the book is a much better copy than what I own. For instance, if I like a certain GA cover then I'll purchase the book in VG condition. However, I probably won't upgrade until I see one in VF condition or better. Are there collectors out there that would upgrade even for a 0.2 difference?

 

Yes, I have upgraded for 0.2 many times.

 

The reason is because I have a run of books in say 9.4, with a few in 9.2. So I upgrade. In most cases, I am really getting a nicer book (not that I can justify it by spending twice as much). If I see a 9.4, but it doesn't have the eye appeal I'm looking for, then I hold on to my 9.2.

 

I probably never would upgrade say an 8.0 for an 8.5. Nor would I move from a 9.0 to a 9.2. Of course if I can buy a book at a very reasonable price I will buy it, might might sell the higher copy if I feel that I can make a nice profit.

[nearmint]

I've upgraded some Adams Batman/Detectives from 9.0 to 9.2, or 9.2 to 9.4.

 

In Golden Age, I've upgraded several of my Actions and Supermans by just .5. In many cases, it's just that I've found a similar copy with much better PQ or QP.

[arexcrooke]

Are there collectors out there that would upgrade even for a 0.2 difference?

Im not one of those collectors that will do this. First, i dont have any graded comics. 2nd, i dontn have the money to chase after slight improvements in visually stunning books in the first place. I have a hard enough time affording visually stunning books in the first place.

Not knocking people who do, Steve and others, just not within my budget, also, i have not been collecting very long, so there is so much stuff I want to buy, that upgrading is not a objective due to a lack of stuff to buy.

[FFB]

I have upgraded in the past, but it's usually because either I receive a good deal, or the book is a much better copy than what I own. For instance, if I like a certain GA cover then I'll purchase the book in VG condition. However, I probably won't upgrade until I see one in VF condition or better. Are there collectors out there that would upgrade even for a 0.2 difference?

 

Only on certain books. Ordinarily, if I buy a copy of something I'm looking for, it means that I'm happy with that copy and I'd rather focus my resources on other issues I need to complete a run. There are only five or six books in my collection that I'd be willing to pay to upgrade by 0.2.

[nearmint]

If you owned this, wouldn't you upgrade?

 

[sfilosa]

Only on certain books. Ordinarily, if I buy a copy of something I'm looking for, it means that I'm happy with that copy and I'd rather focus my resources on other issues I need to complete a run. There are only five or six books in my collection that I'd be willing to pay to upgrade by 0.2.

 

TOS #52 being one of them?

 

The truth is I'll buy a copy in the same condition if I feel it has better eye appeal. While I try to buy the book I want, the first time, I have bought runs of books before and realized a few of the books, while having the grade I want, don't have the eye appeal that I want.

 

I just recently bought two books from Bob Storms for that exact reason. They didn't upgrade, the grade, but the eye appeal.

[FFB]

Only on certain books. Ordinarily, if I buy a copy of something I'm looking for, it means that I'm happy with that copy and I'd rather focus my resources on other issues I need to complete a run. There are only five or six books in my collection that I'd be willing to pay to upgrade by 0.2.

 

TOS #52 being one of them?

 

Yep.

 

The truth is I'll buy a copy in the same condition if I feel it has better eye appeal. While I try to buy the book I want, the first time, I have bought runs of books before and realized a few of the books, while having the grade I want, don't have the eye appeal that I want.

 

Me too.

[arexcrooke]

If you owned this, wouldn't you upgrade?

 

How about restoration? Is this book even able to be restored? I am asking because I dont know. Not to be a donkey's a##

[FFB]

If you owned this, wouldn't you upgrade?

 

Yes, but first I would sell that thing as quickly as I could whether I had an upgrade copy available or not.

[skybolt]

If you owned this, wouldn't you upgrade?

 

 

Wow, is that from the famous "Burnt to Ashes" Pedigree?

[FFB]

If you owned this, wouldn't you upgrade?

 

How about restoration? Is this book even able to be restored? I am asking because I dont know. Not to be a donkey's a##

 

Yes, that book could probably be restored up to an Apparent VF or maybe even better. But it would be EXPENSIVE to do that. Probably $3,000 or more.

[nearmint]

How about restoration? Is this book even able to be restored? I am asking because I dont know. Not to be a donkey's a##

 

I don't know a lot about resto, but I suspect it would be easier to create a whole new cover than try to restore this awful copy.

[Currin Comics]

I tend to upgrade my Keys and #1's, my "runs" are seperate and if they have some 6.0-6.5's I'm OK with that. My WBN 32, TOD 10, Spot 2 and 5, etc... are much nicer in my Key's, #1's and 1st app. box than they are in my WBN, Ghost Rider, TOD runs.

[Ian_Levine]

If you owned this, wouldn't you upgrade?

 

Of course, but I've also restored comics as bad as that myself. It may not add to the value, but it would look pristine on first glance, without too close a look. That one's a doddle because there's so much black on the cover. I did a House Of Mystery once that was that bad, before I then upgraded it anyway. It's to improve the appearance, not the value, although someone like Matt Nelson could do both when the original looks THIS bad initially.

[nearmint]

I upgraded to this one instead...

 

[skybolt]

I upgraded to this one instead...

 

 

Looks nicer than 4.5. What gives.

[chromium]

I'm a completionist so my main aim is to get all the issues in a certain series. Last month I completed the Avengers and I'm less than 5 issues away from completing the Fantastic Four.

 

In total I now have less than 10 books on my want-list. Once I get all of them, there's a big chance I'll start upgrading some of my books. Not the keys or more expensive books per se, but the ones where I just love the cover and I which I would like to own in high grade...

 

Avengers #57, Amazing Spider-man #62, Fantastic Four #39....

[JohnBull]

I upgraded to this one instead...

 

 

Nice book.

 

I'd upgrade an incomplete issue or something with very bad cover damage. I might go from a Fair to a G/VG! Apart from that, I'm not too fussed. I tend to buy 'em, read 'em and sell 'em a few years later and condition doesn't bother me that much. I often won't buy a higher grade copy because I figure it will embarrass the rest of its compatriots. Plus, I'm a cheapskate.