Why is it that so many comic shops are oblivious to CGC???

[Mister_Comics]

CGC has been around for several years now and comic shops that I've been to still don't sell or even know about CGC. Whats the deal with that? A lot of times when I've mentioned CGC to the store people they look at me like I'm talking some foriegn language. Why is it the comic stores stay away from CGC slabbed books? Has anyone else noticed this???

[g-man]

many shop owners/employees do not like the idea of "non-readable" books. Maybe they think cgc would cut into their raw stock?

[localshop]

They're worried that customers will realize what over-graded pieces of they're trying to pass off as NM? I'm sure that's why Chuck at Mile High continues to put his hands over his ears and shout 'Can't hear you!'

 

I just don't buy that they haven't heard of CGC. They forever quote Wizard and Overstreet at you with regards to price, and it's not as if CGC is completely absent from those publications.

[Prophet78]

"They're worried that customers will realize what over-graded pieces of they're trying to pass off as NM?"

 

That is my sentiment too. My local shop here was going to start supporting it then all of the sudden they were like "Nuh uh". Point being they would loose money not only by getting books slabbed and then pushing them retail, but all their books in their back issue bins would be subject to question.

 

My local shop sells all their books or majority of the ones I look for at NM prices! I hate going to them. I feel all ikey when I leave because I feel as if I just got "used" and didn't wipe afterwards.

 

-Jeremy-

[Mister_Comics]

So true!

 

Its like they got all the latest action figures, busts, posters, t-shirts, and what-not, but when it comes to CGC they just don't want to hear about it.

[seank]

A lot of dealers state, quite correctly, that slabbing turns a comic book into a trading card. Comics are meant to be read and CGC destroys that meaning. There's also considerations of the cost of slabbing, the fact that many people don't want to pay the premiums that some CGC books receive, and that if you're in your local store, you can personally inspect the comic to see if it's (1) the claimed grade and (2) worth to you the asking price.

 

 

[Illiterati-migration]

I don't have time to get into this too deeply, but just extract my intentions from this:

 

Multiples of guide.

Why sell for a fixed price when you never know how much the book is going to sell for in an auction? These slabbed books, like it or not, are immensely more collectible than their raw counterparts (for some people).

 

Gotta run.

[Prophet78]

One reason I like slabbed books is that they are easier to display than mylytes and backing boarded ones.

 

-Jeremy-

[CosmicBob]

Chuck sells CGC books, usually for preposterous multiples of unslabbed prices. Sometimes you can get reasonable prices on his sales, but usually not. I will only buy CGC from him though. So when he has a sale, I check it out.

[OldGuy]

I think it has more to do with the kind of customer that a comic store has. There is zero market around here (Santa Fe, NM) for CGC books. The only thing people around here are interested in is filling the gaps in their Transformers (or whatever) run from the mid 80's.

 

I think in most cases there just isn't enough demand for high-grade books to support a mom and pop shop. Not to mention that most stores don't have anything worth slabing so they would need to make an investment in high-grade books in order to even have something to send to CGC. Owners have to cater to the highest percentage of their market and in many cases it's not high-grade material people want or can afford.

[Mister_Comics]

Why then do some of the shops sell slabbed cards and not comics? I just don't buy that "slabbed comics are like trading cards" statement. There must be more to it then that. Its like CGC is tabu to a lot of the stores. They don't even want to talk about it. You would think slabbed books would be just as good to sell as slabbed cards. I just don't see why the stores don't try selling them. Or even try making some deal with CGC to have books slabbed for thier costomers. You would think some stores would take advantage of this. Look at all the CGC selling on ebay. Why not jump on the bandwagon. I just don't get these comic book stores. They're into selling everything else. Why not CGC?

[OldGuy]

Would you rather have the local shop offer a CGC book for multiples of guide or the same book raw in the same condition for guide? I don't understand why you guys want shops to carry CGC books. Do you really need CGC to tell you the grade? CGC isn't determining the grade, the condition of the book determines the grade.

 

All adding CGC to the equation does is take more money out of your (the buyers) pocket. The only things that CGC does to justify their existence (IMO) is a resto check that's usually right and they add a little security to on-line transactions. Other then that they do nothing for me as a buyer.

[dam60]

I think it has something to do with the average amount that your typical comic book shop patron spends in a comic book store. Let's use this example: I go to the comic book store about bi-weekly now (although I think I am about to say goodbye to most of my new purchases, but I'll post that in the modern comics section) and drop about $10-$15 on new books and occassionaly supplies like a comic box or what have you. That's it. Most people are like me, although some people pay a little more. I rarely see people buy back issues and the ones that do sell are for the most part something fairly recent. On the wall of the shop I patronize there are several ASMs in VG-F/VF condition from 30-150 and a few other keys in mid grade. Why mid grade? Because the people with the kind of money to play ball on these cgc worthy copies are lurking on ebay. I would be hard pressed to think that the typical comic shop patron can give a price that is as competitive as ebay. You never know what die hard fan / (sucker?) is out there lurking on ebay ready to pay many multiples of guide for a NM+ copy of some random book. Therefore, why even bother using value floor space / display space on cgc copies when the merchandise for all intents and purposes wold have a ridiculously slow turn around time and probably not even realize the "true" market price?

 

Now on the other hand, the comic shop that I used to go to back home in LI has a store owner who rants and raves about how much he hates CGC. That's another issue. But for why more stores don't have it - simply put:

big buck cgc players lurk on ebay and chances are not in their stores

 

My two cents.

 

DAM

 

 

 

[tod09]

I agree! I would rather have my local shops sell non-CGC graded books since I know how to grade and I can tell if it's a quality book or not since I'm there in person inspecting it. If the local shops CGC graded their stock then they would ask a premium over guide 'cause of the cost associated with the grading. Only mail order or on EBAY is CGC grading the best way to buy 'cause even though I personally feel that they grade conservatively it's still close to the grade you are buying.

 

Tod

[Peter_Parker59]

Old Guy,

 

I agree 100% with you.

 

IMO, the reason for the ongoing success of CGC is highly due to the boom in online sales. It helps to know for sure which grade you're buying when you can't see the book for real.

 

In your local shop, you get to see and to manipulate the book, so you can make your opinion on the grade.

 

You would still like to buy a CGC'ed bokk from your local shop be cause of the restoration checking it provides, but in most places where local shops are located, there isn't enough a market to have people who can afford expensive HG books that deserve to be slabbed.

[Prophet78]

So what is a person like myself who knows enought to be dangerous to do when the books the local shop is selling is being sold at NM prices when we know they are actually VF or lower graded POS's?

 

-Jeremy-

[OldGuy]

Go to a different shop. It's just like any other business. If the price and or quality of a product is [!@#%^&^] at car dealership A then go to dealership B where price an or quality is better. I don't need a food critic to tell me the best places to eat, I just go where the food is good and the price is right. Same thing with comics.

[blowout]

So what is a person like myself who knows enought to be dangerous to do when the books the local shop is selling is being sold at NM prices when we know they are actually VF or lower graded POS's?

 

Don't buy them.

[FlyingDonut]

That's pretty good advice.

 

Again, I would wager that 99% of all comics sold in America are NOT slabbed. Jeremy - were you happy with the Batman 366 you bought from me? That was a pretty good buy for $5, but believe me, everybody was happy at that price. If that book was slabbed, you would have paid $40 (at least) for it, and for what? Just the plastic box? If you're happy with somebody's grading, why pay the premium, unless you WANT to have them slabbed. If you're store puts NM/M prices on VF- books, go to a different store!

[Prophet78]

If it were that simple don't you think I would. It is the ONLY shop in town. There is one more, but they have next to nothing in back issues and they mostly sell current issues only. I have resorted to taking my current issue purchases online to Mile High. Back issues, usually are sought here or on Ebay.

 

-Jeremy-