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

[FlyingDonut]

Well, don't go to Mile High! There's better places to buy online, believe you me!

[Prophet78]

FD,

 

As I posted before, what I got from you was a really great deal. You and I will do business in the future. Even though the book I bought for $5 was just that, a $5 book, that paved the way for future buys that may reach several hundred dollars in value. So far you are one of 3 sources for good quality books. As far as dont' buy them, I don't see my prevous post.

 

-Jeremy-

 

P.S. when I first responded to this thread abotu what a guy is supposed to do, I was posting that as a general statement. I know where to buy books, and it is not from my local shop.

[dam60]

FD - I am with you here. My CGC books are CGCed for display purposes only. I like to get CGC books that have a cool cover, or if they are valuable for the resto check. But I also like to have a reader in my collection of the same book. Even though my want list includes a Batman 232 and 234, I have 'em both slabbed and reprinted in various TPBs, but the completionist in me wants the actual issue

 

DAM

 

[OldGuy]

I understand your problem. There are 0 comic shops in Santa Fe and about 8 in Albuq. Of the eight in Albuq. there is one that knows how to grade and price accordingly. If that one shop doesn’t have a book I'm looking for then it's E-Bay time. Well, not yet. First I post the wanted book on this board, then I go to E-bay if I still can't find it.

[FlyingDonut]

Yeah - I don't buy many back issues from my local shop, mainly because the stuff I want they don't carry. But they're good solid guys and I recommend them highly, also because they go out of their way for good service. That's pretty much all I ask for these days, good service, a little discount, and flexibility in pulling stuff for me. Sounds like your local shop is just lousy at providing good service.

[fantastic_four]

The overriding reason that shops are oblivious to CGC is because most shops don't have back issues worth slabbing, and most collections obtained by shops these days don't have those issues either because people are selling those copies via the Internet now. I think the majority of shop owners--not every clerk in the store, but the owners themselves--are aware that CGC exists, but after they become familiar with the concept, the thought that they rarely get comics in stock worth getting slabbed eventually runs through their mind, which quickly makes them forget about CGC altogether.

 

As for why more shops aren't CGC-conscious on modern books...it's like seank says, they don't like the idea of slabs nor do they like the idea of obsessing on condition like you have to do to pick the 9.8s out of the Diamond orders. Grading takes a fair amount of "head space," or time and mental focus, and for most shop owners, it ain't worth it.

[mlovest]

Most local sjops I've been to have very few silverage or older comics in top condition. I would think they would now have them CGCed and sold via Ebay. Surely they would be able to make more via the broader market.

 

My thoughts...

 

Mike

[Mister_Comics]

A lot of good points brought up. I guess we'll never see CGC'ed comics sold in comic stores. At least for now. Maybe in a few years after CGC has been around longer and more books are slabbed, maybe then. Or is CGC gonna be one of those things that can only be bought only on ebay, or from adds, or from comic cons? Anyone think we will see CGC sold in stores someday?

[Prophet78]

FD,

 

The only reason I am going to Mile High is for current issues only. Back issues come from the likes of you and cgc comes from the likes of and Ebay.

 

Nuff said,

 

-Jeremy-

[supapimp]

I think the majority of shop owners--not every clerk in the store, but the owners themselves--are aware that CGC exists,

 

i find that hard to believe that store owners don't know that CGC exists, don't they read CBG, overstreet, or even (shudder) wizard? im sure they goto conventions and see them at dealers tables. you have to be a hermit to not know that CGC exists.

[wolvergeek]

My local comic shop carries CGC books. Of course the books are overpriced compared to what they would sell for on Ebay but they are there and people do buy them.

[ninanina]

supa, don't let darth know how you feel about wizard. I think it's actually his bible for back issue prices.

[B-Smooth]

[B-Smooth]

now if he would only bring up the "good" stuff from his basement!

[Darthdiesel]

supa, don't let darth know how you feel about wizard. I think it's actually his bible for back issue prices

 

It's my "bible, Book of Mormon, Torah, Talmud, Pentateuch, and Koran" all in one. The OS is like my dusty Norton's Anthology of Poetry that I refer to once every decade...

[Darthdiesel]

Oh..and nina...just in case you forgot...WIZARD RULES!

[ninanina]

Oh, yea, i know...wizard rules, sure 'nough. you da man. No argument there.

[Ares]

Most people go to a comic store to read.

 

Why would they spend $40 for an issue they cant read.

The average joe is where a comic shop makes its money and I doubt they care about CGC.

[vic6string]

1. As mentioned before, having CGC books on the wall shows customers what real grades look like so stores can no longer sell their 7.5 stuff as NM if the customers are paying attention.

 

2. Cost. Most smaller stores don't have high grade older keys, and there is no point to sending in most anything else. A store in my area sent in some non-key bronze and silver ASMs and got grades in the 8.0-9.0 range. It costs more to slab those books than what they will sell for. Remember, add to the cost the time the book is away from the shelf, and the time it sits on the shelf waiting for a buyer in the higher price range. My local shop has a Captain America #6 (the 1940's version) in pretty good shape (maybe 5-7 range) He is not willing to pay a couple hundred bucks to grade a book he may not sell for a year anyway. By comparison, sportscards cost MUCH less to grade and are cards that some in at lower grades can be sold for book price or less and still make a profit.

 

3. Lack of demand. We are the minority. In the year that my local shop has had CGC and offered CGC grading, they have had maybe 5 or six inquiries for CGC books....that is out of thousands of customers. Most people see that the books sell for high multiples and don't get why. They are more than happy with what is nin the bins for 20-50% off book price.

 

CGC books are a specialty. Most people drive Ford trucks, these are Lamborghinis.

[Zonker]

We are the minority. In the year that my local shop has had CGC and offered CGC grading, they have had maybe 5 or six inquiries for CGC books....that is out of thousands of customers. Most people see that the books sell for high multiples and don't get why. They are more than happy with what is nin the bins for 20-50% off book price.

 

CGC books are a specialty. Most people drive Ford trucks, these are Lamborghinis.

 

Ding! Ding! Ding!

We have a Winner!

 

Ya nailed it vic.

 

Let's do some math: There were as of this morning 1642 registered users of this forum. Use that as an estimate of number of CGC buyers. An imperfect estimate sure, because there are no doubt many buyers of CGC that haven't found these forums or have chosen not to register. But by the same token, lots of the 1642 are coin or card collectors only, or like me may have only dabbled in a few CGC books.

 

eBay and other online venues bring these 1600+ worldwide customers together in 1 market. Now suppose those customers bought CGC books instead at retail stores. Further assume all 1600 lived or had access to retail outlets in the 50 states (not trying to be USA-centric, just trying to simplify the math to make a point). That means very roughly 33 customers in an entire state . Not per store, per state.

 

Lots of gross assumptions and silly wildass guesses in the above, but the point remains-- CGC buyers are the cream of the crop.

 

So maybe someday I could see CGC boutiques in Manhattan or San Francisco / San Jose, but they would very much be exceptions, not the norm.

 

Cheers,

Z.