Sending collections for grading, Please advise!

[Alberto1975]

I want to get my full run of Iron Man (1-332) for grading over time. What is the best/cheapest way to send all these comics? I am thinking that I can send a lot of them for grading as moderns, which will be cheaper, but how should I send them? As a member of the Collectors Society, I get 10% discount, but I've seen other web sites, like Colossus Comics, that allows you to send with a 20% discount. Is there a bigger discount than that?

Please let me know your thoughts!

[TomG]

There are a number of dealers that offer the 20% discount which given the number of books you are looking to grade would be worth it. Also if you have never had any of your books certified before you should consider sending some as a test before grading your entire collection.

[skybolt]

There are a number of dealers that offer the 20% discount which given the number of books you are looking to grade would be worth it. Also if you have never had any of your books certified before you should consider sending some as a test before grading your entire collection.

 

Good point. Unless your modern Iron Man's are in pristine condition (9.6 and above), it's really not worth spending $15 on slabbing. Perhaps, you have CGC pre-screen all issues from 100 and above to make sure they meet your desired grade. Otherwise, you're wasting a lot of money if a lot of those books come back as 9.0's and 9.2's.

[divad]

if you have never had any of your books certified before you should consider sending some as a test before grading your entire collection.

 

Uh, yeah . . . not a bad idea

 

that way you can skip the whole fear and self-loathing stage . . .

[jimm94]

that way you can skip the whole fear and self-loathing stage . . .

 

Don't you mean skip DIRECTLY TO the fear and self-loathing stage?

[ComicSupply]

I would say to grade up to only issue #128 if they are all very clean and sharp.

 

Otherwise, you could be looking at a very pricey deal.

 

Iron Man is one title that is pretty old, but really hasn't priced out well in the guide. I have seen whole runs sell for $800-2000. Not a really good showing when the #1-10 guide for around $1000 in VF/NM.

 

Some certainly would be worth sending in, say #1-10, #55, #76 #128 and quite a few others. However, if you send all of them in, your looking at a price of at least $5600 not including shipping to grade them all. It would probably in the end be next to impossible to ever get this money back. CGC would love you, but your Wallet would hate you.

 

Then again, if it makes you happy, go for it.

[sterlingcomics]

My best word of advice: pick out a few from each age that you consider to be the best of your collection, and get them graded. If they come back lower than anticipated, you may want to spend time evaluating the true "current" grade of your collection.

 

No need wasting time getting them graded if you can't recoup the grading costs. However, these early submissions are invaluable learning tools in adjusting your expectations for a CGC grade. It was an eye opener for me!

[divad]

that way you can skip the whole fear and self-loathing stage . . .

 

Don't you mean skip DIRECTLY TO the fear and self-loathing stage?

 

touche!

[Calamerica]

If you don't mind me saying here that the Iron man # 1 - 10 is about all I would slab. Exception would be the # 55 1st Thanos app.

 

CAL

[divad]

If you don't mind me saying here that the Iron man # 1 - 10 is about all I would slab. Exception would be the # 55 1st Thanos app.

 

CAL

 

I'd even go less than that: #1 #2 #3 (and only because I love the Johnny Craig Cover) and #55 (to sell as quickly as possible, becuase it is perhaps the single-worst 1st App. in the known histroy of comics - even surpassing the Incredible Hulk #180)