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Do you ever think about comics at the atomic level?
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Started by valiantman,

45 posts in this topic

valiantman

valiantman

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Basically 20 years into CGC slabbing and now 80 years since Action Comics #1 debuted, we've seen a market that has decided that a CGC 9.0 comic is worth multiples of the CGC 6.0 price, even though 6 is 67% of 9 on the grading scale.  Try buying a CGC 9.0 for $900 when the CGC 6.0 regularly sells for $600.  Not going to happen.  If the CGC 6.0 is $600, you can be pretty sure that the CGC 9.0 is $1,200 or more.  So, the first natural instinct (especially if you're talking to a non-collector), that a CGC 6.0 is 67% of a CGC 9.0 is out the window when it comes to price.

Maybe we've gotten accustomed to the idea that higher grades are worth multiples of the mid-grade even though they're not "multiples better" in terms of the grading scale.  Does the CGC 6.0 have 67% of the CGC 9.0 page count?  No. It has 100% of the pages.  Does the CGC 6.0 have 67% of the front cover?  No, it has 100% of the front cover.  Does the CGC 6.0 have 67% of the ink?  No, it has 100% of the ink.  So, not only is a CGC 9.0 not multples of a CGC 6.0 in basic math, a CGC 6.0 and a CGC 9.0 are essentially identical in terms of page count, cover, ink... what's the difference?

So... do you ever think about comics at the atomic level? 

What is the difference between a CGC 6.0 and a CGC 9.0 when you ask how many atoms-in-common the two books would have?  Assuming the CGC 6.0 has a few more lines of wear and maybe a rounded corner at the spine, it's probably true that the CGC 9.0 has 0.00001% more of the original atoms than the CGC 6.0.

That 0.00001% difference is the reason we pay mutiples for the CGC 9.0.  It has to be.  Otherwise, what are we even paying for? hm

:kidaround:

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jcjames

jcjames

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13 minutes ago, valiantman said:

Basically 20 years into CGC slabbing and now 80 years since Action Comics #1 debuted, we've seen a market that has decided that a CGC 9.0 comic is worth multiples of the CGC 6.0 price, even though 6 is 67% of 9 on the grading scale.  Try buying a CGC 9.0 for $900 when the CGC 6.0 regularly sells for $600.  Not going to happen.  If the CGC 6.0 is $600, you can be pretty sure that the CGC 9.0 is $1,200 or more.  So, the first natural instinct (especially if you're talking to a non-collector), that a CGC 6.0 is 67% of a CGC 9.0 is out the window when it comes to price.

Maybe we've gotten accustomed to the idea that higher grades are worth multiples of the mid-grade even though they're not "multiples better" in terms of the grading scale.  Does the CGC 6.0 have 67% of the CGC 9.0 page count?  No. It has 100% of the pages.  Does the CGC 6.0 have 67% of the front cover?  No, it has 100% of the front cover.  Does the CGC 6.0 have 67% of the ink?  No, it has 100% of the ink.  So, not only is a CGC 9.0 not multples of a CGC 6.0 in basic math, a CGC 6.0 and a CGC 9.0 are essentially identical in terms of page count, cover, ink... what's the difference?

So... do you ever think about comics at the atomic level? 

What is the difference between a CGC 6.0 and a CGC 9.0 when you ask how many atoms-in-common the two books would have?  Assuming the CGC 6.0 has a few more lines of wear and maybe a rounded corner at the spine, it's probably true that the CGC 9.0 has 0.00001% more of the original atoms than the CGC 6.0.

That 0.00001% difference is the reason we pay mutiples for the CGC 9.0.  It has to be.  Otherwise, what are we even paying for? hm

:kidaround:

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jcjames

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There is a single proton difference, a 1.2% difference, between gold and mercury. I'd much rather have a kilo of gold than a kilo of mercury.

But seriously, the idea of a 9.0 vs a 6.0 is nothing like the MINUSCULE difference between a 9.6 and a double-the-priced 9.8. And there's a microsopic difference between a 9.8 and a 9.9.

The number itself becomes the value, not the book, which is bizzaroland for collectibles, yet so common.

I'll take a nice-presenting 6.0-8.0 and be very happy in what I collect. Perfection is the enemy of very good.

 

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ThothAmon

ThothAmon

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Atomically the difference in atoms seems insignificant.  Book A basically has an infinite number of atoms and Book B has an infinite number of atoms minus somewhat near an infinite (atoms worn away) number of atoms.  Both make my head hurt.  After a few hundred slabs I must say how impressed I am with a white paged 7.0.

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valiantman

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13 minutes ago, Artboy99 said:

your theory is interesting, and I would add that the CGC 6.0 copy may have even more atoms to offer than the CGC 9.0 copy of the same book having likely been exposed to other things.

Well, I'm really talking about "the original atoms" in the book as it was freshly produced and placed into the market.  The CGC 9.0 is probably 0.00001% closer to the original than the CGC 6.0. 

I thought about including the halflife of carbon in the discussion, which is 5,730 years, but I figured two copies of the same book printed even a couple of days apart probably couldn't attribute their differences to radioactivity. Probably. (:

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valiantman

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7 minutes ago, jcjames said:

There is a single proton difference, a 1.2% difference, between gold and mercury. I'd much rather have a kilo of gold than a kilo of mercury.

No sub-atomic discussion is allowed in this topic.  What are we?  Nerds? 

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valiantman

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20 minutes ago, 01TheDude said:

I don't and I doubt many do. Interesting theory but doesn't hold water in the collectibles world

Exactly!  That's why I'm questioning everything!  If it doesn't make sense in the collectibles world, either logic needs to change or the collectibles world needs to change.  I realize waiting for logic to take over anything is usually a multi-thousand year process, but this is the internet superhighway.  We should be able to cut that time by... half.

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Artboy99

Artboy99

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5 minutes ago, valiantman said:

Well, I'm really talking about "the original atoms" in the book as it was freshly produced and placed into the market.  The CGC 9.0 is probably 0.00001% closer to the original than the CGC 6.0. 

I thought about including the halflife of carbon in the discussion, which is 5,730 years, but I figured two copies of the same book printed even a couple of days apart probably couldn't attribute their differences to radioactivity. Probably. (:

I just think you can't discount the other atoms the books have been in contact with. The 9.0 copy very likely has been in contact with fewer other atoms which attributes to why it has maintained the condition it has: less handling, less contact with other surfaces, etc.

On the atomic level I do wonder about the differences in the 2 books even at the time of production. Variances in inks, paper stock, atoms on surfaces as each book was printed/ manufactured.

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

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35 minutes ago, valiantman said:

Basically 20 years into CGC slabbing and now 80 years since Action Comics #1 debuted, we've seen a market that has decided that a CGC 9.0 comic is worth multiples of the CGC 6.0 price, even though 6 is 67% of 9 on the grading scale.  Try buying a CGC 9.0 for $900 when the CGC 6.0 regularly sells for $600.  Not going to happen.  If the CGC 6.0 is $600, you can be pretty sure that the CGC 9.0 is $1,200 or more.  So, the first natural instinct (especially if you're talking to a non-collector), that a CGC 6.0 is 67% of a CGC 9.0 is out the window when it comes to price.

Maybe we've gotten accustomed to the idea that higher grades are worth multiples of the mid-grade even though they're not "multiples better" in terms of the grading scale.  Does the CGC 6.0 have 67% of the CGC 9.0 page count?  No. It has 100% of the pages.  Does the CGC 6.0 have 67% of the front cover?  No, it has 100% of the front cover.  Does the CGC 6.0 have 67% of the ink?  No, it has 100% of the ink.  So, not only is a CGC 9.0 not multples of a CGC 6.0 in basic math, a CGC 6.0 and a CGC 9.0 are essentially identical in terms of page count, cover, ink... what's the difference?

So... do you ever think about comics at the atomic level? 

What is the difference between a CGC 6.0 and a CGC 9.0 when you ask how many atoms-in-common the two books would have?  Assuming the CGC 6.0 has a few more lines of wear and maybe a rounded corner at the spine, it's probably true that the CGC 9.0 has 0.00001% more of the original atoms than the CGC 6.0.

That 0.00001% difference is the reason we pay mutiples for the CGC 9.0.  It has to be.  Otherwise, what are we even paying for? hm

:kidaround:

Are you on Sabbatical...? That's the only thing that would explain this spate of new threads on esoteric comic related concepts.

lol

 

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valiantman

valiantman

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6 minutes ago, ThothAmon said:

Atomically the difference in atoms seems insignificant.  Book A basically has an infinite number of atoms and Book B has an infinite number of atoms minus somewhat near an infinite (atoms worn away) number of atoms.  Both make my head hurt.  After a few hundred slabs I must say how impressed I am with a white paged 7.0.

Off-white to white isn't bad either.

1295726002_1200.jpg

Unfortunately, this book is at least 5 times worse than a CGC 9.2.  Don't believe me? It has to be 5 times worse... check the prices!

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valiantman

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3 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

Are you on Sabbatical...? That's the only thing that would explain this spate of new threads on esoteric comic related concepts.

lol

 

Sadly, no.  I'm just not sleeping as soundly lately, so these are the things I'm thinking at 2 a.m. 

 

... and 2 p.m.

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RockMyAmadeus

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3 minutes ago, valiantman said:

Off-white to white isn't bad either.

1295726002_1200.jpg

Unfortunately, this book is at least 5 times worse than a CGC 9.2.  Don't believe me? It has to be 5 times worse... check the prices!

Oh God...oh God, that's so sexy.

Drool.

(Yes, there's something wrong with me.)

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valiantman

valiantman

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15 minutes ago, ThothAmon said:

Uh, drugs.

Drugs do this too?  Really?  I've just been using accidental sleep deprivation. 

I definitely should have been rowdier in my twenties... instead of just being married and upstanding. :sorry:

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