On Site Grading vs Regular Submission 0

[icp004]

Was hoping to get opinions from those who have done both on-site grading and normal mail in submissions. I have done on-site several times at Baltimore Comic Con but never mail in submissions. Is it really worth standing in the lines on a Friday when the show opens and having to go back on Sunday to pick them up?  Seems if I’m not in a hurry that the mail in submission would be a lot less effort. 

[punksdropdirtysrh]

Seems simple to me: wait in line for an hour at most (in my experience) or wait several weeks. 

[Krismusic]

if we had on site grading available in Canada I would do that I would even drive a bit to get there. Less chance of anything getting damaged in shipping or having anything "lost" etc.. Even if you get monetary value back some of the books have more of a sentimental attachment for me. So to have my books back fast and less chance of damage from shipping or getting Lost I would definitely go On site grading.

HEY CGC get some onsite grading in Canada, preferably in the Toronto area .

[1Cool]

On 9/10/2019 at 10:55 PM, icp004 said:

Was hoping to get opinions from those who have done both on-site grading and normal mail in submissions. I have done on-site several times at Baltimore Comic Con but never mail in submissions. Is it really worth standing in the lines on a Friday when the show opens and having to go back on Sunday to pick them up?  Seems if I’m not in a hurry that the mail in submission would be a lot less effort. 

I really comes down to if you think on-site is a bit more lax on grading (which some people believe).  The cost keeps creeping up so I don't think it's much cheaper then just sending the books in vis Fast Track and getting books back in a couple weeks (modern).  Shipping the books in also gives you the option to prescreen which you can't do onsite.  I see onsite as a nice ad on to already being at the Con and it is fun to see how everyone's books come back Saturday morning (assuming you subbed Thursday during set up)

Edited October 2, 2019 by 1Cool

[mattn792]

One additional consideration - they also don’t press on site if you’re looking to get that done.

Cost-wise, on site has (so far) always worked out to be about the same as regular submission and mail back, so I on site whenever I can.

[icp004]

Thanks all for the feedback.  I guess it’s not so much waiting in line for an hour to submit the books on Friday as it is having to drive an hour and a half back to Baltimore on Sunday and pay for parking and admission just to pick up the books.  In past years I had a friend who always attended Sundays to pick my books up for me but this year it’s on me. 

[THE_BEYONDER]

5 hours ago, Krishosein said:

 

HEY CGC get some onsite grading in Canada, preferably in the Toronto area .

This

[RockMyAmadeus]

If you absolutely, positively cannot wait to get your books back, onsite grading is wonderful. It's quite a thrill to sub books on Thursday/Friday and get them back on Sunday.

However...in my experience, and I've done it multiple times, since 2008...there is no such thing as an "onsite bump", and, in fact...in my experience....onsite books have been graded MORE harshly, not less. So, if you're the patient type, and live in the US, it's a bit cheaper to do it the regular way, and there's no benefit to doing it onsite, which is why I don't do it very much.

That said, too...if you live on a foreign country, I imagine you can save quite a bit doing onsite and carrying/shipping the books back with you. 

Positives and drawbacks either way. 

[RockMyAmadeus]

Oh, and one of the great benefits of onsite: you don't have to pack. Filling out forms and packing books properly for their journey from CA to FL is a literal all day project, for about 100 books at a time.

You don't want your books damaged in transit? You pack them properly. Pack them properly? That's gonna take several hours.

I envy the people who can drop books off in person in Sarasota.

[masterlogan2000]

I've made several submissions on site in Chicago.  One thing that shouldn't be overlooked is the interactions that are had with the CGC staff.  The booth is ALWAYS packed, and it seems like complete and utter chaos... yet the staff couldn't be friendlier or more patient.  Others may disagree, but I don't think anyone works harder at these shows than the people at the CGC booth.

With that said, another benefit of on-site grading is that the staff can answer any and all of your questions.  They'll even help you fill out the paperwork to make sure everything is done properly.  This is especially important for submissions to the Signature Series program, as you don't want to mess up that process and get the wrong color label.

[mattn792]

1 hour ago, masterlogan2000 said:

I've made several submissions on site in Chicago.  One thing that shouldn't be overlooked is the interactions that are had with the CGC staff.  The booth is ALWAYS packed, and it seems like complete and utter chaos... yet the staff couldn't be friendlier or more patient.  Others may disagree, but I don't think anyone works harder at these shows than the people at the CGC booth.

With that said, another benefit of on-site grading is that the staff can answer any and all of your questions.  They'll even help you fill out the paperwork to make sure everything is done properly.  This is especially important for submissions to the Signature Series program, as you don't want to mess up that process and get the wrong color label.

And they had the virtual line system up and running at this year’s C2E2. SOOOO much easier. 

[justafan]

So in summary Onsite Grading Pros and Cons are:

Pros:

Fastest TAT (2-3 day turn around), no waiting wondering where the hell your books are.

Best for those hot spec books that you need to flip before the market cools.

Zero effort: no stress in securely packing, costs of packing materials, time and trips to PO during normal business hours,

Zero shipping risk/near zero handling risk of damage

Higher onsite grading fees may be offset by no to/from shipping & insurance fees.

Submission advice: Guarantee that your submissions are accurate and you can get assistance from the staff on filling out the proper forms & tiers.  They are also pretty cool to talk to

Grading advice: (at some cons they'll have a head grader or restoration expert on hand to provide insight on whether a book is a great candidate for a cleaning/press/resub or restoration removal)

CGC staff interaction: You get to chat (but please don't hold up the line) briefly with the friendly staff, get to know them, have them get to know you, hear cool/funny stories, insights/tips on the submission process, first hand updates to any changes, direct replies to those silly Ask CGC questions that sometimes never get answered, and if you're lucky grab drinks with them afterwards.

Get to see some cool books and what others are submitting.

If permitted and timely you could grab an artists autograph with a CGC witness and submit for onsite grading all in 1 day.

 

Cons:

No pressing/dry cleaning prior to grading so make sure they are pre-pressed/cleaned or don't need it.

No pre-screening so make sure you're either very confident with the condition or are ok with whatever grade they will might receive.

Must get in line early or wait for nearly an hour or more in line sometimes between some grungy con attendees with bad BO.  Sometimes at bigger cons after waiting for an hour in line it is cutoff ahead of you for onsite grading submissions that day. Or you end up spending an hour or more in line to submit missing out on snagging some early deals or get to the booths after they've already been picked clean of quality books.

Way more expensive than just simply doing an express drop off.

Depending on quantity, you won't get one of those neat CGC shipping boxes that you can reuse.

 

Did I forget anything?

 

 

 

[Krismusic]

56 minutes ago, justafan said:

 

Depending on quantity, you won't get one of those neat CGC shipping boxes that you can reuse.

 

you mean the carboard box that has no padding except a honeycomb carboard bottom and sides?

[Krismusic]

we need onsite grading in Canada pretty please... prefer Toronto area. : ) 

[miraclemet]

18 hours ago, icp004 said:

Thanks all for the feedback.  I guess it’s not so much waiting in line for an hour to submit the books on Friday as it is having to drive an hour and a half back to Baltimore on Sunday and pay for parking and admission just to pick up the books.  In past years I had a friend who always attended Sundays to pick my books up for me but this year it’s on me. 

Here's what I do. 

Friday is MY day at Baltimore Comicon. I too do the hour plus drive there and back. Friday I stand in the line and submit books and walk around looking at my leisure. 

Sunday I come back with my kiddo (and sometime bring the wife too) and we run around looking at all the cool stuff (maybe peeling off every now and then if I see some dealer having a Sunday sale or having some new books they didnt have on Friday) and then at the end of the Sunday show I stop by and pickup my slabbed books. 

 

Its pretty perfect! 

I also do submissions (just dropoff) at AwesomeCon in DC earlier in the year, and about 1/2 the time they dont even make it back to me before BCC!

[Dmac538]

17 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

Oh, and one of the great benefits of onsite: you don't have to pack. Filling out forms and packing books properly for their journey from CA to FL is a literal all day project, for about 100 books at a time.

You don't want your books damaged in transit? You pack them properly. Pack them properly? That's gonna take several hours.

I envy the people who can drop books off in person in Sarasota.

Another thing to note, you don't need to worry about the Post Office damaging or losing your submission. Another thing is the cost of postage to CGC, shipping and insurance.

[justafan]

On 9/12/2019 at 10:55 AM, Krishosein said:

you mean the carboard box that has no padding except a honeycomb carboard bottom and sides?

Absolutely!  That's a poor man's Gerber/BCW CGC short box right there! 

[justafan]

On 9/12/2019 at 11:01 AM, miraclemet said:

Here's what I do. 

Friday is MY day at Baltimore Comicon. I too do the hour plus drive there and back. Friday I stand in the line and submit books and walk around looking at my leisure. 

Sunday I come back with my kiddo (and sometime bring the wife too) and we run around looking at all the cool stuff (maybe peeling off every now and then if I see some dealer having a Sunday sale or having some new books they didnt have on Friday) and then at the end of the Sunday show I stop by and pickup my slabbed books. 

 

Its pretty perfect! 

I also do submissions (just dropoff) at AwesomeCon in DC earlier in the year, and about 1/2 the time they dont even make it back to me before BCC!

I might try to do this at Baltimore this year.  I also do the hour+ drive but I also try and coordinate a Gerber pickup order at their facility in MD on the way up/back.