Just got my first CGC Graded Books back

[Shadow]

PLOD? What's that stand for?

 

I'd admit to being really bummed if I paid thousands of dollars on a book to find it was touched up. Ouch. Books like B&B #93 I can handle. (Well, a little bummed. : )

[uclapeterg]

PLOD = purple label of death. All restored books used to get a purple label and unrestored books got a universal blue label. We refer to it as PLOD because some of us feel that restored books should be more wanted and/or valuable than they are. CGC has recently announced that restored books will get a universal blue label, as well, with restoration and a corresponding number from 1 to 10 clearly noted on the label.

[Shadow]

Gotcha. Saves a lot of typing. :

[tth2]

It's kind of a Catch-22. If I buy the book graded by CGC, I'll end up paying a substantial premium and never have the experience of actually opening it.

That's not necessarily true. If you buy SA or BA slabs in 8.5 or below, you'll often be able to buy at Guide or less, sometimes substantially less.

[Shadow]

Is 8.5 the "dividing" line for CGC? Anything above commands a premium?

[divad]

Is 8.5 the "dividing" line for CGC? Anything above commands a premium?

 

No, it's different for every book.

[arexcrooke]

Is 8.5 the "dividing" line for CGC? Anything above commands a premium?

Like Diva says, it is the individual book. If its a key or a tough to find in high grade, 8.5 can strong prices.

I really like 8.5's as far as the stuff im looking at goes. I can get a tightly (usually) graded book for usually less than guide. If course, i also dont mind a 7.0-7.5 book that presents well either. I just bought a really nice looking TTA off of Bob for a really good price,because it is a 7.5 but the fc is really tight.

Arex

[joe_collector]

CGC has recently announced that restored books will get a universal blue label, as well, with restoration and a corresponding number from 1 to 10 clearly noted on the label.

 

Is this for real?

 

Well that's it for me buying CGC books on EBay, as it was bad enough with the purple label.

[uclapeterg]

CGC has recently announced that restored books will get a universal blue label, as well, with restoration and a corresponding number from 1 to 10 clearly noted on the label.

 

Is this for real?

 

Well that's it for me buying CGC books on EBay, as it was bad enough with the purple label.

 

I believe so.

[divad]

CGC has recently announced that restored books will get a universal blue label, as well, with restoration and a corresponding number from 1 to 10 clearly noted on the label.

 

Is this for real?

 

Well that's it for me buying CGC books on EBay, as it was bad enough with the purple label.

 

I believe so.

 

Source, please

[jbud73]

Shadow, welcome to the boards!

 

I'm bummed to hear how your books came back, I can totally relate, unfortunately. I have to echo sfilosa's comments: despite some of their mistakes, the restoration detection service alone justifies CGC's existence.

 

Your experience also highlights that folks here who think they can avoid the problems that have afflicted this hobby by focusing on lower grade books and BA books are kidding themselves. Books of all eras in all grades were doctored up regularly.

 

Also, people here who think that the high prices paid for .2 differentials on ultra-HG books are the main reason for all the monkey business going on now are deluding themselves. Unscrupulous collectors and dealers have always tampered with books, even when the stakes were much lower and the increase in grade resulting from the tampering was maybe worth $5 or $10.

 

Tim the problem for me has never been the .2 - the problem are the methods by which the .2 are being achieved.

[tth2]

Tim the problem for me has never been the .2 - the problem are the methods by which the .2 are being achieved.

Sure, my point was just that there are also problematic methods by which .5's are achieved, and the .5 fans who don't realize that are kidding themselves.

[lou_fine]

CGC has recently announced that restored books will get a universal blue label, as well, with restoration and a corresponding number from 1 to 10 clearly noted on the label.

 

Yes, do you have an actual link to this announcement since I do not believe it has officially been announced yet?

 

Maybe it's just speculation and rumours since I have no idea where CGC would have come up with the silly notion of having an one-colour label system along with a 10-point restoration rating system.

[greggy]

CGC has recently announced that restored books will get a universal blue label, as well, with restoration and a corresponding number from 1 to 10 clearly noted on the label.

 

Yes, do you have an actual link to this announcement since I do not believe it has officially been announced yet?

 

Maybe it's just speculation and rumours since I have no idea where CGC would have come up with the silly notion of having an one-colour label system along with a 10-point restoration rating system.

FFB spoke with Steve regarding this issue in San Diego. When I PM'd Steve about it after I heard about it, he said that there will be an announcement in October regarding a bunch of changes.

[FFB]

CGC has recently announced that restored books will get a universal blue label, as well, with restoration and a corresponding number from 1 to 10 clearly noted on the label.

 

Yes, do you have an actual link to this announcement since I do not believe it has officially been announced yet?

 

Maybe it's just speculation and rumours since I have no idea where CGC would have come up with the silly notion of having an one-colour label system along with a 10-point restoration rating system.

 

It's not speculation and rumor. I heard it directly from Steve Borock and had a conversation with him about it in SD.

[jbud73]

while I have technically been in support of this move I am curious to how they will handle it. More to the point.

 

Will collectors, or potential buyers get MORE information or LESS information under the new system?

 

What about the current PLOD books, how will those be handled?

 

I'm sure there are more issues, but those were the first two off the top of my head.

[lou_fine]

while I have technically been in support of this move I am curious to how they will handle it. More to the point.

 

Will collectors, or potential buyers get MORE information or LESS information under the new system?

 

What about the current PLOD books, how will those be handled?

 

I'm sure there are more issues, but those were the first two off the top of my head.

 

Yes, it should be very interesting to see how CGC handles this if they go through with what everybody is speculating on.

 

When I first suggested an one-colur label system with a 10-point restoration rating system on these boards over two years ago, I was roundly castigated by most pro-CGC board members. I was accused of promoting a system which would result in nothing but total chaos and confusion since collectors would no longer be able to differentiate between restored and unrestored books.

 

As for your question of whether potential buyers would get more or less information. Do you feel that you get more information from the current 10-point condition grading system or do you think you would get more if CGC reverts to a 3-level grading system of Low Grade, Mid Grade, and High Grade? Now, do you really feel you would get less information if CGC switches from the current 3-level restoration rating system of Slight, Moderate, and Extensive and adopts a numerical 10-point restoration rating system.

 

As for your question of the current PLOD books, I assume they would just stay in their current slabs until resubmitted similar to the old Red Modern slabs. Now, would anybody have any incentive to keep a restored book in a purple slab when it comes time to sell, since it would most likely go for more money in a new slab (except for extensively restored books)?

 

BTW: A financially convenient method for CGC to benefit from high reslabbing fees without complaints from the resubmittors.

[tth2]

Lou, your characterization of the previous debate is disingenuous to say the least. The controversy came about because your proposal tied two things together: 10 point resto rating system AND getting rid of the purple label. I don't think anyone was criticizing a 10-point restoration rating system per se. The criticisms related to your proposal to change the purple label to blue.

 

So let me ask you this, to sort out which is truly the most important part of your proposal. If only one of the following options was available to you, which one would you go with:

 

1. Blue label with current 3-level resto rating system; or

 

2. Purple label with your proposed 10-point resto rating system?

 

[lou_fine]

Lou, your characterization of the previous debate is disingenuous to say the least. The controversy came about because your proposal tied two things together: 10 point resto rating system AND getting rid of the purple label. I don't think anyone was criticizing a 10-point restoration rating system per se. The criticisms related to your proposal to change the purple label to blue.

 

So let me ask you this, to sort out which is truly the most important part of your proposal. If only one of the following options was available to you, which one would you go with:

 

1. Blue label with current 3-level resto rating system; or

 

2. Purple label with your proposed 10-point resto rating system?

 

 

Tim;

 

Thanks for your response.

 

I have always felt that the current system is really the worst of both worlds since it:

 

1) Served only to stigmitize restored books instead of letting the marketplace determine their own value in a level playing field.

 

2) Limited restoration rating to only three general ambiguous levels instead of a more definitive 10-point numerical rating system.

 

 

My suggestion was to implement an enhancement of the current system to address both of these problems. As a result, the idea for a 10-point restoration rating system AND an one colour label was to address both of these concerns at the same time. I don't understand the rationale for improving something and going only halfway when you have the opportunity to fix both problems at the same time.

 

To answer your question, let me phrase my answer to you in the form of a question back to you. If only one of the following options was available to you, which one would you go with:

 

1) Blue label with new 3-level (Low, Mid, High Grade) condition grading system; or

 

2) Purple label for all books grading lower than 9.4 with current 10-point condition grading system.

 

 

Would the current condition grading system not be better than either one of these options? Or should we settle on the worst of both worlds, analagous to the current restoration rating system by implementing a 3-level generic condition grading system with a purple label for anything lower than High Grade. Why in the world would you want to settle for any of these options instead of getting the best of both worlds. The same should apply when it comes to restoration rating.

 

[tth2]

Lou, you continue to dance around my question. I fully understand you want both and why you would want both. But sometimes in life progress comes in increments, rather than all in one fell swoop. So just for argument's sake, if CGC wanted to try out an interim solution before going all the way, and could only do one, but not both, which would you choose: (i) purple label with 10 point rating or (ii) blue label with current 3-level rating?

 

By the way, the question you posed to me may have been intended to present me with a tough choice, but I think anyone who's familiar with my collecting habits would know that it would actually be a very simple choice.