Spotting a fake CGC case based on inconsistency - modern books 1 1

[Big Brother]

On 11/30/2022 at 7:46 AM, Lonely Metal said:

How good are you at detecting restoration? I'll bet "not good".

What does that have to do with anything? I haven't claimed to be an expert at detecting restoration.

[Big Brother]

On 11/30/2022 at 8:49 AM, The Lions Den said:

Some of the reasons I buy graded comics are because I can be reasonably sure the book is complete, the grade is in the correct range and the book has been checked for restoration.

However, I also buy ungraded books because I enjoy rolling the dice occasionally. Either way, it's still fun...and isn't that what it's all about?  

You can be reasonably sure that a book is complete if you EXAMINE it. You can count the pages, you can see if the stories seem to be all there, etc. And if you are knowledgeable enough to be able to determine if the grade is "in the correct range," then why do you need someone to tell you what the grade is (and for a price)? These days online, you can view scans of most books for sale and, even though that's not as good as seeing the item in person, it's a lot better than just having someone else's grading to go on. But yeah, comic collecting should be fun!

[Big Brother]

On 11/30/2022 at 7:18 AM, KCOComics said:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

I don't disagree with any of this. 

In fact, I'm astonished by the weight the industry has put on 3rd party grading and prefer my comics in bags and boards. The difference between a 9.6 and a 9.8 can be miniscule, yet the value swings so dramatically based on a person's opinion. 

With that said, I own dozens of graded books. I even collect high grade runs where every book is graded. 

There are really two factors at play. Collecting SA and BA books has become as much about investing as collecting. When key books are 4, 5 and 6 figures, that third party grade allows the market value to be more easily determined.  I never considered (and still don't) my collection an "investment". But the value of certain books has become impossible to ignore. 

Grading also creates a certain level of liquidity for those that have allot of money tied into comics. I don't think anyone is buying AF15 in any grade as a reader copy anymore, so having it slabbed make sense for most people, in the event you need to sell it. 

I do agree though. I enjoy flipping through my comics. I like the way they look in Myler and if they are handled properly, they are safe and secure. 

 

 

Thanks for your comments. Comic collecting, or as you put it, "the industry," has become all about money. I deplore this, but I can't prevent it. I collect comics because I enjoy them, not because I'm investing in them to make money. And yes, it's ridiculous to think that a tiny corner crease could devalue something by $5,000.00 or more. Especially if the grade is just some self-styled expert's opinion.

By the way, I once bought a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 for $6.00. That's six dollars, NOT six hundred dollars. It was in terrible condition, with no back cover, but even then that was cheap! Those were the days...

[Big Brother]

On 11/27/2022 at 6:20 PM, Qalyar said:

Is it possible? Yes. Several of the coin certification companies are aware of counterfeits of their slabs. However, there's been no evidence so far of any even remotely credible counterfeit CGC slabs, so the burden of proof is really on those making doomer arguments about the likelihood of that occurring.

You hope! There's no evidence that it's happened, so therefore it could never happen, right?

[KCOComics]

On 12/1/2022 at 3:40 AM, Big Brother said:

Thanks for your comments. Comic collecting, or as you put it, "the industry," has become all about money. I deplore this, but I can't prevent it. I collect comics because I enjoy them, not because I'm investing in them to make money. And yes, it's ridiculous to think that a tiny corner crease could devalue something by $5,000.00 or more. Especially if the grade is just some self-styled expert's opinion.

By the way, I once bought a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 for $6.00. That's six dollars, NOT six hundred dollars. It was in terrible condition, with no back cover, but even then that was cheap! Those were the days...

If you still have that AF15, I'll give you $12 for it! You've got to cover shipping. 

Last year, when prices went nuts collecting comics got kind of depressing.  Books I have always wanted to own just became out of reach. So I shifted my collecting to less popular genres that could still be obtained affordably.  

At the end of the day, I never bought comics because of their ROI. While I enjoy the endless conversations about the market, I bought comics for art, stories, history and nostalgia. I won't say the money part has ruined the hobby, because if anything it just means demand and interest has grown. But it's made it harder to enjoy the hobby the way I did 15 - 20 years ago. 

[Le Chat Noir]

If in doubt, you could always just pay the fee to get it reholdered. At best, they give you a new case without the weird sticker. At worst, they regrade it and you lose 0.2-0.4.