Are prices still climbing or have they eased up a bit??? 43 43

[comicginger1789]

On 10/9/2023 at 9:50 AM, Pantodude said:

Right.  Without knowing the books included, his indexes are mostly useless to me, especially after figuring out they likely don't include my books anyway.  But I'll likely remain curious, becaues I like data-driven discussions.  

I also love data driven discussions. Sadly a lot of Youtubers don't share probably for a handful of reasons. Swaggle admits to "napkin" math which means it might not be accurate at all. I'd like to think he is using relevant books and doing  a proper analysis but he has yet to really share much about that.

The only guy I like out there who does not sugar coat it and has been selling a long while is Dave, the guy who has the comic book investment channel. I mean, he has errors too but I don't get the feeling he is there to hype anything for personal gain, unlike a handful of others

[ADAMANTIUM]

IS The only place that the youtuber could get "the 100 most sold for each age" already given to him to then track is gocollect? Am I correct in that assumption?

I doubt he's counting sales on gpa, but I haven't paid for gpa, so I thought gpa gives a whole bunch of specifics about a single book rather than the whole...

Idk go gocollect being competitive, I'm sure that gpa does, but I do know gocollect only goes to about 100 for each age easily. While I know he put in some work, I'm sure he tried to make it easy on himself somehow...

Of course idk and am presuming, but food for thought, since I watched this one at the suggested time. 

 

Edited October 10, 2023 by ADAMANTIUM

[ADAMANTIUM]

https://gocollect.com/comics/hottest

For example if this link will work, it shows you the top 100 books in sale for each age you click on

Edit to say it can also do the top 100 books in sales overall and between the ages etc

Edited October 10, 2023 by ADAMANTIUM

[darkstar]

On 10/9/2023 at 7:45 PM, ADAMANTIUM said:

https://gocollect.com/comics/hottest

For example if this link will work, it shows you the top 100 books in sale for each age you click on

Edit to say it can also do the top 100 books in sales overall and between the ages etc

Swag uses gocollect to start with a top 100 by volume for a specific era and time period. He also includes additional books that fall outside the top 100, but should be included anyway. I'm guessing because spec books have a tendency to push books that are traditionally more sought after out of the top 100, especially when the period of time is relatively small.

He then uses GPA for each book to find which grade of said book had the most sales during the time period in question. 

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 10/9/2023 at 7:52 PM, darkstar said:

Swag uses gocollect to start with a top 100 by volume for a specific era and time period. He also includes additional books that fall outside the top 100, but should be included anyway. I'm guessing because spec books have a tendency to push books that are traditionally more sought after out of the top 100, especially when the period of time is relatively small.

He then uses GPA for each book to find which grade of said book had the most sales during the time period in question. 

That's what I thought, so cool. I figured any added or dropped to that list was due to the sheer number available for sale, not just rare but also plentiful. Spawn of course graces the top of the over all list, but probably because of the sheer numbers available, and due to the guy using macro rather than micro determination...

Even though they have a limited value and the supply still outweighs demand by a lot, still the sheer number available and still trading hands. I see a lot more on the modern list that could be adjusted , added or dropped, but that adjustment list itself diminishes as you head to the older ages.

I'm sure that nothing in accounting of supply and demand is perfect, but it's what is available, and can be viewed in many statistics as interpreted in different ways. Ie graphs, but he's got a convincing enough presentation if it can be viewed publicly and revisited with future data.

Edited October 10, 2023 by ADAMANTIUM

[Sweet Lou 14]

On 10/6/2023 at 10:03 AM, alexgross.com said:

word is he will be appearing in the next avengers movie. whether it is as a member of the team, or the villain, no one seems to know yet. 

Probably a Wong variant.

[Telegan]

If the most recent MCS auction is any indication PCH is still strong. Either that or a lot of you folks out there have the same tastes as me.  lol.

[Mike Murdock]

How do folks here feel about de-slabbed books with the label included?  I really want to deslab a bunch of books and get rid of the slabs but wonder how much of a value drop that might lead to.  If you de-slab a mid-grade book like a 6.5 FF50 and keep the label, does it really hurt resale value?

Edited October 12, 2023 by Mike Murdock

[MattTheDuck]

On 10/12/2023 at 4:35 PM, Mike Murdock said:

How do folks here feel about de-slabbed books with the label included?  I really want to deslab a bunch of books and get rid of the slabs but wonder how much of a value drop that might lead to.  If you de-slab a mid-grade book like a 6.5 FF50 and keep the label, does it really hurt resale value?

It would surprise me if it didn't.  Once that book's out of the slab, the "gentlemen's agreement" between buyer and seller on acceptance of the grade is gone which is the only value I ever saw in slabbing in the first place.  There's no way to prove the label you have is actually from that book. 

This is my main point, though, of lack of understanding of cracking slabs - you paid for it when you slabbed or bought the book and you're just throwing that money away. Now, some people don't have to care about the money part of it of course and anyone can do anything they want with their books.

[Telegan]

On 10/12/2023 at 6:35 PM, Mike Murdock said:

How do folks here feel about de-slabbed books with the label included?  I really want to deslab a bunch of books and get rid of the slabs but wonder how much of a value drop that might lead to.  If you de-slab a mid-grade book like a 6.5 FF50 and keep the label, does it really hurt resale value?

For me it would be a case of not trusting myself with buying raw books online (unless they were cheap enough).  Also, I understand when people keep the labels, but when I don't know the person or what may have happened in the period they cracked it and tried to sell it, that 6.5 could've become a 5.5 or 5 as they thumbed through it.  Or is that really the book that got that grade?  It may have a centerfold detached or picked up stains or tears.  Several months ago I bought a book off eBay from a seller with good ratings.  The item had pictures that included the centerfold being attached (or looked that way) as well as the cover being attached (or looked that way) - the description even made reference to one of that being true, so I went against my usual mantra and bought a non-cheapo raw book on eBay.  When I got it, the centerfold was detached, and the cover was detached at one staple.  Did this all happen after the pictures were taken?  Were the pictures taken years or months ago?  Did it happen in shipping?  I have no idea.

The only time I'll buy raw books online that I can't physically touch/look at is if it's from somebody fairly reputable like MCS.  And, like I said, it's not just because I can't necessarily trust the seller, but also because I can't always trust myself to catch or look for everything.

[jimjum12]

On 10/13/2023 at 12:38 AM, MattTheDuck said:

It would surprise me if it didn't.  Once that book's out of the slab, the "gentlemen's agreement" between buyer and seller on acceptance of the grade is gone which is the only value I ever saw in slabbing in the first place.  There's no way to prove the label you have is actually from that book. 

This is my main point, though, of lack of understanding of cracking slabs - you paid for it when you slabbed or bought the book and you're just throwing that money away. Now, some people don't have to care about the money part of it of course and anyone can do anything they want with their books.

It's pretty simple, there is a subset of the collector base that enjoys being able to handle and inspect the real McCoy, rather than a reprint . Looking At it through plastic doesn't cut it. I'm like that until about 9.2 or so, and then it will depend on value. If it's 9.4 or so. I'm likely to leave it be, as there is no guarantee it would garner the same grade if it comes time to sell. There's something magical to me about leafing through a 75 year old comic that has retained it's condition. GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) 

[NP_Gresham]

For me, I dont slab mid grade nothing books. I use a pre screen for 9.8 on bronze and up non-keys. For books I buy, I rarely get CGC because I refuse to pay for someone else's grading mistake.

But when I do I crack them all the time. It becomes a practical thing for me. It takes about 6 times as much space to box all those slabs ask @jimjum12 about all those slabs I had. Now it doesn't matter much for resale if my mid grade 35 cent variant is slabbed or not. It would on a hulk #181. I just save the slabs for real 'keys' and super low census books. I can hold more books in my limited space for keepers now.

 

[Number 6]

On 10/12/2023 at 4:35 PM, Mike Murdock said:

How do folks here feel about de-slabbed books with the label included?  I really want to deslab a bunch of books and get rid of the slabs but wonder how much of a value drop that might lead to.  If you de-slab a mid-grade book like a 6.5 FF50 and keep the label, does it really hurt resale value?

The answer to your question depends on what you paid for the book(s), what they sell for raw, what grade they are, and the books in question.
 

If you’re cracking out say a Miller Daredevil issues in 9.8 than yes you will “losing” money if you decide to sell it. But if the same issue in 9.6?  You’ll take a bit of a hit maybe but probably won’t be missing out on much if you sell it with the label. 
 

Again, a lot of it is going to depend what you paid to the book relative to what a comparable book sells for raw from a reputable dealer. 
 

Just because a book is slabbed doesn’t automatically mean there’s a premium built into it. Every month there’s a bunch of books on ComicLink that sell for less than the cost of slabbing or for the same price as what a raw copy sells for from a reputable dealer. If the buyers crack those books out they’re really not “losing” anything as they didn’t pay a premium to begin with. 
 

Another factor to consider (unfortunately) is whether CGC was going through one of its sloppy “loose” periods when the book was graded. If the book looks like a “soft” grade (or just straight-up overgraded) and you paid the going rate for whatever the grade is then it may be better to keep the book slabbed. Keeping the label with the raw book won’t help you there. 
 

From my personal experience selling raw books that were cracked out and still include the label:  

While I don’t don’t often get the same amount as what I would have if the book was still slabbed, I am usually able to get more than if I was selling the book raw with just my opinion of what the book is.  I also have found that books with the label sell faster for me than ones without - even if I state that I think CGC’s grade was soft for a particular book. 
 

Yes, I understand the whole “cracking the slab voids the grade” argument, but this has been my experience selling books with labels. I can only guess that buyers feel that while grade isn’t “guaranteed” they have a better shot at getting a book close to the stated grade on the label than if it was just my opinion alone of the book. 
 

But if you ever do sell books that you cracked out with the label, be prepared to get scolded for why you would do such a thing or why include the label when the grade has been “voided”. You’ll get a bit of that. 

[darkstar]

On 10/12/2023 at 6:35 PM, Mike Murdock said:

How do folks here feel about de-slabbed books with the label included?  I really want to deslab a bunch of books and get rid of the slabs but wonder how much of a value drop that might lead to.  If you de-slab a mid-grade book like a 6.5 FF50 and keep the label, does it really hurt resale value?

Almost nobody is paying the graded market price for a raw book. A de-slabbed book could have incurred additional damage, or it could've been subjected to attempts at restoration or pressing, etc.

[alexgross.com]

On 10/12/2023 at 4:35 PM, Mike Murdock said:

How do folks here feel about de-slabbed books with the label included?  I really want to deslab a bunch of books and get rid of the slabs but wonder how much of a value drop that might lead to.  If you de-slab a mid-grade book like a 6.5 FF50 and keep the label, does it really hurt resale value?

i have an ff48 deslabbed 7.0 that i got here on the boards around 5 years ago. last year i was interested in upgrading an xmen1 4.5 that i own to a nice 5.5 that a local store had. the ff48 value was close to the difference in books with some additional cash. he was open to trading. i showed him the book but he was suspicious of it, even though there is clearly no resto or other issue with it, though it's certainly been pressed, he was ultimately not interested. so, in that case, it certainly would have been better for me had it still been in the slab. 

here on the boards, i notice tons of people trying to sell raw and deslabbed books for gpa. it doesnt often work outside of really hot markets. however there is a strong market for clean raw books. both here and at shows, a great many people want raw, not slabbed books. most of them do not want pressed books though, so if you are not sure whether your books have been pressed or not, you may discover some bad news for later resale value. if your number one priority is resale value, and we are talking SA or BA books worth hundreds or thousands, then i would keep them in the slab. but as @Number 6 said, if you are talking about low value bronze, copper or modern books that are not 9.8, then it probably doesnt matter. 

Edited October 13, 2023 by alexgross.com

[Mike Murdock]

Thanks everyone for pointing out the pros and cons of de-stabbing. Great points made by all - thank you!

[JTD]

On 10/13/2023 at 9:08 AM, darkstar said:

Almost nobody is paying the graded market price for a raw book. A de-slabbed book could have incurred additional damage, or it could've been subjected to attempts at restoration or pressing, etc.

Or it could be an entirely different book…

[LOC Collectibles]

On 10/13/2023 at 9:08 AM, darkstar said:

Almost nobody is paying the graded market price for a raw book. A de-slabbed book could have incurred additional damage, or it could've been subjected to attempts at restoration or pressing, etc.

Or you're used to dealing with shady people in the community with no integrity? Solid raw book sellers will always be the driving force behind the collecting community. 

[darkstar]

On 10/13/2023 at 6:44 PM, LOC Collectibles said:

Or you're used to dealing with shady people in the community with no integrity? Solid raw book sellers will always be the driving force behind the collecting community. 

What do solid raw book sellers have to do with de-slabbed books selling for graded prices?

[LOC Collectibles]

On 10/13/2023 at 7:01 PM, darkstar said:

What do solid raw book sellers have to do with de-slabbed books selling for graded prices?

Everything. It's obviously a market you have no experience with or you wouldn't be asking that question.