Raw Or Slabbed 3 3

[bob jr]

which do you prefer & why ?     Advantages or DisAdvantages of either / both .                                             Thanks guys ( & gals ) for any responses 

Edited August 24, 2021 by bob jr

[Terry JSA]

I prefer buying books raw since it’s cheaper than buying them already graded. 

[WolverineX]

cheap raw. Expensive slabbed

[Larryw7]

I prefer raw books, but I buy graded books for expensive books to make sure there's no resto. I usually crack them out of the slab when I get them.

[MattTheDuck]

I'm a raw collector, mostly.  When I, uh "paused" my collecting in 1978 there was no such thing as a "slab."  Coming back to the hobby in late 2020 was like stepping out on another planet.  I have picked up just 12 slabs but lots of raws in the past 9 months.  I'm trying to buy books that are at least 8.5 (except some more mid-grade Golden Age) and as expensive as I can afford.  

[Tony S]

I like comic books. As such, I don't have a preference. I own both. As a practical matter, I have thousands of comics but only hundreds of slabs. 

I like slabbed books because the slab provides a lot of protection (you can let friends actually hold the book).  Slabbed books are also far easier to turn into cash. They sell quicker and often (but not always)  for more $$.  On expensive books third party professional grading and encapsulation provides a lot of peace of mind. And finally I just like the way books look when encapsulated. 

I like raw books because they take up far less space than slabbed.  As a practical matter, I wouldn't have enough space to store my collection if every book was slabbed. Also consider third party grading and encapsulation costs $$$. Money I could otherwise  spend on MORE comic books. Mylar and a sturdy, buffered backing board provide a lot of protection  - but not as much as encapsulation. My friends aren't going to get to look at them, never mind touch. Comic books also look nearly as  nice in Mylar and sturdy buffered backing board. Almost. 

When one frequents the CGC discussion board, it is easy to lose track of what we actually collect. We collect comic books. The VAST universe of collecting is raw.  Slabbed books are only a tiny portion of the hobby.  It's just a very noticeable, gets a lot of attention very tiny part of the hobby.  If you doubt which is "bigger" just go visit virtually any comic book store or comic book convention. There are thousands of raw books for every one slab. 

But anyway, I like both. Own both. 

[oakman29]

I do have slabs for some of my big $ books , so I only have but 40 or so slabs. So I'm absolutely not against slabbing.  I'm just dismayed that even impartial judges for grading have deemed pressing a now "unrestored" designation. 

Be that as it may I rather now love to find high grade un manipulated books and keep them raw.

[grendelbo]

Raw.

I want to touch, smell, read and enjoy them as they were intended. 

I own a couple of slabs. I have opened twice as many. As I don't intend to sell yet, I'm confident I can protect my hobby with available archival material.

It helps that I'm confident in my grading skills. Whenever I buy it doesn't matter if it's certified or not. I will attain the best book for my dollar.

Edited August 24, 2021 by grendelbo

[The lips]

Raw, don’t own any slabs. 
 

I like to read my comic books the way they were intended to be. 

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 8/24/2021 at 12:47 AM, oakman29 said:

I do have slabs for some of my big $ books , so I only have but 40 or so slabs. So I'm absolutely not against slabbing.  I'm just dismayed that even impartial judges for grading have deemed pressing a now "unrestored" designation. 

Be that as it may I rather now love to find high grade un manipulated books and keep them raw.

Yup

I assume every slabbed book has had at least one trip to the CGC massage parlour, and have zero interest in them for that reason.  Nothing exciting about a 9.0 that gets restored to a 9.8

I basically just look for raw OO books of my childhood faves.

[BigLeagueCHEW]

Only thing with Raw is you can't tell if it is restored and page quality.

[jeffreyk]

Slabs only for me so one day they can be sold at the same grade they were purchsed at.  That is long time away though!!

[lizards2]

I likes em raw and wriggling. I buy slabs sometimes, because they can be cheaper than raws at auction and otherwise, or they are impossible to find raw in high grade.

Most of the slabs I keep are usually cracked out for storage. Unless they're plastic encased turds.

[Galen130]

I like collecting SA/BA/CA comics raw, unless there's something from those eras that is signed or hard to find.  Then I’ll buy slabbed, but I don’t pay for the ‘speculated’ comics.  Right now I’m working on collecting raw newsstand copies of 1st series Spider-Woman.  I may get them graded, I may not.  I’m not happy with the grading market these days, so raw is just fine with me. 🙂

[SuperBird]

Only slabbed. I don't want to deal with worrying over raw. 

[Venomous72]

If I am paying $1k+ I go slabbed to ensure no resto.  I do prefer raw overall but most of my big $ books are slabbed 

[B2D327]

I get either as long as I’m comfortable with the price. Selling slabs is easier since the grade is noted and a buyer knows what they’re getting but a properly graded raw can get you just as much if the book is desirable enough. Buying is also more favorable in raws, especially if you’re confident in your grading skills as you can find your acceptable range cheaper

[oakman29]

On 8/24/2021 at 5:22 AM, BigLeagueCHEW said:

Only thing with Raw is you can't tell if it is restored and page quality.

Yes you can.

[Ride the Tiger]

Raw for cheapo fillers. Slabbed for keys/semi keys/ultra keys/major keys and whatever other terms apply.

[bob jr]

On 8/24/2021 at 7:22 AM, BigLeagueCHEW said:

Only thing with Raw is you can't tell if it is restored and page quality.

Edited

Edited August 24, 2021 by bob jr