After 30 year sabbitacal, help me w/ a grading strategy. List included 2 2

[Delzy]

So I packed away my entire collection in the early 90's and hardly looked at it since bagging and boarding them so long ago. Last month I decided to dig them out and finally make a list of what I had. I knew I had a few keys, but mostly random accumulation. I really only chased after Amazing Spiderman and Flash from BITD. My collection is roughly 450 mostly bronze and silver books of varying condition.

While looking up a few random ebay results, I realized how much the hobby has turned toward slabbed books. I was also disappointed to learn how long the grading process has become. At any rate, I'm looking to submit some books for grading and I'm struggling to develop a strategy. I'm not in a hurry by any means and would only sell a few issues to finance more grading. What is a reasonable strategy to improve the quality of my collection? My primary concern is the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) for spending the cash. How can I get a quick flip to finance a major submission? How deep into the pile should I be looking to submit? Should I pay extra to hurry through the books to sell? I'm really just trying figure out the best way to let the collection cashflow its own improvement. I don't have any special love for any particular issues. Thanks in advance

[LowGradeBronze]

If you have no special attachment to any of them, then the Spideys will sell for more once graded. (Anything sells for more graded,) but there'll be a premium on graded spider man comics. Some won't be worth grading: not cost effective. Having said that, high grades are always potentially going to be worth having CGC confirmation of. Other boardies can get more technical with you on where to find out how many of comic 'X' are slabbed and in what grades. That may give you a pointer on which of your to have graded. Best of luck and have fun! 

[fast eddie]

That is what I am thinking as well,,,,,,,,, sell some of your #1s and filler stuff raw,,(ungraded) then use what money you make to get your better books graded,,,,,,,,

[theCapraAegagrus]

Well, you know what you have, and have graded them in your opinion. Next step is using eBay and other auction houses to see what you can reasonably expect to sell them for if graded the same by CGC. If they'd get you less than $200, then IMO you're better off selling raw. Fast-tracking is another animal that you need to decide whether or not it's cost-effective per item.

[revat]

On 9/24/2021 at 8:10 AM, theCapraAegagrus said:

Well, you know what you have, and have graded them in your opinion. Next step is using eBay and other auction houses to see what you can reasonably expect to sell them for if graded the same by CGC. If they'd get you less than $200, then IMO you're better off selling raw. Fast-tracking is another animal that you need to decide whether or not it's cost-effective per item.

And/or pressing! 

[shadroch]

What would be the point of selling books in order to get others graded? Are you looking to sell the books or keep them in your collection?

[Delzy]

On 9/24/2021 at 11:18 AM, shadroch said:

What would be the point of selling books in order to get others graded? Are you looking to sell the books or keep them in your collection?

I guess I would like to have graded books mainly for the slabs for long term storage and to increase the overall value of the collection, of course.

[shadroch]

Slabs are no better than mylar for long term storage and perhaps you can explain how spending thousands of dollars to grade your books will increase their value?

If today  you have 100 books in your closet and spend $2,000 to have them slabbed, in six months you will have 100 slabs  in your closet and you are out $2,000.   In almost all cases, getting a book graded confirms it's value, it doesn't increase it. 

Edited September 24, 2021 by shadroch

[revat]

I mean assuming this is the entirety of the list, you could offer someone here like $5-$10 to go through the list in like 10 minutes and at minimum list the obvious “don’t slabs” and the obvious “must slabs”

then you can start selling the obvious “don’t slabs” to fund the slabbing of the obvious “must slabs” l, and then decide later as you get more experience what to do with the rest.

[Delzy]

On 9/24/2021 at 11:45 AM, shadroch said:

Slabs are no better than mylar for long term storage and perhaps you can explain how spending thousands of dollars to grade your books will increase their value?

I just observed that CGC graded books seem to bring about 5 times as much as their ungraded counterparts. That suggests to me they are more valuable once graded. Am I missing something?

[revat]

On 9/24/2021 at 10:54 AM, Delzy said:

I just observed that CGC graded books seem to bring about 5 times as much as their ungraded counterparts. That suggests to me they are more valuable once graded. Am I missing something?

I’d say it certainly depends on the book and grade, but also the selling venue, and the costs of submission.

 

but take a look at it like a whole business, all the costs of submitting and selling, all the risks, all the opportunity cost, all the available data

and the your own preferred profit margins or returns on investment

[shadroch]

On 9/24/2021 at 10:54 AM, Delzy said:

I just observed that CGC graded books seem to bring about 5 times as much as their ungraded counterparts. That suggests to me they are more valuable once graded. Am I missing something?

Yes, you are missing something if you are under the impression a slabbed book will sell for 5X what it does in raw.  The is no formula to these things. Many CGC books sell for less than the cost of having them graded. Others do sell for more but there is no formula that an outsider with little knowledge of todays market can use. 

If a raw book sells for $10 and a slab sells for $50, it would look like it sold for 5X more, but what about the $60 it costs to slab and ship it back?  

Assume it will cost you $60 per slab and look at one days comics results on ebay. How many CGC books sold for less than $60? The people who had those graded would have been better off throwing the books away instead of tying up their money for six months and talking a loss on them.

Like everything in life, you need to do your due diligence and not rush into anything. 

[Point Five]

On 9/24/2021 at 1:54 PM, Delzy said:

I just observed that CGC graded books seem to bring about 5 times as much as their ungraded counterparts. That suggests to me they are more valuable once graded. Am I missing something?

I'm not sure where the 5x figure is coming from... that is wildly unrealistic. You'd get a modest value bump on some that may not even surpass the cost of slabbing/shipping.

Honestly, you've got great books, but these books in these conditions are fairly common. The vast majority of them I would just sell raw (on ebay or in the forum marketplace) with large clear photos.

 

[MattTheDuck]

In a lot of ways, I did the same thing you've done - bought my most recent books in the early 90s and only came back to them late in 2020.  It's become a completely different hobby in the intervening decades, and not all of the changes are positive.  I'd strongly encourage you to sit back for a while and do nothing.  There's no reason to rush into any decision - lead times at CGC are long at the moment and you don't sound like you have any immediate need/plans to sell except perhaps to help pay slabbing fees.  You might also consider whether you want to add to your collection - perhaps buying a couple of affordable slabs that fit with your collection will give you a feel for what they're like and whether that's a direction you want to go with your books.  I have found it a little weird to own a comic I can't read.

I don't think you'll miss anything by waiting and learning more.  

[shadroch]

Before sending a book off to get slabbed, look for a slabbed copy on ebay. You might find one for less than what it will cost you to get slabbed.

[Delzy]

On 9/24/2021 at 12:27 PM, Ban Roy, Problem Solved said:

Any way you could put the list in alphabetical order?

 

[revat]

On 9/24/2021 at 11:19 AM, shadroch said:

Yes, you are missing something if you are under the impression a slabbed book will sell for 5X what it does in raw.  The is no formula to these things. Many CGC books sell for less than the cost of having them graded. Others do sell for more but there is no formula that an outsider with little knowledge of todays market can use. 

If a raw book sells for $10 and a slab sells for $50, it would look like it sold for 5X more, but what about the $60 it costs to slab and ship it back?  

Assume it will cost you $60 per slab and look at one days comics results on ebay. How many CGC books sold for less than $60? The people who had those graded would have been better off throwing the books away instead of tying up their money for six months and talking a loss on them.

Like everything in life, you need to do your due diligence and not rush into anything. 

 

On 9/24/2021 at 11:19 AM, Point Five said:

I'm not sure where the 5x figure is coming from... that is wildly unrealistic. You'd get a modest value bump on some that may not even surpass the cost of slabbing/shipping.

Honestly, you've got great books, but these books in these conditions are fairly common. The vast majority of them I would just sell raw (on ebay or in the forum marketplace) with large clear photos.

 

yah this stuff all makes sense

after submission fees, invoice fees, shipping and insurance both ways, then selling fees, paypal fees, plus income taxes, plus the time your money is tied up, plus the risks of all this transit, risk of getting a lower grade, market uncertainty, an ebay sale from you may not generate the same revenue as a big trusted dealer, or the sale might take a lot of time. 

And multiple boxes of slabs is no joke in terms of space taken in the house, especially with weather, space, weight, security, stairs, etc.

 

 

[shadroch]

You can fit about 140 books in mylar and backing board in a typical short box.  CGC boxes are bigger and wider and hold about 25 slabs. 

[Delzy]

On 9/24/2021 at 12:19 PM, shadroch said:

Yes, you are missing something ...

Like everything in life, you need to do your due diligence and not rush into anything. 

 

On 9/24/2021 at 12:22 PM, MattTheDuck said:

...

I don't think you'll miss anything by waiting and learning more.  

I like this advice.. I have much study to do before I pull the trigger on anything!

[shadroch]

On 9/24/2021 at 11:48 AM, Delzy said:

 

I like this advice.. I have much study to do before I pull the trigger on anything!

See. You've already learned your first lesson and are adapting.  Best of luck.