Hey, slab crackers! At what price point does your book become too valuable to liberate from its plastic tomb? 1 1

[MisterX]

I like to crack out my books, so I can read them and experience that nostalgia buzz from handling old comics. I've done so to all my slabs except one (a certain BA mega key...).

The other day I dropped quite a bit (for me, I know it's all relative) on another BA  key, and now I'm having second thoughts about cracking that one out.  On top of that, I already have the graphic novel reprint, so, I can read the story at any time.

Apparently I may have found the price point at which I won't free the book...

How about you all? When does the book's value supercede your lizard brain desire to enjoy it out of the slab?

 

[Point Five]

Great question. I imagine everyone's answer will be different. I think most here are fine to leave their books slabbed, which is cool. But I agree with you -- I enjoy a book much more when it's cracked out and can be (carefully) handled, and that experience adds to the feeling that I actually own it.

I dither about cracking them too. I crack about half of my slabbed purchases and it's no big deal, but there's a few I wish I hadn't. I'd say, very loosely, north of $500 I start to get cold feet.

 

[valiantman]

"Hey, slab crackers!"

[Poe]

 

I never buy slabs and I only slab to sell so I never encounter this problem.

[Turnando]

If I owned slabs I'd buy nice reader copies for each and keep them in Mylar next to the slab.

Stare at the slab, open the Mylar, read, fondle.

Edited September 24, 2021 by Turnando

[Larryw7]

I wouldn't crack a Mile High or an ultra high grade. 

[valiantman]

On 9/24/2021 at 5:55 PM, Turnando said:

If I owned slabs I'd buy nice reader copies for each and keep them in Mylar next to the slab.

Stare at the slab, open the Mylar, read...

Having one slabbed and one reader copy makes too much sense and has been ignored by slab haters since 2000. 

To quote them directly, "You can't read a comic in a slab - la-la-la-la-la-I-can't-hear-you."

[MetalPSI]

On 9/24/2021 at 5:07 PM, valiantman said:

Having one slabbed and one reader copy makes too much sense and has been ignored by slab haters since 2000. 

To quote them directly, "You can't read a comic in a slab - la-la-la-la-la-I-can't-hear-you."

I don't have readers for every slab I own, but do for a lot

 

[Axelrod]

Why would you ever buy a slab with the intention of cracking it out?  Why don’t you just buy a nice unslabbed copy? Which is, incidentally, going to be a lot cheaper.

 I just don’t understand some things.  

[valiantman]

On 9/24/2021 at 7:22 PM, Axelrod said:

Why would you ever buy a slab with the intention of cracking it out?  Why don’t you just buy a nice unslabbed copy? Which is, incidentally, going to be a lot cheaper.

 I just don’t understand some things.  

I can see the logic.  I don't do it, but I can see it.

Let's say you want a nice copy of an older comic (that's fairly valuable) and you want to ensure that it doesn't have restoration (according to CGC).

You'd buy a CGC graded universal copy, but your goal was to have the book in your hands, and in your "raw" collection, to read when you like, store in regular mylar, whatever.

Buying a nice unslabbed copy comes with the risk of restoration, particularly when a book is valuable enough to be "slab-worthy".  Unless you know the seller, there could be a reason it's not in a slab.

Edited September 25, 2021 by valiantman

[rexinnih]

While I do love the feel and smell of old comics, if I've slabbed it or bought it slabbed, it will stay that way. I haven't gone the reader copy route but have bought many hardcover Marvel Masterpieces or omnibuses to read. To each their own and fully support whichever side of the slab argument you are on. 

[ender]

I am more likely to crack out a low grade restored book or a Qualified Book.  If I go to sell them I can include the label, and honestly why would I lie and say a book was restored/qualified/married if it was not?  I have only done it a few times.  I have bought coverless or really beat up copies to read, or Masterworks, or Omnibuses, or even a digital copy.  One of the reasons I do like to have the raw copy is on the GA DC anthology books (Action, Adventure, More Fun, Detective, etc..) you can easily find the main story.  Every Batman story of the GA has probably been reprinted somewhere, but if you wanted to read the Wing Brady story (I did), good luck finding that one.  Just my 

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 9/24/2021 at 8:26 PM, valiantman said:

I can see the logic.  I don't do it, but I can see it.

Let's say you want a nice copy of an older comic (that's fairly valuable) and you want to ensure that it doesn't have restoration (according to CGC).

You'd buy a CGC graded universal copy, but your goal was to have the book in your hands, and in your "raw" collection, to read when you like, store in regular mylar, whatever.

Buying a nice unslabbed copy comes with the risk of restoration, particularly when a book is valuable enough to be "slab-worthy".  Unless you know the seller, there could be a reason it's not in a slab.

At its inception, I felt that CGC was designed to offer a professional impartial grade & Resto check.   The slab itself was to basically seal the book in carbonite, so that the grade would be preserved.  The owner could then sell that book, and the buyer would crack it out & add it to his ever growing raw collection(knowing the grade and resto status). 
 

Of course, the slab itself became the celebrity, and this age of encapsulation continues....

  
 

 

Edited September 25, 2021 by THE_BEYONDER

[alexgross.com]

@innocuous

[lizards2]

On 9/24/2021 at 11:04 AM, MisterX said:

When does the book's value supercede your lizard brain desire to enjoy it out of the slab?

 

I was going to answer this until I discovered it was all about racism and discrimination.  

[october]

I've cracked out four and five figure books, but I am not a smart man.

[catman76]

Since when does wanting to read and enjoy a comic and using it for it's intended purpose mean I an giving into some primitive instinct or whatever? Give me a break. I guess I am all lizard then because I couldn't care less how much a comic is worth and I never ever would entomb any comic in plastic no matter what. If I can't open it and read it, look at it, touch it, feel it or smell it then I don't want it.

[oldmilwaukee6er]

$500. X-men #3. But the rest of them were raw and I wanted this one raw too for storage purposes. I wouldn't necessarily crack a slab in the 9.X range (investment grade) and I haven't cracked anything with a pedigree designation. My

[innocuous]

 @alexgross.com

I’ve cracked out almost everything in my collection, including my low grades AF15 and Showcase 4. 

Doing so prevents me from the regret of selling. Storage is much easier. I can read and smell my comics. 

The only thing that makes me sad is knowing if I cut out the coupon for the green army men and send it in, I won’t get anything in return. 

[Larryw7]

On 9/24/2021 at 9:50 PM, october said:

I've cracked out four and five figure books

Why not? You only live once. And it's hard to get a readers copy of Detective 30 or an ultra rare Amazing Man.