Grading Tier Level? 0

[B-RadC]

Hello, I am new to the whole grading & authenticating process of getting comic books ready to sell. First, I would like to know how one is supposed to accurately determine the "Max Value" of the a particular book before it is graded? Second, the lowest tier costs minimum $60 for 1 comic book. is it even worth grading anything valued less than $200? Any information that could help me grade some of my books cheaply & efficiently would be greatly appreciated.

[csaag]

On 12/24/2021 at 6:04 AM, B-RadC said:

Hello, I am new to the whole grading & authenticating process of getting comic books ready to sell. First, I would like to know how one is supposed to accurately determine the "Max Value" of the a particular book before it is graded? Second, the lowest tier costs minimum $60 for 1 comic book. is it even worth grading anything valued less than $200? Any information that could help me grade some of my books cheaply & efficiently would be greatly appreciated.

Hi & Welcome!

 

Think of FMV as insurance if something were to happen to your book(s) while in posession by CGC (& not any shipping company)

One way to think about it is what would it cost you to find a raw book in similar condition  to replace it.  You can make use of the "Buddy Can You Spare a Grade" forum where forum members will give you their estimates of the condition based on pics you upload.   If you want to try that then read the sticky post in that forum

Here's a link to CGC FMV info

https://www.cgccomics.com/submit/declared-value-policy/

 

Once you get an idea of the condition of the books you'd like to submit, then you can look for estimates of value from the Overstreet guide, Ebay or other websites (GoCollect, comicspriceguide) etc

I'd suggest that you try to group books by the same submission tier as that will spread out your return shipping cost back to you.   You can ship everything together to CGC

All that will help you figure out your cost per book and then based on value for an estimated grade you can decide if it's worth your time & money.  Of course books can always increase in value in the upcoming years (or decrease).  Whether you're planning on selling them ASAP or holding for a long period also factors into it.

It's a lot easier just collecting and reading them, eh?  

Merry Christmas too!

 

PS it's pretty normal that the same set of questions get asked a lot over time.  There's a ton of knowledge on these boards so experiment with the search function too.

 

[MAR1979]

On 12/24/2021 at 6:04 AM, B-RadC said:

Hello, I am new to the whole grading & authenticating process of getting comic books ready to sell. First, I would like to know how one is supposed to accurately determine the "Max Value" of the a particular book before it is graded? Second, the lowest tier costs minimum $60 for 1 comic book. is it even worth grading anything valued less than $200? Any information that could help me grade some of my books cheaply & efficiently would be greatly appreciated.

Please explain how you determined minimum $60 per book for grading cost. Lowest Tier fees per book for Modern (1975-present) is $22, Economy (pre 1975) is $33, and Magazines are $30 for modern, $40 for Economy. While quite a bit less than the $60 mentioned they are not as low in price compared to just the beginning of the year.

https://www.cgccomics.com/submit/services-fees/cgc-grading/

As for Max Value its a comic by comic basis. Never assume your comic is 9.8 if you are a beginner or you will be in for financial disappointment. If the comic looks "perfect" to an inexperienced collectors eyes it is likley 9.2 or 9.4 with even a 9.6 being less likely. Determine approx condition then base max value on recent eBay sales unless you have GPA or GoCollect access.

There are plenty of youtube video for CGC beginners, perhaps start there.  My guess is 2-3 hours of reading, viewing and effort and you will be able to at least figure out rough ballpark grades. Make note that it's better to figure a grade or 2 lower on a raw book, CGC will up-charge if you are too low in your estimate but they will never refund money for overestimating.

P.S. Never assume just because the book is in a bag, that the bag increases it's desirability or value. Recently I've seen postings from folks who seem to think a comic being in a bag with a board has some added meaning...

 

Edited December 24, 2021 by MAR1979

[revat]

Also, it should be noted that different people slab for many different reasons, and everyone’s financial situations and preferences and risk preferences are different.  So what works for one person may not work for someone else.

 

work out the math as well as you can based on your own situation and submit or don’t submit.  

[William-James88]

On 12/24/2021 at 6:04 AM, B-RadC said:

Hello, I am new to the whole grading & authenticating process of getting comic books ready to sell. First, I would like to know how one is supposed to accurately determine the "Max Value" of the a particular book before it is graded? Second, the lowest tier costs minimum $60 for 1 comic book. is it even worth grading anything valued less than $200? Any information that could help me grade some of my books cheaply & efficiently would be greatly appreciated.

I think you shouldn't look at the worth of a book but the added worth of getting it graded. Like if you bought a book for 200$, and it sells for 230$ graded, grading it brings you at a loss. 

Also Max value is how much money you want if CGC loses the book. Just look at it that way.

[djzombi]

On 12/24/2021 at 9:06 AM, MAR1979 said:

Please explain how you determined minimum $60 per book for grading cost. Lowest Tier fees per book for Modern (1975-present) is $22, Economy (pre 1975) is $33, and Magazines are $30 for modern, $40 for Economy.

 

The OP may have been factoring in shipping both ways plus insurance if sending one book, and/or may have been also adding CCS.