How often do you crack books to press and resubmit? 4 4

[Jesse-Lee]

This isn't a grading issue per se, but I think it still fits in this area - how often do you crack out books you've bought to press and resubmit them? Have you found success with this? I just got two books for relatively cheap that are a 9.4. and 9.2. On both books, I can easily see they weren't pressed, and I can see the "defects" that kept them from a higher grade, and they look easily pressable. A couple of non-color-breaking bends at the spine, some slight spine roll, etc. Both books would see a significant price increase if they could reach a 9.6 or 9.8 (one more than the other).

Just wondering if people have certain criteria or price thresholds at which you decide to take the risk?

[jokiing]

Some years ago my first submission of a few major keys were sent without pressing/clean because I was new to the game. Once I realized the potential benefit I sent them to Joey ( I believe my first with him) and all came back with higher grades. If I remember correctly, one 9.2 regraded to a 9.6. Since these were major keys (SM 129) just one grade bump was significant. The risk/reward ratio obviously depends on the books in question.

Edited January 26, 2022 by jokiing

[joeypost]

I crack out dozens of slabs every month. 

[Randall Dowling]

On 1/26/2022 at 2:07 PM, Jesse-Lee said:

This isn't a grading issue per se, but I think it still fits in this area - how often do you crack out books you've bought to press and resubmit them? Have you found success with this? I just got two books for relatively cheap that are a 9.4. and 9.2. On both books, I can easily see they weren't pressed, and I can see the "defects" that kept them from a higher grade, and they look easily pressable. A couple of non-color-breaking bends at the spine, some slight spine roll, etc. Both books would see a significant price increase if they could reach a 9.6 or 9.8 (one more than the other).

Just wondering if people have certain criteria or price thresholds at which you decide to take the risk?

I crack out books all the time but not to press and resubmit.  I just prefer them outside of slabs and they take up a lot less space.  Given that the vast majority of books that are slabbed have been pressed, I don't see the point unless you're someone who has a very keen eye and lots of experience with pressing a book.  

I've been cracking books out for 18 years and it's not like it used to be.  Occasionally, today, you find a book that's certified and hasn't been pressed but probably 90% of the last 20 or so books I've cracked were all clearly pressed.  

FWIW, if anyone can tell the difference, it's @joeypost

[Jesse-Lee]

On 1/26/2022 at 4:01 PM, Randall Dowling said:

I crack out books all the time but not to press and resubmit.  I just prefer them outside of slabs and they take up a lot less space.

This is interesting to me - I know people do this, and I used to think it's crazy (I personally wouldn't crack a book to keep it raw, but I like the look of slabs). But I browse eBay a lot - like probably unhealthy a lot. And I've noticed a trend of people selling raw books (which can be a huge variable) at prices equivalent to a high-grade CGC book. So do you buy the graded book so you know what you're getting but crack it out because you prefer it? Because previously I would have thought that buying raw would be cheaper, but I've definitely seen raws that were overgraded and overpriced, and I've personally bought graded copies that were cheaper than a lot of raws in what would the seller would claim to be a similar grade.

Edited January 27, 2022 by Jesse-Lee

[jokiing]

On 1/26/2022 at 5:29 PM, Jesse-Lee said:

I've noticed a trend of people selling raw books (which can be a huge variable) at prices equivalent to a high-grade CGC book.

Yes, but are they being sold at those prices or are the sellers throwing them against the wall, hoping they'll stick.

[grendelbo]

On 1/26/2022 at 3:01 PM, Randall Dowling said:

I crack out books all the time but not to press and resubmit.  I just prefer them outside of slabs and they take up a lot less space.

[theCapraAegagrus]

Almost never.

[Jesse-Lee]

On 1/26/2022 at 10:53 PM, jokiing said:

Yes, but are they being sold at those prices or are the sellers throwing them against the wall, hoping they'll stick.

There were a couple of recent personal examples for me that stood out. I'm not talking about 9.8s or anything, but for example, I bought an 8.0 Batman 357 and a 9.0 Batman 386 at an online auction (not eBay) for $74 and $66 respectively. The last few "VF" raw sales (and that's VF if you trust their grading, which can be a very big if) of Batman 357 were $78, $87, $101, $108; and for Batman 386 they were $100, $76, $62, $110.

Edited January 27, 2022 by Jesse-Lee

[MAR1979]

On 1/27/2022 at 12:18 PM, AhsokaTano Jedi Apprentice said:

  Pressing is such a big deal now it's taken me by surprise...it's like your foolish if you don't press these keys or non keys for that  matter. If you think they need it or not. I wonder how much it costs to press a modern as compared to S.A. or G.A. ?  Some people I've read just press all their moderns no matter what. Just to make sure they get as many 9.8's as possible. In the past I have  felt CGC doesn't give out 9.8's and your chasing your own tail trying to get them. All the modern keys I have  submitted ( these are books I have never read and boxed and boarded and bagged on day of purchase ) always come back a 9.6   Do I want to press and still get a 9.6 cause CGC doesn't give 9.8's ?  Or have things really changed and they are giving out 9.8's because they see customer has spent the money to press them before CGC grades them ?  To do or not to do ...it's getting to be a science now. I realize that if you have a slight spine roll get it pressed but I don't get the rest of this stuff.

I keep careful notes of what I send to CGC that included my estimated grade

In Mar-Sept 2021 I submitted 110 Modern Tier Books (most were 1979-1987) to CGC. I have thus far received 64 back. Of the 64, 54 were books I purchased raw myself when they were newly on-sale.

None of the 64 books was pressed. 

Of the 64, 59 received CGC 9.8.

To break down further; 4 book I felt were 9.6 received 9.8's , and 5 book's I thought would be 9.8's were lower 2 by a lot Of those 1 would have received higher if pressed due to a noted ripple.  1 was mention had a stain on back so pressing would not have helped. 2 had tiny rub's with some color loss that I can see in my before scans but somehow missed or i would not have submitted. 1 book was damaged during encapsulation by CGC 

These numbers were consistent with my past submissions except for the one CGC damaged. What this means to me is I appear to know pretty much what will get a 9.8 and what will not.  Also that I tended to not purchase any book that was less than optimum condition.  Sadly purchasing (new and back issues) only what i thought were perfect  books  I know prevented me from owning what today would be Bronze and Silver keys in 9.2-9.6...

So point of my post is pressed or NOT pressed if the book merits it CGC does give out 9.8's. Unlike PSA who now depending on age of card only gives out 9's and 10's through census based quota's and pretty much only to their their largest customers.  For average submitter 8 is the new 10 and 7 the new 9 and they simply attribute all to invisible "spider-wrinkles"

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by MAR1979

[Galen130]

Never have...probably never will. 

[MAR1979]

On 1/31/2022 at 12:06 PM, MAR1979 said:

I keep careful notes of what I send to CGC that included my estimated grade

In Mar-Sept 2021 I submitted 110 Modern Tier Books (most were 1979-1987) to CGC. I have thus far received 64 back. Of the 64, 54 were books I purchased raw myself when they were newly on-sale.

None of the 64 books was pressed. 

Of the 64, 59 received CGC 9.8.

To break down further; 4 book I felt were 9.6 received 9.8's , and 5 book's I thought would be 9.8's were lower 2 by a lot Of those 1 would have received higher if pressed due to a noted ripple.  1 was mention had a stain on back so pressing would not have helped. 2 had tiny rub's with some color loss that I can see in my before scans but somehow missed or i would not have submitted. 1 book was damaged during encapsulation by CGC 

These numbers were consistent with my past submissions except for the one CGC damaged. What this means to me is I appear to know pretty much what will get a 9.8 and what will not.  Also that I tended to not purchase any book that was less than optimum condition.  Sadly purchasing (new and back issues) only what i thought were perfect  books  I know prevented me from owning what today would be Bronze and Silver keys in 9.2-9.6...

So point of my post is pressed or NOT pressed if the book merits it CGC does give out 9.8's. Unlike PSA who now depending on age of card only gives out 9's and 10's through census based quota's and pretty much only to their their largest customers.  For average submitter 8 is the new 10 and 7 the new 9 and they simply attribute all to invisible "spider-wrinkles"

 

Random sampling of my NOT pressed Moderns from 2021,  WW242 was a back issue purchase as it's from before my time.   The exact Action #1 reprint pictured was one I had placed in 2 Four mil mylars (1 standard, 1 mag) and hung on the wall of my childhood basement "comic book room" from 1988-1996. The room had no windows.

All these samples like most of the raw books I sought out have unblemished spines with flat glossy front covers. A perfect/near perfect spine always went a long way in my eyes...While all these have nice "wraps" that was something I really never was concerned with - still ain't.  What is interesting is how many different way people collect a books regardless of technical grade  

Please note the bowing effect on the right edge is common for my scans of the newer CGC slabs, not sure why...

 

Edited January 31, 2022 by MAR1979

[William-James88]

On 1/26/2022 at 3:07 PM, Jesse-Lee said:

This isn't a grading issue per se, but I think it still fits in this area - how often do you crack out books you've bought to press and resubmit them? Have you found success with this? I just got two books for relatively cheap that are a 9.4. and 9.2. On both books, I can easily see they weren't pressed, and I can see the "defects" that kept them from a higher grade, and they look easily pressable. A couple of non-color-breaking bends at the spine, some slight spine roll, etc. Both books would see a significant price increase if they could reach a 9.6 or 9.8 (one more than the other).

Just wondering if people have certain criteria or price thresholds at which you decide to take the risk?

Man, I'd do it. If they are moderns, then grading is still relatively cheap. The price difference treshhold should be the same treshold you give yourself to grade comics in the first place. 

I only did it once and it was a success.

However VERY IMPORTANT, just check the grader notes before doing something like this. You never know if there's some kind of stain that we can't see clearly in the slab and that it might be why the book was downgraded as well. That defect would not be pressable.