Blue label value compared to red label

[jens25e]

If I send in modern comics to be graded as moderns do they always get the red label?

I see so many modern comics with blue/universal labels, why do people pay 10$ extra if they could get it cheaper (and quicker)?

 

Is the red/modern label less liked than the blue/universal or am I completely wrong?

[drbanner]

Welcome back! CGC used to use the Red labels for modern submissions, but now they only use the blue label (still at the reduced price for moderns).

[Hensley300]

red labeled moderns are older. CGC replaced the red label with the blue universal label some months ago. Some people think the grading for the red labels was stricter. Ive heard some here I think say the red label grading was looser. Either way, if you have a red label and send the book in to cgc and have them replace the label for a blue one, no one would know.

[jens25e]

Thanks, you guys are very friendly.

 

I will recommend you to other coming comic collectors.

[murph0]

As a sidebar, if you're buying a book that has a red label there's a decent chance it was undergraded..they were extremely tough on those modern "red label" books.

 

Brian

[comicinvestor-migration]

I'd add, that most of the "harsh grading" happened to Red Label books from 1977-80 or so. I haven't noticed too many discrepancies with new books.

[delekkerste]

Not all Red Label books are considered to be "undergraded"...from my own experience

and the dealers & collectors I speak to, it is widely believed that the older Red Label

books are OVERGRADED. To the best of my knowledge, no one has cracked the

CGC serial number code to figure out which serial numbers conform to the "strictly-

graded" period.

 

However, remember that the CGC case has undergone several changes...the early

books did not have the "inner well" (soft plastic cover within the hard plastic shell)...the

books were just slapped in their hard plastic cases with no additional protection. I have

personally seen/owned Red Label books in those older cases that were definitely overgraded

by more recent standards.

 

I can tell you from personal experience that the Red Label books from the late fall/

early winter of 2000 were particularly strictly graded.

 

Gene

[murph0]

well from the 2 ASM red label books that I've bought and sent back in (136 and 148) both came back higher. 136 was 9.2, came back 9.4. 148 was 9.2, came back 9.6

 

Brian

[delekkerste]

Like I said, it depends on the time period of the Red Label...in particular, beware

of any Red Label books that are slabbed without an interior well or with one of the

old-style interior wells, as that is indicative of books that were slabbed early on

in CGC's existence (which are widely regarded to have been graded less strictly

than later on).

 

I have seen some absolutely ratty-looking Red Label 9.4s that would be 9.0s or 9.2s

today - I saw one book graded 9.4 with ELEVEN color-breaking stress lines!!! Also,

have you seen Metropolis Comics' CGC 9.4 copy of X-Men #94 (I don't know if

they've sold it, but they had it at the last two San Diego Cons) - no freaking way on

earth that book, with its multiple color-breaking stress lines, would grade 9.4 today.

 

So, be careful out there - not all Red Label books are created equal and it is dangerous

to buy Red Label books assuming they are undergraded.

 

Gene

[murph0]

odd, I have yet to see one that is overgraded...seen a ton of undergraded, some accurate..but have yet to see one that is overgraded.

 

Brian

[Rickdogg]

Most of my Red Labels are undergraded in my opinion. I do have one book that is overgraded with a red label though

[greggy]

Seen one grossly overgraded Wolverind Mini Series #3 at 9.6! That black cover showed a lot of defects!

[Guest]

murph0,

 

I think the books graded in the first 2-4 months by CGC are pretty variable. After that, the strictness for late 70s books gets dialled up.

 

Did you resub your ASMs in slab, or did you crack them?

[murph0]

I send them back in slab.

 

Brian

[comicinvestor-migration]

What are your results/percentages so far?

 

Have you ever been whacked with a downgrade?

[murph0]

I've only done it those 2 times above..but I would have no problem buying a modern label book..I'd actually prefer one as I'd submit it back in without a second thought.

 

Brian