Tips for selling a "misgraded" 9.8 2 2

[Pangolin]

This topic is not about the subjectivity of grading, but about selling strategy.

Imagine that you received from CGC a freshly graded Marvel Comics Presents  #72 with a 9.8. However, you think that the book looks like a 9.6 because of one spine tick.

Any suggestion on how to advertise and sell it? I'll write in the description that the comics has a spine tick so I don't throw the can to another buyer. But I don't know yet if I should sell it the price of a 9,6, a 9,8 with some rebate or simply the FMV of a 9.8.

Thanks for your time,

Edited June 15, 2022 by Pangolin

[Gaard]

I guess you could split the difference and price it as a 9.7

[s-man]

a "misguided"

Sorry it was driving me nuts! 

[Iceman399]

It's a 9.8 and CGC says it's a 9.8  cgc = gods so just sell away.

Or send it to an auction/dealer and let them deal with it  

[shadroch]

Sell the label, not the book.

[eastriver400]

Is it a tiny tic that you can’t see when looking at the book straight on?

IMHO it’s not worth mentioning. 

if you feel compelled to mention it, I would still price it as a 9.8.

I would love to sell some of my 9.6’s that I feel should be 9.8’s at the price of 9.8’s…. But I don’t, because they are CGC 9.6’s.
 

[Lightning55]

On 6/14/2022 at 10:46 PM, s-man said:

a "misguided"

Sorry it was driving me nuts! 

I don't even know what this is referring to. 

"Misgraded" in the title is correct, but maybe it was edited from something earlier.  But it would be a misgraded instead of an misgraded.   Could be that it should be hyphenated, as in mis-graded.  Or it could say "incorrectly graded".

 

[Lightning55]

On 6/14/2022 at 10:33 PM, Pangolin said:

This topic is not about the subjectivity of grading, but about selling strategy.

Imagine that you received from CGC a freshly graded Marvel Comics Presents  #72 with a 9.8. However, you think that the book looks like a 9.6 because of one spine tick.

Any suggestion on how to advertise and sell it? I'll write in the description that the comics has a spine tick so I don't throw the can to another buyer. But I don't know yet if I should sell it the price of a 9,6, a 9,8 with some rebate or simply the FMV of a 9.8.

Thanks for your time,

You can have a spine tic in 9.8, see it all the time.  If you question CGC about that, they will tell you it's possible, even multiple spine tics.  I've see one, multiple, color-breaking, non-color-breaking, etc. in 9.8.  Even missing corner tips, if they deem that it may have been produced that way.

Bottom line is you could try selling it as a 9.8 because CGC says it is.  Just be "more than upfront" about it by taking closeup photos of each quadrant, so a buyer can't miss it and can judge for themselves if they are ok with it. 

If you get pushback, then you can consider price reductions to compensate.  It just might take a bit longer to sell it because you go through some potential buyers who will pass on it.

[Axe Elf]

Basically if you're all going to play the game of appealing to the authority of CGC grading, then you have to live by your own rule and treat every book that CGC says is a 9.8 as a 9.8 (you know, assuming it wasn't swapped out for an entirely different book during the hair application stage of encapsulation or something).

As long as you document the condition of the book, it's up to the buyer to decide if this particular book appeals to them at its grade.

[jaybuck43]

On 6/14/2022 at 10:33 PM, Pangolin said:

This topic is not about the subjectivity of grading, but about selling strategy.

Imagine that you received from CGC a freshly graded Marvel Comics Presents  #72 with a 9.8. However, you think that the book looks like a 9.6 because of one spine tick.

Any suggestion on how to advertise and sell it? I'll write in the description that the comics has a spine tick so I don't throw the can to another buyer. But I don't know yet if I should sell it the price of a 9,6, a 9,8 with some rebate or simply the FMV of a 9.8.

Thanks for your time,

The book was correctly graded.  A non-color breaking spine tick is absolutely allowed on a 9.8 (people seem to think 9.8 means perfect, it's not.  That's what 10 is for).  You paid CGC to provide their expert opinion as to the grade.  List it as a 9.8, because that's what it is.  If you want to price it as a little lower than FMV for a 9.8, that's up to you.  But it's up to the buyer to determine if they agree with CGC.  

However, I would suggest if you are selling it on eBay, to make sure to mention the tick, as an unscrupulous buyer may try to claim it was caused by shipping damage and initiate a charge back.

[Ed Hanes]

You can take hi res pictures of it using a camera with polarizing ability (gets rid of glare) and post the pictures...color breaks should show up. No different than posting pics of raws. Comics link, MCS and all the other sellers of slabs will not list the condition of the comic inside ..they only list the condition of the slab (broken, scuff marks, maybe newton rings )...just follow the industry standard ..the people who sell millions of slabs each year

Edited June 15, 2022 by Ed Hanes

[wardevil0]

On 6/14/2022 at 10:33 PM, Pangolin said:

This topic is not about the subjectivity of grading, but about selling strategy.

Imagine that you received from CGC a freshly graded Marvel Comics Presents  #72 with a 9.8. However, you think that the book looks like a 9.6 because of one spine tick.

Any suggestion on how to advertise and sell it? I'll write in the description that the comics has a spine tick so I don't throw the can to another buyer. But I don't know yet if I should sell it the price of a 9,6, a 9,8 with some rebate or simply the FMV of a 9.8.

Thanks for your time,

I had a similar situation a while back... I submitted a book I estimated would be a 9.0/9.2 but it came back in 9.8 with multiple visible flaws.  I did not feel like I could justifiably sell it without expecting a return, so I took it in-hand to a convention, found a big dealer, and worked out a trade.  He had the slab in hand when he made his trade valuation offer, so had every opportunity to review the book inside and accept or reject the deal.  As others have said, it was submitted and graded as normal, I just didn't think I could sell it without dealing with returns.

[Pangolin]

On 6/14/2022 at 11:23 PM, Lightning55 said:

I don't even know what this is referring to. 

"Misgraded" in the title is correct, but maybe it was edited from something earlier.  But it would be a misgraded instead of an misgraded.   Could be that it should be hyphenated, as in mis-graded.  Or it could say "incorrectly graded".

 

Do'h even as a French speaking guy I should have known better. I edited the title.

[theCapraAegagrus]

A CGC 9.8 is a CGC 9.8 and someone will pay for the label. If you want to discount it because you disagree, it will sell even better, IMO.

[Pangolin]

Thanks to all of you who provided me with a detailed answer.

[comicginger1789]

Suppose a 9.8 goes for $500

Suppose a 9.6 goes for $200

Suppose the 9.8 I have is fugly. And I know it. I can be honest (always a good choice) and share that and perhaps price closer to $400-450 range, and be open to offers. Or I can say nothing and sell as the 9.8 is pretends to be (a lot of poeple will do this without hesitation).

The final thing I would do is make sure the buyer was aware (for example on ebay, if someone say me with it priced BIN for $440 and though hey what a deal and clicked buy before actually reading what I wrote....I might be inclined to send a quick message just to make sure before I ship so that there is not a whole waste of time with me sending a book, them getting and hating, them sending back and so on).

[F For Fake]

On 6/14/2022 at 11:55 PM, Ed Hanes said:

You can take hi res pictures of it using a camera with polarizing ability (gets rid of glare) and post the pictures...color breaks should show up. No different than posting pics of raws. Comics link, MCS and all the other sellers of slabs will not list the condition of the comic inside ..they only list the condition of the slab (broken, scuff marks, maybe newton rings )...just follow the industry standard ..the people who sell millions of slabs each year

Hell, CLink doesn't even include scans of the back of the book! 

List it as a 9.8, take plenty of pics and scans. Price it as a 9.8. If it doesn't move because it's kind of an "ugly" 9.8, you can reduce the price later, or take offers.

[Kramerica]

Just provide detailed scans and let the buyer purchase the book and not the label. I think you might be overthinking it a tad. I learned this way back in the early 2000's. I sent in a FF #149 and expected a 9.6 due to a tiny cb spine tick on the spine but was pleasantly surprised to receive a 9.8. The pages were white, corners sharp and registration perfect so I accepted that this was permissable considering the rest was perfection. 

[valiantman]

I once had a CGC 9.6 (modern, but worth $1,000+) that I felt should have been a CGC 9.2.  I took very good scans, posted them on Comiclink, accepted an offer below my asking price and shipped the book to Comiclink.

I think I'm satisfied with the outcome because I didn't hold out for full CGC 9.6 money and because I have no idea who bought the book.

Edited June 15, 2022 by valiantman

[blazingbob]

On 6/15/2022 at 10:54 AM, valiantman said:

I once had a CGC 9.6 (modern, but worth $1,000+) that I felt should have been a CGC 9.2.  I took very good scans, posted them on Comiclink, accepted an offer below my asking price and shipped the book to Comiclink.

I think I'm satisfied with the outcome because I didn't hold out for full CGC 9.6 money and because I have no idea who bought the book.

You should have listed it on rallyd so you could have kept a piece of the action.