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The "qualified" book is back!

Started by Rickdogg,

16 posts in this topic

blazingbob

blazingbob

Posted
Posted

I love this grade. There are three Holes in the book = Holes translate into Missing, missing pieces equal VG+. This is like me biting off the corner of the book and claiming it looks NM except I bit off the corner.

 

The only argument that CGC will use is that the book looks NM, Well so does my bitten off copy but the bottom line is that the piece is still missing, I chose to bit it off, the original owner took a hole puncher to this copy.

 

This book is a bookend and should be used to hold up your other CGC books on the shelf.

 

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drbanner

drbanner

Posted
Posted

Holes translate into Missing, missing pieces equal VG+.

 

VG+ is generous for this book with what amounts to a dime-sized piece missing from every page and both covers! OTOH - "book looks NM but has 3 binder holes" is a much better description of this book than "good" (or whatever the technical grade would be).

 

I'd like to see something on the label noting what CGC feels the technical grade is of Qualified books, but in many cases it would be difficult to determine (or rather, difficult for different graders, cgc or not, to agree on).

 

I know, let's take this book as an example and run a brief poll on qualified grades!!

 

 

 

 

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blowout

blowout

Posted
Posted

This is the type of grade that really brings the Qualified grade into question. It is supposed to be reserved for an otherwise X grade book with 'one' severe defect.

This book has 'three' holes that go right through the book. Even Bob's analogy of a piece bitten out is not as severe as this.

To give a book like this a NM- grade is a joke.

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drbanner

drbanner

Posted
Posted

This is the type of grade that really brings the Qualified grade into question.

 

While I do like the use of the Qualified grade (I grade many books as "NM...but" myself), this is a little extreme, but not that bad. I think it should be used for books that would be high grade (~ 9.0 or better), except for a single defect, and "3 bindery holes in the spine" somewhat fits the description of a single defect.

 

Anyhow, I'm not sure how anyone can complain with a qualified grade, if the qualification fully spells out what keeps the book from the qualified grade. So yes, this book is a NM-...but "there are 3 freakin' huge bindery holes in the spine!".

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PovertyRow

PovertyRow

Posted
Posted

This poll actually brings up the duality of grades. To my mind, grades have two distinct uses: to describe the physical appearance and structural integrity of a book, and to be used as a gauge for how much to buy or sell the book. Sometimes these two concepts don't jive, and I doubt they ever will when we have this particular scenario.

 

The lack of structural integrity, color brightness and gloss, the amount of tears and creases, spine roll etc allowed in Good (I choose Good because that is the highest response so far) are considerable. The NM- book with the three holes is so far beyond a Good under these circumstances that if one were grading purely on aesthetics and the structural integrity, a "NM- Qualified 3 Binder Holes" would be the only accurate way to grade it. It would then be left up to the collector to make their own determination.

 

But then you have to try to price the book. Can it be priced as a NM-? Obviously not. So what grade would come closest to the current value? Again, with this type of anomaly, collector's opinions will "vary widely on this book". But the price is probably gonna be in the VG or maybe less range.

 

I guess my real question is, just because the price is in the low end range, does that mean the book is actually of that grade? I say it isn't physically in that grade - it really is an anomaly.

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blowout

blowout

Posted
Posted

I guess my real question is, just because the price is in the low end range, does that mean the book is actually of that grade? I say it isn't physically in that grade - it really is an anomaly.

 

You have actually summed up the scenario pretty well here Pov.

 

Esentially CGC are trying (with the Qualified grade) to address an issue that has no real right answer. The fact that the book has been graded with full disclosure of the holes leaves it up to the potential buyers to set the market value for it based on their own preferences. And with this type of book (a real anomoly) it is probably the best CGC can do.

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