What is the opinion on PGX grading?

[RaccoonRaccoon]

Does anyone have experience with PGX grading? Are they thought of well in the industry? How much more of the comic book market does CGC have compared to PGX?

[TheBrockley]

Does anyone have experience with PGX grading? Are they thought of well in the industry? How much more of the comic book market does CGC have compared to PGX?

 

Didn't you ask the samething about a month ago?

 

Click For Same Old Same Old

[Rocketeer]

[valiantman]

There are probably more than enough opinions on this board on this subject (just search).

 

Rather than provide another opinion, here's a currect fact:

 

eBay auctions for PGX books: 104

eBay Search method - search in Comics titles only: (CGG,PGA,PGX)

 

eBay auctions for CGC books: 3105

eBay search method - search in Comics titles only: CGC -CGG -PGA -PGX -"CGC IT" -"CGC Ready" -"Not CGC" -Able

 

Current eBay "market share": PGX (equivalents) 3.2%, CGC 96.8%

 

(This is the "overall" view only, probably not representative of any comic age.)

[followtheleader]

I value PGX gradings more than CGC. Number of CGC appearances mean nothing. The higher number of appearances could just as easily mean that sellers know CGC will grade at least a .5 higher (thus increasing their profits). This tends to the case regards. Not saying CGC is bad, just that PGX is stricter.

 

Pat

[Darthdiesel]

Not saying CGC is bad, just that PGX is stricter.

 

Pat

 

 

...or intentionally undergrading to maintain the semblance, to the uninformed, of stricter grading.

[followtheleader]

DarthDiesel,

 

I guess that's a potential.

 

But they are more likely to make money if they graded higher rather than lower (which is usually the main business goal). In my opinion, I think it illuminates grading subjectivity and that PGX highlights strict grading as a business goal higher than profits. Not saying either is right, I just don't believe that PGX is trying to undermine the community in an effort to slow beatout CGC.

 

Pat

[Darthdiesel]

But they are more likely to make money if they graded higher rather than lower (which is usually the main business goal).

 

Not if they have to play catch up with the industry leader. They have to find some gimmick, temporary or not, to put them in the spotlight of the collecting community.

 

In my opinion, I think it illuminates grading subjectivity and that PGX highlights strict grading as a business goal higher than profits.

 

I don't think the two points above are correlated in the case of PGX. Grading subjectivity exists regardless of who is doing the grading - from dealers, collectors and third party graders whose opinons we pay for. CGC did the same thing when they first started out. No one was more ticked off at them than the local LCS and the shifty dealer who have been pawning off their overgraded wares (VFs as NMs) on unsupecting newbies for years. CGC appealed to the collector through their stricter grading and PGX as CGG tried the same thing on fateful April Fools Day years later. The early history of CGG/PGX is marred with ham-handed, illplanned copycat attempts of the publicly available aspects of CGC's business model (website, slab, etc), which in my opinion, showed a lack of creativity and business initiative and showed it more for the cash grab that it was, delegitimizing CGG in this collector's eyes from day one.

 

Not saying either is right, I just don't believe that PGX is trying to undermine the community in an effort to slow beatout CGC.

 

I think you'd be giving them too much credit if you tihink they set out to become a legitimate competitor to CGC when CGG/PGX started out. It was all to grab up the market share of those who had become disillusioned with CGC's tier pricing and turnaround times. Most of the CGG books I saw come out first were Moderns that most folks here don't beleive should have ever seen the inside of a slab. These submitters just wanted a slabbed product that cost them $7-10/slab that they could put up for sale faster than anyone else using CGC could. But they couldn't get national dealers to support them since they were unknowns and din't attend cons or market themselves or advertise in industry publications = fly by night set up out of someone's mom's garage was the image they were pushing out there. Add to that their not above water relationships with local Oregon dealers ( around Eugene?) getting highest graded copies of the latest modern books out for sale in record turnaround time (book out Wed, but slabbed 9.8 copies for sale that same night? ) soured alot of forumites on here from dealing with them.

 

Do as you will Pat, but from what I have mentioned above, from stories that I've heard from several forumites who do use their services from time to time (smokinghawk, BassGman, etc), and from their head grader's posts on here and interviews on STL boards, it's enough to keep me away from submitting.

[Johnny G]

I have submitted numerous books to Oregon. I believe them to be stricter and some times kick myself in the for losing a point! BUT, I know that I will be getting the books back in a timely manner and that they will not arrive in worse shape than when they went out (SCS)!

 

Most of the comments above are regarding the "past". I think if you look nowadays you'll find that they are "catching up" quite nicely. For instance: I sold a Thor #193 9.0 PGX for $125 on the 'Bay. That's a whopping $47 higher than the GPA High for the CGC equal. Is this always the case? NO! But it would seem that the times are changing and buyers are all over the "stricter grading" angle and are buying them up knowing that they truly have a 9.0!

 

I'm in no way playing the CGC hater here, don't get me wrong. I am merely expressing my own personal thoughts on a current scenario that is playing out before us all.

 

Plus I like to save time and money, and I seem to be able to do that with Oregon!

 

Happy Collecting!

 

JG

 

[awe4one]

Most of the comments above are regarding the "past".

 

The phrase "those who fail to remember the past are doomed to repeat it" applies here. PGX, has to this day, continued to do business with one of the shadiest collectors on eBay. Suspended one day and re-instated the next. All the while receiving very generous grades despite their stricter grading standards...

 

I'd like nothing better than to welcome a second grading company on the scene but until PGX decides that keeping their company free of question is in their interests...they aren't that second company...

 

Jim

[Johnny G]

Most of the comments above are regarding the "past".

 

The phrase "those who fail to remember the past are doomed to repeat it" applies here. PGX, has to this day, continued to do business with one of the shadiest collectors on eBay. Suspended one day and re-instated the next. All the while receiving very generous grades despite their stricter grading standards...

 

I'd like nothing better than to welcome a second grading company on the scene but until PGX decides that keeping their company free of question is in their interests...they aren't that second company...

 

Jim

 

Who is this "collector? Where can we get proof of this? Where's the info? I'd like to know more!

 

JG

[awe4one]

Most of the comments above are regarding the "past".

 

The phrase "those who fail to remember the past are doomed to repeat it" applies here. PGX, has to this day, continued to do business with one of the shadiest collectors on eBay. Suspended one day and re-instated the next. All the while receiving very generous grades despite their stricter grading standards...

 

I'd like nothing better than to welcome a second grading company on the scene but until PGX decides that keeping their company free of question is in their interests...they aren't that second company...

 

Jim

 

Who is this "collector? Where can we get proof of this? Where's the info? I'd like to know more!

 

JG

 

Do a search on TDcomixncardz on this and stlcomics' forum and all the info is there to digest...

 

Not everyone here is so pro-CGC to not see how PGX has given him "preferred" treatment...and frankly, if you'd done your own research before making such a bold proclamation in defense of PGX you'd know this already...

 

Jim

[Johnny G]

Most of the comments above are regarding the "past".

 

The phrase "those who fail to remember the past are doomed to repeat it" applies here. PGX, has to this day, continued to do business with one of the shadiest collectors on eBay. Suspended one day and re-instated the next. All the while receiving very generous grades despite their stricter grading standards...

 

I'd like nothing better than to welcome a second grading company on the scene but until PGX decides that keeping their company free of question is in their interests...they aren't that second company...

 

Jim

 

Who is this "collector? Where can we get proof of this? Where's the info? I'd like to know more!

 

JG

 

Do a search on TDcomixncardz on this and stlcomics' forum and all the info is there to digest...

 

Not everyone here is so pro-CGC to not see how PGX has given him "preferred" treatment...and frankly, if you'd done your own research before making such a bold proclamation in defense of PGX you'd know this already...

 

Jim

 

Thanks for the info... I'll look into it.

 

BUT I must say, I am NOT defending anyone. I am merely expressing my views on what I have experienced... is this wrong??? If so I apologize, but I really don't think it is warranted

 

JG

[awe4one]

BUT I must say, I am NOT defending anyone. I am merely expressing my views on what I have experienced... is this wrong??? If so I apologize, but I really don't think it is warranted

 

What is warranted? You're the one who was questioning the accusation. All I mentioned was you should do further research before backing a company. Is that unwarranted? I think it's more like trying not to look like the fool...

 

Jim

[Johnny G]

[if you'd done your own research before making such a bold proclamation in defense of PGX you'd know this already...

 

Jim

 

My apology wasn't "warranted"... happy now? Or would you prefer to carry on?

 

Have a good day!

 

JG

[arexcrooke]

[if you'd done your own research before making such a bold proclamation in defense of PGX you'd know this already...

 

Jim

 

My apology wasn't "warranted"... happy now? Or would you prefer to carry on?

 

Have a good day!

 

JG

[amazingspiderfan-migration]

I've never seen so many books with tanning get such high grades. I think PGX are a poor excuse for a grading company. I bought 3 books graded by them to check them out. I then sent them to CGC, 2 of the 3 came back as being trimmed and PGX had missed them both. The ASM 129 had a married jewel insert and they missed that too. They are a joke.

[Flaming_Telepath]

Actually, I'm not too sure I agree with this 'urban myth' that PGX undergrade in comparison to CGC?

 

I've cracked a few PGX slabs and they seem on the money in the 9.2 to 9.4 range.

 

However, I've had a few through my hands in the 8.0 to 9.0 range and I would never dream of cracking them, as they were so obviously over-graded that if I ever wanted to sell them raw, I'd be doing so as 7.0 to 8.0.

 

IMHO, PGX is no better/worse than CGC in this respect and if you add in their questionable restoration detection methods, and the obvious shenanigans with Terence Leder (sp?), I can't see them being any serious competition.

 

Which is a shame, because one of the things that would provoke some serious action around these parts would be having to compete.

[Flaming_Telepath]

Finally!

 

CGC have got their new PR person in place!

[awe4one]

The ASM 129 had a married jewel insert and they missed that too. They are a joke.

 

Do tell...how did you know it was married? TD bought a load of copies from Calm-mix and was suspicious when PGX copies started surfacing with MJ inserts...

 

Jim