Cost difference % of blue label vs. purple label 1 1

[MultiSig Mike]

Is there a general rule of thumb for pricing books with the exact same grade, but one is universal and one is restored?

i.e. a 4.0 universal sells for $400. What might a 4.0 restored sell for...$100?

[Cman429]

I don’t think there’s any magic formula to convert blue to purple. Generally the rarer more desirable a book is the less the purple will damage your resell price. But serious colllectors, which is what high end books cater too, tend to avoid purple like the plague. I’ve sold two fairly desirable purples over the past few years during the peak of the recent comic boom and I had to price them a little more than half what the blue label goes for just to move them - and even with that they sat on eBay for over 6 months before I got that.

[zzutak]

On 1/9/2024 at 1:13 PM, MultiSig Mike said:

Is there a general rule of thumb for pricing books with the exact same grade, but one is universal and one is restored?

You've grossly simplified the "one is restored" aspect.    In CGC's system, there are currently 15 possible degrees (quality-quantity combos) of restoration (A-1 thru C-5) for each and every specific numerical grade -- or 16 possible degrees, if you include the Conserved grade.

Edited January 9 by zzutak

[zzutak]

I don't believe any books have enough actual/real, contemporaneous sales data to allow one to calculate/estimate the market value of a each restored variant (A-1 thru C-5) from the market value of an unrestored copy in the same grade.  That being said, if you'd like to know the "relative value" CGC places on each of the 15/16 degrees of restoration for any specific issue in any specific grade, just pull up CGC's Comic Slot Score Detail for that issue.  Comic Slot Scores are more commonly known as Registry Points:

For example, let's say one was curious about how CGC "valued" a House of Mystery #1 in Apparent 5.0 with type A-3 restoration.  The table above indicates that CGC would award this copy 138 registry points (compared with 460 points for a Universal Grade 5.0 copy).  Hence, CGC is saying, from a Registry Point perspective, the A-3 restored copy is "worth" only 30% (138/460) as much as an unrestored copy.  These "reduction factors" may or may not vary with title, issue, and/or numerical grade (I've never bothered to check).

Fair Market Value (FMV) does not correlate well with Registry Point Value (RPV); hence, most buyers and sellers do not even consider RPV.  So think of this as an interesting "academic" exercise that's somewhat responsive to your question. 

[MultiSig Mike]

On 1/9/2024 at 6:15 PM, zzutak said:

You've grossly simplified the "one is restored" aspect.    In CGC's system, there are currently 15 possible degrees (quality-quantity combos) of restoration (A-1 thru C-5) for each and every specific numerical grade -- or 16 possible degrees, if you include the Conserved grade.

Apologies @zzutak not my area of expertise. Back to basics...you have 2 identical issues, one with a blue label and one with a purple label. What is the % difference if buying (or selling) either one? If there is no simple and direct answer then that is fine too.

[MultiSig Mike]

On 1/9/2024 at 7:34 PM, zzutak said:

I don't believe any books have enough actual/real, contemporaneous sales data to allow one to calculate/estimate the market value of a each restored variant (A-1 thru C-5) from the market value of an unrestored copy in the same grade.  That being said, if you'd like to know the "relative value" CGC places on each of the 15/16 degrees of restoration for any specific issue in any specific grade, just pull up CGC's Comic Slot Score Detail for that issue.  Comic Slot Scores are more commonly known as Registry Points:

 

For example, let's say one was curious about how CGC "valued" a House of Mystery #1 in Apparent 5.0 with type A-3 restoration.  The table above indicates that CGC would award this copy 138 registry points (compared with 460 points for a Universal Grade 5.0 copy).  Hence, CGC is saying, from a Registry Point perspective, the A-3 restored copy is "worth" only 30% (138/460) as much as an unrestored copy.  These "reduction factors" may or may not vary with title, issue, and/or numerical grade (I've never bothered to check).

Fair Market Value (FMV) does not correlate well with Registry Point Value (RPV); hence, most buyers and sellers do not even consider RPV.  So think of this as an interesting "academic" exercise that's somewhat responsive to your question. 

Thanks for the answer. Think I'll stay away from restored.

[KCOComics]

On 1/9/2024 at 7:38 PM, MultiSig Mike said:

Apologies @zzutak not my area of expertise. Back to basics...you have 2 identical issues, one with a blue label and one with a purple label. What is the % difference if buying (or selling) either one? If there is no simple and direct answer then that is fine too.

There is no direct answer because different Restoration is viewed differently. Also the Era of the book and rarity of the book matters. Lots of variables. 

For example slight Color Touch generally is viewed more favorably than trimming. 

Extensive resto would be worth far less than Apparant. 

If you a modern restored book,  you might get $.10 on the dollar is your lucky. But if it's an apparant GA book with 15 on the census, it may get 75% a blue label. 

If you have a specific example, it may be helpful. 

 

 

[shadroch]

Purple labels are more accepted today than twenty years ago, and that trend may well continue.  The first CGC book I bought was Brave and Bold 28 in 8.5, which sold for about 15% of the universal price back then.  Today, it would bring at least 40%.   

[Tony S]

On 1/9/2024 at 10:13 PM, shadroch said:

Purple labels are more accepted today than twenty years ago, and that trend may well continue.  The first CGC book I bought was Brave and Bold 28 in 8.5, which sold for about 15% of the universal price back then.  Today, it would bring at least 40%.   

I doubt that 40% figure. Here is why

One thing that hasn't been mentioned here is that the higher the restored grade, the lower the percentage of the same grade it blue label it brings.  Low grade keys will often fetch 50-70% of blue.  High grade not even close. 
Example
AF 15 - New record set at 3.6 MILLION for a CGC 9.6

AF 15 - Restored CGC 9.6 - take your pick of one at $86,600 (Slight professional) or $52,800 (A3 - or moderate professional) 

Either figure is tiny, TINY percent of blue label. Let's do 100,000 restored to make the math easy. Less than THREE PERCENT of blue label. The reason why is easy to deduce. One hundred grand can still buy you decent, unrestored copy of AF 15. Which would you rather have - a 9.6 restored or a 6.5 unrestored. 

Your B&B 28 is going to hit that problem much earlier.  A blue label 8.5 is a $34 - $35K book.40% is $14,000. 
For $14,000 you can get a 7.5. That's not a decision worth even a few seconds of consideration. Anyone with any knowledge of collecting would take a blue label 7.5 over an purple 8.5. 

Now anything can happen on any given day with any given sale.  But 40% of blue for a CGC 8.5 restored is doubtful and not a good purchase for the buyer. 

Not meaning to pick on your book. But this was a good example of the "higher the restored grade, lower the percentage of blue it's worth" guideline that had not yet been discussed. 

[shadroch]

On eBay at this moment,  someone is offering a 6.0 Universal for 8500 and there is a 5.0 Purple for $5000. My sweet spot for Purple Keys is 5.0-6.5.

[MultiSig Mike]

Thank you all very much. So far this has been very informative. Appreciate the time each of you take to reply.

[MultiSig Mike]

On 1/9/2024 at 9:43 PM, KCOComics said:

If you have a specific example, it may be helpful. 

See below example. This is 1st appearance book that's currently at $30 (on a popular auction site that will remain nameless). If FMV is $130, can we expect this book to stay below $50?

[KCOComics]

On 1/10/2024 at 9:07 AM, MultiSig Mike said:

See below example. This is 1st appearance book that's currently at $30 (on a popular auction site that will remain nameless). If FMV is $130, can we expect this book to stay below $50?

It's slight resto - no trimming. 

I could see it going for $50 - $80 or so,  depending on how much someone wants it. 

[shadroch]

I don't follow the Wonder Woman market, but if it were a Marvel from 1966, I'd expect it to sell for more than $65.  The more popular the title or character, the more it will bring.