Giant Size X-Men #1 Just Graded 9.9. It Begins..... 8 8

[mattn792]

On 6/4/2024 at 12:42 AM, Tec-Tac-Toe said:

I'm holding out for the 11.0 pre-screen.

The marketing for it is already obvious…

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

[Iconic1s]

A sudden massive bump in 9.9’s now just means that CGC was never consistent with their own grading scale.

They are basically saying now that they have intentionally (for years) been making books 9.8’s when they should have been 9.9 or 10’s all along… they artificially kept them lower just because they had the power to do so.  If a book is a 9.9 today then it should have been a 9.9 all along IF they were consistently applying their own standard (which they evidently weren’t).

Now they expect collectors to chase a 9.9 or 10 LABEL just because they say that’s what they are.  Did they change their scale… I think not… they just decided to change their subjectivity.

What an utter load of bull !

They just admitted they misgraded a ton of books over years and years and everyone is like, heck yeah, thank you Sir may I have another!  Just when you think it can’t get worse, it does.

[LordRahl]

On 6/4/2024 at 6:57 PM, Iconic1s said:

A sudden massive bump in 9.9’s now just means that CGC was never consistent with their own grading scale.

They are basically saying now that they have intentionally (for years) been making books 9.8’s when they should have been 9.9 or 10’s all along… they artificially kept them lower just because they had the power to do so.  If a book is a 9.9 today then it should have been a 9.9 all along IF they were consistently applying their own standard (which they evidently weren’t).

Now they expect collectors to chase a 9.9 or 10 LABEL just because they say that’s what they are.  Did they change their scale… I think not… they just decided to change their subjectivity.

What an utter load of bull !

They just admitted they misgraded a ton of books over years and years and everyone is like, heck yeah, thank you Sir may I have another!  Just when you think it can’t get worse, it does.

I've said it multiple times on this board over the years that CGC artificially holds back 9.9s and 10s. The only responses I got were "take your tinfoil hat off" nonsense. Now everyone is up in arms about it

You and others that are very concerned with these 9.9/10 grades all of a sudden coming out (which they should have been all along) are blaming the wrong people. You seem to think CGC is creating this market. They are not. Collectors are. You have a problem with it? Blame all of us that create the market. We are the problem. CGC is doing what any other rational for profit business would do, they see a market and they cater to it in order to make money. 

I'm sure this wasn't some evil genius plan that was a 25 year plan by Borock when he helped found CGC all those years ago. It's something that probably evolved over time. But it most definitely started back then as they have always held back those grades.

[RockMyAmadeus]

On 6/4/2024 at 7:56 PM, LordRahl said:

I've said it multiple times on this board over the years that CGC artificially holds back 9.9s and 10s. The only responses I got were "take your tinfoil hat off" nonsense. 

[RockMyAmadeus]

On 6/4/2024 at 7:56 PM, LordRahl said:

they have always held back those grades.

[mrwoogieman]

It's not that the grading wasn't "right" then and is going to be "right" from now on, it's that CGC's past actions established the marketplace for high grade CGC graded books and now they are doing something different that will affect that established market.

 

[october]

How they choose to format their grading standards is not nearly as important as the consistent application of those standards. This change fails that test. 

[Vince G]

On 6/5/2024 at 10:07 AM, october said:

How they choose to format their grading standards is not nearly as important as the consistent application of those standards. This change fails that test. 

Exactly.  They've changed their standards and have failed to inform the community of those changes.  Now some may say, "They published the grading guide," but it's pretty clear at this point that currently, they aren't even following the standards put forth in that guide.  Seen it with a number of books in the PGM thread as well as my recent submissions.  Just my opinion here but once you define and publish a standard, it shouldn't change (or become a sliding scale).

[wiparker824]

Excerpt from an article CGC published only a year ago: https://www.cgccomics.com/news/article/10325/spotting-a-98-book/

How does a book earn a grade of CGC 9.8? And what do you need to know before submitting your books for grading?

As you’re flipping through your long box of comics looking for books to send out for grading, you are understandably looking for books in the best condition. While grades of CGC 9.9 (Mint) and CGC 10 (Gem Mint) are possible, they are rare. A CGC 9.8 (Near Mint/Mint) is a nearly perfect collectible with negligible handling or manufacturing defects, and it’s about the best grade you can typically expect to get on a book.

Just need to republish this article appending the famous “Until now!” to the end of that last sentence. Then announce the low introductory price of the 9.9 prescreen.

In the end this doesn’t impact me a ton since I have more 1.8’s than 9.8’s but I do feel for the 9.8 collectors out there. 

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

My 9.8s are dead, my 9.6s and lower are buried.

[LordRahl]

On 6/5/2024 at 8:11 AM, wiparker824 said:

Excerpt from an article CGC published only a year ago: https://www.cgccomics.com/news/article/10325/spotting-a-98-book/

How does a book earn a grade of CGC 9.8? And what do you need to know before submitting your books for grading?

As you’re flipping through your long box of comics looking for books to send out for grading, you are understandably looking for books in the best condition. While grades of CGC 9.9 (Mint) and CGC 10 (Gem Mint) are possible, they are rare. A CGC 9.8 (Near Mint/Mint) is a nearly perfect collectible with negligible handling or manufacturing defects, and it’s about the best grade you can typically expect to get on a book.

Just need to republish this article appending the famous “Until now!” to the end of that last sentence. Then announce the low introductory price of the 9.9 prescreen.

In the end this doesn’t impact me a ton since I have more 1.8’s than 9.8’s but I do feel for the 9.8 collectors out there. 

Nothing has changed from that statement. 9.8 is STILL the best grade you can TYPICALLY expect. Given that the percentage of 9.9/10 is still going to be in the low single digits, 9.9/10 is still going to be "rare".

[LordRahl]

On 6/5/2024 at 7:16 AM, Vince G said:

Exactly.  They've changed their standards and have failed to inform the community of those changes.  Now some may say, "They published the grading guide," but it's pretty clear at this point that currently, they aren't even following the standards put forth in that guide.  Seen it with a number of books in the PGM thread as well as my recent submissions.  Just my opinion here but once you define and publish a standard, it shouldn't change (or become a sliding scale).

I don't think they've changed their grading standards. I think they have taken the artificial suppression of 9.9/10s away. That's a change in policy, but not their grading standards. I submit a LOT of high grade copper. They are as hard on it now as they have been the last few years. Also, it's always been a sliding scale. You are fooling yourself if you think different. GA has always been graded more leniently then SA, and SA more leniently than Copper. ALWAYS.

[Nick Furious]

On 6/5/2024 at 10:11 AM, wiparker824 said:

I do feel for the 9.8 collectors out there. 

I prefer comic book collectors.  

[Vince G]

On 6/5/2024 at 3:24 PM, LordRahl said:

I don't think they've changed their grading standards. I think they have taken the artificial suppression of 9.9/10s away. That's a change in policy, but not their grading standards. I submit a LOT of high grade copper. They are as hard on it now as they have been the last few years. Also, it's always been a sliding scale. You are fooling yourself if you think different. GA has always been graded more leniently then SA, and SA more leniently than Copper. ALWAYS.

Just take a peek at the PGM threads and you'll see some interesting results.  Particularly this one:  

 

[LordRahl]

On 6/5/2024 at 12:46 PM, Vince G said:

Just take a peek at the PGM threads and you'll see some interesting results.  Particularly this one:  

 

Nothing interesting about it. Gift grades have been happening for the entire 20+ year existence of CGC. It is not anything new in any way, shape or form. Also, Hulk 181 is not copper, copper in particular is what I called out as a category that CGC is harsh on currently.

[wiparker824]

On 6/5/2024 at 12:17 PM, LordRahl said:

Nothing has changed from that statement. 9.8 is STILL the best grade you can TYPICALLY expect. Given that the percentage of 9.9/10 is still going to be in the low single digits, 9.9/10 is still going to be "rare".

Like I said, until they roll out the 9.9 prescreen. Which, nobody is sending books they don’t expect to TYPICALLY get a 9.9 to a 9.9 prescreen so either the 9.9’s will become typical or CGC is going to launch some unicorn lottery game to get a 9.9 via prescreen. And with the increase in the numbers posted in this thread already I think we have our answer - 9.9’s are already becoming more typical than they were a year ago when they made that article.

[LordRahl]

On 6/5/2024 at 1:06 PM, wiparker824 said:

Like I said, until they roll out the 9.9 prescreen. Which, nobody is sending books they don’t expect to TYPICALLY get a 9.9 to a 9.9 prescreen so either the 9.9’s will become typical or CGC is going to launch some unicorn lottery game to get a 9.9 via prescreen. And with the increase in the numbers posted in this thread already I think we have our answer - 9.9’s are already becoming more typical than they were a year ago when they made that article.

typically

Dictionary

Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more

 

 

adverb

1. in most cases; usually.

   "the quality of work is typically very high"

    

   If you think 9.9/10s will be awarded "in most cases or usually"... let's just say you're expectations are unrealistic

[wiparker824]

On 6/5/2024 at 1:11 PM, LordRahl said:

typically

Dictionary

Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more

 

 

adverb

1. in most cases; usually.

   "the quality of work is typically very high"

    

   If you think 9.9/10s will be awarded "in most cases or usually"... let's just say you're expectations are unrealistic

If you want to debate semantics that’s on you. But my guess is that at some point in the future they will become as typical as 9.8’s are today especially if they roll out the 9.9 pre screen. There’s really no reason why they shouldn’t already have been, particularly in the case of moderns, except that CGC was artificially capping the market at 9.8. Which whether you liked that or not it was at the very least consistent year over year. 

[LordRahl]

On 6/5/2024 at 1:20 PM, wiparker824 said:

If you want to debate semantics that’s on you. But my guess is that at some point in the future they will become as typical as 9.8’s are today especially if they roll out the 9.9 pre screen. There’s really no reason why they shouldn’t already have been, particularly in the case of moderns, except that CGC was artificially capping the market at 9.8. Which whether you liked that or not it was at the very least consistent year over year. 

You say that as if semantics aren't important. They are, especially in the context of what we're discussing here, which is what is in that statement by CGC and how more 9.9/10s changes it. I'm saying that statement as written has not changed even if CGC will now give out 9.9/10s more often. Of every 10 uber high grade books graded, not just moderns but all eras since moderns aren't the only books being graded, I'm betting that on average no more than 2 will grade out 9.9/10 and the other 8 will still be 9.8. That is in line with the statement that "9.8 is typically the best grade you can get". I actually think the percentage will be much lower but I do concede that it could be 20% on moderns. On bronze and below, where I believe that even with this change, it will be less than 1% that get above a 9.8, 9.8 will most definitely be the highest grade you can typically expect.