2024 Grading Contest Spring Edition Season 3 (#10) Round 2 16 16

[Hudson]

On 4/27/2024 at 8:19 PM, CGC Mike said:

This is overly harsh.  If I am wrong, there will be no more contests.  A ton of time and money are put into these.  No point in doing them if they are not enjoyable.  

You are not wrong, Mike.

Although I am often frustrated with the results and often find at least one or two books that I do not agree with the grades, overall that is all part of the game; perhaps even what makes it fun.

I don't expect to ever win one of these things, however, if I can end with a respectable score and perhaps even learn a little about how CGC grades, then it is a win.

Thanks for all the time and effort you are putting into this.

As for the selection of books, I prefer Golden Age, however, others may prefer modern.  I prefer low to mid grades (various defects that need to be evaluated).  Others may prefer the high grades where you have to really look to find anything wrong.  You provide multiple contests through out the year and I think it is great that you are trying to provide a variety of books, so as to satisfy everyone at least occasionally (a task I would not want to even attempt to complete). 

[CGC Mike]

On 4/27/2024 at 8:27 PM, aszumilo said:

I agree.  There have been books questioned in every single contest since I joined the boards.  Most complaining about grades is done with humor.  I enjoy these contests win or lose (mostly lose).

 

On 4/27/2024 at 9:30 PM, Hudson said:

You are not wrong, Mike.

Although I am often frustrated with the results and often find at least one or two books that I do not agree with the grades, overall that is all part of the game; perhaps even what makes it fun.

I don't expect to ever win one of these things, however, if I can end with a respectable score and perhaps even learn a little about how CGC grades, then it is a win.

Thanks for all the time and effort you are putting into this.

As for the selection of books, I prefer Golden Age, however, others may prefer modern.  I prefer low to mid grades (various defects that need to be evaluated).  Others may prefer the high grades where you have to really look to find anything wrong.  You provide multiple contests through out the year and I think it is great that you are trying to provide a variety of books, so as to satisfy everyone at least occasionally (a task I would not want to even attempt to complete). 

Hi guys

I enjoy the posts in these threads.  The build up for the reveal, the reactions afterwards, all good.  I have also noticed that there is very little bickering/arguments in these contests. I enjoy seeing that.   The sole reason I do these are to provide fun contests for the members.  If they no longer are fun, there is no point in doing them.   In the last contest, the books were all golden age.  This happened because we had to use a different source, and that was what was available.  Some people found GA books to be very hard to grade, and requested later material.  It seems that no GA books in this contest is causing some difficulty as well.  Maybe half GA and the rest later books is the answer.  I can make this happen.  I can also request easier books.  I think we can find a selection that will better satisfy the majority of participants.      

[Vince G]

On 4/27/2024 at 9:54 PM, CGC Mike said:

 

Hi guys

I enjoy the posts in these threads.  The build up for the reveal, the reactions afterwards, all good.  I have also noticed that there is very little bickering/arguments in these contests. I enjoy seeing that.   The sole reason I do these are to provide fun contests for the members.  If they no longer are fun, there is no point in doing them.   In the last contest, the books were all golden age.  This happened because we had to use a different source, and that was what was available.  Some people found GA books to be very hard to grade, and requested later material.  It seems that no GA books in this contest is causing some difficulty as well.  Maybe half GA and the rest later books is the answer.  I can make this happen.  I can also request easier books.  I think we can find a selection that will better satisfy the majority of participants.      

You do a great job, Mike.  Just my opinion here but I'm cool with a mix and also, the toughest books possible.  I enjoy the challenge.  

[zzutak]

I agree with Vince -- the more challenging, the better.  I've never bought, sold, submitted, or owned a book published after 1967, so the current slate is way, way, way out of my wheelhouse.  Nevertheless, I'm having as much fun with this contest as I had with the first nine. 

[grendelbo]

On 4/27/2024 at 8:35 PM, zzutak said:

I agree with Vince -- the more challenging, the better.  I've never bought, sold, submitted, or owned a book published after 1967, so the current slate is way, way, way out of my wheelhouse.  Nevertheless, I'm having as much fun with this contest as I had with the first nine. 

And doing quite well! 

[JohnH19]

On 4/27/2024 at 2:14 PM, Yorick said:

I'm thinking if someone just put 9.2 for every book, would they win this? 

I almost did exactly that in Round 2. I wound up giving three of them 9.2.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 4/28/2024 at 1:19 AM, CGC Mike said:

This is overly harsh.  If I am wrong, there will be no more contests.  A ton of time and money are put into these.  No point in doing them if they are not enjoyable.  

I'm sorry Mike, you're right, that was overly harsh. Please don't let my isolated comment influence your thinking and please do carry on. Apologies to everyone who read it too. I'll go and lie down in a darkened room for a while, after a self-enforced spell on the naughty step. 

[CGC Mike]

On 4/28/2024 at 1:16 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

I'm sorry Mike, you're right, that was overly harsh. Please don't let my isolated comment influence your thinking and please do carry on. Apologies to everyone who read it too. I'll go and lie down in a darkened room for a while, after a self-enforced spell on the naughty step. 

Apology accepted, Steve.  I am ready to move along like it never happened.  There is no need to punish yourself.  You have been a great  help to me with these contests.   

[Get Marwood & I]

On 4/28/2024 at 12:49 PM, CGC Mike said:

Apology accepted, Steve.  I am ready to move along like it never happened.  There is no need to punish yourself.  You have been a great  help to me with these contests.   

Thanks Mike, it was a silly thing to do, but I won't die in a ditch over it 

[Get Marwood & I]

Fellow participants! Last year I won the sixth contest and bagged a $500 grading credit that I'm never going to use. With Mike's blessing, I would like to offer that $500 credit to whoever comes sixth in this, current contest. Six is a favourite number of mine, if you hadn't already guessed.

So, let it be known - if you want to win some grading credits, try to come first, second, third or sixth this time.

Good luck to everyone and thanks to Mike for agreeing to the transfer 

37pino @1Cool @AbsoluteCarnage @ADAMANTIUM @Ahsoka Tano Jedi Apprentice @aj_curated @AJD @alecholland @AnthonyTheAbyss  @apocalypse76 @ArAich @ArcherC @ashsaytr @asteroid-comix @aszumilo @Axelrod @batcollector @Batman Fett @Benjamin1977 @BlackOut21 @Bmattioli86 @boron @BrashL @brumil190 @BuscemasAvengers @canickus @Carpendaddy @Cerebus3000 @CHASEnBLUE @CJ Design @Cman429 @comicstock @ChrispyC66 @comicginger1789 @Crose87420 @Cushing Fan @Dark Elf @Darwination @davidking623 @Deputy Dan @Doctor Dositheus @Dormian @Dr. Ogie Porterhouse @EastEnd1 @eeb03 @Electron @F For Fake @FigaroToe @flashlites @frozentundraguy @FSQIV @GawkHawk @genrlzod  @grendelbo @Grendel72 @Hudson @Jackhartmann @jas1vans @jayhawker @jbpez @jcjames @Jesse-Lee @JohnH19 @John R @JollyComics @JWKyle @Kramerica @KryptoMayor @LiftedAndShifted @Lninefingers @makeminemarvel @Mars76 @mattn792 @mikenyc @misterrmystery @Morganmi @Motor City Rob @Mr. Zipper @musicmeta @ned @Nschenks @old_dano @Old Fashion PB and J @Panda2 @paqart @pastandpresentcomics @Pickie @pmpknface @Point Five @Ride the Tiger @sagii @Sandflea  @scburdet @silverseeker @skypinkblu @SNiPER @southern cross @spidermanbeyond @SpidersComics @Supa-Bad-Mofo @Superman2006 @TC33 @TheGeneral @thehumantorch @TheTallGuy @thingsofstuff @thirdgreenham @timfinz @tmac100 @Tom789 @topcat54 @topofthetotem @toro @trmoore54 @TSwift25 @TTG @Vince G @Warlord @William-James88 @WilliamLunt @Wipple @Withering Wind @Yorick @zzutak

 

[Point Five]

That's awesome. Steve.

I'm recalibrating my grading **right now** to try to earn that sweet sixth place. 

 

[Axelrod]

On 4/27/2024 at 9:54 PM, CGC Mike said:

 

Hi guys

I enjoy the posts in these threads.  The build up for the reveal, the reactions afterwards, all good.  I have also noticed that there is very little bickering/arguments in these contests. I enjoy seeing that.   The sole reason I do these are to provide fun contests for the members.  If they no longer are fun, there is no point in doing them.   In the last contest, the books were all golden age.  This happened because we had to use a different source, and that was what was available.  Some people found GA books to be very hard to grade, and requested later material.  It seems that no GA books in this contest is causing some difficulty as well.  Maybe half GA and the rest later books is the answer.  I can make this happen.  I can also request easier books.  I think we can find a selection that will better satisfy the majority of participants.      

You can't please all of the people all of the time.  Or some of the people any of the time.  I think mixing it up has been great.  

I appreciate these contests and everything you do for this community. 

Edited April 28 by Axelrod

[TSwift25]

On 4/27/2024 at 9:54 PM, CGC Mike said:

 

Hi guys

I enjoy the posts in these threads.  The build up for the reveal, the reactions afterwards, all good.  I have also noticed that there is very little bickering/arguments in these contests. I enjoy seeing that.   The sole reason I do these are to provide fun contests for the members.  If they no longer are fun, there is no point in doing them.   In the last contest, the books were all golden age.  This happened because we had to use a different source, and that was what was available.  Some people found GA books to be very hard to grade, and requested later material.  It seems that no GA books in this contest is causing some difficulty as well.  Maybe half GA and the rest later books is the answer.  I can make this happen.  I can also request easier books.  I think we can find a selection that will better satisfy the majority of participants.      

Mike, I think it's all fun. It's comics, if it's not fun, you (not you, the collective you) are doing it wrong. I thank you sincerely for taking the time to put this together. It's fun, it's challenging and it presents new challenges even for experienced collectors. It also helps to see some of what I've read in the CGC grading guide in practice, rather than just basing grading of odd defects based on my own experience. It's not just fun for me, it's also a learning experience.

 

If I had one request, it would be that maybe there's an opportunity for discussion around some of the defects and the final grades (this current round as an example the Secret Wars 8 will be a great discussion book IMO).

[CGC Mike]

On 4/28/2024 at 8:34 AM, TSwift25 said:

If I had one request, it would be that maybe there's an opportunity for discussion around some of the defects and the final grades (this current round as an example the Secret Wars 8 will be a great discussion book IMO).

Hi

I look forward to reading the discussions of defects and the final grades after the reveal of each round.  People learn from that discussion, too.  It is very much encouraged.      

[CJ Design]

Thanks Mike for doing these...they are always a great learning experience. I self admitted, that Moderns and high grades ae tough for me, as I rarely have those books. I start seeing ghosts or go totally hazed.

[trmoore54]

Can anyone explain what relegates the Superman 50 to 8.0?  Looks generally 9.0/plus to me.  What are the issues.  Apparently I am blind.  

[Superman2006]

On 4/28/2024 at 6:55 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

Fellow participants! Last year I won the sixth contest and bagged a $500 grading credit that I'm never going to use. With Mike's blessing, I would like to offer that $500 credit to whoever comes sixth in this, current contest. Six is a favourite number of mine, if you hadn't already guessed.

So, let it be known - if you want to win some grading credits, try to come first, second, third or sixth this time.

Good luck to everyone and thanks to Mike for agreeing to the transfer 

 

That's very generous of you, @Get Marwood & I!  Given my expected results on this last round of books, I'll be lucky if I'm in a position to compete for 6th place 

Following are the 6th place results from the prior contests:

C1: 4 participants tied for 3rd through 6th place.

C2: 4 participants tied for 6th through 9th place.

C3: 5 participants tied for 5th through 9th place.

C4: 2 participants tied for 6th through 7th place.

C5: 3 participants tied for 6th though 8th place.

C6: 3 participants tied for 5th through 7th place.

C7: 5 participants tied for 3rd through 7th place.

C8: 8 participants tied for 6th through 13th place.

C9: 1 participant finished alone in 6th place.

One option to settle the tie for 6th place would be to have those tied for 6th place to grade a set of tie breaker books (could use the same books that any participants that are tied for 1st, 2nd &/or 3rd use for their tie breaker), etc.  Then need to decide what to do from there, such as giving the 6th place prize to the winner of the tie-breaker (with or without allowing 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place finisher to win more than one prize; see C1 and C7 above for example), or some other approach (note that giving the 6th place prize to the winner of tie-breaker would prevent someone from trying to tank it in the tie-breaker, e.g. if 3 players tied for 4th through 6th, and 6th place prize given to someone that finished in 6th including the tie-breaker, then all players might grade every book a 0.5, or a 9.8 in the tie-breaker to try to get the worst score in the tie-breaker). Or @CGC Mike could just pull a number from a hat, or do something else that doesn't take a lot of additional effort!

 

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 4/28/2024 at 10:21 AM, trmoore54 said:

Can anyone explain what relegates the Superman 50 to 8.0?  Looks generally 9.0/plus to me.  What are the issues.  Apparently I am blind.  

just under the top staple and edges would be 8.5, that bottom left corner also spine tick, but was unclear to me how bad? right edge, surprised it didn't get 7.5

I can't believe I gave that book 9.6, I must have just summed up my answer from memory wrong when I went to the pm to submit

 

[ADAMANTIUM]

I think I had it pegged at 8.5 tbh, when I saw 8.0 I thought not bad, then looked at the answer I submitted and

 

[Ride the Tiger]

On 4/28/2024 at 10:21 AM, trmoore54 said:

Can anyone explain what relegates the Superman 50 to 8.0?  Looks generally 9.0/plus to me.  What are the issues.  Apparently I am blind.  

That staple tear takes it out of anything with NM in it. The book overall looked pretty good to me so I went with 8.5 assuming it had to be the highest grade allowed for a book with that defect. I was close.