Proper Process To Open a High Grade CGC Case To Get The Comic Signed & Regraded? 0

[O Doyle Rules]

I plan on going to an upcoming Con and have a celebrity sign a comic. I can't find a high grade raw copy of the comic I want signed so I am considering purchasing a high grade CGC book, get it cracked opened and have the celebrity sign it and then get it regraded. Has anyone done this? Bad idea? Good Idea? I guess I am looking for the best way to accomplish this task. Any and all thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks! 

[ADAMANTIUM]

Not so much a bad/good idea, but more a necessity I'm thinking, which is common, and especially with modern books.

The affordability and grade are the risk and all up to you. Some crack for one signature and use a facilitator or cgc in-house signing to do so, but don't risk it a second or third time, and so on.

It happens all the time and for years with success, but idk percentages of success to failure.

A CGC in-house signing or having a facilitator do it would be my suggestion, as they have experience! 😜 

When filling out cgc forms there is a reason why cgc has a disclaimer for cracking it out, that they DO have to regrade it and can't guarantee the old grade. Idk if facilitators have the same nomenclature.

Basically you knew all these facts, probably, before I started typing, but reading them might help your gut decide. Sometimes you got to do what you got to do, such is the signature series program.

On 5/12/2024 at 8:00 AM, O Doyle Rules said:

I plan on going to an upcoming Con and have a celebrity sign a comic. I can't find a high grade raw copy of the comic I want signed so I am considering purchasing a high grade CGC book, get it cracked opened and have the celebrity sign it and then get it regraded. Has anyone done this? Bad idea? Good Idea? I guess I am looking for the best way to accomplish this task. Any and all thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks! 

 

[O Doyle Rules]

On 5/12/2024 at 9:32 AM, ADAMANTIUM said:

Not so much a bad/good idea, but more a necessity I'm thinking, which is common, and especially with modern books.

The affordability and grade are the risk and all up to you. Some crack for one signature and use a facilitator or cgc in-house signing to do so, but don't risk it a second or third time, and so on.

It happens all the time and for years with success, but idk percentages of success to failure.

A CGC in-house signing or having a facilitator do it would be my suggestion, as they have experience! 😜 

When filling out cgc forms there is a reason why cgc has a disclaimer for cracking it out, that they DO have to regrade it and can't guarantee the old grade. Idk if facilitators have the same nomenclature.

Basically you knew all these facts, probably, before I started typing, but reading them might help your gut decide. Sometimes you got to do what you got to do, such is the signature series program.

 

Thank you for that. I guess I am looking for someone to open the case for me professionally so as not to cause damage. Will a facilitator crack open the case and also obtain the signature if CGC is not at the Con? I would imagine it would be a good idea to get the comic pressed after the signature? I was thinking about going myself as I would like to meet the celebrity. Will facilitators agree to meet you at the Con to accomplish this? I was kind of pondering of waiting to get it regraded to see what kind of verified signature service CGC will offer once the CGC/JSA merger occurs. 

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 5/12/2024 at 8:58 AM, O Doyle Rules said:

Thank you for that. I guess I am looking for someone to open the case for me professionally so as not to cause damage. Will a facilitator crack open the case and also obtain the signature if CGC is not at the Con? I would imagine it would be a good idea to get the comic pressed after the signature? I was thinking about going myself as I would like to meet the celebrity. Will facilitators agree to meet you at the Con to accomplish this? I was kind of pondering of waiting to get it regraded to see what kind of verified signature service CGC will offer once the CGC/JSA merger occurs. 

yes to all of the above, each facilitator is different, but most will crack it to get the signature for you. Or at least crack it while you go to get the sig, hand you a phone number to text, when you're near the front of the line, then meet you to witness the sig, and carry it for you to fill out paperwork.

They will not just stand in line with you, as that would be impossible to do for everyone  not enough workers and or etc.

If the slab you buy is NOT already signed, you can then crack it with no problem. If it IS signed, and then you crack it, all those sigs become unwitnessed. A facilitator has to crack signature series slabs.

If you're just buying a high grade blue label, want to meet the celeb or person to get signature, there is no reason not to crack it yourself, make a window bag, which is basically a bag and board from a comic that you cut the bag (do not have the book nor board in the bag when you cut it) part with a square where you want it signed then put the book and board back in the bag. That way the celeb or person doesn't have to handle your book, and you can just slide it in front of them talking without breaking stride in conversation, limits books handling damage

As for JSA, Witness, that is up to you, and I believe, despite runon sentences that I've described enough that you can use this as a template for questions with whatever facilitators attending. You'll feel more confident when asking them, and getting a feel for how they do it  

[mattn792]

For extra security, you can use two boards in a window bag, one of which you’ll use to cut a commensurate square with the one in the bag.  You can cut those at the same time with a razor blade.  

But like @ADAMANTIUM said, never cut with the book in the bag/board.  Definite unintended consequences would result.

[ADAMANTIUM]

Amen. I also meant to add that a facilitator will probably charge you $5 to crack a slab. Because they have to be the ones to crack a signature series slab, for blue labels they might still charge $5, just fyi, some don't or say they do but don't just depends.

Any signature series they will charge as it is what they get paid for

[wombat]

On 5/12/2024 at 9:58 AM, O Doyle Rules said:

I guess I am looking for someone to open the case for me professionally so as not to cause damage

There will never be a guarantee damage won't occur or a lower grade will be assigned. Its a risk you take.