CGG comics returned today (if anyone's still curious)

[Smokinghawk]

Decided to try them out because I'm curious, and the price is good. Got the books back today. Here are my observations:

 

1. The books took 3-4 days longer than stated turnaround time; still not bad.

 

2. The holder isn't rigid hard acrylic. It's thin (to the book surface) semi-rigid like those Ultra-Pro Toploaders, and it's apparently heat-sealed. The book is snug and secure, but still slightly subject to bending or impact pressure. It's still fine for selling, displaying, storing, etc.

 

3. The grading was MORE strict than I imagined. My USM's from Darth all came back 9.4 (including that White variant!), except my #2 at 9.2. But I had an ASM 36 (WTC) that came back 9.4 that I would SWEAR was 9.8. I mean, this had NO stress, no color breaks, no corner dings (not even that microscopic tuft of paper fibre where it's been cut), nothing. Not sure what they see that I can't.

 

4. On one book, they're just insane, sorry. I submitted a DD #1, signed (vol. 2) and it came back 7.5, VF-. And it's a clean, NEW book! It does indeed have some staple stress and corner impacts, but they cited "folded corner" (no corners are folded, merely abraded at no greater significance than any other clean new book), etc. The books oughtta be a 9.0, so a 7.5 stunned me. I thought maybe they discounted for the autograph on it, but my signed #2 came back 9.2. Maybe I'll post a scan, if there's interest.

 

5. Meanwhile, my VF ASM 121 came back accurate at VF 7.5. And side-by-side, it's clearly NOT in the same league as my clean, NM- DD #1. I have NO idea why they got mad at my DD.

 

 

Verdict: I'll probably use them again, especially for modern keys. But given the nature of the holder, I'd stick with CGC for Silver stuff (even though CGG will slab Silver) for bulletproof protection. So my ASM 238, 252, and a few others will probably go to them (CGG) eventually.

 

3PG, on the other hand, can't even maintain a website so they're out of the running unless things REALLY change soon. Any company that starts up and immediately goes on hiatus to "work out the kinks" gives a bad vibe.

 

[aardvark88]

Thanks for the update. Will still take any new 3rd party grading co. at least 1 year to be accepted by fandom. Need full pg. ads in comic/sports mags/pr guides, big booth at major comicons, acceptance by big live auction houses & their bidder clientele.

[Smokinghawk]

Thanks for the update. Will still take any new 3rd party grading co. at least 1 year to be accepted by fandom. Need full pg. ads in comic/sports mags/pr guides, big booth at major comicons, acceptance by big live auction houses & their bidder clientele.

 

Agreed. If they're waiting to be found by luck, it's not gonna work. And frankly, I kinda hope some competitor DOES become successful, although I was hoping it'd be with a comparable acrylic case.

 

[CosmicBob]

Decided to try them out because I'm curious, and the price is good. Got the books back today. Here are my observations:

 

4. On one book, they're just insane, sorry. I submitted a DD #1, signed (vol. 2) and it came back 7.5, VF-. And it's a clean, NEW book! It does indeed have some staple stress and corner impacts, but they cited "folded corner" (no corners are folded, merely abraded at no greater significance than any other clean new book), etc. The books oughtta be a 9.0, so a 7.5 stunned me. I thought maybe they discounted for the autograph on it, but my signed #2 came back 9.2. Maybe I'll post a scan, if there's interest.

 

I thought that CGG said that they don't do autographs and anything written on the book lowers the grade. They don't have a "Qualified" grade like CGC and so something scrawled on the cover would be a major defect.

 

Call them and ask! Maybe they will tell you.

[Smokinghawk]

Decided to try them out because I'm curious, and the price is good. Got the books back today. Here are my observations:

 

4. On one book, they're just insane, sorry. I submitted a DD #1, signed (vol. 2) and it came back 7.5, VF-. And it's a clean, NEW book! It does indeed have some staple stress and corner impacts, but they cited "folded corner" (no corners are folded, merely abraded at no greater significance than any other clean new book), etc. The books oughtta be a 9.0, so a 7.5 stunned me. I thought maybe they discounted for the autograph on it, but my signed #2 came back 9.2. Maybe I'll post a scan, if there's interest.

 

I thought that CGG said that they don't do autographs and anything written on the book lowers the grade. They don't have a "Qualified" grade like CGC and so something scrawled on the cover would be a major defect.

 

Call them and ask! Maybe they will tell you.

 

No, 3PG has an "anti-autograph" policy. CGG is fine with it, and my DD#2 signed got a 9.4. Neither will slab a restored book, though.

 

Come to think of it, though, my COA's weren't in the sleeves. I should check the USPS box again and make sure they returned them to me!

 

[CosmicBob]

No, 3PG has an "anti-autograph" policy. CGG is fine with it, and my DD#2 signed got a 9.4. Neither will slab a restored book, though.

 

Come to think of it, though, my COA's weren't in the sleeves. I should check the USPS box again and make sure they returned them to me!

 

I knew I read it on some new grading company site or the other. I just obviously didn't remember which one!

[dad-migration]

For a collector (as opposed to an investor), there is little difference

between a 10.0 and an 8.0. The 8.0 to 9.2's are the best buys.

 

I looked at some NEW comics on the rack the other day

at Borders. Most of them were probably 8.5's!

[sfilosa]

Now my question is, if CGG is stricter, why would I want to send books to them at this time/

 

1) I myself search for CGC books on eBay, so I won't pick up CGG.

2) Since 99.9999% of the people will have no idea that CGG is stricter, that just means less money for the seller. There is almost no doubt that a NM+ (9.6) CGC would get more than a NM (9.4) CGG, yet you are saying the books are the same.

 

Just don't get why you would send more books to them. You probably will lose any reduced grading fee, when it comes time to sell.

 

 

 

 

[fantastic_four]

For a collector (as opposed to an investor), there is little difference between a 10.0 and an 8.0.

 

It's not entirely that simple for all collectors. One of the reasons I collect high grade is because they're harder to find, which makes the collecting more challenging and take longer. When I decided to start going after high grade, I realized that with E-Bay, if I only went after books in mid-grade, I could be done with entire runs of comics within months, if not weeks. But if you only go after high grade, it can take years, if not decades (assuming you go after 9.4 and above only), to complete your collecting goals.

[sfilosa]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

For a collector (as opposed to an investor), there is little difference between a 10.0 and an 8.0.

 

 

I also disagree with this statement. Since I collect a lot of books for the "coolness" of the cover, certain flaws can completely ruin that "coolness" for me.

 

Slight fading of colors and loss of gloss, really hurt the look of the book for me.

 

I

[Smokinghawk]

I suppose stricter grading would entice more buyers, though (as long as the reputation gets out there). If there were a 9.4 CGC and 9.4 CGG Hulk 181 on Ebay simultaneously, chances are that the CGG would be a little better (if the strictness is consistent).

 

I was really hoping for a 9.6 on that USM White, and Darth agreed that he judged it at 9.6 as well. That slight .2 shade canbe costly, but 9.4 isn't unreasonable either.

 

 

[towards2112]

I recieved 8 books back a week or so ago. Seems the turnaround time

is slipping just a bit.

The grading IS TOUGHER. I had thought to compare the issues

of modern stuff to some CGC items I'd picked up, and after comparing

oranges to oranges, and apples to apples, I'd say that yes they are

about .2 tighter. Just this little comic dealers humble opinion

[Smokinghawk]

I recieved 8 books back a week or so ago. Seems the turnaround time

is slipping just a bit.

The grading IS TOUGHER. I had thought to compare the issues

of modern stuff to some CGC items I'd picked up, and after comparing

oranges to oranges, and apples to apples, I'd say that yes they are

about .2 tighter. Just this little comic dealers humble opinion

 

 

.2 is EXACTLY the increment I had determined, too. I can handle that except that it kills my USM White at 9.4, instead of the hundred-dollar more 9.6. I think I'll submit it to CGC and see the difference.

 

[garthgantu]

Keep us posted, 'Hawk! A side-by-side comparison of the same book would be most enlightening!

[sfilosa]

Now my question is, if CGG is stricter, why would I want to send books to them at this time/

 

1) I myself search for CGC books on eBay, so I won't pick up CGG.

2) Since 99.9999% of the people will have no idea that CGG is stricter, that just means less money for the seller. There is almost no doubt that a NM+ (9.6) CGC would get more than a NM (9.4) CGG, yet you are saying the books are the same.

 

Just don't get why you would send more books to them. You probably will lose any reduced grading fee, when it comes time to sell.

 

.2 is EXACTLY the increment I had determined, too. I can handle that except that it kills my USM White at 9.4, instead of the hundred-dollar more 9.6. I think I'll submit it to CGC and see the difference.

 

 

Isn't this what I said in the first quote, why CGG can't be stricter. Unless a huge amount of sellers want to be initially punished as people possibly learn that CGG is stricter (therefore a buyer should pay more for the same grade), I don't see any reason to use them at this time.

 

You have just paid a grading fee and now you have to pay another grading fee.

 

I'm not saying CGG shouldn't be stricter, I'm just saying they probably won't make it (from a profitablity standpoint) if they are stricter.

[Smokinghawk]

Yes, it's the point you made. I agree with it.

 

I think CGG should either try to match CGC's grading to be a true parallel alternative, or they should make it a prominent FEATURE in their publicity that they're stricter--and advertise the HELL out of it. If a stricter grade is going to cost sellers money (compare my USM white 9.4 to a 9.6 on Ebay), then they should give us somethnig back for it by advertising the strictness as a deliberate point to make our books more desired by buyers: "I'll pay X for a CGC 9.4, or X+Y for a CGG 9.4" or; "I'll pay X for either a CGC 9.4 OR a CGG 9.2".

 

Otherwise, I'm afraid you're right: a rep for strictness might enhance book sales if it's well-known, but if it's not then all it does is cost us .2 points on a high-grade book.

 

But for Bronze, Silver and Mid-grade, CGG is a great choice because the gading isn't going to vary so significantly like it would above a 9, and you can get it graded for $8 instead of $40 or whatever.

 

[towards2112]

My opinion may be out of the mainstream for most on this board,

with the exception of lighthouse. I have books graded for resale.

What is in my personal collection is not. That in it's self is a

totally another story, and I could fill up quite a few pages on

whether I should or shouldn't..... some days I'm all gung-ho to

package them up, ....then the next day....why would I want to

slab them up???......then I increase my Zoloft medication.

 

As to CGG becoming a trully via alternative to CGC, only time

will tell, and my crystal ball cracked years ago. Gareb Shamus

came to a Great Easterns show here in Houston back in the

late '80's [88 or 89 to the best of my memory], and was pitching

the idea of a new monthly comic price guide to all of us dealers

in the room. Ricky from Bedrock City, Glenn from Happy Trails,

John from Excalibur, and little old me had all set up, and were

having a pretty good show. Shamus was pitching, and absolutely

none of us at the time were of the opinion that he could actually

pull off his little 'Wizard' thing. Regardless of your opinion on the

magazine at large, you would have to admit he has indeed captured

the market on monthly price guide/comic news magazines.

I wish Bob Overstreet had stayed strictly with the Overstreet Monthly.

I actually found the magazine to be very valuable tool. Much more

than any incarnation of the Wiz. All hail BOB. Well,,,Gary too...

If the CGGroup keeps their game face on and doesn't expand too

quickly, and develops a superior reputation in the field of quality,

dedication to conservative grading, pricing, and quick turn around

times, I don't see a problem in their becoming a Pepsi to a Coke.

Of course, I also order 400 copies of Bloodstrike, so ...