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When Do You Slab?

Started by rob_allan,

33 posts in this topic

rob_allan

rob_allan

Posted
Posted

oK So key issues get slabbed alot. The reasons for doing this can be fairly obvious. But I'd like to find out when/why we slab our non-keys. I've listed 1 GA book, 1 SA book, and 1 Modern book. All perfectly nice books, with popular charcters. None of them "key" issues, though. Let's assume we have copies of each book in VG,F,F+,VF,VF+,NM-,NM,NM+ . Tell me which books in which of those conditions you would slab for which reason. Because I'll be honest, sometimes I have no idea if I should slab a book or not. Sometimes I have no clue why I want to. And sometimes I can't figure out why I don't want to!

 

Situations

 

1. Personal Collecting

2. For Sale

3. Curious About the Grade

4. For Fun!?

 

Books

 

1. Amazing Spider-Man 303 [Modern]

2. Green Lantern (60s) 68 [sA]

3. Whiz Comics 70 [GA]

 

 

Here are my answers so we can get started.

 

1. Amazing Spider-Man 303 [Modern]

I wouldn't slab this book for any of the above reasons. I just don't see the point. Anyone disagree? Can anyone change my mind?

2. Green Lantern 68 [sA]

The only reason I'd slab this is for sales. And I don't think I'd make enough in additional money in any condition to justify that. What do you all think? Maybe if it's a 9.8?

3. Whiz Comics 70 [GA]

I would slab this for any of the reasons above. I can't grade GA comics for some reason. Maybe because they're so much bigger flaws look smaller. There's less than 10 on the census so I assume it'd boost sales regardless of condition. But, I'm not sure about that. What do you think?

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rob_allan

rob_allan

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Wow -- two polar opposite answers. VERY interesting.

 

nik-- if you have a sec, do you slab all 3 of those books regardless of condition? And just, in general, do you slab all your books?

 

shad-- your general feeling, I take it, is that grading is inaccurate and hence not valuable?

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Comicdey

Comicdey

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I slab to sell (rarely), and pretty much only if the cost of slabbing is more than offset by the price I can get for the book. The other time is for SS books that I keep and don't sell.

 

If I slabbed my entire collection for giggles and grins, I'd be in the poor house, and my comics would fill every room.

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nik

nik

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I know the Spidey I would not, the GL if I thought it would grade 9.2 or better I would, and cant help you on GA,

 

and hell no I dont slab all my books. I have slabbed alot in the past, have been pretty soft in sending books in over the last 6 months.

 

I have sold a few really sweet books slabbed that I know I would have not if I kept them raw tonofbricks.gif

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lizards2

lizards2

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I agree, that is a very gay avatar . . . 27_laughing.gif

 

Unspoken by me, but yes, the same reaction I do have...,

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rob_allan

rob_allan

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Alright, I went with a classic TOS Captain America.

 

You guys should be glad you never saw my LiveJournal icon. (Well, KevinBoyd did.) It's a big laughing Tom Cruise. Reportedly, vis-a-vis my wife, it's actually worse than dancing Spider-Man! EGAD!

 

=)

 

lol

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shadroch

shadroch

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Wow -- two polar opposite answers. VERY interesting.

 

nik-- if you have a sec, do you slab all 3 of those books regardless of condition? And just, in general, do you slab all your books?

 

shad-- your general feeling, I take it, is that grading is inaccurate and hence not valuable?

 

Rob,

it sounds like you are pretty new to the slabbing game. I suggest you do a bit of research into it before trying to assume others feelings.Read up on how books go from green label 6.0s to blue label 9.0s,or how books get reslabbed and jump two points on the grading scale.

Its all here,on these very forums.

An educated consumer is the best consumer. hi.gif

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jbud73

jbud73

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From the collector's point of view, I always viewed it as slab to sell where the utility of the cost of slabbing is justified in the net $$$ of the slabbed to raw book.

 

I will also send stuff in if I'm curious how CGC scores certain defects, in this case I am seeking a secondary opinion to supplement my own.

 

Under this rationale, there are maybe 10 modern books I'd consider slab worthy - increasing downwards through BA, SA AA and GA.

 

This does not mean I don't buy slabbed books, I do - however I prefer raw, as the premium currently tied by most sellers to their slabbed material is not the same for me given the fact that I can usually find it cheaper in the same condition RAW from a reputable dealer. Of course this luxury comes from years of exposure to both comic books and dealers themselves.

 

The answer to your question is that there is no hard and fast absolute rule, everyone brings different criteria with them to every instance, or comic in question. For example, I like buying slabbed Pedigree Books, I think the label notation adds to the provenance and is a nice log of the pedigree. HOWEVER, I crack the Pedigree's I buy slabbed and would NEVER slab a Pedigree myself because I feel that Peds should be enjoyed Raw for the prime colors, inks gloss and page quality they attribute - things that cannot be fully appreciated in a plastic coffin. This is further muddled as the CGC label Pedigree designation had been demonstrated to be For Sale - that is you can garner a Designation without market acceptance and, or historical backing.

 

With all this in mind, the slab is a tool / product in the comic marketplace, as such is usage is totally independent of the individual who seeks to avail themselves the that particular service.

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TiQuinn

TiQuinn

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Rob,

it sounds like you are pretty new to the slabbing game. I suggest you do a bit of research into it before trying to assume others feelings.Read up on how books go from green label 6.0s to blue label 9.0s,or how books get reslabbed and jump two points on the grading scale.

Its all here,on these very forums.

An educated consumer is the best consumer. hi.gif

 

So, in other words, he assumed correctly. smirk.gif

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Monstro

Monstro

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Posted

i haven’t sent anything in yet to be slabbed. for one i'm afraid it will come back as a plod or that it will come back with a much lower grade then i thought, in witch case i would probably break it out so it would just be a waste of money.

 

one question i have is do most of you guy’s send them in directly your selves or do you go through a dealer? and that are the advantages of that?

 

i did just purchase a conan #7 cgc 9.2 for 20 bucks on eBay. i’m pretty sure i’m gonna break it out. but that fact that a 9.2 sold for such a low dollar amount tells me that anything bellow a 9.4 is not worth slabbing. And hell I can’t really tell the difference between a 9.2 and a 9.4

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goldust40

goldust40

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Posted
i did just purchase a conan #7 cgc 9.2 for 20 bucks on eBay. i’m pretty sure i’m gonna break it out. but that fact that a 9.2 sold for such a low dollar amount tells me that anything bellow a 9.4 is not worth slabbing.

 

Obviously that would depend on the book - in the case of Conan, with the possible exception of issues 1 and 3, you'd be correct, as that title in high grade is extremely common, even in 9.2. That rule certainly wouldn't apply to most pre-1965 books, though.

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