CGC Labelling

[bitman2]

Just thought I would get a little discussion going on what is generally thought of the CGC labelling system(especially in regards to the dreaded "Purple Label".

 

Personally I do not like the current system, Golden Age restored books are stigmitized WAY beyond what they should be. Books that have very minor work have received this purple KISS OF DEATH. At a recent show I had a conversation with a Collector who had a small run of Very Nice Detectives. 42-59.

All were in the VF range CGC graded. One of the books however was VF+ with Minor restoration.(minor color touch.) This collector said he loved the book but did not like the way the Purple Label stuck out among all the Blue labels,and was going to get rid of it for that reason.(I have seen books with similiar work get the Blue label.)

 

To me it seems a better system would be for 1 label color(blue) but with any Restoration or Qualified notes listed on the label.

 

 

Lets hear what the Forum thinks.

[THE_BEYONDER]

I think most people here on the forum will agree with you about only having a single BLUE label(that lists any/all defects). The purple and green labels are just terrible....

[PovertyRow]

To me it seems a better system would be for 1 label color(blue) but with any Restoration or Qualified notes listed on the label.

 

I have often expressed this view here as well, but am just starting to revise it a bit. I am curious if blue IS the color to go with for an all-inclusive label color. Right now Blue generally means no restoration or qualification (generally). If they started adding qualified and restroed to the Blue labels confusion and potential internet scamming could occur.

 

A more radical approach would be to come up with a completely new color for future books. They did this already when they dropped the Modern Red label andshifted to the blue for Moderns.

 

In any event, the different labels really should go. CGC states they are not trying to influence the market, but these different color labels are doing just that.

[BachelorOfComix]

I love the purple label discrimination. I get to buy quality books at a mere fraction of the unrestored cost. Keep the purple label!

[dam60]

IMO, all books should have a grade (ie NM+ 9.6) and then a restoration grade comprised of a letter and a number (A 1) (Amateur 1 (ie - slight resto). Different types and combos of resto would be factored in to get a scale of 1 to 10 with either A or P - Amateur or Professional.

 

DAM

[PovertyRow]

I get to buy quality books at a mere fraction of the unrestored cost.

 

Then again, there IS that!

[aardvark88]

a restoration grade comprised of a letter and a number (A 1) (Amateur 1 (ie - slight resto).

Excellent idea except I would use P1 pro clean & press up to A 10 Amateur heavy resto/repainted chunks, etc.

[lou_fine]

I think that it's about time that Steve B. and the boys at CGC give some serious thought to this purple label concept. I strongly believe that they have inadvertenly and SINGLEHANDELY managed to come up with a system which has destroyed a significant part of the Golden-Age market. This near total devastation of the restored comic book market will continue until CGC finally acknowledges their mistake by coming up with an one-colour label system utilizing the current grading system IN COMBINATION with a new restoration rating system.

 

On the other hand, maybe we should be careful with what we say here. CGC may go the other way and decide to expand the dreaded purple label to any books which grades lower than 9.4. Although this may sound silly, this is exactly what they have managed to do to the restored books.

[fantastic_four]

I think that it's about time that Steve B. and the boys at CGC give some serious thought to this purple label concept. I strongly believe that they have inadvertenly and SINGLEHANDELY managed to come up with a system which has destroyed a significant part of the Golden-Age market. This near total devastation of the restored comic book market will continue until CGC finally acknowledges their mistake by coming up with an one-colour label system utilizing the current grading system IN COMBINATION with a new restoration rating system.

 

You're wrong in saying CGC "singlehandedly" destroyed the market for restored comics. That market has been going downhill for a decade or more. Stamp and coin collectors have told me that their hobbies also experienced a period of extremely depressed prices for restored items, but that after the market had a decade or two to educate itself, the prices eventually recovered. CGC didn't destroy the restored comics market...greedy sellers who don't disclose restoration did.

 

I do agree that the purple label does propagate collector misconceptions about restored comics, and a single label color with a restoration rating is definitely a good idea. I wonder if CGC is going to keep using purple when they change the label to the new style they're about to implement? I don't remember hearing that addressed in those articles on Scoop and in the Comics Buyer's Guide.

[Smokinghawk]

I love the purple label discrimination. I get to buy quality books at a mere fraction of the unrestored cost. Keep the purple label!

 

Agreed (not about the label, but about loving restored books for a fraction of cost. how else could I get a NM Amazing Fantasy 15 for a price I can afford?).

 

 

[DiceX]

I totally agree.

Keep the different colored labels.

It makes for cheaper Gold and Silver books.

One day in the future, when all those unrestored books have rotted and turned to dust, the guys that bought the restored books will still have a beautiful collection.

And for a fraction of the price all the dust books were.

[Aman619]

not all those restored book shave been deacidified...so theyll rot away just like the rest of em when their time comes, all that will be left will shiny new staples and bits of marker and paint!