Dealers willing to CGC inventory?

[clarkkentdds]

I'm not sure how to phrase this subject... Hopefully we can get some people to relate any experiences with the following....

 

Have you ever seen a HG unslabbed book on a dealer's website and requested the dealer to send it to CGC personally? You work out a deal with the seller. If it returns as the stated grade or higher, the book is priced higher, and you consequently are responsible to pay the increas. If it returns lower, the book is not sold....

 

This is an interesting scenario that I was considering on a high priced raw book. Thoughts?

[ft88]

Its a great way to ensure grading and restoration accuracy. I'd consider two things.

 

If its a long term trustworthy dealer you should offer to send in at least the cost of grading as a downpayment, if not 50% of value etc.

 

Also consider singular defects or low grade. If it were a Good- or a seperated cover, why bother sending it in. Maybe you call it a Good and he calls it a G/VG on a $5000 book but you could just post it on the boards and ask for a consensus. There might be a singular defect that some folks outright disagree with CGC. For the most part CGC is pretty good, but lets sat you think a VF can have a 1 inch back cover crease on a Silver Age book when CGC normally hammers something like that, I can understand not sending it in or agreeing to their grade yet still wanting VF prices.

 

Still, you always have to wonder about a book like X-men #1 being sold as a VF for guide. After all a CGC copy would get a premium so somthing is a miss.

 

Ed

[jkrk]

I'm not sure how to phrase this subject... Hopefully we can get some people to relate any experiences with the following....

 

Have you ever seen a HG unslabbed book on a dealer's website and requested the dealer to send it to CGC personally? You work out a deal with the seller. If it returns as the stated grade or higher, the book is priced higher, and you consequently are responsible to pay the increas. If it returns lower, the book is not sold....

 

This is an interesting scenario that I was considering on a high priced raw book. Thoughts?

 

 

I've tried that approach many times with no success. One seller was willing to bite but he priced the book well over the market. Here is the line I usually receive:

 

"I've been grading for years and I don't need CGC to tell me what the grade is!"

 

I've even offered the seller the opportunity to cancel the sale if he didn't like the grade.

 

My opinion is that a CGC graded book takes some price flexibility away from the raw seller since pricing is based on the posted grade. I suspect that most sellers want as much room to maneuver price when dealing with a customer.

[Ivanko]

I asked Metro to send a book directly to CGC even after I bought it, and they wouldn't. No reason was given.

[clarkkentdds]

Many people only collect CGC books now... (Especially high priced books.) I don't see why a dealer wouldn't agree to sending in a high priced book to CGC for a potential buyer with the agreement that the buyer would pay a percentage over the asking price if it receives that grade.

 

In this case, everyone wins. The dealer makes more on the CGC book. The buyer gets to add to his CGC collection. Unless it returns lower with a lower grade- then the sale doesn't go through.

 

I have considered this many times, but I've never requested this agreement. I was interested in what the dealers have to say about this scenario.

[agro23]

I think the most dealers won't do it for a simple reason: They don't want to feel shown up by CGC. Especially when CGC is often tighter than most people.

 

I just bought a Terrific Comics #4 from a dealer who had it raw at VG+ even though the staple had come through the front cover and there was a 1 1/2" spine split at the top. When I got it I made the offer and he said "send it back or keep it but you'll eat the CGC fee if you don't like the grade." In other words, I had to buy it first and CGC it myself (which I did).

 

Needless to say it's the nicest looking 2.5 I own right now. I haven't decided if I'm just going to eat the fee, crack it and return it although I probably should since we're talking hundreds of dollars of value lost when CGC decided it was a full 2 points lower than the dealer said it was.

 

(Funny side note: Andy Colman and Matt Nelson were standing there with me right before I submitted it at WonderCon and they both felt the book was at least a 3.0, but not a 4.5.)

 

[Crowzilla]

Wow - that Terrific got the same grade as the ugly Action #1 we always make fun of?

 

I guess the main thing in this instance is - are you happy with the book? You knew the defects (and I'm assuming didn't agree with the dealer's grade) and two other people disagreed also (and guessed higher), but the final value is based on what you are willing to pay for it and how happy you, not on whether or not CGC gives it a 2.5 or a 3.0 or a 3.5 (seems everyone agrees it wasn't a 4.5).

 

If this was advertised as a 3.0, and the dealer did as is suggested in this thread, then he possibly loses a sale because the book hit CGC on the wrong day (or after lunch, or whenever) and the dealer potentially loses a sale. Maybe on a resub it gets a 3.0 or even a 3.5 (or heck on a bad day maybe only a 2.0) and there-in lies the rub, Clark's original post stated that if the book came back lower then there is no sale and why would a dealer want to risk that it comes back .5 less because it was a bad day. We've all seen examples of books that get better (and worse) grades on resubs with nothing being done to them so no dealer can guarantee any CGC grade (but it is a great resto check).

[MrBedrock]

I'd be willing to give it a try if anyone sees something on my web-site of interest.

www.bedrockcity.com

[Comicdey]

Mr. Bedrock has plenty of goodies...ClarkKentdds should take you upon this one.

[agro23]

I guess the main thing in this instance is - are you happy with the book?

I'm happy with the book, not the grade. I think CGC missed on this one for sure. I have yet to get the grader's notes which I should do tomorrow. I knew what the book was like and I was hoping for a 3.5 or 3.0 at worst. If I had paid a 3.0 price for it I'd even just shrug at the .5 difference. But 2 full points is screwy. I'm just going to have to crack it for later resub. Maybe I'll have a dealer do it for me. The main reason I CGC them anyway is for the slab to act as a frame. That and it protects the value for the future.

 

Getting back to the original point, the guy would not have lost a sale but I would have asked for money off the price. To some that amounts to the same thing. But it was either take a chance on this deal or pay another $699 for the 4.5 that popscomicbooks had on ebay.

[mr.schomburg]

I say slap that puppy in a mylar, or keep in the slab. Doesn't really matter, If you love the book. I seam to remember you were very excited to get this book, with good reason, a great book with pretty nice eye appeal. I believe CGC missed the grade from your discription and scan, but as long as you know that it doesn't matter. You got the resto check, and you know the grade...I think its a strong 3.0 with a case to be made for a 3.5 as long as staple is still attatched securely. It has the look of a 4.0 to 4.5 but with 1 1/2 inch spine split it can't even go 4.0 according to Overstreet which has been the standard for 30 years. CGC is not perfect and neither are us collectors, they miss the boat sometimes and that can go either way as we saw with the Action 1, 2.5 ya right! We all know that no one here would call it a 2.5, so buy the book not the slab.

I have a graded TOS 39 looks solid 7.0, but came back a 4.5 (rusty staples) I was hoping since it was so nice other than the staples I would get a 5.0 to 5.5, but if you look up Overstreet rust with minor bleeding cant go over 4.0, I assume I got a bump cause its overall nice condition.

I guess what I am saying is you said you would be happy if it came back a 3.0, prefered a 3.5.....well CGC might not think so, but I and I bet many would think it is at least a 3.0.

 

Terrific Book

[Pirate]

it's just like spending $50 to have a used car looked by a mechanic before you buy it from the dealer. It might look good, sound good, but until they hook it up to the machine you never know.

[Bullet123]

I'd be willing to give it a try if anyone sees something on my web-site of interest.

www.bedrockcity.com

 

OK lets try one FC 199 Sheriff of Bullet Valley raw 8.0 listed at $750 comes back CGC 8.0

[Bullet123]

I'd be willing to give it a try if anyone sees something on my web-site of interest.

www.bedrockcity.com

 

And because I like a dealer who puts his money where his mouth is

 

Tarzans Jungle World Dell Giant #25 CGC graded 9.4 $300

[clarkkentdds]

I trust most dealers. I trust most CGC grades... But when you are spending several thousand dollars on a HG book, I need a little reassurance. I have lost too many dollars on 7.5s advertised as NMs when it comes time to sell. It's just a gamble that I don't do anymore, so I only buy CGC now.

 

I think more dealers have lost out on potential sales in refusing to not try this. (As long as the seller agrees to pay more if the book is certified at or above the grade stated.)

 

BTW- I have bought with Rick Evans since the mid 90s. His stuff I had graded at CGC was spot on. (Which I agreed with prior to grading anyways.) And I made a tidy profit. With other dealers, I have not been so lucky.

[Bullet123]

I trust most dealers. I trust most CGC grades... But when you are spending several thousand dollars on a HG book, I need a little reassurance. I have lost too many dollars on 7.5s advertised as NMs when it comes time to sell. It's just a gamble that I don't do anymore, so I only buy CGC now.

 

I think more dealers have lost out on potential sales in refusing to not try this. (As long as the seller agrees to pay more if the book is certified at or above the grade stated.)

 

BTW- I have bought with Rick Evans since the mid 90s. His stuff I had graded at CGC was spot on. (Which I agreed with prior to grading anyways.) And I made a tidy profit. With other dealers, I have not been so lucky.

 

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I do not care what Dealer A grades the book, because if I go to sell it 1,5, or 20 years from now, what CGC grades it will determine what its value at that time will be. In the high grade world in which I play, it is essential to know that when I buy a universally accepted CGC 9.4, that when I sell it it is still a universally accepted 9.4.

[Aman619]

I trust most dealers. I trust most CGC grades... But when you are spending several thousand dollars on a HG book, I need a little reassurance. I have lost too many dollars on 7.5s advertised as NMs when it comes time to sell. It's just a gamble that I don't do anymore, so I only buy CGC now.

 

I think more dealers have lost out on potential sales in refusing to not try this. (As long as the seller agrees to pay more if the book is certified at or above the grade stated.)

 

BTW- I have bought with Rick Evans since the mid 90s. His stuff I had graded at CGC was spot on. (Which I agreed with prior to grading anyways.) And I made a tidy profit. With other dealers, I have not been so lucky.

 

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I do not care what Dealer A grades the book, because if I go to sell it 1,5, or 20 years from now, what CGC grades it will determine what its value at that time will be. In the high grade world in which I play, it is essential to know that when I buy a universally accepted CGC 9.4, that when I sell it it is still a universally accepted 9.4.

 

thats the issue in a nutshell. One dealer's opinion is just no longer the standard. In fact they are all now perhaps "rogue" and/or biased grade opinions. Until such time as CGCs grade opinion is just "another opinion" no more trusted than any other, I'd go with CGC because of the certainty in selling.

 

But one could also leave the book raw or take it out after slabbing, and consign it back to the same dealer one day since he/they have the "ability" to sell overgraded books at inflated prices (meaning, they still have the cachet in the hobby to sell raw HG books successfully). Assuming they and their selling skills are still around that is.

[MrBedrock]

I'd be willing to give it a try if anyone sees something on my web-site of interest.

www.bedrockcity.com

 

OK lets try one FC 199 Sheriff of Bullet Valley raw 8.0 listed at $750 comes back CGC 8.0

 

The experiment has begun. Will get back to you in a few weeks with the results!

[Pirate]

I'd be willing to give it a try if anyone sees something on my web-site of interest.

www.bedrockcity.com

 

OK lets try one FC 199 Sheriff of Bullet Valley raw 8.0 listed at $750 comes back CGC 8.0

 

The experiment has begun. Will get back to you in a few weeks with the results!

[Shield]

I'd be willing to give it a try if anyone sees something on my web-site of interest.

www.bedrockcity.com

 

OK lets try one FC 199 Sheriff of Bullet Valley raw 8.0 listed at $750 comes back CGC 8.0

 

The experiment has begun. Will get back to you in a few weeks with the results!

 

Wait, I have one more book for you to send.

 

Zip 24 VF-. If it comes back an unrestored 7.5 (or better) I'll take it too!