Collecting and Certifying Valuable Comic Books

[Comickid1000]

It's funny, whenever one of my friends try to sell a comic, they might raise it from vf to nm or nm to m, yet when they are buying, they start saying that the comic being sold has been horribly exxagerated in price

[SUPERTHOMASLOGON]

I HAVE PURCHASED SOME ON EBAY SELLER SAID NM/MT CAME IN MAIL LIKE FINE TO VF/NM WAY OFF, MOST PEOPLE DO NOT HOW TO GRADE COMICS CONSISTENTLY , WE KNOW GRADINGS ARE SUBJECTIVE, BUT GRADES SHOULD NOT BE OFF LIKE MORE THAN TWO FULL GRADES.

[Hoshang2]

The ponytail guy seems like an arrogant asshole

[chromiumcomics]

@Hoshang2 Not at all...that's Steve Borock who is one of the nicest, kindest people in the hobby. He knows more about comics than probably anybody out there and is always ready and willing to help a novice collector.

[3443bh]

Great video. Thank you for the explanation. Now, I'm ready to submit my comics.

[whyeff21]

Whats the difference between Blue and Yellow CGC Labels and the tinted color of the cases themselves. (ie some cases are clear, some are blue tinted)

[MadeAugust18th]

awesome i need to do this, ya hear me?

[ThePatheticClub]

Thanks Pete!

[drmrls1]

This is very interesting. Great info.

[5STRGenaral323]

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[dolfangirl1]

Attics are bad for comics?...I've had 1/2

my collection in my attic & have'nt noticed

any damage. Maybe it depends where you live.

[cha5]

I keep about eight boxes of Golden Age in airtight Mylar and Archival acid free boxes in a closet, you just want to be sure that vintage comics are kept in a cool spot with no bugs or any exposure to water or light,

I've had no damage to them yet and have had them there for nearly 15 years now just taking them out to read every now and then, I haven't slabbed a single one of them and don't plan to.

[Hoshang2]

@cha5 whats slabbing?

[cha5]

@Hoshang2 "Slabbing" is a term for what the CGC does to comics when they grade them, basically sealing them in a plastic holder like what you see on this video.

Just for myself it doesn't appeal to me all that much mainly because I like to read my back issues and I'm not obsessive about keeping them sealed away like when I had Joe Kubert sign my copy of Flash Comics 62 (his first Hawkman story) and Al Jaffee sign my Krazy Komics 5 at the last NYCC a few days ago.

[doggiedaddy15]

Hey, Didn't this guy just say that he knew where a couple of his graded books went? How is that anonymous? Does anybody really belive that "blind grading" exists? With so much money at stake, it seems to me that the biggest players will get the "kindest" treatment for thier books.

[Goldfrosty21]

I love comics ! But having a comic in a hard plastic cover well, I love cover's, but,I like to look at the comic, Well when you look at it it take's away value.I know and you know it. But, I have agood idea for you Steven & paul, Make a reading DVd . So now you slid it in the dvd player and read the comic. I think this is a Great marketing idea for you all-so. P.S. just remember the frost man. bye!

[maskedcode]

Remember, the CGC slab is not only for protection (a double bagged, double boarded book will be protected just fine) It's to ensure the buyer that the book is in the same condition as it was when it was graded. (barring sunlight issues). If you want to read a book, go and buy a second copy. Read that one and slab the other one. Graded books are for collectors who enjoy owning a book in a condition that is rare. There are millions of copies of any given comic, but only a handfull of 9.8's.

[maskedcode]

Graded books help ensure that most of the time I get what I am looking for. Sure as a seller you may be able to grade books just as good, but as a buyer i can't trust a sellers opinion as his motivation is to sell the book. I need someone who is not involved in our transaction to give an honest opinion, to the best of their ability, on the condition of the book. Grading is subjective, & i've opened a few CGC slabs and did not agree with the grade. But I'd trust a 3rd party over a seller.

[moledar]

I think having your more valuable comics graded would be an excellent way to preserve their condition and determine their value for insuring purposes. If you want to read those ones, buy warn out "reading copies" or reprints.

[bigfnevil]

cgc are a scam.........we,ve been dealing & grading comics for over 20 years....anyone in the "know" dealers & collectors included.....will tell you cgc are poor graders at best.......put your comics in a mylar or mylite with an acid free board....they perserve the book & look great....when buying a book....if you can,t open it & enjoy it...why buy it........for all you know it may contain a nice cover with an old archie inside......think about it

[786hanif]

weird

[locusmortis]

Comic books are meant to read and enjoyed.

Not sealed away in a plastic tomb never to be read again.

[JoeChrisMorris]

Interesting post actually - thanks for putting it up

A grade is subjective however.. like how the two collaborate to check with each other on each comic

[MSDTS]

So, these are the "gods" that would determine the grade of my comics,huh?

[JoeChrisMorris]

LOL!

well, fanboys actually!

[GatewayAntiques]

Great information!

[ryjafri]

I have a question and if someone can answer it that'd be great. I have a copy of X Men 6 from 1964. I want to get it graded by CGC, however at their website they say their is some fee of member registration of $100.00, not including grading an actual comic.

So what is this I hear about sending in some books to CGC via USPS or whatever. Is there a way to just send it to CGC and pay a grading and shipping fee? please let me know.

[thegreatestyankeefan]

just join u cheap bastard

[Animalvader1]

Drop the book off at your local comic shop, or take it to a con where they have a booth set up. Someone posted a video on here that shows how to send the book in with printable submission forms from his comic shops web page, but the only way you can mail them in directly with out a third party is by paying the fee (that I know of). Dropping them off at a con is still the best though, and cheaper too because you only pay shipping one way.

[cha5]

I went by the CGC booth at last years NY Comic-Con just because I was curious to see if they what it would cost to slab my copy of Adventure Comics 76

(classic Simon&Kirby Sandman) which I had signed by both Neil Gaiman on the backingboard and Joe Simon on the comic itself, CGC would have had to have gotten to get the signatures verified or something like that,

Ah well I would never get any book of mine slabbed anyways because it takes away the joy of being able to read it.

[xXxZOMBIExXxxx]

take it to your local comic shop and have them do it.

[ppg07863]

yeah I can't believe that Marvel and DC Superheros are soo old now. Comics have been around when I was a baby ^_^ I did not know super heros till I was 8 or 10yrs old like in 1995ish. It was before the big Pokemon craze took over the Comic pride. Wow next year comics will be 20yrs old ^_^ 2008-1989 wow! I have a few batman comics. just got started this weekend. I found 2 comic shops in NYC. Forbidden Comics & Midtown Comics. Wow. I love batman ^_^

[thegreatestyankeefan]

there is a great shop on park and 42

[JoeChrisMorris]

Midtown Comics ?

Thats near the Port

[ClearSkyOpening]

Heres and interesting idea, If you get your comic books graded, and if the cases are not air tight, then why not put the cgc graded cased in one of those air tight bags that are able to get the air sucked out of them? Can someone please verify if this would increase archival quality?

[kingsman1288]

Sounds like an interesting theory...but CGC recommends you get your books re-slabbed every seven years to replace the micro chamber paper that is inside.

[jladstorey]

I actually know Steve Borock. He's probably the nicest person you will ever meet. At first I was skeptical about CGC and what they were trying to do. I assumed there was favortism amongst the bigger companies (wizard universe, etc). But after talking to him and getting a better understanding of what he was trying to do, I now understand the importance of CGC. When you deal with a person like Steve, you're talking about a person with great character. He is a man of his word!

[JAREDNINEJ9]

this video great pulp secret rules

[rivendellranger]

hmm...i think its time we all boycott cgc, pgx, because alot of people arent rich like them and they buy cgc comics, the houses they live in arent kept at a constant temp.. hence, the book will deteriorate and someone will get madly ripped off in future.. i think that one fact alone, is reason to boycott this business...unlesss, they can somehow protect it in a normal home where temps do fluctuate

[zoltanf72]

It's a really good video. I wish to subscribe but I don't know how.!

[ushunter40]

Oh yea, I also forgot to mention, that if you don't live close to them in Florida, you have to send it "registered" mail (not just insured, but actually REGISTERED mail. A little more expensive. Whether or not it is worth it to do, is ultimately up to the owner of the comic. SOme say after grading, the value goes up, others say it doesn't. Only problem: Once graded, some dealers/collectors think the book then is worth GOLD and ask an astronomical price, just because it got graded. Use OVERSTREET

[BradleyTimes2]

It's *recommended* you send your books to CGC registered, but it is not required. Plenty of people send their comics to CGC in Priority boxes or by UPS.

[Burznersflocken]

oh damn my stepbrother's comics are in a storage building in Texas heat, They are all likely ruined by now because they have been there for years. :D

[daddyphatsack]

ponytails in the year 2008......lol

[chuckpoo33]

As a comic book collector like myself, does it cost money to send my comic in to get graded? if so how much?

[ushunter40]

Yes it costs money. I've had several graded by these guys. How much it costs depends of the "fair market value" of the book it self. For instance, a Spiderman #1 in 8.5 condition, will cost you around 10% of the valuse of that book at that grade, but a newer book will usually just run you around $25.00 to have graded. (Was that valuse when I had mine done. Hoope this helped.

[hopefulsemblance]

Wow. This is really in interesting video.

Kudos for putting it up.

I'm genuinely probably going to give these guys my business.

[ohmshalone]

too bad comics lost their value when scans started

[bbrad19]

I have zombies feast #1 by IDW it got a CGC

rating of 9.8, I should do it.

[gallagtor]

Even if you take excellent care of your comics, the grade of your sealed up CGC books can still change. Ten years from now when you decide to sell it, the grade will likely be lower than when you had originally "mummified" it. They're not air tight. The cost of a CGC comic is unbelievably higher than the same thing without the plastic tomb around it. I just don't understand the hype that CGC is getting.

[Hexy69]

I agree. It seems like a bit of a scam to make comics more valuable and it started right at the end of the worst time in comic history. Ongoing sales and back issue sales, which has never recovered from the 90's brought about a new way to make comics collectable and valuable again.

[anvilofcrom]

I agree with you, I have one CGC comic but I can't imagine having large numbers of them. I like to take my books out of the mylar and read them...even the valuable ones...shock horror!

[hombrearena]

The point is that even honest sellers overgrade horribly, especially on ebay. For items where the difference between F/VF and VF- is hundreds of dollars, it's well worth having the third party grade and seal!

[swmr4201]

I wish I hadn't thrown away that All-American (lol), just kidding!

[ImperiusRex]

Maybe if I had a valuable comic.

[hiroxprima]

awesome!

[hiroxprima]

awesome!

[garishyellowshirt]

Awesome! Instant favourite.