We as customers have to stop looking down at 9.6, 9.4 etc. We put 9.8 on this massive pedestal it's crazy to think about. Let's be honest the only bad looking thing on a 9.6 most of the time is just that it's not a 9.8
Absolutely agree - especially when it comes to non-modern books. Before CGC caught on, we used Overstreet and from what I remember, they typically graded books no higher than NM-. I've met a lot of older collectors who are perfectly happy with 9.2's (or better of course if the price is reasonable). These are collectors, though, not people who are flipping or investing.
I’m new to the CGC slabbed books and I only have 4. I have hulk 340 in a 7.0, Static in an 8.0, marvel team up 141 in a 9.2 and spiderboy’s first appearance in a 9.8. I won’t be one of those 9.8 chasers. For me it’s the love of the book and just owning it. Thanks for sharing that Bry always awesome stuff.
After starting to get back into comics I made a rookie mistake of buying a modern 9.6 slab. And to make it worse, I didn't realize that shipping was 18 dollars on it. But you know what, I like the book and it looks good, so it will be a nice souvenir and reminder to be careful.
I have an Ultimate Spiderman #1 signed by Mark Bagley and Stan Lee and since CGC did not witnessed them, I took the book to CBCS and they verified the signatures and I got my yellow label. For me was more about preserving the book and the signatures I had collected.
Good perspective here for many collectors I think. It’s a tough thing when you submit modern and get that dreaded 9.6. Someone below already said it, you really can’t tell the difference once it’s in the case other than the number.
Love these type of videos. Improved my insight. You’re right, sometimes the niche books scenario works as the buyer if you might be into kirky rare books that may not be in high demand. But I certainly appreciate the sellers who carry that random rare book I might want.
To me the grade doesn't really matter much, it's the artwork that matters because it's something I put on display, with no intention to sell. But even more important to me is the attachment to the comic itself. The first Hobgoblin is one thats on my bucket list, because I remember my parents giving it to me as a kid and being in awe of that front page art (dont have that copy anymore sadly). And the first Puma cover too, just to mention another. And that one is just because I loved the villain so much, and remember reading the comic also as a kid and I belive Peter revealed his identity as Spiderman to Mary Jane at the end of that issue. But I dont have to have those in near mint or anything, although I wouldnt mind though😉😊
For me slabbed exclusive variants sell really really slow unless I price them third of FMV. Of course selling from my booth at antique mall. Not online so there u go. Raw keys sell if under FMV. Non key stuff sells for $3-6. War books have been picking up. Westerns still slow. Also books I mark free go pretty fast. I hide them within boxes so anyone that goes thru everything will find them. I do get people that come just to find silver age dc. Super hero and non super hero. One guy comes just to find tomahawk cause it makes him happy. Which makes me happy. PS Bry u are just a pup!!!! But everyone needs a nap!!! Jess
Great video. I've taken off most of the year from collecting because of life stuff, but getting back into it and your videos continue to be among the best out there.
I always find that the best approach to sell harder to move items is to bundle them and slightly discount the bundle. That way you may get asking price for 2 out of 3 of the books but one book you are taking a discount on. Either way you end up saving a bit on the shipping so maybe that helps a bit.
I'd love a video on how to acquire collections if you haven't created one already. I've been a collector for years and would like to get more into selling but really don't know how to start in acquiring books to sell.
Thank you for information. I am learning these lessons myself the hard way. I am looking at my bronze age Red Sonja #1 in an 8.0 wondering if I can sell it for more than it costs to grade. I shouldn’t have had this book slabbed.
My collection is solely built up of things I think look cool. I'm not a key book collector just for the sake of it. I really don't like the cover for ASM #300 or Edge Of Spiderverse #2 for example, so I'm really not bothered if I never own them. But I will go out my way to find the best example of a cover I actually like. At the end of the day it's my collection so why would I fill it with books that everyone else likes? 🤷🏻♂️
Very good points Bry and things to consider if you are planning to become a comic book investor. I recently shifted in what I collect and started to take your comments into consideration into my collection.
Good insight, I don’t mind my 9.6 of a book I really enjoy, UNLESS sellers price it closer to 9.8 prices. Too many folks trying to up sell at the higher graded prices
Straight facts, Bry! This is great stuff, as always and should be something everyone thinks about every so often. I also think we need to break our crack-like addiction to the 9.8. In reality, there's very very little that separates a 9.6 from even a 9.9, so either CGC needs to start getting more 9.9s out there, or the market needs to place a little more value in the 9.6. There's no way in my mind that the price gap between 9.6 - 9.8 should be as big as it is. There's no real reason for it when either grade can be resubmitted and come back with a different result. I know "the market decides" is the mantra and supply & demand rules everything but man, the addiction we have for 9.8, especially for modern is just crazy to me.
HaHa, when you get to be my age......I am enjoying my grandkids...and my avocado trees....and little by little getting some silver age marvel issues that I used to by at market in the 60s and 70s. I did enjoy your video! Have a good day.
That’s literally the only reason why I don’t really buy cbcs, is because I always think about the resell value in the books. It’s not that I even want to sell my slabs, it’s like you said just the fact that I might have to one day. Also CGC labels just look so much cleaner 🤣maybe I’m just brainwashed to think that.
The issue that I see is that there are people who look at the book think it’s in great shape. Send it out to get read it without considering what the title or issue number of the book is. Just because it’s high grade doesn’t mean it’s desirable. Take a lot of the 80s Alpha flight books. I can’t give mine away. They’re just too many of them in high grade. It doesn’t matter if it’s CBCS or CGC.
Yup. A 20% discount means you pay 80% of the original price. Applying a 20% discount twice in succession means you pay 80% of 80% of the original price, which is 64% of the original price, which is a 36% discount off the original price. So, a little less than a 40% discount.
I think you hit all the points exactly the non 9.8 modern is definitely gonna be a hard sell the sig series cbcs over to cgc is definitely another and the non keys definitely.The marvel vs dc factor I’m iffy on but again great point.Keep it coming Bry 🙌🙌🤙
I only buy non key issues that are not 9.8 if they are trade dress or virgin variants. Unfortunately the money is wrapped up in keys and some non keys for artwork. At least for modern books.
Thanks for another valuable lesson professor. CGC has brilliantly created the “mindset” monopoly. Collectors have been “influenced” to value CGC over CBCS at a rate of about 20%? 😳 Keep grinding bro!✌️
The higher the grade the better but way better deals generally 9.6 and below and for bigger keys I’m not gonna pay generally for that 9.8 but I’ll pop for a lower grade grail anytime if it’s a good deal
Great points, which adds another difficulty to collecting comics. I find getting modern 9.8s difficult as most comics come with spine ticks and cover waves.
Isn't there a possibility that at some point CBCS reaches parity with CGC as far as resale? Since it's really all a mindset anyway, younger/newer collectors like me who love CBCS and keep using them could sway the market.
Good analysis, but this begs the question-how can you pay 60% for colllections of slabbed books & make a decent profit? Been watching your channel for a while, and know you burn thru collections quickly as you can via mystery boxes and auctions but you have to put big keys (Hupk 1, AF 15 etc) up as prizes and auctions typically produce lower returns than BIN’s….in some cases, much lower. I’ve been a comic dealer for around
Bry's comics,I have 4 short boxes full of keys, low print runs and rare variants cause those are the books that hold value . My comic collection is almost complete,I just need to get AMS#316,AMS#601, Resident Evil#1,Chew#1,TMNT#1,Hulk#181, X-Men#1 1963, Amazing Fantasy#15 and Batman#1 1940 and i am done collecting comics.
Question, I have a raw ASM 300, signed with a full Todd McFarlane, that I estimate is a CGC 9.4- 9.6. Do I get it slabbed by CGC and take a green label or do I send it for signature verification and slabbing to CBCS. From a reseller’s perspective, which would you do?
PS- I’ve made up my mind, it’s for my PC, I witnessed the signing, and it’s staying in my PC, just wondering what your business thoughts would be. It was graded a 9.8, BTW, which it definitely is not, buts let’s hear your opinion in the original 9.4-9.6 estimate.
The way people are pricing stuff is just ridiculous right now... I moved a little bit ago to a new state and in the move my mirage tmnt collection was absolutely destroyed and a few books were missing (I suspect the moving company did it to hide the missing books it's a whole big mess) anyway now that were settled in and in a good place I started re building basically everything mirage era ...and the prices people have on some of these books are out of this world ..non key books frequently going for 50 bucks on ebay. Even out places like MCS or mile high.. raphael #1 that looks like it's been folded in half and run through the garbage disposal (no joke the whole top of the cover is shredded) there asking $150 with no offer tab. Just because a super high grade is selling for big money dosnt mean you can get 300+ for a 5.0 ..it kinda sucks I moved to a place that dosnt really have a lot of comic shops so I'm stuck looking online and man people just have no idea what the real value of alot of these books are sub 9.0 (and I'm looking for all raw comics too..notvsaying I won't take graded for the right price haha) so this just leaves me kinda bummed about getting these books again.
I'm having a hard time selling anything. Got a bunch of nice graded keys listed on Marketplace and nobody's buying. Even if someone does show interest they are low balling the hell out of me.
