CGC case question

Discussion of all "slabbed comics" whether Valiant or not

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michalward
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CGC case question

Post by michalward »

Say you were going for a major key purchase and had narrowed it down to two copies - both the same grade, same paper quality and same price, but one in the old CGC case and one in the newer case. Is there any kind of "smarter" buy here?

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IMJ
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Re: CGC case question

Post by IMJ »

For whatever consumer psychology that manifests, it seems to me that people gobble up new CGC cases more quickly than old ones. There's probably some narrative about how "they used to grade" or something that goes around, or the need for the "best and newest". I've seen big books come to market that clearly someone dusted out of their "investment safe" and are slabbed in the original CGC cases and for whatever reason see less hype than newer cases.

I wish I could throw a few tangible examples out there but it's just something I've made a mental note of but never tried to document. I hate to say it, but it is what I've observed. The other side of this silly behavior is to remember that whatever book you buy in a "newer style" case will reside in that case and eventually become an older style case.

The real trick that the hobby at large tends to forget is that you are buying the comic book - not the slab. But the market has evolved to command that you are actually buying both. Think about it - the graded comic is bagged and then placed in a plastic slab to protect the comic. But then we, the collectors put the plastic slab in a plastic bag to protect the slab. It's actually ridiculous although it makes sense.

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Re: CGC case question

Post by mkb28 »

I would tend to lean toward the new CGC case, but I would look closely to make sure it is not one of the early defective new cases. Look for an inner well or liner holding the book. If you don’t see one, I would be prepared to send it to CGC for replacement. Usually, no cost to do so other than shipping, but a pain to have to do it.

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Re: CGC case question

Post by nycjadie »

But then we, the collectors put the plastic slab in a plastic bag to protect the slab. It's actually ridiculous although it makes sense.
This. We are crazy, but it makes sense.

Anecdotally, I too have found newer cases to be preferred, but as MKB notes, look out for the inner well. Also, I have anecdotally found that sellers of the older labels (1st gen) tend to ask for premiums. Still, I haven’t seen a difference in quality.

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Re: CGC case question

Post by greg »

nycjadie wrote: Sun May 24, 2020 12:35:46 pm
But then we, the collectors put the plastic slab in a plastic bag to protect the slab. It's actually ridiculous although it makes sense.
This. We are crazy, but it makes sense.

Anecdotally, I too have found newer cases to be preferred, but as MKB notes, look out for the inner well. Also, I have anecdotally found that sellers of the older labels (1st gen) tend to ask for premiums. Still, I haven’t seen a difference in quality.
The assumption, which may be proven somewhere online, is that the oldest CGC labels (tiny grade, very hard to see in photos) they used until July 2003 are most likely books that did not get cleaned or pressed (most of the time). The "popularity" of pressing really got going around 2008, so the oldest labels are at least 5 years earlier. As a result, people believe (again, possibly correctly) that an old label book could benefit from a clean/press and resubmission.

(visual at this link)

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Re: CGC case question

Post by ckb »

My opinion on this is that the inner well is all that really matters in the choice. You want the well that looks like what they are currently turning out. After that I would opt for the new style slab. This is assuming that you can't look at both books carefully and make a call.

Just to put some other comments in perspective - I get eBay questions all the time asking if I have the plastic bag that came with the slab. No joke.


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