Harbinger #1 CGC 9.8s on eBay (past and current auctions)
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Sold at $350. Originally listed with $500 BIN or best offer.
Sold at $350. Originally listed with $500 BIN or best offer.
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does a difference from a 9.4 to a 9.8 really warrant that much of a price difference? Checking around it seems that a good price for a 9.4 or so for Harbinger 1 is like, $20-25 give or take (using info from like, CBG or Overstreet), but I didn't find any for less than $75 citing a CGC rating of 9.4.
Am I missing the boat in a major way here? Is there a major difference in a CGC grade of 9.4 and a Comics Buyer Guide or Overstreet 9.4 (or any grade, a 9.8 etc.)?
Am I missing the boat in a major way here? Is there a major difference in a CGC grade of 9.4 and a Comics Buyer Guide or Overstreet 9.4 (or any grade, a 9.8 etc.)?
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I understood otma's question to be related to CGC slabbed books
compared to "non-slabbed" books in the same (claimed) conditions.
The argument would be that a "non-slabbed" book claimed as 9.8
has less certainty than a CGC slabbed 9.8 of the same book.
The certainty of the CGC grade (and the liquidity it conveys)
creates a difference in the price paid for CGC slabbed books vs. not.
The market is what it is, though... and the vast price differences between
CGC 9.8 and CGC 9.6 (and CGC 9.4) for some books probably doesn't
make a lot of sense from the standpoint of minor differences in condition.
However, the "best mentality" (as in, people who must own the "best" of something)
causes people to put more weight on the value they assign to "best" copies.
Generally speaking, if a CGC slabbed copy of a book sells for significantly more money
than a non-slabbed copy of the same book, the seller who claims that a book is in a certain grade
is either leaving that significant amount of money on the table by not slabbing the book,
or they are overstating the condition of the book because they know it wouldn't really grade that high.
Sellers generally don't make a habit of losing money...
so the "claimed condition" is usually not in line with the "actual condition"
if it would be in the seller's best interest to slab the book and sell it for more money.
In other words, beware of sellers claiming grades at the high end
for books that they don't have slabbed. Why would they lose money?
They wouldn't. They want you to overpay for their overgrading.
compared to "non-slabbed" books in the same (claimed) conditions.
The argument would be that a "non-slabbed" book claimed as 9.8
has less certainty than a CGC slabbed 9.8 of the same book.
The certainty of the CGC grade (and the liquidity it conveys)
creates a difference in the price paid for CGC slabbed books vs. not.
The market is what it is, though... and the vast price differences between
CGC 9.8 and CGC 9.6 (and CGC 9.4) for some books probably doesn't
make a lot of sense from the standpoint of minor differences in condition.
However, the "best mentality" (as in, people who must own the "best" of something)
causes people to put more weight on the value they assign to "best" copies.
Generally speaking, if a CGC slabbed copy of a book sells for significantly more money
than a non-slabbed copy of the same book, the seller who claims that a book is in a certain grade
is either leaving that significant amount of money on the table by not slabbing the book,
or they are overstating the condition of the book because they know it wouldn't really grade that high.
Sellers generally don't make a habit of losing money...
so the "claimed condition" is usually not in line with the "actual condition"
if it would be in the seller's best interest to slab the book and sell it for more money.
In other words, beware of sellers claiming grades at the high end
for books that they don't have slabbed. Why would they lose money?
They wouldn't. They want you to overpay for their overgrading.
Hmmmmmmmm I wonder if that one is mineiggy101us wrote:2 more copies have been added to the population since July. 1st post has been updated.
As of 08/16/2010: 56 in CGC 9.8 Universal, 6 in CGC 9.8 Signature


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That would be pretty cool to score one on your first submit.Crow331 wrote:Hmmmmmmmm I wonder if that one is mineiggy101us wrote:2 more copies have been added to the population since July. 1st post has been updated.
As of 08/16/2010: 56 in CGC 9.8 Universal, 6 in CGC 9.8 SignatureI dropped off what I "think" was a 9.8 candidate at comic-con and should be getting it back in the next 10 days or so ...
Then again, I don't know crap about grading and this batch is my first attempt with CGC
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No it wouldn't. It would be the suckiest sucky thing I can think of.Daniel Jackson wrote:That would be pretty cool to score one on your first submit.Crow331 wrote:Hmmmmmmmm I wonder if that one is mineiggy101us wrote:2 more copies have been added to the population since July. 1st post has been updated.
As of 08/16/2010: 56 in CGC 9.8 Universal, 6 in CGC 9.8 SignatureI dropped off what I "think" was a 9.8 candidate at comic-con and should be getting it back in the next 10 days or so ...
Then again, I don't know crap about grading and this batch is my first attempt with CGC

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Hahahahackb wrote:No it wouldn't. It would be the suckiest sucky thing I can think of.Daniel Jackson wrote:That would be pretty cool to score one on your first submit.Crow331 wrote:Hmmmmmmmm I wonder if that one is mineiggy101us wrote:2 more copies have been added to the population since July. 1st post has been updated.
As of 08/16/2010: 56 in CGC 9.8 Universal, 6 in CGC 9.8 SignatureI dropped off what I "think" was a 9.8 candidate at comic-con and should be getting it back in the next 10 days or so ...
Then again, I don't know crap about grading and this batch is my first attempt with CGC
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I have been teasing with this for some time, but at the same time i think a few buyers with money will always help to push these books up a bit to protect their investments and so you may not see one on an auction go so low.hotwings1979 wrote:I'm still thinking this could drop lower. If we don't see something out of VEI soon, and the population increases I could see a realistic value at $250.
Im not sure anyone would do a BIN at less than $399 either, unless i have already missed that, though i think maybe someone has had one at best offer for $350?
This is still a big book even fro those not interested in Valiant as a whole,
It was big once, still comparatively small on the CGC 9.8 scale too, so maybe wishful thinking on my behalf.
However im pretty confident that i will get one eventually raw and get a 9.8.
All good things....

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Come to those who rout through every comic box in the world...Draco wrote:I have been teasing with this for some time, but at the same time i think a few buyers with money will always help to push these books up a bit to protect their investments and so you may not see one on an auction go so low.hotwings1979 wrote:I'm still thinking this could drop lower. If we don't see something out of VEI soon, and the population increases I could see a realistic value at $250.
Im not sure anyone would do a BIN at less than $399 either, unless i have already missed that, though i think maybe someone has had one at best offer for $350?
This is still a big book even fro those not interested in Valiant as a whole,
It was big once, still comparatively small on the CGC 9.8 scale too, so maybe wishful thinking on my behalf.
However im pretty confident that i will get one eventually raw and get a 9.8.
All good things....
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I bet theres LOADS more potential 9.8's out therre. Not everyone CGCs their books or pays close attention to the value of their books.Jay Tomio wrote:One positive I see in this (and Greg may disagree with this assertion) is that the ridiculous highs this book reached in pricing flushed out a pretty good number of the potential 9.8s as sellers moved to rake while those big digits were fresh in people's minds. It's probably likely that there is no burst of 9.8s left that will equal the push we've already seen, so this is (I'm thinking) an issue where you where you stand when purchasing it.
I've seen no reason to be optimistic, but if for some reason Harbinger comes back in any form, the market will be more stable.
Also, if I'm not mistaken, the common issue with this book keeping it out of 9.8 range is not something helped by pressing
- ian_house
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Nah because eventually they get sold, given away or discovered.Jay Tomio wrote:Yeah, but those copies/people don't matter because going by your own scenario those issues would never be slabbed to change the census anyway.ian_house wrote:I bet theres LOADS more potential 9.8's out therre. Not everyone CGCs their books or pays close attention to the value of their books.Jay Tomio wrote:One positive I see in this (and Greg may disagree with this assertion) is that the ridiculous highs this book reached in pricing flushed out a pretty good number of the potential 9.8s as sellers moved to rake while those big digits were fresh in people's minds. It's probably likely that there is no burst of 9.8s left that will equal the push we've already seen, so this is (I'm thinking) an issue where you where you stand when purchasing it.
I've seen no reason to be optimistic, but if for some reason Harbinger comes back in any form, the market will be more stable.
Also, if I'm not mistaken, the common issue with this book keeping it out of 9.8 range is not something helped by pressing