Modern Versus Bronze/Silver Age Grading

[macfarlane]

I'm new to the Valiant boards, but have been collecting for faaaaaaaarrrrr too much of my life. I'm submitting comics pretty much on the basis of one invoice to CGC per month and have been for a few years and my OO collection and newer additions are getting mixed in there.

Here comes the rant:

What I'm observing is that my comics graded from 1985 and older seem to be graded with more of an "upward tendency." What I mean is that my non-modern comics seem to have the same comments in a graders notes section and they'll come in at 9.0+ and a modern comic with the same comments will come in at an 8.5. How could a comic that has gone from being folded in half in some kids pocket and kept in a treehouse come in 30 years later at a 9.0+? (I'm sure I'm exaggerating here...what sort of mean kid would do that to a comic (besides me, that is ))

It also seems like the graders are attempting to avoid higher grades on the newer comics. 9.6's without a comment? Spine stress can take a comic down almost a full grade? Cover bend, Cover bend, Cover bend. I know there is a range in the limited comments (perhaps that bend is larger than the other), but really I seem to be finding that modern comics are just getting graded more harshly than those of older vintages.

Am I the only person who has noticed this? Am I in fact crazy and this is not the case?

[greg]

There has been some discussion about this through the years, and the general thought is that older comics which have been "preserved" with only minimal damage over decades could "score higher" if we think of the grade as a preservation score between 0.5 and 10.

In other words, let's say that two comics both have an equal spine tick on the left side of the cover, color-breaking, same length. Let's say both comics have the same fold on a few pages and a tiny piece missing from the back cover.

If one of those comics is from the 1960s, with that level of defects, the preservation level is that a small defect occurred (on average) every 10 to 15 years. If the other comic is from the 1990s, with that level of defects, the preservation level is that a small defect that occurred every 5 to 7 years. Which comic has been the best preserved in the length of time it has been in existence? On one hand they've been damaged equally. On the other hand, the newer comic has not been preserved as well.

Whichever argument you make (they should have the same grade, or they should have different grades), there are strong arguments for the other side. That's about where the discussion has settled... without a definitive answer... but with both viewpoints articulated.

[macfarlane]

Well I love my valiant titles and I wish they would grade higher, but I'm sure everyone wants their comics graded the highest. What I have learned from all this however is that I will not bother throwing away my money on grading moderns any more. I'll hold them for 30 years and then submit them for a higher grade! Ha Ha! Take that CGC!