Also note that when CGC says turnaround time is 55 days for example, that means 55 business days and even that can be skewed by holidays or comic conventions where they are staffing up to perform on-site grading. For a few bucks more you can get your comics graded faster and back in your hands in about half the standard time. For me personally, speed is important because the comic book market can be quite volatile.
Getting your comic back graded faster can sometimes mean the difference between making money on a sale, and losing money on a sale. When I first looked into submitting comics to CGC, you had to print out and fill in what I considered to be an overly complicated form. Today however, CGC now has an online form that you fill out that makes the process so much easier.
After your comics arrive at CGC, up to three graders will inspect your comic before a final grade is given. The short version is that once your comic is inspected, a grade is assigned to your comic according to the chart below. As comic book collectors, sometimes we have the tendency to look at our comics with mint colored lenses.
Meaning we buy them at the shop, we bag and board them immediately, and when we read them we do so every so carefully. Just remember, your comics are being evaluated by professional graders with keen eyes. They are more likely to detect imperfections in your comic books that you might otherwise miss.
I can speak personally to this. Of the four comics I shipped, one came back as a 9. Needless to say I was disappointed that my comics came back with a grade lower than I had anticipated.
But that being said 9. These fans contend that this mummification of books, or slabbing as some call it, simply attracts investors who are looking to profit on collectibles and have no real interest in the comic book art form. They also purport that it does nothing for the casual fan that's interested in reading the comic for the storylines and artwork.
One of the biggest complaints about CGC's emergence in the industry has been the inflation of the value of comic books. While many Golden and Silver Age comic books are worth a significant amount of money, comic fans have complained that numerous comics that were published in the last two decades ss are being graded and offered at inflated prices.
Some collectors are asking unheard-of prices for books that have been graded in poor condition, simply because they are older books.
Some retailers have contended that while CGC has provided a much-needed standard for grading, it has overinflated comic book prices to the point where many are scared that once prices settle and come back to reasonable ranges, many collectors will be left with overpaid books that are worth significantly less than what they paid for them.
If that happens, many retailers and fans worry that it will discourage comic collecting altogether, which could ultimately hurt the comic book industry. Collectors have noted that they have had comic books graded, opened the tamper-evident holding to review the comic book, taken it back to CGC for re-grading, and received a higher grade than was initially provided.
Some are pointing out that books that in the past were graded 9. Some collectors contend that the change in grading styles is to increase CGC's overall business. They believe that if CGC is more lenient with its grading process, more collectors will have their comic books graded, thus increasing CGC's bottom line.
CBCS is a relative newcomer to third-party grading. Founded by the former founder of CGC, it is quickly gaining ground in the market, and is highly regarded by comic dealers and collectors. PGX, a far older company, has faced a great deal of criticism by collectors about the quality of its service and grading impartiality.
Several collectors have alleged that PGX lacks the ability to detect alterations and restorations made to older comic books. Those books, they claim, were graded in mint condition by PGX, and subsequently sent to CGC for a second grading, where they were noted as having been restored.
Other collectors allege that PGX employees have taken comic books that were provided to the company for grading, and substituted them with an identical book of lesser quality from their personal collections. PGX has also been hounded by controversy regarding the security of their protective sleeves. Some have accused PGX customers of removing graded books from their secured protective sleeves, making physical alterations, and placing the book back in the sleeve.
And to figure out return shipping from CGC it just takes a little basic math. The first thing you need to do is either become a member of CGC or locate a trusted 3rd party to submit your comics on your behalf. Now, once you are a member — or have located a reputable 3rd party to submit for you — you have to prepare your actual submission. The new online form is pretty simple to use, and is light years ahead for the old but still available pdf form that you fill out by hand. Make sure you print and include the packing slip your online submission will generate once complete.
The other part of deciding if having your comics graded by CGC is worth it for you, is discovering how you feel about being without your comics for an extended period of time. For the Modern Tier , the typical turnaround time for grading is 55 business days.
However, this does not include the number of days it takes for your submission to reach CGC, or the time it takes for your graded comics to arrive back at your door. Also, depending on how busy CGC is, it may take longer than 55 days. And a final note is that if there are any major comic conventions or holidays that fall within your grading window, that can extend the time it takes to get your graded comics back as well.
Keep in mind too that different grading tiers have different turnaround times. However if you want your books back faster than the listed turnaround time, CGC does offer a Fast Track option where you pay extra per book to reduce the turnaround time by half or more. Aside from the time, effort and money — the final part of the equation is thinking about WHY you want to have your comics graded in the first place.
For me it usually comes down to one of these reasons:. All it takes is a quick eBay search to see that high-grade CGC comics will always sell for more than their raw counterparts.
Check out our free online comic price guide. In the move, CBCS lost a significant number of its customer service employees and had a difficult time keeping its customer service up to par. For vintage comics, the difference in price is much less and, many times, non-existent.
The short answer is that PGX should be disqualified from competition completely due to its business practices and negligence. It sometimes fails to spot restoration and trimming on comics and its grading is suspect. Just do your research before submitting to this company. If you have comics that are flawless and were printed post, then you might consider submitting your comics to CGC.
If you have comics pre, search our price guide to see if your comic has any significant value. If it does, you might want to consider getting it certified by CGC. If you need some help with grading your comics before submitting, we will soon have a very informative video that will help you get a ballpark idea of the grading your comics might be assigned by CGC.
Do you have any questions about buying or selling valuable vintage comics? At Quality Comix, our expert team is here to help. Contact us today to discuss selling your comics. Share On Share On.
The same goes for when you ship comics.
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