Pro tip: Don't waste money on a 'graded' comic just for the case

I used to think buying a CGC graded comic was the only way to go for my collection. Six months ago I dropped $120 on a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #300 that was graded a 9.6. Looked great in that plastic case on my shelf. But then I got curious and took it to a local shop in Portland just to chat. The owner popped it open and showed me the same book raw for half the price with similar quality. He even pulled out his loupe and pointed out stuff like a tiny color break I missed. I felt like a total mark. Now I only buy raw books and send my own in if I really want them graded. Has anyone else paid way too much for a slab they barely looked at?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahm3920d ago

That "tiny color break" thing hits home. My buddy dropped cash on a high grade slab once only to find out later the cover had a faint printer crease he never spotted without a loupe.

susanm5620d agoMost Upvoted

You ever wonder if those tiny defects are actually more common on high grade books than people admit, @hannahm39? I mean, graders are human too, they miss stuff or let things slide. Your buddy's printer crease story reminds me of a friend who bought a 9.8 and later found a tiny bindery tear under the back cover flap. Nobody talks about it because it makes the whole grading thing feel a little less reliable than we pretend.

morgan89815d ago

Haha man, I feel that. I'm the guy who bought a raw copy of a key book once, thought it looked flawless, sent it in for grading and got a 9.2 back with a "slight spine roll" I legit could not see without tilting the slab at the exact wrong angle. Now I walk around with a loupe on a lanyard like some kind of dorky comic book inspector. My crew makes fun of me for it, but I'll take a little ribbing over dropping coin on a hidden flaw any day.