Thoughts on how we look at the grades we get and why . . .

Unless you are a grading genius and have better than 20/20 vision, a magnifying glass, bright lights in your back pocket and assorted other tools of the trade wherever you go, you are in the same boat as me and, I am sure, countless other CGC submitters: you suffer from the soul crushing experience of total and utter comic overgrading. Well, maybe not soul crushing, but disappointing.

Yes, I thought I would have a few 9.6s, and even a 9.8 or two, and then a smattering of lower grades (by lower here I mean 9.2s). I thought I would have at least a few of the highest graded for the issues I sent in. I thought these books, (all Silver Age except 2 Golden Agers), were such incredible examples that I would be vindicated of all the money I spent! I would be hailed as a genius of genuine comic collecting! I would be rich! Independently wealthy! Comfortably well off! Rich, I tells you!

Well, it didn't work out that way. Ok, the one that came back purple (ouch, like some bad bruise on my grading arm) is a mistake anyone who isn't an expert on finding those teensy color-touches can make. I let that one slide. But 6.5 on a comic I thought I'd get over a 9.0?!?!?! And the one comic I thought I would keep because it was such a beautiful copy and at least a 9.6 came back a measly 8.5!

Now I have to point out one thing that is bothering me about this whole exercise. I mean, we are dealing with paper rags that were used, abused, neglected, rarely cared for and only remembered as an afterthought for the most part. I'm not talking about anything past the late 1970s mind you. I'm talking about Silver and Golden age books. In those days comics were for kids (with a few exceptions, and most of those exceptions were put out of business by the code, if you know what I mean) and very few people kept them in good condition, never mind about keeping them at all (all the stories about Mom's throwing out collections is one of the reasons these bits of paper are worth so many other bits of paper). So now comes along third party grading, and the interwebs, and a census, and pressing (none of which I have a problem with) and there comes about a major shift. What used to be considered rare and valuable now becomes second rate because there are now, known and publicized, a certain amount of near perfect copies of just about any comic you can think of. This is what is bothering me: we used to cherish the survival of these comics because of what they were and what they survived. Now there is a strong element of commoditization (for those who haven't graduated reading above a comic book level, er, I mean, well, what I mean to say is that the comics have become just another thing to buy and sell). And we see it in the Overstreet Price Guides changing value gradation between G/F/VF/NM. Those 9.2 copies and above maintain value, but everything else seems to slide into the dollar bin of history.

Don't get me wrong - I jumped on the grading bandwagon mostly for the profit side of "for fun and profit." But I am first and foremost a collector. I love the thrill of the hunt, the feel of a great find (which is also what makes the overgrading so much harder to bear, it ruins the experience I had when I first got the book along with ruining the few days after I get the grade itself), and the discussions with others who enjoy the books, artists or history that I enjoy. I myself would rather have the raw book -- it seems more immediate and real (though having a double set, one graded and one raw, if I could ever afford it, would be ideal) as opposed to something neat to look at but inaccessible and remote. There are benefits to slabbed books -- you drop it or bang against it and you don't drop a grade or two, and in they keep better and display better than raw. But these are my personal predilections. To each their own, or so they say.

So now, back to my point: I get these grades back and though they are not what I am expecting, they are mostly a solid 8.5 and above (and I did in fact get one that is the highest graded with only one other in that grade, an early 1960's GI Combat in 9.4, as well as some respectable 2nd and 3rd highest grades). But because of this trend of more and higher graded books these were not the homeruns I was hoping for. Here is the kicker - I feel guilty about being disappointed by what are really very nice grades. Its not the greed (I hope). I feel its more about expectations of what I bought and disappointment in my abilities. I will buy grader notes for a few of the shockers (if I can), and hopefully learn from the experience. I still plan to buy more comics and send them in for grading (and you, fearless reader -- and you must be fearless, or bored, if you have read this far -- will most likely read about them as they are sent and received) and I look forward to the day when I will be able to take a book by its cover, give it a once over, and be confident of what I am buying.

Until my next submission (which is collecting itself on my shelf as we speak) . . .

(the scan below is of the one I thought was so nice, but only got an 8.5!!!)

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