miraclemet

gawd I just went on a LEGO splurge, mostly brought on by Me and my daughter picking back up on our Diagon Alley build. A spectacular build if you havent seen it. We're on the last building (Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes) so I had to order some more sets just to be ready for when we finish! (Of course I buy right after VIP double points time ends on lego.com) As I was poking around ebay for some other sets (weirdly some things were cheaper on lego's site) I was surprised to see quite a few instances of retired sets with missing pieces sitting unpurchased, while retired (opened) sets that were complete selling. I scooped up a few sets that seemed to have demand (when complete) and then ordered the 20 or so replacement pieces (for like $2). I may resell them after rebuilding them to confirm they're complete. @Buzzetta (or any other Lego Jedi master) is there a rule of thumb for devaluation of sets between sealed vs opened and built (then unbuilt and complete)? Or how much does a set devalue when the minifigures are not included (this seems like the most common "piecing" of a set, as opposed to just losing bits)

Essentially the Video Game Market has compressed 80 years of Comic book valuation and market inflation into the last 5 years (and the last 2 years has been most of the spike). Trophy hunters and Whales moved video games into that "nostalgia" trophy category and prices went up. Not that different than what happened with comics decades ago, except the newer Trophy Hunters and Whales arent 40-50 year olds in the 80s being whistful about Golden Age and Silve Age comics they'd longed for (or the 20 somethings with disposable income). They're 40-50 year olds in the 2020s longing for the video games they played in the 80s/90s (and the new 20 somethings with disposable income who see Nintendo games as "old" collectibles) 1st Gen NES Super Mario Bros is the Video Game market Action Comics Legend of Zelda is their 'tec 27 Metroid is their Flash #1 Contra is their All Star #8 Why sealed? Cause that's how they were when they came out, just like how comic book collectors want books to be in the same shape they came out (and resto free). The market values the nostalgia, and it helps to sustain the market because there are plenty of Super Mario Bros carts out there, but still sealed? There's the scarcity. Cause who kept them sealed? Yes it's a bit of a disconnect from the game that was played, but the game market needs the scarcity to (in part) justify the values. It'll be interesting to watch where the market goes as graded games grow in the marketplace. Im a little curious if there will be a surge for "great art covers" (whatever the market decides is "great") like what has happened with some GA books that are known for their covers, not their content. Obviously the original black box NES games will always be the gold standard, but Im curious to see what nuance the market takes since it's unfolding (very quickly) right before our eyes.

It's funny. It's kinda mimicing comics. Newer stuff, since it's packaging is plastic CD style cases, their condition is all high grade (just like with modern comics It's a majority of 9.6s and 9.8s. So for more modern games it's about rarer packages/releases.. just like with comics. (It's not a perfect parallel, I know)

Price?

Hey long timers from the beginning. Was the CGC census around from the beginning of CGC or when did it come along?

Would love to be able to toggle between auction data, bin data and combined data on GPA, as you say auction data is a better FMV indicator

Hello! Welcome to the "Comics Market - Forum Only Selling" board! The moderators have asked everyone around here to help educate new comers about the posting rules for this forum so that we can keep things running smoothly. So whenever we see a new thread go up that's missing some of the information required by the rules, someone will generally happen along and post this reminder (by moderator request). You can find the posting guidelines here: http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1460472&page=1#Post1460472 Specifically, you should check out #s 6 (list specific books), #7 (conditions or scans of books) and #12 (if posting for a trade, list trade value), but really...all of them. They are well worth reading, because your posts can be removed from the boards if they don't conform to the guidelines. This will help you to attract more buyers as well, since this is how people expect to have books offered around here. Thanks, and glad to have you here!

GPA wanted all sales data to be reported, CLINK didn't want all sales data to be reported. CKLink can't control the price a book in their marketplace gets listed for, so CLINK didn't want someone to undervalue a book, list it cheap & sell then have that low sale report to GPA, and have CLINK look like they don't get top dollar for books on their site. CLink wanted to be able to not report marketplace sales that were sold under market.

Dont think you can scrape data like that and sell it for profit. Especially if you previously attempted enter into a data sharing agreement that was rejected.

can we make some assumptions based on how they've managed all of their other acquisitions?

Blackstone is in the business of optimizing profits. CGC has already done the first thing by bringing restoration/pressing in house. This was a delicate thing to do, that could have been very messy, but CGC made efforts to ensure a firewall between their pressing/restoring division and their grading division. Easy Blackstone initiative, push books to "add services" when they are submitted. Bad Idea #1) When a book is submitted for grading that could benefit from a press, they suggest it to the submitter. It adds to total turnaround time, but increases revenue to CGC by getting more books into their pressing pipeline (based on Facebook there are lots of submitters who are unaware, or oblivious to pressing services, and probably would use them if they were "suggested". Bad Idea #2) The ebay, virtual evaluation revenue stream could be expanded. Why just have it through ebay? Why not direct thru CGC website? Virtual submittals for electronic assessments. Again, expanding a revenue stream, that can also stretch the current workforce unless they add staff (and hopefully train staff). Or how about go one step further. Dont wait for people to ask for evaluation of books, offer spontaneous ones on books that have lots of bids/watchers? And then build an incentive stream from the virtaul evaluations to physical submittals (credits from the virtual evaluations that get applied to physical submittals). Bad Idea #3) CGC is only involved in the early to mid part of a books lifecycle from publishing to collecting to encapsulating to selling. They could expand their role in both the early side (publishing>Collecting) and the late side (selling). On the early side they could expand on their direct from the printer encapsulation programs, or heck even look to move some of the printing onsite (so they can control the printing to ensure the minty-est of copies). They already do a little of this with Dynamic Forces, but what if they did it with actual publishers (DC, Marvel, Image) Bad Idea #4) Back to owning more of the collectible lifecycle. Why does CGC increase the value of a book (thru grading/encapsulating) without getting a bigger piece of that value increase? If they owned a sales/auction platform they could not only make money from grading but also a cut of the increased value. Conflict of interest? SURE. But remember Blackstone isnt in the "trusted partner" business, they're in the "make as much money as possible" business. So why not have CGC Auctions. A book can go from pressing, to grading/encapsulating right to the auction block with CGC taking a cut like the other auction houses. That way CGC gets to make money through the ENTIRE lifecycle of the collectible. So many bad ideas that could be implemented under the rationale of profits and market expansion...

One could argue Beckett had its own place in the collectibles hobby/market already. So their perspective on their acquisition (CBCS) may be more nuanced, vs Blackstone who likely will just runs a standard playbook regardless of the type of company acquired.

Has anyone read ANY story where at the end you thought "that was great when Blackstone bought X, and it led to good things for that industry"? (seriously I'm trying to find something, anything!)

Yep. This Mantech is MIB (mint in box) cause it has its box and all its parts, though not MISB since the tape one either side is cut, but the toy is still sealed on its interior blister card inside the box so maybe it's MIB and MOC (mint on card) though that more commonly used to refer to action figures that are still in their original card/bubble package like for Star Wars and GI Joe figures. For my collection I only collect MIB or MOC pieces. No loose toys.

Finally able to cross this off my "MOC toys from my childhood" list. I snagged one of ebay a few years ago but returned it cause the bubble was tore from the back board inside the box. Then I didn't see another one for years on ebay. But this one popped up last week and looked promising. Arrived today and in-hand its spectacular. The tape seals are cut, but the cardboard is so firm it feels like it's never been opened. Still sealed bubble to board and no creases on the box top. Not too much yellowing on the bubble (these seemed to yellow easily!) clean back And nice straight top edge. I'm so excited!

Love the war bond covers especially!

Those of you with copies of old Overstreet Price Guides, how do they notate IH180/181? Did it list one or the other as Wolverines 1st appearance? Did it change at some point? Or has it always been the same. Note: sweet saasy molassy I dont want to kick off another IH180/181 argument. Just want to know how Overstreet has noted it thru the years...

jokes on eBay, my wifes been enacting a sex ban for much longer!

Fixed...

Take

also the change has broken almost all of my saved searches. And items that previously had "year" specified in their listing, now dont have it, as they have changed the "year" to a new group called 'Release year" 15k Starwars MOC listings and only 1 has specified "release year" vs the old listing which had hundreds listed for each year of release.

Take if not already gone

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