Beckett 3 3

[Get Marwood & I]

13 minutes ago, ComicConnoisseur said:

Just goes to show some people take cheap over quality. McDonald's doesn't have the best food,but millions eat there yearly. 

Fair's fair. The sausage and egg bagel meal is a thing of beauty @ComicConnoisseur 

[Tony S]

1 hour ago, valiantman said:

I have been tracking slab sales on Ebay for a few years...

538,000+ sales:

2017 (so far) = 90% CGC, 7% Steve-other, 3% PGX

2016 = 91% CGC, 6% Steve-other, 3% PGX

2015 = 91% CGC, 4% Steve-other, 5% PGX

2014 (Oct-Dec) = 93% CGC, 2% Steve-other, 4% PGX

Interesting. But one should keep in mind there are different ways to analyze the same data. 

For instance Voldy has been in business for about 17% as long as CGC.  Where PGX has been in business for nearly 80% as long as CGC

What that might suggest with your sales figure is that Voldy is indeed slabbing a pretty good number of books. Maybe around  20-30% of CGC's volume.   Because they have a 7% (eBay sales) market share when they have only been slabbing books for 17% as long.  PGX's sales share might indeed reflect their share of the market, since they have been in the market almost as long as CGC. 

Also worth keeping in mind with just sales figures that sellers with non CGC slabbed books might be looking at other venues for selling.  

[Tony S]

12 minutes ago, Marwood & I said:

Fair's fair. The sausage and egg bagel meal is a thing of beauty @ComicConnoisseur 

I wouldn't want to eat a McDonald's every day. But I'm glad for the choice because I don't always have time or the money to eat at nicer, more expensive places. 

CHOICE is a BEAUTIFUL thing. 

[Get Marwood & I]

Just now, Tony S said:

I wouldn't want to eat a McDonald's every day. But I'm glad for the choice because I don't always have time or the money to eat at nicer, more expensive places. 

CHOICE is a BEAUTIFUL thing. 

I agree.  You can't beat a quick and dirty once in a while. 

Get your jokes in now. 

[Jaydogrules]

Just now, Tony S said:

A lot of boardies lose sight of the fact that like 99.9% of the comic book collectors market is raw.  Walk around any comic book store. Any comic book convention. What percentage of the inventory for sale is slabbed? By any company? 

The actual item of value is inside the slab. It can't be "worthless" unless a worthless item was what was sent in for encapsulation.  

This is 100% accurate. 

However...

The value of Voldy slabs even before this announcement was made was always appreciably less than CGC slabs.  Yes, there will still be an intrinsic value to the books within the slabs, but to maximize slab values and protect slab investments, CPR to CGC.

-J.

 

[Tony S]

Just now, Jaydogrules said:

This is 100% accurate. 

However...

The value of Voldy slabs even before this announcement was made was always appreciably less than CGC slabs.  Yes, there will still be an intrinsic value to the books within the slabs, but to maximize slab values and protect slab investments, CPR to CGC.

-J.

 

My own experience is that it depends a lot on what venues you sell at.  On eBay at unreserved auctions you see Voldy often under perform.  On Heritage? Not really.  

 

[Jaydogrules]

4 minutes ago, Tony S said:

My own experience is that it depends a lot on what venues you sell at.  On eBay at unreserved auctions you see Voldy often under perform.  On Heritage? Not really.  

 

They under performed practically everywhere, it was just a matter of how much. Big, in demand books that look nice for the grade on heritage, they might do a little better.  The newer the book, the greater the price gap seemed to be.  Sending moderns for Voldy to grade was almost a guaranteed money loser. Restored GA/SA also sold for noticeably less.  

-J.

[Larryw7]

I treat PGX books like raws, and buy accordingly. I find the two major slab companies to be pretty reliable.

[Silver Ager]

I wonder if they'll come up with new slabs that are as tank-like as their card slabs.

[shadroch]

Just to be clear, those are PGX books sold on ebay, not PGX sold books. PGX doesn't sell books. Just ask them.

[namisgr]

3 hours ago, Jaydogrules said:

The value of Voldy slabs even before this announcement was made was always appreciably less than CGC slabs.  

-J.

 

If this were true, and it doesn't appear to be based on the experiences of a couple of long-time dealers, but if it were, then it would provide a great opportunity for collectors.  Being able to purchase a book in a 'guys across the street' slab for a significant discount over a book of comparable qualities in a CGC slab is a boon to those collectors with a sharp eye for appearance and an ability to grade.  

How this aspect of competition could be bad for the hobby again makes no sense.

 

Edited October 30, 2017 by namisgr

[valiantman]

2 minutes ago, namisgr said:

If this were true, and it doesn't appear to be based on the experiences of a couple of long-time dealers, but if it were, then it would provide a great opportunity for collectors.  Being able to purchase a book in a 'guys across the street' slab for a significant discount over a book of comparable qualities in a CGC slab is a boon to those collectors with a sharp eye for grading and eye appeal.  

How this aspect of competition could be bad for the hobby again makes no sense.

 

Right.  Even if CGC has a slight premium in sale prices over the legitmate (not PGX) competition, three books which look identical might sell for $60 raw, $120 competitor slab, $140 CGC slab.

The seller is correct to use either grading company, obviously making more money with CGC, but both slab choices make more money than selling raw.  The buyer is free to choose any of the three options.  Presuming the buyer wants a slab, and if the books look identical, the $120 slab seems like a slight bargain.  

Everyone wins.

[Transplant]

On 10/29/2017 at 3:25 PM, Jaydogrules said:

I'll just say point blank what a lot of other people are politely skirting around for some reason.  

Here are the Top Ten reasons why Voldy Foldied (aka Failed):

1)  They could never have hoped to be anything more than a distant second, look alike, also ran company.  

2)  The routine sales of its slabs at every widening discounts to comparable CGC copies only proves the point more.  

3)  Their initial practices of "restoration disclosure" on their labels was at best, sketchy, and at worse, downright duplicitous to prospective buyers of their slabs, and was obviously a low attempt to attract submissions from sellers looking to play "hide the ball" with their restored books in blue labels.  

4)  "Verifying " signatures of non-witnessed and dead people.    

5)  Consistently over grading books early (probably also had something to do with their books selling at discounts).

6)  Cheap slabs and ugly labels. 

7)  Putting their grades on raw books and not slabbing them.

8)  Never putting up their census (obviously because they didn't want people to see how low their volume really was).

9)  Clearly under-staffed and under funded- It was nearly impossible to get a live person to answer their phone at their office. 

10)  Ever decreasing presence at the various seasonal cons. 

Being bought out by Beckett isn't going to help anything either, it might make things worse.  There are LOTS of collectors in this hobby who rue some of what they perceive to be te negative influences of card collectors into the comic book marketplace, so Beckett will already be coming into this with a certain negative stigma attached.  Voldy may very well have been started hoping for a buy out- but from CGC, who obviously continued to see them as such a miniscule presence, non-factor in the market, that they either didn't see the value or the point, and concluded their virtual monopoly was secure.  I, for one, am just glad to not be holding any high dollar (or any) Voldy slabs with this announcement having been made.   

-J. 

 

Let me clarify, since the mods removed my post and gave me a warning. 

This is a dumb post.  Really, really dumb.  I am NOT saying that the poster is dumb.  Just this post.  It is poorly reasoned and full of incorrect statements. 

Carry on.

[comicdonna]

[BeachBum]

[Jaydogrules]

1 hour ago, Transplant said:

Let me clarify, since the mods removed my post and gave me a warning. 

This is a dumb post.  Really, really dumb.  I am NOT saying that the poster is dumb.  Just this post.  It is poorly reasoned and full of incorrect statements. 

Carry on.

My post really hit a nerve for you, didn't it.  Eh who cares about disputing any specific point, it's so much easier to make juvenile and vague generalities  (even though all of my points are factually correct and have been expressed by multiple people during the brief nano second that Voldy managed to be a company ). Guess the truth really does hurt.  Here's a little more for you:

When the owner and founder of a company cashes out and runs for the hills from their sinking ship, that certainly will not be met by a vote of confidence from a market that was already highly skeptical of their derivative, sub-standard product.   

My advice to you remains the same-get rid of your Voldy slabs before the bottom completely falls out.  

-J.

 

 

Edited October 30, 2017 by Jaydogrules

[Jaydogrules]

1 hour ago, namisgr said:

If this were true, and it doesn't appear to be based on the experiences of a couple of long-time dealers, but if it were, then it would provide a great opportunity for collectors.  Being able to purchase a book in a 'guys across the street' slab for a significant discount over a book of comparable qualities in a CGC slab is a boon to those collectors with a sharp eye for appearance and an ability to grade.  

How this aspect of competition could be bad for the hobby again makes no sense.

 

It is common knowledge that Voldy sell for less.  15-25% less is the range that I've seen floated the most and is generally consistent with even a casual perusal of online sales.  

I find it comical, how many people on here are trying to resuscitate and redeem this failed company after their bail out by another company that is generally disliked by our hobby.  "But this is a GOOD thing, your posts are so 'dumb!'"- said only the few people who own Voldy slabs and are secretly terrified of them suddenly being worth less than they already were.  It's as tasteless as 1950swarcomics said. Go to Voldy's own boards and do that - oh wait, no one is actually on those.  

-J.

Edited October 30, 2017 by Jaydogrules

[namisgr]

[1950's war comics]

On 10/29/2017 at 4:25 PM, Jaydogrules said:

I'll just say point blank what a lot of other people are politely skirting around for some reason.  

Here are the Top Ten reasons why Voldy Foldied (aka Failed):

1)  They could never have hoped to be anything more than a distant second, look alike, also ran company.  

2)  The routine sales of its slabs at every widening discounts to comparable CGC copies only proves the point more.  

3)  Their initial practices of "restoration disclosure" on their labels was at best, sketchy, and at worse, downright duplicitous to prospective buyers of their slabs, and was obviously a low attempt to attract submissions from sellers looking to play "hide the ball" with their restored books in blue labels.   

4)  "Verifying " signatures of non-witnessed and dead people.     

5)  Consistently over grading books early (probably also had something to do with their books selling at discounts).  

6)  Cheap slabs and ugly labels. 

7)  Putting their grades on raw books and not slabbing them. 

8)  Never putting up their census (obviously because they didn't want people to see how low their volume really was).  

9)  Clearly under-staffed and under funded- It was nearly impossible to get a live person to answer their phone at their office. 

10)  Ever decreasing presence at the various seasonal cons. 

Being bought out by Beckett isn't going to help anything either, it might make things worse.  There are LOTS of collectors in this hobby who rue some of what they perceive to be te negative influences of card collectors into the comic book marketplace, so Beckett will already be coming into this with a certain negative stigma attached.  Voldy may very well have been started hoping for a buy out- but from CGC, who obviously continued to see them as such a miniscule presence, non-factor in the market, that they either didn't see the value or the point, and concluded their virtual monopoly was secure.  I, for one, am just glad to not be holding any high dollar (or any) Voldy slabs with this announcement having been made.   

-J. 

 

 

Some don't like this list , not sure why those complaining about this list are spending their time then on these very CGC chat boards, 

would some of these very same people have the audacity to bring some fast food bought elsewhere into a nice sit down restaurant

[Logan510]

27 minutes ago, Jaydogrules said:

My post really hit a nerve for you, didn't it.  Eh who cares about disputing any specific point, it's so much easier to make juvenile and vague generalities  (even though all of my points are factually correct and have been expressed by multiple people during the brief nano second that Voldy managed to be a company ). Guess the truth really does hurt.  Here's a little more for you:

When the owner and founder of a company cashes out and runs for the hills from their sinking ship, that certainly will not be met by a vote of confidence from a market that was already highly skeptical of their derivative, sub-standard product.   

My advice to you remains the same-get rid of your Voldy slabs before the bottom completely falls out.  

-J.

 

 

You shouldn't speak as if you know, when you are factually incorrect on certain points.