Swap high-grade key from polypropylene to mylar before shipping? 0

[kirbykrackle]

I have a number of high-grade raw copper keys to submit for grading. In many cases, the unread book was placed directly into a polypropylene bag with a board (probably both Ultra Pro) circa 1990, taped shut, and stored under fairly good conditions ever since.

With books like this, where there seems to be a possibility of getting a 9.8 or better, should I attempt to remove the book from the original materials and replace with 2mil (or thicker) mylar + fullback? Or should I leave them as-is, perhaps with the added protection of an exterior golden bag/board? I'm just concerned about the risk of knocking down the grades slightly in the process of handling the book (especially if the tape used to seal the original bag comes into contact with the book).

I'm leaning toward avoiding the risk and just inserting each such book into an extra golden bag with a fullback (seeing as a few extra months of contact with polypropylene won't make much difference), but I'm curious what folks think.

[GM8]

If you like to waste your money, then yes.  I've never had an issue as far as I know and since they never send these back I would never choose to send in premium supplies never to see them again.

The only thing I would change is ensure safe delivery.  No top loaders (with no flap) of course.  I would only use bags/boards that fit the comic snugly without being tight like you see sometimes in thicker books in a modern sleeve.

[CKinTO]

I agree with the above - better to leave it in the bag it's in. That being said, I sometimes have the opposite problem - I already have my higher end raws in Mylite2s + Fullback, and sometimes I wonder if it's worth removing and putting into a normal poly-bag to send to CGC (given I won't see it again). At the end of the day, my cost for M2+FB = <$1, meaning it's well worth it to lose the value of the mylar than potentially risk having a grade drop (especially if it's high-grade, drop from 9.8 -> 9.6 -> 9.4 more than trumps any savings in lost mylars).

That being said, I've rebagged comics quite a bit (usually from poly -> mylar+fb) and here's my routine:

- Take the tape off the bag! (100% of the time, don't risk leaving it on because you feel like you can do it safely!). Also be careful taking the tape off that you don't put too much pressure on the board / book while removing tape. I always put a little tab (by folding end of tape onto itself) at the end so it's easy to take off
- Take the board/book out at same time (I typically reach my hand in and hold the board with one hand, and then pull the bag off from the bottom with my other hand (pinching the tiny amount of bag available below the board/comic, not touching the bag area that's above the comic in case you put a slight dent / finger bend into the bottom of the front cover). Now you have just the comic on top of the board
- I put the new board to the left side of the comic/board, and then slowly slide the book from one board to the other (to the left, towards the spine), by gently tilting the board slightly to the left (ie. not touching the comic itself). Now you have the comic on the new board
- I slide the comic + new board into the new bag horizontally and slowly (don't just flip up everything vertical and have the comic/board slide down, as the book may slide faster than the board and you get a little bit of impact on the bottom)
 

[FN-2199]

I only send books in premium storage like top loaders when I'm submitting at a convention signing or something like that where third party newbs are hired and throw your comics in milk crates for collection before submitting to CGC. If you are submitting yourself, just package them well. This forum and the CGC website have good examples. 

[kirbykrackle]

Thanks for the advice - You've likely saved me both money and aggravation.

[SteppinRazor]

I sent mine in with the tape on, and on the prescreen rejects, and CGC cut the tape on all of them and did not replace it.  So I don't think you need to worry about that.

Also I bundled them in mylar magazine bags (5 per), which incidentally I did not get back.

Edited February 7, 2018 by SteppinRazor

[OrangeCrush]

If you know how to properly ship comics in the mail, there is absolutely no need to use premium materials when sending in comics to be slabbed. The single biggest mistake I see on eBay, in regards to shipping comics, is that people don't sandwich the comics between 2 sheets of cardboard that are actually bigger than the comic itself. As long as you tape the comics down on the first board and tape it together with the 2nd board and the sheets of cardboard are roughly 1/2" to 1" bigger than the comics itself (on every side), your practically guaranteed that your books will arrive in perfect condition. 99% of all the comics I have received on eBay that wound up being damaged during delivery, the sender either didn't sandwich the comic between 2 sheets of cardboard at all or used cardboard that was the same size as the comic or smaller, hence it doesnt protect the comic if the edge of the package happens to take a significant ding during shipping. Again, you use the method mentioned and I guarantee 99.99% of your comics arrive exactly in the condition you sent them in. I have sold hundreds of auctions on eBay and have yet to have a single issue with damage. It actually boggles my mind how many people out there don't know how to properly ship a comic or art print. I actually stopped buying art prints on eBay from sellers I am not familiar with as the vast majority wind up being damaged in route due to inadequate packaging.

Edited February 8, 2018 by OrangeCrush