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How accurate are MyComicShop and Midtown Comics grades?
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32 posts in this topic

I'm a newbie, so please forgive me if this has been discussed before.  

I recently got back into the collecting game and got some good ideas on learning how to assess the quality of comics from another post.  One suggestion I received was to review graded comics listed at Heritage Comics.  I'm not comfortable yet with assessing quality based on a picture.  However, I've been buying comics from MyComicShop and Midtown Comics and trying to guess at the grade before I look at the label attached to the bag.  Admittedly, this is going to give me exposure primarily to FN to NM comics since I'm not really buying lower quality.

My question is: what is the community's experience with either or both seller's grading?  Are they both pretty accurate?  Is one better than the other?  

Thanks for the help.

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4 hours ago, Neuberello said:

I'm a newbie, so please forgive me if this has been discussed before.  

I recently got back into the collecting game and got some good ideas on learning how to assess the quality of comics from another post.  One suggestion I received was to review graded comics listed at Heritage Comics.  I'm not comfortable yet with assessing quality based on a picture.  However, I've been buying comics from MyComicShop and Midtown Comics and trying to guess at the grade before I look at the label attached to the bag.  Admittedly, this is going to give me exposure primarily to FN to NM comics since I'm not really buying lower quality.

My question is: what is the community's experience with either or both seller's grading?  Are they both pretty accurate?  Is one better than the other?  

Thanks for the help.

I've bought newer comics from Midtown only, but they've always been in pretty good shape (or accurately graded).  I don't know about older comics.

For mycomicshop, my experience is generally good, with books in auction/consignment often undergraded but generally appropriate.  For some of the lesser cheaper stuff they just have overstock for, its a little less consistent.  But they've always been like a half grade worse at most than posted, but generally in the range. 

I rate them as better than say... metropolis.  I think worldwide has pretty good grading too.

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I have likewise been very happy with the books I have received from Lonestar ( MCS ) and am expecting some in the mail any day now. I agree with REVAT in that Metropolis is not so accurate ( to put it kindly ) and worldwide has been good for me.

Peace

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I have been using mycomicshop for at least 10 years. My only nit pick is when I flip books I bought from them back to them some times it grades out lower. Yeah, I know, different graders see different things. But if they regrade a book as a vg, they sell it as a vg.

There are quite a few people I've dealt with there over the years that are super nice and professional. My dealings with Este Bagato in the consignment area have always been wonderful. I can't say enough nice things about her.

I'd much rather sell/trade/auction my books with them than ebay. I usually send them 4 boxes of books a month.

 

 

Edited by evilskip
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I have had good experiences with both MCS and Metropolis though keep in mind NM raw does not equal CGC 9.8 , so if you are buying to slab and flip be reasonable (with all sellers) with your expectations. Happy Hunting.

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Midtown only assesses general G VG F VF NM range grades... but they aren't strict... because a comic could fall within that range even after shipping damage... so a VF- comic could be labeled as a VF... but from their perspective they have so many comics to deal with so I understand their processing 

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On 3/29/2018 at 11:07 AM, Neuberello said:

I'm a newbie, so please forgive me if this has been discussed before.  

I recently got back into the collecting game and got some good ideas on learning how to assess the quality of comics from another post.  One suggestion I received was to review graded comics listed at Heritage Comics.  I'm not comfortable yet with assessing quality based on a picture.  However, I've been buying comics from MyComicShop and Midtown Comics and trying to guess at the grade before I look at the label attached to the bag.  Admittedly, this is going to give me exposure primarily to FN to NM comics since I'm not really buying lower quality.

My question is: what is the community's experience with either or both seller's grading?  Are they both pretty accurate?  Is one better than the other?  

Thanks for the help.

Mycomicshop is very accurate at grading within the range you are buying.

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I would like to echo the sentiments regarding MyComicShop. Whenever I have bought a raw book from them, I am always pleasantly surprised by the grade that CGC assigns it. On the other hand, I will <NEVER> purchase a raw book from Metropolis Comics again. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I have never purchased anything from Midtown Comics, as I have not purchased a new comic for several years.

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On 8/3/2020 at 5:15 PM, Joe Ankenbauer said:

I would like to echo the sentiments regarding MyComicShop. Whenever I have bought a raw book from them, I am always pleasantly surprised by the grade that CGC assigns it. On the other hand, I will <NEVER> purchase a raw book from Metropolis Comics again. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I have never purchased anything from Midtown Comics, as I have not purchased a new comic for several years.

This. After my most recent purchases I am done buying raws from them.

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Don't doubt MCS e-v-e-r.  They always stick to their grading policy unlike Midtown Comics (their grading are surface) and Metropolis Comics/ComicConnect.com (mostly raw grades are off by one or two points - I showed them with newly CGC graded copies - they sometimes reimbursed me).  My purchase history with MCS is almost every month, my last purchase with Midtown was in 2009 and I already lost my interest in MC/CC after they revamped their both websites. They used to sell many raw copies but their stock has incredibly shrinking - not much to see except the auction events.

Everyone always competes each other to grab anything appeared in MCS's new stock EVERYDAY.

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I think it's important to apply some self discipline and really learn to grade comics. If you look at about 500 books, that will help you along and it's to your benefit. 

 

When Bob Storms was in the kitchen here for two days, he taught me a lot about grading and in general, he said I had been consistently about a point high. He taught me to turn the book upside down to look at the two covers and it indeed opens up the magic world of flaws. You stop seeing the story graphic and start seeing the slight creases, the color fades, the foxing. It was an enormous help. Then go after the corners, the spine, the staples, the wrap, hold the book covers up to the light. Look for repairs there.  It's quite revealing. Look for stains and how much they penetrate. Whiteness of the pages? 

 

It matters more on higher value comics and we could argue about what that means but if you want to be confident in your purchase decisions, you need to be educated. Using the board "Buddy can you spare a Grade" is a good place to begin honing those skills. 

 

My opinion of course. 

Edited by Glassman10
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Based on my personal experiences only:

  • MyComicShop (Lone Star Comics) is almost always at least accurate, and sometimes undergraded. Like everyone, they have misses sometimes, but they've been by far the most reliable.
  • Metropolis overgrades habitually, and often in ways that are very disappointing.
  • NewKadia is sort of a crapshoot. A lot of their stuff is fairly well described, but when they're wrong, they're really wrong (What? You can't have a 1/4" spine split on an NM+ book?).
  • Mile High has a lot of variation in their grading. In my experience, they average to accurate, but that's not really an endorsement, especially with their approach to pricing.
  • I don't appear to have ever bought anything from Midtown.
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1 hour ago, Qalyar said:

Based on my personal experiences only:

  • MyComicShop (Lone Star Comics) is almost always at least accurate, and sometimes undergraded. Like everyone, they have misses sometimes, but they've been by far the most reliable.
  • Metropolis overgrades habitually, and often in ways that are very disappointing.
  • NewKadia is sort of a crapshoot. A lot of their stuff is fairly well described, but when they're wrong, they're really wrong (What? You can't have a 1/4" spine split on an NM+ book?).
  • Mile High has a lot of variation in their grading. In my experience, they average to accurate, but that's not really an endorsement, especially with their approach to pricing.
  • I don't appear to have ever bought anything from Midtown.

I agree 100%

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1 hour ago, Glassman10 said:

I think it's important to apply some self discipline and really learn to grade comics. If you look at about 500 books, that will help you along and it's to your benefit. 

 

When Bob Storms was in the kitchen here for two days, he taught me a lot about grading and in general, he said I had been consistently about a point high. He taught me to turn the book upside down to look at the two covers and it indeed opens up the magic world of flaws. You stop seeing the story graphic and start seeing the slight creases, the color fades, the foxing. It was an enormous help. Then go after the corners, the spine, the staples, the wrap, hold the book covers up to the light. Look for repairs there.  It's quite revealing. Look for stains and how much they penetrate. Whiteness of the pages? 

 

It matters more on higher value comics and we could argue about what that means but if you want to be confident in your purchase decisions, you need to be educated. Using the board "Buddy can you spare a Grade" is a good place to begin honing those skills. 

 

My opinion of course. 

Bob is a very consistent grader. My go to on raws. 

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