I'm new to grading, I know nothing, & I have a lot of questions that are hopefully good 1 1

[NickJLevi]

Hello everyone. So I'm new here and I have no idea about grading. I know comics and read them and I know how valuable comics can be but I don't know anything about grading or selling. A few years ago, I got a bunch of Marvel variant #1s off of Gamestop's Powerup Rewards thinking some day I may be able to sell them if they are worth anything. I mean I'm not dumb. I know when selling comics that number 1 issues, first appearances, or issues starting an iconic storyline are the issues that will hold the most value. A few years have past and I decided to at least investigate if any of these are worth something. I'm not really looking to sell at the moment. More so I am researching. I know nothing about grading. All I know is that I've kept the comics in good condition and kept them in their bags I got them in and carefully took them out while taking the pictures. The Marvel Gamestop variants include:

All New Captain America #1

Amazing Spider-Man #1

Star Wars #1

Star Wars #4

SHIELD #1

Princess Leia #1

Darth Vader #1

Death of Wolverine #1

Guardians 3000 #1

Groot #1

I also got a standard first printing of Superior Spider-Man #1

I made a thread about if you could spare a grade here in case you want to look at them but I've pretty much never read any of these comics so they all should hopefully be in great condition. Here's the thread to that: 

So I got some questions:

What comics would you say from my list I have are worth getting graded?

How much more would you say the worth of the comic is getting it graded vs not getting it graded? I'm sure all the comics aren't worth getting graded of mine but something like Spider-Man, would you say that I'd still be making more profit by paying to get it graded and then selling it than not getting it graded and selling it as is? 

Is me grading the comics going to make more people want the comic than say if I don't grade them? Again, I'm sure this question relates to certain comics but still, would you guys say that because I get say Spider-Man graded that would make more people want to get the comic because it's graded than if it wasn't graded?

Do you guys think it's wise to hold off if you have the chance to get autographs? For my comics, Greg Horn did the variant covers to them. I mean I wouldn't go after him but more so writers of the character, artists, or possibly actors who played that character to get the worth up of the comics. I mean I don't know if I will visit any conventions where anyone could be at anytime soon but I have always wanted to go to SDCC someday and possibly could get stuff signed then.

Given the current comic book movie bang, how much do you guys hold off selling your comics until a movie of the character arrivals? Now I don't know what the MCU is doing but the issue of Captain America I got is the first issue of the series when Falcon took over the mantle so would you say to hold off on that one and wait to see if the MCU decides to make Falcon the next Cap after Steve (though I think it will be Bucky and even though the value of my comics would go up, I'd prefer seeing Bucky as Cap because I love Brubaker's run).

Also given how Sony is developing a Silk film and my Amazing Spider-Man #1 is technically the first appearance of Silk, do you guys think the value of the issue would go up more if her film gets made (which is a big if knowing Sony)? I mean it's technically a cameo first appearance but she's still first appearing in the issue. Just curious on how first appearances are worth especially given how they sell around a movie. I mean Venom's first appearance is technically 299 but we all hold up 300 as the more the issue that holds more value. I mean I know Silk is nowhere near as big as Venom but at the same time, just trying to milk all that I can out of the worth of the comic lol. 

Now I will admit, I'd somewhat concerned shipping my comics but I did see that the city I lived in had a comic convention a few months ago where CGC showed up and you could drop your comics off. My question is what method of dropping off your comics do you guys prefer if you had the opportunity I have? Do you guys think I should hold on to the comics and just wait until next year and drop them off or should I send them now? I'm in no rush to sell them unless they somehow become a hot sell suddenly but I'm just wondering what your guys thoughts are.

I also got a Loot Crate Action Comics #1 replica. I want to get it graded and to keep it because I love Superman and it would just be a cool thing to own. I mean I know it's not the original Action Comics #1 but having a replica of it at least to me still feels very cool to own. It gave me this 'Certificate of Authenticity' and I'm just wondering is it possible to include that on like the back of the grading? Like would they be able to insert it with the comic and grade it inside along with the comic? 

Lastly, I was doing some cleaning a while ago and I found a comic I got as a kid. Batman 608. A first printing too. My question is how do I go back into time and make sure my younger 9 year old self takes better care of the comic? Pages are torn off, the cover's destroy. I didn't know at the time how big of a deal Hush was. My reason for getting it was my mom finally took my to the grocery store that had comics in the magazine and I saw Batman on the cover lol. Boy now do I feel sad seeing how I treated that issue. I loved it as a kid but it's just a mess.

Hopefully I asked some good questions lol.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Hi there....welcome to the CGC boards, the finest comic book message boards on the internet.

The best way to learn how to grade these days is to obtain slabbed copies of books in various grades, and examine them. That will give you CGC's idea about how comic books are graded. It's preferable to get the same book in different grades, but if that can't be done easily, other books will work. There's no substitute for experience, so that's what you need to do.

As to whether your books are worth grading or not, look them up on eBay and see what graded copies (if any) have sold for recently.

Keep in mind that grading comics IS NOT CHEAP, and the vast, vast majority of all comics ever published aren't worth the cost to grade. Unfortunately, the books you list here would be worth grading, but only in very high grades...and most books, even new off the shelf, start out at 9.4/9.6 condition, and go down from there. Grading isn't a magic wand; especially with modern books published from 1990-up, you need to have a very high grade for most books (9.6+) for them to be worth the cost to grade.

I would suggest the pre-screen, which has a 25 book minimum, wherein you can send books in, and if they don't grade at or above a certain threshold you set, they won't be graded, and you're only charged a rejection fee, if anything. 

PS. Venom appears in ASM #298, and, theoretically, Web of Spiderman #18 and #24.

[revat]

21 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

Hi there....welcome to the CGC boards, the finest comic book message boards on the internet.

The best way to learn how to grade these days is to obtain slabbed copies of books in various grades, and examine them. That will give you CGC's idea about how comic books are graded. It's preferable to get the same book in different grades, but if that can't be done easily, other books will work. There's no substitute for experience, so that's what you need to do.

As to whether your books are worth grading or not, look them up on eBay and see what graded copies (if any) have sold for recently.

Keep in mind that grading comics IS NOT CHEAP, and the vast, vast majority of all comics ever published aren't worth the cost to grade. Unfortunately, the books you list here would be worth grading, but only in very high grades...and most books, even new off the shelf, start out at 9.4/9.6 condition, and go down from there. Grading isn't a magic wand; especially with modern books published from 1990-up, you need to have a very high grade for most books (9.6+) for them to be worth the cost to grade.

I would suggest the pre-screen, which has a 25 book minimum, wherein you can send books in, and if they don't grade at or above a certain threshold you set, they won't be graded, and you're only charged a rejection fee, if anything. 

PS. Venom appears in ASM #298, and, theoretically, Web of Spiderman #18 and #24.

This advice seems to cover most of it. 

You should look up 'SOLD' prices on ebay for the books you have to get an idea of the value, and can compare RAW to CGC prices to signed* copies as well .  Then do some math factoring in CGC costs (make sure to include shipping, insurance, other fees) to do your own cost comparison's to see if its worth your additional investment.  Everyone's preferred rate of return is different.

I would say IN GENERAL, it looks like you'll need to get CGC 9.8's to make it worth it to grade most of your books.  IN GENERAL, that means they're essentially flawless, like perfect, no bends, tears, marks, creases, curves and it lays flat and the spine doesn't have any ticks. Like perfect perfect.  (Yes I get that 'technically' there is an allowable minor imperfection or maybe two, but for the purposes of a novice, it should be 'perfect'.)

As for your old Batman 608, you can go buy a pretty nice copy for $10-$25 without much trouble, or buy a slabbed one fairly cheaply if you really love that comic. 

Certificate's of Authenticity are generally returned to you with the comic, but not put in the slab.

If you plan to submit and were planning on going to the con anyway, you might as well submit in person.  You save on the shipping cost AND the trouble of packing everything, AND you can ask questions to the staff since you're new.

* IN GENERAL its not worth it (especially for novices) to get sigs for resale value (though of course there are exceptions).  If you want them for yourself or your collection, great, but if you want them for investment purposes, do the extra research first.  In most cases your margins won't be super high.

Doesn't hurt to hold onto whatever u think the first appearance of Silk is.  If you're not selling now anyways, I don't know why you would go out of your way to sell it now.  In general, sell on the trailer.

 

[Not A Clone]

The ASM #1 is considered the first app of Cindy Moon. ASM #4 is considered the first Silk appearance. Good luck with everything! 

[ExNihilo]

On 8/19/2018 at 9:43 AM, NickJLevi said:

I know when selling comics that number 1 issues, first appearances, or issues starting an iconic storyline are the issues that will hold the most value.

I wouldn't put much faith in that.  I feel like this is one of the big misconceptions about comics.  WIth the frequency with which Marvel and DC reboot their universes, there is constantly a new #1 each year it feels like.  Sure, some might one day be valuable since first issues can be a good place to introduce new characters and they could theoretically be great starting points for stories.  But by and large, #1 issues aren't worth anymore than any other issue to hit the stands.  Variants like the Gamestop ones you have might better hold their value potentially due to limited production runs or maybe higher demand (if it's a special cover).  But otherwise, for a standard cover, simply being #1 doesn't do much for value on modern books.

[marvelmaniac]

https://comics.ha.com/tutorial/comics-grading.s?show=comicdefinitions

Also...

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/overstreet-guide-to-grading-comics-2015_robert-m-overstreet/13369134/?mkwid=sURE13OvE|dc&pcrid=70112893392&pkw=&pmt=&plc=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxe3ZiK_-3AIVxSaGCh0_ywIZEAQYAiABEgI3xPD_BwE#isbn=1603601678&idiq=28904960

[Skeptic_Kepp]

On 8/19/2018 at 12:43 PM, NickJLevi said:

Hello everyone. So I'm new here and I have no idea about grading. I know comics and read them and I know how valuable comics can be but I don't know anything about grading

This series has helped me a lot: 

 

[newshane]

Purchase "The Overstreet Guide to Grading Comics." 

It is available from Amazon. 

It's a good place to start your education. 

Welcome to the boards.