Slabbed or unslabbed 0

[GrandmasterG]

New to the site and have a couple questions. So I have been collecting comics since the 60’s and have a pretty nice collection  bronze to modern. I have recently went through the collection to ID gems, comics with value etc. I have some books right now going through pressing and I am thinking about having some comics graded and slabbed. Question: what is more desirable to most people looking to purchase, slabbed or in the raw? If I wanted to sell some would it be easier / more desirable to slab? I know some advantages to slab just want to see what you guys desire if you were to purchase. Thanks. I have more questions but I’ll separate them into another thread.

[csaag]

Hi & welcome,  depends on the buyers intentions.  If the buyer is interested in it as a 'collectible' then slabbed is the choice as it removes the worry about restoration and you're getting a professional grade that will hold (due to the case)

Speculators may like raw because they want to slab it themselves to get a higher value.  Obviously if you want to read it and don't have X-Ray vision you'll get it raw.

[Myowncollector]

All depends. A good seller can get slab or above prices for raw. I buy and sell both. For buying a deal is a deal. I know people who only buy raw and ones who only buy slabs or at least for keys. 

For selling it all depends on book. I sell a lot more raw. Personally I would slab any of the following, majority of the time,  of course there can be exceptions. 9.8 slab. A new census highest grade slab. Manufacturing defects slab. Date stamp slab. Ugly tan looking cover slab. Spine tears slab. Interior page damage slab. Barely hanging on to staples slab. 

[oldmilwaukee6er]

On 6/23/2020 at 8:52 AM, GrandmasterG said:

Question: what is more desirable to most people looking to purchase, slabbed or in the raw?

If I wanted to sell some would it be easier / more desirable to slab? 

Q1- Hmmmm... lots of people prefer a slabbed book, esp if the price is right. Especially on this chat forum. That said, I would argue that majority of comics collectors prefer raw books. There are sooo many pitfalls to buying books sight-unseen (e.g. eBay) that CGC books can fetch a premium (sometimes up to 5 - 10 times guide!). You have to educate yourself on values enough to know which books it makes economical sense to grade because it is expensive to grade lots of books. You write "pretty nice" ... but EVERYone learns the disappointing lession that Overstreet age 'pretty nice' is not a CGC 9.4+ (the general premium levels).  

Q2- Yes. Comic collectors d*cker about 2 things - condition and price. Argually the slab takes condition off the table. Plus it gives piece of mind to the buyer RE unforeseen risk. But you have to run a quick cost - benefit. 

[William-James88]

On 6/23/2020 at 9:52 AM, GrandmasterG said:

New to the site and have a couple questions. So I have been collecting comics since the 60’s and have a pretty nice collection  bronze to modern. I have recently went through the collection to ID gems, comics with value etc. I have some books right now going through pressing and I am thinking about having some comics graded and slabbed. Question: what is more desirable to most people looking to purchase, slabbed or in the raw? If I wanted to sell some would it be easier / more desirable to slab? I know some advantages to slab just want to see what you guys desire if you were to purchase. Thanks. I have more questions but I’ll separate them into another thread.

It would be easier but not more desirable.

It's easier because the person can't return the book, they know for sure the grade they are getting, and it helps avoid further damaging it when you send it.

However, raws are more desirable because they will atract the entire fanbase. Some people don't want CGC slabs, some want to read the original book, and some hope to buy a raw book and then improve it in various ways to hopefully get the best grade possible. And those who prefer a CGC'd book can still CGC it themselves. So you widen your market.

By selling raw you also get to sell it right now, without having to wait 6 months for the book to come back and without having to invest in professional grading (and it also avoids terrible scenarios of CGC losing your book or damaging it, or it being damaged while in transit, all of which has happened). You instead pass on the burden of it being professionally graded to the buyer while you reap your profits quicker. One of the largest dealers in rare comics is Harley Yee and he keeps most of his stuff raw, it's more profitable.  But he sells at shows where people can check the comic before buying it, so he avoids returns that way.

Also, from what it seems, unless you are referring to books that only sell really well in 9.8 CGC holders (where one can only get that by getting it graded), most books sell as much raw than graded (especially when you remove the cost of grading from the price it sold at). Or they sell even better raw (example below)

The main reason to get a book graded is if you are a betting man and hope for a 9.8 on a book that has few of those, or if you simply want to avoid people sending you back books if they aren't happy with them.

Edited June 30, 2020 by William-James88

[William-James88]

On 6/24/2020 at 10:12 PM, Myowncollector said:

For selling it all depends on book. I sell a lot more raw. Personally I would slab any of the following, majority of the time,  of course there can be exceptions. 9.8 slab. A new census highest grade slab. Manufacturing defects slab. Date stamp slab. Ugly tan looking cover slab. Spine tears slab. Interior page damage slab. Barely hanging on to staples slab. 

Haha, I see what's up here. Perfect for those who buy the slabs and not the books. It is good advice. I always tend to think of the higher end reasons for slabs, but this is a better perspective.

[Myowncollector]

2 hours ago, William-James88 said:

Haha, I see what's up here. Perfect for those who buy the slabs and not the books. It is good advice. I always tend to think of the higher end reasons for slabs, but this is a better perspective.

Most people buy the labels grade. Most people can't grade or their criteria differs from grading companies. On this forum you have a higher percentage of comic educated people. General public is pretty clueless. I always give a honest grade or no grade. But the world is full of sellers who over grade by a lot and people pay the price for that false grade. 

[Black Bat]

On 6/24/2020 at 7:12 PM, Myowncollector said:

All depends. A good seller can get slab or above prices for raw. I buy and sell both. For buying a deal is a deal. I know people who only buy raw and ones who only buy slabs or at least for keys. 

For selling it all depends on book. I sell a lot more raw. Personally I would slab any of the following, majority of the time,  of course there can be exceptions. 9.8 slab. A new census highest grade slab. Manufacturing defects slab. Date stamp slab. Ugly tan looking cover slab. Spine tears slab. Interior page damage slab. Barely hanging on to staples slab. 

Love this, but why slab the date stamp?

[Myowncollector]

36 minutes ago, Black Bat said:

Love this, but why slab the date stamp?

A lot of people think it hurts the grade more than it actually does. 

Water damage is the opposite. Sell it raw. 

[GrandmasterG]

So it looks like there have been mixed answers I asked on whether to slab or not for desirability. But let me ask. The benefit is having a professional grade so that there can be no dispute on the price/grade. So for example if you want a Green lantern #76 at an 8.0 and you don’t want it slabbed. But you find one selling at 8.0 and you don’t want it slabbed why don’t you buy it and just take it out of the slab? It’s not like someone is charging you for it being slabbed. I’m confused. 

[Avi]

19 minutes ago, GrandmasterG said:

So it looks like there have been mixed answers I asked on whether to slab or not for desirability. But let me ask. The benefit is having a professional grade so that there can be no dispute on the price/grade. So for example if you want a Green lantern #76 at an 8.0 and you don’t want it slabbed. But you find one selling at 8.0 and you don’t want it slabbed why don’t you buy it and just take it out of the slab? It’s not like someone is charging you for it being slabbed. I’m confused. 

There is a premium for having the book graded. A key issues graded will sell for more than the same book ungraded, generally for the very reason you mentioned, ie the grade is known and established.

Sometimes you will get people who dispute the grade on the book based on their own opinions. Around here people tend to "buy the book, not the slab" 

Unfortunately the answer to your question remains, It depends.