I live in Finland and hunting single issues is pretty hard and expensive in itself. If I would always buy the best graded gems I would have to be a millionaire just because of import taxes and shippings. Like Your videos, great job!
There's an adage in the sports card world that goes, "did you buy the card or did you buy the grade?" I liken this to comic books as well. Are you buying it for investment purposes or enjoyment? There's nothing wrong with either one. For me, I like to own the damn thing and be able to read it, and I can't do that if it's sealed inside a slab.
You’re right, it doesn’t matter what grade your copy of your favorite book is as long as you know you own a copy. It is better to own a lower grade copy than not own one.
Those are some major keys and glad you were able to get them in such nice shape. I honestly never thought about buying lower grade copies before and wish I would have started a while ago. That is not to say that I won't ever but hopefully this next year I will start getting copies of books I really care about. That DD you have is one that I need to set as a goal book.
Hello mate, could not agree more, I bought a ton of mid to lower grade keys (before the price rockets soared) and at the time I was buying them to make $20 roughly profit long term, so no real greed there, just the of love comics and great covers, plus for the love of artistic creations, iconic super heroes and villains, etc. Like your wall of fame, I too have some lower graded keepers that I don't need to up grade. I am so happy just to have them and I love them even more than some of the 9.8's I have of the newer and really never read stuff. Great show as always, happy new year.
I have my favorite comic in a CGC .5. Low grade better than no grade. I actually started collecting silver keys in CGC .5 grades. Someone has to love them.
Finally got myself a ASM # 300 Higher grades keep going up and they were out of my reach. I finally accepted that it was mid grade or no book at all. Picked up an ASM 300 CGC 5.5 and guess what…I’m happy with it. Glad I finally own one and it’s displayed on my wall.
Not to mention as prices keep going up on this book, you could always sell and move up to a higher grade. A lot of collectors do this to move into higher grades
I'll add one more factor, and that's resale. Having collected at the top end of the hobby but buying all the way through in all grades for the mega keys, there are far more buyers at the lower grade end. This actually makes it easier to sell many of the super keys for full, and often times above, FMV especially if prices are rising or your copy has excellent eye appeal (a factor mentioned in the video, which is spot on, especially when you also factor in bang for your buck).
My advice.. it’s better to be your own drummer and collect as you want.. be it as an elitist or a completest. It’s up to you how you want to collect. There are pros/cons to every decision. Just be you. Wishing you all a safe, healthy and Happy New Year!
Guilty! I'm guilty on so many occasions on waiting and then regretting not making that buy! We'll add the 'buy the book' into my pile of New Year's resolutions.
I 100000% agree with this. Back when i was totally new to the hobby i bought X-men 266 cuz I loved Gambit growing up and I'm sure it's not a high-grade copy, and I've read it a couple times but now that I'm super into the hobby I'm so glad I pulled the trigger back when I did and at least I own it now.
You are so right about high grades, sometime it is just better to get an affordable copy. I am learning that now that I am back into the hobby. The sad part is people sell even lower grades at insane prices or compared to their FMV.
With raw books as soon as something sells on ebay 9 out of 10 people immediately price there item accordingly. Reguardless of condition. Mind you it really is a collectable only market now. When I was a kid the local comic shops (now long gone) used the same scale (vg near mint etcetera) and I bought a lot of books. This was pre professional grading slabs and for the most part pre boarding your comics.With lockdown I've slid back into the hobby. Here's the thing though my entire collection is roughly 2 grades lower than I thought it was. Even the stuff I bought as NM 😕
Your videos are always very informative. I have many lower grade key books, mainly because that's all I can afford, but I just enjoy having them and saying that I own that specific book. Thanks for all the knowledge you share in each of your videos, keep it up.
BEST video you’ve done yet! And that’s not because I agree 100% with everything you say here (well, actually it is because of that, but as a self-appointed spokesperson for the entire universe, my personal opinions more than qualify me to deem things as being BEST. In fact, in my opinion, this the BEST comment ever left on one of your videos).
good points, I live in Australia and frankly I'll take anything. Our exchange rate and importing taxes and shipping costs makes buying from america pretty brutal. I've always aimed for mid grade copies at best.
Such good insight! Awesome vid regarding lower grade books. It’s true that it’s better to have a copy in raw to read or to obtain and to actually have.
James I couldn't agree more for the vast of us average collectors. I was expecting you to say something like "better to have a low grade then no grade"....Like vid 😃👊
Totally agree with this, especially in today's market where major keys in a decent grade will run you $10k+. I've got full runs of many big Marvel titles (ASM, FF, XMEN, etc) and yeah most of the older keys are definitely lower grade. But owning the books and the runs was always my goal, so I'm just fine with those rougher copies!
Great video. I even get some low grades slabbed. I enjoy the cover art and I think some look great encased in plastic and I don’t break the bank doing it. I also have the satisfaction of knowing I own that key comic low grade or not.
Another good video, I just recently acquired a low grade copy of FF #112 (Hulk Vs Thing cover) for a decent price. I now own a classic Buscema cover that I would have never been able to touch if it was a higher grade copy
Thanks for this video! I prefer to buy lower grades of somewhat valuable comics, as this means that I can read them and enjoy them without stress over their value. A 6.0 is often still very beautiful, even though it is maybe a tenth of the value of a raw 9.4. Just as much fun, less stress, less money, what's not to like? I also buy imperfect comics for another reason: to protect myself from getting addicted to - expensive! - "perfect" comics. By consciously buying comics with flaws, and then consciously enjoying them, including the flaws themselves, I avoid myself developing a habit of only wanting perfect-looking comics. It's fighting against a potential OCD-habit 🙂 Take care!
That Avengers annual 10 is one of my favourite books. Bought it when it came out and its fairly damaged now but still love it. One day I will buy it slabbed.
i actually love finding cool keys at lower grades just to be able to own them, honestly. especially those great silver age comics! great content again, thanks!
great video, good information. i recently got back in to collecting last eyar, and had been trying to get a high grade copy of 2 books i ahve always wanted, but i decided to have it in my collection, i ended up getting a midgrade copy of one of them, im still looking to get a copy of the other, but it is on my key list for 2022, which is another chnge from last year, i set out a list of key books that i want to get, and am focused on getting those books this year.
I am more into copper and modem books, so I looked for the cleanest copies. The first Norman Osborn is one book that I would take in lower grade (hideous cover helps with the value). Happy New Year!
Not only are low grade books more affordable but eventually we or our loved ones who inherited our collection has to sell them and it's a lot easier to find someone who can afford a $500 dollar copy of Conan the Barbarian #1 than someone who can afford a $15000 copy.
I very much appreciate your comment about buying low to mid grade books. Not everyone has $100,000 it would take to have a pristine collection as a collector do you want to collect and care less about the value then you do the collection itself. I have lots of books very few 9.8 and I love everyone of them
You tell the truth. Having multiple midgrade of lower copies lead to more complete runs and reading. Complete runs, not just keys, are the the collectors honey of the future. Reading a particular character's long story and many appearances will lead to great runs across several series. Collecting Spidey is it's own hill. Other interesting runs are found with Hulk/Defenders, and of course the Wolverine/X-Men trail goes on nearly forever. I can attest.
Searching for old comic books is a treasure hunt. Sometimes the only ones you find are lower grade. However the thrill of the hunt is still the same. Last year, I picked up a pair of coverless comic books in a packet at an antique store for $2. Most would have walked right past them without even giving them a second thought. Well, one of them turned out to be a copy of The Funnies #1 from 1936, having the first appearance of Alley Oop in a comic book. Before that time, he was only a newspaper character. It is a low grade copy without the cover, but a piece of comic history in my collection none the less.
I would rather have my low grade book in my collection now rather than wait till I could afford a high grade book. I'm currently working on my x-men vol.1 collection. My OCD makes me act like a pokémon hunter gotta have them all ( all price variants and all the other cover varieties) lol.
SAD TO SAY MOST COLLECTORS ARE AFRAID TO TOUCH 9.8 GRADE TO TOUCH OR READ THEM. I AM A TRUE READER WHICH SEEM TO DISLIKE MUCH OF TODAY'S BOOKS. AND I WAS LUCKY TO MEET SOME OF THESE GREATS WHO LIVED HERE IN NEW YORK. SORRY BUT I DISLIKE PLASTIC TO MUCH FEAR OF DESTRUCTION OF BOOKS. LIKE YOUR INSIGHT INTO OUR HOBBY. WOODCHUCK OUT.
Great vid! This has been my mantra in my collecting for the last 25 years. If it's a modern book ('80's+), I still try to target the 9's, but I've got no problem taking a 9.0 (New Mut 98) or a 9.2 (UF 4) for most of the reasons stated in your vid. If it's pre-'80's, I'm most typically in the 4.0-6.5 range with a handful of 7's and 8's. Lowest grade in my collection (by far) is a 2.0 for my Flash 139; that was my "buy it to own it" book. :)
I think you are right about lower grades, do In depth video buying restored books next. I think that restored books are going to eventually be a ok to purchase because of the scarcity of some of the silver age books. There are only so many books and people want them.
I literally always prefer a lower grade because just as you said I don't want to feel bad about touching it or feel like I'm making it worse just by being around it. I don't want that stress I just want a cool book. I recently got a beat up copy of the first cameo of apocalypse for $0.50 at a library book sale and that is a-okay with me.
I like the raw books just like you said, you can read them, it's what they are meant for.... but on the other hand, the really old books it is a great way to preserve them. But those prices! My God! It is waaaay to expensive for me..
Mint Hunter Comics, can you make a video of your top 10 books you want for 2022? It would make a fun video and you can do a follow up video at the end of 2022 to see if you got all of them.
Low grade or no grade! Totally agree with you!👍only exception eould be if you were a diehard fan of one certain character.then id say go for a high grade first appearance!👍
another thing its also amazing to own a book with 'history'. Sure every book came from somewhere but to me damages are like battle scars and aging. I love names scribbles in pencil, lcs stamps on my covers because they tell the story of where the book was at one point in time, Whether it was in the hands of a kid in 1980 or a comic shop in 1994. I think its truly awesome.
love this video, and I basically agree with all, but for me it's definitely the first and the last reasons....the first is definitely cost (especially since I also collect coins and autographs as well), and I would love to own the higher end valued comics, but it's most likely not going to happen unless they're already in my collection from awhile ago. However, with everything going up, even those mid grade comics are going up in value, and so I will just sit and collect those, because I can get more of them, and the raw books sometimes can even score you a better deal if the person selling is grading it a little harsher than you. That leads into the last point of owning it. Sometimes you just want the book, and the price (unless you have unlimited resources) is usually going to play into it. Maybe you can trade some things (like statues or other books you don't want), but usually you're going to have to pay for keys. Find something you can afford and buy it. If it looks a little worse than what you would like, wait around and see if you can find something that might be graded the same but looks better to you. While I'm sure it's nice to own all of those high end books, I just want to have some of them in my collection and whatever I can afford.
Buddy, I just bought 5 comics that were from 1938/1942 just for the covers. Jungle comics, Kan garr. The comics were smashed but... I just wanna preserve them. The paper was s#%t but I just love the art!
Just viewing this video on Jan. 1 Ironically my last purchase of 2021 was FF 65. The first appearance of Ronan the Accuser in a low grade. It's just how I shop for Silver Age and some Bronze Age books. Sometimes it's just the best way to complete runs.
Happy New Year, James! Thanks for being a good dude and making great comic content. It’s something I look forward to watching. For 2022, can you do a top Green Lantern single issues for new collectors video? Or maybe refresh us with some recommended Green Lantern runs worth reading.
Absolutely love this video! 8.0s look great and if you choose to unslab it and put it in a Mylar for your PC you are not missing much! My buddy’s call me the 8.0 man lol actually my X-men 94 is a 4.5 and looks incredible even my LCS that sold it to me for a great price said he thinks CGC hit it to hard and felt it was a harsh grade. Looks awesome to me and I saved a bundle plus it will still hold good value as we wait for the X-men in the mcu
For an investment, I would say go higher but looks for an auction. I’ve seen where a certain cgc book is for sale at $5000. But the auction will sale for $3000 or maybe $4000. If you are collecting to collect, non slabbed or a lower cgc is perfectly fine.
I’m always said that man for me I don’t care about the grade it’s the fact I own it that I’m happy with it…..but that could just be me…..I mean getting an avenger 57 with a detached cover and another low avenger book for 20 bucks……I’ll take it
Affordable grades are awesome if your goal is to buy hundreds or maybe a thousand plus Spider-Man or Batman published. And it’s a great placeholder that moves with market that you can upgrade later if you like.
I have no problem with having a low grade key - as long as it is Bronze Age or older though. No sense owning a low grade Copper or Modern book when there are so many NM copies to be had. Even Bronze Age I will usually try for the highest grade I can afford. But when it comes to SA I cannot afford to be too picky about condition of keys. I will not go below a 2.5 though.
At the point where you are talking about tales of suspense 52 you're talking about inconsistencies in the grading.This is precisely why I'm reluctant to send my books out and I'll be damned if I'm going to resubmit in the hopes to get a higher grade
I agree I’ll come to the conclusion recently that I don’t need a 9.8 I will be perfectly happy and fine with a 8.0 to 7.0 or just very fine copies versus high quality copies.
All I could afford when I was a noob at 12 of the keys were low grade. Now I’m 45 and they’re high value and I know every crease, color rub and spine gash that make them mine! You rock!
![ILLSLICK - THE KING'S LANDING [Freestyle]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/feIJJnNkTfk/mqdefault.jpg)
I live in Finland and hunting single issues is pretty hard and expensive in itself. If I would always buy the best graded gems I would have to be a millionaire just because of import taxes and shippings. Like Your videos, great job!
Shipping is a killer when collecting in Europe. Lost track of the times when the shipping is more than the book.
All I have are raw comics, maybe one day I'll send some off to get graded, but I like to be able to open and look though them.
Good one sir. On older stuff the eye appeal is always more important to me than the number on the label.
Well said my friend
Low to mid-grade is so much more fun to own than high grade copies. Slabs do nothing for me, and I want to read it.
Cake and eat it too, with my comics on the wall and I want to read everything I get. Love the hobby and your channel
There's an adage in the sports card world that goes, "did you buy the card or did you buy the grade?"
I liken this to comic books as well. Are you buying it for investment purposes or enjoyment? There's nothing wrong with either one. For me, I like to own the damn thing and be able to read it, and I can't do that if it's sealed inside a slab.
Great vid dude, I always go for lower grades. I can always upgrade in the future. At least I have the book hahah.
Lot of great advice! Thanks for sharing! Happy New Year to you and your family!!!!!
Yep, agreed.
The way I see it, less on ROI but also we pay less, better lower grade than no grade at all plus if we don't plan to flip it.
Thank you for posting helping people new get into the hobby while keepin older fans entertainded
You’re right, it doesn’t matter what grade your copy of your favorite book is as long as you know you own a copy. It is better to own a lower grade copy than not own one.
This is one of your best videos yet!
Thank you!
It should always be about the love of collecting!
After seeing your piece on controversial comics I have come across a few and picked them up. I really dig your videos. Thanks.
Great content and message again, boss. Keep it coming!
Those are some major keys and glad you were able to get them in such nice shape. I honestly never thought about buying lower grade copies before and wish I would have started a while ago. That is not to say that I won't ever but hopefully this next year I will start getting copies of books I really care about. That DD you have is one that I need to set as a goal book.
Great video - I recently saved up to buy a low grade tomb of Dracula 10 and I just love it !!!! Now looking for my next low grade big book :)
Hello mate, could not agree more, I bought a ton of mid to lower grade keys (before the price rockets soared) and at the time I was buying them to make $20 roughly profit long term, so no real greed there, just the of love comics and great covers, plus for the love of artistic creations, iconic super heroes and villains, etc. Like your wall of fame, I too have some lower graded keepers that I don't need to up grade. I am so happy just to have them and I love them even more than some of the 9.8's I have of the newer and really never read stuff. Great show as always, happy new year.
I have my favorite comic in a CGC .5. Low grade better than no grade. I actually started collecting silver keys in CGC .5 grades. Someone has to love them.
Finally got myself a ASM # 300
Higher grades keep going up and they were out of my reach.
I finally accepted that it was mid grade or no book at all. Picked up an ASM 300
CGC 5.5 and guess what…I’m happy with it. Glad I finally own one and it’s displayed on my wall.
Not to mention as prices keep going up on this book, you could always sell and move up to a higher grade. A lot of collectors do this to move into higher grades
I'll add one more factor, and that's resale. Having collected at the top end of the hobby but buying all the way through in all grades for the mega keys, there are far more buyers at the lower grade end. This actually makes it easier to sell many of the super keys for full, and often times above, FMV especially if prices are rising or your copy has excellent eye appeal (a factor mentioned in the video, which is spot on, especially when you also factor in bang for your buck).
Well put Brian!
I’ve only been collecting moderns and starting to dabble in older comics. This helps me get over the 9.8 bias!
I personally started out only getting 9.8 myself but realized I was limiting myself from getting some great books 🤷
My advice.. it’s better to be your own drummer and collect as you want.. be it as an elitist or a completest. It’s up to you how you want to collect. There are pros/cons to every decision. Just be you. Wishing you all a safe, healthy and Happy New Year!
Guilty! I'm guilty on so many occasions on waiting and then regretting not making that buy! We'll add the 'buy the book' into my pile of New Year's resolutions.
I 100000% agree with this. Back when i was totally new to the hobby i bought X-men 266 cuz I loved Gambit growing up and I'm sure it's not a high-grade copy, and I've read it a couple times but now that I'm super into the hobby I'm so glad I pulled the trigger back when I did and at least I own it now.
Thanks for sharing Adam!
You are so right about high grades, sometime it is just better to get an affordable copy. I am learning that now that I am back into the hobby. The sad part is people sell even lower grades at insane prices or compared to their FMV.
With raw books as soon as something sells on ebay 9 out of 10 people immediately price there item accordingly. Reguardless of condition. Mind you it really is a collectable only market now. When I was a kid the local comic shops (now long gone) used the same scale (vg near mint etcetera) and I bought a lot of books. This was pre professional grading slabs and for the most part pre boarding your comics.With lockdown I've slid back into the hobby. Here's the thing though my entire collection is roughly 2 grades lower than I thought it was. Even the stuff I bought as NM 😕
Your videos are always very informative. I have many lower grade key books, mainly because that's all I can afford, but I just enjoy having them and saying that I own that specific book. Thanks for all the knowledge you share in each of your videos, keep it up.
I appreciate that! I put a lot of time into them!
BEST video you’ve done yet! And that’s not because I agree 100% with everything you say here (well, actually it is because of that, but as a self-appointed spokesperson for the entire universe, my personal opinions more than qualify me to deem things as being BEST. In fact, in my opinion, this the BEST comment ever left on one of your videos).
Hell yeah! That's quite the compliment Echo!
It’s all about reading and imagination, not the g.d. money. Keep the videos coming, my friend.
Great video. Thanks.
good points, I live in Australia and frankly I'll take anything. Our exchange rate and importing taxes and shipping costs makes buying from america pretty brutal. I've always aimed for mid grade copies at best.
So I've noticed! I've got friends there and shipping is a nightmare!
I like to grab my grade books definitely agree with you on this the keys are sometimes way better in lower grades
Such good insight! Awesome vid regarding lower grade books. It’s true that it’s better to have a copy in raw to read or to obtain and to actually have.
I love Avengers annual #10, Rogue is one of my all time faves.🤘
James I couldn't agree more for the vast of us average collectors. I was expecting you to say something like "better to have a low grade then no grade"....Like vid 😃👊
Absolutely. I have so many low grade comics.
I love the warn look of the lower grades!!! Adds character!!!lol. Thanks for the video man!!!
Totally agree with this, especially in today's market where major keys in a decent grade will run you $10k+. I've got full runs of many big Marvel titles (ASM, FF, XMEN, etc) and yeah most of the older keys are definitely lower grade. But owning the books and the runs was always my goal, so I'm just fine with those rougher copies!
Great video. I even get some low grades slabbed. I enjoy the cover art and I think some look great encased in plastic and I don’t break the bank doing it. I also have the satisfaction of knowing I own that key comic low grade or not.
Another good video, I just recently acquired a low grade copy of FF #112 (Hulk Vs Thing cover) for a decent price. I now own a classic Buscema cover that I would have never been able to touch if it was a higher grade copy
Nice man!
Thanks for this video! I prefer to buy lower grades of somewhat valuable comics, as this means that I can read them and enjoy them without stress over their value.
A 6.0 is often still very beautiful, even though it is maybe a tenth of the value of a raw 9.4. Just as much fun, less stress, less money, what's not to like?
I also buy imperfect comics for another reason: to protect myself from getting addicted to - expensive! - "perfect" comics. By consciously buying comics with flaws, and then consciously enjoying them, including the flaws themselves, I avoid myself developing a habit of only wanting perfect-looking comics. It's fighting against a potential OCD-habit 🙂
Take care!
Had to make a second comment just because this video was so awesome! You are literally on the same wavelength here I have been for the last 6 months !
Thanks thanks Chrispy!
That Avengers annual 10 is one of my favourite books. Bought it when it came out and its fairly damaged now but still love it. One day I will buy it slabbed.
i actually love finding cool keys at lower grades just to be able to own them, honestly. especially those great silver age comics!
great content again, thanks!
great video, good information. i recently got back in to collecting last eyar, and had been trying to get a high grade copy of 2 books i ahve always wanted, but i decided to have it in my collection, i ended up getting a midgrade copy of one of them, im still looking to get a copy of the other, but it is on my key list for 2022, which is another chnge from last year, i set out a list of key books that i want to get, and am focused on getting those books this year.
Thanks for sharing!
Do you got any tips on selling comics
I am more into copper and modem books, so I looked for the cleanest copies. The first Norman Osborn is one book that I would take in lower grade (hideous cover helps with the value). Happy New Year!
Not only are low grade books more affordable but eventually we or our loved ones who inherited our collection has to sell them and it's a lot easier to find someone who can afford a $500 dollar copy of Conan the Barbarian #1 than someone who can afford a $15000 copy.
Great show! I have only been collecting raw recently, slabs to expensive at the moment!
I very much appreciate your comment about buying low to mid grade books. Not everyone has $100,000 it would take to have a pristine collection as a collector do you want to collect and care less about the value then you do the collection itself. I have lots of books very few 9.8 and I love everyone of them
Cheers and thanks for sharing!
Those are really nice frames.
You tell the truth. Having multiple midgrade of lower copies lead to more complete runs and reading. Complete runs, not just keys, are the the collectors honey of the future. Reading a particular character's long story and many appearances will lead to great runs across several series. Collecting Spidey is it's own hill. Other interesting runs are found with Hulk/Defenders, and of course the Wolverine/X-Men trail goes on nearly forever. I can attest.
Thanks my friend - I try!
Low grade is also worth getting to have the older books.
Searching for old comic books is a treasure hunt. Sometimes the only ones you find are lower grade. However the thrill of the hunt is still the same. Last year, I picked up a pair of coverless comic books in a packet at an antique store for $2. Most would have walked right past them without even giving them a second thought. Well, one of them turned out to be a copy of The Funnies #1 from 1936, having the first appearance of Alley Oop in a comic book. Before that time, he was only a newspaper character. It is a low grade copy without the cover, but a piece of comic history in my collection none the less.
Cheaper is the best reason and really my only reason for doing buying low grade..but it's nice to know about the other 4 reasons!
For sure!
I would rather have my low grade book in my collection now rather than wait till I could afford a high grade book. I'm currently working on my x-men vol.1 collection. My OCD makes me act like a pokémon hunter gotta have them all ( all price variants and all the other cover varieties) lol.
Love the video. Thanks for making it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
SAD TO SAY MOST COLLECTORS ARE AFRAID TO TOUCH 9.8 GRADE TO TOUCH OR READ THEM. I AM A TRUE READER WHICH SEEM TO DISLIKE MUCH OF TODAY'S BOOKS. AND I WAS LUCKY TO MEET SOME OF THESE GREATS WHO LIVED HERE IN NEW YORK. SORRY BUT I DISLIKE PLASTIC TO MUCH FEAR OF DESTRUCTION OF BOOKS. LIKE YOUR INSIGHT INTO OUR HOBBY. WOODCHUCK OUT.
Great vid! This has been my mantra in my collecting for the last 25 years. If it's a modern book ('80's+), I still try to target the 9's, but I've got no problem taking a 9.0 (New Mut 98) or a 9.2 (UF 4) for most of the reasons stated in your vid. If it's pre-'80's, I'm most typically in the 4.0-6.5 range with a handful of 7's and 8's. Lowest grade in my collection (by far) is a 2.0 for my Flash 139; that was my "buy it to own it" book. :)
I think you are right about lower grades, do In depth video buying restored books next. I think that restored books are going to eventually be a ok to purchase because of the scarcity of some of the silver age books. There are only so many books and people want them.
I still have to do a restored book vid for sure
I literally always prefer a lower grade because just as you said I don't want to feel bad about touching it or feel like I'm making it worse just by being around it. I don't want that stress I just want a cool book. I recently got a beat up copy of the first cameo of apocalypse for $0.50 at a library book sale and that is a-okay with me.
That's the best type of book to grab. For 50 cents that's a killer deal
I like the raw books just like you said, you can read them, it's what they are meant for.... but on the other hand, the really old books it is a great way to preserve them. But those prices! My God! It is waaaay to expensive for me..
Totally agree!
Man great points but I can’t lie, I want my
Totally agree with you, i just bought an avengers 48 and 57, in low grade for $15 both them, and im so happy with it! hope some day will upgrade them.
So, do I just comment to enter for the subscriber giveaway?
I’ve always been of the mind to buy low grade. As long as it’s readable I’m happy.
Mint Hunter Comics, can you make a video of your top 10 books you want for 2022? It would make a fun video and you can do a follow up video at the end of 2022 to see if you got all of them.
Some comics are so cool, it doesn’t matter to me what grade they are. Just as long as they are complete.
Low grade or no grade! Totally agree with you!👍only exception eould be if you were a diehard fan of one certain character.then id say go for a high grade first appearance!👍
another thing its also amazing to own a book with 'history'. Sure every book came from somewhere but to me damages are like battle scars and aging. I love names scribbles in pencil, lcs stamps on my covers because they tell the story of where the book was at one point in time, Whether it was in the hands of a kid in 1980 or a comic shop in 1994. I think its truly awesome.
I am the same. Every little crease or wrinkle proves that imagination is timeless. There aren't any grades higher than that.
Cover Eye Appeal & Raw!!! Hunting for older
I will always get a low-grade copy so that I can enjoy it and now worry about it
love this video, and I basically agree with all, but for me it's definitely the first and the last reasons....the first is definitely cost (especially since I also collect coins and autographs as well), and I would love to own the higher end valued comics, but it's most likely not going to happen unless they're already in my collection from awhile ago. However, with everything going up, even those mid grade comics are going up in value, and so I will just sit and collect those, because I can get more of them, and the raw books sometimes can even score you a better deal if the person selling is grading it a little harsher than you. That leads into the last point of owning it. Sometimes you just want the book, and the price (unless you have unlimited resources) is usually going to play into it. Maybe you can trade some things (like statues or other books you don't want), but usually you're going to have to pay for keys. Find something you can afford and buy it. If it looks a little worse than what you would like, wait around and see if you can find something that might be graded the same but looks better to you. While I'm sure it's nice to own all of those high end books, I just want to have some of them in my collection and whatever I can afford.
Managed to snag a raw Daredevil 42 for like $15 CAD. Was a great find, obviously, the condition isn't the best but it's still lovely to see
So true. I just bought a raw Amazing Spider-Man 300 for 1500 bucks and I'm too scared to take it out if the bag.
Wow!
$1, can't pass that up lol. I saw one at the market mid grade for like $50 but I passed. Maybe I should've grabbed it.
Buddy, I just bought 5 comics that were from 1938/1942 just for the covers. Jungle comics, Kan garr. The comics were smashed but... I just wanna preserve them. The paper was s#%t but I just love the art!
You sound like me Pete!
Great vid as always. I have a couple lower grade CGC books that I wouldn’t trade for the world.
Yo great channel thinking about starting one
Just viewing this video on Jan. 1 Ironically my last purchase of 2021 was FF 65. The first appearance of Ronan the Accuser in a low grade. It's just how I shop for Silver Age and some Bronze Age books. Sometimes it's just the best way to complete runs.
Oh wow thats cool! Never owned that one
Happy New Year, James! Thanks for being a good dude and making great comic content. It’s something I look forward to watching.
For 2022, can you do a top Green Lantern single issues for new collectors video? Or maybe refresh us with some recommended Green Lantern runs worth reading.
What is written on the Tales of Suspense with Iron Man? And are those the grading notes on the front? May I ask what happened? Thank you!
it is so hard to find a raw, low grade hulk 181
Absolutely love this video! 8.0s look great and if you choose to unslab it and put it in a Mylar for your PC you are not missing much! My buddy’s call me the 8.0 man lol actually my X-men 94 is a 4.5 and looks incredible even my LCS that sold it to me for a great price said he thinks CGC hit it to hard and felt it was a harsh grade. Looks awesome to me and I saved a bundle plus it will still hold good value as we wait for the X-men in the mcu
Glad you enjoyed! thanks for sharing
For an investment, I would say go higher but looks for an auction. I’ve seen where a certain cgc book is for sale at $5000. But the auction will sale for $3000 or maybe $4000.
If you are collecting to collect, non slabbed or a lower cgc is perfectly fine.
I'm getting the feeling you dislike the current state of comic collecting.
I’m always said that man for me I don’t care about the grade it’s the fact I own it that I’m happy with it…..but that could just be me…..I mean getting an avenger 57 with a detached cover and another low avenger book for 20 bucks……I’ll take it
Most of my Grails and keys are mid to lower grade. For the prices and books i get. Its my collecting style. Never done me wrong..... :)
Exactly!
I do like to find reader copies for some of my favorite books and also have Hugh grade copies slabbed.
Affordable grades are awesome if your goal is to buy hundreds or maybe a thousand plus Spider-Man or Batman published. And it’s a great placeholder that moves with market that you can upgrade later if you like.
Would love a high grade golden or silver age but those low grades have character lol
Still want a .5 Batman Golden age 🤣
Very true.
Love the channel bro
Why thank you!
Love low grade copies of books! I can say I own one and can someday if possible.... Upgrade!!!!
Exactly!
Great video
I never noticed that low grades look better.
Watch your channel all the time
Hell yeah!
I have no problem with having a low grade key - as long as it is Bronze Age or older though. No sense owning a low grade Copper or Modern book when there are so many NM copies to be had. Even Bronze Age I will usually try for the highest grade I can afford. But when it comes to SA I cannot afford to be too picky about condition of keys. I will not go below a 2.5 though.
Exactly!
At the point where you are talking about tales of suspense 52 you're talking about inconsistencies in the grading.This is precisely why I'm reluctant to send my books out and I'll be damned if I'm going to resubmit in the hopes to get a higher grade
I hear ya!
I agree I’ll come to the conclusion recently that I don’t need a 9.8 I will be perfectly happy and fine with a 8.0 to 7.0 or just very fine copies versus high quality copies.
All I could afford when I was a noob at 12 of the keys were low grade. Now I’m 45 and they’re high value and I know every crease, color rub and spine gash that make them mine! You rock!
*_...so, you mean reader-copies?_*