I used CGC for pressing one time on my first ever submission a few years ago. They did a horrible job, so I never used them again. It was a hard lesson, but I learned that a reputable independent presser will give every one of your books the individual attention you paid them for. Still, you got some amazing books back! Congrats, great unboxing video!
I used cgc to press my signed 9.4 hulk 340 . It had minor waves on back. It comes back a 9.2 and they damaged my book during pressing. So I paid for them to damage the book, then drop the grade
@@garincarter7279 I'm so sorry to hear this.... what I hate is the fact you can't do anything about it once they ruin it.. they cover themselves well in the terms and conditions
That's the thing. Even a slab'd book sitting in the direct sunlight in a hot & humid environment might not look so hot after a couple decades (eg., it's also a case of where the comics are stored)
Great video. I enjoyed your optimistism and genuine joy when you exceeded your predictions. It's refreshing to see a video where the poster isn't obsessed with value. I'm from the same generation of collecting and enjoyed your recollection of your experiences. You have a new subscriber...looking forward to watching your content.
I have hundreds of comics from the 1960’s thru the early 1990’s…I used the cheaper poly bags and boards when I stored them many years ago and recently went through them …they’re still in great condition with no yellowing or damage and will send some to get graded by CGC…proof enough for me that you really don’t need expensive mylars and boards to keep them fresh …
I agree completely. Of course, Mylar does look a ton better.. so if displaying a raw comic, we'd obviously want to go that route. And for bigger keys, for sure use mylar just to be on the safe side. But for everything else? Probably just fine to go with poly even for up to 50 years. Who knows really.
@@ImproveCollectingComics the bags and boards get old and worn out but they don't damage the comic. I wouldn't use mylar for my collection because putting them in and pulling them out can easily damage your book. My favorite cover is Mystery in Space # 90.
Glad you got to hang onto your childhood comics. My mom made me get rid of mine, all those big grails from DC and Marvel from the '50s and '60s bought new and well cared for. At least I started collecting again in the mid-70s until the mid-90s.
You're story is a common one and very sad... my grandmother supposedly threw out a ton of 50's 60's comics that a cousin had... I guess that's what makes a lot of these books so rare though
I have no idea how either.. poly and yellowing old boards in non-ideal storage temperatures as well. I guess I have the presser to thank for the CPR job.
Super cool video. Neat to see some books from childhood get such high grades. Sounds like CGC did some Not So Great Pressing here. But then gave some Awfully Generous grading on some of these 9.6's... with a few spine ticks. To hear the assessment of some of these 9.6's afterwards, it seems like they shouldn't even have been as high as a 9.0. So you definitely win there. I've seen some 9.6 books where I wasn't sure how they were Not a 9.8-10. To see some of these books get 9.6 with a spine tick here, and here, and here, another here, a color breaking tick here... That's pretty crazy. A book that was expected to go as high as maybe an 8.5 with a handful of spine ticks, landing a 9.4? Sounds like they were trying to make up for destroying one of your books. And what the hell is the deal with that giant ink stain? Kinda looked like it could have been a burn mark from pressing with too high of heat. You've definitely got a battle to fight there.
Really neat idea. I would love to do some of my old books. But some of them are so beat from reading and re-reading and leaving in the sun. Lucky to get 2.0's ;)
It must be serendipity that I came across this video today. I just started going through my own collection this weekend - similar titles from mainly the 80's but some 70's as well. And as with your collection, mine have all been sitting in the same bags for the past 30+ years so it's good to know that they may come out in relatively decent shape. I can't see myself getting them graded but I'm definitely going to get them properly bagged and boarded now. Great video and congratulations on your submissions.
Thanks! And very cool about your own collection, I'm sure they weren't stored nearly as badly as mine were. I had them stored in an attic space that was not temperature controlled.. yeah, so temperatures ranges from 30 up to 120+.. yikes! I hope you have as much fun going through them as I did! Let me know if you find any hidden surprise grails
@@ImproveCollectingComics Not too sure about grails or not but my run of New Mutants has #87 and #98.. Also found my Sandman collection with 5 signed books by Mike Dringenberg. I know I've got a batch of Todd McFarlane books that I'm looking forward to going through... Fun times ahead.
@@ImproveCollectingComics For the McFarlanes, I found my runs of Incredible Hulk, ASM (missing #314), Spider-Man (missing #14), and even GI Joe #60. By some chance of fate, I decided to open up Hulk 339 when I was re-bagging and boarding and found his signature on the first page (inside the book). I'm guessing the comic shop that sold it to me 30+ years ago had no idea it was signed. Lucky for me! Still haven't come across my Spawn run or Batman 423 (but I know they are in one of the boxes).
Happy to see books when I was a kid. Unfortunately my mom threw out my collection when I was young, but did save a small batch in hs when i bought comics after that traumatic event. I still have those books to this day so I'll have to get them cleaned and pressed before submitting them for grading. This video alone made me subscribe to your channel. Thank you for this trip
Congrats! Some really nice grades for a lot of those! That ASM 297 is one I've never been able to get in a 9.8. That purple is tough. X-Men 101 9.2...cha-ching!
I have hundreds of comic books using the same poly bag since 30 years ago and they are perfect. Changing them every 7 years is a myth. They look better new. I give you that. But its not needed at all. The trick is a good storage.
I have a Thor 390 displayed on my wall that I want to send off to be graded and it actually is a key issue. It's the 1st time Captain America wields Thor's hammer Mjolnir.
This is a great channel. I watched some other channels for i purchased maybe 2 days maybe 3 sorry getn older, i was at a garage sale i resell online so i thought id pick up these comics since I'm new to comics & flipping so i bought three comics and the guy holding the garage sale asks, do you buy comics. I reply well, wutcha got? Then he states oh, i have comics thats been sitn for over 20 years and was windering if youd be interrsted. I say well yeah, i do now! Let me see them and i dont know how with no covers no backs but they all look like he bought them 2 weeks ago stored in these little tiny boxes. So being new to comics i just started i mean maybe 3-4 months ago and not to knock anyone elses channel for they do it for the love but jeez sometimes please put up the prices and return you get for pressing, sending your stuff off to get graded etc in for us newbies i mean this channel teaches as well as show his love for the hobby and other channels ive watched are more haul focused look at what i got focused and minimal teaching & educating very very good to watch and learn and thanks. And yes 10 small boxes about 100 each box and so many spider man i didnt know he had so many different forms of comics web of, unlimited, just crazy good stuff in like new condition one thing i did get out a channel was i can take my comics to pressing issues ( crazy cool name get it issue or issues ) they all look like a 9.2 i wonder if i get them pressed can i catch a 9.8 and thats the exciting part wether you sell them or not. Has anyone ever used them? Be honest i wont tell Lol...
Awesome! Thank you! Kraven's hunt is definitely one of the greatest stories ever.. speaking of which, might reread that this week for the first time in a long time
Did you clear up the insurance question? That is included in the price. When you're submitting modern tier books you can have them valued up to $400 per book in case something was to happen to them while at CGC. That is included in the cost.
@@cwwheelz That's not a bad idea. The only problem is I failed to take front and back photos of my first submission.. I've been doing it since though. Thanks for the tip!
Great video. I also am generally not a bag-refresher. Although I have over time replaced the bags on books that were modern-size but in silver-size bags, things like that. But then I save the larger bags and put 4 comics together in those, things like that. I'm only a buyer these days but I plan to sell when I retire. The good news on that (probably similar to what you will experience) is I won't have any concern over making a profit over the cost of the books since I won't have any idea what the heck I paid for each one. Although still will have to make sure I only slab things that have a good chance of coming back at a value higher than the $40 or so.
Yes, Comic Geeks indeed..!!.. I also have a bunch of them from that era to be slabbed to sell. I stopped collecting near MID-1989 close to when you stopped. Nice books.....
Just as the saying goes "low grade is better than no grade" poly bag is better than no bag. Most of my collection from my childhood was completely loose sitting in a crate for over 30 years before I finally rescued them a year or two ago. Some are in really rough shape, one completely lost it's cover. Many are in low to mid grade with a few that managed to avoid any serious damage.
I have heard that once your books have been pressed that if your books sit for a while before they are slab, some of issues could return before they are graded.
That would make a lot of sense. My books had some defects that were heavily ingrained over decades.. maybe they needed a repress. Overall happy that I did as well I did though, so not really complaining.
@@ImproveCollectingComics yeah mine is I believe (have to send it off still) a 9.4 ish grade ooo it'd also b the 1st appearance of grog. ( the original God butcher ) the book came out when I was 6 years old and I still have it today lol
Ug, guess I waited until the best time to submit 🤣 I've got a bunch of books that I sent in last fall, like 40% of them looked like a 9.8.. so we'll see how that goes
I really enjoyed this video! Everything about it was cool, including the extra info you overlaid about value in grade and census count. But the coolest things about this video are your awesome comic room and that sick ASM #40 shirt! One thing that would have made it even better would be to zoom in on the tics and defects you were describing. But in all, great video. I'm subscribing!
Awesome, thank you! I thought about doing that in hindsight, but it was already an hour long.. but yeah that's a great idea, I will definitely try to remember to show what I am seeing in detail. Hopefully that type of thing never happens again though!
@@sbonagof A guy threw it in as a "pot sweetener" when I bought a mid-grade copy of ASM 40. Here is a link to what he gave me- www.stylinonline.com/spiderman-cover-t-shirt-in-tin/
That's a really good idea. I took front photos, but not back on my first submission.. won't make that mistake again. In fact, I now record every single book I send off.. as I grade it.. so hopefully I'm covered in the future
Love the spreadsheet - I'm going through my collection (about 80 long boxes so it'll be a while) and I'm going to need to start some recordkeeping. So I stole your format!
@@ImproveCollectingComics - I'm planning on selling a good amount of them so I added invoice numbers and submit/return dates and fees. For your fees column you might want to split the shipping/insurance costs across each submission. You'll have a better cost basis for each book and your accountant will love you for it.
@@sfq7675 Thanks for the suggestion, I actually already added this breakdown on my "test" version of the sheet. I will update the public version soon once I double check it. Good luck on the sales!
What grading tool do you use? I would like to try that myself. Fun vid! I actually have a 9.6 wolverine 1 that looks flawless to me, not a tic in sight. Send it back to get that hair out, they should do it for free.
For this submission I used the SpotOn Grading App. However, I did create my own tool that's free.. it's for Google sheets: th-cam.com/video/GfJVIJ9-nhk/w-d-xo.html Yeah that Wolverine is uber hard to get 9.8.. mine has literally 1 tiny flaw and got 9.6. I wish they did notes on all non 9.8's for transparency sake
Yeah will definitely revisit each book one by one soon and decide. I was able to fix a lot of the newton rings though, I figured out a method that worked really well.. a video on that Friday
See not all ncb spine ticks come out in one press sometimes you have to do multiple presses, or you have to work on them on the side with a heat sealing mini iron and a board with a slanted edge. Cgc only does a quick wiping and just that one press
Thanks for the heads up. I am actually learning to press and am finding out that exactly what you said is true. Some books are very stubborn and require a lot more time, presses, and TLC
Your video was very informative. Your chart at the end really shows why you need to be very selective in what you send to these grading companies. $45 a book is pretty expensive so you really have to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze when submitting to CGC.
I appreciate that! Yes, fees and expenses can really add up quickly.. especially if you started fast-tracking. I am finding that you really need to pick up books at 40% of the expected slabbed value for it to even make sense much of the time. If it's for the personal collection, like 60% is probably fine though.
There are plenty of great recommendations on other channels, unfortunately I have only used one service and it didn't go well.. if I ever do have someone to recommend, I'll be sure to let everyone know
The copper age is basically when they started doing mega cross-overs, a bunch of new independents came out, and there were some big shifts in hero storylines.. I have always thought of the copper age having started with secret wars 1 in '84 but a lot of people say '83 is the year. I am less sure when the copper age ends, but I always think of Spider-Man #1 or X-Men #1 as being very early lines of demarcation to the modern era
Not yet, and not sure I will. I am torn on whether I should follow-up or call. I am not a big fan of wasting time and I am doubtful there is any chance they own it... I've kinda grown fond of the inky red book lol
Great submission! I did a similar thing a couple months back, submitted my childhood collection. If I only had similar taste as you did! Haha. Which app were you using to grade your comics? Thanks for the content!
A lot of these books were literally shaped like a banana.. in hindsight, I think 7.0 was generous on some of them.. regardless, I am overjoyed at the results.. because I honestly had no clue when it came to grading when I sent this off (probably still don't)
Yeah I know I know.. "I don't care" is b.s. for sure.. I guess what I mean is I had low expectations, but definitely care, so bad use of words.. sorry lol
I sold a few books in 2009 for baby formula money :( ASM 39, 40, 41, 50 and 300 among others, it's kinda depressing to think about.. luckily a few keys were hidden away from me
Hi, sorry for my ignorance.. not sure what a cutout is? You mean the missing tattooz? I didn't even think it was a thing back then.. I kinda like the green label though. :)
I sure do.. have been hunting for silver age books.. got about 20ish so far, submitting a few to CGC.. I will be doing a "silver age haul" video soon. I also have a few big keys on the wishlist.. like 121 and 129... I never got them as a kid and regret it. How about you?
Step 1 to grading.. never use the pressing service they offer. The faster the books are through their systems the better and less chance of them damaging them. I cannot believe they spilled ink or had done something to cause that. That’s so disrespectful that they’d do that then charge you to grade it after they damaged it
Absolutely.. but I feel kind of powerless except I could just switch grading companies. I already have two other submissions with them in progress and don't want to get on their bad side by making a huge stink about it, if that's a thing. But yeah.. super stoked that it was that book and not X-men 101 or Hulk 240.. woulda been looking for a tall building lol
Yeah you could be right.. however, the presser I use is in Florida and drops the books off in person at CGC.. handlers at CGC could also be rough with books I guess.. kinda just one of the hazards we gotta deal with
so after watching this we can all say CGC's pressing service is not that good, I wonder if you ever cracked these pressed them yourself and got higher grades
Yeah... still no response to my email to them. I am just glad it's a low dollar book... I keep thinking in the back of my mind "did I just miss that HUGE ink splotch????" but yeah.. no way. The presser definitely says he would have brought it to my attention before pressing it. The only thing I can thing of is that an ink pen exploded somehow on the desk of a grader??? I'll probably never know. But hey, it still presents like a 9.8 on my wall.. I'll just keep it for comic relief. :)
I am keeping up hope that the next couple of submissions are better. I already have 3 more with them, sent before I received the first batch. BTW 32 out of 32 books had severe Newton Rings. I figured out a way to make them mostly go away, I did a video on it that will come out on Friday. It sucks that I even need to solve problems like this, but no way was I sending back 32 slabs for reholder.. my luck is that they would damage some of them and the grades would drop
I used CGC for pressing one time on my first ever submission a few years ago. They did a horrible job, so I never used them again. It was a hard lesson, but I learned that a reputable independent presser will give every one of your books the individual attention you paid them for. Still, you got some amazing books back! Congrats, great unboxing video!
Thanks! Agree completely.. I've heard horror stories and, as it stands now, will never use CGC for pressing.
I used cgc to press my signed 9.4 hulk 340 . It had minor waves on back. It comes back a 9.2 and they damaged my book during pressing. So I paid for them to damage the book, then drop the grade
@@garincarter7279 Oh geez.. that sucks so bad, I'm sorry to hear that :(
i agree 100
@@garincarter7279 I'm so sorry to hear this.... what I hate is the fact you can't do anything about it once they ruin it.. they cover themselves well in the terms and conditions
You started buying comics around the same time I did from the looks of it. Those books are great. Lots of great memories
Right on. The 80's was an amazing time to be a collector
I was 25 seconds in and subbed... New I would like this channel.... honest and straight to the point.
Thanks for the kind words!
Great slabs all are awesome books. Sounds like you got some good deals. Very nice DD 16. Great pickups. Thanks for sharing. Be well. -Dave 🤙
Those old bags did their job. I've just re-bagged a majority of my collection from my childhood. They kept my collection safe and sound.
I know how big of a chore that is, I bet you are glad to get it over with. How big of a collection?
That's the thing. Even a slab'd book sitting in the direct sunlight in a hot & humid environment might not look so hot after a couple decades (eg., it's also a case of where the comics are stored)
@@ImproveCollectingComics Right at 9,000.
Great video. I enjoyed your optimistism and genuine joy when you exceeded your predictions. It's refreshing to see a video where the poster isn't obsessed with value. I'm from the same generation of collecting and enjoyed your recollection of your experiences. You have a new subscriber...looking forward to watching your content.
Thanks!
Bro went from this to being a better grader and presser than CGC in less than 9 months.
I'm not sure about that, but thanks!
Great set of slabs. A little more satisfying, since these were books you purchase as a young collector. Great video!
I recently got back into collecting and your videos are awesome!
Thanks! And welcome back
This is my favorite video of yours so far. I can relate to the love you have for your childhood comics. I like the longer video format. Great content!
Thanks!
I have hundreds of comics from the 1960’s thru the early 1990’s…I used the cheaper poly bags and boards when I stored them many years ago and recently went through them …they’re still in great condition with no yellowing or damage and will send some to get graded by CGC…proof enough for me that you really don’t need expensive mylars and boards to keep them fresh …
I agree completely. Of course, Mylar does look a ton better.. so if displaying a raw comic, we'd obviously want to go that route. And for bigger keys, for sure use mylar just to be on the safe side. But for everything else? Probably just fine to go with poly even for up to 50 years. Who knows really.
Yeah the poly works fine but it also depends on the environment for sure but mylar looookkkkssss soooo much better IMO
@@ImproveCollectingComics the bags and boards get old and worn out but they don't damage the comic.
I wouldn't use mylar for my collection because putting them in and pulling them out can easily damage your book.
My favorite cover is Mystery in Space # 90.
I don't believe CGC pays enough attention to pressing as a private presser would.
I absolutely 💯 loved your video! Keys, no Keys, great covers awesome
That's 100% true. Thanks for the kind comment. I subbed your channel, binging some of your videos right now... great stuff :)
I enjoyed to your video. Good to see you appreciate what you collected as a young boy. Good collection.
Thanks!
Cool video! Just Subscribed! Thanks for sharing your childhood memories!
Thanks!
Glad you got to hang onto your childhood comics. My mom made me get rid of mine, all those big grails from DC and Marvel from the '50s and '60s bought new and well cared for. At least I started collecting again in the mid-70s until the mid-90s.
You're story is a common one and very sad... my grandmother supposedly threw out a ton of 50's 60's comics that a cousin had... I guess that's what makes a lot of these books so rare though
My parents threw mine in the fireplace on two different occasions in my childhood for lying
I think it is so awesome to get these high grades after 30 years in the same poly bag and board. Congrats!
I have no idea how either.. poly and yellowing old boards in non-ideal storage temperatures as well. I guess I have the presser to thank for the CPR job.
Super cool video. Neat to see some books from childhood get such high grades.
Sounds like CGC did some Not So Great Pressing here.
But then gave some Awfully Generous grading on some of these 9.6's... with a few spine ticks.
To hear the assessment of some of these 9.6's afterwards, it seems like they shouldn't even have been as high as a 9.0. So you definitely win there. I've seen some 9.6 books where I wasn't sure how they were Not a 9.8-10. To see some of these books get 9.6 with a spine tick here, and here, and here, another here, a color breaking tick here... That's pretty crazy. A book that was expected to go as high as maybe an 8.5 with a handful of spine ticks, landing a 9.4? Sounds like they were trying to make up for destroying one of your books.
And what the hell is the deal with that giant ink stain? Kinda looked like it could have been a burn mark from pressing with too high of heat. You've definitely got a battle to fight there.
Really neat idea. I would love to do some of my old books. But some of them are so beat from reading and re-reading and leaving in the sun. Lucky to get 2.0's ;)
Maybe just pull out the valuable ones, have them clean/pressed and submitted?
It must be serendipity that I came across this video today. I just started going through my own collection this weekend - similar titles from mainly the 80's but some 70's as well. And as with your collection, mine have all been sitting in the same bags for the past 30+ years so it's good to know that they may come out in relatively decent shape. I can't see myself getting them graded but I'm definitely going to get them properly bagged and boarded now. Great video and congratulations on your submissions.
Thanks! And very cool about your own collection, I'm sure they weren't stored nearly as badly as mine were. I had them stored in an attic space that was not temperature controlled.. yeah, so temperatures ranges from 30 up to 120+.. yikes! I hope you have as much fun going through them as I did! Let me know if you find any hidden surprise grails
@@ImproveCollectingComics Not too sure about grails or not but my run of New Mutants has #87 and #98.. Also found my Sandman collection with 5 signed books by Mike Dringenberg. I know I've got a batch of Todd McFarlane books that I'm looking forward to going through... Fun times ahead.
@@Fenimore.Cassidy Very nice! I wish I had those. I'm a bit of a Mcfarlane nut, so let me know what you uncover.. enjoy!
@@ImproveCollectingComics For the McFarlanes, I found my runs of Incredible Hulk, ASM (missing #314), Spider-Man (missing #14), and even GI Joe #60. By some chance of fate, I decided to open up Hulk 339 when I was re-bagging and boarding and found his signature on the first page (inside the book). I'm guessing the comic shop that sold it to me 30+ years ago had no idea it was signed. Lucky for me! Still haven't come across my Spawn run or Batman 423 (but I know they are in one of the boxes).
Happy to see books when I was a kid. Unfortunately my mom threw out my collection when I was young, but did save a small batch in hs when i bought comics after that traumatic event. I still have those books to this day so I'll have to get them cleaned and pressed before submitting them for grading. This video alone made me subscribe to your channel. Thank you for this trip
Ouch, that story is way too common... I hope you were able to pick up some big keys in HS!
I saw Star Wars at the drive in too. I was 4 years old. Great video.
Very cool. Thanks!
Incredible Hulk 340 is one of my all time favorite reads. That cover is epic!
Amen to that, one of the best ever for sure!
Great project and great video! Love your enthusiasm for the books that got you into comics, initially. New subscriber!
Awesome! Thank you!
Congrats! Some really nice grades for a lot of those! That ASM 297 is one I've never been able to get in a 9.8. That purple is tough. X-Men 101 9.2...cha-ching!
Thanks!
I have hundreds of comic books using the same poly bag since 30 years ago and they are perfect.
Changing them every 7 years is a myth.
They look better new. I give you that. But its not needed at all. The trick is a good storage.
Indeed!
I have a Thor 390 displayed on my wall that I want to send off to be graded and it actually is a key issue. It's the 1st time Captain America wields Thor's hammer Mjolnir.
I began swapping out all of my poly bags for 4 mil mylar bags in the early 80's. I'm still working on that project.
I hear that.. it's definitely not a weekend project lol
This is a great channel. I watched some other channels for i purchased maybe 2 days maybe 3 sorry getn older, i was at a garage sale i resell online so i thought id pick up these comics since I'm new to comics & flipping so i bought three comics and the guy holding the garage sale asks, do you buy comics. I reply well, wutcha got? Then he states oh, i have comics thats been sitn for over 20 years and was windering if youd be interrsted. I say well yeah, i do now! Let me see them and i dont know how with no covers no backs but they all look like he bought them 2 weeks ago stored in these little tiny boxes. So being new to comics i just started i mean maybe 3-4 months ago and not to knock anyone elses channel for they do it for the love but jeez sometimes please put up the prices and return you get for pressing, sending your stuff off to get graded etc in for us newbies i mean this channel teaches as well as show his love for the hobby and other channels ive watched are more haul focused look at what i got focused and minimal teaching & educating very very good to watch and learn and thanks. And yes 10 small boxes about 100 each box and so many spider man i didnt know he had so many different forms of comics web of, unlimited, just crazy good stuff in like new condition one thing i did get out a channel was i can take my comics to pressing issues ( crazy cool name get it issue or issues ) they all look like a 9.2 i wonder if i get them pressed can i catch a 9.8 and thats the exciting part wether you sell them or not. Has anyone ever used them? Be honest i wont tell Lol...
I love the unbelievable unboxing
Thanks!
Great books. You've got many of the same books as me and one of my favorite storylines of all time is Kraven's Last Hunt. Congrats!
Awesome! Thank you! Kraven's hunt is definitely one of the greatest stories ever.. speaking of which, might reread that this week for the first time in a long time
Did you clear up the insurance question? That is included in the price. When you're submitting modern tier books you can have them valued up to $400 per book in case something was to happen to them while at CGC. That is included in the cost.
@@cwwheelz That's not a bad idea. The only problem is I failed to take front and back photos of my first submission.. I've been doing it since though. Thanks for the tip!
Where did you get the Spidey decal? I'd like to order one in black if they have it.
It should be listed here: improvecollecting.com/
Great video. I also am generally not a bag-refresher. Although I have over time replaced the bags on books that were modern-size but in silver-size bags, things like that. But then I save the larger bags and put 4 comics together in those, things like that. I'm only a buyer these days but I plan to sell when I retire. The good news on that (probably similar to what you will experience) is I won't have any concern over making a profit over the cost of the books since I won't have any idea what the heck I paid for each one. Although still will have to make sure I only slab things that have a good chance of coming back at a value higher than the $40 or so.
Yes, Comic Geeks indeed..!!.. I also have a bunch of them from that era to be slabbed to sell. I stopped collecting near MID-1989 close to when you stopped. Nice books.....
Thanks! I bet you have some great books as well! Good luck on the slabbing
You stored your comics well
I remember buying a incredible Hulk 300 at a 7-11. It's now an Indian restaurant lol.
LOL hope the food is good at least :)
Congratulations on your books!
Thank you so much 😀
As for a wolverine cover maybe Wolverine #3 with Omega red split.
I'm going to hold my FF5 and house of secrets 92 that's a raw dog as well...:) jacked to see them moving up. Good job fellas.
Holy cow, FF5? Jealous as can be.. love me some Secret Wars #10 though, as far as covers of DD go. :)
@@ImproveCollectingComics I just got lucky on that FF book. I also got so lucky on a DD #1 a few years back. It's also raw and I love it.
What's the grading tool that you talked about? I've been looking for something to help me grade comics...
I created a tool to help ballpark grades more accurately, especially for those buying online. th-cam.com/video/GfJVIJ9-nhk/w-d-xo.html
Love the Devastater😊
Awesome haul dude! Greats books 👍👍
Thanks a bunch!
Just as the saying goes "low grade is better than no grade" poly bag is better than no bag. Most of my collection from my childhood was completely loose sitting in a crate for over 30 years before I finally rescued them a year or two ago. Some are in really rough shape, one completely lost it's cover. Many are in low to mid grade with a few that managed to avoid any serious damage.
Good point.. "poly better than diddly?"
I have heard that once your books have been pressed that if your books sit for a while before they are slab, some of issues could return before they are graded.
That would make a lot of sense. My books had some defects that were heavily ingrained over decades.. maybe they needed a repress. Overall happy that I did as well I did though, so not really complaining.
Thor 390 was also the 1st time cap picked up thors hammer
Very cool. It's a great cover too
@@ImproveCollectingComics yeah mine is I believe (have to send it off still) a 9.4 ish grade ooo it'd also b the 1st appearance of grog. ( the original God butcher ) the book came out when I was 6 years old and I still have it today lol
CGC seems to be going though a '9.6 is the highest grade now" phase! I got hit like that recently too
Ug, guess I waited until the best time to submit 🤣 I've got a bunch of books that I sent in last fall, like 40% of them looked like a 9.8.. so we'll see how that goes
I really enjoyed this video! Everything about it was cool, including the extra info you overlaid about value in grade and census count. But the coolest things about this video are your awesome comic room and that sick ASM #40 shirt!
One thing that would have made it even better would be to zoom in on the tics and defects you were describing. But in all, great video. I'm subscribing!
Awesome, thank you! I thought about doing that in hindsight, but it was already an hour long.. but yeah that's a great idea, I will definitely try to remember to show what I am seeing in detail. Hopefully that type of thing never happens again though!
@@ImproveCollectingComics where did you get that shirt? I need one. I've looked online and can't seem to find it.
@@sbonagof A guy threw it in as a "pot sweetener" when I bought a mid-grade copy of ASM 40. Here is a link to what he gave me- www.stylinonline.com/spiderman-cover-t-shirt-in-tin/
@@ImproveCollectingComics thank you! They are out of my size but I'll check back. You are the man!
I take scans of the books before I send them out. That way I'll know if they were damaged in shipment or elsewhere.
That's a really good idea. I took front photos, but not back on my first submission.. won't make that mistake again. In fact, I now record every single book I send off.. as I grade it.. so hopefully I'm covered in the future
Have you found any decent flea markets in Charlotte?
No, but I haven't really looked either. Know if any good ones?
1st Hobgoblin still sooper sweet in that grade w/o tattoo
Agree! Still amazed it came in that high.. would have been happy at 8.5-9.0
Great childhood collection. We bought many of the same books! I was born in 75 so makes sense. Your books stayed much nicer though lol
Thanks! 74 here, hard to believe these books are this old now.
Love the spreadsheet - I'm going through my collection (about 80 long boxes so it'll be a while) and I'm going to need to start some recordkeeping. So I stole your format!
Wow, that'll be a long journey. Let me know if you think of any improvements to the spreadsheet. Good luck!
@@ImproveCollectingComics - I'm planning on selling a good amount of them so I added invoice numbers and submit/return dates and fees. For your fees column you might want to split the shipping/insurance costs across each submission. You'll have a better cost basis for each book and your accountant will love you for it.
@@sfq7675 Thanks for the suggestion, I actually already added this breakdown on my "test" version of the sheet. I will update the public version soon once I double check it. Good luck on the sales!
What grading tool do you use? I would like to try that myself. Fun vid! I actually have a 9.6 wolverine 1 that looks flawless to me, not a tic in sight. Send it back to get that hair out, they should do it for free.
For this submission I used the SpotOn Grading App. However, I did create my own tool that's free.. it's for Google sheets: th-cam.com/video/GfJVIJ9-nhk/w-d-xo.html
Yeah that Wolverine is uber hard to get 9.8.. mine has literally 1 tiny flaw and got 9.6. I wish they did notes on all non 9.8's for transparency sake
Complain to CGC man! Oils of the hair. In the next 30 years, think about it
Yeah will definitely revisit each book one by one soon and decide. I was able to fix a lot of the newton rings though, I figured out a method that worked really well.. a video on that Friday
Nice collection man.
Thanks!
See not all ncb spine ticks come out in one press sometimes you have to do multiple presses, or you have to work on them on the side with a heat sealing mini iron and a board with a slanted edge. Cgc only does a quick wiping and just that one press
Thanks for the heads up. I am actually learning to press and am finding out that exactly what you said is true. Some books are very stubborn and require a lot more time, presses, and TLC
I like your optimism and your collections. A shame what happen to that wolverine
Thanks! The wolverine is actually growing on me.. it's got battle scars lol
Did they ever get back too you about the Ink spilled book?
No, and not holding my breath... not sure if I should pursue it.. what are the odds that they'd own it and make it right?
Your video was very informative. Your chart at the end really shows why you need to be very selective in what you send to these grading companies. $45 a book is pretty expensive so you really have to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze when submitting to CGC.
I appreciate that! Yes, fees and expenses can really add up quickly.. especially if you started fast-tracking. I am finding that you really need to pick up books at 40% of the expected slabbed value for it to even make sense much of the time. If it's for the personal collection, like 60% is probably fine though.
I am starting to get back into comics myself. Is there a place that is good for pressing and can submit directly to cgc for me? A reputable service?
There are plenty of great recommendations on other channels, unfortunately I have only used one service and it didn't go well.. if I ever do have someone to recommend, I'll be sure to let everyone know
Kinda like your rookie aspect on things I’m grading. The old vets of the business just constantly complain.
my collection is mostly from the 80s, ive always called it bronze age. am i wrong?
The copper age is basically when they started doing mega cross-overs, a bunch of new independents came out, and there were some big shifts in hero storylines.. I have always thought of the copper age having started with secret wars 1 in '84 but a lot of people say '83 is the year. I am less sure when the copper age ends, but I always think of Spider-Man #1 or X-Men #1 as being very early lines of demarcation to the modern era
Did you ever hear a response from CGC about that ink stain?
Not yet, and not sure I will. I am torn on whether I should follow-up or call. I am not a big fan of wasting time and I am doubtful there is any chance they own it... I've kinda grown fond of the inky red book lol
Yes I have two of them or just one and two of the one where he is say come hear with a smell on his face.
Great submission! I did a similar thing a couple months back, submitted my childhood collection. If I only had similar taste as you did! Haha. Which app were you using to grade your comics? Thanks for the content!
Thanks! I used the SpotOn app
@@ImproveCollectingComics Thanks! I’m sure I’ll prefer your spreadsheet but the app might be easier to use on the fly!
I think it's highly unlikely for a press to bring a 7.0 to a 9.0, unless the defects were all exclusively press-able defects.
A lot of these books were literally shaped like a banana.. in hindsight, I think 7.0 was generous on some of them.. regardless, I am overjoyed at the results.. because I honestly had no clue when it came to grading when I sent this off (probably still don't)
@@ImproveCollectingComics visit cgc forum buddy can you spare a grade
👍💯🔥 Great video sir 👍. Just subscribed
Much appreciated!
Hulk 340 9.4! Congrats!
Thanks! Definitely still high over that one :)
Lol, "I don't care about grades"
Yeah I know I know.. "I don't care" is b.s. for sure.. I guess what I mean is I had low expectations, but definitely care, so bad use of words.. sorry lol
Where was asm 300!?
I sold a few books in 2009 for baby formula money :( ASM 39, 40, 41, 50 and 300 among others, it's kinda depressing to think about.. luckily a few keys were hidden away from me
How did you miss cutouts in your own comic books? 🤣
Hi, sorry for my ignorance.. not sure what a cutout is? You mean the missing tattooz? I didn't even think it was a thing back then.. I kinda like the green label though. :)
@@ImproveCollectingComicsall good. great collection 👌
Do you still collect Amazing Spider-Man.
I sure do.. have been hunting for silver age books.. got about 20ish so far, submitting a few to CGC.. I will be doing a "silver age haul" video soon. I also have a few big keys on the wishlist.. like 121 and 129... I never got them as a kid and regret it. How about you?
Step 1 to grading.. never use the pressing service they offer. The faster the books are through their systems the better and less chance of them damaging them.
I cannot believe they spilled ink or had done something to cause that. That’s so disrespectful that they’d do that then charge you to grade it after they damaged it
Absolutely.. but I feel kind of powerless except I could just switch grading companies. I already have two other submissions with them in progress and don't want to get on their bad side by making a huge stink about it, if that's a thing. But yeah.. super stoked that it was that book and not X-men 101 or Hulk 240.. woulda been looking for a tall building lol
Just found your channel
Cool, thanks for stopping by
Yeah they don't do anything to the book if you get pressing service imo
It's possible the books got damaged in shipping.
Yeah you could be right.. however, the presser I use is in Florida and drops the books off in person at CGC.. handlers at CGC could also be rough with books I guess.. kinda just one of the hazards we gotta deal with
so after watching this we can all say CGC's pressing service is not that good, I wonder if you ever cracked these pressed them yourself and got higher grades
Yes I did. Here is the video: th-cam.com/video/hpg2PEPi3Yc/w-d-xo.html
800$ for insurance that’s absurd
Wow CGC is wrong for messing your wolverine up link that
Yeah... still no response to my email to them. I am just glad it's a low dollar book... I keep thinking in the back of my mind "did I just miss that HUGE ink splotch????" but yeah.. no way. The presser definitely says he would have brought it to my attention before pressing it. The only thing I can thing of is that an ink pen exploded somehow on the desk of a grader??? I'll probably never know. But hey, it still presents like a 9.8 on my wall.. I'll just keep it for comic relief. :)
@@ImproveCollectingComics call they won't reply to an email. I waited 6 month for a $10 refund
You have too talk alot less and get to the point but overall nice piece
I have been working on that, and edit a TON of what I say out.. This was 1.5 hrs long before I took out all the "extra" verbage lol
Your first comic probably wasn't even pressed cgc has become crappie to thwor customers.
I am keeping up hope that the next couple of submissions are better. I already have 3 more with them, sent before I received the first batch. BTW 32 out of 32 books had severe Newton Rings. I figured out a way to make them mostly go away, I did a video on it that will come out on Friday.
It sucks that I even need to solve problems like this, but no way was I sending back 32 slabs for reholder.. my luck is that they would damage some of them and the grades would drop
Just subbed to you. I will check your content out. I do a lot of shout-outs on my channel I will add you to the list !
Very cool, thanks! Just subbed you as well
@@ImproveCollectingComics thank you I normally get people subbing people up lol . It will grow your channel a little.