Not a CBCS member yet? Join now »
CBCS Comics
Not a CBCS member yet? Join now »
Questions

Where do people come up with these prices ?2900

Collector vabchgent private msg quote post Address this user
I can understand if books are encapsulated or slabbed, but the general rule is Book price plus 1/2 price of pro grading. I have seen books on Ebay at slab + 30-50% price over the book price that's just insane,anyone care to chime in on this. This is not to put anyone down and I have a spidey sense when it come to un-slab books. So please keep it civil. Thanks
Post 1 IP   flag post
Suck it up, buttercup!! KatKomics private msg quote post Address this user
Not sure - guessing they going with the hope that a sucker is born every minute?? I've seen $30 books listed for $150++. They are crazy especially when you could just buy a raw book and slab it yourself for less.
Post 2 IP   flag post
COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
Number chasers who have too much cash and too little willingness to submit their own raws have driven prices up.
Post 3 IP   flag post
I bought a meat grinder on amazon for $60 and it's changed my life. kaptainmyke private msg quote post Address this user

Post 4 IP   flag post
COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
Unfortunately, once a market price gets established, and sellers see willing buyers at those prices, it is tough to find deals at lower prices.
Post 5 IP   flag post
I had no way of knowing that 9.8 graded copies signed by Adam Hughes weren't what you were looking for. drchaos private msg quote post Address this user
A slabbed 9.8 is a bird in the hand while a raw 9.8 (graded by the seller?) that you do not have in hand is a bird in the bush.

Collectors that are serious about 9.8 books are looking at those raw books wondering how many 9.6s and 9.4s they will get stuck with.

When Walking Dead books were red hot 9.8s signed by Robert Kirkman would not only carry large premiums over 9.6s (also signed by Kirkman) but would also fly off the shelves while the 9.6s (and especially the 9.4) with or without a signature would take much longer to sell.

The bigger an more valuable the book, the more the grade and witnessed signature matter. Higher grades also matter.

I had a 5.5 copy of Spider-Man # 17 pressed and graded. I got a huge premium for the book because it came back from CGC with white pages.

There are rules of thumb when it comes to value but there are no absolute rules as some collectors will pay huge premiums for books that most buyers (especially dealers or flippers) would take for granted.
Post 6 IP   flag post
I'm good with splotches. Nuffsaid111 private msg quote post Address this user
Ahhh yes... the "9.8 syndrome". That 0.2 subjectivity is absolutely without question statistically significant and unquestionably detectable. 😂
Post 7 IP   flag post
Collector Darkga private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by vabchgent
I can understand if books are encapsulated or slabbed, but the general rule is Book price plus 1/2 price of pro grading.


I don't understand your rule...

If I buy a raw book for $10 shipped that I intend to sell, this is how I'm going to price it:

$10 for the book
$2 for portion of the shipping fee it costs to ship it to CBCS
$16 for the grading (if a Modern)
$5 for portion of the shipping fee it costs to get back from CBCS
$14 for shipping you the slab via Priority Mail
$3 for my labor

That means at a MINIMUM I'm going to charge $50 for the book, and that's if I only plan on breaking even. Especially in the case of a 9.8, I took all the risks of the book not having restoration or secret problems and waiting the 2+ months for grading. Why would I sell it at a loss?
Post 8 IP   flag post
Collector vabchgent private msg quote post Address this user
@Darkga - The general rule I have seen thrown around and other discussions about slabbed books is Price of book and 1/2 of the cost of grading, not including final shipping to customer. Usually it is not going to be a 10.00 book that's getting slabbed. Also remember most flippers and or dealers pay 40-60% to resell at 80%-100%(I fully understand this as everyone has bills) of book. Otherwise your calculations above are fair and I would buy the book at 60.00-70.00 because you are correct about the time that it takes a book to be put on a slab and the associated risk as well. Your math is probably closer to a better example of a book that would sell.Then the generalized calculations,I put out there.Thanks
Post 9 IP   flag post
Collector KingNampa private msg quote post Address this user

Post 10 IP   flag post
Collector 50AE_DE private msg quote post Address this user
I've never heard of this "general rule" of pricing for comic books. Is this "rule" for raw books or slabs?
Post 11 IP   flag post
Collector vabchgent private msg quote post Address this user
@50AE_DE Slabs - Like I said general rule of calculation for Slab opposed to Raw. Should have probably posted it as calculation for Slabbed books from sellers and thoughts.
Post 12 IP   flag post
Suck it up, buttercup!! KatKomics private msg quote post Address this user
while I've not heard of this general rule -it is basically the math I do when buying a slab
Post 13 IP   flag post
COLLECTOR conditionfreak private msg quote post Address this user
The original premise is flawed.

There are no rules on Ebay, as far as asking prices for comic books.

Ask what you want to ask, and hope for the best.

And there is not a fool born every minute. But there are lots of fools. And they are soon departed from their money.

But it's your money. Do what you want with it.
Post 14 IP   flag post
Collector 50AE_DE private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by vabchgent
@50AE_DE Slabs - Like I said general rule of calculation for Slab opposed to Raw. Should have probably posted it as calculation for Slabbed books from sellers and thoughts.


Maybe I don't understand what your saying but I've never heard of such a rule. Pricing of slabs are based off what someone thinks they can sell it for which is either from previous sales or a figure the seller throws out there. Why would anyone intentionally sell a book for less than what they acquired it for? If a book cost me $10 and it cost me $16 top grade it, not including shipping both ways, using your method will cause me to go broke really quick even if I were to price it out at $26.
Post 15 IP   flag post
COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by vabchgent
Book price plus 1/2 price of pro grading.

I want to take a moment to discuss the original math equation mentioned, since most here seem to have not seen it mentioned before, I have seen it talked about before.

Basically the premise is that the value of the raw book is the only thing that matters and the third party grading is just a tool to facilitate seller and buyer coming to agreement on condition and value of the book. Therefore it is reasoned that grading fee should be split 50/50.

This is one of those things that sounds great in theory but doesn't hold up under real world market conditions. Firstly, the seller doesn't want to eat 1/2 of grading. Why? Because the seller took the time and risk, and after the sale is completed, buyer gets 100% of the ongoing benefits of that grading and slab. Secondly, the market has demonstrated that slabbed books carry more intrinsic value than just raw+fees, because buyers are placing value on things such as; not having to spend time and risk on submitting books themselves, a guarantee of grade without having to microscope check ebay pictures and risk reality not matching pictures, and any other reason they might find valuable to them in buying slabbed vs raw.
Post 16 IP   flag post
Collector 50AE_DE private msg quote post Address this user
Thanks for the clarification. Another part of the confusion may be about "book price". Overstreet only goes up to 9.2 (NM) and for the longest time, anything graded above near mint has always sold for multiple of guide which is why a 9.8 will have a higher price than guide price ($30 book priced at $150).
Post 17 IP   flag post
Collector Drogio private msg quote post Address this user
I don't understand this "rule" at all.

My biggest question is where are you getting the value of the raw book to compare to an eBay slabbed book? If you're going by eBay raw sales it is highly flawed. Most people on eBay use terms such as "high grade" and "nm" and don't understand what it means or how to really examine a book. my experience has been expect a grade or two below the advertised grade and you won't be too disappointed in the outcome..more often than not that's what you get on eBay. So graded books are gauranteed grades while raw books are higher risk and the market knows this and pays accordingly.

The other part I don't understand is the 30 to 50% asking price or sale price? Anyone can ask anything they want.

If you think the majority of people buying slabs on eBay are "insane" (vice buying a raw book then having it graded) then I suggest you try to do just that...buy raw expecting the grade advertised then send it in...see what you get. I don't mean that sarcastically or maliciously...just a suggestion so that you will get an appreciation for the price bump (raw vs. slabbed advertised grade).
Post 18 IP   flag post
Collector 50AE_DE private msg quote post Address this user
It appears sellers are pricing their raw copies at a percentage of graded books in fear of under-pricing their books. High grade used to be NM and above but now it appears books in VF are in the "high grade" category.

I agree that if buying raw from eBay, expect the actual grade to be lower than the stated grade unless you're buying from a proven seller.
Post 19 IP   flag post
Collector bennyb86 private msg quote post Address this user
I happily will bid on and buy 9.6 and 9.4s, the 9.8 syndrome as quoted above is out of control. They are still NEAR MINT. But I agree with the prices. I think someone people seem to think that sending a book to CGC makes it Action Comics #1 worthy asking price
Post 20 IP   flag post
Collector Drogio private msg quote post Address this user
Why get upset about what others are asking/pricing their books at. there's plenty of auctions of raw books whose prices start well above the actual sales of the same book in the same condition...some sellers just don't do their research...typically they are the ones that post one picture too...a low resolution pic of the front. If anything, that hurts raw book sales more than anything...laziness and dishonesty...with a slabbed book you know what you're getting. That's why they ask and get more on auction sites. The delta would be much closer if sellers put in the time for raw books to advertise them properly.
Post 21 IP   flag post
597926 21 21
This topic is archived. Start new topic?