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"The Official CGC Guide To Grading Comics" - Opinions?18570

Leftover Sundae Gnus CatmanAmerica private msg quote post Address this user
This unsolicited promotion popped up in my email today. I'm still unsure whether it was meant to be taken seriously or intended as a lampoon (...a lampoon being a harpoon which misses the whale entirely). An intellectual tome "Written by Matt Nelson, CGC President and all-around comics encyclopedia..." this will weigh in at nearly 400 pages without the inclusion of a Ouija board.

Whether this wondrous accomplishment is full Nelson, half-Nelson or a precursor to the legendary Pedigree Book (the holy grail of unpublished efforts) is still a mystery. Chapters on comic book history and CGC history should prove interesting fodder for future discussion. Popcorn is extra.

"Nelson’s book will undoubtedly become a must-have resource for any comic book collector!" - Quoted from the email promo, without comment.

I'd considered including the link, but wasn't sure if it was virus or nuclear bombast free.
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Post 1 IP   flag post
Suck it up, buttercup!! KatKomics private msg quote post Address this user
I received the email too.
I currently have 1st and 3rd editions of the Overstreet grading guides. This one does interest me though but I still think of Overstreet as the gold standard
Post 2 IP   flag post
No rust here... Nearmint67 private msg quote post Address this user
@CatmanAmerica

I have read the how to grade comics by Steve Borock multiple times. Errr, I mean I ask him questions often and am much learned from his tutelage. And although I too received said emailed solicitation, I shall pass on that 400 page dossier.
Post 3 IP   flag post
No rust here... Nearmint67 private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nearmint67
@CatmanAmerica

I have read the how to grade comics by Steve Borock multiple times. Errr, I mean I ask him questions often and am much learned from his tutelage. And although I too received said emailed solicitation, I shall pass on that 400 page dossier.


Lesson learned are like;
It won't get a 9.8
It only takes a little off the grade
That is no where near a 9.8
Count the pages
No that's not a 9.8
I think you get it....
Post 4 IP   flag post
I haven't aired it out. It's part of the provenance. Galen130 private msg quote post Address this user
With the grades coming out of CGC (I don't know about CBCS), I think I'll rely on my own grading skills. They are usually conservative, but they are consistent.

I should get a trophy...
Post 5 IP   flag post
Not trying to be an ass since February 12, 2020. HulkSmash private msg quote post Address this user
CGC guide to grading: “if it’s complete and has fewer that than 20 color breaks; it’s a 9.8”
Post 6 IP   flag post
If I could, I would. I swear. DrWatson private msg quote post Address this user
I'll pass, as I already have an opinion on grading, and apply my funds to actual comic book purchases.

Plus, I'll believe it when I see it. I expect to see a unicorn or big foot before laying eyes on that pedigree book.
Post 7 IP   flag post
Please continue to ignore anything I post. southerncross private msg quote post Address this user
I think I've been waiting ten years for the pedigree book, think I'll keep waiting for it.
Post 8 IP   flag post
Captain Corrector CaptainCanuck private msg quote post Address this user
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Didn’t think we were allowed to mention new services/products from CGC. I have seen similar threads deleted for this very reason 🤷🏻‍♂️
Post 9 IP   flag post
Leftover Sundae Gnus CatmanAmerica private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainCanuck
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Didn’t think we were allowed to mention new services/products from CGC. I have seen similar threads deleted for this very reason 🤷🏻‍♂️


I wasn't unaware of any forum policy being violated; I'm NOT promoting any competitive service! In fact, at first I thought this was a spoof when I read the email. If someone decides to delete this thread I certainly won't complain about it.
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Post 10 IP   flag post
Captain Corrector CaptainCanuck private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by CatmanAmerica
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainCanuck
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Didn’t think we were allowed to mention new services/products from CGC. I have seen similar threads deleted for this very reason 🤷🏻‍♂️


I wasn't unaware of any forum policy being violated; I'm NOT promoting any competitive service! In fact, at first I thought this was a spoof when I read the email. If someone decides to delete this thread I certainly won't complain about it.
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Not your fault at all. In fact, there is no written forum policy on the matter. Just pointing out that other threads that have mentioned new CGC services have been deleted.
Post 11 IP   flag post
COLLECTOR dielinfinite private msg quote post Address this user
Here’s the press release on CGC’s site




Definitely an interesting development. Kind of makes me think of a restaurant selling the recipe for their signature dish. I don’t think it would always result in lower traffic to the restaurant.

They were still able to grow as big as they had with the Overstreet guide existing for decades before they arrived so I guess they see it as a separate audience from those who use their services.

It would be interesting to see how their standards compare to Overstreet and maybe Borock’s working on the MCS Guide to Grading Comics 🤔
Post 12 IP   flag post
If I could, I would. I swear. DrWatson private msg quote post Address this user
I wonder if it will be required reading for their own graders?
Post 13 IP   flag post
PLOD theCapraAegagrus private msg quote post Address this user
Seems like a bunch of whining about a product that many collectors will actually want.
Post 14 IP   flag post
would be nice to have a snugger fit. Sigur_Ros private msg quote post Address this user
Based on grading consistency I'd rather read a book by Borock, but I have had Overstreet's, the gold standard as they say, for a couple decades.

What I read in the CGC version is how they grade on a curve, by era. Knew this, have had discussions about it, but never saw it in writing.
I'd have thought a grade is a grade, despite a book's age. But no.

A 2nd spine tick knocks one book below 9.8, but a chip, bindery tear or tanning allow another to be 9.8.

I assume CBCS does the same thing?

Also, it states the grading standards have changed many times over the years, and probably will again. This book is based only on current standards.
So depending on what you're wanting from a book like this, expect to buy new revisions as they come.
Post 15 IP   flag post
If I could, I would. I swear. DrWatson private msg quote post Address this user
The cgc has dumbed down grading. I'm not sure when they did it, but they did. I also don't completely understand how grading standards can significantly change. A book is either a certain grade with the defects it presents or it isn't. And by changing, I assume that means that they will become more lax as everyone loves a higher grade. It brings to mind the phrase, the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. However, low price for a comic book isn't really all that low anymore.


Who doesn't love 9.8s? The more 9.8s a submitter gets, the more books they will submit. So, this gets a pass. That gets a pass. Never has "Buy the book, not the label." been more applicable. I won't buy 9.8s in the new labels and cases without being able to see them in person.

That famous quote, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get." can now be applied to graded comic books.

The reason the cgc came along in the first place was so consumers could buy books with confidence from an unknown third party. I believe we've taken a step backward in that regard. It's the buying public that ends up getting the shaft as you can't trust the label to be accurate anymore.

Alas, nothing more than disconnected early morning ramblings about the things that grind my gears. Oh look, a squirrel.
Post 16 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
I will probably check it out just to stay informed. I use the Overstreet guide to grading comics mostly.
Post 17 IP   flag post
Collector jeffreyk1965 private msg quote post Address this user
I am looking forward to receiving my grading guide. I own several hundred CGC / CBCS books and find that at least 90 percent I either agree with the grade or it can go .5 either up or down. Very rarely will I buy a book and think my 9.0 looks like an 8.0, the same holds true for most of my 9.8s. Worst case, some might look like a strong 9.6, but they are usually graded correctly. If not for graded books, I would not buy any book valued over about $250.
Post 18 IP   flag post
I don't believe this....and I know you don't care that I don't believe this. GAC private msg quote post Address this user
The grading commentary in this book is likely to be the least appealing....I'd be most interested in the history of comics, cgc and pedigrees etc. That's where the book would likely hold my interest.
Post 19 IP   flag post
Collector SidTheSquid private msg quote post Address this user
Only one question: Can I get this book from CGC graded?
Post 20 IP   flag post
Ima gonna steal this and look for some occasion to use it! IronMan private msg quote post Address this user
I didn't realize it the book was actually for sale. So what the heck, even a tiny bit on insight is worth $40 (with shipping)

I did not realize dealer accounts do not get the 10% discount of purchases in the CGC store.

I'm surprised CGC is publishing such a book - an "Official" grading guide. Unless they are not specific, I would think it will just open up even more arguing about if CGC graded a book correctly. IMHO, they are really inconsistent right now. I got back some books just today and one book graded 8.5 looks.... a bit less. Another book graded 8.5 looks 9.4
Post 21 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
Quote:
Originally Posted by IronMan
So what the heck, even a tiny bit on insight is worth $40


I’ve been saying that for years 😂
Post 22 IP   flag post
If I could, I would. I swear. DrWatson private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by IronMan
So what the heck, even a tiny bit on insight is worth $40 (with shipping)

On that, I would disagree. I liken it to paying $3.50 for a bottle of water. Furthermore, I would go so far as to call it revisionist history.
Post 23 IP   flag post
Ima gonna steal this and look for some occasion to use it! IronMan private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by DrWatson
Quote:
Originally Posted by IronMan
So what the heck, even a tiny bit on insight is worth $40 (with shipping)

On that, I would disagree. I liken it to paying $3.50 for a bottle of water. Furthermore, I would go so far as to call it revisionist history.


You'd pay 100x that for a bottle of water if it was the only one and you'd gone days without water

There might be some revisionist history or spin, IDK. Haven't read it yet. But I'm not buying it for the history - accurate or not. I've been sending in books to CGC since they opened, I have had the chance to talk to Steve B a fair amount over they years. The history I could tell stories about myself. The insights on grading standards are what I'm paying $40 for.

If it turns out to be a waste of my money, oh well. God has been generous to me and I can afford to waste $40. It's not a hobby if you don't occasionally waste money on it LOL
Post 24 IP   flag post
Moderators handing out titles: Boom. Roasted. Hcanes private msg quote post Address this user
@kaptainmyke where have you been hiding
Post 25 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
@Hcanes Been busy! In 2021, moved back down South, bought a huge house on 9 acres of land...mostly been doing construction lately. Published second book in January 2022, built wife a "She-Shed" and installed new 18x18 black and white checkered floor tile in my movie room.
Post 26 IP   flag post
Moderators handing out titles: Boom. Roasted. Hcanes private msg quote post Address this user
@kaptainmyke got a link to the book. If it's a pancake book, slide into my DMs
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