To Slab or Not To Slab, That is the Question!

Comics
#1

What’s everyone’s reasons to slab comics? What are reasons to not slab comics, keeping them free and floppy?

Discuss… (inspired by the discussion that drifted off topic in the Newstands thread)…

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#2

You should move that whole convo here. :man_shrugging:

#3

Maybe… I don’t want to take away from how the conversation sort of evolved but then got too deep, so not a real starting point I think.

We can take some of the points from what we brought though to start off here to continue perhaps?

Pros on Slabbing:

  1. Preservation
  2. Authenticity
  3. Grade used for appraisal if dealing with insurance, etc.
  4. Resell Value

Cons on Slabbing:

  1. Paying for Opinion on Grade.
  2. Buyers buying slab, not the book.
  3. Can’t smell the book.
  4. Book is jailed and no longer free.
#4

I personally just really like the display value. Very classy/fun to display/put out with less worry. I know there are fans of each service, but I tend to do CGC simply because I like the cases better.
Just something about a book I really love & how it looks encased.

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#5

I’ll refer you back to my original thread that was derailed :wink:

#6

Only a problem for @TheCrackpot. :wink:

Negative is also you can’t read the book or hold it. But those all fall under the book being entombed…which is #4.

Also, freeing the book from the slab (cracking) presents a greater risk of damage than removal from a sleeve.

#7

Add this to the pros, @agentpoyo

Although technically the slabs do not protect the book from deterioration due to light. Best slab within a Comic skin if that’s your plan.

#8

I slab investment books to get max dollar out of the book.

That being said I’m very selective what I send in to be graded, because on average it is costing about $25-$40 to have it shipped, pressed (if optioned) graded, encased and returned. So the book needs to be a popularly traded and my estimate of the grade worth the return on Investment. I also am weary on “trendy” books that may drop in value before you get them back. Naomi #1 is the perfect example. I sent 5 copies in, all cane back 9.8s without being pressed…but the sales dropped from $300 down to $125 or so by the time I got the back. At the time I sent the. In raws were $75-$100. I think i still made the right choice as I got all 9.8s, but if any were 9.6s it likely would have been break even at best…versus $50-$70 profit each selling raw.

Another example is I have an Edge of the Spider-verse #2 and a Detective #880. Both could grade as high as 9.6…or as low as 9.2. They have some odd “defects” which I’m not sure how they would fair. At this time i could get $150 raw with just the photos as the defects are really not eyesores or take away from how it presents. But if they came back 9.2 I may get $150, but I likely invested $40 just to know this.

As for the personal collection, I like the look and knowledge that someone will know the book has value as it’s encapsulated and get max value if I pass it on. And I always make sure I have a beat up reader copy or reprint/trade paper back to read the story or smell. :grin:

#9

Put some sniffin ports in those slabs!

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#10

I’ve had a copy of Marvel Spotlight #5 since maybe 9th or 10th grade it’s beat to hell, but I sent it to CGC anyway it came back a 3.0. I just wanted to have a grade on it.

#11

I’m gonna create some scratch and sniff stickers you can stick on your slabs that bring out the smell of the original news print for you sniffers out there… :wink:

#12

You shouldn’t have it in direct sunlight to begin with. That’s really the only way you’d get any damage from being in the sun. House light poses no problems as well. Unless you’ve got some HID lights in your comic room I wouldn’t worry.

The only drawback is you can’t access the book to read. Although who wants to read their AF15 and risk damage when it’s accessible in TPB or Digital format?

#13

Or now in Facsimile Edition? :slight_smile:

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#15

If you submit it yourself cbcs/cgc will scan the pages for an additional fee. So you can still read YOUR copy in digital…

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#16

BTW, Check out this CGC 9.6 grade…

Not mine, but seeing more and more of this out of cgc such that I am very cautious buying cgc slabs off eBay…

#17

I see CGC grades like I do… all my comics are perfect, precious and priceless… :wink:

#18

I slab if I have duplicates and want one to display, plan to sell something, or it works better simply on display. For example, my Marvel Mexico variant of Spider-Man with Black Cat on the cover I got from a friend who attended Mole Con. I can’t read it (my Spanish is atrocious), and it simply reprints a popular story I could read in another comic in English (which is my only language and I’m still mediocre at even that). I thought it was cool to slab it, so I did!

Another book being slabbed is my, “Moon Knight #12,” which has a double cover misprint. I have two other normal copies, so why not slab the double cover one?

Otherwise I basically slab to sell or duplicates for display.

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