Don't Want To Slab Your Comic Books? How About This?

Is there an alternative to slabbing comics with CGC, CBCS etc. if you want to display your book in some hard plastic that offers some unique properties, then look no further! Let's check them out!
Gator Guard Cases:
gatorguardcomics.com/
Special Note: While KZbin has strict rules around what constitutes a "PAID PROMOTION", this video is not paid for by Gator Guard (or anyone else) however Gator Guard DID supply the cases to me for free for review. I want to be extremely transparent about that. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
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#comicbooks #comiccollecting #comicspec #comicinvestment

[@bradkoski]

I’m all about full backs and Mylars

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Heck yeah, me too.

[@MILESTONEStudio]

Love my Gator Gurads! They are amazing. Solid, thick acrylic. I highly recommend these. They're also great gifts, instead of going through the whole grading process.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Awesome, thanks for the comment!

[@punishedvenomdeat8153]

This is the perfect alternative to slabbing I might get one of these, thanks

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Cool, glad it helped you make a decision! Let me know what you think!

[@rstet1]

Glad there are alternatives to slabbing. Thanks.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

You're very welcome, thanks for watching!

[@CiaoRobertooo]

I’ve gotten back into comic collecting recently after being away from it since I was a kid. After consuming a lot of comic content to catch up with all the things that have occurred I’ve come to one realization…people aren’t slabbing to protect the comics. I mean it’s all about the money tbh. Cleaning, pressing, and all the other “restorative” methods to get a higher grades are the indicator. People are buying new comics off the shelf and sending them in. People are cracking their slabs and sending comics in multiple times to get a bump. Rarer books with high grades doesn’t even seem rare to me when someone can buy a 5 , crack it and stick it a blue light box and pressing out defect to get a 7. When people get a 9.8 they weren’t expecting they say they have higher standards than cgc and will also say they don’t know what they’re doing when they get a 9.6. Anyway rant over these protectors are pretty sweet!

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

lol love the rant! And if I were to hop back in right now I would feel the same way! BUT there are a LOT of raw collectors out there. It's weird for me, actually, because I'm not one of them. I'm equal opportunity. I prefer slabbed major keys, I guess, or high value moderns, but I don't want most my collections slabbed so I can't read the books, either. Still, *anytime* I talk about slabbing or slabbed sales or do a CGC unboxing or something I have a lot of comments from raw-only collectors. They're not "in vogue" right now but it's not like it's went away or anything. But I really appreciate your comment and you taking the time to watch! Thanks!

[@RikMorrison]

I too just got back into collecting and have used slabbing to PC comics of value. It is true most people slab to increase value and a good cleaner/presser can increase the grade but also true a bad cleaner/presser can drop the grade.

[@marcelblount]

I like that you can add your logo to the case

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

It's a nice touch!

[@Vp-jt3vl]

This looks super good buddy a really nice touch, mylar is also a beauty!

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Mylar is soooo good lol

[@Chad_Cave]

I get my books slabbed for the grade and the encapsulation. The gator guards are a super cool product for protection. Kinda pricey but you said it well. The grading is 90% of why I slab certain books though.

[@comicjourney]

It might not be the option for everyone but I like that it gives us another option

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

At the end of the day, I agree. I like competition and I think it's how we get innovation and better products as customers.

[@comicjourney]

You knew you were going to get my attention with this title

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

That's my process, I just ask what would CJ click on???

[@comicjourney]

@@BronzeAgeNerd Smart man

[@Rorysammy]

The best case you can do yourself! Fantastic product, great service!

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

That's great, Rory, thanks for watching the video!

[@ricost-rex8360]

Bronze I never slab a comic, never have. I don't collect for profit just for the sure pleasure of the stories and art. Maybe one day I'll sell but must likely pass on to my son.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Yup, it's something i think many people in the speculation/current hobby mindset forget about! I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it either way, it's just weird the kind of tunnel vision different types of collectors have.

[@dansxmencomics]

Thanks for your honest review. I know transparency and fading conflict of interest is important to your channel so I value your opinions 🤘🏻

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Thank you, Dan. Yeah, in these cases (ahem, pun intended) it's that balance of "do I do the review with free product or not do it all?" I feel like most reviewers are supplied review copies these days, though, so hopefully the disclosure is enough.

[@dansxmencomics]

@@BronzeAgeNerd breaking the fourth wall is the right move in these cases 😉

[@roberth3722]

I have been using these cases for over a year and have a full wall covered with them displaying my favorite comics. I like that I can quickly swap out a book and stick the case back up on the wall. I replaced all the aluminum screws with steel hexagon screws that quickly come out with an allen wrench. I also designed a low profile trim that attaches to the wall so all the cases fit tightly together and secured with a thin rubber strip. No ugly J channels to distracts from the books' beauty. As mentioned in your review, these cases are higher quality than a CGC case and best of all, no newton rings.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

That sounds really cool. If you're on my Discord or can hit me up in a DM I'd love to see your setup!

[@nunyabizwacks6711]

also no potential for shifting or some type of damage from gravity over time like it seems a cgc case could cause. It should be common sense that when a comic isnt supported evenly throughout its entire surface area and edges that damage will occur quicker over time.

[@nunyabizwacks6711]

i know this video is old and i just came across it but i just wanted to say, i 100% agree about a high quality bag and board being better for protection than a cgc case (stored properly of course) and ive been trying to tell people that forever. Im very curious to see how some books turn out in the future as some cgc slabs become older. I legit think they could be detrimental to books in several different ways.

[@danigirlcomics]

Nice review Bronze! I just purchased a similar product that has 98% UV protection. Hopefully they will ship soon. Trying to see if I like it as an alternative to grading.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Ooh, sounds cool! You should share them in the Discord, I'd love to see them!

[@Mat_268]

Thanks for sharing. More options for protection.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Exactly, and thank YOU for watching, Mat!

[@comicjourney]

Great honest review

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Thank you very much, that means a lot to me!

[@BiggRuss]

The micro-scratches wouldn't be a problem ..................... if BCW made Gator Guard Case bags.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

lol they do fit in slab bags (with a little extra room on top) but good point!

[@zombieprophet648]

I'm digging this.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

I'm digging that you're digging this! lol Thanks, ZP!

[@ComicCulture]

They look good to me, especially with the color options for the screws. Although the price point is too high imo. I'd rather get top loaders and put a couple extra boards behind it. Does that give me the same protection? No, but I have very sturdy wall mounts and don't need that level of protection. Also I don't like the brand name being on the bottom. I get they want to advertise but I'd want a clean minimal look and the name there messes with that.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Yeah, the brand name needs to be on there somewhere, but I'd prefer the back of the case, somewhere.

[@hotwater8473]

These seem really premium but a little rich for my blood. I just picked up a Malko case with magnets in the corners to try out. $19.95 shipped, we will see.

[@DarkLordbyNight]

New sub, title caught my attention... interesting product they have there little pricy but i like options, I myself have not been keen to slabbing at all, I have some of my books on the wall using BCW UV Comic Book Showcase and the Ultra Pro UV One Touch, just recently I been leaning towards EGS for some of my Variant & Virgin covers (not to be sold)

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Thank you very much for subbing to the that channel, it means a lot to me, hope you enjoy your time here! Out of the two products, which do you prefer, the BCW or the UltiPro?

[@dhyde9780]

And just like that you save hundreds and they have better protection. I use Ultra Pro with the comic preservers in them. They look sooo much better. Plus you can take them out once in a while and READ them. Isn't that why we buy them in the first place?

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

While I think it's great that protective options exist that don't force you to have to crack a slab if you want to read a certain comic, there are also plenty of reasons where slabbing a comic is totally fine and doesn't conflict with actually enjoying owning them. But to your first point, this actually costs about the same as grading at this point, but I do think options exist that will offer BETTER protection, for sure! Thanks for watching!

[@ComiccollectorGamer]

I bought a Golden Age Batman Book from the 1950s from a comic shop when I was on vacation visiting my Aunt and Uncle for Christmas in 2021 after I bought it I noticed it had a piece of the corner of the cover missing I said to my uncle well that's to be expected it's from 1955 I'm ok with this I can't expect it to be as in Good condition as a comic from 2020 or whatever

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Yup, comics in in high grade from that era are rare for so many reasons, and the biggest is that people just didn't really expect to hold onto them like they do now.

[@ComiccollectorGamer]

@@BronzeAgeNerdGetting a Comic from the 50s and expecting it to be as in Good condition as something that came out a couple years ago would be Ridiculous sure you could Get a 50s in that type of condition but you'd probably have to have it Restored

[@CBs_Bill_from_Montana]

I bought 50 of these. They are unquestionably awesome. Especially because CGC has so many quality control issues. The colored screws are what swings it though from good to great. They mostly for personal collection though in my opinion. I don’t like the advertisement though on the plastic. They don’t need to do that when they charging that much. I did 25 of these but it gets tiring screwing them in with guitar picks. I still got 25 to do 1 year later. It’s half work half fun.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

This comment aged like fine wine with the recent CGC news about mechanical errors! Thanks for watching, and it's awesome to hear from a collector that's been using these!

[@CBs_Bill_from_Montana]

@@BronzeAgeNerd yes plus CGC has dirty slabs! Endless problems. It’s so disappointing.

[@00justincredible00]

i like the casing for cgc but Gdam i cant drive myself to send away 10's of thousands of dollars of comics to get them graded .. cbcs look very lame as well .. but these gator guards look nice and display nicely , also another thing about cgc/cbcs is when you display them on a wall and they happen to drop, they tend to crack VERY easily over time ,they are not made as "tough" as many would think .. i resorted to using top loaders but i think for sure ima swap over to these

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

I love the feel of CBCS slabs, don't like the label but they do look sharp (the plastic itself). CGC feels flimsy compared to both of those. Let me know what you thinK!

[@kevinkelley3906]

Yeah they should be built well for that price.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

You're not wrong.

[@JediFarce]

I think I enjoy my CGC slabs knowing their worth on the open market. Raws are subject to the sellers interpretation or inexperience which could misrepresent their true value and condition.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Of course, and I def understand that perspective, heck I pretty much share it when it comes to selling. But a huge segment will never slab and/or resell, so I think it's still an interesting option for those people.

[@kurtboesen5173]

I feel cgc is a great way to protect my comics. I normally don't drop, juggle or throw my comic so I don't need that much protection your free cases offer. Then we can add the grading cgc offers. I'd say I would have an easier time selling my comics when that time comes.

[@xenaluck]

true enough easier to sell. Although hard to read a graded slabbed book.

[@kurtboesen5173]

I don't read the comics I slab I'll buy a low grade or tpb.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

I respect your opinion. I've seen enough CGC-graded comics that get messed up in the cases to feel a little differently, but it's not like they are fragile at the same time. I treaty my graded comics about like I treat my raw books (I bag them, and 99% of the time store them in boxes). In those cases it's pretty safe, I feel like. But that said, a LOT of collectors have not interest in grading their books, too, so I hope to see more options for people that want them. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Yeah, that's certainly one of the pros, for sure!

[@xenaluck]

@@kurtboesen5173 you are missing the point of comics, like buying a car to sit in the garage. To each their own.

[@albertlee9220]

Nice review

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Thanks Albert!

[@rwheatley0206]

Great video. Just subbed your channel.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Thank you very much, Crime Alley, that means a lot to me! I hope you enjoy your time here!

[@loumonoph]

The problem I find with these is always the price point. If it gets close to grading fees, you might as well get the book graded. I feel if it is close in price they will need to offer something else cgc or cbcs dose not like UV protection and wall mounts like you said. Your review was spot on, good job.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Yeah, I DO feel more comfortable about the UV protection but for something like this I'd want something like 99% protection, I think, to help it stand out more.

[@the4deadlyvenoms]

Well said! The price needs to be way more competitive compared to CGC. They look awesome and I love displaying my books, and would definitely buy these but for the price right now, I might as well get the graded.

[@jc_comic_stuff]

Really no excuse why they don't add a way to insert custom labels. The custom etched logo and the regular company logo is awful. They add nothing and actually distract from the book. These will never really be a viable option to me due to what I already mentioned and the price point.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Interesting, so you'd make your own labels for them? The custom etched logos are totally optional, it's not like they come on the cases unless you request them. As for their logo, I agree it's a bit distracting when you close up on it, but my eye isn't really drawn to it when they're displayed. They do need a logo somewhere on the product but I'm not just sure where would be better. Somewhere on the back, I suppose.

[@jc_comic_stuff]

@@BronzeAgeNerd 100% diy labels. Just personally the etching and the logos are zero value added. Probably negative value added lol

[@justplainoltex4991]

Wow, if I'da known a Planet #1 would look so good in this thing I woulda grabbed two. Love yer etched in logo, but I think I'll turn the book around. And I'll buy ten when they cut the price in half.

[@donsolo96]

To be fair, Planet #1 looks great anywhere

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Totally understandable, I almost want a lower quality version that might offer 25% less protection or something for that price. Not sure if that's possible, but it would get me in the conversation more.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

100%

[@justplainoltex4991]

@@BronzeAgeNerd It's prolly like anything else: If there's enough buyers in the initial group that gotta have em now, they (or competitors) will maximize efficiency of productn and make them more affordable for me. When I was a kid calculators were ~$200, which adjstd for inflatn today is like, one...million...dollars.🧐

[@arthobbitworks791]

I sent my avengers 11 1964 to protect it and see what it may come back as, a 3.0 is good and I'm happy with that too.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

I would be too!

[@RikMorrison]

I have 7 of these and like them and have 6 in use at the moment for signed ones. The only issues I find is the laser engraving on the inside and paint on the screws.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Interesting, thanks for the information! Using them for signed books is a cool idea!

[@davidallen8891]

Thanks for the review. When I first saw them it was like "what are those"?? Getting a closer look was great. My real question though is what kind of box do they fit in?

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

This is something I kick myself for not including. Believe it or not, due to technical issues, this was the 3rd version of this review. I missed that from the earlier recordings, so thanks for asking! So these actually fit in all the comic boxes I have as far as width goes, but for lids, they stick up about an 1 inch or so above the top of the open box. So you can still put a lid on most boxes but they will be resting directly on the plastic. You'd need something about 1.5 IN taller than a standard short box. Thank you so much for that question!

[@carsonsinflatables7769]

Fit nicely in a BCW plastic short box.

[@northlakeghost]

Thanks for this vid! Been trying to figure out if they have a good size for Golden Age books - do you have a sense?

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

They don't offer a Golden Age size as far as I know. Also, I'm not a GA collector so I wouldn't really know a good alternative. Maybe look at Comic Capsules?

[@northlakeghost]

@@BronzeAgeNerd Thank you!! 🙏

[@TheCollectorP]

The cases look good but, How is the seal? Does the case have a tight seal? I'd consider them for wall mount/ display books.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

So it's not airtight or anything, but there isn't really a gap either. I can just barely get my nail into the seam but it's definitely not wide open.

[@Floridamancomics]

💯percent agree with your assessment; relatively new viewer but i am enjoying your videos! Loathe to give any more $ to Corporate Greedy C***s or any other grading company; my fantasy would be for this product to be available with space for a label (my comic! my grade!) at half the cost; otherwise as you said very hard not to justify biting the bullet, sending it in and taking the increase in visible value 🤷‍♂️

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Makes a lot of sense, and the label thing seems to be a trend. I'm in touch with the company, I'll pass along the feedback.

[@onemindchannel5927]

Wow I didn’t know CGC was such garbage thanks 😊

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

haha, I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not! CGC has a lot of opportunities for improvement, in my opinion, as do CBCS and EGS. The state of comic book grading is wild.

[@onemindchannel5927]

@@BronzeAgeNerd it was sarcasm I think both can have their pros and cons honestly, you did a great job on the review 🔥🔥

[@bradkoski]

I buy slabs but won’t submit

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

That's the mode I've been in the last . . . geez, almost a year? I think I am actually going to finally do a submission, though. I have some books that I need to sell and if I don't grade them I'm basically leaving money on the table, but not thrilled about it.

[@Comicbookyoutubersrock]

I would easily prefer CGC to this if I’m being honest. It’s not solely about protection, albeit an important aspect, but cgc’s slabs are more than solid. I would also worry about the protection ability with these when it comes to movement, and ability to keep books from scraping against the interior. Books are placed in nice tight mylites before they go in the hard shell with CGC. With these, the book just goes in with no additional protection. You’re asking for potential added wear and tear with this thing! As far as UV, I mean you really shouldn’t be putting your book in a position to experience sunlight, so shouldn’t be an issue regardless. The biggest thing with these are they of course don’t define the grade. So at the end of the day, I’d rather just put my books in a nice mylite then use one of these gator guard cases, assuming I wasn’t using CGC. Especially with how expensive they are.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

I appreciate your reply, Ryan! I do want to address a couple of things in your comment. You say that CGC puts comics in "mylites", but that's simply not true. CGC's inner well is made from PETG (which is poly based, not "mylar"). The Gator Guards use PMMA. I can't really speak to which is better for comics, but I think both are probably fine. I personally use E. Gerber Mylite2s for most of my collection, so obviously I love those things lol. But the other thing is that books are well known to "rub" in CGC cases. There is a lot of play when you handle them and corners and edges have been known to get damaged in them. I'm not saying that's a major concern the grand scheme of things, it's just what stuck out to me. Overall I'm inclined to agree with the main point of your opinion, they price makes it hard to justify these cases, but I think the book safety question are good to raise, for sure.

[@Comicbookyoutubersrock]

@@BronzeAgeNerd Oh if I was wrong on the inner well then happy to admit my bad. Maybe I was thinking about that short while they changed it to putting the comic between two pieces of mylite. That obviously didn't go well and they reverted back to the current version lol.

[@Deceptionking420]

Cgc sucks I dropped a case once it broke. My cbcs don't. So

[@toomanyhobbies8351]

They should have added extra space on top for the header so stores could custom make their own label and grade

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

So that's the second comment I've seen about that. Maybe that would be good as an optional case design for them? I think most collectors wouldn't want these labeled, but it looks like there is some market for it. Interesting, thanks for your comment!

[@kevinlambert2756]

CGC or CBCS may be less protection... case wise. But the value of the comic is not verified with your product... bottom line..

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

Just to clarify, I am an in no way affiliated with Gator Guard other than them supplying these two cases for review. When it come to grading companies, it's important to remember that they aren't assigning the value, we, the comic collecting community is- they just assign the grades.

[@kevinlambert2756]

@@BronzeAgeNerd True...But we do look up the grade on comic connect or GPA and see what the comic is listed for price wise...

[@comicsfan1973]

Great product

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

They're pretty snazzy!

[@oldschoolgamer2414]

If you want to sell a Comic "Key", it is going to have to be graded. No one is going to drop $5 - $10K on a book unless it is guaranteed authentic with no issues. THAT is why you grade stuff. period.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

I have no personal issue with grading or selling. But your comment seems to assume everyone wants to sell their comics or buy/sell graded comics, which is simply not true. There have been ~20 raw sales of X-Men 1 in the last year that are around $5K alone, and that is just one real key.

[@oldschoolgamer2414]

@@BronzeAgeNerd Depends on the seller. Heritage raw copy? Yes. You selling on Ebay? - people get sketched. Just my 2 cents. Enjoy.

[@oldschoolgamer2414]

@@BronzeAgeNerd Yeah sure thing. Now, when you die and your kids don't want your collection, then what? At SOME POINT, your collection will be sold. A raw X-Men #1 for $5,000 is about right, depending on condition. (Assume like a 4.0) A GRADED X-Men #1 with CGC 4.0 is going to sell for $10,000. Easily. That is my point.

[@BronzeAgeNerd]

@@oldschoolgamer2414 You're preaching to the choir Old School, I've literally said that *many* times when I talk about slabbing the major books in my collection. However it doesn't change the fact that a lot of people simply do not feel the same way or consider this at all when making those decisions.