Should We Still Be Slabbing Comic Books?

[@GerarddeSouza-yt3fc]

I have a really modest collection compared to others and I have also never slabbed. I spoke on facebook with a friend of another facebook friend who has 35+ years experience in archival work. He said that pulp paper's nature is self-destructive no matter what. The sheets of acid buffer included in a slab do slow down deterioration but once they hit capacity, whether 2 years or 20, the paper will deteriorate quicker than if just left alone. "The archival community has been warning about this ever since slabbing began", he said. I may never read a particular comic book I own again but someone in the future may wish to read that very book. Collectors seem to let the grade wag the dog, when I don't know why I couldn't in theory just sell a comic book how I would a car or a guitar; I honestly describe and represent its condition and not try to make it fit a specific grade perfectly. It seems a bit of a "scam" , for lack of a better word, that it requires me to call in the experts to appraise my comic; the very experts who established the standards that us mere mortals can't understand. I also believe it's this preciousness that in part has hurt comic book sales. Our friends, family and kids see the high maintenance we pour into our collections and entombing our books so the interiors can't be enjoyed and think,"Why would I start a hobby if the object can't be enjoyed?" or "Why am I going to pay that kind of money to 'care and feed' for a comic book?"

[@dngillikin]

If I had the organizational skill and political influence, I would like to see a blue-ribbon panel of professional archivists with no financial ties to the Comic Collectible Industrial Complex to examine and evaluate the products and marketing claims regarding archival preservation qualities of various products and services (such as slabbing) that are highly touted within the hobby and accepted as Gospel to determine if there's real value in them or if it's a load of marketing "snake-oil" to separate you from your hard-earned cash.

[@GerarddeSouza-yt3fc]

​@@dngillikin But why? Why do we expect some kind of standard universal grade when the quality of any item is subjective between buyer and seller and grading anything really has general increments that can't simply be expressed to tenths between 1 & 10. A panel (who one would expect should be paid) is more bureaucracy to something that should be no more than you have something, I want it and we haggle. That establishes the market too. I'm all for a general guide like using an Overstreet comics guide, or auction results being used as general "blue book" ballpark. That's why I say the grade is wagging the dog; a system by the people who have a self-interest to make money grading one's book. At best I can say it's an alternative but it's not the only way a market is established.

[@dngillikin]

You have completely misunderstood me. I'm not talking about a panel to grade comics. I'm talking about professional archivists educating on the nature of archive preservation according to practices actually used by archives, museums, and libraries, and comparing and evaluating those practices against what the comics hobby and grading companies think that archival preservation consists of.

[@GerarddeSouza-yt3fc]

@@dngillikin Yes. I misread. My apologies.

[@danielm5473]

@GerarddeSouza I agree with you. Why collect comic books if you can't read and look at the books? Otherwise you just have something to put on a shelf or hang on the wall, and there are cheaper ways to get a picture of Green Lantern to hang on your wall. Slabbing is really driven by speculators who seem to primarily care about what they can flip a book for. I understand everyone has to make money, but it does feel like the books are in some sense paradoxically destroyed when slabbed because they become something other than their intended function. I also don't understand grading and preserving action figures. They are meant to be played with! Coins and baseball cards are fine for slabbing, as they can still be fully viewed and enjoyed in their protective cases, but comics are full of stories and art that must be seen to be appreciated.

[@chrismeder2376]

I don't slab but that is due to the fact I would rather spend the money to purchase comics. I also enjoy reading them from time to time as they do bring back memories of my childhood. I have a box of coverless comics that I hold on to as it was a box that my dad bought me from a yard sale when I was just getting into collecting. The act of him stopping at a yard sale on his way home from work was just a little thing, but it is something I remember long after he has passed.

[@wellboar]

Thanks for this, Jim. I have quite a few books in my collection that I might want to get slabbed, but in all reality, they aren’t “slab-worthy”. I would just like to have them encased just to protect them or display them because they are from my childhood. I only recently picked up my first slab (a birthday gift from my kids, Static #1) There, a comment that is actually for your video 😂, cheers!

[@vorazi08]

Even when slabbed, displaying a comic can be very detrimental. Lighting, temperature, etc. should be researched carefully. Wouldn't make much sense to spend the money to preserve it, and then destroy it with improper display tatics.

[@redskorpion75]

Fun fact; I hate slabs. I've always been a reader. I see why some people do it, and its usually to increase their value. I'm in the process of thinning down my collection and the slabs I've acquired will be the first to go.

[@JCtheComicGeek]

Slabbing in my opinion is mainly about money. If slabs didnt command high money there would be no one doing slabs except in the "preserve the older crumbling books" Slabbing is 98% about the money.

[@keithoneil9894]

I’ve become disenchanted with CGC. If you haven’t seen Red Letter Media’s video on the whole collectible grading industry, give it a watch. It doesn’t make sense to pay say $500 for a comic you’re never going to read, and you’re paying $500 for it cause someone else said it has a “high grade.”

[@cardsfan5100]

Now I use Mylar. Get a couple thousand at a time and I’m good. I never need to replace a bag and board.

[@TheGreenArmorPress]

The main issues brought against slabbing usually revolves around $ whether it is CGC hiking their prices, flippers, etc. Collecting should be fun otherwise it's a business not a hobby.

[@amirsteinberg9683]

Hi Jim, I enjoy your videos and this one in particular - thanks for sharing your thoughts on collecting.

[@scod9746]

i love your philosophy of weighing perspective values and key points and tips for life.

[@ddougherty8266]

You touch on something - the space slabs take up. I believe that this (and weight) is the "Elephant in the Living Room" problem with slabs. As you say... if one wants to slab a book, they should! But if one looks at their comics as holding some sort of value - that's in someway related to how much they paid for them - if one wants to ever sell their books for about what they paid for them, then in general, slabbing runs counter to that. Slabbing takes up 6 times as much space, and is 5 times heavier. This makes every book that's "worth" less than about $100 that's not extremely high grade, worth less as a collectible if it's slabbed, due to three facts: 1 - Dealers with LCS's don't want them and won't buy them for even 10 cents on the dollar, as they take up too much room in their store (stores have just so much space, and they need to have thousands of back issues to attract a broad range of collectors, so they can't have more than a couple hundred slabs). 2 - Dealers who sell online who don't want them because can't sell them because each slab weights a pound, making postage costs prohibitive for buyers unless the book is expensive (buyers won't pay $15 postage on a $30 slab). 3 - Comic show convention dealers don't want them because they can't bring them to shows because of space and weight - again, they need a broad selection of books, and slabs take up more than 6 times as much room as a bagged and boarded comic, and 2000 slabs (which they'd have to rent multiple tables just to display) would weight 2,000 pounds - which requires them to get a commercial, paneled truck. This is why you're starting to see slabbed books selling for less than the cost that it cost to slab them. Slabbing effectively makes the comic worth a negative value.

[@matts6607]

i have changed my personal collecting ways a little over the years. I was always pro-slabbing books but I don't believe in slabbing everything. I definitely don't run out and slab all my keys. I guess I am more of a raw comics kinda guy. The slabs I mostly have are all signature series with some non-sig slabs mixed in. I think for me it's a price thing and also having the book leave your collection and get sent to a facility so you don't have any control over who touches your comic. I do however love using archivals for my good books. I put them in those nice protective mylars. That is the fun part for me. since even the mylars can be pricey, I love going through my collection to find the comics worthy of that. I also have bought protective aftermarket "slabs" like the ones from Crafti Comics. Those are great but expensive. In the end for me, I am satisfied with what I collect. I have a friend who specifically collects Star Wars comics and dabbles in Super Hero Keys as a side collection. I have other friends who are exclusive to horror. My mom actually buys Archie and she's in her mid 70's. She collects to read the old stories. she doesn't care about grades. So i totally agree with "collect what you like and love". it's a great mindset to have in the comic book collecting world.

[@50scap3]

slabs are ruining collecting they attract the worst form of speculators and mark my words someday someone is going to be willing to make money on the side by up-grading these slabs and you’ll have massive amounts of books out there where the grading is suspect. You have no idea whether the ish in that slab is the exact same one you sent in you “ trust” the company to be straight up but human nature dictates that rot will set in. At least with “raw” books you can pull them out and really know and AGREE with what you’re getting.

[@Deephouse_Gent66]

Hi there, Jim. An excellent and introspective video topic and discussion. As I have said in other posts, I am a long-time collector your age who primarily collects for the stories and art. I wouldn't mind slabbing a few of my comics that are keys or signed issues, but I prefer the majority of my 16,000-plus comics to remain unslabbed because I still like to go back and flip thru the pages for nostalgic enjoyment. I sometimes reread them, but like you, I just don't have the time to reread everything as I still buy new comics and (new) back issues regularly. I still enjoy admiring the pencil art on that old news-grade paper. (I don't really care for the CG art we get nowadays). If I choose to slab what I have, I don't need them to be 9.8's. As long as it's 6.0 or higher, I'm happy. I collect for the enjoyment factor, not for value, although I do appreciate the value of my comics having value. (Yeah, I said that. ) Overall, I agree that people should collect in a way that is enjoyable to them.

[@changjoe01]

Slabbing is a symptom of our collective OCD. There's no real rational reason for slabbing. I gave up collecting comics and turned to toy collecting, modelling and wargaming, where "mintness" is non-issue for me.

[@scod9746]

i hear you, even with toy collecting there is that snob scene that values things in their original boxes even if its not even as good as something customized to improve or repair due to factory issues or fading in the box.

[@CretanBull]

I was never interested in slabbing, but I recently moved from a house to a condo where I don't have space for all of my comics. I've had to sell more than half of my collection and I still don't have space for the remainder so several boxes are going into storage. Over the last 6 months or so, I've been sending off all of my more valuable books to get slabbed - I want the added protection that a slab provides if they're going to be held in storage for the foreseeable future.

[@dandelatorre1870]

The more I listen to your shows the more I appreciate your perspective on comic collecting. I’ve been collecting for the better part of 40+ years, I’d love to come on your show and have a conversation about the hobby in general.

[@glennsimpson_aka_bobbysaccaro]

One technical thing I think needs to be remembered is every time you slab a book, you are essentially taking a raw book out of circulation. If someone wants to only buy raw books, it's like you've basically thrown the book in the trash. And there are only x number of each book in the world. X is probably a big enough number that maybe it doesn't matter, but again *technically* what one person does affects another person.

[@TheGreenArmorPress]

Don't agree with the analogy "of throwing in the trash". People can crack it out of the case if they really want to and not every book is going to get slabbed in the first place.

[@danielm5473]

I agree. I was so happy last year when I actually found a raw Amazing Spider-Man 300; I overpaid for it but it's in decent shape and now I can finally read that issue. Every other time I've ever seen a copy it's been slabbed because, you know, Venom appears in movies now and someday those will be just like Action Comics #1...

[@Deadman1957TEB]

I only have two slabs, one I won in an auction Superman 80 page Giant #1 (the one that was going to be Annual #9), the other is Action Comics #242, it's only a 1.0, but I couldn't get a raw in any better condition and the price if anything was dearer! As I have almost completed my Action collection from #224 to the present day (My birth month/year Jan '57, is how I've drawn a line on how far back I go) Like you suggested, I have photo-copied the slab and bagged and boarded the result so I don't have a gap when I finally complete it. I did the same with Supes Vol 1 #110 to present day which I have completed, well I had but then Vol 6 came out, lol. I just love re-reading my books, so slabbing isn't something I see in what future I have left!

[@visioneyeviewtv]

Just use a different grading company altogether, CGC is NOT the only grading/slabbing company out here. CBCS does a better job, stricter on the grading, faster turn around times for less, better cases altogether, etc. People/the community needs to stop D-riding CGC PERIODT! Blessings and love to everyone in here 🙌🏾

[@Comicbookyoutubersrock]

CBCS turnaround times have been horrible for a while. Their customer service is garbage compared to CGC, and CGC books still sell for a solid premium over cbcs, and especially with bigger keys. I think it’s good cbcs exists and is a semi competitor, but it’s not even close that CGC is the better option by far still.

[@visioneyeviewtv]

@@Comicbookyoutubersrock I sent in a submission less than 2 weeks ago for express grading, express cleaning & pressing AND autograph/signature verification and it’s already in its way back. Maybe they weren’t great with turn around times in the past BUT THEY ARE NOW. As far as a premium on the slabs, the only reason there’s less of a premium is because “the community/buyers/collectors” ALLOW It to be so, NOT because CGC is overall better quality. The sooner collectors & the comic book community take control of this the sooner the value of a CBCS slab will be worth the same as a CGC slab. I’ve said this in the past before and I’ll say it again, a grade should be worth what it’s worth no matter what company slabs it, if you want to pay a tiny bit more just for the heck of it that’s fine but to have huge value/price gaps on the same exact grade but different companies? That’s just straight up disgusting and appalling. I advise & highly recommend anyone selling a slab that isn’t CGC but it’s grade is the same as a CGC counterpart for their comic do not accept lower prices just because they’re selling a different company slab, hold your ground and know it’s graded value, even if it NEVER sells, have respect for yourself and what you hold. Anywho that’s all for now, blessings and love to every single one of you on here 🙌🏾🥂

[@Comicbookyoutubersrock]

@@visioneyeviewtv Yeah I mean respectfully I disagree. The reason CGC sells for a premium is because they’ve been consistent for sooo much longer. CBCS is still the little brother in the game, and they’re waayy too hard on grading from my experience. I think the main point is that professional grading and specially CGC provides a great service that helps many inexperienced buyers get what they’re looking for. Compared to say buying raw books where someone may over grade as is common, or hide resto details, by accident or on purpose. CBCS has definitely made an effort on the turnaround times, but you’re talking express and that’s one of the faster services so bad example. The common tiers apparently are still horrible, and once again CBCS customer service is just atrocious. Collectors don’t need to take control of anything, they just need to stop creating pretend issues where they don’t exist. A book is worth what someone is willing to pay, and what’s nice about a determined grade by CGC is you know what you’re getting around 99% of the time. There’s definitely distinctions between some grades that justify the additional price. Anyway that’s all I have to say. Peace and love and blessings to all.

[@visioneyeviewtv]

@@Comicbookyoutubersrock FOR THE SAKE OF TIME I'LL ALSO LEAVE IT HERE AS WELL BUT RESPECTFULLY CGC HAS MESSED UP PUBLICLY WAY MORE TIMES THAN CBCS, THE ONLY REASON PEOPLE ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE TAKEN FOR SUCKERS IS BECAUSE CGC WAS FIRST (THUS THE ILLUSION OF GREATER EXPERIENCE), BUT IN THE GREAT WORDS OF DRAKE "IT AINT ABOUT WHO DID IT FIRST ITS ABOUT WHO DID IT RIGHT". THIS CONVO WILL CONTINUE ANOTHER PLACE AT ANOTHER TIME LOL ALL LOVE HERE THO REAL TALK.

[@DRKvader619]

Facts bro , all i kno is cbcs! I went to mint in Vegas!! & thy looked at me stupid, cus thy all ride cgc 🌰

[@danielm5473]

Well, since you asked...no. I've always been an anti-slabber. It's neat if you have a really valuable book (I'm talking Golden Age and early Silver Age valuable) but I have never understood these people who go buy the new books each week and send them off to be slabbed. Great, you have a 9.8 of some random Monkey Prince issue that came out a month ago? To what end? I had been working on rebuilding my old Dark Horse Aliens/Predator/Terminator collection and got to a point where I needed an issue of Dark Horse Presents from the late 90's, not a key or first appearance but it just had a moderately cool Predator cover. Only issue I could find online was slabbed, 9.6 or 9.8, and they wanted $350 for it. My collection of those books ended at that point...I'm not paying that. If the lettering was done in pure gold ink I wouldn't pay that much for that book. Maybe that's why CGC keeps raising prices...they know they can because speculators are basically sending them everything that comes out to get graded in hopes it may someday be valuable. If I ever am lucky enough to own a Detective Comics 27, I will get it slabbed for preservation purposes, otherwise I will keep my collection raw so I can actually read the books, which is the entire point of being a collector.

[@FrogBrawler]

Putting a book in a slab does indeed impact the story. 😂

[@terryfloyd3505]

I dont slab. I dont disagree tho with putting a book in a plastic case or grading it tho.I am just not going to go the grading company route because its not needed. One thing people think, that slabbing means they dont have to worry about that comic ever again.But even in a slab the comics degrade,and sooner or later its going to have to come out of that slab. There are two different people who slab-ones who slab to make money and ones that do it for conservation. a grading company is needed for one but not the other

[@wellboar]

Caught the replay, great show as always, awesome job Mark, Stephanie, Rob and Gary!

[@bronzevillecomics2581]

Hunh?

[@wellboar]

Not sure how it posted this comment on your video while watching another channel, but here we are…

[@michaelbernstein9442]

Have to tell you, being around the same age as you, everything your saying is how I look at the hobby Aldo and i definitely have been zoning in on late silver and bronze comics because that’s what I collected as a kid. Some of my best keys I bought off the rack, like hulk #181. Really enjoyed this show

[@mpcjunkie72]

@13:10 "be particular of what you're putting in a slab..." You've hit the nail on the head. I have about 15 slabs and many boxes of raws. The majority of my slabs are things that matter i.e. 1st issues, x-men 14, ASM 50, FF48, Hawkman 4 - I bought a slab or two of "nice cover" but keys will always move. Even classic covers will move such as a silver surfer 4. People will always buy a slabbed SS4 over a slabbed 3rd appearance of Doctor Octopus. Good video! I also think that having a valuable slab makes someone psychologically prepared to approach the comic. For example, holding an X-Men 1 in a slab let's you look at the cover close and be in awe but having a raw copy of X-Men 1 is like handling a delicate baby and don't want to thumb or touch it because the pages may be fragile and sensitive. IMP

[@joshscomics01]

As a collector and if slabbing for your PC I see slab whatever you would like and want. As a seller like you said be careful and slab what makes sense or would have more value at a higher grade.

[@tacomacomics7946]

Well said. Tactile, memory, etc. Very hard to describe why some collectors, especially older ones, resist slabbing.

[@goldenshark3182]

Because slabbing everything is annoying and takes up a ton of space. You can’t read the book unless you buy another copy and really only books worth $1,000+ should be the only ones worth slabbing for protection of investment.

[@ricks69z28]

Thanks Jim great video, with the cost of slabbing I think I have decided to spend that money and get more comics. Rick 😎✌️

[@whiskeygamesnerdstuff789]

Appreciate the video, great topic.

[@themegaroadproject3014]

In ten years, raw comics in mid to low grade will be worth more raw than slabbed. I guarantee it. Grading anything other than hi grade books is a ruse.

[@melw2100]

I like slabbing golden age books and some silver age books for preservation but I struggle with moderns.

[@carymoshman1180]

I don't slab anything, never felt the need to.

[@cardsfan5100]

I can’t read, feel, or smell a comic brick. They are bulky and I can’t store them normally. I do have some but now someone would need to pay me for me to get hit with a brick.

[@bottomtiercollector]

Slabs affect the stories. Wow, I had never pondered that untill your video. Very well thought out video.

[@DBoysen1]

I've never slabbed. Never will. No offense to those who do, but it defeats the whole purpose of collecting comics. Mylar your books, protect them yes, but you have to be able to take them out and enjoy them from time to time.

[@uFELLA]

Even if you prefer your books raw, if you are buying expensive books, you "should" get them graded to confirm that you got what you paid for! You can always crack them out later. Many collectors bought expensive raws only to learn that they had undisclosed issues. The usual story is that they kept them raw until it was time to sell (b/c they knew a book actually graded universal X.0 would fetch more than a book merely estimated at X.0). And then were disappointed not universal. Restored and qualified books are fine if that is what you bargain for. But for those paying big bucks for raws that should be universal grade, it matters depending on grade (not so much in lowest grades, but huge FMV impact in the highest grades). P.S.: If you do crack them out, remember to send the cracked out label back to CGC so it can cancel the certification and keep the census accurate!!!

[@JohnSmith-ib8qr]

I've got uncut printing sheets of comics and trading cards, I wish they'd come up with slabs for this items....lol! CGC does Concerts posters as well!

[@timhaight4291]

I like, how they want a percent cut of the books worth, not just to grade. But a percent cut to press and clean.

[@Mikah234]

Depends on what kind of collector you are. In my opinion owning a shop and having a large PC. I've never sent a book for grading. Just was never my thing personally. Now I do own a few slabs in my PC. And for sale in my shop. But I acquired them that way. I personally just wanted big grails and keys. So spending money on grading never made sense to me. I use that money for alot more books. But I also know other collectors that slab everything. Good for them to each their own. Some collectors care about slabs and some dont. But as the cost keeps going up and all the problems keep going on. I just sit back and laugh. Thinking to myself. Thank God I dont have to deal with any of that. :)

[@AnachronicComics]

I have had similar thoughts, especially as a septuagenarian and considering what I am leaving behind for my family to deal with.

[@cha5]

I mainly buy Golden Age back issues and I just always go after them raw, being as I'll just about always want to read and re-read them for the story and the art as opposed to sealing them up like coins or baseball cards in a holder, I have gotten a few slabbed books just if they're being sold at a good price and the first thing I always do is have the manager of my local comic shop (and a friend) liberate them from those slabs with a screwdriver and a pair of scissors, It can be done and he's something of an expert at it.

[@charliedogg7683]

Not living in the US, I will never risk sending my comics overseas to be graded: too much can go wrong and if they go missing outside my postal system's jurisdiction I may well have zero chance of recovering them. Like you Jim, I realised that I won't re-read most of my comics so I've been selling them off. If I change my mind about a title or run and want to read it again, nearly everything is available in trade or hardcover collections.

[@bottomtiercollector]

I think comic book preservation is important, in that context I think it's definitely still worth slabbing. If you're just looking to flip a book for top dollar, you gotta consider how much more overhead buyers are willing to pay for.

[@yashileakduth9708]

In my opinion u can absolutely preserve a book without slabbing it.if it's a personal book that means a lot I suppose go ahead but I have always felt a really expensive book can be slabbed if u want ,I have always looked at slabbing as a means to make money going forward.

[@bottomtiercollector]

@Yashil Eakduth personally I'm a pro raw guy, all my biggest books are in mylar with a full back in a bcw plastic box. I know all about preserving without slabbing, not to mention CGC doesn't have UV light protection on their slabs... I guess when I talk about preserving books I'm talking about golden age and silver age books. Those books are so old it's only hurting the books to open them and read them. I view golden age books as more of an artifact than a collectible.

[@setaside2]

I've been absolutely bingeing content on "to slab or not to slab" and I appreciate the vast majority of content creators who've been honest in their opinions about this matter. I don't have a huge personal collection. About 1000 raw books... Within that collection there are some keys that are slab worthy but the horror stories and the mistrust I've heard about and aimed at the cleaning, grading, and pressing industry has really put me off the idea. I've taken good care of my raw books and also understand the actual rarity of a 9.8... I'm pretty good with keeping things the way they are, changing boards and bags every now and again. If I have to sell the collection in a hurry, I always have Chuck over at Mile High just down the street. If I'm in that kind of immediate need, I know it can happen. Meantime, I do keep a spreadsheet catalog... We'll see what the future holds.

[@vorazi08]

I wouldn't rely on getting much from old Chucky. Man has a rep.

[@setaside2]

@@vorazi08 during the housing crash, my kids and I ended up homeless and I sold an awful large chunk of the collection to MHC. I had of course no room to negotiate and they are of course resellers who took everything I had to offer at the time (I kept a few things held back, which make up the foundation of the 1k I have today). While I certainly got nowhere near book, I also didn't feel like I got done dirty. And they could have definitely screwed me. He was good for the "in the hurry" session that I needed. Truth be told, though, in Denver it's All C's who's known for the ripoff, in both cards and comics. Chuck is at least a good person who does an absolute ton for the community.

[@vorazi08]

@@setaside2 I'm glad you were treated well, and also glad your siuation has improved. It's nice to know there are good sides to all stories.

[@setaside2]

@@vorazi08 super kind of you to say so, man. I appreciate you.

[@scottrubin8854]

I have a pile of books that I'm debating about for exactly this reason...

[@dandelatorre1870]

Ironically you posted this video the day before I’m sending comics for the first time to be slabbed. I have lost all faith and trust in CGC, CBCS has its own problems so I’m going with EGS. Tony Trombetta grades very old school which I appreciate but more than anything else, I trust him and his service. I’m sending some heavy hitters including my Avengers #1, I’ll let you know how it goes.

[@shadowman8786]

I'm waiting for the first dollar slab bins, maybe in 10 years or so for the pointless fomo spec books being slabbed now. CGC are laughing all the way to the bank.

[@Deephouse_Gent66]

I LOVE the idea of dollar slab bins!

[@ddougherty8266]

Agreed - People are lighting money on fire slabbing modern books (and buying them). It's their money - so God Bless'em, but's a matter of time. When the inevitable turnover of fans starts happening as people who left the hobby get tired of hauling 500 slabs / 500 pounds of 500 comics with them every time they move to a new home, etc., these people will eventually bite the bullet and sell their books, and dealers will give them nothing for them (because there's nowhere near enough people who want these things compared to the number of them that are slabbed). I believe this applies to all comics - the values that people perceive they have are a ponzi scheme - everyone thinks their books are "worth" some $ figure - ignoring the fact that almost everyone who wants a certain book, already has one, and new collectors aren't being formed, so as people quit / die off, millions of books coming to the market with no buyers will bring all of these prices down to earth - to pre-2000 prices (or even less). Wanna buy some beanie babies or pez dispensers, or Hess Trucks, etc?

[@dansxmencomics]

Great breakdown and discussion Jim!

[@jabezcreed]

I do think long term, a lot of slabs will sell for cost or lower. The mega keys will always have value. Paying a premium over value for a slabbed copy is a big risk over time. I've heard the Overstreet guy recently say that coming out of the Comic Boom, the pricing pattern has returned to the following: at 9.2 and above, slabbed vintage comics have appreciably higher values than the raw Overstreet values; at grades lower than that, vintage comics are very comparable in cost to Overstreet values. So unless you have some banger copy, your slab cost may just be the only boost in your comic's value over the long term.

[@VHSValdesHasSpoken]

Lets say you like having comicbook slabs,hung up on a wall as art. In theory, couldn't you just get the cover of your favorite comic book,place it in a magnetic 1 touch slab and just hang it up as art?

[@jabezcreed]

If you're the kind of collector who buys high dollar books for long term investment or ego, then CGC is a must. Three extra cost is minimal in that case. If you buy modern, don't even think about it unless you want a pristine copy of something. If you like old comics, you owning and reading a VG copy of a golden or silver age book isn't going to add noticeably more wear and tear on that comic book. Buy the G/VG, heck even a FN, and put it in a good bag and board. Read it when you want to. Enjoy it. I have about a half dozen slabs: 1 rare book, 2 I just love and wanted pristine copies of, and another 2 decent keys that were at a good price slabbed at the time.

[@jakobmercier3]

Unless it’s a really rare book or too expensive to get raw most books you can buy already slabbed save you on the pressing and cleaning and the weeks/months of waiting for grading, personally I don’t care about the grade so I have a few of my personal grails 5.0-9.2 that I got all cheaper then it would f cost me to get the comic and send to grading ect.. waiting for a slab at home company to come up

[@franknormansell6442]

WhatNot doesn't work in Europe 😞 I only slab comics where I love the cover. I usually read the same comic but with the regular cover.

[@roycestancabarloc1824]

Raw books and nostalgia for me all day. No slabs and no 9.8 fetish here.

[@dandelatorre1870]

The other component to slabbing is that as a lover of comics is the satisfaction that you are extending the life of a comic by preserving it.

[@socom18psp]

Regardless if it's slabbed or not the environment in which the book is stored will have a much bigger impact on long term preservation.

[@leerogers5318]

Bottom line, as far as value is concerned, slabbing a comic is the only way to guarantee to a buyer about the grade. However, if you are slabbing a comic just for preservation without the intention of selling then re-sell is irrelevant. A third factor that involves slabbing is that you have to trust the company and grade that they have given a comic. Anyone who has experience with this will tell you that they cannot understand the grade that was given to a particular comic. Bill Dayden from Economics in Comics has an excellent video on this very subject. He sent the same comic in to CBCS and CGC and received different grades. In addition, there are only two companies that are widely accepted as grading companies for comics (CGC & CBCS) and even their grades. The others are not excepted by the comic community as a whole or the industry itself.

[@Sixer_Fixer]

Slab everything!! Haha, just kidding. Slab what you love & want to preserve.

[@darthjarwood7943]

I slab for the future...i have no plans of selling my collection but passing it down to my children...i use CGC for anything that has current value and i use EGS for strictly modern cover buys because i think the customizable label adds eye appeal to something that was bought for eye appeal...and finally PGX gets the cover price value books that i think have really cool covers or first appearances or number 1 issues just to maintain their current condition

[@dakoitcave817]

I’m a very visual guy, is it weird that I can remember almost all my 18,000+ books in my collection? I never need a checklist. Again, I never buy runs I only buy select books over my years of collecting, perhaps that’s why?

[@Stormcastlecomics]

At this point I feel that slabbing Silver and Golden age along with early bronze is a must to conserve many of those books. Time is moving on and being slabbed can protect them better from wear and tear. But that might just be me.

[@cha5]

I've been collecting Platinum and Golden Age books since 1989 and I collect them for the story and art and would never want any of mine slabbed, Mylar and acid free backing boards and boxes are enough for me, although adnittedly I always handle mine with kid gloves literally whenever I read them.

[@mrsolodolo967]

I slab for preservation, if that leads to equity, bounus

[@thewreckingcrew777]

Slab the books you love and want to preserve or the ones you'll eventually want to sell for a high profit, the rest I'd keep raw (they seem to be selling better)

[@SABERTUUTH]

#RAW! I’m on my 2nd collection and all but 7 of my 4500 to 5500 books are RAW

[@Markus465]

The short answer to your question is....no. Slabbed books are terrible.

[@drmidnight680-kz2le]

🔥DR. MIDNIGHT 🔥 Was here

[@markmarshall5441]

I won't be stabbing any comics. Unless I decide to sell any valuable ones.

[@derekd4221]

I get my books slabbed so i know the grades, then I break them out of the slab and put them in bags and boards. I put the CGC label in the back of the bag and board. It's really cost effective tp do it this way and saves so much space without thise big bulky plastic cases. I love CCG, they never make mistakes and their prices are amazing. God bless CGC.

[@vorazi08]

I'm sorry, I don't usually post negative comments, but that has to be the dumbest process I have ever heard of. Including the label in the bag means absolutely nothing. That grade is a one time, at that exact moment, estimation. Once you uncapsulate it, it no longer applies. It's your money, so do with it as you please. I hope you don't honestly believe they don't make mistakes.

[@youlovecomicbooks]

It’s a good idea to slab old books, but anything that is just released is a quick pump and dump scam.

[@Caseshells123]

Cgc is going to lose a ton of the new comic release getting slabbed. They should have a new release tier at $20 each but cannot be more then 12 months old

[@tyronebrown8510]

I never have.

[@Frankofsector2814]

I am no fan of slabbed books at all. So in my opinion I would say no.

[@johnedwards2051]

I have one slabs western crime busters 8 only only one in cgc that's where it makes sense

[@scottrogers2186]

I prefer to buy CGC slabbed books that someone else has paid to grade. I have zero raw books at the moment and I am happy with that.

[@jasoncraft2135]

No doubt , I've got books that are slabbed just because I had it when I was a kid. When I die and they have to get rid of all this stuff they will definitely be wondering why I had some of these slabs.But I like them and that's all that matters. 😊

[@legomen8022]

Also since their slabbed, it will be slightly easier for them to figure out value of them!

[@bradkoski]

I prefer loose high grade. I’m not a 9.8 chaser, but I do like high grade. I only slab books that are expensive or rare, in that grade. I no longer submit. I’d rather let someone else deal with that crap. I don’t think the books are safer in a slab vs. acid free backboard and Mylar. I also hate the weight of slabs. I do enjoy displaying the slabs, but that’s not good for the book, honest. Books are better kept in boxes. But ultimately, buy what you like👍

[@johnedwards2051]

I have 78 ec Comics nothing slabed and a master comics 40 nothing slabed but this is a scam when the case has to be cared for more than the book

[@StarTrooper]

Until they design smaller slabs I'm not buying graded comics. They take up to much room.

[@clumsy_comics]

I’m 50/50 on the issue

[@slicknickscomicsandtoys6468]

I like raw slabbing seems like a pain to me

[@TheRealCobraBurnout]

Great vid.

[@charlesjohnson3287]

Raw for the PC. Slabs to sell!

[@michaeltan4204]

Slabs are here a stay but cgc will eventually reach a price hike threshold where it is not viable or fun for the ordinary comicbook collector to consider having it slabbed through cgc.

[@timhaight4291]

If you can't grade, ... Then grade em...

[@davidlinnerson8027]

Ihave been collecting for about 46 years & i would slab my books when i get ready to sell them.Cgc has created a monopoly in the marketplace getting the most money for Cgc graded comics. My question to CGC & sellers & slabbers., where are the 9.1, 9.3, 9.5 & 9.7's never have seen one. This seems rigged & dishonest. The fact that there is such price disparity betwee 9.6 ,9.8, 9.9 a tenth of a point can be a difference of hundereds if not thousands of dollars. This does not occur in any other coin or collectible market. I think to truly legit is to have the market regulated. Take it out of the hands of a single grading service.

[@DarrenCarman]

good video

[@dwaynesmith9482]

i say yes keep slabbing but im so over this " It has to be 9.8" crap.

[@Lindsey_Lockwood]

I refuse to buy slabs and hope the trend will die in the next couple of years. From what I've heard from whatnot sellers slabs are extremely hard to move so I can't be alone.

[@bronzevillecomics2581]

I think it depends on the slab. Way too many books should have never been slabbed either due to the inherent lack of value of the book, an undesirable grade, or both.

[@goldeneastgun]

CGC is for investing, and as long as the slabs bring in more money than RAW + cost of grading... it will always make financial sense to get books graded. This took me less than a minute to type. I don't know why the video above is 20 mins long.

[@Deephouse_Gent66]

The video is 20 minutes long because there are hundreds of thousands of people who have opinions, likes, dislikes, preferences and perspectives that are different from yours.

[@goldeneastgun]

@@Deephouse_Gent66 Be that as it may, the answer to your title is simple. Also, the majority of comic collectors are old. No time to listen to blah, blah, blah for 20 mins. Let's keep it moving before my life ends.

[@VivalaRedSox]

Nobody is forcing you to watch it

[@Deephouse_Gent66]

@@VivalaRedSox Exactly!

[@MadPunky]

Obviously, grading adds value, official indexing and protection to a book, but my god slabbed books are fucking boring. Nothing feels more castrating than a slabbing your books. You just turned your multiple paged, art and story filled comic book into a two sided baseball card.

[@cha5]

Preach Brother!

[@051616]

I Love Tacos

[@6thface]

I used to say no to slabbing anything and I do like it raw, but I have started slabbing high value books and picking up slabs when I find them for good prices in what I believe is a dip.

[@Comicbookyoutubersrock]

I mean the rates are small, other than for bigger books. Definitely still worth getting your comics graded, not even a question.

[@raylehtinen6245]

No.

[@DragonInkComics]

CGC 🤢

[@scottsimon615]

No

[@UelCarter]

If you enjoy participating in a scam go ahead.

[@bronzevillecomics2581]

I just need a larger scanner to fit a slab on so I can upload the images to my computer.

[@UelCarter]

@@bronzevillecomics2581 lol. Scam

[@bignothing909]

how much are diy slabs??? f#@K A GRADE