[Groop]I have to gripe a little bit.
MisterElie@aol.com
MisterElie@aol.com
Tue, 21 May 2002 15:51:45 EDT
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Shane,
In this instance, I have to agree with you........BOY do I have to agree with
you! If anyone that read your post follows the link to that ebay listing and
they scrutinize it closely, they'd see the seller said the comic comes with a
"hand signed" certificate with the winner's name on it. CGC does not issue
certificates - this guy probably made it up himself! I had to read it twice
because the first time I thought it meant Sergio and ME had signed that copy.
The only thing hand signed is the seller's own certificate! The fact of the
matter is, the Image Groo is so recent that there's probably plenty of people
with a Groo #1 in 9.9 condition; it is just that no one else sent one in to
be "slabbed."
Aside from this guy and probably a handful of others trying to take advantage
of the CGC service, I will defend the company. As a collector of comics for
about 10 years now, I've been burned by people claiming their comics were in
better condition than they actually were. My spending habits are such that I
haven't lost too much money as a result of other sellers inflating the value,
but I felt I wasted money nonetheless. I also understand that if I paid a NM
price for a copy of Action Comics #1 when it was crinkled, torn, and brown,
I'd probably complain a lot more (although if I bought a copy of Action
Comics #1 sight unseen I'd probably be an eccentric billionaire). Although
every time I make a comic purchase, I learn something new and become evermore
careful.
It is true that comics grading is arbitrary and subjective, but CGC has come
up with a standard I agree with.
CGC comics are priced higher than normal, "unslabbed" comics, and many people
are willing to pay for it because they are assured a NM comic will not be
missing a page or have coffee stains on it (those are just 2 examples of ways
I've been burned in the past). While I haven't bought a CGC comic, I have
several of my own that are slabbed. I slabbed them because I think they make
very nice framed art - better than regular comic frames. I am thinking of
slabbing some silver age comics before selling them because they are in very
nice condition and, frankly, I am afraid that someone's going to tell me
their grade isn't as good as I think it is. CGC provides a middle ground
most of us agree with.
Rest assured, if I ever buy a CGC slabbed comic, I'll definately open it
because I am not going to buy a comic without reading it. But I definately
agree with you that the guy trying to sell a slabbed Image Groo #1 for $150
is doomed to disappointment.
Stepping down from my own soapbox......
Elie
In a message dated 5/21/2002 12:10:30 PM Central Daylight Time,
sac@foolarchy.com writes:
> Subj:[Groop]I have to gripe a little bit.
> Date:5/21/2002 12:10:30 PM Central Daylight Time
> From:<A HREF="mailto:sac@foolarchy.com">sac@foolarchy.com</A>
> To:<A HREF="mailto:groop@groo.com">groop@groo.com</A>
> Sent from the Internet
>
>
>
> Okay, out of my lurking corner with a soapbox in hand!
>
> I've only been collecting comics since the late 70s. But comics have always
> held a 'magic' value to me. I'm of that bread that actually reads the
> comics. I don't simply purchase comics and seal them in air tight bullet
> proof titanium casings. Don't get me wrong either, because I treat my
> comics with the utmost of care. I take great care of them.
>
> Enter CGC. Now, I'm a fair person and I can see both sides of CGC. But,
> alas, for me, it is a bad thing. I'm a collector that likes to delve into
> my purchases.. my treasures. I just don't appreciate the fact that if I
> find a comic I want and it's slabbed with a CGC rating/case, then not only
> am I most likely going to pay a much larger price, but I'm also going to
> make that price an extra financial waste because I'm going to break the CGC
> slab seal and read my book.
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2102602107
>
> Now I love Groo. Groo is a comic book that is meant to be handled and
> read... read many times over infact. I love the fact that a Groo comic
> could be 'valued' at $90. I won't mention that it's pretty damned easy to
> find high grade books on nearly any title/issue from the 1980s and up.
>
> What really bothers me is that this is a slabbed Groo. I mean, it's Groo
> for crying out loud... this is a book that is meant to be opened and
> cherished. To be absorbed in the multitude of images and colors. Not
> sealed. I could understand if it was an Amazing Fantasy #15 that you had in
> a CGC slab... because then you could just read the reprint.
>
> I don't know. I digress. As a fan of comics, my opinion is that CGC has not
> been a positive thing for my genre of collectors whose pockets are not
> lined with money. CGC seems to have just become a way to make merchants
> more rich.
>
> I'll get off my soapbox now.
>
> ~Shane
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> mail2web - Check your email from the web at
> http://mail2web.com/ .
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Groop maillist - Groop@groo.com
> http://mailman.newdream.net/mailman/listinfo/groop
>
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<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">Shane,<BR>
<BR>
In this instance, I have to agree with you........BOY do I have to agree with you! If anyone that read your post follows the link to that ebay listing and they scrutinize it closely, they'd see the seller said the comic comes with a "hand signed" certificate with the winner's name on it. CGC does not issue certificates - this guy probably made it up himself! I had to read it twice because the first time I thought it meant Sergio and ME had signed that copy. The only thing hand signed is the seller's own certificate! The fact of the matter is, the Image Groo is so recent that there's probably plenty of people with a Groo #1 in 9.9 condition; it is just that no one else sent one in to be "slabbed." <BR>
<BR>
Aside from this guy and probably a handful of others trying to take advantage of the CGC service, I will defend the company. As a collector of comics for about 10 years now, I've been burned by people claiming their comics were in better condition than they actually were. My spending habits are such that I haven't lost too much money as a result of other sellers inflating the value, but I felt I wasted money nonetheless. I also understand that if I paid a NM price for a copy of Action Comics #1 when it was crinkled, torn, and brown, I'd probably complain a lot more (although if I bought a copy of Action Comics #1 sight unseen I'd probably be an eccentric billionaire). Although every time I make a comic purchase, I learn something new and become evermore careful.<BR>
<BR>
It is true that comics grading is arbitrary and subjective, but CGC has come up with a standard I agree with. <BR>
<BR>
CGC comics are priced higher than normal, "unslabbed" comics, and many people are willing to pay for it because they are assured a NM comic will not be missing a page or have coffee stains on it (those are just 2 examples of ways I've been burned in the past). While I haven't bought a CGC comic, I have several of my own that are slabbed. I slabbed them because I think they make very nice framed art - better than regular comic frames. I am thinking of slabbing some silver age comics before selling them because they are in very nice condition and, frankly, I am afraid that someone's going to tell me their grade isn't as good as I think it is. CGC provides a middle ground most of us agree with.<BR>
<BR>
Rest assured, if I ever buy a CGC slabbed comic, I'll definately open it because I am not going to buy a comic without reading it. But I definately agree with you that the guy trying to sell a slabbed Image Groo #1 for $150 is doomed to disappointment.<BR>
<BR>
Stepping down from my own soapbox......<BR>
Elie<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 5/21/2002 12:10:30 PM Central Daylight Time, sac@foolarchy.com writes:<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Subj:<B>[Groop]I have to gripe a little bit. </B><BR>
Date:5/21/2002 12:10:30 PM Central Daylight Time<BR>
From:<A HREF="mailto:sac@foolarchy.com">sac@foolarchy.com</A><BR>
To:<A HREF="mailto:groop@groo.com">groop@groo.com</A><BR>
<I>Sent from the Internet </I><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Okay, out of my lurking corner with a soapbox in hand!<BR>
<BR>
I've only been collecting comics since the late 70s. But comics have always held a 'magic' value to me. I'm of that bread that actually reads the comics. I don't simply purchase comics and seal them in air tight bullet proof titanium casings. Don't get me wrong either, because I treat my comics with the utmost of care. I take great care of them.<BR>
<BR>
Enter CGC. Now, I'm a fair person and I can see both sides of CGC. But, alas, for me, it is a bad thing. I'm a collector that likes to delve into my purchases.. my treasures. I just don't appreciate the fact that if I find a comic I want and it's slabbed with a CGC rating/case, then not only am I most likely going to pay a much larger price, but I'm also going to make that price an extra financial waste because I'm going to break the CGC slab seal and read my book.<BR>
<BR>
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2102602107<BR>
<BR>
Now I love Groo. Groo is a comic book that is meant to be handled and read... read many times over infact. I love the fact that a Groo comic could be 'valued' at $90. I won't mention that it's pretty damned easy to find high grade books on nearly any title/issue from the 1980s and up.<BR>
<BR>
What really bothers me is that this is a slabbed Groo. I mean, it's Groo for crying out loud... this is a book that is meant to be opened and cherished. To be absorbed in the multitude of images and colors. Not sealed. I could understand if it was an Amazing Fantasy #15 that you had in a CGC slab... because then you could just read the reprint.<BR>
<BR>
I don't know. I digress. As a fan of comics, my opinion is that CGC has not been a positive thing for my genre of collectors whose pockets are not lined with money. CGC seems to have just become a way to make merchants more rich.<BR>
<BR>
I'll get off my soapbox now.<BR>
<BR>
~Shane<BR>
<BR>
--------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
mail2web - Check your email from the web at<BR>
http://mail2web.com/ .<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
_______________________________________________<BR>
Groop maillist - Groop@groo.com<BR>
http://mailman.newdream.net/mailman/listinfo/groop<BR>
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
<BR>
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