A handful of comics into the plastic grave
Thomas Sr. (Captain Collector)Last updated: 30 June 2021 approx. 2 min read
Recently I pulled myself together and picked out a round dozen comics that might be worth “sealing in plastic”. I'm talking about certification by the company CGC. Normally that's not really my thing, but given the current state of the collector scene, it could well pay off.
The selection
Until now I had used CGC's services only once, when I had my personal copy of Tomb of Dracula #10, with the first appearance of Blade, “slabbed”. That comic has long since belonged to a happy comic collector, who bought it in our online shop the summer before last.
When I was recently talking with my son about the current trend towards certified Trading Cards and mentioned that it's no different with comics, he suggested having a few comics certified for our shop. Of course the selection had to be made so that the “slabbing” would really pay off.
So I put together 12 comics, setting three criteria, at least one of which had to be met: key issue, age of at least 50+ years, market value of the certified comic at least 150 dollars. And that gave the following list.
| Comic | my grade | Market value | CGC market value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain America #100 | 3.0 | $80 | $170 |
| Doctor Strange #169 | 5.5 | $75 | $350 |
| Fantastic Four #48 | 4.0 | $380 | $2350 |
| Iron Man #1 | 2.5 | $175 | $375 |
| Strange Tales #109 | 5.5 | $90 | $300 |
| Strange Tales #116 | 6.0 | $70 | $190 |
| Tales of Suspense #37 | 6.5 | $155 | $180 |
| Tales of Suspense #53 | 6.5 | $150 | $300 |
| Tales of Suspense #59 | 5.0 | $105 | $160 |
| Tales to Astonish #45 | 7.0 | $145 | $210 |
| Tales to Astonish #52 | 6.0 | $75 | $350 |
| What If? #10 | 7.0 | $30 | $150 |
The grading
I graded every comic in my well-trained, conservative way, to be as safe as possible from surprises. Based on my grades I could then work out the market value of each comic “raw” (unsealed) and “slabbed” (sealed). It's fascinating to see how certain comics shoot up in value as soon as you have them sealed in a plastic grave. The demand for certified grades is enormous. I have never experienced a hype like this before.
Which leaves the exciting question of how the comics will come back from CGC, and with which grades. Every deviation from my own grades, up or down, means serious price swings. I'll keep you posted and will be back with the second part of this post as soon as the comics return. That will take about 3 to 4 months.
Have you ever used CGC's services? And if so, are you happy with them, was it worth it?
Thomas Sr. (Captain Collector)Captain Collector's Curious Collector QuestionsSequel
How the comics came back from CGC and how close Captain Collector got with his grades: read Captain Collector vs. CGC Grading.
Note
The market values in the table are Captain Collector's estimates at the time of the post, not current prices. Comics are collectibles: this post is not investment advice.
Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: April 1968
Publisher: Marvel ComicsYear: January 1963
Publisher: Marvel ComicsYear: September 1973
Grader Notes: spine stress lines spineKey Comments: Direct Edition includes | "Marvel Overpower" cards. | Green foil cover.Art Comments: Tom DeFalco story | Scott McDaniel cover & artComics can be a highly valuable investment, and CGC-graded comics are especially interesting for collectors. The Gem Mint 10.0 grade is the best a comic can receive, though this grade is extremely rare. In practice, comics with a grade of 9.8 already count as excellent and represent the best attainable condition for most collectors. The higher the grade, the more valuable the corresponding issue.CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) is an independent company that grades comics, magazines and other collectibles according to their condition and quality and then seals them in a protective hard plastic holder. CGC-graded comics give collectors confidence in authenticity and condition, which greatly simplifies trading and investing in valuable comics.
Grader Notes: Key Comments: Art Comments: Leah Williams story | Daniel Hillyard, Ted Brandt & Ro Stein | art, Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson coverComics can be a highly valuable investment, and CGC-graded comics are especially interesting for collectors. The Gem Mint 10.0 grade is the best a comic can receive, though this grade is extremely rare. In practice, comics with a grade of 9.8 already count as excellent and represent the best attainable condition for most collectors. The higher the grade, the more valuable the corresponding issue.CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) is an independent company that grades comics, magazines and other collectibles according to their condition and quality and then seals them in a protective hard plastic holder. CGC-graded comics give collectors confidence in authenticity and condition, which greatly simplifies trading and investing in valuable comics.
Grader Notes: spine stress lines cover | foreign substance right center of front coverKey Comments: Flip-book w/ Vanguard #0 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles appearance.Art Comments: Erik Larsen & Gary Carlson stories | Rob Haynes & Tomm Coker art | Erik Larsen coverComics can be a very valuable investment. CGC graded comics are particularly interesting for collectors. The Gem Mint 10.0 grade is the best a comic can receive, however this grade is extremely rare. In practice, comics with a grade of 9.8 are already considered outstanding and represent the best possible condition for most collectors. The higher the grade, the more valuable the corresponding issue.CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) is an independent company that grades comics, magazines and other collectibles according to their condition and quality, then encases them in a protective hard plastic holder. CGC graded comics offer collectors security regarding authenticity and condition of preservation, which greatly facilitates trading and investing in valuable comics.
Grader Notes: spine stress lines coverKey Comments: Batman appearance.Art Comments: Denny O'Neil story | Barry Kitson & James Pascoe cover & artComics can be a very valuable investment. CGC graded comics are particularly interesting for collectors. The Gem Mint 10.0 grade is the best a comic can receive, however this grade is extremely rare. In practice, comics with a grade of 9.8 are already considered outstanding and represent the best possible condition for most collectors. The higher the grade, the more valuable the corresponding issue.CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) is an independent company that grades comics, magazines and other collectibles according to their condition and quality, then encases them in a protective hard plastic holder. CGC graded comics offer collectors security regarding authenticity and condition of preservation, which greatly facilitates trading and investing in valuable comics.
Grader Notes: Key Comments: Gary Frank cover. | Anniversary issue.Art Comments: Robinson, Jurgens & Straczynski stories | Bernard Chang, Dan Jurgens, Norm | Rapmund, Eddy Barrows & J.P. Mayer artComics can be a very valuable investment. CGC graded comics are particularly interesting for collectors. The Gem Mint 10.0 grade is the best a comic can receive, however this grade is extremely rare. In practice, comics with a grade of 9.8 are already considered outstanding and represent the best possible condition for most collectors. The higher the grade, the more valuable the corresponding issue.CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) is an independent company that grades comics, magazines and other collectibles according to their condition and quality, then encases them in a protective hard plastic holder. CGC graded comics offer collectors security regarding authenticity and condition of preservation, which greatly facilitates trading and investing in valuable comics.
Grader Notes: Key Comments: Art Comments: Alan Davis story, cover & artComics can be a very valuable investment. CGC graded comics are particularly interesting for collectors. The Gem Mint 10.0 grade is the best a comic can receive, however this grade is extremely rare. In practice, comics with a grade of 9.8 are already considered outstanding and represent the best possible condition for most collectors. The higher the grade, the more valuable the corresponding issue.CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) is an independent company that grades comics, magazines and other collectibles according to their condition and quality, then encases them in a protective hard plastic holder. CGC graded comics offer collectors security regarding authenticity and condition of preservation, which greatly facilitates trading and investing in valuable comics.