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I finally figured out why new collectors keep overpaying for graded books
I hang out at a shop in Portland called Excalibur Comics and I noticed something weird. New collectors walk in and grab the first CGC 9.8 copy of a key issue they see without checking the census numbers. I did the same thing two years ago with Amazing Spider-Man 300 and paid $400 over market because I didn't look up how many 9.8s existed. Turns out that book has over 3,000 copies graded at that level so the price should be way lower than what I paid. Now I always check the census before buying any slabbed book because if a book has a ton of high grades it is not as scarce as people think. Has anyone else caught themselves overspending on a common high grade slab?
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ivan7746d agoMost Upvoted
That's exactly what happened to me with New Mutants 98 a couple years back. I saw a 9.8 slab for $350 and thought I was getting a deal, but after buying it I checked the census and there's over 4,000 copies at 9.8. The whole thing sits in my box at home and I check eBay every few months and the prices keep dropping. I also grabbed a Secret Wars 8 in 9.8 for $100 cause I thought "first black suit Spider-Man has to be worth something" and now I see those go for like $60 in 9.8 all day. You ever get stuck with a slab you overpaid for and just stare at it wondering how much you really lost?
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pat_moore6d ago
Got burned on a Batman Adventures 12 in 9.8 a few years ago. Paid $200 thinking I was getting in on the Harley Quinn hype early before the movie came out. Then the movie hit and the price actually went down instead of up because everyone and their mom was cracking open old newsstand boxes and sending them in. Now the 9.8 is worth around $80 and I just keep it in a drawer where I don't have to look at it too often. Every couple months I check the sold listings and groan a little.
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gray_morgan3d ago
Are you really losing money if you bought it to read and enjoy, or did you buy it hoping to flip it? Sounds like you fell for the hype just like everyone else.
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