I love getting old books out and looking at all the old advertisements…. And then burying my head into the pages and inhaling deeply. Nothing better than the smell of mildewing newsprint. Other kids were sniffing glue or paint… I was doing hardcore comic newsprint…

Slabs are ruining the hobby in my opinion!

The old presser scene is hilarious 😂😂

I try to have reader copies of my graded books just so I can read them, look through them, etc. I have a few books off to the side right now ready to be sent out for grading, but I'm not in a hurry, mostly because I don't have any reader copies available and I still like paging through them. Also, no shame in 9.6 grades - those are still NM books, you just don't get the premium on the sale side. Sucks for the seller, great for the buyer

That's the main reason I don't want to get into slabbed books. A good mylar and acid free backing board is a good alternative

You have to be careful on what you decide to grade, especially with modern books. Unless they're a tried-and-true key such as Batman Adventures 12 or Ultimate Fallout 4, most modern books aren't worth it in my opinion. Tried-and-true keys such as Silver-Age Amazing Spider-man and X-Men that have been around for decades are much safer bets because of their longevity. Anyway, good video and thanks for sharing.

My only regret about getting my books graded was not knowing/understanding the value of cleaning and pressing books before getting them graded. I have wasted countless amounts of money with CGC getting my books graded, only to have to crack them out years later to be pressed and cleaned and resubmitted for regrading. Lots of dollars down the drain. Lots of money can be spent needlessly on this hobby, and if you have been in the hobby long enough, there is always some story of regret to tell.

I might be wrong but I’ve found buying the book you want already graded on eBay at the dip is the best way of obtaining those keys at a price you’ll be more than happy with.

I’m starting to grade to make it easier on family when I’m not around

I feel that for someone that also collects and reads collected editions, then just having some key books and having them graded works well. We don't need to collect runs to read or feel them when we have shelves of omnibus. Just get the really important issues that resonate with you personally in terms of what you like and then the virtues of keeping those graded shines through more.

My first submission was a rookie disaster. I didn't press or clean anything and hadn't done a pre-screen for condition on books that were only worthwhile in 9.8. But I definitely learned on the second go-round. That first submission was a LOT of books, though. I was able to sell them all before the collapse of 2022, so I didn't really lose money, but some were pretty much a wash.

There’s still plenty of mystery left after CGC slabs our books. Mysteries like: Why do grading criteria change so much over time? Why did this slabbed Avengers #3 pop open two days after it - finally - arrived? How did my TMNT #1 9.4 come back a 9.2 with a 1/4” chip on the cover? Why do we subject ourselves to this opaque mastermind with the power to crush our hopes and dreams in an instant? ps Your display wall is awesome to gawk at.

🤣🤣 This had me cracking up man!!! You are BIG PRESSIN'!! Sticky's been pressin the press since the press been pressin!!!! 🤣🤣 "The key to any pressing job is to get completely within the press. Rookies don't know about it. Rookies don't do it." -Sticky Goose 🤣🤣

Love the vulnerability! ❤ Oh, I’ve made mistakes. Those clips of the DIY pressing tutorial 😂

I’m going to a comic show and I’m wondering how the slabbing works with signatures on comics and if it’s worth the investment

Great video, love the topic and introspection and your taught on your slabing journey.

I love how slabs will keep those books safe for decades but I enjoy reading my books way too much to start slabbing anything. I own maybe 4 CGC slabs

I appreciate that this isn’t a standard “don’t slab your books video.” There’s nuance in it. I agree about the bummer of going through your run in a box, and then the big books are missing because they’re in a slab. This is where facsimile copies come in IMO. I buy those as placeholders sometimes. I also let my CGC subscription lapse, multiple times. I recently re-subscribed about 2 weeks ago. I’m taking a different approach now. If I am sending something in, it’s only going in as a prescreen of whatever grade I think it can get. If it fails, I am out $9. I’m submitting books once again because I really, really enjoy pressing and cleaning, and so as a result I want some legitimate feedback on the quality of my work. My first submission was 6 books on a 9.8 prescreen last week. If I get less than 4 back in plastic, I’m gonna feel bad about my high score, but my wallet isn’t going to hurt (not my soul) in getting back my book in a 9.6. My next submission is going to be 5 early X-Men books (before issue 50), that I’ve done some more in-depth cleaning methods on. I plan to prescreen at a 5.0 on those. I was very anti-slab for a long time, and there’s a record of that on some Internet forums. I still think it’s somewhat weird that we all collectively have decided that some dudes in Sarasota are the authority on comic grades; but at the same time… who else is better qualified?

Some of the graded comics I have I also have raw. My collection is around 30,000 comics so I get the feel and smell of old comics. The thing I love about having a slabbed comic is the fact it is graded. There have been so many times a dealer or private seller has told me something is gem mint and it is just straight up garbage. Slabbing keeps people honest.

Interesting point. Makes me want to use EGS grading more, if i'm just looking to persevere my grails.

The only reason to slab a book is to plan to part with it. There are other ways to preserve and protect.

I had a bunch of Marvel and DCs key issues slabbed earlier this year, and the only reason I did it was to make it easier for my daughter to sell them when the time comes. I ain't gettin' any younger!

Also, same. The most I've ever spent on a book is a 4.0 Fantastic Four 5 that was already slabbed. I realized after dropping that cash that I'll never even be able to flip it open and read it myself (I'm the weirdo that likes the smell of 'old books' as well), as happy as I was to have it. Got no problem sending in the newer books though. Especially the variant covers that could sell well. They're usually not that hard to get ahold of again.

bruh, its ok pal. In the beginning of my CGC journey, I graded some that I regretted naturally, but with time I learned what books justified grading and what didn't.

I just got comic capsules and they are a game changer for me. They look and display great and i can take my books out when i want or change out what i want to display.

From a collectors point of view I never regret any book I send to CGC. I consider the long preservation of my books as reward in itself. But if you are a Flipper with short time horizon I can understand the disappointments and regrets cgc slabbing might bring.

I had this copy of Amazing Spider-Man 300 for many years and it was such a nice copy but had a small stain. I assumed it was a nice grade, no ticks or bends, clean. I send in and because of the stain it came back a 6.0.... it completely ruined how I felt about that book and as such traded it off. Grading that comic completely ruined how I felt about it.

Done with CGC. Almost 1000 books graded. Around 300 sent back for mechanical errors, some more than once. Careless quality control. I feel bad for their customer service crew. Thinking about a class action suit regarding warped inner cases, which not only cause Newton rings, but even warped some of the books.

I feel you where you have some books that are graded in a run and others that are not, but higher value books being graded in a run will help you later as far as investment purposes. I don't grade a lot of my books, but some are worth it for investment and keeping them in nice condition so they just don't deteriorate further. It's up to each collector, so moving forward, maybe just buy graded books or be very particular on what you send in. BTW - let's see more videos of the OP (Original Presser)! That part was great!!! Keep up the great work, buddy!!

But for the young avengers, you didn't have a 9.8. You thought it was, but it wasn't. Right?

I for one do not grade my books. I have been collecting comics since the 1990s. I have some great 90s keys in my collection that are in excellent condition. I also have moved around the US multiple times with my comic books. The main way to protecting your collectibles is to simply care about them. Keep them properly stored. Bagged and boarded in comic book boxes. I understand the desire to have them up on a display so you can see them. There are many different ways to do this that also allow you the freedom to still open, feel, and read the comics. I like products from Crafti Comics and Comic Capsules. You should try them out.

Thanks for sharing. I just started collecting again after 30 years and you gave me something to think about. I think Id agree with you if I did start grading.

I'm working on a semi-run of TTA for covers I like. I also feel like I'm missing something when some of the books I buy for the run are in a slab. I won't be able to read them when i finish the run I'm looking for. The thing I'm seeing though, some of the raw books I need are often in worse shape and more expensive than the slabbed book I can buy in a middle grade. So, I still have the books but also the gaps in the reading of the title.

You don't know how long I went back and forth on getting my Claremont/ Bryne X-men run graded. I'm talking YEARS. I finally decided that I'm keeping them until I die, so it would make it easier for my family to make decisions with. They're on their way to CGC right now, and I can't wait to get them back.

Not sure on old comics but I believe some would be uploaded to read online if it helps

Great video!!! I do not buy or slab my Comics personally, but I have considered getting a few order. Comics graded just to preserve them for the rest of time. Keep up the great work. 😎

That pressing books accent was crazy you’re a good actor 😂😂😂

I’m a big sports card card and have been since I was 7 in 1980 ..I never really read comics but I always loved the artwork.so much so that I had a Batman comic cover from the 80’s tattooed on my leg.i buy comics, because I think the artwork is beautiful having them graded. Not even so much the grade just being able to hang them on the wall in a perfect frame to enjoy the cover art is good for something like me it’s not just comic books I don’t like reading at all I’d rather listen to it, or watch it.

And this is why I hate slabs and refuse to submit to CGC

With those mid grades i would be regreting it too. People stop sending in your mid grade books. Cause there very common

I just got into the Comic Book hobby less than a month ago. I had heard about the HoX/PoX run for the past few years and finally pulled the trigger and bought essentially bought the entire run in a mix of Hardcover and TPBs. Over the past week, I started looking into the slabbed side of the hobby and just educating myself. I pulled the trigger on a few raw key issues and some modern variants I liked. After educating myself a little more, I wish I had avoided buying them raw and just gone for slabbed covers. For modern stuff, I'll be bummed if I ever send in anything that doesn't come back as a 9.8 as getting a 9.6 just means that it will cost more to get a copy of a 9.8 (whether by sending another raw copy or just getting a 9.8 at that point). As for older comics, there's only 1 key issue I would consider sending it and I will likely do so at this point. Granted, while I am new to the hobby, now with a few raw copies, I feel I will just send them in anyways as I'll likely never want to manipulate/read/open the raw comics I've acquired as I would be risking the condition of that comic should I ever decide to send it in. There's plenty of collected editions that can get me the story out there. Going forward, getting already graded comics is the way I'll be going.

There are a couple that came back with green and purple labels for missing pages or glue spots I didn't know about. If I knew, I would not have sent them. I just see it was a waste of grading fees. Now I do have some modern I want slabbed with CBCS because their slabs are tights and the comic does not move.

I think when your main concern is whether a comic is a 9.8 or a 9.4 you've already lost the enjoyment of comics and collecting. I think it's a status thing amongst collectors, it's kind of sad. Most of my favorite books of all time are worth nothing but they are priceless to me because it's my collection and I think that's what should be important. Having said that they do look great on display.

Did the same thing, sent in about 20 moderns, got back 2 9.8s and mostly 9.6 on the rest. Definitely sticking with older books ive collected over the years, but im always checking Covrprice to see if theyre worth the $ to slab.

First off you have a great collection, slabbed or raw. But it seems its nothing but madness and drama with slabbed books. I still read a lot of books and just the nostalgia alone gets me every time. Ill never slab my books, raw collector for life.

Bro.... you're comic pressing video is hilarious!! 😂

One dqy im gonna hqve every comic book ever published

For 9.99 a month marvel has an app. Where u can read any issue u want going back to the beginning of marvel!

I regret falling into the Image #1’s hype. Bought and slabbed numerous first copies speculating on which one would be the next Walking Dead #1.

I’ve never collected comics/books until the last 3 months. I always use to have them as a kid over here in the UK 70s etc but just read and gave them away. It was only when my daughter did her English literature degree that I got back into comics/graphic novels etc as she chose many of these for her studies. We both went together to a very small comic sale where I picked up stuff from my child hood such as doctor who and Gerry Anderson she though went for the marvel. Well now I have nearly a thousand Marvel/Dc comics plus 450 Dr Who and 200 Star Wars. I’ve learnt so much watching your channel as well as others so I understood this grading system and variant covers etc (I am a quick learner and have a photographic memory) and I’ve started to get back into what I actually graduated in engineering and graphic design (I could design cars etc) and started doing some drawings and helped my daughter with her last project at university where she wrote the story and between us we developed a comic me doing doing the drawings. Grading is again as you say an individual preference I;m not sure whether I could stomach, apart from the cost, the possible realisation or disappointment of something coming back which was no-where near where I though it should be. I must admit I think this is an American thing regarding grading I have some absolute immaculate 1970s Dr Who stuff which I couldn;t stomach if came back so low. So I’m with you I won’t be going down that avenue and also what makes the guys that do the grading so special? I can see a crease, a tick, a rusty staple, a fold or crease etc and then using data from other sources can identify where and when the item was produced. It’s although they’ve been made gods overnight I reckon most of the serious collectors have more knowledge than some of them at CGC

Great video. Thanks,….but……the pressing section scared me, major nightmares on the way

I bought a raw copy of X-Men # 14 which the comic dealer said it was around 4.5 and I had it signed Stan Lee at Mega Con and I submitted it at cgc booth at the con and around a year later it came back as a 6.5 off white pages.

One thing that stuck out in the content was that you mentioned 9.8 as 'perfect' at least a few times. 9.8 is by definition not perfect - it is however the most common grade possible for brand new books if not mistreated. To me, the price difference between 9.8 and 9.6 is just a tax on the misconception that a 9.8 is preferable in some way, when the reality is out of the case it would be a coin toss in a lot of cases. I don't need a 3rd party, through grading, to affirm I should be happy with a copy I have chosen to hold in my collection.

If you don't like the grade but you love the book and want to read it? Crack it and don't look back! I've got a few of those in my sub-collection called: F that Grade

I’m about to start my grading journey. Have about 15 000 books and about 10 graded. Good video.

My ex wife got my raw comics graded out of spite. Bent them and then mailed them in.

Love hearing your perspective thanks man. 🪿

All the books I’ve had slabbed some regardless of value I don’t regret as those were books I liked be it due to sentimental value or purely for the cover art. But I deff get having a few regrets if going for value absolutely.

I don't get CGC slabs. I love my comics and it feels like I would be paying someone a lot of money to takeaway my ability to flip through the pages I don't understand slabbing gameboy games either. Pokemon cards make the most sense to me Comics brings joy to reading and art. I have a lot of ultimate spider-man direct market issues and I enjoy reading those from time to time

holy cow. You must have had a lot of charisma in a past life. Those flashbacks were painful

I actually bought my first slab book because I thought it was cheap. Daredevil issue 270 first appearance of Black Heart CGC 9.0. I was able to get it for $40+$12 shipping. Most of my comic books are raw and with the Marvel Unlimited subscription I just read digital versions of the books however there is a limitation and sometimes a book is not available to read on the website due to copyrights so in that case owning a raw and reading them is more ideal. It was really annoying to learn that Marvel lost the rights of Connan the Barbarian so the entire Savage Avengers series are not available to read so I have to start collecting the runs. Fortunately most of them were in the $1 bins in my local comic shop but I am still missing a few issues and have luckily paid for cover prices for some of them when online sellers are asking for a premium due to it being a key issue.

you understand the books and the process but I you can benefit from focusing on your goal prior to submission. Are you focused on profit? Focused on collecting and never selling? Having that 9.8 copy everyone wants? Overall if you have multiple goals and want to adapt after the grading then you should always own at least two raw copies prior to submission if you want your book graded. If you are focused on getting a specific grade and there is even 10% chance in your mind it won’t come back they way you want… then focus on just buying a copy that already has the grade you want. Separate your collecting and investing goals along with separating your goal outcome to make a more risk managed decision. It can be easy to chase your tail and blow money but it comes down to executing your goal with minimal risk.

Bro don’t trip on never being able to look at them again, they are on that beautiful wall. And you can read every single book in a TPB or Omnibus form

Good video. I suggest work on the being anxious part as like you mentioned, walk thru tier was very unnecessary from some of those submissions. I appreciate you view books like your children, but they should be "fine" if you raise them right going to college on their own. :P If it bothers you having a raw run (Tomb of Dracula) with the two most valuable books graded (1 & 10), I'd buy secondary copies to scratch that itch. I keep buying multiples of some books because I just really like them.

I feel ya. I only grade for two reasons: key issues I plan to sell, and preservation of rare books. I've switched from CGC to EGS., and I have to say they've done a great job. I know collectors are reluctant to switch grading companies due to valuation on the secondary market. But change has to start somewhere. Like you've stated, "we placed CGC and CBCS into the position of power". Know your options and take back your power.

Yeah, because the majority of collectors only have one copy and happen to enjoy re-reading, plus viewing them... that's why slabs Suck.

If you're planning on selling getting some selective books graded is probably a good idea for trust and liquidity, also you can handle them without worry. I only buy graded now, though I have some raw ones when I was a kid I'll probably get graded.

Getting a 9.6 instead of a 9.8........The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

I slab books that I care about. Not caring about the value of it. But the personal care for the book. If I get a 3.0 or a 10. Doesn’t matter for me because I plan on keeping them for life and just love that book.

I'm about to get my autograph Isom #1 graded. Any tips on making sure it's a 9.8?

I understand the appeal of having your valuable keys graded. I have pondered it many times but never followed through. I like skimming through them. Sometimes I'll get a wild hair up my ass and want to read every superman title from 91 to 2002 (The triangle numbering years) or read the full 90's X-Men run. I think the best thing to do is buy 2 of every issue and only when an issue gets valuable get one of them slabbed.

the OP knows what's up

Are collectors aware that grading companies grade the entire book not just the cover?

Did you have them pressed? Even being brand new, a slight press could better chance 9.8 one thing I learned is when you think it's a 9.8 it's most likely not. 9.8 is almost a lottery win. Could be just a printing flaw on the book you really can't avoid or fix.

To be fair, not selling them.is also throwing money away

Awesome content! Thanks for sharing your feedback.

I have my main run bagged and boarded, then I purchase the key issues cgc 9.8......so raw copies and cgc keys, best of both worlds.

I get the books I love graded. Hope for the best , but don’t care…. They display better! Reading them? I got the Omni’s😊

The 10pt grading system is one of the worst things for the hobby imo.

Great Video - You're not alone! I graded a lot of low-grade stuff that I regret. We have to see them staring at us to realize the problem - lol. Looking at the census, thousands of people have graded 2.0 to 5.0 non-key silver, bronze, copper and modern... Like you, most people now know that slabbing low grade is a waste of $ and a net negative - the CGC fees, shipping to and from, it can easily outweigh the value of the book. A $20 book can cost $25 to slab, and the slabbed book is only worth, in an LCS (drumroll) - $20 retail, and LCS will only offer $3. A mid grade slab, non-grail book is actually worth LESS than the same book raw, because of the space they take up, LCS's don't want them, and their weight (they weigh a pound a piece) so the cost to ship to a buyer can be $15 a piece, which is too much to justify for a $20 comic, so people won't buy them through the mail. Bry's comics just had a great video... where a collector had 200+ mid-grade slabs that were worth basically nothing. Also, if something is a 5.0 or less, you can carefully read it, and not diminish its condition - but not if it's in a slab.

Sometimes I just slab something with a special cover to preserve and display the amazing artwork. I know where you're coming from and know of people who have bought silver and golden age slabs and broken them out to get them raw again ?

If a book is not 9.8. Candidate , don’t bother unless a truly significant book or grail

So what? Just SELL your slab - and get/buy a non-slab version? Big deal. I don't understand.

All of the books in my collection are raw, though I've been tempted many times to either submit books for grading or simply buying a graded book. I do enjoy the smell and feel of handling a raw book. In my mind, the only books I could stand to get submitted for grading are books that are keys/books that are so old and fragile that preservation is the goal.

if you love comics, you don't slab them. if you love or need money more, its a different story

Good for you!!! I’m all about the raw anyway!

9.6 is the death stamp for modern books unfortunately

I love to huy 9.6's because they look the same as a 9.8, can't tell the difference between the two.

I have over 1,000 silver and golden age books . I’ve been reading and collecting these things since the 60s . I’ve yet to slab one and I never will (I have an Exciting Comics #39,Flash #123, Silver Surfer # 4,etc. ). C G C will never touch any of my books !

Back in the day 9.6 used too be the grade to have.. considered mint..until 9.8 crept in. Cgc did this to gain in popularity against their rivals. 9.8 is now considered top tier. Personally I'm for raw, the few slabs I have are for cover art alone. Is the presser voice used in the (ahem) bedroom at the goose household...?

If I was to invest in a slab then it has to have something with longevity such as golden or silver age. But I always get a reader copy of it to enjoy.

I buy graded vintage books now and then when I can get them relatively cheap and crack those babies open. Free, Free at Last! Often, these are not books in the 9.4 or above class, but instead books that are around 8.0 and never had any business being graded in the first place. For me, if the graded book has a value of $100 or less, it's a candidate for unslabbing. Of course, I slip the label in the back of the mylar and board for future reference if I ever want to sell the book. One other thing of note is slabs take up a lot of room and personally I prefer the look of unslabbed books in a new mylar when displaying. I find the slab case and label a bit distracting from what should be the star of the show (the cover.)

had to watch to see if you were going to trick me again with video title >.>

Sticky Juice. Always entertaining. No regerts.

This seems like a type of buyer's remorse after slabbing a book. New book have no history, no time to find their level in the history of comics. Their value is highly speculative and that's the bigger issue (pun intended). If you want to speculate on new books buy more than a single copy. Silver age books have found their value over the years. There are less of them in high grades as kids in the 1960's actually read them many times over, folded them, stuck then in their hip pocket. Back then Mother's all over America would throw out dog eared comics because...who knew? I didn't slab anything until 2021. Personally I have only 44 CGC slabs with raw duplicates and thousands more that are raw. My only minor regret is my Thor #163. It's a double cover and I should have had a C&P done before submitting. The resultant grade was a 9.0 with the outer cover getting a 7.5 and I believe that could have been higher with a C&P. Yes, I do want to preserve great older books but I also want to read them. Bottom line, to each their own. Enjoy the hobby and you'll never lose the fascination of the genre. Remember, it IS truly American folk art telling stories through sequential drawings. Best to all.

Speculators ruined collecting for true comic fans...!

I use top loaders, I have no interest in grading, because I'm not into the hobby for price value🤷‍♂️

Only grade the top tier amazing books. Period. All else is ridiculous. Kinda like how Marvel makes a million variants of every single floppy that comes out. Only key issues with first appearances or big events should have variants. Same with slabbing. …..dude that pressing section was unbearable

I feel your pain man!!!

Slabs are for poor folk, I crack those slabs open and read them. Trade paperbacks suck.