With today's modern technology it is easier than ever to spot a quality graded comic. If you are new to collecting you will definitely find some key points in this article. If you are a seasoned collector perhaps I can share some insight and give you a new perspective when you go after that next blue label. CGC and GoCollect give collectors a huge database with the number of comics graded, how many of each grade, current sales trends, sales data, and most importantly how it was sold - Buy It Now or at auction. As a subscriber of GoCollect's system, I can analyze recent sales of every grade. However, data systems are just that...data. Analyzing the sales data is the key to profitability. Let me show you how I evaluate the grade.

Analyzing the Grade

Now we all know the basics of how to analyze a comic's condition by looking at several factors. Spine, corners, centering, wrap, gloss/color, cover appearance, staple placement, page color (Off White/ OW/W, White), and page count. CGC does make exceptions for certain defects in books that allow for higher grades. But how does this affect the overall price and value? As we all know a 9.8 Newsstand white pages is certainly more valuable than a 9.8 direct edition with off white pages. Are there other factors that should be looked at? Absolutely.

Not All Grades Created Equal

Our first example of how to spot a quality graded comic will be with Sub Mariner #1.  Taking a deep dive into the numbers at GoCollect we find that there are 66 CGC 9.8's on the market. GoCollect shows the value of $8,000. If you look at recent sales data a slightly different picture emerges. On 5/24/20 a 9.8 white pages sold for $6,000 (Best Offer, was $6,600). On 7/12/20 a stunning Western Penn Pedigree 9.8 white pages sold for $9,900 despite the under wrap. Due to this significant increase in sales price the sales data reflected huge growth and value increases. Less than a month later on 8/10/20 a regular 9.8 blue label white pages sold for $8,000 best offer (Was $8,300). Most recently on 8/25/20 a 9.8 white pages sold at auction for $8,405. Why is this significant? Due to the hyperinflated value do to the pedigree sale it jumped the next two sales up considerably. With the two most recent sales the price reflects a 9.8 is down 5.2% when in actuality it is up 25% over last year's sales.

Example 2 - Iron Man #1

Our next example of how to spot a quality graded comic is Iron Man #1. Now recent data shows 32 CGC 9.8's and 87 CGC 9.6's. For this example, we are taking a deep dive into the 9.6's with a stated value of $4,900 currently. Looking at the recent 9.6 sales on 3/30/20 a 9.6 white pages sold for $4,375 at auction. On 7/12/20 a 9.8 off white to white pages sold for $5,760 at auction (presented well). On the very next day 7/13/20 a 9.6 off white to white pages sold for $5,040. However, this copy had a slight under wrap as well as staples 1/4" into the cover. Certainly not the same quality of comic even though they were graded the same. In other words, buy the comic and not the grade.

Subscription Data Matters

Now if you were not a subscriber you would simply see that the data reflects 9.6's down 18.4% with an average value of $5,250. That is not the real picture, however. The fact that a presentable 9.6 copy with off white to white pages sold for $5,760 at auction suggests a white pages may hit $6,000. But due to that inferior 9.6 sale, the data is trending down. The ability to see both the sales data along with a picture of the actual book sold will help you determine if the price point reflects the actual value of the grade you are looking to buy.

Buy It Now vs. Auctions

One last note on comparing sales data is to always look at auction prices. Far too many individuals get caught up in looking at eBay Sales data to find out how to price their comics. No two comics are exactly the same. Find comparable examples that have sold at auction on GoCollect to find your value. Buy It Now prices simply reflect what an individual is willing to pay. It may be there favorite character and price does not matter. It may be a comic they had as a kid, or it might be a relative with no comic knowledge looking for a title as a gift. Do not base what you pay on Buy It Now Prices. It will cost you big. If you are on the selling, that is when you want to use the Buy It Now feature.