CBCS has revamped its slabs and labels, but will it be enough to put the company ahead of CGC? Come along for the journey as I give the new CBCS a try.

A BAD FIRST IMPRESSION

The first slabs I ever received were from CBCS. I had attended the Huntsville, Alabama, Comic & Pop Culture Expo. Chris Claremont was signing autographs, and I had my comics witnessed by the good people of CBCS. From there, I did not have the greatest of experiences. It took a ridiculously long time and several email exchanges with customer support before my comics were delivered.

While I was waiting for CBCS, I submitted comics through CGC, and it was a much better experience overall. The turnaround time was quicker, and the slab and label looked professional. I had been looking to display my signed comics, and these were fit for viewing.

When my CBCS slabs arrived, the cases were looked like they were pieces of thin, flimsy plastic. After that, I decided to stop doing business with CBCS. From my perspective, I could pay basically the same price for witnessing and grading and get a faster turnaround and a higher quality case from CGC. The choice was clear, and I have not submitted another comic to CBCS in three years.

A FRESH START

In October 2017, Beckett Media announced the acquisition of CBCS, and the parent company promised to listen to fans to improve the grading experience. Apparently, Beckett was not kidding. They recently announced that CBCS' old, cloudy slabs were being upgraded. Not only that, but the company has touted a better turnaround time in its newsletters.

A better quality slab is very appealing to me. When I look at my graded comics, the CGC slabs look much better. Most comic dealers will testify that generally speaking, CGC-graded books bring a higher value than CBCS. Personally, I think much of that can be attributed to the quality of the slabs.

Supposedly, CBCS has created a case that can rival and possibly overshadow those from CGC. According to a recent newsletter, "Our new comic book holder is clearer than before with improved security. Our case is now sonically sealed on all sides, eliminating the need for clips to close our case."

Out of curiosity, I decided to give CBCS another go. I will report back with updates as the process moves along.

WHAT AM I SUBMITTING?

I have been waiting for an opportunity to have some of my early Silver Surfer and Spider-Man comics slabbed, so, on July 29, I sent Silver Surfer #1 and Venom #3 to CBCS. I opted for the fast track as well as clean and press for both comics. My total ended up being $145 for grading, pressing, fast track, and shipping. For that amount, I am expecting a professional-looking slab.

When I get these back, I will blog about it with pictures of the new slabs. In the meantime, post pics of the new and improved CBCS slabs in the comments section.

For the newbies out there who need more information on grading, check out my previous posts, "To Grade or Not to Grade?" and "The Label Cheat Sheet."

 

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