Nobody is buying slabs no more.
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- Filmed in my storage unit I show off random comics from my collection and I end on a key issue. For this video though I show off my slabs and discuss this niche in the market.
I can be reached on Instagram and Threads at HannibalKing2099.
Please let me know what you think.
#comics #cgcslab #cbcs #asm300 #incrediblehulk180 #tombofdracula #ff49 #popeye
I've got around 23,000 books in my collection, but I have only ever bought 4 slabbed books in my life. I wanted to buy them raw, but could only find them slabbed. I freed all four; now I own zero slabbed books. 😆
Same!
Which books specifically?
@@spider-jonah-man7148 X-Men 1, X-Men 3, Fantastic Four 1, Adventure Comics 247.
Same here. Only about 4 bricks.
Slabbed books are reduced to nothing more than the cover, and as my mumma always told me, "You should never judge a book by its cover"
Most people are not reading their key silver age and golden age books even if they do have them raw. I am not reading my AF15 or ASM1... I can read them online without damaging my copy
For most bronze and newer books it's different but people aren't reading high grade copies of Hilk 180 or 181 and some of the bigger bronze and copper books
For most of the slabs in this video, at the grade they're in, I'm with you.
Literally graded on the cover.
I've got thousands of raw books I've been collecting since I was 9 years old, but I still enjoy slabs. Everything I have encased, I also have raw or in a trade. Absolutely nothing wrong with collecting graded books. I love the idea of preservation and display. Some books just deserve it. I don't sell anything, so I don't buy for investment
No body is buying anything ATM. I can do a similar video on vintage Star Wars figures. It's not just slabs.
According to the title,... People are buying slabs
Thank you.
It's so good to hear another collector is a reader! I have 12,000 comics and about 20 slabs. I collect mainly golden age which I love to read! I hate slabs but will but them when they're at raw prices and then crack them open! I've realized a few of the slabs I cracked had less then 20 on the census and biy does it irk other collectors when they see me crack them on UA-cam and Facebook 😅😅
@@nighttigercomics7323 🤣👍
Slabbed books are an investment strategy to preserve the book long -term eg: golden age or silver age comics that could be brittle with weak spines etc.. raw books that sell are often books with with perceived value with the intent to ultimately be slabbed while the market waits for the prices of slabbed to come down. In the end all investment grade raw comics will be slabbed. If you want to read the comic, read it digitally or a reprint.
They say nobody is buying slapped comics anymore....
I like your logic for slabs, your just paying for a number (grade)
I recently upgraded a slab from a 5.0 to an 8.0 thinking I would be happier with the higher grade, but when I looked at the two slabs side by side I had this hollow feeling that I'd paid for a number. Not a fan of upgrading any more😊
Yes. The vanity publishing model.
@friendlyneighbourhoodlinguist especially for a 9.8 vs a 9.6 which look identical
@@JJ-qo3cz Yes, it's all about the number, not the book itself, at those grades. I remember someone on UA-cam suggesting 9.2, 9.4, 9.6, 9.8 and 9.9 should be abolished because the distinctions are meaningless. Instead there should be a 9.5 grade so that a book is either a 9.0, 9.5 or 10. I really like that idea.
No point in buying something you can't read. Same thing with those sneaker collectors.
Right, there's just no way that in 2024 you can't read a comic book online.
You collect a copy for reasons other reading. Nobody is buying ASM coz they're dying to see how the story turns out.
Love the Ravage 2099 collection! Have you heard of or own a Ravage 2099 #1 with a white border? It looks like a manufacturing error because some of the gold is on the cover but most isn't. I recently found one and am interested in it's value.
@@ericpnut420 I don't own one but would love to get it.
Raw is king
Raw feels better. I wrap 'em up for special occasions.
The rule is the same for video games, comics, coins, whatever.... if you're buying as a collector then buy raw; if buying as an investor buy slabbed.
I collect Tomb of Dracula and I do look for the slabbed copies of the keys. I am reading the series on Kindle. Don’t judge! I find the art work so much more vibrant on my iPad. 😂
I had the feeling that no one is buying slabs because we are all on a mad dash to pick up all the raw copies we can-so we can slab them and sell them for stupid prices.
I don’t think slabs are going to trend downwards for very long. I was talked out of investing in gold when it was at $450 dollars an ounce though, so. I could be wrong.
I’m not bitter--you’re bitter!
😂😂
If slabs are on the downturn, then i’m massively happy. Reducing comics to essentially, a picture of that comic, is plain wrong. Trading cards I can kind of see, nothing is lost. But I think its an insult to the creators who worked so hard on it to entomb it away forever.
Slabbing doesn’t increase the value of the comic.
I have about 20,000 comics. I don't own any slabs. I collect runs, mostly Marvel 616, and am putting them all in chronological reading order! I like reading the gigantic Marvel saga. I don't flip comics or try to make money selling them.
New sub here. Look forward to checking out future uploads. I have to say I can’t disagree with your points, although I am a big fan of getting my books graded by CGC. However since my last submission, X-Men #1 from 1963 featured on my channel I am very disappointed with CGC. Stay tuned my friend.
Hey Jerry! You've just pushed my subscriber number to 500! Thank you!
I dont have any slabs either and been collecting since 1987ish.
Slabbed books are awesome. Otherwise that old golden/silver age book gets pulled out of the polybag over the years causing more damage. Most of the stories are free to read online, no need to touch 60+ year old brittle paper unless you want to risk destroying history.
I am relatively new to physical comic collecting but I can't imagine I'll buy a lot of slabs in the future, primarily for similar reasons to your own. I want to read my comic books and I probably won't want to double buy a book. If I purchase a book once I would prefer to spend my money on something not already in my collection. I would, however, prefer slabbed in that low-grade scenario. I fear buying an expensive low-grade book and having it fall apart. I have seen some scenarios where those low-grade books almost present better in a slab. Like your Fantastic 4 #49, I would be afraid to handle that book, having it slabbed would give me peace of mind. That book is beautiful, by the way. It appears most of the damage is on the spine so the cover art is still very striking, nice find. I can't say how slabs move as a seller because I don't have experience in that but I have my suspicions. It seems, to me, like a portion of the problem comes from people slabbing random books that don't have demand. Seems like the big keys are still selling, but I could be wrong. I'd be interested to hear what others have to say about it.
All of the slabs I have I also have the raw book to go along with it, I grew up “reading” comics and that will never go away, however, I think my favorite cover issues look amazing in a slab so I’ll continue to pick up my favorite issues in a slab for display when I can
Just buy BCW Comic Book Frame with UV Protection then. It's cheaper and you're not deluding yourself. And at least you can take it out.
Your storage unit looks great. Mine, on the other hand, ....
I have graded books and on the old ones, I found it to be really expensive. I collect on a budget, so can't afford slabbed books. I find from talking to people, hardly anyone is interested in my slabbed books People romance about picking the comic up and smelling/reading it.
The negative response to my own books has led me to think about slabbing. I would now only slabbed books worth over $400, The vast majority of books should not be slabbed
Slabs still sell well. People who buy slabs are generally only looking for key issues and if modern they need to be basically 9.8. Most won’t bother with non key issues are anything lower than a 9.6 for modern books. That is when slabs don’t sell
That’s totally right, like anything when the market becomes saturated items don’t sell, the problem is when people buy things to flip fast, and expect to make a extra 100 dollars plus everytime they do this.
Yeah rare desirable modern slabs get a lot of views and watchers. It's kind of turned into the card market. Cool new rare stuff in gem mint condition is what people want.
read them online. chances are you will find a free version to read.
People aren't buying low grade slabs. There's not point in getting a reading copy slabbed.
It is the economy... just sit & hold!
As a general rule, I prefer raw books because I enjoy reading them and the feeling of experiencing a book in its original form, especially if it's an older book. Having said that, the more expensive and important the book is, the more inclined I am to want a slab to make sure it's real, there's no restoration etc. I've never tried to sell a slab but these things go in cycles - slabs will come back into vogue at some stage. Maybe now is a good time to buy slabs at good prices?
@@friendlyneighbourhoodlinguist if you can afford the cost and it's something you want I say go for it.
I like the books. It's the same genre, and age range, in my saferoom.
As a person who reads collected edition’s I’ve never understood the slab game other than collecting or trying to make money. Like you said I want to read the books not put them on display.
The slabs I bought were because the raw copies weren't much cheaper which didn't make sense to me
I think you should definitely slab older comics to protect from damage and degradation
@@teamstrike1st older comics for sure. Newer stuff, especially non-key issues; not so much.
I hav the asm 300 in the same grade !! How funny
I am a fan of slabs. Specifically I like books slabbed when they are rare and/or old which means they are hard to come by in a nice copy. In the last few years, sellers have been slabbing everything under the sun. In their defense, people were buying them. But that doesnt make sense to me. I have a few random modern 9.8s that I have because they were ridiculously cheap so it became a "why not?" scenario. And I love signatures of my favorite artists and companies like CGC and CBCS either witness that happen or verify it so I know its real. Thats just me. I do not sell them.
@@barrelagedcomics cheers.
IMHO it’s mostly just the economy, if you have the $s it’s a buyers market right now…time to get those keys you want raw or slabs.
The statement that is your video title is incorrect. Great topic, though. It is a very nuanced problem. First, nobody is pulling out raw copies of AF 15, ASM 1, or big blue chip keys and reading them. I'm tired of hearing the argument about slabbing blue chip keys being something that minimizes the book and it's 'true' purpose.
Now, over the last couple of years, the margin between raw FMVs and slabbed FMVs has shrunk. Why? One, slabbed prices were WAY skewed and bubbled during Covid. With the bottle neck at CGC, and money being blown recklessly. Slab prices were not organic whatsoever. Another problem is that pressing has become so wide spread, that people would rather buy raw, get a press and clean, and THEN slab for their personal collections, thinking that they can earn a higher ROI doing that rather than "trusting" the grade on a slabbed book at a slabbed price.
The idea that sellers can't move slabs really comes down to price point. It's not that people aren't buying slabs, people just are done OVER paying for them. Especially books that have no real business being slabbed (in terms of market value). Like your Ravage 2099. No offense, but nobody should be slabbing that book at anything lower than a 9.8 if they care about market value. This idea that there is a market for random dollar bin books being in plastic at ANY grade is something that will definitely die out. Because then, you're expecting people to pay for plastic.
There is still a huge market for slabs, especially for valuable keys, but the perception is shifting for many reasons. I do believe we are going through a state of evolution, which will force the slabbing market and industry to change, hopefully for the better.
Giving you a sub. Take care!
@@JernosComicsPopCulture you make great points there which I agree with. I think I failed to mention in the video that slabbing big key books is worthwhile, but slabbing $1-$30 valued books is not worth anyone's time, ultimately.
@@maartenbouw Great books over all though. I loved seeing the Austrailian slabs in real time.
Not a fan of slabbed books but i do have some (less than 10) of the ones i want in the collection. It would be great to have them in raw as well but maybe in a lower grade so im not splurging too much on them. Not great for the comic scene at the moment when the trend is going down but great for buyers especially if there are ones you are really after. Its hard to predict the market at the moment... Best to hold on ones people want to sell i guess and wait for another big hype.
nice video. I don't buy slabs anymore. Why do you have 40 copies of Savage 2099 ? just curious, never heard of that title
It’s a bit weird ♨️
On NCBD I only buy handful of new books paper trade books makes reading easier and I don’t have endless amounts of short boxes that hold comics that are bagged and boarded that will most likely hardly come back out.
I buy and sell slabs... And yes I'm able to move them, but the market for slabs is not very big here in Scandinavia so it's often return buyers when I sell...
I collect both raw and slabs, I prefer my bigger books slabbed... I try to buy collected editions for reading - so much more convenient IMO...
Did you send CGC books in directly or go through a facilitator? Do you think Halo slabs are credible when it comes to sale?
@@leonbeale5431 I've never sent to CGC. Halo is an Aussie company and I think they're pretty good.
Save the grails for me. 9.8 please
It’s hard to move slabs I think for two reasons. 1 Nobody wants your Ivar Timewalker 1.8. We collectors got stop slabbing everything we personally think is cool, while others don’t. 2. We just don’t have the funds rn to go after really big big books. The country is hurting RN financially, but it won’t always be like this.
Great news! Let that nonsense stop altogether.
Can someone confirm; are people still buying slapped graded comics or is that out of fashion?
They are still buying them but like all things in collectable markets, it's slowing down. If you follow things like Heritage Auctions, then the really big sales are all slabbed books. Most of us never swim in those waters, and I think it's the collectors on a budget that won't buy them and we're the majority.
You should re title this joke of a video. Nobody that is smart is buying raw books. Remember, there are plenty of raw books which are restored, trimmed, and touched up. I mean this is the reason why people trust a 3rd grading company in the first place. Good luck!
@@Rob-cf8pe wow. Thanks for commenting.
I think I have 8 slab books. I do not buy slabs anymore. I see no use in them.
same as sneaker reselling ,its dead
What..wait... What's going on here? Why y'all acting like this is normal?
I find it hard to believe you have that many copies and not a single one of them is higher than a 9.0
Why didn't you send the very best one in to be graded and slabbed rather than buying another one?
@@kalan4787 because I didn't want to.
@maartenbouw ok. I just don't get the mindset of buying a slabbed copy of a comic that you already have and are preserving. I get that this generation is looking at high value slabs as investments/a thing of their own, but the core point of having a "9.8+" of a comic is to prove that you were an impeccable steward of the condition of a book that was treated as a consumable by other people. If somebody else protected it and you just bought it, what did you really add to it? That's why I was curious why you didn't send your own best copy in. That's what the grades are for.
@@kalan4787 I buy this issue again and again, almost as a joke these days. I bought the slab to show my wife and have her roll her eyes at me. lol
You can't read slabbed comics.
So somebody's buying slabs then?
@@wg8561 yep, that good ol' double Dutch. lol
Youre missing the point.. you dont slab everytning. Only high value key issues.. youre most likely not going to read, and reread ASM 129, Marvel Spotligh #5 etc. Theres a reason why you slab books. This isnt new.. and its definately not going anywhere.
Some collectors, like myself.. only collect high value slabs. Why tf would i want a bunch of raw books when omnis and digital exists.. (when i choose to read)
Total nonsense about slabs, I've sold over 25 slabs in the past week and a half and that's in Singapore where the market is super cold and locals don't like to pay market prices
Please you dont who ever buy slap is to collect those comics no for reading is no logic in what you saing . The slap is for collectors
I'm still buying them. I've picked up 6 in the past few months. I've also sent 6 books into CGC last month.
Collect what you like and don't base your opinion on some numbnut on the internet.
@@raleighdentcompany am I the numb nut? Either way, 100% collect what you love.
@@maartenbouw I'm on the internet so I'm a Numb nut as well. 🤣
There no point wat hing this video. I stopped at 6min.
Thanks. 👍