Mordenkainen wrote in CGC Grading Etc...:Apologies if this is covered elsewhere, but which CGC category does TSR/D&D content belong to?  Comics or magazines? Something else?

To answer your question, almost all D&D items are bigger than comic book size and are considered magazines. The original small rulebooks go in comic book holders. Comics and magazines are submitted under the same vertical, though you cannot submit them together.

I'm going to give you a breakdown and some news that is supposed to hit this week, but I sort of spoiled a couple of months ago with some questions I had on sealed items.

1. RPGs in general are all magazines, with the one exception already mentioned. Saying that, there may be other items in the future that may be sent in that may be put in as a comic, but that would probably be rare.
2. Since I'm the person entering all info in the database for RPGs, I'm trying to keep everything consistent on the label as in artist info, content info, and format. That being said, you may see some earlier submissions from 1+ years ago that the label has different (usually more or better) information on the item.
3. Only softcover items are slabbed. We will do DM screens, which is a heavier card stock, but no hardcover rulebooks will be graded.
4. As for grading, I can tell you that we look at the item as a whole. Something like rusty staples cannot be seen outside modules that the outer covers are not attached, but is factored in the grading. Also tears/writing/missing pieces on the interior pages are also a factor. Defect notes are available, so if you think something looks good from the outside, check the website to see what "hidden" defects may affect a lower grade.
5. Any provenance is not graded. There may be some exceptions in the future where we will slab inserts or other paperwork, but if so, these items will receive either a "no grade" or if they are authentic, the company is working on an "authentic" label. I'm unsure if this has been officially done or not with other items say for comic related pieces.
6. The only time a special note is put on a label about a collection is if it's usually from a well-known person related to the creation of the material or famous person/collector. That is a management final decision though. So some random person working for TSR probably would not be noted, but if there were a hundred items from the personal collection of Gary Gygax, that probably would be noted on the label.
7. People send in low grade items across all verticals. Sometimes the graders will question why so-and-so submitted a low grade Spawn #1 that is probably worth $2. We can only assume they have no knowledge or they have some personal attachment to said item. Maybe it was dad's 1st comic, or it was their own personal copy from when they were 5 years old. We expect D&D submissions to be the same.
8. I broke the news about the sealed items a couple of months ago when I had specific questions about particular items. Myself and others were instructed by our CGC video game/VHS/DVD department on how to grade shrink-wrapped items. The news will officially be released supposedly this coming week that we are grading shrink-wrapped RPG items. Like video games, there will be a seal grade for the shrink-wrap itself based on the condition in place of the page quality. It will also receive a numerical grade based on the condition of what we see of the cover. Typical flaws will be spine creases and corner wear, but may include some staining if water or other liquid seeped through gaps in the shrink-wrap.
9. IMPORTANT: My suggestion is if you submit any shrink-wrapped items, do so in its own invoice. All departments of the process from those opening packages to those doing the final encapsulation have been instructed to be careful with these items and not to open any. Just to be safe, you may want to include a post it (maybe on each item) stating "shrink-wrapped, do not open".
10. ALSO IMPORTANT: only shrink-wrapped items will be graded sealed. I know there are some pieces and magazines that were poly-bagged, most of the time with extras like trading cards and such. Poly-bags are and have always been opened and extra contents have been returned to the customer.

11. So wait for the offical release on sending any shrink-wrapped items. I'm unsure if there will be choices on the submission form for clicking that an item is sealed. Also, if your specific printing of a module is unavailable or you cannot find it, please choose the closest thing to what you own. To give you an idea of how to look up said items, regular D&D items will have a format that says "Dungeons & Dragons" to start the title "Dungeons & Dragons: Module" is a bit more specific. If the module has a letter/number like B1, B2, X1, etc, that would be the issue number. If it doesn't have an assigned number, we use "nn" and the title itself will be more specific. I'm trying to keep formats consistent. "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" is used for the title with "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Module" if it has letter/number. Again with no number "nn" we will try and write out the name of the module. I also tried keeping a format for specific lines like "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Module Dragonlance", "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Module Greyhawk" etc. We only have so many characters to use in the title, so we may abbreviate to "Advanced D&D: Module" or if "nn", and the title of the module is too long, we try and use the keywords of the title, especially for maybe some of the Ravenloft series. If the name of the module is not fully written in the label title, it will be written on the label where artists and keynotes will be.

If you have any specific questions, contact the customer service and if they can't answer it directly, it will usually be passed off to someone (most likely graders) who can answer. For D&D, that should be me. If you want, just PM me here and I'll try to help. I may have a few questions of my own as more and more D&D and RPG items are submitted. Though I played during the 1980s, I never got into anything past 2nd edition. Thanks and I hope this info helps.

Phil

stratochamp wrote in CGC Grading Etc...:
There of course have been collectors who have been picky about the condition of their items for a long time. To be blunt (with two exceptions) those are the people with the biggest and best collections of these items because we have been worried about condition (usually long before we had the means to "overpay" for items).

I could have mentioned there are exceptions.

Watching comic book content on YT is wild though. Counting spine ticks and looking for factory nicks at the top of the spine I cant see without moving it closer to my eye? Chutzpah!

And yes I would still like a 9.8 B2 first print because of the number on the sticker even though I dont have the ability to tell the difference down to like a 9.2 or 9.0  

It's official! Here is the press release. We'll be doing a video in a couple of weeks talking about sealed RPG.

https://www.cgccomics.com/news/article/ ... yer-guide/

Phil

wow? So, this is nut-nut for today. I dont think it will be nut-nut a few years from now. Q1's purple rubs off on backerboards.


** expired/removed eBay auction **

Without things getting slabbed there would have been prices spreading wider based on condition over time as the people collecting these items get more sophisticated about condition. Slabbing will probably speed this process up. But for now there will be people with more money than sense that don't want to wait to find an EX or better copy, or people who will never trust a grade unless they see the item in person or it has been slabbed. So Disco Dadda and his ilk will need to make hay now while they can take advantage of these people.

Sir Kill Alot wrote in CGC Grading Etc...:Without the case, this module/condition would typically sell for $33.   So the extra $808.50 is what exactly?

-SKA

Maybe it means folks will realize these things should be properly shipped because condition matters?

Ive bought really nice modules for $30-$50 that show up in manila envelops without cardboard. I have bought $8 comics that come bagged, boarded and in a box specifically designed for comics. I dont think I have ever bought a comic that didn't come in that exact box, or similar.

Yea, thats never going to happen... sorry, wishful thinking.  

Let me answer you question with a question. What if that $850 is considered a "great pick!" up in three years? I am assuming that's what the buyer in thinking. This one went for $60 and would grade a 4.0-5.0 at best. imho, the best quality available at the moment is a $78 6.0 to 7.0. I just dont think there are many 8.5s out there.


** expired/removed eBay auction **


Prices scale quickly in comics. New collectors may have this mindset.

It’s like running towards a bubble that’s sure to burst.  I guess there’s money to be made if you buy-in and get out before that happens.  Personally, I don’t collect with an eye on financial gain (quite the opposite, actually).

Sir Kill Alot wrote in CGC Grading Etc...:
I really think you may be under estimating the quality of the collections that people who haunt this site have.   If an 8.5, 4th print, Q1 consistently pulls in $850 in 3 years, I think there will be some seriously wealthy individuals here.  I really hope you are right and this game we all love becomes collecting gold.  I just need to see more consistency before I jump on the bandwagon and start plunking down that kind of money.



Or they may be getting fleeced....only time will tell.

-SKA

If anything, most collectors (myself included, before I started slabbing) tend to overgrade their items. The slightest ding, stress mark or smudge will take most items firmly out of the NM (9.2 and higher) category. It is way more common for a collector to assume all his stuff is "NM" than for the items to actually be the highest collector grade quality.

Mike B.

Tszii wrote in CGC Grading Etc...:
Let me answer you question with a question. What if that $850 is considered a "great pick!" up in three years? I am assuming that's what the buyer in thinking. This one went for $60 and would grade a 4.0-5.0 at best. imho, the best quality available at the moment is a $78 6.0 to 7.0. I just dont think there are many 8.5s out there.



Prices scale quickly in comics. New collectors may have this mindset.

Same song different dance all through the hobby. I remember when $150 was too much for a white box, $300 was too much for a Dragon #1, and $1000 was too much for an Orange B3. Hell I remember $3000 being too much for a really nice Brown Box. If anything is different its that collectors (even casual ones) are becoming much more aware of condition as it applies to value of an item (Comics went through the same evolution many years ago).


Mike B.