Badmike wrote in CGC Grading Etc...:
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.

I agree Mike.  I was just commenting on 8.5 currently being the highest rated Q1 ( I think that is what the auction said).  I think a lot of high quality, older items are in the hands of people who are not currently selling.  Sure there are great items dropping once in a while  on eBay or FB sites but the old timers I believe are still holding steady. (I'm really just spit balling with that last statement with no empirical data backing it up)

On the notion of pricing, until we see actual auctions with bidding, there is currently no real value banding.   BIN pricing is not a true indicator of an item's valuation.

-SKA

Badmike wrote in CGC Grading Etc...:
Why would the bubble burst? It hasn't for comics, and we are going on 24 years of slabbing. If anything, it's got more expected and necessary to sell a key issue in that hobby. I think in five years many newer collectors won't think twice about buying slabbed RPGs, and many won't buy the item UNLESS it's slabbed.

Mike B.

The sealed comic bump never seemed to spiral out of control like the sealed video game bubble.  For example, there were copies of Legend of Zelda that went for over $150,000 in 2021, that dropped to $14,400 in 2023.  $14.4k is still a ludicrous amount of money to spend on a copy, but those types of bubbles are the ones that I fear when it comes to TTRPGs.  The people who have the most to gain by this trend are pushing for it hard and will ardently defend it - but at the end of the day, it’s the investors and dealers who benefit the most from slabs.  Yes, verified conditions are nice, but collectors have been verifying condition fairly well long before the slab.

Sir Kill Alot wrote in CGC Grading Etc...:A lot of modules suffer from some sort of corner ding… does that greatly impact a grade.  I’m talking the 16th of an inch type not a 1/4 inch crush type

-SKA

It certainly does in comic books.

Sir Kill Alot wrote in CGC Grading Etc...:I need to overcome my phobia of just sending an item out and letting others handle it.  Call it stupid, call it whatever…Sadly, I have to reconcile that with myself.  :(

Maybe when it becomes the norm and “everyone is doing it”, I’ll get over it.


-SKA

I am working on my 5th submission. It has not got better. It is exciting to get stuff back though.

How do you all think  less common modules would break out on the pop report compared to that Thor comic? Compare it to the I6?

I believe there are very few, hell if any, 9.0+ modules sitting in basements. In my humble opinion, with made up numbers, no facts and a pinch of emotion, most all 9.0+ modules are already in personal collections with folks who have no desire to sell. There are so few 9.0+ first edition modules listed on ebay- and I mean very few. If collectors dont care about the difference between a 6.0 and a 9.0 it will never matter, which will make it possible for me to grade and collect. So, upside!

So I guess someone should start selling some graded dogshit quality modules and then we can start building/bootstrapping pricing curves based on consistent number grades?

I have some 100% "poor" quality stuff that could fill some gaps.

Then work & my hobbies will have fully converged.

Which is both great. And horrendous.

Wow, this post blew up over the weekend. I don't look at it and there are tons of responses. To help clarify some things and give my expert opinion.

Early on with comic grading with CGC, there were over inflated prices because everything was new. First graded, highest graded, only graded, etc. This happens with every collectible once it starts getting graded.
RPGs are no exception. When Heritage has its sealed RPG auction come August, you may see some crazy prices. Many items are the only ones to be graded so far, let alone being sealed. I had to build many RPG
items in our database.

Expect high prices early on and adjustments as more copies hit the census. One thing I think is not noted so far is the breakout of sealed copies versus open. I need to ask the manager about this and find out if this
is going into effect.

I figure some collectors on here will have sealed pieces. My suggestion will be get them graded if you're looking to make money early on. If you're keeping them for yourselves, it may not be as important to do it right away.
Once prices get established, CGC will adjust the fees based on value. My guess is prices won't be changed (almost all RPG is in the modern magazine category), so you'll be paying based on this. Once there are several sales
for a piece, there may be an adjustment. My guess would be 2+ years down the road where we would actually look at FMV (fair market value).

ALL RPG pieces are verified by me. Invoices come in sporadically at this time, maybe 3-5 per week. I think the piece I see the most is S1 Tomb of Horrors. There are some printings of modules we have yet to see and I build
the new printings into the database. I think I added 3 new ones today of various early modules. Series I see the most at this time are A, B, C, G and S.

If you send in shrink-wrapped modules, note that we are not grading ones with the header card. Those are too tall to fit in the holder. Again, if you have any questions feel free to PM me here. Customer service probably wouldn't
have many answers on RPGs.

We have not done many non-D&D items yet. You may want to be the first to get them graded to sell. I'm surprised I haven't seen any Middle Earth pieces. I own a few myself but all my items were played with back in the 1980s.

As for grading, modules are bigger than comics. A 1/16" corner crease on a module is not graded as harshly as a comic. More surface area = more leniency for the same size defect. That goes for stains and tears. Rust is about the
same as staples are usually standard sizes. Rusty staples and rust stains from them do play a factor. Always check grader defects on any comic, magazine or RPG item. Since pretty much all the early modules have covers not attached
to the booklets, something may look really nice from the outside, but the interior defects may play the bigger role in determining the grade.

Writing on a cover will affect grade, both exterior and interior cover. Small amount of writing on the pages not so much unless it is in extremely high grade (say 9.4+).

Word of advice: make sure your interior booklets belong to the cover you're submitting. If certain printings have a specific interior (say S1 early printings with 2 booklets versus later printings with single booklet) make sure it is correct.
If you marry different interiors to covers that do not belong together, you will receive a green QUALIFIED married label. Check The Acaeum for specifics.

I guess that's it for now. If I think of anything else or someone needs a question answered, I'll reply again.

Phil

Wow! What a discussion.  Its been awhile since I stopped by and even longer since I posted something.  I even see that a few of my sales and listings have shown up.  I like many of you have collected the best of the best copies.  Once I saw that CGC was grading modules I immediately thought of the process that occured with CGC comics... Grade + relative CGC scarcity = a high price.  As we all know the typical 1st edition module is typically average condition.  so a CGC 5.0 B2 2nd print is not actually worth that much.... but a 9.0?  That is in more rarified air.  Really anything over 8.0 for a 1st edition module is going to be tough to come by.  Now it is just a waiting game for the D&D collectors to embrace CGC graded items... I've graded about 25 and listed about 10 (some JG and Dragons also) sold about 4... the ones I chose at this point not to sell are highest graded in the census but were 9.0 and up... of the 4 I sold at the time of listing were the highest graded.

For a solid 3 years I was grabbing NM factory sealed modules... a prerequisite to the purchase was the shrink needed to be perfect as well... have about 60 1st editions that are 9.6 or 9.8, at this moment I cannot seem to bring myself to unsealing them to be graded.  Maybe I can hold these for my retirement... lol.  I had my Dragon 1 graded and it came back at 9.2 second highest last time I checked.  My CGC "Guy" offered me 5K on the spot and I turned him down.  I have about 6-7 that are back and about 15 heading in to CGC... I will list a healthy number of these.

I remember when they started grading comics there was a contingent of folks that said that was "dumb" I can believe someone paid X for something.... you can no longer read the comics what good is that?  anyway as the census grows the price will consolidate and the highest grades will receive a multple of the lower grade.  I was even pondering busting into my Silver Anniversay box set and grading L3... but again cannot bring myself to do it.  I saw some of the conversations regarding the Silvers and the way I look at it is that they are simply a later print... The 2 I have listed are 9.6 and the highest so far.  I do recognize I may be reaching on these and will probably adjust lower if they do not sell.

The D&D Collectible Hobby is alive and well.

Best Wishes to All of You!  Tom aka DiscoDadda

PS for 5 years now I've been sending Comics, Monster Mags to CGC... The majority I keep.

Philflound wrote in CGC Grading Etc...:

Thanks for the info.  Best, Disco

Will the two solo modules with the pen fit into a slab?

MSOLO1 Blizzard Pass
MSOLO2 Maze of the Riddling Minotaur

-SKA