CGC Slabbed Lobby Cards.... a new trend?

[Harry Caul]

So as far as I can tell, Heritage has never sold a slabbed lobby card before (based on their archives).  However, in the upcoming signature auction they have no less than 54 different auctions offering CGC-graded and slabbed lobbies.  And 21 one of those auctions are for sets of 8... so over 200 slabbed cards in total.  That seems like quite a (rapid) departure from the norm...

Is this a fluke?  Did all these cards come from the same consignor?  Or is Heritage grading and slabbing them?  Is this going to be a new trend?  Does this mean our humble little hobby is growing up?

[Dr Hackenbush]

After Sean first mentioned this last month?, I searched CGC's website to find out more.  There was no info about slabbing lobbies to be found, so I called them.  The service isn't available to the general public as of yet, so my guess is that they contacted some collectors/dealers (possibly through Heritage) and asked them to participate in this trial run.  I'm watching them to see what the results will be like compared to raw examples.  One thing I did notice was one of the lobbies was in a purple label denoting restoration.  I wonder, if slabbing of LCs is embraced, it'll bring the same stigma to restoration that it did in comics.  Resto didn't used to be the kiss of death before CGC.

[MoviePosterBid.com]

the CGC slabs that Heritage has are on a trial basis to see how they do.
I contacted CGC's Mark Haspel about MPB doing a monthly auction of CGC cards, but I haven't heard back from him.. I'll be calling him soon I guess

My best guess.. CGC slabs will become popular within a group of collectors. The slabs are not uber-thick like the comic book slabs and so the storage space issue will be a non-issue.

The effect they will have on restoration I don't think will be as clear cut as it is in comics, but for material that is not incredibly rare like Unihorror, pre-WW2 etc I suspect it will create a move away from restored material, although on rarities, it will just stratify the market as there will never be enough of them in 7.0 and above to satisfy the market. It will be like the difference between those who can afford a CGC 6.0 Action #1 unrestored and a 6.0 restored where there is an incredible differentiation in price

I say CGC slabbed lc's are here to stay, but I bought it will migrate to larger poster sizes such as wc's or jlc's

[MoviePosterBid.com]

also, unlike comics where at first it was that everyone wanted 8.0 and above as a market, then 8.5 and above and then finally 9.4 and above.. due to scarcity in general of movie paper, I think that 7.0 and above will be the market with a specialized market of those looking only for 9.0 and above and who willonly buy below 9.0 for super-rarities.

This will of course drive a market pricing structure of greater disparity than is present today in posters where a copy of DTESS in NM really doesn't sell for much a big margin from a VG. The disparity will never be as great as it is for comics however where a 9.6 can sell for 10-20x a copy in 8.5-9.0. I suggest something more along the lines of double or triple for exquisite examples

[CSM]

All interesting stuff.  I guess it had to happen and some point but I for one hope that it does not catch on.

[Dr Hackenbush]

There's one slabbed midget WC in the auction, too.  Was a little surprised to see that, but I agree that slabbing won't work on anything bigger than a LC

[Zorba]

All interesting stuff.  I guess it had to happen and some point but I for one hope that it does not catch on.

Me too...I just got here... I hate to see this hobby go down the sports card road.

[MoviePosterBid.com]

I hate to see Bride of Frankenstein posters selling for more than a few thousand bucks.. But it's just the natural progression of hobbying

[Zorba]

I hate to see Bride of Frankenstein posters selling for more than a few thousand bucks.. But it's just the natural progression of hobbying

No doubt...

[Dr Hackenbush]

Me too...I just got here... I hate to see this hobby go down the sports card road.

It won't happen overnight.  It took about 2-3 years before the explosion of prices began with comics, so if history is any indicator you still have time

[MoviePosterBid.com]

it took longer than that for the explosion Angelo.. more like 5-8 years..

[Harry Caul]

There's one slabbed midget WC in the auction, too.  Was a little surprised to see that, but I agree that slabbing won't work on anything bigger than a LC

Before you know it we'll be slabbin' 6-sheets!

[Dr Hackenbush]

The first auction where slabbed books brought multiples was in 2002 or 2003 at Mastronet(?).  When dealers & collectors saw the results, that's when CGC really caught on and the demand began.  It's been a steady rise ever since

[MoviePosterBid.com]

CGC slabs started coming out in what.. '93? '95??

[Bruce]

I wonder who is the "expert" who did the grading?

Back when the dregs of the Royal Theater Collection was sold to the comic book syndicate, they tried to market it as another "pedigree collection", in the same way comic books were marketed. That didn't work then, and I won't be surprised if their latest scheme is met with a similar lack of success.

Of course, it is worth it for the "inside guys" to bid slabbed things up to multiples of their regular prices, IF that results in tens of thousands of items being submitted for slabbing.

We shall see!

Bruce

[Dr Hackenbush]

CGC slabs started coming out in what.. '93? '95??

2000

[MoviePosterBid.com]

2000

I believe they were actually doing something before that.. maybe just grading..
I'll have to ask Mark Haspel when I talk to him about the entire history

[oldposterho]

Ugh, you can have your slabs.

If I was ever "forced" to buy one, the first thing I would do is break it out of the slab.  Just what we need, a parasitical layer to feed off the "hobby."

No.  Thank.  You.

--Peter

[CineMasterpieces]

Our hobby is 100x (or more) smaller than the other hobbies cgc services. It most likely will not be a profitable venture for them so I don't see it becoming the norm. The number of people who collect lobby cards and stills in this world is probably decreasing.....not increasing. I'm not surprised that it is finally happening.....I will be surprised though if it continues longer than a few years.

[Harry Caul]

I posted this thread because slabbing is totally new for me... I didn't read many comics as a kid and I never collected them.  I guess you can put me in the category of people who think this hobby is ok as is. 

How much does it cost to have a comic slabbed and graded by the way?  Will it pay for itself during the sale?  What about the run-up in comic values after slabbing became prevalent... do you comic gurus expect that to happen here as well? 

Meaning a theater-used, un-slabbed Barbarella lobby set will continue to sell for about $150-$200, while the CGC slabbed, NM set that Heritage is selling will ultimately be worth 10x?  I somehow doubt that will happen.  Even for the best titles like Casablanca... I could only ever see someone paying 2x, maybe 3x tops.  Then again, what has happened with comics dumbfounds me...

[brude]

Ugh, you can have your slabs.

If I was ever "forced" to buy one, the first thing I would do is break it out of the slab.  Just what we need, a parasitical layer to feed off the "hobby."

No.  Thank.  You.

--Peter

Well said.  I echo your sentiments entirely.
The only slab I need is the one they will eventually lay me out on...and I'm sure by then I'll grade less than 3.5.

[ddilts399]

Cost for comics starts at about 20.00 and goes as high as 80ish. Average is 25.00.

We have had this "discussion" before. My opinion; slabbing was created for investors and dealers to create an artificially inflated value. I have thousands of comics and continue to buy about 50 titles a month. I will go to my grave having never bought a slabbed book, this I can promise you. Most collectors actually like to read their comics. There is no analogy to buying a poster and putting it in a drawer, as some have said.

[Dr Hackenbush]

I posted this thread because slabbing is totally new for me... I didn't read many comics as a kid and I never collected them.  I guess you can put me in the category of people who think this hobby is ok as is. 

How much does it cost to have a comic slabbed and graded by the way?  Will it pay for itself during the sale?  What about the run-up in comic values after slabbing became prevalent... do you comic gurus expect that to happen here as well? 

Meaning a theater-used, un-slabbed Barbarella lobby set will continue to sell for about $150-$200, while the CGC slabbed, NM set that Heritage is selling will ultimately be worth 10x?  I somehow doubt that will happen.  Even for the best titles like Casablanca... I could only ever see someone paying 2x, maybe 3x tops.  Then again, what has happened with comics dumbfounds me...

Slabbing a comic depends on the year it was published (older books costing more then newer ones) and its value.  The most that can be charged for any one book is $1500, but that doesn't including shipping and insurance both ways.

As for slabbed LCs getting multiples of FMV, my guess would be that it'll probably happen if the trend catches on but, like Rich stated earlier, only on premium pieces (at least initially).  Heritage's grading has been talked about plenty on here and other forums.  So now you have CGC assigning a grade that a few? some? many? put more trust in, and that may translate into a higher final price.  I think the biggest plus will be in the area of undisclosed restoration and fakes.  I'm betting there will be more than few pissed off collectors when they find out that LC they paid handsomely for turns out to be a fake or have undisclosed resto on it.  It's happened far too often on the comic book side.  Remember, no one's really sure how many fakes Haggard allegedly pumped into the market place.

Oh, and expect slabbed lobbies to be priced higher than their raw counterparts because the seller will want to recoup their costs 

[CSM]

Slabbing a comic depends on the year it was published (older books costing more then newer ones) and its value.  The most that can be charged for any one book is $1500, but that doesn't including shipping and insurance both ways.

As for slabbed LCs getting multiples of FMV, my guess would be that it'll probably happen if the trend catches on but, like Rich stated earlier, only on premium pieces (at least initially).  Heritage's grading has been talked about plenty on here and other forums.  So now you have CGC assigning a grade that a few? some? many? put more trust in, and that may translate into a higher final price.  I think the biggest plus will be in the area of undisclosed restoration and fakes.  I'm betting there will be more than few pissed off collectors when they find out that LC they paid handsomely for turns out to be a fake or have undisclosed resto on it.  It's happened far too often on the comic book side.  Remember, no one's really sure how many fakes Haggard allegedly pumped into the market place.

Oh, and expect slabbed lobbies to be priced higher than their raw counterparts because the seller will want to recoup their costs 

In agreement with this.

[ddilts399]

In agreement with this.

Going to have to agree to disagree. I believe there is not 1 good thing slabbing comics has done for the hobby. It costs collectors money and lines dealers pockets. I bought 90% percent of my back issues from 3 shops, I knew them all for years, I trusted the grade each and every one put on a book and guess what, I actually educated myself as well on grading.

CGC allows for ustrusting, lazy collectors with deep pockets to spend inflated prices to NOT read the comic, but to say they have the highest CGC grade or 1 of 10 of xyz grade. It is absolutely ridiculous.

The restored/fakes are part of any hobby; and if someone had enough money I promise you, you can loophole cgc as well.

Why not buy a mint cover and slab it, that is all you will ever see anyway.

Can you tell this subject grinds a nerve?!

On topic... slabbing a lobby makes more sense than a comic as it is a singular piece of paper which can still be enjoyed and presented as originally intended when printed. Still dont agree with it.