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Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Table Scraps Anyone?

What's up with the high grade snobbery in comic collecting? More than ever, it seems like some consider anything below 9.0 a piece of trash. If you truly love comics, would a Fine/Very Fine really be that much less lovable than a 9.2? I can see some collectors wanting the finest examples, but does that mean they have to look down their noses at everything else?

I fear comic collecting has degenerated from a hobby that loved an art medium to a hobby where an influential portion of the collectors love the label and the status it brings more than the book inside.

Like cards, coins and autographs, the affluent have taken over and that leaves most collectors in the humbling position of having to settle for their table scraps.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hey I'm with you here, buddy. I was out of comics for about 10 years, and am now getting back into it, and I'm amazed at how snobby the grading has become. I hope the collectors don't buy into it, but it seems they are. I think it's sort of being promoted by the dealers who can buy our comics even cheaper than before. I still adhere to the "old ways" -- near mint means NEAR mint, remember? it does not mean flawless.

I am actually very relieved to stumble onto your post that you feel the same way.

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from Motodd