I thought the whole 'comic book grading' thing was a total scam

Back in the 90s, my friends and I just kept our books in long boxes and that was that. Then I saw a graded copy of Amazing Spider-Man #300 sell for over a thousand bucks at a con in Chicago. I sent in my own copy on a whim, got a 9.4, and it sold for way more than I ever thought it would. It made me realize some fans really care about that stuff, even if it feels weird to seal a book in plastic forever. Did anyone else think grading was silly before they saw the actual numbers?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_charles3mo agoMost Upvoted

Grading feels weird, but doesn't every hobby turn into a money thing eventually?

bettyk532mo ago

I started collecting cards for the nostalgia, but once I sent a few to get graded and saw them sell for triple what I paid, it was hard not to pay attention to the money side of it. You just have to decide if you're in it for the fun or the flip, because trying to do both will drive you nuts.

angela3783mo ago

Wait, you're saying the money proves it's not a scam? What if the whole market is just people paying for a number on a slab, and that's the actual scam? It's just plastic and paper, but now everyone's too scared to even read their own books.