Badmike wrote in Your opinion doesnt matter anymore:It's potentially worth so much more wrapped than graded, at least until (or if) slabbing gaming material becomes more mainstream.

If the math doesn't work for sellers, then remove-shrink-then-slab would only be for personal preference. I guess I sort of get the idea of protecting fragile things, but why not just buy a clear display box? Does all the visual clutter of a graded slab really make it more appealing?

Badmike wrote in Your opinion doesnt matter anymore:
Right now? A module that looks good in shrink. Ten out of ten I would do that today, because Right Now I could get more for a B10 in SW than one opened and placed inside a slab. While SW is NOT a condition, it IS a cachet. In ten years? Who knows. If the concept of slabbing modules is accepted in the community, and the aversion to tearing off SW is gotten over by collectors, then it could be a different story. But I'm selling stuff now, so I'll do what makes me the most money, now.

Once the shrink is torn off, and the module is graded, say, a 7.5, it's too late. SW is at a premium not because of condition, but the fact its "never been touched by human hands".

Mike B.

Well said, Mike. Can't agree more, even though I wished SW didn't drive the premium it does, well it does. The market is the market.

What about supplements that were never in shrink?

Would folks here rather have a slabbed 9.2 Blackmoor first print, or really great looking Blackmoor first print? Would it matter to you if it was a 7.0? Would a grade mean anything?

One thing that really annoys is the habit of putting things up on eBay with no photo and a grading. It's usually Noble Knight of course but this one -

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claims it's a FN- 5.5. graded by who? MyComicShop themselves
What does that "grade" mean?

This is a mid grade item. It will have enough minor defects that it is in clearly worse condition than a brand new freshly published comic, magazine, or book.

Well, I hardly expected it to look brand new. I'm looking for a Cthulu D&DG which doesn't look like a dog chewed it.

Allowed defects for this grade include: a spine split of less than half an inch, minor water spotting or other residue, impacted corners, and an accumulation or spine stresses that may break color. An item could be assigned this grade due to either an accumulation

So it could have either slighty dented corners (acceptable) or a split spine (don't touch with a bargepole).

(But it says 128 pages so it's not going to be a first anyway.)

Can they provide a photo I ask? No. $170 with shipping to the UK and I'm supposed to buy unseen based upon a made up grade. They seem to think the grade is more important than it's actual condition.

Tszii wrote in Your opinion doesnt matter anymore:A 5.5 for that book is likely an overall nice book to look at.

I think the important word is likely. I'm sure their grading system works fine for Comics, but lumping in all those random possible defects together and not saying which it has is no good for a hardback book. Good to know though that they're a safer bet than Ignoble Knight!

It's like the Noble Knight grading of Fair. "May have flaws such as tears, pen marks or highlighting." Call me fussy, but that's lumping one pen mark on the inside cover with extensive use of a highlighter pen and underlining throughout, and a small tear at the bottom of a page with one ripped near in half. If it's got staple rust or the middle page is loose or dinged corners or the owner's name in the cover or hitpoints of monsters have been marked off in pencil - then say so.