Sandralock has relisted her MDG Tsojconth for $795 even though it didn't sell for that much the first time around:

cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem& ... 5905510396

The question is: How badly does a three-hole punch affect an item's value?  Does it bring the item straight down to poor condition?  Is it even in collectible condition anymore?  Or is it a minor blemish if it is complete and in excellent condition in every other facet?  
Opinions?

I am far from the "gotta have it in mint shrink wrap condition" crowd, but I wouldn't touch it. Might as well be ripped in half in my mind.

bbarsh wrote:I am far from the "gotta have it in mint shrink wrap condition" crowd, but I wouldn't touch it. Might as well be ripped in half in my mind.

I am of the gotta have it shrink wrapped, I use that as my excuse to say things like "I would use that worthless pile for toilet paper" (while secretly yearning for it since I dont have that kind of money to throw around).  

shhhh...I have one, so it's easy for me to say that its junk...

Seriously, once a module has been "customized", the value has to decrease...and sharply...

I really want to get an Orange B3, but I wouldn't pay for a hole punched copy.

Because of its much larger collector base, the comicbook industry really has taken great strides in defining its grading.  How is a book graded with flaws like Tsojconth?

If it were a comic, it could be given a "Qualified" grade.  So, if the copy of Tsojconth is Near Mint it would be a "Qualified Near Mint".  That essentially means Near Mint except for one extreme flaw (like a page loose from the staples, one long clean tear, an ad cut out, etc.)

What would the value of such a book be?  The Acaeum lists:

Mint - $1,000
Very Good - $650
Poor - $350

The first problem is that the value of a Poor book is severly overstated on the Aceaum site (in my opinion).  Poor books should carry a value of 5% of the Mint grade at the absolute most.  

My own grading scale is based upon the comic industry standards, though the relative values are much higher than comics. (A VERY GOOD comic only carries a value of about 17% of the Near Mint price) All modesty aside, I am an expert grader of comics with extremely stringent and exacting standards.  

Grade           % Value

Near Mint          100%
Excellent            80%
Fine                   60%
Very Good          40%
Good                  20%
Fair                    10%
Poor                    5%

Combination values split the difference so that Excellent/Near Mint is 90% & Good/Very Good is 30%.  True MINT carries a value higher than 100%, but in reality almost all "Mint" items are really Near Mint.

Let's say that three holes completely through a module lower the grade to Fair.  However, these are neatly and deliberately made 3-hole punches so assigning a Qualified Grade would be appropriate - It is a Qualified Near Mint.  

Take half the % difference between Near Mint and Fair and add it to the Fair value.

100% - 10% = 90% (This is the % difference)
1/2 of 90% = 45% (1/2 the %difference)
10% + 45% = 55% (the original value plus 1/2 the difference)

This gives a Qualified Near Mint of an item that otherwise would grade FAIR a value of 55% the Near Mint price.  In this case $550.

A Qualified Good would be 60%, Very Good would be 70%, etc.

I have been wanting to address the issue of grading for some time (only it seems that I have almost no time do so!)  I envision making my web site a key resource for my grading standards that will be linked to my eBay auctions and also for others to reference.  The more a collectable market moves into greater popularity, the more important it is to have mutally agreed upon standards for grading.  I would like to not only give detailed explanations of the difference grading categories, but also clear scans showing examples of those grades.  

Just no time to write the code and get it done. . . between my full time job, selling on eBay and our 7 week old daughter it just ain't getting done for a some time. . .

Breach, I think you have a good system there!
It would be interesting to buy it for my kid and watch him color it in. He's getting really good at staying between the lines.

beyondthebreach wrote:Because of its much larger collector base, the comicbook industry really has taken great strides in defining its grading.  How is a book graded with flaws like Tsojconth?

If it were a comic, it could be given a "Qualified" grade.  So, if the copy of Tsojconth is Near Mint it would be a "Qualified Near Mint".  That essentially means Near Mint except for one extreme flaw (like a page loose from the staples, one long clean tear, an ad cut out, etc.)

What would the value of such a book be?  The Acaeum lists:

Mint - $1,000
Very Good - $650
Poor - $350



The first problem is that the value of a Poor book is severly overstated on the Aceaum site (in my opinion).  Poor books should carry a value of 5% of the Mint grade at the absolute most.  

My own grading scale is based upon the comic industry standards, though the relative values are much higher than comics. (A VERY GOOD comic only carries a value of about 17% of the Near Mint price) All modesty aside, I am an expert grader of comics with extremely stringent and exacting standards.  

Grade           % Value

Near Mint          100%
Excellent            80%
Fine                   60%
Very Good          40%
Good                  20%
Fair                    10%
Poor                    5%

Combination values split the difference so that Excellent/Near Mint is 90% & Good/Very Good is 30%.  True MINT carries a value higher than 100%, but in reality almost all "Mint" items are really Near Mint.

Let's say that three holes completely through a module lower the grade to Fair.  However, these are neatly and deliberately made 3-hole punches so assigning a Qualified Grade would be appropriate - It is a Qualified Near Mint.  

Take half the % difference between Near Mint and Fair and add it to the Fair value.

100% - 10% = 90% (This is the % difference)
1/2 of 90% = 45% (1/2 the %difference)
10% + 45% = 55% (the original value plus 1/2 the difference)

This gives a Qualified Near Mint of an item that otherwise would grade FAIR a value of 55% the Near Mint price.  In this case $550.

A Qualified Good would be 60%, Very Good would be 70%, etc.

I have been wanting to address the issue of grading for some time (only it seems that I have almost no time do so!)  I envision making my web site a key resource for my grading standards that will be linked to my eBay auctions and also for others to reference.  The more a collectable market moves into greater popularity, the more important it is to have mutally agreed upon standards for grading.  I would like to not only give detailed explanations of the difference grading categories, but also clear scans showing examples of those grades.  

Just no time to write the code and get it done. . . between my full time job, selling on eBay and our 7 week old daughter it just ain't getting done for a some time. . .

EXCELLENT INSIGHT!!!  THANKS!!

Agreed.  By the by, if you are looking for another grading/describing purist to help you out with the website idea, I am your man.  The absence of a universal grading scale and the lack of care in grading by most of the Ebay sellers is in part what prompted me to begin my Ebay quest.  Now that I am selling out, I will have a little extra time (course, I will also be picking up time at work..).  I would like to volunteer a portion of this time to assist you if you will have me.

Terminal -

I have never seen one that was three hole punched. No, clearly someone did it to store in a binder.

TSR did produce some modules/products in three hole style B4 came both ways, though I don't recall any other modules...

Still, the three hole Lost Caverns just isn't worth $50 to me. But thats just me.

Staples?

Staples?  We don't need no stinkin' Staples!  

Geez, don't check your Acaeum product descriptions first and you get called out. . . Guess that's why they "3-hole punched" it.

No escaping the ever watchful eye of  Vigilantelord36.