Comic BOOK GRADING

ONE OF THEMOST POPULARMETHODS HAGGLERS HAVE TO TRY TO BRING DOWN YOUR PRICE,ISBY FINDING A MINISCULE FLAW ON YOUR geIC BOOK, VINTAGE MAGAZINE OR RELATED ITEM, ORBY STATING THAT "IT IS NOT MINT, NEAR MINT OR VERY FINE CONDITION". MY RESPONSE HAS ALWAYS BEEN, "NO ONE IS HOLDING A GUN TO YOUR HEAD AND FORCING YOU TO MAKE THE PURCHASE". I FEEL THAT IF YOU TRULY SEEK A geIC TO FILL IN YOUR COLLECTION AND AT A GOOD PRICE, SAY CONAN THE BARBARIAN #3 (SCARCE IN SOME AREAS) AND YOU FIND IT FOR SAY $20 IN VERY GOOD CONDITION, DON'T gePLAIN AT THAT PRICE: IT IS A STEAL. SOMETIMES I THINK THE WHOLE COLLECTIBLES HOBBY HAS LOST ITS FUN DUE TO GRADING CHARTS. EXAMPLE BELOW;
M-MINT, FLAWLESS, RIGHT OFF THE PRESS CONDITION
NM-NEAR MINT, NEARLY FLAWLESS, PERHAPS A FEW TINY COLOR FLECKS OR STAPLE STRESS LINES
VF-VERY FINE-COVER STILL GLOSSY, SLIGHT WEAR BEGINNING TO SHOW
FN-FINE, STILL GREAT CONDITION BUT AGE IS BEGINNING TO SHOW, PERHAPS READ SEVERAL TIMES
VG-VERY GOOD, STILL GOOD FOR ITS AGE BUT WELL READ AND SOME SOILING AND FOLDING
G-GOOD, INTACT BUT CREASED, SOILED BUT STILL READABLE
FAIR, STILL INTACT BUT STAPLES MAY BE LOOSE OR NOT PRESENT AND NOT DESIRABLE TO FILL IN A COLLECTION UNLESS IT'S SO RARE THAT EVEN IN THIS CONDITION IT IS STILL A HOT ITEM, ie. WHO WOULD TURN DOWN A FAIR COPY OF ACTION geICS #1?
P-POOR, CONDITION SO DEGRADED THAT IT IS NO LONGER DESIRABLE, TEARING, CUTOUTS, MAJOR STAINING, ETC.
BY LOOKING AT ABOVE CHART, ONE CAN EASILY SEE HOW A PERSON COULD ATTRIBUTE CONDITION TO THE GRADE ABOVE OR BELOW AN ITEM ON THE CHART, ie. ONE MAN MAY CONSIDER A BOOK "FINE" WHERE SOMEONE MAY CALL IT "VERY FINE" AND ANOTHER MAY CALL IT "VERY GOOD". SEE?
IN THE PAST 25 YEARS OR SO, I FEEL THE INNOCENCE OF COLLECTIBLES HAS CHANGED. NO LONGER ARE geICS JUST FOR LITTLE KIDS GOING INTO TO LOCAL CANDY SHOP ORSTATIONERY STORE TO PICK UP A PACK OF GUM AND A15 cent Hulk geic(Does anyone out there remember 10, 12 or 15 cent geics???). TODAY, GROWN MEN SHOW UP AT COLLECTIBLE SHOWS, AND ON okay, LOL, ARMED WITH CREDIT CARDS AND/OR WADS OF CASH READY TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT, SOMETIMES IN THE THOUSANDS. GONE ARE THE STACKS OF D.C . , GOLD KEY AND CHARLETON geICS NEXT TO A LITTLE BOY'S BED, SOMETIMES TRADED WITH NEIGHBORS OR SHARED WITH SIBLINGS AND COUSINS. TODAY geICS ARE ENCASED IN MYLAR AND LOCKED IN VAULTS. AND I'VE NOTICED THE TREND AWAY FROM "geIC BOOKS" TOWARD "GRAPHIC NOVELS" IN RECENT YEARS. THESE ITEMS ARE RELEASED AS "COLLECTOR'S ITEMS" SO THESE ARE EASIER TO KEEP PRISTINE BY THEIR VERY NATURE. WHY SHOULD A HAGGLER HAVE TO POWER TO NEGOTIATE CONDITION OF A 45-50 YEAR-OLD BOOK, WHEN IT IS JUST AMAZING THAT IT STILL EXISTS IN GOOD, VERY GOOD, OR FINE CONDITION; AFTER ALL, geICS WERE NOT GENERALLY RELEASED AS COLLECTOR'S ITEMS BACK THEN. A FEW EXCEPTIONS EXIST, OF COURSE, ie. "MARVEL COLLECTOR'S ITEMS CLASSICS" AND SEVERAL D.C. TITLES, BUT GENERALLY, geICS WERE JUST FOR FUN AND OF COURSE THE GOLDEN-BRONZE AGE BOOKS ARE STILL THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER BY COLLECTORS. I WOULD STILL TAKE A GOOD CONDITION SUPERMAN geIC BOOK FROM 1964 OVER A 2004 "GRAPHIC NOVEL" IN MINT CONDITION ANY DAY. IF YOU ENJOYED MY GUIDE, PLEASE VOTE "YES" BELOW. THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT TIME ON okay.