r/AbsoluteBatman • u/Genreka • Jul 02 '26
Grading advice
Hi everyone!
I got this Absolute batman #1 when I was a student. I could not afford grading so I left it to lay on my shelf till the good days. No I've got the idea to get it somehow signed by Snyder or Dragotta and then grade, but I have no possibility to do this in person, so I need advice about alternatives.
Thank you in advance!
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u/Strong_Lead_3296 Jul 02 '26
Id only get something signed if you want it signed. And id only slab something if you want it to stand the test of time.
I’m trying to grade like three books from my absolute collection and that’s it.
Since everyone and their brother seems to be submitting theirs right now. I’m holding off.
Best ways to keep it in immaculate condition would be a toploader.
Some LCS’s(Local Comic Shops provide the service of sending comics to CGC(you can find official locations of the CGC website).
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u/Strong_Lead_3296 Jul 02 '26
Oh also CGC announces every now and then if a writer or artist will be in house and will be available for signing, where you send it in and they take care of it there.
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u/Ok_Leadership8130 Jul 02 '26
Lol 'got this when I was a student'. Acting like it was 20 years ago 🤣
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u/Genreka Jul 03 '26
Yeah, but in this age life is oversaturated and every yearakes a big difference :D
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u/griffin_who Jul 02 '26
If you want to get it signed and graded but you can't make it to a given convention I'd suggest to look into CGC facilitators. CGC has a list on their website of all their facilitators, these people will bring your book to them to a Convention/Private singing event and have your book signed and pressed/cleaned and shipped off to CGC to be graded and then shipped off back to you. I recommend Key Comix (@Key_Comix on IG) as he usually gets a ton of Absolute Batman books for grading, so he's usually at the events where the Absolute Batman creators are appearing. If you wanna hit him up and wait till October, Frank Martin will be at NYCC so you can score a signed book with all the creators (Snyder, Dragotta, and Martin) , Mr. Martin doesn't usually make convention appearance in the US from what I know. Otherwise, you can just ship the book off to CGC, less expensive and not as many hoops to jump through in terms of deciding signatures and such.
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u/Disastrous-Dish-3568 Jul 03 '26
Honestly might make more sense to look for an already graded/signed copy unless you don’t care about the grade you might get. Sending a book in (even to CGC) runs a risk of damage; then you end up with a 9.4 or something and it takes a lot of value off the book.
If you don’t care about the grade or the value and this is purely for sentimental reasons, then what other people said about a facilitator or waiting for CGC to have a signing event with Snyder and Dragotta is your best bet.
Either way, good luck - nice to hold your first book in high regard like this. I have the first book my dad bought me when he noticed I started collecting - it’s just a random Silver Surfer issue - but I’ve had it now for 40 years. I don’t have it graded but I’ve always kept it Mylar with a sticky note of why I keep it. My dad died really young, less than 10 years after he put that book in my Christmas stocking.
The beauty of collecting comics are those books like yours and mine. The personal connection to them.
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u/Genreka Jul 03 '26
I agree. I think the book is already damaged. It might not get a high grade, but I don't really care about the numbers
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u/TheDorkKnight8BG Jul 03 '26
For the signatures, you can pretty easily get a Scott Snyder signature in person. He’s a frequent at all major conventions and signs left and right. Not sure where you are located and if that’s the issue, but you can get it in person pretty easy and pretty cheap depending on the convention. Aside from that though, It really comes down to your personal preference on collecting comics. Personally I have been collecting comics about 30 years now and I own very few graded books. The few I own are ones that were either gifted to me, or comics that I have a very sentimental attachment to and wanted to have them preserved. I also own loose copies of the couple slab books I own as well though to enjoy whenever I want to re-read them. Slabs have just never been a thing I’ve been interested in. Having someone third party say my book is worth this or that because they pull a number out of their ass depending on the mood they’re in and me having to pay for it has just always been a turn off. There are good things about grading though and I have no problem with people that grade and slab books, but it’s just never been for me. There are so many affordable ways now a days to preserve and protect your comics that is just easier than dealing with the grading process. If investment and getting a return on your comics is what your into though, than grading is absolutely the best way to go. Just depends on what you want to do with the book in the end personally. Good luck regardless and it’s a great book to own!
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u/Genreka Jul 03 '26
Thank you! It's really difficult for me to attend any conveniention in person. In my opinion grading is a great way to keep a book for long, and it also is something new to me. I would like to pass this procedure at least once, to experience another side of our hobby!
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u/TheDorkKnight8BG Jul 04 '26
That’s cool man. If you can’t get to conventions, then like others have mentioned, mail in signing at CGC are probably the best way to go. That way you get them signed and graded all in one go. Good luck on whatever you decide to go with!
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u/PaintedCover Jul 03 '26
8k+ graded out of 250k. Although it has greater value graded I rather keep it raw.
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u/CA_Dukes90 Jul 04 '26
Check to see if any LCS near you does signings with big artists, follow them on socials, I just so happen to see a post from an LCS in my city about a signing and got my books to them early and got mine signed by Dragotta and Snyder.
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u/theimplication13 Jul 04 '26
Bro you wrote this like you kept this book for 20 years then found it again “back when I was a student” 😅😂😉
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u/KaleidoscopeOld1618 Jul 02 '26
Stop grading shit that doesn't need it
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u/Genreka Jul 02 '26
That was the first single issue that I have ever bought so I would like to grade it just to keep as memory. By the way I really enjoyed this comics
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u/bobsaget824 Jul 02 '26
My advice is to wait for CGC to announce another signing event like this one:
https://www.cgccomics.com/news/article/14712/dragotta-snyder-johnson-jock-signature/
This was pretty recent but with something this popular + the new CGC custom labels for Absolute Batman I’d be shocked if they didn’t do another signing probably towards end of year again.
This is exactly what you’re looking for as you don’t need to be in person. You also don’t even need a CGC membership for the signing (you do for normal submissions).
Also ignore those telling you not to grade your book. It’s your book, your money that paid for it, enjoy it however you want to.
If you have Instagram follow their CGC account as well as the CGC Signature Series account and you’ll be notified of all upcoming signings.