Should a Authentication Company start grading World Series Programs

[barrysloate]

Hank- one difference regarding comic books is they were made with poor quality acidic paper. Those really shouldn't be handled as over time they will begin to deteriorate. World Series programs, however, were usually made with good quality paper. No reason why one can't handle them carefully and not compromise their condition.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Hank- one difference regarding comic books is they were made with poor quality acidic paper. Those really shouldn't be handled as over time they will begin to deteriorate. World Series programs, however, were usually made with good quality paper. No reason why one can't handle them carefully and not compromise their condition.

Good point, Barry. I'm certainly not opposed to protecting and careful handling of my collectibles, and you can do that without entombing them for eternity. My main point is that comics were made to be read, and to eliminate that possibility for the sake of slabbing seems contrary to my idea of enjoying collectibles. Is it enough just to OWN old things, now, without any meaningful interaction with them? Buy them, put them in storage, and call yourself a collector? Get the highest graded, and without knowing the first thing about your stuff, you're the best collector? What a concept! I just don't see where it ends. Take bobbin' head dolls, a very active area of our hobby. There you have all the ingredients for slabbing to take over: issues of damage and restoration, a serious need for protection, etc. Everybody OK with getting all your bobbin heads slabbed in a sealed cylinder? And to those whose only interest in the hobby is money and investment, I say: please go find something else to corrupt.

[jbsports33]

Photos are okay, but you start getting into the paper type stuff I really do not think it would be a good idea. There is a company that does magazines, so if you really wanted to they may be able to work with you on the WS programs

Jimmy

[barrysloate]

It's probably an excellent idea to slab the great comic book rarities- I wouldn't want to be handling a Superman #1 or any other six figure item, but if I bought a comic for $25 or $50 I would want to be able to read it.

I guess with any area of collecting the more valuable an item, the less you want to handle it. If you dog ear a $25 comic, you're out five bucks. If you read Superman #1 in the bath tub and it slips and falls in...OOPS!

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

It's probably an excellent idea to slab the great comic book rarities- I wouldn't want to be handling a Superman #1 or any other six figure item, but if I bought a comic for $25 or $50 I would want to be able to read it.

I guess with any area of collecting the more valuable an item, the less you want to handle it. If you dog ear a $25 comic, you're out five bucks. If you read Superman #1 in the bath tub and it slips and falls in...OOPS!

Barry - After reading your post, I had a visual of a collector reading a rare comic book in the bathtub and it is troubling me to no end. What a sight. Thanks a lot for the post .

[Bridwell]

Slabbing a program or booklet is silly because nobody can see what's on the pages inside once it's entombed. It would protect it, but it would be hard to resell later because I'm not sure anyone would invest in an expensive program without being able to view the inside pages.

Having said this, I don't collect World Series Programs because I can't tell the originals from the fakes. I would have to rely on the reputation of the auction house or seller. So I see your dilemma.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by Bridwell

I don't collect World Series Programs because I can't tell the originals from the fakes. I would have to rely on the reputation of the auction house or seller. So I see your dilemma.

Gosh, Ron, we certainly wouldn't want you to ever have to rely on the reputation of an auction house or a dealer. But then, I guess you go to any old dentist or car repair shop that's convenient, don't you? There is zero problem in the hobby of publication fraud that I'm aware of. The Opie world series reprints are clearly identified as such inside, and those and the few other repros (several negro league pubs come to mind) I've seen are obvious in a casual perusal by anyone who has handled much old paper by the lack of toning and clarity of the print. In other words, the old paper area of the hobby is quite safe to jump into should you be so inclined, in my opinion.