All I want to do is talk about COMC

[gmoney328]

They did have some special mlb store cards one year recently, I thought, like at the grand opening or something.

[Atrox77]

Hey all, perhaps the answer is right in front of my face but I can't seem to find it regarding COMC.

I missed out on the Black Friday sale and was wondering how often they do promotional sales like that, or is that a once a year event? There were so many good cards that were really discounted and by the time I realized that there was a BF sale going on it was over lol.

[mjohnatgt]

Black Friday is annual, as well as Spring Cleaning, usually around May.

[hanes1111]

Are these guys transitioning to a grading company? I just had around 350 cards hit. All of them were 2022 topps mini / update and a good portion of them are Ex/Nm. The scans show absolutely no flaws........pretty frustrating.

[IMG]
2022 Topps Update Series - [Base] - Gold #US292 - Cole Irvin /2022 [EX to NM]
Courtesy of COMC.com[/IMG]
2022 Topps Update Series - [Base] #US300.1 - Albert Pujols (Tipping Helmet to Fans)
Courtesy of COMC.com

[mjohnatgt]

Send them an email; every so often, it seems like a person inputting cards leaves a condition setting on too long.

[hanes1111]

Originally Posted by mjohnatgt

Send them an email; every so often, it seems like a person inputting cards leaves a condition setting on too long.

Will do , I requested a correction to condition on all of them . Been around for a while and never seen so many in a small batch like that.

[checkoutmydeals]

This is just speculation on my part, but it could be a new hire, eager to please. If your job is to look at cards all day and sort them into 4 different buckets, you might start to imagine flaws, or at least over-weigh their significance.

Also speculation; there are probably times when customers return items, and then people get yelled at and the people grading start to get ultra strict. If they put a flawed card in the default bucket, they catch grief. If they put a minty fresh card in a lower bucket, the retail buyer might be well pleased.

When Starstock was a thing, it was pretty common for people submitting cards to complain about the low % of A grades their items received, and it was also common for people who purchased B grade cards to be pleasantly surprised how nice the cards were (if they could take physical delivery within a year or so).

Even further, drifting into tinfoil hat speculation: in times past, when COMC would return "flawed" items, I think it often happened that they would just return stuff if they couldn't get it processed before the deadline and claim it was flawed.

If it's any consolation, my general experience has been that cards in the EX-NM bucket often sell just as fast, or even faster, for about as much, or sometimes even more, than the items in the default bucket, particularly if there isn't anything obvious in the scan. There are usually fewer competing items, and the word NM is in the description.

It probably isn't obvious to the retail buyer that it's supposed to be "lower grade". If you're on eBay, it isn't obvious that the item is in a lower bucket. If you're on the site, it isn't intuitive when you filter "ungraded", "COMC", you are looking at the "lower" grade cards. When you search this way, EX-NM usually shows as the highest grade. It isn't intuitive that you are supposed to select "none" to see the "higher" grade default bucket.

As an example, compare a search for 1987 Topps Barry Bonds, raw, filtered by "None" or "COMC". The "flawed" cards are scarcer and more expensive than the default cards. If you were a newbie, you might think that the EX-NM cards are the more desirable.:

https://www.comc.com/Cards,sp,vDetai...Ungraded,rCOMC

https://www.comc.com/Cards,sp,vDetai...Ungraded,rNone

[hanes1111]

Originally Posted by checkoutmydeals

This is just speculation on my part, but it could be a new hire, eager to please. If your job is to look at cards all day and sort them into 4 different buckets, you might start to imagine flaws, or at least over-weigh their significance.

Also speculation; there are probably times when customers return items, and then people get yelled at and the people grading start to get ultra strict. If they put a flawed card in the default bucket, they catch grief. If they put a minty fresh card in a lower bucket, the retail buyer might be well pleased.

When Starstock was a thing, it was pretty common for people submitting cards to complain about the low % of A grades their items received, and it was also common for people who purchased B grade cards to be pleasantly surprised how nice the cards were (if they could take physical delivery within a year or so).

Even further, drifting into tinfoil hat speculation: in times past, when COMC would return "flawed" items, I think it often happened that they would just return stuff if they couldn't get it processed before the deadline and claim it was flawed.

If it's any consolation, my general experience has been that cards in the EX-NM bucket often sell just as fast, or even faster, for about as much, or sometimes even more, than the items in the default bucket, particularly if there isn't anything obvious in the scan. There are usually fewer competing items, and the word NM is in the description.

It probably isn't obvious to the retail buyer that it's supposed to be "lower grade". If you're on eBay, it isn't obvious that the item is in a lower bucket. If you're on the site, it isn't intuitive when you filter "ungraded", "COMC", you are looking at the "lower" grade cards. When you search this way, EX-NM usually shows as the highest grade. It isn't intuitive that you are supposed to select "none" to see the "higher" grade default bucket.

As an example, compare a search for 1987 Topps Barry Bonds, raw, filtered by "None" or "COMC". The "flawed" cards are scarcer and more expensive than the default cards. If you were a newbie, you might think that the EX-NM cards are the more desirable.:

https://www.comc.com/Cards,sp,vDetai...Ungraded,rCOMC

https://www.comc.com/Cards,sp,vDetai...Ungraded,rNone

Thanks , great points also

[TripleCrown24]

Originally Posted by theshowandme

Early Xmas gift

Was this the submission you sent in September where nothing had been processed yet? Or a different one?

[HRderby22]

Originally Posted by checkoutmydeals

This is just speculation on my part, but it could be a new hire, eager to please. If your job is to look at cards all day and sort them into 4 different buckets, you might start to imagine flaws, or at least over-weigh their significance.

Interesting theory. I had a few in my most recent submission pop up as EX/NM and all of them were instances of where I submitted 3-5 duplicates. It kind of had the feeling of, "If you sent in 5 of them, 1 of them has to be flawed."

Interestingly though, in a few cases it created a "COMC Monopoly", so in theory, the cards get more visibility because they're not lumped in with the others and become a standalone listing.

The good news is, they processed my order very quickly and COMC remains my preferred platform.

[theshowandme]

Originally Posted by TripleCrown24

Was this the submission you sent in September where nothing had been processed yet? Or a different one?

This is the September order.

In the last 10 days they have processed 197 of 207 cards. It's been a rush to have so many listed at once!

[theshowandme]

Love when an order pops and things start flying out of your port

Processing fees are now covered for this order, break even is right around the corner, then pure profit baby!

Really going to ramp up my card show buying again in the spring and try to spread out more orders

[HRderby22]

Is there a way on COMC to see how many views a card has had or how many have it on a watch list? It appears the answer is no, but figured I'd ask. It would be great data to have as a seller.

[splitrockgamer]

So are the helmet cards from update blasters 'oversized' cards? Or will they be uploaded at the normal $.50?

[scotthenrichs]

Originally Posted by HRderby22

Is there a way on COMC to see how many views a card has had or how many have it on a watch list? It appears the answer is no, but figured I'd ask. It would be great data to have as a seller.

Nope. Problem I've heard people say in the past was that sellers would be jacking up the pricing on harder to find cards with a watcher.

[theshowandme]

Originally Posted by splitrockgamer

So are the helmet cards from update blasters 'oversized' cards? Or will they be uploaded at the normal $.50?

Those are junk, don't send those

[hanes1111]

This is the response for all the EX/NM

During processing of the submitted batch, each item is examined closely and a determination is made on the item’s condition. The item is then categorized into a grade range or ‘bucket’. We make every effort to be consistent and fair when making these determinations. Our goal is to provide an accurate condition of the item to prospective buyers.

For a detailed explanation of our condition buckets, please review our FAQ article linked below:

https://comc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ar...et-Explanation

Please note, correction requests are intended for identification issues. Please feel free to contact us at staff@comc.com if you ever have any questions unrelated to identification.

Please let me know if you have any further questions!

Thank you,
Ian
COMC Customer Service

[HRderby22]

Originally Posted by scotthenrichs

Nope. Problem I've heard people say in the past was that sellers would be jacking up the pricing on harder to find cards with a watcher.

Got it. Thank you. My thought was actually to send them to Ebay if nobody was even sniffing them, but I get it.

[HRderby22]

Originally Posted by hanes1111

This is the response for all the EX/NM

During processing of the submitted batch, each item is examined closely and a determination is made on the item’s condition. The item is then categorized into a grade range or ‘bucket’. We make every effort to be consistent and fair when making these determinations. Our goal is to provide an accurate condition of the item to prospective buyers.

For a detailed explanation of our condition buckets, please review our FAQ article linked below:

https://comc.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ar...et-Explanation

Please note, correction requests are intended for identification issues. Please feel free to contact us at staff@comc.com if you ever have any questions unrelated to identification.

Please let me know if you have any further questions!

Thank you,
Ian
COMC Customer Service

I have no reason not to trust them, but it's hard to imagine the examination can be very thorough or consistent for $0.50 - $2.00 per card submission fee. Onward we go!!

[scotthenrichs]

Originally Posted by theshowandme

Those are junk, don't send those

I'll take them...at the right price

[checkoutmydeals]

So are the helmet cards from update blasters 'oversized' cards? Or will they be uploaded at the normal $.50?

One way to check when you're unsure is to look at the listings of the card set in question, in Advanced Reseller Mode. If there are examples of the set which have shipping and handling charge of 25 cents, then it is probably "normal" sized and you can send it with standard processing. If all of the items priced under $100 have shipping & handling of $1, then it is probably something which requires "Elite" processing.

In this instance, all of the examples I see, even the cheap ones, have shipping and handling of $1, so they are probably elite.

As for whether they are worth sending in, I probably would if the expected asking price is more than some multiple of the processing fee. If you would normally send an item for triple the processing fee, then you might send a normal item if the expected base asking price is $1.50, but an elite item if the base expected asking price is $6.

One problem with new product is that the price can start high when the product is relatively new and relatively few items have been submitted. But by the time yours is processed, a bunch of other copies have also been submitted, and the buyers are after some other new hotness. So it could be that you're better off selling them as a group lot on some other venue rather than paying $2 each for processing.

[Dalston]

Originally Posted by checkoutmydeals

So are the helmet cards from update blasters 'oversized' cards? Or will they be uploaded at the normal $.50?

One way to check when you're unsure is to look at the listings of the card set in question, in Advanced Reseller Mode. If there are examples of the set which have shipping and handling charge of 25 cents, then it is probably "normal" sized and you can send it with standard processing. If all of the items priced under $100 have shipping & handling of $1, then it is probably something which requires "Elite" processing.

In this instance, all of the examples I see, even the cheap ones, have shipping and handling of $1, so they are probably elite.

As for whether they are worth sending in, I probably would if the expected asking price is more than some multiple of the processing fee. If you would normally send an item for triple the processing fee, then you might send a normal item if the expected base asking price is $1.50, but an elite item if the base expected asking price is $6.

One problem with new product is that the price can start high when the product is relatively new and relatively few items have been submitted. But by the time yours is processed, a bunch of other copies have also been submitted, and the buyers are after some other new hotness. So it could be that you're better off selling them as a group lot on some other venue rather than paying $2 each for processing.

I had this thought process and found one card without the black background that elite processing had. That had a S&H of 0.45c in advanced reseller mode. I think this is the amount that applies to non-encased oversized cards from some other items I've seen, but am not 100% sure. And AFAICT irritatingly neither the site nor the help tool provides any information on what the 0.45 S&H means.

But my guess is they are treated as oversized, which I think in terms of the economics of how badly prices on flagship maufactured relics sink its probably not worth sending any in unless they are Julio or Witt (or possibly a low-numbered second-tier rookie). And even then given the likely upcharge I'd probably consider selling on eBay instead.

[RobDerhak]

What have turnaround times been on submissions lately?

I just sent my first submission to them in a year, not sure what to expect...tia

[HRderby22]

Originally Posted by RobDerhak

What have turnaround times been on submissions lately?

I just sent my first submission to them in a year, not sure what to expect...tia

I had cards arrive to them on 12/12 and had the first one added on 12/15. On 12/16, 16 more were added.

I had (3) submissions. Select (35), Elite (12), and Elite graded (9).

As of today, 33 of 35 select have been added, 12 of 12 elite, and 0 of 9 graded. Posted due date was 12/27. Pretty quick.

[checkoutmydeals]

I had this thought process and found one card without the black background that elite processing had. That had a S&H of 0.45c in advanced reseller mode. I think this is the amount that applies to non-encased oversized cards from some other items I've seen, but am not 100% sure. And AFAICT irritatingly neither the site nor the help tool provides any information on what the 0.45 S&H means.

General rule of thumb is that "standard" sized cards will fit easily in a 9 pocket or 6 pocket page, and anything that won't is "oversized".

45 cent S&H usually means the item was processed in a toploader. Sometimes this is because it is oversized. On some items which were processed a long time ago, it might have meant the item was expensive, but these days expensive items are usually processed as "Elite" (black background, higher contrast scan, $1 s&h).

The black background Elite processing can also just mean the item was, at one time, sent to auction. So there are 10 cent "Elite" items floating around.

To answer the specific question, these cards seem to be "oversized", though I have no idea the exact dimensions that would make an item "oversized" at the present time. COMC frequently changes the rules, and doesn't always explain things very well. So the wordy answer is intended to help people with the thought process in case there are any corner cases in the future.