While searching for news on collecting, I found more about the effects of slabbing, on other hobbies. Just one more case that shows why we don't want it.

He said "slabbing" has been a major factor in driving up market prices. Slabbing is the industry term for grading the quality of collectible comics on a nine-point scale, ranging from "poor" to "mint," and then encasing them in a sealed clear plastic envelope. Comics Guaranty LLC of Sarasota, Fla., oversees the process.

Industry watchers agree that prices have climbed significantly since slabbing was introduced three years ago, saying the process brought a degree of standardization and creditability to the business of buying and selling comic books.

Bob Overstreet, who has published "The Official Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide" for 32 years, conceded that the comic book market might be ripe for a price correction.

When slabbing was introduced to coin collecting in the 1980s, he said, coin values rose significantly, then took a sharp downturn because the market wound up overpriced. Some fear the same thing will happen with the comic book market, he said.

Lets not forget that most slabbed items come with the No Guarantee clause, that states the grade and value are not backed up by the seller.

That means paying extra for a false sense of security and value.