lou_fine

You came close Lou, super close! Well, how about if it comes back in its next incarnation as a CGC 10.0 graded copy then?

Same here as I am always curious, but not willing to spend my $10 for the info. Guess I didn't pique enough of your interest to make you spend your $10.

Oh that’s soo weird! Wonder why the 9.0 would still be recognized, whilst it is now a 9.6. Unless sent in raw and previous label wasn’t provided to remove the 9.0 grade 🤷‍♂️ Yes indeed, as I believe the CGC 9.0 label was never turned back in, but the CGC 9.6 label was turned back in when they added another CGC 9.8 graded copy into the census when it became the tied for the highest graded copy along with the Church copy of this book.

Well, if that's the case then how about micro-trimming if it's been done properly since that also can't be detected with 100% accuracy? Not talking about trimming a la Dupchak style, but micro-trimming a la Ewert style.

Yeah I mean unfortunately there’s no proof I can put forth in this conversation, and as far as that book goes since I’ll never have those graders notes. I believe you spoke too soon, as these CGC Graders Notes can be yours to share with all of us if you are willing to fork over a measly $10 to them: https://www.cgccomics.com/certlookup/0065735001/

Yes, please give us the scoop on the New Fun 2 as that's supposedly the rarest DC book out there.

Must have been love at first sight for Shang Chi and his first encounter with Leiko Wu:

Well, all I can say to this is that if it's due to defects that cannot be easily seen by the naked eye even with the use of enlarged detailed scans and instead, you need to refer to the Graders Notes to even identify them, then should it really hammer the grade down by 4 full increments? I can think of other much more readily visual defects than these near invisible defects which seems to be #1 with a bullet right at the top of CGC's grading hit parade.

Also hard to beat some of his gorgeous splash pages, especially when it features the stunning Leiko Wu:

Although he did only a few of the MOKF covers after his run was over, you really have to absolutely love some of his interior layouts, as they were indeed very Sterankoesque like:

You don't press a comic book to conserve it, you press it to make it look better.......aka Universal!

It would help to know what the grader notes were on the 9.0 back when it was still that grade. I don’t think the eye test alone is a definite way to presume this was a 9.6 even when it was a 9.0. Very possible there were additional defects (presseable/cleanable) defects back then. Well, if it's cleanable defects, then should we not be able to visually see them in an oversize scan like this. Personally, I feel that we should be able to clearly see visual differences from a scan if it's enough to change the grade from a CGC 9.0 to CGC 9.6 and finally then to a CGC 9.8? Also doesn't appear to be due to any color breaking creases because you really can't see any no how large you magnify the 2 scans. So, since the 9.0 slabbed copy was graded back in 2004 before pressing even came to light, I assume it would be due to some near invisible tiny non-color breaking ticks which I still can't see even when I blow up the scans. But probably enough for CGC to apply some punishment grading to in advance of prepping the market for what was to come the following year as per a previous post:

Well, not in accordance to CGC's Restoration Grading Scale updated as of July 1, 2014: Conservation Repairs Conservation repairs are performed with the intent of preserving the structural or chemical integrity of a comic book using professional techniques and materials. It excludes aesthetic repairs such as color touch and piece fill. All conserved grades must satisfy the CGC quality scale of "A" and quantity scale of "1". Tear seals Spine split seals Reinforcement Piece reattachment Some cover or interior cleaning (water or solvent) Staples cleaned or replaced Some leaf casting De-acidification

The only thing that matters is that the 8.5 label looks much nicer than the 8.0 label. The book sitting underneath the label is superfluous. Yes indeed, when will these old school GA guys learn that it's all about buying the label and not having to worry about the book at all. I guess some of us old timers are just going to have to learn from some of these newbie MA day traders who have no problem paying $15K for a Spidey 300 or over $32K for a Secret Wars 8!!! Needless to say, I'll certainly , the money that is.

Only to ny residents as thats the only state they operate in. And seems like most ny comic folks are smart and have a resale Cert so o doubt tax is an issue for most Well, either that or simply open up a PO Mailing Box across the state line since it's so close with all of the super fast freeways out East there.

Speaking of GA upgrades from CGC 9.0 to what have you, can any of you eagle eye boardies here explain the tell tale difference that makes this copy of Crackajack Funnies 9 with the first appearance of Red Ryder only a CGC 9.0 graded copy: As compared to this exact same copy here in its later incarnation as a CGC 9.6 graded copy here?: Although we don't have the actual book in hand, this sometimes makes me wonder if this is simply due to changing grading standards over time or is this considered to be within CGC's acceptable grading margin of error. If so, then why not even a higher CGC 9.8 graded copy then, which it actually is!!!

Definitely hard to keep up with all of the former restoration work that CGC now allows for their Universal books. But didn't Borock say way back in 2005 or thereabouts that "disassembly and reassembly of a comic book in and of itself does not constitute restoration"? So, if you combine that with their "maximization of potential", would you not have a book that just might take care of that slight misalignment issue?

You know, you could actually be dead right about this, with the biggest problem being the misaligned spine which just might be "fixable". Definitely not miscut like the 9.4 copy and the PQ even appears to be nicer from the slivers that are visible. In fact, if you pay your dues owing to the CCG owners a few more times, you could probably even get both of these copies sitting in a CGC 9.6 slab before you know it.

Definitely the case since even Frazetta's most expensive painting sold for only a fraction of what Roy Lichtenstein's Masterpiece managed to sell for at a whopping $165M: http://lichtensteinpaintings.com/Masterpiece Roy Lichtenstein.jpg

Ah yes....................you must be referring to this post by @Timely here (hit the arrow at the top right of the link below) from the Cap 1 9.4 thread: Sounds like a lot of whining and lobbying by John that paid off in the end if this story is correct.

Based upon your experience with some of these books in question here, I assume you must be setting these threshold limits with some specific defects in mind. If not, then who's to really say as have we not seen some superior looking CGC 9.0 graded copies of GA books move up quite a few grade increments and even right into the sweet spot as a CGC 9.8 graded copy?

Although you might be right in most cases, it's not a guaranteed win, especially if the history of the book is easily traceable and you are trying to do a quick flip on the upgraded resub. Perfect case in point, being this now tied for highest graded copy of Action Comics 13 in CGC 9.2 which managed to fetch only $166K in a CC Event Auction at the end of last year: Any bets that the consignor lost money on the book rather big time considering that it cost them $156K only a short year earlier when it was slabbed as CGC 9.0 graded copy. I am sure that was probably the primary reason why bidders held back on their bids since they knew the book was a resub, and as a result, didn't even get close to the CGC 9.2 graded Atlantic City Copy which managed to fetch $185K in a CC Auction way back in 2011 when the top of guide valuation on the book was at only $30K.

It's call paying your dues as both sides need to scratch each other's back in they want to get into the money. How many times did it take Scmell to resub that 9.6 graded copy of X-Men 1 before he was finally able to get that 9.8 from CGC. Apparently, it took a lot of complaints and lobbying from Veryzl before he finally managed to get that 9.8 for his Cap 1. Yes indeed, as their grading standards have devolved over time to ensure that resubs, CPR, and other forms of undisclosed manipulative practices are built in as additional streams of revenue, which I am sure was part of their business model from very early on. Sad to say, but the grading game has reached the point that if you don't play by their rules of the game, there's no point to even think of sending in your books for grading, unless you are willing to live with some punishment grades.

Butt, why in the world would you say that about Robin, the Butt Wonder??

This hurts my head Indeed, and I don't know if it's worth the risk of turning off some of the potential bidders who would simply pay more attention to the auction lots with no BP added on top. If I was a potential bidder looking at these BP auctions whereby the consignor could squeeze out a further 1.5% on the hammer price (or only 1.3% on the final price), it would lead me to think........if they are that desparate to squeeze out a fractional percentage more, is it possible that they might have done other undisclosed work on the book to get an even much bigger bang for their buck. From my point of view, it's only worth it if the consignor believes that there are potential bidders out there who will get caught up in the bidding action and not be thinking straight and end up throwing in an extra bid or two by not fully or seriously factoring in the additional 15% BP.