SOTIcollector

For at least a couple reasons, you'll see variations like this. 1) Grading is not an exact science. On a given day, certain graders might grade a particular book 9.6, but on a different day they might grade it 9.4 or 9.8. (Or, if it's a Promise book, maybe it'll get an 11. ) 2) Defects vary. Perhaps a 9.6 has two small nicks on the spine, visible from the front. Perhaps another 9.6 has four or five nicks, but they are only visible from the back and the front looks flawless. I always prefer the book with the better front cover, but that's a matter of personal preference. Does it affect value? Absolutely, but not in a way that's easy to quantify. If you want a book that presents really well for the technical grade, you may have to pay a premium. If you are willing to settle for a book that doesn't look so great (maybe it has a production defect like a miswrap, or maybe it has more visible defects than you'd typically expect to see on a book of that grade), you might be able to get it at a discount.

Wow. That story is a heartbreaker! I'm sorry that inconsiderate buyer happened to you, and hope you blocked them. Best of luck with the sale!

I learned something today. Thanks for the info. It seems ridiculous to me, because a defect is a defect. I'd expect writing on the cover to be a bigger hit to the grade than writing inside, but I'd still expect the writing inside to impact the grade. So does this apply to all grades? Could I have a 9.8 with writing inside? I'd personally consider an otherwise-9.8 book with writing inside to be equivalent to, say, a 9.4. Would CGC still call it a 9.8 blue?

1. When CGC indicates “written”, that’s just what it is. Somebody wrote that name on the first page. It is very likely that somebody was Gil Kane himself, and that’s his signature. why would anybody else write that name on the first page? However, CGC makes no attempt to indicate who wrote it, because they don’t know. 2. Yes. Writing on the first page of a book that is a 2.0 might have no impact on the grade. But I would expect that interior writing absolutely could and probably would lower the grade of a book that’s 8.0 or better. Perhaps the book could have graded at a 9.0, or north of that, but the grade was knocked down because of the writing? Sometimes a book like this might get a higher grade green label, indicating it is a qualified grade.

On eBay, I see many copies of a Russian reprint of Amazing Fantasy 15, in Russian. In most cases, they are being offered for $30 or less. If that is the comic you are asking about, then its value is clearly somewhat under $30. A check of sold listings on eBay would give you a better idea what people are actually paying for it.

No. A CBCS yellow label and a CGC yellow label are very different things. A CBCS yellow label means that somebody at CBCS thinks a signature is authentic. A yellow CGC label means that witnesses from CGC actually watched the comic being signed by the person. CGC offers a significantly higher level of certainty that the signature is authentic. So a CGC yellow label is not at all the same as a CBCS yellow label.

No cause for feeling silly. We were all new to this at one point. With about 99.9% of comics, you can look in the indicia inside the front cover to find the exact title and issue number. You just happen to have one of the ones where that rule isn’t true. Some of those Marvel annuals in the 1967 to 69 range or so don’t necessarily say the word “annual“ or “special“ in the indicia. Popular characters like Spider-Man will always sell at the right price. As others have suggested, if you put these books on eBay, collectors will bid them up to market price. Unless you have mega key books there (like ASM 1), you probably won’t get rich. But there is definitely at least some value to silver age Spider-Man books, regardless of condition. Personally, I would rather pay a few bucks per issue for remaindered books like these than for reprints of the same stories.

I purchased a couple wonderful Wertham-era books from PreHero, and I love them! A seller who checks all the boxes: accurate grading, secure packing, and quick shipping. A+!

I agree this is one possible path to investment success with comics. At the same time, this is a strategy that I’d recommend only for a collector who is seasoned enough to be able to detect any sort of restoration, even when it’s minor. Missed resto on one book can easily turn a potential profit to a significant loss, so this strategy would not be wise for a newbie.

Yes. The second back cover is from a 1970’s book, IIRC. Check the spine carefully where the two unrelated covers were married (attached to one another). The photos show evidence of the work that was done.

Yes. A good presser will remove the appearance of some defects such as non-color-breaking creases. A good presser will handle a comic book very carefully and, unless they make a significant mistake, will not damage a book by their handling of it. Of course, damage can occur as the result of pressing. People can make mistakes in the way they handle books, or mistakenly drop a book, and cause unintended damage. But the mere careful handling of a comic book will not automatically keep it from getting a 9.8, a 9.9, or even a 10.0.

Ooh. I'm liking that one. Of course, I've read all of those stories, but I'm looking for something more than your standard reprint. This looks like it fits the bill. It's too late to put it on a Christmas list and hope for it as a gift, but I'm already thinking of a gift or two that I want to get for myself. This and the Folio Society Silver Age book are both in the running now. Thanks!

I hadn't seen these Folio Society books before. Really cool looking. That Marvel Silver Age one is really tempting. Thanks!

CGC signature series comics are comics that CGC has actually witnessed being signed. If you send in a comic with a signature on it, CGC will either downgrade it for the writing, or give it a green label “qualified“ grade. Sending a “certificate of authenticity” or other documentation will not make a difference in the grading, and there is some chance that it could get lost along the way and not get returned to you. If you decide to submit a signed book for grading, it’s recommended that you hang onto any signature documentation you have.

Well, the book I would have liked (Scream) already sold, but I'm happy to help out with a donation. I hope you soon kick the butts of both cancer and your financial challenges!

Saturday Review bound volumes Sold per PM

One price drop. Take 10% off what remains!

This may be the last anti-comics item for this thread. It's one you may never see again. This is two bound volumes of Saturday Review of Literature, consisting of every issue of the weekly magazine from 1948. What does this have to do with comics? Quite a bit, actually. Feel free to just scroll down a bit if you already know this stuff. Dr. Fredric Wertham’s attacks on comic books began in 1948, and culminated in 1954 with the publication of Seduction of the Innocent and the U.S. Senate’s televised hearings into the dangers of comic books. Wertham’s anti-comics attacks started with the symposium “The Psychopathology of Comic Books” on March 19, 1948, and his anti-comics work was cited in an article by Judith Crist in Collier’s magazine, dated March 27, 1948. Then, in the May 29, 1948 issue of Saturday Review of Literature, Wertham made the case in his own words for his assertion that comic books are dangerous. He elaborated, for a national audience, on his presentation from the symposium. Wertham’s article kicked off a firestorm in the pages of Saturday Review of Literature: subsequent issues contained letters from readers who supported, and readers who were horrified by, Dr. Wertham’s position. The most notable of the comic book supporters was David Pace Wigransy, a 14 year old who presented such an articulate pro-comics case that the editors of SRL contacted the child’s school to make sure the letter was indeed authored by him. Boardie SFCityDuck researched Wigransky and wrote a great thread about him, perhaps the first great comic book collector. Clearly Wertham’s attack on comic books had an impact. Starting in its books cover dated November, 1948, Marvel published editorials in defense of their publications. The second of these editorials (see Kid Colt #2, Millie the Model #16, and most other Marvel books of the period) called out Wertham by name, and mentions the debate raging in the pages of SRL. The editorial also applauds and quotes from Wigransky’s defense of comics. Now that you know about the 1948 Saturday Review of Literature’s contributions to the anti-comics crusade, here are the details of this item. This two-volume set contains every issue of Saturday Review from 1948, including the following comics-related content: 3/20/1948: A review of Coulton Waugh’s “The Comics”; John Mason Brown’s “The Case Against the Comics” and Al Capp’s “The Case for the Comics” 5/1/1948: A letter in response to Al Capp’s defense of comics. 5/29/1948: Wertham’s “The Comics, Very Funny” 6/19/1948: Three letters in response to John Mason Brown and Wertham. 7/17/1948: Three more letters to the editor re: comics. 7/24/1948: Several letters, including David Pace Wigransky’s letter (and a photo of him) 7/31/1948: Wertham admits that he mis-stated the information about the presentation of blood in Classics Illustrated #44 8/21/1948, 9/25/1948, 10/16/1948: Additional letters, pro-comics and anti-comics. This set is heavy! Both volumes can be yours for $SOLD in the US via Media Mail. Contact me if you’d prefer another shipping method and I’ll get you as price for shipping.

Baffling Mysteries, CGC 5.0. More PCH with a great GGA cover. Restoration includes a small amount of color touch and a small amount of glue on the spine. $1200

How did Wertham miss this one? Classic PCH. Ghost Comics #4. CGC 4.0, off-white pages. Classic negligee cover. $2600.

And here's one you don't see every day. The ultimate SOTI for your collection. When SOTI was published, the publisher (Rinehart) printed the book with a bibliography (pp. 399-400). However, due to (likely justified) fears of lawsuits from comic book publishers, Rinehart ordered the bibliography removed from SOTI prior to distribution. Dr. Wertham didn't even know that was happening until after the book was distributed and people complained to him that their book had been mutilated. Some copies of the book made it out before Rinehart ordered the bibliography removed. So although the bibliography doesn't exist in most copies, it does exist. Here's a copy with the original dust jacket and bibilography. Some bleaching to the inside FC and BC. Penciled price on front free endpaper. Otherwise, a great, unmarked copy. $1750 shipped in the US. SOLD Susanville

Whew. I had an unexpectedly long day today. No complaints, it was a great day. But in any event, all I have time for tonight is the SOTIs promised last night. Here's that famous book that nearly killed the entire comic book industry back in 1954. Dr. Fredric Wertham spent seven years "researching" comic books and the detrimental effects (so he claimed) they had on kids. He presented his case in this book, and in the 1954 US Senate hearings that were investigating the dangers of comic books. As a result of his work and the anti-comic book efforts of the time, there were organized comic book burnings. Dozens of publishers went out of business and many talented creators found themselves out of work. Here's comic book history. Seduction of the Innocent, first print (with "R" colophon), second state (no bibliography). The dust jacket is a reproduction. In great shape, with a penciled price on the rear free endpaper. Somebody tried to erase that penciled price, and that took some of the color (as you can see in the photos). Other than that, a nice, clean, unmarked book. Although the original bibliography was removed by the publisher, I have tipped in a photocopy of the bibliography. Yours for $250 + $10 shipping via USPS Priority Mail.