Bookery

Actually, earlier I referred to it as having some oddity value like the infamous Stan Lee blob-signature. But then I thought about it, and realized that wouldn't be the case after all. If this bizarre copy had enhanced value... one could simply duplicate it by cutting out another copy (or even claim it was this copy). So probably best for me just to eventually marry it to a cover-less copy (and then hang the damaged page in a frame on the wall!). I was kind of ticked about it when I started the thread. But after 5 pages it's given me enough entertainment value that I no longer mind! Thanks everyone!

There's an angle that's not been mentioned yet... I wonder why someone would send-in a book like this to be graded in the first place? There was no way the sender could anticipate how the label would read. The only "value" the book has is as a curiosity... which is negated if you can't see the problem. I would assume the sender requested the "qualified" grade? Otherwise, it would get what... a 0.5 incomplete? I've never sent a qualified book to CGC, so not entirely sure how this works.

The collector is like a pinball. You bounce around from show to show and shop to shop. There's a lot of noise and excitement and flashy collectibles. But ultimately you still have to deal with the flippers.

Making a note of this... will be the new price in my next guide.

Hmmm.

Yes... but in that case you still get the 1st app. of Sticky-Mitt Stimson, so it's all good. With the Hulk 180 situation... you don't get a 1st app. of nobody!

I guess it might be of some use to someone with a coverless copy. They could dis-assemble the book and replace the wrap (the copy otherwise is pretty decent) and have a married copy that would still be significantly more valuable than it is now. Or one could keep it as a conversation piece... sort of like the Stan Lee spider-blob signature.

I would never send a book like this in to be graded. I'm glad I broke it out... I would have been horrified to sell it to one of my customers only for them to find out years down the road this was what it was. I'd rather lose a few hundred now than alienate a customer later. Also, since I didn't realize what was meant by p.16 (even after all of these years, I have only owned a handful of qualified grades... and they stated exactly what was wrong, such as missing MVS). I might have accidentally misrepresented what the potential problem might be. As i said... I doubt if there is another copy on the planet with this particular flaw... so it should have been spelled out since it would be impossible to guess this was what was meant.

I've got it! I'll market it as a Wolverine #100 prototype!

I dunno. Maybe someone with razor-sharp claws, amazing dexterity, and a volatile personality, who might be upset if his image was used without his permission???

Oh, don't get me wrong. Obviously the majority of CGC books are fine. I grade a bit more conservative than CGC, especially on under-FN books, but that doesn't make one of us right and the other wrong. But I don't think it hurts to point out inconsistencies when they arise, in the aim of fostering improvement. The Wolverine is a one-off... not the kind of thing likely to be duplicated again. I'd be more upset if I wasn't buying a large collection, so in the overall scheme of things, it's probably not that financially significant. But I thought the gang here would find it amusing, if nothing else. It goes to show that there's an infinite amount of weird problems that can happen to comics over the years.

Funny that you mention this. This book is from the same purchase (to save money, customer over the years bought a number of lower-grade, restored, or qualified books if they were expensive keys). Now unlike the other, I knew exactly what I was buying, because in hand it's obvious. Still... label says "Slight (A)" under the apparent 5.5, and states "small amount of color touch on cover". You might not be able to tell from the photo, but the color touch runs the entire length of the left side (up to 1/4" wide), runs across the top, runs down much of the right side, and in the gray across the bottom. All 4 edges. Isn't "small amount of color touch" the same notation they gave to 2 tiny dots on the recent Superman #1 sale? (Anyway.. thus endeth my gripe-fest... except that I will say there was a thread earlier this year... not sure which... in which some posters had a hard time understanding why my customers would pay me near-graded prices for raw comics... well, here's exhibits A and B...)

I assume the only value it would have is for the cover, in case someone wants to marry it to a coverless copy.

Pretty much. Even if they simplified it to Wolverine panel cut out, would be sufficient. It states right on the label "1st appearance of Wolverine in cameo on last page". Except that Wolverine, in this case, is definitely NOT on the last page. I guess it's a super-cameo!

The issue is... paid notes be danged... shouldn't something this catastrophically significant be spelled out right on the label?

And no... not the customer's fault... he bought it this way.

Part 3 -- Turns out... what they mean is Leaf 16... the final page... and here (with a sheet behind so it shows up) is what they mean by "large piece cut out"... (ie -- the book is essentially worthless)...

Part 2 -- But when I get to p.16... it's perfectly fine...

Part 1 -- Have been buying a large collection from a customer, which he's been bringing in groups. Lots of both raw and slabbed comics. One of the comics I picked up was this qualified Hulk 180. On the label it states "large piece cut out of page 16, affects story, incomplete". Fair enough. I figure a standard 7.0 is going for around $1400. This is an incomplete book, but I looked up p.16 on line and it's NOT the marvel stamp page. It's a hot book with the first app. of Wolverine, the Marvel stamp is present, even with a chunk out of an interior page (I'm guessing a large corner piece got torn off which goes into one or more panels), so I guess I might get $600 and pay $450. Afterward, I break it out of the slab, because any potential customer is going to want to see for themselves how big a piece is missing, and whether they can live with it or not. Here is a photo of the de-slabbed book, but with its label above...

It would be tougher I'd think than any of the Black Mask issues. But Hammett originally appeared as Peter Collinson in several early issues of Brief Stories. So hard to say which is scarcest?

Yes... that's about as much as I put on them in the shop. And a lot of times, if it's not a major artist (or title) I'll still just toss it into the $1 bin. I think people like "discovering" them there, and it's good for promoting the section. (I know a lot of people worry about authenticity, but trust me, no one is out there buying up metallic-ink pens and forging obscure artists signatures on non-key books).

This novel was made into an interesting if somewhat obscure film in 1970 directed by Cornel Wilde. I don't know how closely it follows the book, but the movie, at any rate, seemed to owe a bit of its inspiration to Panic in Year Zero made 8 years earlier.

Well... it's always possible the artist knew it could be taken both ways... but had an easy explanation for his editor if asked...

Not to rain on any joy of discovery, but judging by the position of her thumbs, I suspect she is "snapping her fingers". Though "flipping the bird" had been around a long time, it appears it did not become popularly well-known in America until the late 60s or early 70s. However, snapping one's fingers was a very popular device at the time especially in Beatnik music and dance (if I recall it's part of an Audrey Hepburn dance in Funny Face). It's even a significant part of the Addams Family theme in 1964.

I remember watching that movie as a kid. Brilliant concept... a menace so insidious, so terrifying, that the only possible chance for escape was... to stroll casually to one side! It was the kind of movie that Count Floyd would have promoted.