Sauce Dog

Thank you so much, Mike. I appreciate your time, and any & all help offered towards solving this mystery. I would love to continue grading my ragged old front-coverless books and turning them into affordable display slabs - after all, not all of us can afford the good complete mid-grade stuff (I'm also sure many here would also love to know the answer as to better understand CGC's stance on this - I get asked about this often when people see my books)

Yup, all my books have everything attached, but all my experience is only if the ENTIRE cover wrap is a copy will it get NG - mine all have original back covers (which without the front copy grade at 0.5 anyways if they are still attached. You usually see this though with books missing the back cover getting 0.5 as people grade those while many don't bother grading books missing the front cover since it impacts display) The question is WHY would they assign NG over 0.5 in these cases? What is the variable that triggers one over the other (besides grader opinions, since this seems to be a very specific thing and not something subjective)

I recently got back my copy of Strange Tales #110 and it received a NG. Bear with me, this will all make sense why I'm confused: I have been submitting books that are missing the front covers, but still had the original back covers. I would attach a reproduction copy of a front cover to complete the book visually. All these books received an expected 0.5 (as per CGC guidelines a book missing an entire cover wrap is clearly No Grade, but if you have at least one half of the cover it can qualify for 0.5 so long as there isn't anything else missing from the book). Basically these books are not being graded for their overall condition, but rather simply based on a major specific defect that automatically puts them at the bottom of the scale, which I would argue allows one to make a very easy, standard & objective classification of such a book. This book was fixed exactly the same way as my prior books, using the exact same techniques (front copy and original back cover mended with the same tape, cover wrap then reattached using the original staples), all include original back covers that even include part of the front cover still (notice the top left of the Brave and the Bold cover, and the price box of Strange Tales), interiors all complete, getting the same label note ("FRONT COVER IS A COLOR COPY), but for some reason ST110 got hit with a No Grade. But why? I can't get any clues from the grader notes either (see below) You might be thinking the difference is with the interior pages, but that can't be the case since the interior for Strange Tales was fairly minty while other books I've done had absolute wrecked interiors with many tears and even missing pieces (such the case with the below Brave and the Bold #28, which you can read below and believe me it was a wreck of an interior) I can't seem to come up with a reason, as something like this shouldn't even be susceptible to a grader having an off day or a difference of grader opinions - it's a very specific defect and work done. @CGC Mike can you shed any light on this? Is this the sort of inconsistency that could be questioned and appealed? I hope this doesn't come across as the standard "Bro, my book came back 9.4 but it totalllllyyyy should have been a 9.9!!!" whining regarding grades received, as in my mind this is a very specific type of defect/grade combination that should be consistent across all books. I'm basically trying to find a way to square this as I want to feel confident submitting books in the future, but this book now makes it seem there isn't a set standard being followed and would make any future submissions a gamble. Notes for Strange Tales. Notes for Brave and the Bold.

Yup, I use MCS often so I've become used to the reasonable rates

Am I crazy... ...or does that sound like there isn't a Buyer's Premium at all, right? That's how I read it. Because that was one reason I jumped into trying Pedigree Comics for the first time ever, after having been told by a few people there was a hidden BP and to avoid, but I've just been charge 4% extra and told that the BP is only ever waived if you pay by cheque/cash/money order....something that wasn't mentioned anywhere in that above press release and I didn't know prior to bidding

This was my first time using them and honestly didn't see the shipping...seems worse for me being in Canada. I'm paying 30% of my total order just for shipping (and I swear, if I get hit with additional duties/import fees after this I'll have to avoid using them again just on account of shipping costs if I'm only buying cheaper items - expensive big stuff this is fine for obviously, but not batches of little books) $70.00 for up to two (2) books plus $14.00 for each additional two (2) books to Canada;

Only found out about this auction a few days ago and it was a dream for pedigree collectors like me. I managed to snag a Tales of Suspense pedigree I needed, and picked up a few Spider-Man books with pedigrees for a friend (who has never owned a pedigree and has wanted to get into buying them) since everything went for SUPER CHEAP (Honestly, when a graded book sells for $35 that just seems like a no-brainer purchase to make - especially so if they are a unique pedigree copy!). Unfortunalty I think there are problems with the website, as I cannot checkout and pay for my order due to the website calculating my cart incorrectly (it is doubling every invoice amount I owe at the moment)

Sadly for me not a surprise, specifically with Anthony Rapp case this is what I was expecting. Proving this sort of thing (especially in a UK court which I've been told has a higher bar to clear for guilt with these sort of things) years after the crime has taken place is incredibly hard even with when it is a strong case. So he's not explicitly guilty (yet, good chance some of the people try taking this to civil court), but he's booked much time on a private jet owned by a convicted child sex trafficker and has enough other red flags that he still has questionable creep vibes (especially with this 'clumsy pass' defence garbage).

What's really going to bake your noodle later on is, how many slabbed regular cover comics are out there with this slip tucked inside that we will never know about? edit: wait, I just figured out a perfect solution to all this!!!! CGC just has to start printing all its slips and office documents directly on microchamer paper! That way it's never a quality control issue if anything gets encapsulated - they can just say it was done to preserve the book (and provide detailed handling history during the CGC process...*cough*)

My mental health after deciding to peek back into this thread I've reached out to Mike and recommend that he shut down the submission portion of his website at this point, and post a notice on the homepage regarding it as well as info for those wanting their books mailed back. I haven't worked on his website in awhile, but am available to make this happen quickly as to alleviate some stress (so he doesn't have to find time to do it himself, or pay to bring another developer/employee on board to do it)

I like that they are leaning into the back spikes being clearly reminiscent of long-term nuclear waste warning sculptures.

I swear I'm going to claw my way back into this club even if it means having to BUILD my own copy again Bought an incomplete CGC NG copy (missing the entire cover and first page - though the back page of that wrap is still there, and the second wrap has a chunk missing from the top left), and now managed to track down a loose front cover for it locally. Next up is sourcing a back cover replacement (that will be super easy) and then lastly just need to find someone who can sell me the first page only (or the entire first wrap, that would mean less work overall). Still debating what I want to do with it overall, either repair it myself to a 0.5/1.0 Universal grade OR send it to a pro for proper leaf casting and get the book structurally solid and pull in a conserved 3.5 or better grade.

Seriously though, Wolverine wearing a yellow cape has been confirmed. Below is the photo of the prop that was leaked, and it reveals which famous fashion brand is working on the costume for this movie

CAPE CONFIRMED!

Alas, not real; a photoshop (mask looks to be based on the one we saw as an easter-egg before, and the arms have been edited to be bare). edit: original source https://www.instagram.com/p/CuimQ5esrAC/?img_index=1

Overall it is a decent adaptation of the costume, but at this point as long as we got anything YELLOW it would have been good - fans have been starved of blocky bright color comic suits for so long our expectations are easy to meet I don't mind it without the trunks, but I think the boots are uninspired; the main super minor "issue" for me are the little details that are key to bringing it in line with his comic suit - mainly the sharp 'teeth/claws' motif found on his clavicle area and the sides of his abdomen, the ones on his clavicle specifically are blunted due to the panel/seam construction and it would have been nice to see the blue area continue down into two sharp points (the side body lines are close, and remind me of whiskers of his old suite, but would also have been nice to see the thicker sharp tooth/slashes there as well). Last little nitpick would be I think in this case he needed to grow more hair so it stands taller and even more 'mask-like' if they plan on having him go maskless.

They are all over the place when it comes to tape, you're likely to go mad before any consistent answer can be found. I've found it best to avoid Archival tape; not because it isn't far better than scotch tape, but that CGC more often than not will classify it as restoration due to material combined with obvious intent to repair. Scotch tape is literally the only way to 'dodge' restoration/conservation label, but at the same time do the most damage to a book and is just a bad idea all around. Just don't do it. If you are wanting to do basic conservation on these books, I would just invest the time or funds in doing it proper with a tear seal (Japanese mending tissue + wheat starch paste). Avoid reinforcing with heat set tissues (such as Filmoplast R), it's a good product and basically a better version of archival tape (and easier to apply compared to traditional tear seals) but due to how it looks when applied you risk CGC mistaking it for archival tape. Alternatively a small drop of glue can be used to reinforce the staple areas, though once again this will most certainly lead to restoration classification when doing so (not like a kid back in the 50s doing it on the books). So basically, leave them as is unless you are going to invest in proper conservation.

While still looking and sounding very generic, I don't think that will hurt this too much. This is one of the few comic movies coming out that honestly feels like it isn't really trying to hype things up and will just be happy to do its average thing (expectations are well set for a streaming movie). I kind of feel this one might just end up being an odd ball surprise (and if not, literally zero issue - not like its trying to change the hierarchy of the DC universe or is a mega blockbuster that was hyped for a decade).

Put in a bid on this last month and forgot about it, was pleased to find that I had won it. I typically only collect the Doctor Fate covers of the run, but snagging this for such a cheap price seemed like a no-brainer, and it is now the oldest book in my collection (sure, it has Brittle pages...but for $170 it seems kind of silly to me to pass up - especially with how well it presents).

8.0 / VF or better is high grade, regardless of era (obviously for newer eras like Bronze/Copper/Modern I find it's just as easy to find a 9.4 copy unless budget is a big issue, so you can be more picky) 5.0 / VG/FN to 7.5 VF- is mid grade, and anything 4.5 VG+ or less is low grade for me.

Sure, you can use it to mend a tear but keep in mind that compared to other wheat starch pastes it is not very strong and can leave a slight “sheen” when dry (a sheen that is often wanted when using it to size a cover wrap, giving it a uniform gloss once again).

I love the book being split between the two, but what I absolutely HATED - and still do to this day - are when the covers orient the characters on the opposite side of where their name appears in the masthead. I HATE having Iron Man appear below Cap's headline and vice versa. It makes my designer brain short circuit and my eye twitch every time. That #59 cover would just be so good if you flipped the art horizontally (though I get why they did it, as having offset characters and names means if only half the book was peeking out and visible on the newsstand you could see at least one characters name and the other depicted in the art - so easier to advertise what's in the book that way with limited space) It just hits extra hard when you see perfectly lined up split covers like this - which just feel right.

Only GPA as has been mentioned, but even then you will be hard pressed to figure out the 'value' of pedigree books. Assume they are worth a few bucks more than same Universal grade, unless it is a book/grade people actually want; in which case us pedigree hunters will often pay through the roof (and the premium will depend on how ravenous we are that day. I've offered 3-5x GPA for some pedigree books compared to their universal equivalent but that is an edge case and you shouldn't expect as much all the time)

If a press won't benefit it, why exactly are you wanting to get it re-holdered? Is it just OCD with it being in an 'old' slab? I don't see a point with paying an waiting for it otherwise.