marvelmaniac

This may help, scroll down to "Top Lists" and "Keys By Budget". https://www.keycollectorcomics.com/

Blunted corners with multiple color breaking corner creases, color breaking creases and color loss along edges, small piece missing from outer edge, moderate spine stress with multiple color breaking stress lines/tear along with some color breaking vertical creases and staple tears, small spine split at lower spine, minor spine roll, chipping on the top edge of rear cover, what appears to be a small tear along the outer edge of rear cover. 4.0 VERY GOOD (VG): Back to Top The average used comic book. Cover shows moderate to significant wear, and may be loose but not completely detached. Cover reflectivity is low. Can have moderate creases or dimples. Corners may be blunted. Store stamps, name stamps, arrival dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. Some discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor soiling is allowed. As much as a 1/4" triangle can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" square is also acceptable. Only minor unobtrusive tape and other amateur repair allowed on otherwise high grade copies. Moderate spine roll may be present and/or a 1" spine split. Staples may be discolored. Minor to moderate staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Minor to moderate interior tears may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple.

Slight to minor corner wear with come color loss, some color loss along the top of the outer edge, slight spine stress with a few small spine ticks some slightly break color., small crease/dent along outer edge (as shown in pic) does not appear to break color. The color loss along the lower spine may be a bindery issue (IDK), if it is, it should not really affect the grade, if it is color rub, then yes it will affect the grade. IMO...VF/NM 9.0 9.2 NEAR MINT- (NM-): Back to Top Nearly perfect with only a minor additional defect or defects that keep it from Near Mint. A limited number of minor bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with only the slightest dimming of reflectivity. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A 1/16-1/8" bend is permitted with no color break. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Slight foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples may show some discoloration. Almost no stress lines. Paper is off-white to cream, supple and fresh. Slight interior tears are allowed. 9.0 VERY FINE/NEAR MINT (VF/NM): Back to Top Nearly perfect with outstanding eye appeal. A limited number of bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is almost flat with almost imperceptible wear. Inks are bright with slightly diminished reflectivity. An 1/8" bend is allowed if color is not broken. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted but no creases. Several lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable. Very minor foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples may show some discoloration. Only the slightest staple tears are allowed. A very minor accumulation of stress lines may be present if they are nearly imperceptible. Paper is off-white to cream and supple. Very minor interior tears may be present. 8.5 VERY FINE+ (VF+): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Very Fine but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 8.0 VERY FINE (VF): Back to Top An excellent copy with outstanding eye appeal. A limited accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Cover is relatively flat with minimal surface wear beginning to show, possibly including some minute wear at corners. Inks are generally bright with moderate to high reflectivity. An unnoticeable 1/4" crease is acceptable if color is not broken. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. Spine is almost completely flat with a possible minor color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Very slight staple tears and a few almost insignificant stress lines may be present. Paper is cream to tan and supple. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

Slightly blunted corners, a couple of tiny color breaking spine ticks, slight staining in the price box, top edge is not trimmed properly. IMO...NM- 9.2 9.4 NEAR MINT (NM): Back to Top Nearly perfect with only minor imperfections that keep it from the next higher grade. Subtle bindery/printing defects are allowed. Bindery tears must be less than 1/16" on Silver Age and later books, although on Golden Age books bindery tears of up to 1/4" have been noted. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity and a minimum of fading. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A 1/16" bend is permitted with no color break. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Slight foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples are generally centered; may have slight discoloration. Almost no stress lines. Paper is off-white to cream, supple and fresh. Slight interior tears are allowed. 9.2 NEAR MINT- (NM-): Back to Top Nearly perfect with only a minor additional defect or defects that keep it from Near Mint. A limited number of minor bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with only the slightest dimming of reflectivity. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A 1/16-1/8" bend is permitted with no color break. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Slight foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples may show some discoloration. Almost no stress lines. Paper is off-white to cream, supple and fresh. Slight interior tears are allowed. 9.0 VERY FINE/NEAR MINT (VF/NM): Back to Top Nearly perfect with outstanding eye appeal. A limited number of bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is almost flat with almost imperceptible wear. Inks are bright with slightly diminished reflectivity. An 1/8" bend is allowed if color is not broken. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted but no creases. Several lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable. Very minor foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples may show some discoloration. Only the slightest staple tears are allowed. A very minor accumulation of stress lines may be present if they are nearly imperceptible. Paper is off-white to cream and supple. Very minor interior tears may be present.

Blunted corners with small color breaking creases at lower corners, long color breaking crease/scratch along out edge from bottom to top missing piece, two pieces missing along outer edge, minor spine stress with a few small color breaking spine ticks, slight spine roll, minor staining/discoloration of rear cover. IMO, this book without the edge pieces missing would grade at a FN 6.0, however, with the two pieces missing...VG+ 4.5 Pieces Missing VG/FN 5.0 - None Allowed VG 4.0 - As much as a 1/4" triangle can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" square is also acceptable. GD/VG 3.0 - A triangle from 1/4" to 1/2" can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" to 1/4" square is also acceptable. GD 2.0 - The largest piece allowed missing from the front or back cover is usually a 1/2" triangle or a 1/4" square,

First let me say, Congrats on owning an Avengers 1, a "Well Loved" copy is OK in my book. Moderate to severe blunted/rounded corners with multiple color breaking creases. moderate edge wear with color loss and color breaking creases, long vertical color breaking creases along outer edge, missing piece from outer edge next to word bubble, moderate to severe spine stress with multiple/numerous color breaking stress lines and tears, moderate to severe staple tears, cover appears to be loose (detached?), spine split at top (cannot see the bottom) minor to moderate spine roll, chipping on lower edge of rear cover, small tears on outer edge of rear cover, moderate color rub at the top of the rear cover, minor to moderate tanning of rear cover. IMO...GD+ 2.5 3.0 GOOD/VERY GOOD (GD/VG): Back to Top A used comic book showing some substantial wear. Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. Cover reflectivity is very low. Can have a book-length crease and/or dimples. Corners may be blunted or even rounded. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. A triangle from 1/4" to 1/2" can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" to 1/4" square is also acceptable. Tape and other amateur repair may be present. Moderate spine roll likely. May have a spine split of anywhere from 1" to 1-1/2". Staples may be rusted or replaced. Minor to moderate staple tears and moderate stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple. Minor to moderate interior tears may be present. 2.5 GOOD+ (GD+): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Good but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 2.0 GOOD (GD): Back to Top Shows substantial wear; often considered a "reading copy." Cover shows significant wear and may even be detached. Cover reflectivity is low and in some cases completely absent. Book-length creases and dimples may be present. Rounded corners are more common. Moderate soiling, staining, discoloration and foxing may be present. The largest piece allowed missing from the front or back cover is usually a 1/2" triangle or a 1/4" square, although some Silver Age books such as 1960s Marvels have had the price corner box clipped from the top left front cover and may be considered Good if they would otherwise have graded higher. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are common in Silver Age and older books. Spine roll is likely. May have up to a 2" spine split. Staples may be degraded, replaced or missing. Moderate staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Moderate interior tears may be present.

Welcome To The Boards!!! Depending on what you have, you can see if MCS is interested in buying or you can sell as a consignment item or auction at MCS. https://www.mycomicshop.com/?gclid=CLS_6I_Q8cUCFYYUHwodbhUAag

This is from MCS, K.O. Punch (1948) #0 "Art by Jack Kamen and Al Feldstein. A public-health giveaway from EC, back when the company was still run by Max Gaines and called "Educational Comics." The story issues a strong warning against infidelity and the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, then called "venereal disease." Handsome boxer Al Jackson is a champ in the ring, but his marriage with Jeanie suffers because of his travels and wild lifestyle. But when Jeanie gets pregnant and tests positive for syphilis, he gets serious fast. Produced by EC for the Columbia University Press, and probably distributed to schools, military bases and the like; only a handful are known to survive. 16 pages, Full Color."

The "chipping" looks like some sort of critter chew, why/how only half of the interior pages? Cover wrap off center, slight spine roll, a few small color breaking spine ticks, chew on outer edge of interior pages Without the "Chew". VF+ 8.5 With the "Chew" (and this is only my opinion) FN 6.0 I do not know if the new CGC Grading Guide has anything specific on this, otherwise it is all just a...

If you are looking to sell and you have major keys such as the IH 181 you mentioned, it may be wise to send those books for grading as they are much easier to sell when graded. (Verify that your IH 181 still has the MVS intact or it will get a Qualified Green Label) Again, we need a list of what you have to determine value, if you have lots of $1.00 bin books then there is no point sending them to MCS or anywhere else for consignment or auction. As far as bags and boards, always use Acid Free Boards, Poly Bags degrade over time and should be replaced every 5 years, Mylar (Mylites) are the best protection, Mylar is an inert/archival safe material that does not yellow or degrade over time. Mylites should be used to store any valuable books (depending on what you consider valuable), poly is fine for $1.00 bin books and you can get resealable poly bags. https://www.incognitocomics.com.au/blogs/news/mylar-vs-poly-comic-book-bags Regardless of what you use to store/protect your books (CGC grading, Mylites, Poly) they all need to be stored in the proper conditions, consistent humidity/temp, away from all UV light, away from all sources of moisture, heat, air vents, never store your books in an unfinished basement/garage/attic. https://www.egerber.com/aboutpreservation2.htm

Conditions for your books will be the same for whatever climate you are in... Constant temps/humidity, away from all UV light, away from sources of moisture/heat/vents, not stored in an unfinished basement/garage/attic. https://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/comics.html https://www.ala.org/alcts/sites/ala.org.alcts/files/content/_MeltzerBkmk16.pdf

Unfortunately if you want to know what you have you will need to sort the books by title and number to get any idea of what is there, once you know what you have you can post up the list and we can tell you if there is anything special in the lot. If you take any pics, please remove the books from the bag(s) before taking the photos and be sure the pics are clear. NOTE: When removing the books from the bag, remove any tape from the bag prior to removing the book and fold the flap down towards the back so you do not get the book stuck on any tape residue, same when putting the book back in the bag. To prevent future issues use these to seal the bags, not tape. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Avery-Removable-Print-or-Write-Color-Coding-Labels-3-4-Round-Assorted-Pack-of-1008-5472/15078669?athcpid=15078669&athpgid=AthenaItempage&athcgid=null&athznid=siext&athieid=v0&athstid=CS055&athguid=Dph_NX5UzmTqLv3wsweQBZIGA-ne4IK-i_-S&athancid=22697214&athposb=0&athena=true You can also view the books listed on this site to get an idea of what books may be sought after or are hot at this moment. Just click on "Top Lists" and see if any are books you have. https://www.keycollectorcomics.com/content-group/top-100-lists,9/ Keep in mind, this is just a way to get started with what you have, if you have books that you are not sure of, post em up.

Slightly blunted corners, outer edge not trimmed properly (bindery or other?), moderate spine stress below the lower staple with color breaking stress lines and color loss. As far as I know the colored rectangles are there for the newsstand dealer to know when the books need to be returned, they used to spray the top of the books (distributor ink) but later made the colors part of the page for uniformity and clarity. Found this from an old thread..."If I understand correctly, this color bar is a code that dates from the "returns" time when newsstand distributors would rotate stock. I believe it was a 4-color (weekly) cycle, so that when the new weekly stock came in, the oldest comics would be easily identified and removed from the stands. At some point, the color-coding moved from the level of the distributors (where it was added post-production, leading to variable color penetration to the top of the books) to the actual printed page for uniformity." IMO, due to the moderate spine stress...FN/VF 7.0 8.0 VERY FINE (VF): Back to Top An excellent copy with outstanding eye appeal. A limited accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Cover is relatively flat with minimal surface wear beginning to show, possibly including some minute wear at corners. Inks are generally bright with moderate to high reflectivity. An unnoticeable 1/4" crease is acceptable if color is not broken. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. Spine is almost completely flat with a possible minor color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Very slight staple tears and a few almost insignificant stress lines may be present. Paper is cream to tan and supple. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. 7.5 VERY FINE- (VF-): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Very Fine but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

If the glasses are/were attached to the book, then yes, it will receive a green qualified label if one or both pair are missing, the same way ASM 238 and F.F. 252 are graded with missing tattooz or other issues with a missing MVS. If the glasses were given/or in a poly bag separate from the book, then no, it would receive a blue universal label. Found this old thread...

GD- 1.8 to GD 2.0 2.0 GOOD (GD): Back to Top Shows substantial wear; often considered a "reading copy." Cover shows significant wear and may even be detached. Cover reflectivity is low and in some cases completely absent. Book-length creases and dimples may be present. Rounded corners are more common. Moderate soiling, staining, discoloration and foxing may be present. The largest piece allowed missing from the front or back cover is usually a 1/2" triangle or a 1/4" square, although some Silver Age books such as 1960s Marvels have had the price corner box clipped from the top left front cover and may be considered Good if they would otherwise have graded higher. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are common in Silver Age and older books. Spine roll is likely. May have up to a 2" spine split. Staples may be degraded, replaced or missing. Moderate staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Moderate interior tears may be present.

Slightly blunted corners with a long, slightly color breaking crease at the top left and a small color breaking crease/impact crunch at the lower right. minor spine stress with a few color breaking spine ticks, outside edges of staples appear to be slightly discolored, impact crunch at lower right corner of rear cover, multiple creases at the top right of the rear cover. AS the book sits right now, IMO...FN/VF 7.0 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

The book meets all of the criteria for a VG 4.0, however, IMO, due to the moderate to severe staining on the rear cover the book will grade at a... GD/VG 3.0 4.0 VERY GOOD (VG): Back to Top The average used comic book. Cover shows moderate to significant wear, and may be loose but not completely detached. Cover reflectivity is low. Can have moderate creases or dimples. Corners may be blunted. Store stamps, name stamps, arrival dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. Some discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor soiling is allowed. As much as a 1/4" triangle can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" square is also acceptable. Only minor unobtrusive tape and other amateur repair allowed on otherwise high grade copies. Moderate spine roll may be present and/or a 1" spine split. Staples may be discolored. Minor to moderate staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Minor to moderate interior tears may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple. 3.5 VERY GOOD- (VG-): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Very Good but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 3.0 GOOD/VERY GOOD (GD/VG): Back to Top A used comic book showing some substantial wear. Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. Cover reflectivity is very low. Can have a book-length crease and/or dimples. Corners may be blunted or even rounded. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. A triangle from 1/4" to 1/2" can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" to 1/4" square is also acceptable. Tape and other amateur repair may be present. Moderate spine roll likely. May have a spine split of anywhere from 1" to 1-1/2". Staples may be rusted or replaced. Minor to moderate staple tears and moderate stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple. Minor to moderate interior tears may be present.

Received this book as a gift back in the early 80's, the 1st story should be 37 pages, after page 24, pages 1-24 were placed in the book again instead of pages 25-37.

For anybody keeping score, to show how prices have dropped in the past 1 1/2 years, the FMV for this book (based on eBay sold auctions for books in the same grade) as of December 2023 is $400.00

The pictures are not clear to these old eyes which makes it difficult to see any small imperfections. What I do see is a color breaking scratch thru the dark figure (2nd in from right), a couple of color rub spots on the black figure (2nd in from left), a few, small, color breaking spine ticks. IMO (not CGC's), due to the color breaking scratch...VF+ 8.5 9.0 VERY FINE/NEAR MINT (VF/NM): Back to Top Nearly perfect with outstanding eye appeal. A limited number of bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is almost flat with almost imperceptible wear. Inks are bright with slightly diminished reflectivity. An 1/8" bend is allowed if color is not broken. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted but no creases. Several lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable. Very minor foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples may show some discoloration. Only the slightest staple tears are allowed. A very minor accumulation of stress lines may be present if they are nearly imperceptible. Paper is off-white to cream and supple. Very minor interior tears may be present. 8.5 VERY FINE+ (VF+): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Very Fine but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 8.0 VERY FINE (VF): Back to Top An excellent copy with outstanding eye appeal. A limited accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Cover is relatively flat with minimal surface wear beginning to show, possibly including some minute wear at corners. Inks are generally bright with moderate to high reflectivity. An unnoticeable 1/4" crease is acceptable if color is not broken. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. Spine is almost completely flat with a possible minor color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Very slight staple tears and a few almost insignificant stress lines may be present. Paper is cream to tan and supple. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

Pics are blurry, need clear pics of both the front and rear cover, clear pics of the spine/staples, plus anything that may be construed as a defect on the interior pages.

Slightly blunted corners with some color loss at top left corner and edge above price box, Cover wrap not centered, staples not centered, slight spine roll, a couple of small color breaking spine ticks, minor discoloration of rear cover. 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

I cannot tell you 100% for sure but everything I have read says that a dark water stain cannot be removed, does the stain bleed through to the inside cover/pages? The stains from water are the impurities and minerals from the water that are left behind when the water evaporates. From the Web..."For comics that have not been stored properly over the years, a dry clean will work wonders. Dry cleaning will remove dirt, grime and minor staining from comic books including led and wax pencil marks. Dry cleaning will not remove foxing (age-related staining/ spotting), pen/ink stains or water stains." Slightly blunted corners, minor spine stress with a few color breaking spine ticks/stress lines, slight spine roll, water stain on outer edge, small crease at top left corner of rear cover, minor discoloration/staining of rear cover. From what I understand CGC is hard on stains, IMO, the stain prevents this book from being a FN/VF 7.0 but presents better than a FN 6.0, so... FN+ 6.5 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. 6.5 FINE+ (FN+): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Fine but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 6.0 FINE (FN): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with no significant creasing or other serious defects. Some accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases. Inks show a significant reduction in reflectivity. Blunted corners are more common, as is minor staining, soiling, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor spine roll is allowed. There can also be a 1/4" spine split or severe color break. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and a few slight stress lines may be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown and fairly supple with no signs of brittleness. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. Centerfold may be loose.

There is no black and white in comic book grading, there is not even a specified length of an interior page tear listed in the "non CGC" grading standards (Heritage/Overstreet, does the new CGC grading guide specify or is that also non-specific and left to individual interpretation), again they use words that are left to individual perception to define, which creates lots of gray areas, this use of non descript wording is used consistently in the grading standards. Grading Standards For Interior Tears Only (Books are graded in their entirety, not by one lone defect) FR 1.0 - Accumulation of interior tears. FR/GD 1.5 - Interior tears are common. GD 2.0 - Moderate interior tears may be present. GD/VG 3.0 - VG 4.0 - Minor to moderate interior tears may be present. VG/FN 5.0 - Minor interior tears may also be present. FN 6.0 - VF 8.0 - Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. VF/NM 9.0 - Very minor interior tears may be present. NM- 9.2 - NM 9.4 - Slight interior tears are allowed. NM+ 9.6 - NM/MT 9.8 - Only the slightest interior tears are allowed.

That looks like foxing and if it is it cannot be removed economically or permanently, it is from the metals in the printing machines that get into the paper and the conditions are ripe for mold to form. Being biological in nature, even if a professional art/paper conservator attempts to remove the foxing by bleaching and deacidifying each page it may return immediately. https://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Foxing https://privatelibrary.typepad.com/the_private_library/2009/07/foxing-and-the-private-library.html