marvelmaniac

I am currently grading and pricing these books to sell, although I bought these books new and they are low dollar books I am having a hard time finding info about the series. 1)How can I tell the difference between 1st and 2nd prints? there is nothing noted in the Indicia.(Marvel vs. DC issues 1 and 2, Amalgam Legends Of The Dark Claw) 2)Issue 1 and two of the Amalgam books have a blank UPC box, all I can find online about this is it is listed as a "Blank UPC Variant", but what does it mean, is it related to 1st and 2nd prints? Thanks In Advance.

Approximately 1960 the change in size took place, but that is a general consensus, I have Golden Age Atlas Westerns from the late 40's/early 50's (Kid Colt, Two Gun Kid) and the books are not the same size from issue to issue, some fit nicely in Golden Age Mylites and others, just a few issues apart swim in the same size Mylite and there is no consistency to it. I hope you find a more concise answer.

Slightly blunted corners, slight edge wear with slight color loss, slight spine roll, cover wrap is off center, very minor spine stress with a few small color breaking spine ticks, small non color breaking crease/fold/dent at top left by price box, small stain on outer edge of rear cover (taking your word for it). IMO...VF- 7.5 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.

Blunted corners w/color breaking creases, edge wear with color loss and color breaking creases, color breaking scratches from the top edge through the title logo, moderate spine stress with color breaking spine ticks and staple tears, centerfold detached at lower staple (is cover loose?) moderate spine roll, rear cover edge wear with small tears, scuff on rear cover, creasing at lower left of rear cover. IMO...VG+ 4.5 5.0 VERY GOOD/FINE (VG/FN): Back to Top An above-average but well used comic book. An accumulation of bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor to moderate cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases and/or dimples. Inks have moderate to low reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A spine split of up to 1/2" may be present. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and minor stress lines may also be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown with no signs of brittleness. Centerfold may be loose. Minor interior tears may also be present. 4.5 VERY GOOD+ (VG): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Very Good but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 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.

Blunted corners with small color breaking creases, edge wear with color loss and a color breaking crease along top edge, diagonal color breaking crease at bottom right, moderate spine stress w/color breaking spine ticks and vertical creasing, slight spine roll, 1/2" lower spine split, long color breaking scratch on rear cover, some creasing through the coupon on the rear cover, some discoloration of rear cover. IMO...VG+ 4.5 to VG/FN 5.0 (?) 5.0 VERY GOOD/FINE (VG/FN): Back to Top An above-average but well used comic book. An accumulation of bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor to moderate cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases and/or dimples. Inks have moderate to low reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A spine split of up to 1/2" may be present. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and minor stress lines may also be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown with no signs of brittleness. Centerfold may be loose. Minor interior tears may also be present. 4.5 VERY GOOD+ (VG): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Very Good but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 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.

Blunted corners w/color loss, slight edge wear w/color loss, moderate spine stress w/multiple color breaking spine ticks, recessed staples, severe water/liquid stains on rear cover. Due to the staining, IMO...VG/FN 5.0 5.0 VERY GOOD/FINE (VG/FN): Back to Top An above-average but well used comic book. An accumulation of bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor to moderate cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases and/or dimples. Inks have moderate to low reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A spine split of up to 1/2" may be present. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and minor stress lines may also be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown with no signs of brittleness. Centerfold may be loose. Minor interior tears may also be present.

Slightly worn corners with a small, color breaking crease at the top right corner, slight edge wear with a small color breaking crease at the lower edge by the left/lower corner, minor staple tears, slight discoloration of rear cover. Again, on the fence due to the "minute" color breaking creases, "VF 8.0 - An unnoticeable 1/4" crease is acceptable if color is not broken". when in doubt I always go lower on grade, so, IMO...VF- 7.5 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.

Slightly blunted corners, slight edge wear with some color loss, minor spine stress with a few/small color breaking spine ticks, slight denting/chipping on outer edge of rear cover, slight dust/sun shadow along spine and outer edge of rear cover. I am on the fence with this one due to the rear cover, outer edge, so, IMO...VF- 7.5 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.

I realize that these descriptions are "generalized", they do not point to any specifics (just like the rest of grading, lots of "Gray" areas) and that a book is graded on its entirety, here are the descriptions of store/date stamps by grade. VG 4.0 - Store stamps, name stamps, arrival dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. VG/FN 5.0 to VF 8.0 - Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. VF/NM 9.0 - Several lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable. NM- 9.2 - MT 9.9 - Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location.

PGM = Please Grade My Books POSTING LIMITS 2. Please post only one (1) book per thread and a maximum of three (3) books per person in a 24 hour period. It will make it more enjoyable for people to grade and will also encourage more people to grade your submission. Rules/Regulations are listed here...

These books show numerous moderate creases, tears, spine stress with spine ticks/stress lines, moderate staple tears, moderately worn/blunted corners/edges with color loss, moderate to severe spine roll and moderate discoloration and staining. These books appear to be in the VG 4.0 range. After a quick check, books in similar condition to yours have sold on eBay auctions for about $56.00 (+/-) ($45 GBP). CGC slabs do not offer any more protection than a Mylite and Acid Free Board, they are not airtight nor are they UV protected and slabs must be stored in the same/proper conditions as raw books. IMO, if you are keeping these books just properly bag/board/store them, if you are looking to sell, then yes, by all means have them graded, the question then becomes, will the cost of grading out weigh the value of the book?

Small staple tears with some vertical color breaking creases by the staples, discolored staples on the exterior, what appears to be severely rusted staples as seen in the centerfold pic. If those staples are not rusted...VF/NM 9.0 to NM- 9.2 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. If that is rust...FN/VF 7.0

Slight rounding of corners with some color loss, minor spine stress with a few color breaking spine ticks and small staple tears, discolored staples, discoloration of front and rear covers. IMO...FN/VF 7.0 to VF- 7.5 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.

Slightly blunted corners, small tear on outer edge, minor spine stress with a few color breaking spine ticks and a color breaking vertical crease under the price box, long/color breaking crease from bottom right edge to outer edge, moderate spine roll w/off center cover wrap/staples, discoloration on the outer and lower edges, some staining and discoloration of rear cover. IMO... 5.0 VERY GOOD/FINE (VG/FN): Back to Top An above-average but well used comic book. An accumulation of bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor to moderate cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases and/or dimples. Inks have moderate to low reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A spine split of up to 1/2" may be present. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and minor stress lines may also be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown with no signs of brittleness. Centerfold may be loose. Minor interior tears may also be present.

Minor corner/edge wear with small dents/tears (?) and some color loss. moderate color loss/staining in the black areas of the cover, minor spine stress with a few color breaking spine ticks, small/vertical color breaking crease at top right edge, slightly discolored staples, dust/sun shadow at top/bottom edges of rear cover. Due to the staining/color loss, IMO...VG/FN 5.0 to FN- 5.5 (?) 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. 5.5 FINE- (FN-): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Fine but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 5.0 VERY GOOD/FINE (VG/FN): Back to Top An above-average but well used comic book. An accumulation of bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor to moderate cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases and/or dimples. Inks have moderate to low reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A spine split of up to 1/2" may be present. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and minor stress lines may also be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown with no signs of brittleness. Centerfold may be loose. Minor interior tears may also be present.

Slightly blunted corners, color rub at the right side of the black banner, moderate top staple tear (is the cover loose or detached?), discolored staples, minor spine stress with a few color breaking spine ticks, spine roll, color breaking scratch at bottom right of rear cover. IMO...FN+ 6.5 If the cover is loose or detached at the top staple the grade will drop accordingly. 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.

Blunted corners with a small fold at top right and color breaking creasing at the top left, minor spine wear w/numerous color breaking spine ticks on front and rear covers, slight spine roll, corner/edge wear on rear cover with some color loss and color breaking creases. IMO, too many color breaking spine ticks to reach a higher grade...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.

Rounded corners with small tear (bindery or start of spine split?) at lower left corner and color breaking creases at top left, small tear (1/4") on top edge, crease/scratch that slightly breaks color thru the bottom of the "R" in Thor, above the date stamp, moderate spine roll/cover wrap and staples are completely off center, minor spine stress with a couple of small color breaking spine ticks, staples are discolored, moderate discoloration of front cover, moderate discoloration/staining on rear cover, Pages are Brown, brittle? Due to the moderate discoloration/staining and the brown pages, IMO...(as long as there is no brittleness of the pages) 5.0 VERY GOOD/FINE (VG/FN): Back to TopAn above-average but well used comic book. An accumulation of bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor to moderate cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases and/or dimples. Inks have moderate to low reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A spine split of up to 1/2" may be present. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and minor stress lines may also be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown with no signs of brittleness. Centerfold may be loose. Minor interior tears may also be present.

Where the arrow is pointing, is that what we are looking at? If so, is that an indentation, fingerprint? An indentation or possibly a stain may/will be seen on the inside of the cover. A fingerprint can be detected using a "black light", I sold some sports cards for one of Grandson's and I purchased a magnifier/black light to look for fingerprints, $10.00 on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KS7BGN5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Blunted corners w/color loss, bindery tear at lower spine, a few color breaking spine ticks. IMO... 9.0 VERY FINE/NEAR MINT (VF/NM): Back to TopNearly 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.

Sorry, my old eyes cannot really tell a difference in the cover gloss where you have pointed it out with the arrow and circle. Other than that all I see is a small bindery tear at the bottom, According to the grading standards (Not CGC's standards, i do not know what CGC's view is or what the new CGC Grading Guide states about Bindery Tears), Bindery Tears are not allowed in NM+ 9.6 and must be less than 1/16" on Silver Age and newer books. From what I can see, depending on the size of the Bindery Tear, IMO...NM- 9.2 to NM 9.4 Note: I would never assign a grade higher than NM 9.4 for a book I do not have in front of me. Bindery Teara small horizontal rip found on the spine in a book’s cover that can usually be seen from the front to the back. if a bindery tear is shorter than 1/4″, then these can be graded like a spine stress. 9.6 NEAR MINT+ (NM+): Back to Top Nearly perfect with a minor additional virtue or virtues that raise it from Near Mint. Only subtle bindery or printing defects are allowed. No bindery tears are allowed, although on Golden Age books bindery tears of up to 1/8" have been noted. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity and a minimum of fading. One corner may be almost imperceptibly blunted, but still almost sharp and cut square. Almost imperceptible indentations are permissible, but no creases, bends, or color break. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Spine is tight and flat. Staples must be original, generally centered, with only the slightest discoloration. Paper is off-white, supple and fresh. Only the slightest interior tears are allowed. 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.

Very Nice!!! IMO, only because of the stain, although GA books get more lenient grading...VF+ 8.5 - VF/NM 9.0 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.

According to Ebay sold auctions, these are the prices being seen for low grade copies. A "Remainder Copy" missing the poster sold for $32.77, a CGC PR 0.5 (centerfold missing) sold for $126.50, a copy that is missing the back cover although otherwise complete (looks to be in the GD/VG 3.0 - VG 4.0 range) sold for $152.50, a complete CGC GD- 1.8 sold for $197.50. Looking at the OP's book and condition (FR 1.0 - FR/GD 1.5) he can probably assume the FMV is between $100.00 - $150.00 depending on demand/interest at the time.