marvelmaniac

Corner and edge wear with small color breaking creases and color rub, moderate spine stress w/color breaking ticks/creases, discolored staples, spine roll w/fanned pages, tape on staples, small pieces missing from top edge and outer corners of rear cover, moderate foxing/staining on rear cover. The book does not have any "major" defects that I can see, the foxing, pieces missing on rear cover and tape will lower the grade depending on why it is there, however, this is a Golden Age book and may receive some leeway. IMO... 4.0 VERY GOOD (VG): Back to TopThe 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.

FR/GD 1.5 - Centerfold may be loose or detached. FR 1.0 - The centerfold may be missing if readability is generally preserved. PR 0.5 - Multiple pages, including the centerfold, may be missing that affect readability.

As already stated, Bag, Board, Store Properly is how you avoid dust and other contaminants on your books. You can use Mylites w/Acid Free Boards (Recommended) or use Resealable Poly Bags w/Acid Free Boards, Poly breaks down over time and is not Archival approved so those bags need to be replaced every 5 years or so whereas Mylar (Archival Approved) lasts a lifetime. Since you are sending books to be graded just keep in mind that CGC cases are Not UV Protected so where/how they are stored matters. You do not want to use anything that will scratch the surface of the book, if it is only dust you are concerned about lightly use a Swiffer Dusting Pad, Microfiber Cloth (as already mentioned above) or you can try this... https://www.amazon.com/Lineco-AX-AY-ABHI-20563-Document-Cleaning-Pad/dp/B002E4Z302/ref=pd_lpo_3?pd_rd_w=G92IS&content-id=amzn1.sym.116f529c-aa4d-4763-b2b6-4d614ec7dc00&pf_rd_p=116f529c-aa4d-4763-b2b6-4d614ec7dc00&pf_rd_r=7N7PE60N2VG8VMW6WMGY&pd_rd_wg=Xm98m&pd_rd_r=c5073d6d-34bb-4cbf-bede-9a379e622e5f&pd_rd_i=B002E4Z302&psc=1

Nice!!! My GD 2.0 copy...

Is that tape along the spine in your second pic? If so what is it holding together?

Moderate edge/corner wear w/color breaking creases, severe spine split (with tape, completely split?), rusted staples, spine roll/fanned pages, moderate foxing on rear cover. Is the cover completely detached, are any pages/centerfold detached? IMO... 1.5 FAIR/GOOD (FR/GD): Back to TopShows substantial to heavy wear. Books in this grade are commonly creased, scuffed, abraded, soiled, and possibly unattractive, but still generally readable. Cover shows considerable wear and may be detached. Almost no cover reflectivity remaining. Book-length creases, tears and folds may be present. Rounded corners are increasingly common. Soiling, staining, discoloration and foxing is generally present. Up to 1/10 of the back cover may be missing. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are increasingly common in Silver Age and older books. Spine roll is common. May have a spine split between 2" and 2/3 the length of the book. Staples may be degraded, replaced or missing. Staple tears and stress lines are common, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown and may show brittleness around the edges. Acidic odor may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Interior tears are common.

I do not see anything wrong with this book by the pictures that are posted, the highest grade I will assign without having the book in front of me is... 9.4 NEAR MINT (NM): Back to TopNearly 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.

IMO, there is no such thing as an "Awful" comic book, I refer to these books as "Well Loved", I have numerous "Well Loved" books in my 2000 book collection.(340 between PR 0.5 and GD- 1.8) As far as your Well Loved TTA 79... Long color breaking fold/crease by spine, long spine split, edge/corner wear w/small color breaking creases, spine roll/fanned pages, moderate foxing on rear cover. I cannot see if the cover is attached/detached, if the centerfold is attached/detached, staple condition. From what I can see, the spine split is the major defect on this book, IMO... 1.8 GOOD- (GD-): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Good but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 1.5 FAIR/GOOD (FR/GD): Back to Top Shows substantial to heavy wear. Books in this grade are commonly creased, scuffed, abraded, soiled, and possibly unattractive, but still generally readable. Cover shows considerable wear and may be detached. Almost no cover reflectivity remaining. Book-length creases, tears and folds may be present. Rounded corners are increasingly common. Soiling, staining, discoloration and foxing is generally present. Up to 1/10 of the back cover may be missing. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are increasingly common in Silver Age and older books. Spine roll is common. May have a spine split between 2" and 2/3 the length of the book. Staples may be degraded, replaced or missing. Staple tears and stress lines are common, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown and may show brittleness around the edges. Acidic odor may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Interior tears are common.

Other than very minor corner/edge wear all I see is the color rub/tear on the bottom edge. Without the lower edge defects this book appears to be in the NM-9.2 to NM 9.4 range, with the lower edge defects...??? I have no idea how much of a hit the book would take from CGC, VF/NM 9.0, VF 8.0???

https://www.cgccomics.com/signature-series/

Edge wear w/color rub, blunted corners w/small color breaking creases, minor spine wear with a few color breaking spine ticks, discolored staples, slight spine roll/fanned pages, foxing on top edge of rear cover. IMO... 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 do not have my books third party graded, however, everything I have read on this site CGC has become very inconsistent with their grading, is it the amount of books they have to grade, new graders, CGC changing their stance on certain defects, being human, etc. I am old school and tend to grade on the conservative side using the grading standards from Heritage and Overstreet. I am not saying there is anything wrong with CGC grading but you will not know what grade your book will receive until you get it back. Online Question..."Can a CGC 9.8 have spine ticks?" "This is still slightly controversial because it's ambiguous; it's open to the grader's interpretation. But, what is undeniable is that a 9.8 can still have spine ticks." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXfJzqCUNVY Crease - A fold which causes ink removal usually resulting in a white line. See "Corner Crease" and "Reading Crease." Stress Lines - Light, tiny wrinkles occurring along the spine, projecting from the staples or appearing anywhere on the covers of a comic book. Spine Stress - A small fold, usually less than 1/4 inch long perpendicular to the spine. Fold/Folding: Is a crease that does not break the color. Tick: A small color break usually located on the spine by the staples typically due from stress that is placed on the book when opening. VF 8.0 - An unnoticeable 1/4" crease is acceptable if color is not broken. A few almost insignificant stress lines may be present. VF/NM 9.0 - 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. A very minor accumulation of stress lines may be present if they are nearly imperceptible. NM- 9.2 - A 1/16-1/8" bend is permitted with no color break. Almost no stress lines. NM 9.4 - A 1/16" bend is permitted with no color break. Almost no stress lines. NM+ 9.6 - Almost imperceptible indentations are permissible, but no creases, bends, or color break.

If it is the long, color breaking crease I see between the spine and the hat then you will take a hit, hard to tell you more without seeing the entire book, IMO with a crease like that you will not see any grade higher than a VF/NM 9.0 even if this book were a NM+ 9.6 without the defect, and that all depends on the rest of the book. I would suggest you take clear pics of the front cover/spine/edges/corners, rear cover, inside of front and rear cover and centerfold and open a post in the "Hey Buddy Can You Spare A Grade" section. NM- 9.2/NM 9.4 A 1/16-1/8" bend is permitted with no color break. Almost no stress lines. VF/NM 9.0 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, A very minor accumulation of stress lines may be present if they are nearly imperceptible. VF 8.0 An unnoticeable 1/4" crease is acceptable if color is not broken, a few almost insignificant stress lines may be present. FN/VF 7.0 Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases, a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. FN 6.0 Minor cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases, a few slight stress lines may be present,

I got my copy for Christmas in 82/83 from my Sister who told me she had to spend $25.00 for this book. I assigned a grade of FN/VF 7.0.

That is the problem with grading issues such as this, there are no clear answers, it all comes down to opinion and what type of mood the grader(s) are in, if you submitted this book today you may not lose anything for the missing piece, however you could have a 1 point or more deduction if you submitted the book 3 months later, it is due to this consistency that everyone loves CGC. If this were my book and I had to grade and catalog the book for my collection it would be graded at a lower grade with a notation next to the grade stating..." would be a ___ except for the "1/2 x 1/2" piece missing from page ___.

Minor spine stress with couple of small dents/spine ticks, slight staples tears at the top staple, color rub on front cover, piece missing from interior page outer edge. How does CGC view the missing piece? These are the things that make grading difficult since there are no black and white answers on how much something like this affects the grade of a higher grade book, seems to me that this would be based on opinion and any precedents from past or present grading. Maybe someone that has purchased the new "CGC Grading Guide" can check and shed some light on this. IMO, the black cover is working against you, however, even with the piece missing I would grade the book at a... 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.

All I see on this book is very slight edge/corner wear with color rub, not sure what I am seeing at the top left of the back cover, slight spine roll/fanned pages or something else? Until I know what that is I cannot really assign a grade, you are going to be in the VF/NM 9.0 - NM 9.4 range. We would need to see pics of the rear cover opened inside and outside, closer/clear pics of the upper left side of the pages/rear cover with the book lying flat.

For me it would be a book needed to help complete a run that I could not otherwise afford, such as... Kid Colt Outlaw 1, Rawhide Kid 1, JIM 1, ST 1...

Lower corners have small creases that break color, denting with color rub along bottom edge, slight staple tears on lower staple, minor color rub in the blue areas of the cover, moderate foxing/staining on rear cover. I do not have my books graded, however it is my understanding that CGC is very harsh on staining, taking that into consideration. Between the staining and color breaking crease at the lower right corner, IMO... 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.

Multiple spine ticks with color break in the price box (hard to see if there are more with the white cover), slightly off center staples. Other than the spine ticks I see nothing else wrong with this book, however, the spine ticks IMO lower the grade. Hopefully CGC disagrees and it comes back higher, if it were my book it would cataloged as a... 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.

Slightly blunted corners, slight staple tears, 2-3 slight spine ticks that slightly break color, slight color rub in the "H and U" of Hulk, a couple of small dents on the outer edge of the rear cover. Without having the book in front of me I cannot discern between these two grades. 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.

That is a "Bindery Tear" and it will affect the grade. Bindery Tear. a 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. NM+ 9.6 No bindery tears are allowed. NM 9.4 Bindery tears must be less than 1/16" on Silver Age and later books Bindery tear top left corner, slightly blunted lower right corner w/slight color rub, small dent/tick in spine about at the halfway point. IMO... 9.4 NEAR MINT (NM): Back to TopNearly 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.

Slightly blunted left side corners w/slight color rub, slight color rub at lower right corner, moderate color rub on outer edge by "Avalanche", 1-2 spine ticks that slightly break color, cover is off center. IMO... 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.

Moderate edge/corner wear with color breaking creases, moderate spine stress w/color breaking stress lines/tears, moderate staple tears, discolored/rusted lower staple, tear at lower left of rear cover, long, color breaking crease on rear cover, creasing through entire book due to folding. IMO... 4.0 VERY GOOD (VG): Back to TopThe 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.

Edge/corner wear w/color breaks, a couple of slight color breaking creases at the lower right corner, minor to moderate spine stress with a few color breaking spine ticks, moderate spine roll/fanned pages, staples discolored, minor to moderate foxing on both covers, small tear at the bottom of rear cover, centerfold detached (as per the OP). A completely detached centerfold is only allowed in GD 2.0 or lower. I was going to grade this book at a VG+ 4.5, however, you are going to take a hit on the detached centerfold and I am not sure how CGC reacts to moderate spine roll/fanned pages. Taking everything into consideration I believe the grade to be... IMO...GD/VG 3.0 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. 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.