marvelmaniac

The book has multiple creases/tears/folds/small pieces missing on the edges/corners, moderate spine stress with numerous color breaking spine ticks, spine roll/fanned pages, moderate staple tears, moderate to severe foxing (mold?). Since this is a lower grade book I would leave the sticker alone so you do not create more damage, the sticker is not going to lower the grade and removing it will not improve the grade. You can try to use a hair dryer to loosen the glue if it bothers you. I cannot see the staples, interior pages, centerfold, etc. IMO... 2.0 GOOD (GD): Back to TopShows 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.

Your question cannot really receive an accurate answer since this defect is purely aesthetic, FMV would depend on the buyers viewpoint. Raw books in that condition without the wrap defect are generally selling for $35.00 - $50.00 going by eBay sold auctions.

Unfortunately the pics are grainy and not real clear. From what I can see, blunted corners, 1/16"-1/8" piece missing from top right corner, slight color rub, slightly discolored staples, slight spine roll/fanned pages, stain on rear cover (is this the stain you are referring to?) My biggest concern would be the top right corner, without clearer pics to see any spine ticks/stress, 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.

Wow, Nice Book!!! Edge wear with a small color breaking "dent/tear" at upper outer edge, slightly rounded corners w/slight creasing, minor spine stress w/color breaking spine ticks, discolored staples, slight spine roll/fanned pages. IMO, it is the small tear at the top of the outer edge that prevents this book from being a higher grade, IMO... 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.

https://boards.cgccomics.com/topic/479099-cgc-magazine-bags/

Spine Roll W/Fanned Pages, Discolored Staples, 3-4 Small Spine Ticks W/Color Break, Slight Denting Along Top Edge, Foxing On Outer Edge Of Rear Cover, Small Crease At Lower Left Corner Of Rear Cover. Due to the spine roll, IMO this book grades at 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.

Key Collector Comics gives roundabout prices, (low/medium/high) nothing specific, I have it on my phone (free version) and browse through it every once in a while just to see what's going on. https://www.keycollectorcomics.com/ Basically you have to know the grade of your book before looking for value since raw books do not already have a grade assigned like graded books. https://comics.ha.com/tutorial/comics-grading.s?show=comicdefinitions Once you have graded your book you can use eBay Sold Auctions to determine FMV (which is what Key Collectors uses) since this is the price folks are actually paying, you can also watch MCS auctions along with Comic Connect, Heritage, etc. You can use Overstreet as a reference/guide although most of the prices are outdated by time the book is released. Here are some other sites, how accurate are they on actual FMV... https://comicspriceguide.com/signup?gclid=CjwKCAjw8JKbBhBYEiwAs3sxN6TkFwgAkuvlTb0Hgep-bRAdm3ft0cSYJDFzYt4-CAsrSN8ojFkkhBoCO9gQAvD_BwE https://comicbookrealm.com/ https://www.pricecharting.com/category/comic-books https://www.qualitycomix.com/comic-price-guide Hope this helps.

Unfortunately there is no "black and white" in grading comic books, there are lots of "gray" areas such as a book that would otherwise be a NM 9.4 but has a small piece (1/8-1/4") missing from a corner or edge (this is only allowed in books VG+ 4.5 and lower), how much of a hit does the otherwise NM 9.4 take, there is nothing in the grading standards to cover this which means it is all up to the grader to decide and his/her perception can change day to day, after all, we are only human. Comic books are not always assigned a grade by their worst defect only, when they can publish in writing how much of a hit a higher grade book takes for only one defect not allowed in that grade it is still just a guess, how much of a hit does an otherwise NM 9.4 take for a small tear, small piece missing, small crease, folded corner, slight spine roll, color break, foxing, etc.? IMO, this is the part of the grading system that needs to be clarified and until it is there will always be contradictions/disagreements on grades.

Back in 2015 I graded (with notes), cataloged and photographed all 2000 books in my collection (and about 500 from my Son's collection), granted, I only did this in the evening after work for about an hour each night but it took 6 month's to complete.

I was mistaken, I checked Overstreet and you are absolutely correct sir, there was a Polybagged Edition of Web Of Spider-Man 90.

You peaked my curiosity, after an online search uncovered nothing my "assumption" would be that if the "Tatooz" missing garners a Green Label then one would think that a book missing the MJ insert would also garner a Green Label, however... If the insert is missing is there any indication that it was actually there since not all copies had the insert?

By outward appearances the book has slight foxing and slightly discolored staples, because of the white color I cannot tell if there are any stress lines/ticks. As it sits I would say you are in the NM- 9.2 range, however, I have no idea how much of a deduction you will see due to the writing inside the book or if the writing means a "Green Qualified Label".

That appears to be "Distributor Spray" and should not affect the grade. "Distributor Stripes - Color brushed or sprayed on the edges of comic book stacks by the distributor/wholesaler to code them for expedient exchange at the sales racks. Typical colors are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Distributor Stripes are not a defect." If you would like to know the grade of this book you will need to post clear pics of the entire book, front cover, rear cover, inside front/rear cover, centerfold.

Nostalgia from your childhood is one of the main reasons for adults to collect comics, (buying comics to flip IMO is not collecting) at least that Is why I did it, I grew up in the 60's and that is where my best comic book memories come from, comics are supposed to be fun, relaxing and entertaining, hope you find that in your search/hunt for books.

Nice Book!!! Edge/corner wear at top left corner, outer edge wear towards the bottom of front cover, blunted lower left corner, minor spine stress w/color breaking spine ticks, discolored staples, slight spine roll/fanned pages, small tears on the top edge of rear cover, long crease on rear cover. IMO... 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.

Color breaking creases along the top edge/corners, spine and lower left corner, moderate staining at the top left of rear cover and by the spine on the rear cover. IMO...FN+ 6.5 (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. 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.

I am having an issue actually seeing any defects on this book, it may be the color of the cover, the photo's, my eyes or all three. What I do see (or think I see) are a couple of minor spine ticks that slightly break color, color rub by spine, slightly blunted left corners. Judging by what I think I am seeing I would grade this 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.

It is the top edge tears/pieces missing/creasing on this book that prevents this book from being a higher grade. If the top edge had the same wear as the rest of the book it would, IMO grade at a VG 4.0 to VG+ 4.5 (possibly a VG/FN 5.0), however, as the book sits right now, IMO... 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 back to the hobby. 30 years ago is when this all started, 5 X-Men Covers for #1, glow in the dark covers, etc., it was almost the death of the industry. I only collect Gold/Silver/Bronze, collect what you enjoy weather it be a character, artist, storyline, etc.

All I see is what you have already mentioned... 3 small color breaking spine ticks, tear on outer edge of rear cover. Without the tear being present and due to the color breaking spine ticks I personally cannot grade this book higher than VF/NM 9.0, with the tear, and I do not know how CGC would view this, I would think it will drop the grade by 2 points to a FN/VF 7.0. Hopefully someone that has sent a book in with this type of defect can better answer this question.

According to the grading standards (Heritage) the "arrival date" affecting grade on an otherwise perfect copy is going to be left up the the graders interpretation of the written arrival date. How does one define "Small, inconspicuous, unobtrusive"? "Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location." The grading standards all state the same thing in grades from NM- 9.2 to Mint 9.9...

More books to grade than they can handle, staff shortages, spreading themselves to thin by adding grading services for other items like cards and video games, etc. The same thing that is going on with almost every business since 2020. https://www.facebook.com/CGCcomics/posts/cgc-expansion-cuts-turnaround-timescgc-reports-that-it-has-drastically-reduced-t/1038313056212699/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPIuAdBgVnc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5eSlnNzypg

I do not follow Batman but you peaked my curiosity, after doing some research I found the inside front cover and the dedication are from the "Return Of The Dark Knight" issue #1 from 1986 (4 issue series), are the stories the same? This was the only book with the dedication to Will Jungkuntz. This however still does not answer the question as to where they came from. Does Overstreet list anything? "Probably the only place that all of us here have heard the name Will Jungkuntz is Frank Miller's dedication to the artist in the opening pages of BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS # 1 in 1986." Quote: "Dedicated to Will Jungkuntz" "1955-1985"

I do not see any issues with this book other than the outer edge of the front cover not being trimmed properly. I will not assign a grade higher than NM 9.4 without the book being in front of me, so... 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.