marvelmaniac

Again, I cannot answer your questions on a clean and press. Slight edge wear, blunted corners, spine corners creased/dented, top edge not properly trimmed. The dented corners are not as severe as your previous book (the book IMO still takes a hit due to the creasing) and has very little to no spine stress, as the book sits right now, 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 cannot answer your question on a clean and press since I do not subscribe to these services. Dinged/Creased/Dented left top/bottom corners on front cover and top right rear cover, minor to moderate spine stress front and rear cover w/slight color breaks, slight color rub along the edges, slightly discolored staples. The book presents very well, no major defects across the cover, however, the corner dents IMO are the big issue here... As the book sits right now... 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 TopAn 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.

Large piece missing from front cover outer edge, folded lower right corner, edge wear with slight color rub, multiple color breaking creases, moderate spine stress w/color breaks, the book is rolled, it does not lie flat, non-color breaking crease on rear cover. Is the MVS present? IMO, if the missing piece were present this book would grade at a VG+ 4.5, with the missing piece the grade will drop to at least a GD 2.0. Prices for this book are all over the place, Two books missing the front cover and MVS sold for $600.00 and $1100.00 respectively, a remaindered copy missing the MVS sold for $440.00, there have not been any sales of complete lower grade books with enough bidders to make the selling price relevant, there was a lower grade book (FR/GD 1.5?) that looks similar to yours except it has a faded cover, this book sold for $1500.00, however, there were only 4 bids and the starting price was $1399.00, again, I do not feel this is a good representation of FMV.

Slight Marvel Chipping, slightly blunted corners, edge wear w/color breaks, minor to moderate spine stress/staple tears w/color breaks. IMO... 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.

Edge wear with color rub and color breaking creases, blunted corners w/color breaking creases, minor to moderate spine stress w/color breaking creases and spine ticks, stain (distributor ink?) on top of rear cover. IMO...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.

Edge wear, blunted corners with color rub and color breaking creases, small piece missing from lower right corner, minor to moderate spine stress w/color breaking spine ticks/creases, lower staple off center and slightly discolored (cannot see the upper staple or centerfold), staining on the rear cover. IMO...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.

VF 8.0 - An unnoticeable 1/4" crease is acceptable if color is not broken. This basically means that color breaking creases are allowed on grades below that, however, the number of and severity of the creases/color breaks will determine how much of a hit the book will take considering the overall condition of the book, if the book is a VG 4.0 the color breaking creases do nothing to lower the grade, if you have a color breaking crease on a VF/NM 9.0, how much of a hit does that book take? Grading is not an exact science, there are too many variables to take into consideration, there is no "Black and White in grading, grading is done by humans and certain terms in the grading standards are not specifically detailed such as "some", "a few", "slight", "minor", "moderate", "small accumulation", all of these terms can be defined/viewed differently by different people, including CGC. When in doubt about a grade always grade lower, if you look at books thru "rose colored glasses" you will always grade higher than what the grade actually is. The more you practice grading the better you will become at accessing an overall grade with certain defects. Crease - A fold which causes ink removal usually resulting in a white line. See "Corner Crease" and "Reading Crease." Corner Crease - Permanent crease located within 1" of a corner. Usually the upper right hand corner or the lower right hand corner. Reading Creases - Book-length, vertical front cover creases at staples, caused by bending cover over staples. Square-bounds receive these creases by just opening the cover too far to the left. https://comics.ha.com/tutorial/comics-grading.s?show=comicdefinitions

Blunted corners w/small color breaking creases, minor spine stress with a few color breaking spine ticks. 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.

Edge wear w/color rub/color breaks, color breaking crease at lower edge, blunted corners with color breaks, moderate spine stress w/color breaking creases, minor to moderate staple tears, 3" (approximate) crease from the spine to Luke's right foot (by the price corner box), slight spine roll. IMO... 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.

To answer your question, a collector is a collector regardless of what it is they collect (Coins, Stamps, Buttons, Bottles, Posters, Signs, Video Games, etc.). If you collect, want to talk about the items with others, are interested in the history behind the items, everything is organized (yes I know not everybody is organized, it makes my OCD Shudder). I have lots of action figures that are still packaged and I have not sat down and read my comics in 15 years, however, I am still a collector and interested in the hobby. My Sister gave me the Marvel Monopoly Collectors Edition for Christmas back in 1999. After I unwrapped the gift she said, "Lets open it and play" and my reaction was..., "We are not opening this, it is a collectible" and to this day it is still in the factory wrapping. Just keep in mind, there is a fine line between collecting and hoarding.

Also, I forgot... Welcome To The Boards from one Jersey person to another.

I do not have my books graded or pressed so I cannot give you a true to life answer, however, I would think that pressing the book may dislodge some of the pieces on the outer edge actually making the chipping worse. Since Marvel Chipping is a Bindery Defect I would assume the hit would not be as hard. While searching I came across an AF 15 with chipping just like yours and it was graded by CGC at VF 8.0, there was also an IH 1 with slightly less chipping/cracking than yours and was graded at VF+ 8.5 by ****. All I see on your book other than the chipping is slight spine stress, slightly discolored upper staple, non color breaking crease at lower right corner which IMO is keeping the grade lower. As the book sits right now, IMO, this book would grade at a... 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 am not sure how much this will help... Going by eBay sold auctions, a ST 126 CGC VF/NM 9.0 sold for $2875.00 on April 4, 2022. GoCollect lists FMV for a CGC 9.0 at $2800.00 which concurs with the eBay sale, however, go collect lists a CGC 9.2 as having a FMV of $5250.00, almost twice as much as the 9.0. Going by that info it is anybody's guess until a 9.2 shows up for auction on eBay, Heritage, MCS, Comic Connect, etc.

Disregarding age and just grading the book by the grading standards... Minor to moderate edge wear/creasing with color break/rub, moderate to severe spine stress with small tears, blunted corners w/small pieces missing, color breaking creases at corners, 14"-1/2" spine splits, extra staples added, staples are rusty, long color breaking crease in center of cover, slight spine roll w/slightly fanned pages. IMO, due to the small pieces missing from the corners and the tears through the spine... 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.

Welcome To The Boards And The Hobby!!! Without sounding like a cliché..."A collectible is only worth what a collector is willing to pay for it." I looked at eBay sold auctions and saw your win on this book (Congrats), others were bidding just as high as you did so someone besides you thought the book was worth it. (15 bids/10 bidders) NOTE: On June 28 the seller corrected the listing to read that the book is incomplete, the rear ad page was missing but the story is complete, the auction ended on July 4. As far as value, you stated that you bought this book to "fill in gaps in your collection". I have always had to collect on a budget and my goal was to complete runs so I have numerous PR 0.5 - FR 1.0 books in my collection, some with covers that are almost unreadable, I also have 13 remaindered copies in my collection (2000 books) and a Sad Sack #1 (1949) that is coverless. Remainders - Comic books that "remain" unsold at the newsstand. In the past the top 1/4 to 1/3 of the cover (or in some cases the entire cover) was removed and returned to the publisher for credit. This practice is the reason many comics from 1936-1965 are sometimes found as coverless copies or 3/4 cover copies. Yes, things have changed and prices have soared since I was still actively buying books (1979-2009), so, if you are collecting on a budget and looking to fill gaps/complete runs and you are happy with the book(s) you purchased then you did well, if you are unhappy with the book and you are having buyers remorse, unfortunately that is all too common. My advice would be to, read the book (carefully), when done, carefully place the book in a Silver Age Mylite with an Acid Free Backing Board and store in the Proper Environmental Conditions, if you are like I was, you will not even look back on this purchase and move on to the next one, if sometime in the future a better copy comes along at the right price and you feel the need, then go for it, but, as of right now you own a copy of F.F. #2, ENJOY!!! Adding a repo cover will help to protect the coverless book itself if that is a concern.

I am now curious, does this house ad exist in the OP's copy?

Just updating since my last post in this thread was 6 years ago and the photo's are no longer there. HARVEY HITS (1958) (SAD SACK ISSUES) (There are 40 issues with Sad Sack Appearances between issues 8-121) SAD SACK COMICS (1949) 1-124 (#1 is coverless) SAD SACK COMPLIMENTARY COMICS (1957) 1-11, 13-40 (Missing #12, have been looking a copy for over 15 years) SAD SACK AND THE SARGE (1957) (10 CENT COVERS ONLY) 1-29 SAD SACKS FUNNY FRIENDS (1955) (10 CENT COVERS ONLY) 1-36 SAD SACK LAUGH SPECIAL (1958) 1-10 SAD SACK PROMOTIONAL BOOKS 1)SAD SACK GOES HOME (1951) 2)SAD SACK HARVEY 3-D HITS (WITH GLASSES) (1954) 3)SAD SACK TASTEE-FREEZE COMICS 4 (1954) SAD SACK SPINOFF'S #1'S (1964-1994) 1)LITTLE SAD SACK 1 2)SAD SACKS ARMY LIFE 1 3)SAD SAD SACK WORLD 1 4)SAD SACK WITH SARGE AND SADIE 1 5)SAD SACK NAVY GOBS 'N' GALS 1 6)SAD SACK USA 1 7)SAD SACK FUN AROUND THE WORLD 1 8)SAD SACK - HARVEY COLLECTOR COMICS 9)(SAD SACK FLIP BOOK 1 10)SAD SACK 3D WITH GLASSES 11)SAD SACK COLLECTORS PACK 1 (The Original Sad Sack #1, Sad Sack At Home For The Holidays #1 Sad Sack Comics #288, 289, 290, 291, End Of Series)

Hello and Welcome To The Boards!!! What does the "Indicia" read/look like? https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Glossary:Indicia I do not have an ASM 1 and my #2 is missing the bottom of the front cover, here is the Indicia from ASM 3, they should be very similar since they were only published four month's apart. Also, here is the back, inside cover ad page from ASM 2, as you can see the ad is complete and not cut off on the edge as yours is. ASM 1 also has a Full Page House Ad, "A Personal Message From Spider-Man", which I do not see in your copy.

Blunted corners w/color breaking creases, edge wear w/color breaking creases, moderate color rub over most of the cover, severe color rub/color breaking crease in the center of the front cover, rusted staples w/slight rust migration on the lower staple, minor to moderate spine stress, slight spine roll. 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. 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.

I do not have my books graded, however, being part of this forum I have noticed complaints/conversations about a lack of consistency in grading. You cannot even ask for an opinion on grade since you cannot examine a book thoroughly enough online to determine 9.6 or higher, I will not grade a book higher than a NM 9.4 without it being in front of me. I would however be curious as to why you received a NM- 9.2 for a book you assumed would be a NM+ 9.6, IMO, there has to be something obvious such as a non color breaking crease/bend, color breaking spine tick, a few non-color breaking spine ticks, staple tears a noticeable bindery defect or some other defect that is obvious.

I really never gave it a thought when I was a kid in the 60's, I bought books I did not have when I saw them (if I had the money), never gave back issues or completing runs/stories a second thought. If one of my friends had a book I liked (usually because I liked the cover) and did not have I would ask to read it or ask if I could trade for it. At the pharmacy that I bought most of my comics from they were not in spinner racks or laid out neatly on a magazine rack, they were strewed about on the bottom of the magazine rack and I had to fumble through the piles to look for books I did not have, it was a great feeling finding "treasure" at the bottom of the pile. The only things I cared about having all of was baseball cards, I needed/wanted every card from each series, that meant that comic books took a backseat in the spring/summer.

Exactly what are your collecting habits? Are you a "collector" looking to complete runs or are you an "investor" looking to grade and sell at a profit? If you are a collector then monetary value means nothing, you would be interested in the Art, Story, Characters, Artists/Writers, etc. If I may, I would like to comment on your last statement..."Even had three flawless books come back with grades of 9.6 and a 9.2" If the books came back at a 9.6 and 9.2 respectively they were not flawless, sometimes it is difficult for folks to grade their own books since they tend to view them through "Rose Colored Glasses".

Just to add a little clarity, $9.99 for an action figure IMO, is not "aggressive" in todays market, I have been paying $13.99 (+ shipping and tax = $19.19, all pre-orders, don't want to wait or search stores) for the Hasbro/Marvel Legends Retro 3.75" figures which are selling between $8.99 and $11.99 at Amazon, Walmart, Target for whatever they have in stock and they do not come with a comic book.