marvelmaniac

Blunted corners w/color breaking creases, long color breaking crease from top edge to outer edge, a few color breaking spine stress lines, slight color rub. Is the Marvel Value Stamp present? As the book sits right now the book IMO is a... 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.

I have always collected on a budget (40+ years of collecting) and my goal has always been to complete runs so I have the complete story/issue run. Adding Low Grade Readers (Well Loved Books of which I have many in my 2000 book collection) to my collection has never been an issue for me, I was fine with a book if doodling/writing/drawing on the cover lowered the price or made it more affordable. Since I was completing runs, once purchased and read it was put away with the other books. The question then becomes, what is your personal collecting goal? Complete runs to have the entire story/issue run regardless of condition, complete runs with only mid to high grade books, investment, higher grade books to display, etc., everybody collects for different reasons so this is basically a personal choice, just remember... Low Grade Is Better Than No Grade.

I agree with your original assessment of a VG/FN 5.0 - FN- 5.5 without the completely detached centerfold, however, I do not agree with statements that say the detached centerfold in this grade range does not affect the grade. The grading standards specifically state... GD 2.0 "Centerfold may be Loose or Completely Detached" GD/VG 3.0 "Centerfold may be Loose or Detached at One Staple." VG/FN 5.0 "Centerfold may be Loose." Knowing this, a book that would otherwise grade higher has to take a hit for a completely detached centerfold. I do not have my books graded so this is all speculation on my part, nobody knows what CGC's grading standards are, I have read numerous threads on this site detailing/discussing CGC's inconsistency in grading from one point in time to another and what they are now being lenient on regardless of what the "available" grading standards (Overstreet, Heritage) state. Having said all of that, IMO this book with a detached centerfold should grade at a VG 4.0 Max. All adding staples or having the centerfold reattached is going to do is eliminate a Blue Label, for a book that is relatively inexpensive I would just leave it and enjoy the book as is.

The front cover looks great, it is hard to see any defects on the front cover due to the light color, however, the black rear cover is telling a different story, showing slightly blunted corners, spine stress with color breaks and a minor staple tear, being that the rear cover is black the defects really stand out, without being able to really see any spine/staple stress on the front I have to assume it carries over from the rear, so, 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.

I cannot answer your question on a clean and press. Slightly blunted corners, slight edge wear, a couple of small spine ticks, slightly fanned pages. 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.

From what I see... Bindery tear and blunted lower left corner, a couple/few minor spine ticks that slightly break color, slight color rub on the top edge and at lower left corner, slightly blunted/rounded lower right corner. IMO, being conservative... 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.

To obtain a proper grade estimate you will need to remove the book from the bag and take pics of the front cover, rear cover, close ups of the spine/corners, inside front and rear covers and centerfold. Books are graded by their overall condition, the color breaking crease at the bottom right is not allowed in any grade above FN/VF 7.0, if this is actually a higher grade book, it will take a hit due to the color breaking crease, how much depends on the overall grade of this book.

Unfortunately GCG has never published their grading standards so, as to what they actually are compared to Overstreet or Heritage is anyone's guess, generically they are probably very close with "corporate secrets" and *'s added in. I have the Overstreet Grading Guide but I tend to use this... https://comics.ha.com/tutorial/comics-grading.s?show=comicdefinitions How does that compare to the comicspriceguide grading standards? Also remember, two people looking at the same thing may not always see the same thing, grading is subjective, even with CGC. Also, when in doubt or on the fence about a grade, I always grade lower, not higher.

Severe damage/creasing at the lower right corner and through the interior pages, blunted corners, tear and chipping at outer edge, lower edge wear w/slight color rub, minor spine stress, rear cover/outer edge has wrinkles/creases/small tears, slight staining/foxing on rear cover. With the amount of damage to the outer edges and lower right corner/interior pages I do not feel that this book will grade any higher than a... VG+ 4.5

Just to add to all of the great advice given above about storing books in the proper conditions, let me add for the OP and others viewing this page... CGC cases are not UV Protected.

Thank You for the info. I have had my collection insured with CIS for 15 years, the reason I brought this up was because I knew that an appraisal was not needed with CIS so how would they go about a one of a kind issue, you answered the question, Thanks Again. I understand scarcity does not always = high value, it is supply and demand, if nobody wants the scarce item it is basically worthless as far as $$$, if there were 3 million copies of a certain book printed and 6 million people wanted that book, the value increases, supply and demand.

Adding to the question, what would CIS do in a hypothetical case such as this since you name the amount of coverage you want/need for an item/collection, does CIS require professional appraisals for high $$$ books or do they pay you the amount of coverage you have?

If the back cover were still attached with the obvious defects such as... Edge wear/tears, creasing w/color breaks, spine stress w/color breaks, added or misplaced staples, staple tears, spine splits, writing on the cover, etc., the book would probably grade at a VG 4.0 to VG+ 4.5. Since the back cover is completely detached the book will probably not receive a grade higher than FR/GD 1.5, possibly a FR 1.0. Pressing will not help the grade on this book.

I cannot answer your question about pressing since I do not partake in this service. Slight corner/edge wear, color rub on front cover by spine, top and outer edges, what appears to be a very slight spine roll by the top of spine, a few very slight spine ticks, 1/4" crease w/color break at lower edge of front cover. IMO, the small color breaking crease at the bottom edge prevents this book from being a higher grade. 8.0 VERY FINE (VF): Back to TopAn 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.

Minor corner wear, slight spine stress w/slight color break, slight color rub by spine, discolored staples, slightly fanned pages. IMO... 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.

Your description is pretty much spot on. I see the color fleck and some slight color rub on the outer edge of front cover, slight corner/edge wear, minor to moderate spine ticks/stress w/color breaks, slight fanning of the pages, minor loss of cover reflectivity, minor color rub on rear cover. I do not see any major defects and IMO... 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF): Back to TopAn above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

The book shows most of the typical defects for a lower/mid grade book... Corner/edge wear w/creasing and color breaks, spine stress w/color breaks, 1/4" spine splits top and bottom, some staining/foxing on the rear cover. Since there are no pieces missing or creasing through the cover itself, 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.

Slight edge/corner wear, slight color rub in small areas of the cover, several spine ticks w/color break. Unfortunately, IMO, the spine ticks will prevent this book from being a higher grade. 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.

Nice Book!!! I do not really see anything that stands out as a defect by the pics that are shown, however, I will not assign a grade higher than NM 9.4 to any book I do not have 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.

Welcome To The Boards!!! You need larger/clearer pics of the front and rear cover, even enlarging the pics the image is not clear. Going by the two larger pics you showed you have two slightly blunted corners and a color breaking crease at the top right corner. Without better pics we cannot see spine stress/ticks, staple color, edge wear, color rub, staining/foxing, etc. If the above were the only defects this book would grade IMO at VF 8.0 (maximum) due to the color breaking crease, this is inconclusive due to the lack of quality pics. 8.0 VERY FINE (VF): Back to TopAn 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.

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.

Moderate creasing w/color breaks, minor to moderate vertical spine stress w/color breaks, corners blunted w/slight creasing and color breaks, upper edge wear, slightly discolored staples, staining/foxing on spine, moderate staining on the rear cover, cover not trimmed properly (bindery), it does affect the aesthetic appeal. 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.

Blunted lower left corner, crease w/slight color break lower right corner, moderate spine stress w/color break on front and rear cover, stain in the "M" in "Man" and in the tan circle to the right of Spider-Man, slight upper edge wear with color rub on rear cover, slight staining on the rear cover. IMO, it is the amount and degree of spine stress that prevents this book from being a higher grade. 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.

After blowing up the picture I see... Top right and lower left corner slightly blunted w/ very slight color break at the top right, 2-3 small spine ticks that slightly break color, discolored lower staple. The blue line through the watchers head is normal, I see it in every copy I viewed online. 9.2 NEAR MINT- (NM-): Back to TopNearly 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.