marvelmaniac

Unfortunately this question has a lot of "Gray" areas and there is no cut and dry answer, nothing etched in stone, even with CGC, grading is speculative and opinionated and based on the books appearance and defects in its entirety. If you read the grading standards the first mention of a "Bend" is in... NM 9.4 " A 1/16" bend is permitted with no color break". The length of the bend changes minutely with each downward grade. NM- 9.2 "A 1/16-1/8 bend is permitted with no color break." VF/NM 9.0 "An 1/8" bend is allowed if color is not broken." The first mention of a "crease" is in... VF 8.0 "An unnoticeable 1/4" crease is acceptable if color is not broken." What is the difference between a "bend" and a "crease"?, Look it up and you will not even find concrete, definitive answers to the definition of "crease and bend", so it is all left up to human interpretation. Once you get below VF 8.0 the only thing mentioned is... FN/VF 7.0 "Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases" At FN/VF 7.0 there is no mention of color break except on the spine, what exactly constitutes a "minor crease"?, again it is left up to human interpretation.

The book presents nicely, looking at the close ups however, IMO, makes the book look worse than it probably is, like when you use a makeup mirror and see all of the wrinkles/pores in your face magnified. Blunted Corners, Edge Wear, Edge and Spine Creasing W/Color Break, Staining on Back Cover... IMO FN- 5.5 (Better than a VG/FN 5.0 but is it a FN 6.0?) 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.

What I can see... Spine Ticks/Creases, Rounded/Blunted Corners, Minor Staple Tears, Color Break in the "T" of "Astonish. Going by what I can see in the pics I would grade the book at FN- 5.5, however... If that is "Rat Chew" on the rear cover, top right it will lower the grade to a VG+ 4.5, IMO.

Better pics would help these old eyes... Spine, Spine Creases, Corners, Edges, especially the top right of the rear cover and inside of the rear cover/pages.

As a true collector I take offense to your title... "Crappy" = "Well Loved" and any Well Loved Copy is better than NO copy.

When I had a local dealer come out to the house to look at my Son's books he was selling the dealer after looking at our Secret Wars run (including #8) told me he usually gets $150.00 for the entire run (Raw). Are they worth grading?, I do not have books graded so what is the cost of grading 11 books (without the big key) vs. FMV on those books? I would suggest you look at eBay sold auction listings for Raw vs. Slabbed, including full runs.

From everything I have read "Foxing" is a Reddish color, hence the name, so, may just be dirt.

I wish I were able to give you more precise info on your query pertaining to the "loose cover". Even with your pics it is hard to tell since you cannot see "cover looseness" in a photo unless the cover is actually detached or pulling away from the staple. It appears to my eyes that there are minute staple tears but without having the book physically in front of me it is impossible to tell. Also, the definition of "loose" is very generic and leaves a lot to opinion. adjective not firmly or tightly fixed in place; detached or able to be detached. Staple Wear/Pull/Pop: Area around the staple is creased or torn, and in extreme cases the staple is pulled through part or all of the book. Loose/detached covers are considered a major defect. 9.0 VERY FINE/NEAR MINT (VF/NM): "Only the slightest staple tears are allowed."

What color is that "staining"?

Welcome To The Boards!!! Unfortunately your question is very vague and cannot be properly answered without more info, a book is graded in it's "overall" condition so assuming one defect on an otherwise NM/MT 9.8 is almost impossible to answer, there is no Black and White answer. Loose cover?, at one or both staples?, staple tears?, spine damage/creasing/ticks?, centerfold loose? My suggestion would be to take pics of the front/back cover, spine/edges/corners/staples, splash page/inside front cover, centerfold, inside rear cover and post them with your question in the ... "Hey Buddy, Can You Spare A Grade" Section. To answer your question as asked... The first mention of a "centerfold being loose" is in FN 6.0, the first mention of a "cover being loose" is in VG 4.0

Nice Book, ENJOY!!!

Very good advice given above. You do have other avenues open to you, most will require work on your part, grading, pricing, listing, shipping, etc. eBay sold auction prices are the most exact FMV price you will find since the sold auction price is what people are actually paying for these books, be sure the book sold is in the same grade/condition as your book and had a least 5 bidders, being sure there was not a bidding war that drove the final price up. 1)The quickest, easiest way is to sell to an LCS, however, not very profitable for you, you would literally only get pennies on the dollar for each book. 2)List them for sale on this site 3)As already stated, https://www.mycomicshop.com/?gclid=CLS_6I_Q8cUCFYYUHwodbhUAag MCS is not going to be interested in purchasing all of those books for themselves, go to Selling Your Comics to view all of your options, sell directly, auction, consignment, you can call them to discuss your options, according to the site they will buy a full collection of books with a cover price of $.35 cents or less which only includes up to issue 121 for you, that leaves you with a lot of "drek". 4)Facebook, Yes a lot will scoff at this, not all Facebook groups are filled with Scam artists, I belong to four Comic Groups on Facebook, not all groups allow sales, find a few that do and are the same genre you are looking to sell, follow the groups rules for buying/selling/listing and wait for replies. Just be sure to be honest and get your payments through PayPal Goods and Services prior to shipping, you may get lucky and be able to sell them locally. If you are not sure about grading so you can get a fair estimated price you can always post books in the "Hey Buddy, Can You Spare A Grade" section and compare what the group says about grade to what you may have determined by using the grading standards. https://comics.ha.com/tutorial/comics-grading.s?show=comicdefinitions GOOD LUCK!!!

Welcome To The Boards!!! You should post pics of the front/back cover, inside front cover/splash page, inside rear cover, centerfold, spine, corners, edges and of course the defect you are specifically asking about, post the pics here... Hey buddy, can you spare a grade?

I do not collect this title, however, looking online this book appears to be readily available Raw and Graded and does not seem to be extremely expensive.

OK, I'll Play... From what you described and what I can see (Some photo's are blurry, book is in a slab, cannot see the spine and staples, cannot see the interior pages) (Corner/Edge Wear, Color Breaking Crease by the Spidey Logo)... I would have to say... 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.

My advice would be to keep the room they are in as dark as possible as far as blinds/curtains,shades, etc to keep out as much UV as possible and use LED light bulbs rather than Fluorescent or Incandescent. I have had my action figures and memorabilia displayed for years, some have been displayed for 30 years, some of the action figure cards/box are showing signs of UV damage where the plastic is becoming clouded, some where that way when I bought them used but even the ones I bought new are showing some signs of UV damage, but I do not care, I display them because it makes me happy when I walk in the room and see them. Just some images so you have all of the proper info, the first pic is what happens to a comic book when it is exposed to direct UV for an extended period (how long?). The second pic is three books I bought just to display and they are in UV protected frames and have been displayed for a year now. Just a final note...Comic Books are meant to be read, held and looked at for enjoyment so, do what make you happy.

No, CGC cases are not UV protected, a CGC case does not offer any added protection than a Quality Mylite and Acid Free Board other than you can never touch the book again. CGC graded books need to be stored in the exact same conditions as Raw books, Away from UV Light, Stored in a Controlled Temperature Environment (no unfinished basements/attics/garages) away all Heat Sources/Vents and away from all Moisture/Water. They do sell UV protected frames to display graded books. https://thecollectorsresource.com/UV-graded-comic-book-frame You can also use a UV Protected Film right on the slab or any frame you wish to use. https://www.thecomicdoctor.com/how-to-effectively-display-slabbed-comic-books/

Just want to throw this out there... When displaying in a room with windows do not forget about UV protection.

IMO, with the tear this book grades at a GD/VG 3.0 at best. "3.0 GOOD/VERY GOOD (GD/VG): Back to TopA 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." As far as getting it graded, depends on why you wish to have it graded, this is not a high dollar book if you are looking to do this for resale/profit. Recent eBay sold items show a CGC VG+ 4.5 sold for $71.00 on Oct 4 and a Raw VG+ 4.5 (looks more like a VG/FN 5.0 IMO) sold for $96.00 on Nov 3.

I received this book in the early 80's...

Welcome To The Boards!!! I have to ask, why would you want to store anything at -20 C (-4 F)? I would think not for 2 reasons... 1)Moisture/Condensation + Paper = BIG Trouble https://www.goclward.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Guide-to-Understanding-Condensation.pdf 2)Extreme Temperature Changes - There are acids in the paper and ink from the manufacturing process, these acids breakdown and cause decay to the book/pages over time, the more the paper has to expand and contract/adjust to its environment the faster the acids are released which will cause quicker decay of the book, comic preservation is not about stopping the degrading process but slowing it down to a minimum. Now, if you are looking to preserve them (Cryonics for paper?) for future generations to find fully preserved... "Keep Books From Extremes of Temperature" "The rule of thumb is to keep books where you’d be comfortable yourself. Both heat and cold can damage books, which is why garages, storage sheds, attics and basements are usually bad places to keep books."

I cannot find anything concrete to determine if all or only some ASM 238's came with Tatooz even though they apparently all say "Tatooz Included" on the cover. . If they were never there from the beginning why would the book not receive a Blue label?

Tips or "HACKS" as in... use a computer to gain unauthorized access to data in a system. or cut with rough or heavy blows.

Grading is difficult, especially when they are your books, you tend to look at everything through "Rose Colored Glasses". Some do not care to take the time to grade properly or hope the buyer is unaware. If you are looking to learn about collecting and comic books might I suggest... https://www.amazon.com/Overstreet-Comic-Book-Price-Guide/dp/1603602526 https://www.gemstonepub.com/en/the-overstreet-guide-to-grading-comics-2016-edition The prices in the Comic Book Price Guide will not be current but more of a "General Guide" but the book contains a wealth of information. If you want to get an idea of current FMV look at eBay Sold Items from Auction. https://comics.ha.com/tutorial/comics-grading.s?show=comicdefinitions

Welcome To The Boards!!! Gold and Early Silver Age books are in demand and harder to find due to first/early appearances of characters and the fact that comic books were not thought of as a collectible, they were cheap/disposable entertainment. When I was a kid in the 60's I never gave a second thought to folding the book and stuffing it in my back pocket while I rode my bike home, drawing on it, removing pin ups, etc., taking apart Marvel Collectors Items Classics/Marvel Tales and making them four separate books, If you left them lying around Mom threw them out, I am surprised any survived at all, especially in higher grade. Now people new to the hobby are $$$ conscious (not true collectors) and only look at comics as an investment and the trends these days are determined by TV/Movies. When a TV Show/Movie is announced all of the "newer" folks want all of the appearances of the character involved which drives up the price of all appearances, especially the Gold/Silver first/early appearances. Because these books are older and were already harder to find they tend to hold there value more than a modern book that had 1,000,000 copies printed and are only now hard to find because they are being hoarded for resale. It seems the newer books drop in value as soon as the Movie has passed. Just remember... A collectible is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, if there is only one but no one wants it it has no value, if there are 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 want it they it becomes scarce and the price goes up. Back to your original question...How popular is Sonic as a character in a comic book???