marvelmaniac

Since no one has answered yet I will throw my in. I do not collect graded books nor do I send books in for grading, however... From what I have read here is that some of the cost is determined by the value of the book being graded, the more valuable the book the higher the cost to grade, so... What is the book you are referring to? What is its current grade from the competitor?

Hope this helps... Action Comics 683 - 1st Doomsday (Cameo) Overstreet (2016) NM $3.00, MCS - Asking $6.00 for FN 6.0, eBay No Current Sold Listings, two raw copies currently up for auction with starting bids at $.50 and $1.00, currently no bids. Iron Man 219 - Intro The Ghost Overstreet (2016) NM $4.00 , MCS - Two graded consignment books, they do not count because sellers can ask whatever they want, eBay Sold Listings (more than 10 bidders) $23.00 - $31.00 Raw NM + 9.6, There were no graded books that had more than 1 to 2 bidders so they are not a true representation, however just for giggles they sold for $21.00, $30.00, $36.00, $50.00 (VF+ 8.5 - NM 9.4) and a NM+ 9.6 sold for $104.00 with only one bidder and best offer accepted.

Wow, IMO you are harsh. That book presents very well overall and IMO the only thing keeping it from a VG/FN 5.0 is the small spine tears. so for what its worth I am going with a... VG + 4.5 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.

"Crinkly Mylites", I would be one of them, Books bought/acquired in the 80's/early 90's are still stored in the original 1 Mil Mylites I purchased from my LCS at the time, that would probably be the majority of my ASM and F.F runs to #200.

Those are " bindery tears", I think we answered the question about bindery tears and grading to the best of our ability in your other thread.

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. A "Well Loved" copy of a "Key" book that I would be Proud to own.

Binder Perfs - See "Perforations." Perforations - Small hole at the page margins which sometimes occur as part of the manufacturing process. "Not considered a defect. Perforations are sometimes used to tell if a comic is an unread copy. In such a copy tell-tale clicks are heard when the book is opened for the first time as the perforations separate. 9.6 NEAR MINT+ (NM+): Back to TopOnly subtle bindery or printing defects are allowed. No bindery tears are allowed, although on Golden Age books bindery tears of up to 1/8" have been noted. 9.4 NEAR MINT (NM): Back to TopSubtle 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. It seems we have a contradiction... I never payed attention to those when I was buying books new in the 80's/90's, if they were there it was just the way things were, thats how the comic came, no big deal.

When it comes to reading copies "crappiest book ever" = "most well loved book ever", and... All books need a good home,even the "well loved" copies of which I have adopted quite a few.

The pen markings would be considered normal for the grade and will not affect this particular books overall grade, again, without being able to see what the tape is holding together FR/GD 1.5 is what I see from the pic shown. FR/GD 1.5 allows spine splits from 2" to 2/3 of the cover.

However, IMO... Although it may not be worth having it graded, having that copy of ASM 129 which is a key book is better than having no copy at all.

Let me start by saying, I do not send books in for grading, I am a collector of "raw" books so I have no actual "real life" experience with CGC, having said that... CGC does not perform restoration, also... Why would you want to? Although the value of F.F 49 has been rising lately (according to eBay sold listings) your copy is a FR/GD 1.5 "at best" (I have no problem with that, Love my low grade reading copies) and the tape is probably holding part of the book together, CGC grades books with tape as if the tape were not present, so if it has a completely split cover and the tape is holding the cover together it will be graded as having a completely split cover. The cost of restoration/grading of that book would outweigh the books value, lower grade copies (and remainder copies) of F.F. 49 have sold from $34.00 - $60.00 in the last 3 month's in eBay auctions, raw copies in the GD+ 2.5/GD/VG 3.0/VG 4.0 are selling for about $80.00 - $120.00. The lowest CGC graded copy was a GD 2.0 that sold for $163.00 and a VG+ 3.5 sold for $315.00. IMO, you are better off getting yourself a higher grade issue if that is indeed what you are looking for, as far as your present copy... Bag, Board and Enjoy.

I know CGC has its own standards and the case show above is severe, however, in general... From Heritage Auctions... 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. From CGC... Distributor Painted Stripes (Distro Ink). Color ink painted or sprayed onto the edges of comic book stacks as a special coding used by distributors. "As I read these definitions, the key idea seems to be that local magazine distributors used to color-code the tops of their comic books and magazines as a way of signaling their delivery guys when it was time to remove issues from the racks and replace them with fresh issues. That is, the stripes were a kind of expiration date code for books and magazines, readable only by delivery guys and others in the know." "Note that the Heritage Auction Galleries definition says that distributor stripes are not a defect. Indeed, it would have been almost impossible to buy non-distributor-striped comic books in the 1960's, and, in fact, one might well turn this around and say that genuine distributor stripes are one of the indicators of the vintage of certain books." I totally agree with the above statement (not my statement), to me (IMO only) this goes right along with Subscription Creases, Date Stamps, Remainder Copies, this is/was all part of the history of comic books when I was growing up in the 60's along with simplified storylines and the reasons I still enjoy these books today, they bring back memories, make me feel nostalgic and give me a "warm, fuzzy" feeling inside... Honestly, isn't that what it is all about???!!!

When it comes to "high grade" (or any really) books the more you handle the book (remove from the bag, put back in the bag and read) the more damage or chance of damage will be present no matter how careful you are. There are numerous threads on this subject and what should you do to prevent it, the general consensus is... 1)If not an expensive book buy two copies, one to store away and one to read. 2)Buy the book,store it away properly and never open/read it and read the story digitally online or on DVD. If you would like to learn about grading/printing-bindery defects and overall defects from wear and tear with illustrations then I would recommend... (You can get this on Amazon, eBay, etc.) https://gemstonepub.com/en/the-overstreet-guide-to-grading-comics-2016-edition Here is some other reference material for you. https://comics.ha.com/tutorial/comics-grading.s?show=comicdefinitions http://www.teako170.com/grade.html

Both are still "well loved" copies worthy of any collection.

Are you referring to graded books or raw books? +1, that is exactly how I collect but even low grade books can be valuable depending on your definition of valuable, however... The best place to see what the current market value is would be "eBay sold listings". All of my books are raw and I check eBay sold listings 4 time a year (and have been since 2014) for sale prices of my key/favorite books just for giggles, insurance purposes and a list thru the years for research/reference purposes such as "hot" movie books. I look at auction items only, books that are in the same grade (or close) to mine (which requires looking at their pics to see if they graded accurately, a minimum of 5 different bidders and consistency from different sales of the same book in that time period. Even though others will tell you that it is totally outdated long before it is released and irrelevant to current pricing I still use the Overstreet Price Guide for a "general reference of price" and have been since the early 80's. Now,If you are referring to the current value of CGC graded books eBay is still a very good reference but other than that, IDK.

According to the Grading Guide that is common. 2.0 GOOD (GD): 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.

I used my phone, granted the pics are not High Resolution taken with a phone from 4-5 years ago and are only being used as reference and for insurance purposes, however... Camera technology in phones has come a long way, if you have access to a Google Pixel 3 you do not need much light or a flash which will eliminate glare. https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/google-pixel-3-camera-guide/

I am not into slabbing books but...What he said... https://www.cgccomics.com/news/article/3327/CGC-Modifies-Stance-on-Grading-Submissions-with-Tape/

I only took front cover pics with my phone, just something to show an actual date and ownership. They told me if you put all of the pics/lists of a flashdrive and send it to them they will store it in your file so everyone will have a copy. 99% of the pics i post on this site are my actual books.

I am not into investment but everything I have seen and read indicates that a restored book does not have the same value as a non-restored book in the same condition. If sending in for grading to CGC a non-restored book will receive a Universal Blue Label while a restored book will receive a Purple label noting restoration which folks refer to as the "PLOD" (purple label of death) Also,the books that you are referring to are not that old or valuable and should not require any restoration.

I cannot answer that question for you but here are the local shops in my area if you would like to contact them. https://freshcomics.us/shop/nj-river-city/nj-berlin http://www.frankensteincomics.com/ https://www.facebook.com/The-Comic-Crypt-at-Collingwood-291057624391658/ https://www.facebook.com/Stormwatch-Comics-145854506715/

It all comes down to what you are collecting for... If you are collecting as an investment only then you should take all necessary precautions. If you are collecting for fun and enjoyment then you do not need to go overboard, just be careful and use common sense when reading/handling the books. BTW, just out of curiosity, what do you enjoy reading/collecting?

From what i can see by the pics posted without the subscription crease I would grade this book at a FN+ 6.5 - FN/VF 7.0. My stance (which does not mean much) on a subscription crease is that it is part of history and the history of the book. A subscription crease is/was not caused by normal wear and tear from reading/storing such as spine stress, tears, rusty staples, blunted/creased corners, etc and IMO you cannot punish a books grade due to history. IMO the subscription crease adds "class" to the book, you know where it came from and it should not be treated any differently than distributor ink or stamped/printed arrival dates which are also parts of history. From what i understand CGC is changing it's stance on "Marvel Chipping" since that is a "Printing/Bindery" defect from the time (HISTORY) and they should change their stance on subscription creases.

+1, have fun with your collection!!! My last post was an "over exaggeration" of how "they" tell you to "properly handle your comics". If you buy an older/more expensive book just be careful when reading it and placing it in and removing it from the bag. if it is a newer book that is not expensive but is something you really, really like buy two copies, one to put in your collection and one to read. With a lot of older/key books they have been reprinted so you can have the actual book stored safely away and still read the actual story in a very inexpensive reprint, Marvel Milestone Editions and Marvel Tales for instance (Not sure about DC reprints since I do not collect DC) It is fun to collect and have the actual books that you can go to when you feel the urge to hold actual paper and print in your hand however, there are collections on DVD and digitally online so you can own the book but can read the story over and over without having to constantly take the book in and out of the bag. I was given this for Christmas about 12/13 years ago. https://www.amazon.com/Git-90001-Years-Fantastic-Four/dp/0976888602 The choices are all yours to make and again... HAVE FUN DOING IT!!!

The book IMO presents well, the only thing that has me scratching my head is the stress lines but I will take the leap and say... VG/FN 5.0 5.0 VERY GOOD/FINE (VG/FN): 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.