serling1978

Curious how much CGC will drop the grade on a high grade book like this with a large sticker.   Does it automatically have a ceiling? 

Wanted to follow up on how things turned out. Got the book back today and it worked out very well. Graded a 2.5 and the detached staple wasn't noted on the label. 

I got back into collecting in my early 30s about 11 years ago so unfortunately I missed out on the wild west days of ebay, but through persistence (obsession) I did get a lot of good deals 5-10 years ago. 

About 5 years ago I bought a large Amazing Spiderman run of #60 through #400 with all of the annuals starting with #2 that included a handful of dups including two nice copies of #129. Only paid $1200 buy it now from a zero feedback seller (thought it was worth the risk considering buyer protection) so it was a pretty good deal I'd say. 

One other that comes to mind is a solid mid grade ASM #3 I got for $175. It was an auction but as soon as it went up I messaged the seller and made an offer and he accepted and did a deal through PayPal . I used to do that all the time when I first got back into collecting and it worked more often than you'd think. 

I posted in the WTB forum that i was looking for a key book in a specific grade and Isaac came through.  Easy to work with, fast shipping and great packaging.  Would definitely do business again with no hesitation.

4 hours ago, The Lions Den said:

Yes, that's exactly what I was referring to---thanks for connecting the dots.

Graders are trained to be careful, but there are certain flaws that can be more problematic than others. Tears and detached covers are especially tricky. All it takes is one slight miscalculation and a small tear becomes a large tear, or a cover that's detached from one staple becomes completely detached. And since graders generally move pretty fast, a little heads-up goes a long way toward ensuring the safety of your book. 

I would suggest attaching a note to the bag that at the very least has a warning like this:  FRAGILE---PLEASE HANDLE WITH CARE. If you want to get even more specific, you can...  

Thanks, I did add a note to the package. Appreciate it 👍

4 hours ago, Lightning55 said:

If The Lion's Den doesn't get back to this, I think  it was a reference to a "Handle with care" type warning for the grader.  To make them aware that there is a staple detached and a torn cover, to handle very gently when removing from the bag so as not to make them any worse.  

But if it was to make a different point entirely, I'm hoping The Lion's Den will clarify.

Ohhh gotcha. I guess I assumed they handled with extreme care by default, but better safe than sorry. 

1 hour ago, The Lions Den said:

When you submit it, you may want to think about putting a note on the bag concerning the top staple detachment and the tear on the upper right edge. Graders can easily get distracted and a little heads-up can make a big difference.

I wish you the best of luck, and please let us know how it works out...

Can you clarify for me how that would help? Sorry maybe I'm being dense. Legitimately asking. 

12 minutes ago, The Lions Den said:

That may get you a note on the label. It would be in lower case letters, however, since the book shouldn't be Qualified (assuming there's nothing missing from the interior).

There's nothing missing from the interior, right?

 

Correct. I've owned multiple copies over time and the interior looks complete. I hope the name doesn't get mentioned on the label but we'll see I guess.

2 hours ago, Deadpoolica said:

Noted for next time. My wife has given me many lessons in taking constructive feedback so I feel confident I won't make the same mistake twice 😬

Thanks for the input so far. Sorry for putting this in the wrong forum and no back cover pic. Honestly I didn't want to take it out again and continue to handle it before making a decision on keeping it. The back cover has no significant wear or tears or missing pieces for what it's worth. 

One other thing I forgot to ask. The splash page has a random name written on it from some kid it looks like. I assume/hope CGC won't note that on the label (I just like a clean label without a bunch of "asterisks"). I've seen where if an artist's name is written it will be noted but I'm guessing a random previous owners name isn't treated the same way. Can anyone confirm ? 

Got this in the mail today from an ebay purchase . Full  disclosure bought for 3k with the intent of getting graded to replace my current CGC 1.5 with a detached cover. Was dismayed upon inspection to find that the book I just bought is detached at the top staple. The seller specifically said in a message that the cover staples were loose but attached. 

A couple questions. Can anyone give an estimate of what it would grade at? I feel I need at least a 2.0 for it to be worthwhile as an upgrade. 

Also, I saw some older threads about this and did my own research and found examples, but can anyone confirm that in a lower grade the detached top staple would be noted on the label? I assume it wouldn't be qualified due to the lower grade. 

Lastly, since the seller was incorrect about the top staple is it reasonable to ask for a credit? I let him know of the issue and that I'm leaning towards returning and his response was that I can return it and he'll just get it graded and sell it for more money . No apology or "aw man I'm sorry to hear that" or anything.  Although to complicate matters he did credit me $225 when I bought it to wave the sales tax. 

I appreciate any input on my many questions! 

I was wondering the same thing and when researching I found this old thread. I also found multiple examples online of CGC blue labels where the one detached staple was noted on the case. 

3 minutes ago, KirbyJack said:

They should come up with a completely original re-vamp for The Angel. Like maybe make him a cop or something, and a master of ancient weapons. 

Does Archangel still exist? I haven't read any comics past the early 90s so I have no clue, but he was definitely a much better version of Angel. 

5 hours ago, VintageComics said:

I always thought it was just a metal thingy. Like a pipe or a rod. Not a bazooka.

Hmmmm hadn't thought about that. It could be a pipe he's preparing to beat Magneto with. He definitely seems to be aiming it though. Maybe he wanted Magneto to think it was a bazooka and once that didn't work he gave up on it. 

Really important question here. Did the Angel ever go on to use that bazooka from the cover of X-men #1 in subsequent issues?  His powers always did seem a bit lacking 

 Maybe the bazooka wasn't such a bad idea...🤔

On 4/12/2020 at 10:47 PM, N e r V said:

I bought a lot of stuff out of comics although I obsessed more over the Johnson Smith or Sears Christmas catalogues. The stuff that fueled my collecting was the stuff in ads before “my time”. I wanted so many things so bad that came before in old comic ads...

 

I was reading some old Hulk comics last night and saw that plastic pillow ad.  Can't imagine how hot and sweaty your head would be after a night on that 😅

On 4/14/2020 at 2:26 PM, atomised said:

It's interesting that I posted this topic before the Covid situation really hit.  Prices seemed to be drifting a bit lower prior, mostly on a lot of SA keys.  The BIN prices for keys on ebay still since like fantasy numbers far above gpa.  With the auction houses, clink, HA and cc are all rolling on like normal.  Probably some good opportunities to buy there, or just ride it out.   

Ebay BIN prices just keep getting worse and worse.  Primarily fueled by flippers who didn't get a deal in the first place and therefore have to jack up the price to account for fees and additional room for profit. 

I got back into collecting about 9 years ago after a 18 year hiatus from collecting and although eBay has always had outlandish Bins there did seem to be a lot more great deals mixed in.  I can't imagine how much better it would have been if I had gotten back into collecting like 15 to 20 years ago. 😫

Anyways, back to the topic. I agree with others that Dec and start of the year are downtimes for sellers and the lull in Marvel movies has driven away a lot of fringe buyers. I'm currently in the hunt for some big keys and although prices do seem to have dipped with COVID I'm still personally having no luck 🤔.  

That's a pretty cool story. I also collected as a teen in the early 90s but a good chunk of my books from that time got water damage in a house I previously owned. Mostly silver age xmen and the Strang tales, tales to astonish, and tales of suspense books 😭

As far as the bags, I usually buy Mylite bags and boards. Very high quality.  BCW makes good solid boxes. 

I haven't followed trends enough the last 6 or so months like I used to so I don't have a good gauge on it, but wondering if anyone has noticed a dip in what books are going for over the last month or so due to COVID19. 

I've been looking to upgrade my raw low grade X-men 1 and I'm wondering if I'm passing up a golden opportunity to get one at a lower price over the next couple weeks or so . I imagine once the pandemic begins to draw to a close (and people get stimulus checks) there may be a bounce back with a rise in prices, but that's just a thought. I have nothing to base that on. 

On 4/3/2020 at 4:10 PM, Motor City Rob said:

Anyone ever use backing boards between the inside cover and first page when pressing? Would that help eliminate some defects that are more stubborn? I've only been using silicone release paper, but was thinking a backing board might be better. Thoughts?

I've done this method in the past and it worked fine. Nothing catastrophic happened. I know there are a million ways to press books, but personally when I did it that way I would put a piece of parchment paper between the cover and the press and a backboard between the cover and first page with another piece of parchment paper between the backboard and inner front cover. I would also heat up the press, turn it off, and then put the book in and just leave it overnight. That way it got the heat from the press and slowly cooled down over time. That last part is something I picked up from a long time presser who was kind enough to share some tips.

With any pressing technique I would always say do heavy testing on cheap/reader books from the same era and of the same general condition that you don't care about before you drop something meaningful into the press. 

Personally I'm a fan of the UK priced silver age books. They were the same print run, not reprints or any such silly thing that some people are mistaken about.  And they are more rare. The price printed on the cover does not in any way put a negative spin on an otherwise amazing book. Personally, I've got Hulk #1 and Avengers #3 pence books. 

They do sell for less, but that may not always be the case. They have carried a somewhat negative stigma for no good reason (I've never heard anyone articulate one anyway) but in all walks of life the most ingrained beliefs can eventually change over time. And if they don't? Who cares 😁 collecting isn't just value. Collect what you enjoy 👍

Avengers #1 definitely hit a speedbump as far as value goes, but as a collector I don't really care. Still one of my favorite series to "complete".  I did stop around 370 something I think because I didn't have much interest even going above #300.  Couldn't help myself though on some in the 25 cent bin of my LCS 😕

12 hours ago, oldrover said:

One of my TTA 27's had C1 color touch, a midgrade book.

CCS removed it...

 

 

...by cutting the color touch out of the center of the cover. Now, it still got a good grade... and it's better than a PLOD... but C1 color touch removal means harsh justice.

Do you know what the original grade was on this book?  Curious how much it dropped when they cut the piece out.  Also wondering if there is a point where CCS would say it's too hard to remove.  If the CT is on the spine would they still cut it out if that was the only solution?  I'm just not clear on their process.

I know it's not ideal to have a hole in a book, but if it comes down to restored vs unrestored i can see someone making the choice.  Depends on the collector and what's important to them.

Is there any way CGC's restoration removal service can remove C-1 "small amount of color touch" if it bleeds through the cover to the inside?  FYI the color touch is on the spine of the book.  I don't know the exact methods they use to remove CT, but I'm guessing if it bleeds through then that may be a roadblock.  Just wanted to see if a book like that could be a candidate for restoration removal.

Appreciate any insight ....