Well, I purchased a Strange Tales 131 for $170.75 from Kellyssuperheroes.
This is what was advertised. "Strange Tales #131 NM 9.4 Cr/OW pages 1965 Marvel silver age Dr. Strange #181972776141"
I sent it to CGC for grading, and I got a purple label saying it is 7.5. I sent a message to Ed Kelly asking if I could get a refund, and this is what I got.
"The comic was listed with full disclosure of the trimming, and it also has color touch (the CGC may have missed it, but that too was fully disclosed. This was disclosed in the details section of the listing. "Slight color touch, slightly trimmed". If you review all of my listings, all of the unrestored items have the searchable keyword, "unrestored", in the title itself. All of the restored comics do not bear that in the title. The main problem with the grading, IMO, and going by anecdotal evidence of many collectors who submit restored comics to the CGC and CBCS, is that it appears if you don't list on the submission form that the comic is restored, the grading will be harsh. That comic looks almost flawless. For it to receive a 7.5, unless damaged in transit to the CGC, is farcical. My belief is that because it was submitted without mention of the restoration, which was fully disclosed in the listing, they gave an otherwise NM example a deliberately harsh 7.5. 7.5s typically show many spine stresses, creases, wear, torn edges, tape, etc. That comic has none of that. Ed"
So I am not sure because when I went to the CGC website, it said that trimmings of any kind will bring it down to a C grading, and on this CGC seal it says slight B-1 so it appears CGC is actually being nice about the grading. I guess I did not know how to read between the lines. It was my first silver age comic that I invested in, so this is a lesson. He is right about the appearance of it without stresses, creases, wear, or torn edges, tape, ect. On the label is also says "Restoration includes: small amount of color touch on cover. (Top & Bottom Edge Trimmed).
So I want to know what the other collectors thing. One thing that makes me dubious is he goes by the name Ed Kelly. Now if you know much about the Tudor dynasty in England and the historical figure Edward Kelly, and the way he conned the Alchemist John Dee so he could live off him and spend all his money, I will say, if that name was not given to him at birth, he knows he is a con.
