James J Johnson

Would need the scan to have good enough resolution to be able to easily read the number 684 so we can see the stressing that appears to be on the spine. Without that better look at the spine, pure guesswork. Back cover is beautiful, that staple seating is fantastic. I can't tell if it's light dirt, ink transference, or slight ridges and bends on the back cover causing the shadows. Clearer scans would be great.

I can see it being mistaken for a fold or crease, or even a missing piece altogether if that part of the back cover was darker than the pages! Let's not forget, a few weeks back, on another book, I erroneously thought the back bottom left cover was a stain when it was actually stated by the owner that it was a missing piece, and I skimmed over that part. it sure looked like a stain with a tide line and it was a piece! The disadvantage we're all at here is having to assess in 2 dimensions when grading is a three dimensional endeavor. We don't get to flip and flop it, turn it, change our perspective, angle appropriately to a light source, or any of the things we can normally do with the book in our hands to reveal all the flaws and assess all of the defects for exactly what they are. Grading is subjective and grading from scans, in two dimensions, through at least 4 layers of glass/plastic is haphazard at best. One can make educated guesses at best because almost as much is unseen as it is seen!

As is, this should pull about an 8.0 at the CGC. It's very consistent with other #1s in that CGC grade, and extremely susceptible to the edge tanning seen.

Not with the water spot (top right, back cover). I think it's serious enough to bring an otherwise 7.0 down into the CGC 5s.

IMO, a 7.5 with a minor but obvious tear = CGC 5.5, maybe 6.0 if some of those spine kinks can be diminished.

It certainly is a lot of lumber! And as a Johnson, the reason why I felt it appropriate to recuse myself from participating in a thread with this much wood.

8.0?!? With that book length flaked spine crease, weak paper surrounding the staples and top rhc separating? If that is a crease and it certainly looks like one, first thing I'd do is to examine the integrity of the slab. Assure that it's sealed tightly, no signs of tampering, cracks, or glue holding it together.

As soon as the images of them removed from the bags are posted, I'm sure you'll get a lot more responses. I think that's the general holdup.

You weren't under on the 7.5. It's a textbook 7.5, but got a bump up for exceptional quality.

Detached cf is an easy, non-restorative fix on this, as simple as deftly opening the staple blades, replacing the cf over them, pushing the paper from the centerfold, smoothing it down around the staple blades, and then closing the staples to hold the paper. It looks like the typical golden age VG once the cf is intact.

I've seen Silver age CGC 7.5s, most notably, Amazing Spider-man #23, a book where indented staples appears to be a very common defect, that had even more of a pull at the staples than this one does. This one is nice and square, with bright colors and a solid spine, the defects mostly the pulling in at the staples and the vertical flake lines just right of the actual spine. Although it may grade FINE at the CGC, IMO it's a 5.0, and that's due to my putting more weight on the pulls as deductible defects than CGC does, not that either opinion is right or wrong, simply personal subjective opinion.

Yahtzee.

Never heard of a "spine stretch". Of all the defects that can befall a spine, and among all the restoration processes that can be performed to the spine, this is a first for me that I am completely unfamiliar with. A scan of this "stretched spine" might solve this mystery of the hobby ages.

1) GL 7) Yes to 7.5, but an exceptional 7.5 of pedigree quality if it's offered with a 7.5 Universal label, it will bring an 8.5 price point on Ebay or C-Link. 2) X-Men 1) Looks to be an 8.5 with significant right edge Marvel chipping. This class of book (8.0 to 9.0/9.2) with many chips of this size), will typically grade out at 6.0/6.5 at the CGC.

Close enough. Apples and oranges. Alexander or Anderson? Does it really matter? What's in a name?

And as was easily predicted, with Tonfulle-84's attention turned to bluffs at the poker table, suddenly, the continuous, seemingly limitless, assembly line flow of Stan Lee signature bluffs has ground to a complete halt, just like that. But a keen student of history, I have a hunch that the doors to the forging foundry will soon be unlocked and soon production will be once again renewed. https://www.ebay.com/sch/tonfulle-84/m.html?_trksid=p3692

Dtacoll on ebay for the "other" Mr. Anderson.

Wide range of material, a great selection, tight grades, an excellent collector's resource. Surprised that I don't see blissard regularly listed on threads recommending ebay sellers, along with Comics4less, Bob Storms, and other seller royalty well deserving of praise.

He will get a 2.5. Presents beautifully enough to GA bump it from a technical 2.0 to a slabbed 2.5

Isn't this them? https://www.ebay.com/sch/blissard/m.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1

And one important detail. Don't store books like this (thickness, size, possible weak edges susceptible to sloughing off with contact) in Golden age mylars. That sometimes requires "shoe-horning" the book into the mylar. Instead, a books like this you want to store in a magazine-size mylar and board. That will be tight enough to gently pinch it in place, preventing movement, but not be so snug that it's an adventure getting it in and out of the mylar, thereby making it a fearful operation to enjoy it just removing it for gentle handling.

This is the nicest 180 I've seen on the defect scale and on the production level in quite some time. Like AS 129, the production on these left a lot to be desired. Even if it did slab as low as 9.0, and probably a 9.2, it'll bring a 9.4 GP price on Ebay with large, clear scans. The ones that care more about the book than the label will lock horns over it, and those that don't recognize the diamonds in the ruff will be left scratching their heads wondering how a 9.0 or 9.2 could bring a 9.4 price. This is one of those exceptions rather than the rule.

Considering 300 days as the projected practical duration to send a manned rocket to Mars from Earth, yes, a year seems like an inordinately unreasonable length of time for any earthbound delivery.

I initially thought that, but it sure does also look like an actual rift, a neat and even separation as well.

That line on the back cover is the impression of the rusty staple on the book that was stored directly under it. The rust from that book transferred to the paper on this one through contact over time. It was probably manufactured with the staples positioned just about in the same placement a this one to cause that.