csaag

Not everyone sumbits them for the sole purpose of putting them immed on the market.   If you like it so much that you  just want to preserve it with whatever grade it currently deserves rather than submitting it after another 10 years of aging then go ahead.

As a middle aged guy, I bought many out of the cheap back issue bin just beacuse I wanted to collect certain stories, artists etc (and cheap was the only way I could afford many of them)

One of the few things good about getting old is the slow appreciation of value which happened over 30 years.    I remember buying a terrible copy of Green Lantern 76, prob for a buck.  Now there's Ebay sales with some that look just as bad for $150.

So if you like certain ones and think time may be favorable to their value - even if it's several years as opposed to decades - then go ahead.

Fo me, right now, I'd have to value something ~$75 as a minimum to make up for shipping/insurance/pressing/grading cost if I'm thinking of selling it soon.

Doing this backwards as I started posting several days ago.

Collected comics from late 70's to 80's initially with money saved from a paper route.    Despite following some comic forums over the years, the books stayed stored and left alone for the most part until I had a couple weeks off early this year. I figure I should inventory them and get new bags.   I had bought a bunch of issues which hung on the wall on the local LCS so I wanted to take stock of what may have some value as well as revisit old memories.  Lotsa good times spent  in that shop as well as the occasional trips to downtown stores.  Already found a wealth of knowledge here.

I bought Demon #1 from my LCS back in the late 70's.  It was in the back issues bin and probably cost me a couple of dollars.

When I got home to read it, I noticed the signature on the bottom of page 1 . I always wondered if it was authentic

I'll steal what someone does for my PGMs and list the Heritage site definition of 9.8

I am a newbie with  grading but yours I think would have a chance at being 'minor imperfections' if the crease line on the cover is as you say.  I don't really know if it's enough to bump it down to 9.6 (again with not counting the crease line)

9.8 NEAR MINT/MINT (NM/MT): 
Nearly perfect in every way with only minor imperfections that keep it from the next higher grade. Only subtle bindery or printing defects are allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity and minimal fading. Corners are cut square and sharp. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Spine is tight and flat. Staples must be original, generally centered and clean with no rust. Paper is white, supple and fresh. Only the slightest interior tears are allowed.

2 of my Dark Night Returns have that crease going down the front by the spine  - from opening that stiff cardboard cover to read it.

I would think that would keep it from a 9.8

From starting at Ebay pics of DKR 9.8 copies, I didn't see any with that type of crease.   Hard to tell from the pic (at least to me) about that bottom of back cover issue you mentioned)  Also looks like a very tiny defect on the front lower left corner

My newbie grading guess would be 9.4

Thanks I was curious how much of an effect back gouge on the top part of the front cover would have

God, I love that cover.

Take this with a huge grain of salt as it's my 1st ever post for a grade

Quote

Saw a fingerprint....I submitted 9 copies of this book and 5 got hit with fingerprints. Have 12 ASM 194's at CGC now....

thanks to all - where did you see the fingerprint?

good luck with your books

Here's another shot.  There's some bleed thru from the flip side of the back cover around the coupon area.

My fault -I am a horrid photographer. Both coupon area and that bottom middle are effects of my photo taking.  My apologies - I will have to scrutinize the pics much better before posting them.

Thanks

The Flash got me started collecting.

While this has defects pressing wouldn't help, my inexperienced eye thinks it has some others that it could.

Do you think it could help the appearance or does the book look too fragile?

My fav artist - Neal Adams.  Has anyone followed Neal's physics work?  Apparently he is a self taught serious physics man.  He had some interesting ideas on the evolution of the Earth.  I once found some physics message boards where he had some spirited debates.

Well I woulda given you a 9.0  :)

IMO a nice idea to give an example of a graded book once the thread dies out. Thanks for the pic.

50 minutes ago, Karl Liebl said:

I am thinking 6.0 too but I am wondering about why staple is dark and the other one shiny.

I didn't catch tha ton the photos.  Just looked at it and it must be some type of shadow as the staples looked pretty much the same, definitely nowhere near what it looked like on that one shot. thanks

The Big G.    Have 48 in similar shape and 50 a tad worse.  Think I used my paper route Xmas  tip money on these! Thanks

Bought this at my LCS when it came out .  When their popularity took off, I alwasys thought I had something between #1 and Dc Comics Presents 26

It wasn't until a month ago when I started rebagging everything that I realized the worth of this issue.

Luv the Spectre, have several quarter bin Adventure comics where he would dispose of criminals in the most imaginative ways.

Thanks to all.

Just gingerly paged thru it and everything is intact.  Hope to package it up with several others and ship to CFP.

I imagine it will be a bit of time before it returns, but I'll  update here whenever it gets back home.

Paper route $$$ brought me a lot of joy either occasionally buying ones hanging on the walls (got several  of the dark phoenix run in pretty good shape  for ~$10)  or just thumbing thru the quarter bin looking for favorite issues.  Picked up JLA 4 , Flash 139 for like a buck apiece, of course they're in pretty poor shape

no I bought it for prob ~$25 around the 1980 time frame +/- a few years

thanks for the info

a quick search says that means 'Marvel Value Stamp'

Please let me know if I'm wrong

I read the book when I first bought it back then and it's been in storage ever since.  I hope it would've stuck with me if a piece was cut out so I assume it's there.   But I'd have to repage through it to verify.  At this point, I'm getting antsy about handling it so much!

thanks

cover color does look better live.  My phone camera seems to not do that great a job or I'm a poor photog.

I am sending it in to CFP soon and he'll see if he can do anything with it and then off to CGC

Back in the day when I got this, I remember the copies of AF 15 /FF 1 etc in the glass cases only being a few thousand dollars (though a ton of $$ to me back then)  With a character that has had sustained popularity, it makes me wonder what it will be going for in another 20 years.

1st post - been going thru my collection from back in the late 70's bought with my paper route $$$

Still educating myself on the whole submittal process & 'pressing' which I never heard about until a week or so ago.

This one may be my key issue book in the best shape.  Paper routes didn't pay much. 

Thanks!