RonS2112

....or a 4.0 GLOD, apparently. It doesn't affect the story....

So, an update for those who care..... The FF #52 in question graded out at a QUALIFIED 4.0, due to a missing page 3, which doesn't affect the story. FMV for a Universal 4.0 FF #52 is right now about $400. I spent $300, and had judged the book at about a 4.0 or 4.5 from the eBay photos. Note that the photos included shots of the interior, but nothing that would have hinted at the missing page 3. Still, I'm going to assume the seller missed it as well. Given that I'll like be able to recoup about $200 on a resale with the GLOD, I requested that the seller split the difference and refund me $50, which I think is more than fair. We'll see what he says.

Now that it's been pointed out, that stain is hard to miss.......big, brown, and gnarly. Would be interesting to be able to look at the inside front cover, where it would presumably be more dramatic.

It's hard to tell from the photos, but I think I see some spine roll. Can't detect it from the front, but the back bottom pages look uneven to me. Then, looking at the spine from the back, I see more front page color at the bottom than I do at the top. Not sure what effect that should have on the overall grade, though. Agree that this book presents very well from the front.

Certainly it IS an opportunity, assuming that all is above-board when the sale is made. I don't begrudge anyone looking for GLOD's or low-grade copies to complete their collection, if that's what they can afford. But tht's not my situation: 1) I don't want green labels in my collection, unless its on an FF #1 2) I can afford an FF #52 in mid-grade 3) Despite extensive pictures in the eBay auction page, there was NOTHING to indicate that the book was incomplete. Had I know this, or if it had already been affixed with a GLOD, I would NOT have made the purchase. So in other words, this was NOT an above-board sale, and I freely admit that it could be due to an honest mistake on the part of the seller. But that doesn't free him of an obligation to make things right, now that the defect has been discovered.

Yes, this is a good assessment. A couple things: 1) I originally got the copy of FF #52 in question for about 70% of FMV (of a complete book) via an ebay auction. My intention is to sell it now (complete with GLOD) when I get it back. When all is said and done, I would guess that I'll end up at about an $80 to $100 loss. It's this amount that I intend to request back from the original seller, given that he didn't disclose all the problems with the book. Or he can give me a complete refund. 2) I've since bought a second UNIVERSAL CERTIFIED copy of FF 52 at 4.5, which will stay in my collection. Lesson learned -- while it's nice to find keys in the raw for a good price, unless you can physically look through the book, sometimes going the already-slabbed route is better.

Yes, thank you. This is the exact scenario I think I'm looking at. Except I bought the book "un-slabbed" and despite posting pictures of the exterior and interior on eBay, the seller had nothing in either the photos or the write-up to indicate anything missing. I didn't notice any issue on looking through the book, which indicates to me that a page has likely been neatly removed.

Maybe......if I had a nice book with a Kirby signature and a COA, I'd think twice before sending it in for slabbing, if I was certain it was going to get the green label.

It makes sense though. A green label says, "there's a big flaw with this book OVER AND ABOVE the flaws that contribute to the grade we've arrived at." So I wouldn't expect the green label to command the same price as a blue label with he same grade. Now, if that the only way I could afford an FF#1, then great -- I'd welcome it into the collection. But again, I'd expect to pay less if the green label was because that FF#1 was missing a page.

Uhhhh......no. I explained what happened in the initial post. I don't deal with signed books.

That’s surprising to learn....so every yellow CGC label I see, the signing was witnessed?

If it has a COA, I'm not sure why it would get a GLOD in the first place. But yes, I think that would be a different situation.

Agreed....and I don't think this is hard to get your head around. No one wants a book -- especially a key -- with some random dude's name scrawled across the front. Likewise, most people don't want a book with a chunk missing from the inside, or at least want to know that a chunk is missing when they make the consideration to buy. In my case, I'm feeling like a bit of a for missing the fact that something was missing from the book....

Called CGC.....the rep was very nice, but couldn't offer any more insight, as the book is being slabbed now. So I'll know in a day or two. Now I've got to decide if I circle back with the seller......

Yeah......lesson learned, I guess -- if that turns out to be the case. I got really lucky on an auction an got the book for well under FMV. Looks like I may end up breaking even.

Yes, I did look through the book, and it was complete.....unless there was an ad page or something that was cut out with surgical precision, such that I couldn't tell anything was amiss. But I don't think this is the case. Appreciate the feedback. I may give them a call.

Thanks.....I appreciate the input. I did see that CGC uses a blue/green "conserved" label for things such as tape, which provide structural reinforcement. The piece of tape on my book could definitely be described that way. Is this "conserved label" still a thing?

A "qualified" rating == a green label, no? I don't think this book is incomplete, nor does it have a signature. Anything else that would earn the qualified rating?

All: Recently bought a copy of Fantastic Four 52 and submitted to be slabbed. Just saw that it was finally scheduled for grading, but as a "qualified" book. Now trying to figure out why the "qualified" rating.....? I don't have pix handy, but I assessed the book at about a 3.5, with all the flaws one might associate with a book in that grade. There is a piece of tape on the back cover, along the spine/lower staple area, about 2.5 inches long. The cover appears to be held on fine without the tape, but the tape COULD be reinforcing a small tear near the staple area. Could this be the reason for the green label as opposed to a universal label? Thanks in advance for any thoughts. (I realize that CGC will eventually post notes detailing the exact reason for the green label, but I'm trying to get a jump on that.)

I agree with the others. You're in the 4.5-5.0 range, primarily due to spine and the corner creases.

The irony of this post being made by a guy with a porn star for an avatar is almost too good to be true......

-- both of them.

Sure.....the LCS owner is certified by CGC to act as an agent for collecting books to be graded. That comes with a certain level of responsibility, once the books enter into their custody.

Just wait and see what happens....hard to imagine that cracking and pressing would lower the grade. But if it does, then you should hold the LCS owner responsible for the F-up and therefore the difference in price. That particular book falling from a 9.8 to a 9.6.or 9.4 would be a $200 price difference, so perhaps the LCS owner gives you that much in store credit.....?

The timeframe given here may be about right.....at least according to the Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/deterioratebrochure.html The best they're willing to bet on is "several centuries" before the paper deteriorates, which is why they're in the process of digitizing everything they have.