Artlover1

Hey all, sorry about the image quality again, but I'm curious to hear some opinions... Found this one in an old long box after more than a decade (it wasn't bagged or boarded all that time, so the page color is a bit off white (the image is darker than it looks in person though). It's getting a standard press, which should help a couple of the problems, but... I can always crack it out of the slab if I think it'll fetch more raw, I suppose. But I was curious to hear what those with experience think. Thanks again!

Hey all. So I just got word from CGC that they've received my first-ever batch of 28 comics to be graded!!! I'm psyched. I sent 15 Modern (late 70's to early 90's) comics for Quickpress, 10 (just purchased) comics that didn't need a press when they left the house - fingers crossed that I shipped them securely enough - one haggard-looking "value" book from the 1960's that was sent in just to see what CCS can do for it with a "value" pressing (it's probably a 0.5 right now), another from 1973 that was pressed before I bought it, and one New Mutants #98 sent "economy" because of its potential value, although its going to get a standard pressing just to iron out a non-color-breaking warp/fold. I took pictures of all but one of the books, and I'm still kicking myself over that but... such is life. Among the lot was Batman #423; this is ANOTHER book I sent in just to see what a Quickpress could do, and I'm submitting some photos here for your pre-appraisal. This was one of my favorites growing up - I read it a gazillion times - and it has problems that can't be solved with any kind pressing (2 minor tears on the top left of the rear cover, for example, and what always looked like some kind of "chewing" effect along the top, most visible from the rear in one close-up, that was there when I got it, probably came from dull blades I'm guessing, but it hasn't improved over time). That said, I want it on my wall as a keepsake regardless of grade, it's not for resale, and I'm curious to know how much a simple Quickpress can improve a book in this condition. I've got a file with all my photos and price estimates for raw and graded copies, plus my personal opinions of the grades using Chuck Rosanski's guide from Mile High Comics (which is pretty strict), and feel like I did my homework as well as I could before I sent them in. Generally I learned that moderns aren't worth grading unless they're sentimental, key issues, low print runs, or smokin' hot comics in general, but in this batch I happened to have all of the above, plus two that were pre-1975. This one is strictly sentimental (much like the 0.5 book from the 60's I mentioned), so please don't filet me for "wasting" anyone's time at CGC. Any guesses or estimates you guys have about what grade this MIGHT get after a Quickpress (and why you feel that way if you have the time and/or experience) will be welcome. Sorry in advance for the picture quality, and thanks! P.S. Of the spine ticks on the front cover, only the lower two appeared to break color (barely). The ones on the back however... what can I say? There were between five and seven. The book got a lot of love, lol. Thanks again for your time and opinions!

I'm not normally moved to quote Bette Midler lyrics, but in this case... have I ever told you you're my hero? And I'll leave it at that. Thank you.

Hey all. First let me apologize if I'm posting this question in the wrong place. I'm a noob, what can I say? Second - is dry cleaning included in a standard CGC press? It's my understanding that a "quick press" is just the press and nothing else, but I was under the impression that "standard press" includes dry cleaning as well, if needed. I've been searching around and I keep getting vague or contradictory information. In essence, I want to send in a couple of books to be pressed AND dry cleaned (to remove light pencil pricing on the back cover, and some light dirt on the white areas of the fronts), but I read somewhere that CGC only dry cleans Silver Age books, not something from the 80's. Can anyone clarify? My current understanding is: Quick-press = no dry cleaning, pressing only. While Standard Press = a more careful press with dry cleaning included, if necessary. But this only applies to older (non Modern) books. Is that correct? Thanks.

I bought it when I was living in Florida over ten years ago. It was unbagged when I bought it - probably sat in a dollar bin exposed to humid, southland air from late 80s when it came out to late 90's when I bought it. Southern humidity has ruined a lot of good books (even when they're bagged), that's all I can guess. I've kept it bagged and boarded since, but you're right, the pages definitely lean towards off-white. The image above is suffering from low light, which makes it appear worse than it is, but I just looked up one of those OWL charts, and while the pages aren't yellow or tan, they're not entirely white either. I'd say Off White. How does THAT typically affect grading?

Hey all. So after watching the Weekly Top 10 on TomComics, I went through my old collection and dug out an old copy of Mr. Fixit's first appearance in the Incredible Hulk. I think the top part of the book suffered a smidgeon of spine roll over the years, although it may have been that way when I bought it. Does CGC try to re-align the books that are submitted for a quick press? For that matter, what do they do differently for a standard press? How does cover alignment typically affect grade? Total noob questions, I'm sure, but I have zero experience, and I'm about to send in my first batch (some quick press, some standard press, and some straight up grading with no press even necessary). I have my own opinions about the overall quality of this one, but I thought I'd ask to see how my amateur opinion stacks up. Apologies in advance for the photography. Also, you can BARELY see them in the photos, but there are a number of TINY spine ticks on the front. Three appear to break color, but are each less than 1/4 of an inch. The others MIGHT be an 1/8th of an inch each, but they're super tiny. One of the three "big" ones is just under the issue number box, the second and most visible is on the Hulk's bicep, and the third (2nd most visible) is on girl's thigh. The ticks on the back don't appear to break color. Another noob question - how do non-color-breaking ticks affect grade? And can they be pressed out when they're so close to the spine? Happy grading, and thanks for the help!

No kidding? Wow... thanks. I'll keep my fingers crossed, because it's a great-looking book otherwise. When you got those grades, did CGC mention it or say how that sort of thing happens? Just curious.

Hey fellow comic book lovers. I thought I was done asking questions about this Hulk set I just got from eBay, but I have another. This detail escaped my attention when I opened the package and took a cursory look at the overall quality of the goods, but after a second look, with a stronger lamp, I found something amiss. Like me, you may not see it until the last photo. What grade would you give it, and does anyone know from experience how CGC grades this sort of thing? P.S. I haven't touched this set without gloves, so the print isn't mine. What would you give it? What will CGC?

I was hoping because it's a manufacturing error, rather than something that happened to the book due to wear or reading that they might overlook it. Idk. Thanks for the response though.

Last Immortal Hulk question - I was reading this issue, got to the last page, and saw what looked like a piece torn out - like a Smurf took a bite out of the page! Then I realized the "bite" was in fact, two pieces that had split and been folded inward. I unfolded them, and the paper extended past the rest of the book, like a cutting/ cropping error during printing. Any thoughts on how this might affect the grade? I'll show the front and back of the page in question...

Hey guys. Got another question on grading. What are the lines on the top right of the cover? And depending on what you think it is, how do you think it will affect the overall grade? Sorry the last two photos are a little soft on focus btw.

Thanks Masher!

Lmao. I can check back tomorrow if need be. I want to buy a higher grade version for my collection, but saw that a .5 sold for $70 on ebay last Oct according to gocollect, but that one isn't missing any pieces, and had a "bonus stamp sheet" inserted into the case somehow, which likely raised the value. So I figured this was a total loss by comparison. Thanks for the assist, though - any experienced opinions are welcome. Here's some more photos... sorry if it's too many. Might be time to hurl it into the maw of a Doomsday Machine (aka "trash can"). In its current state, it has all appeal of used toilet paper to my eyes, but I've seen some amazing "fixes" on this site where pressing is concerned, and thought I'd ask.

That high, really? I would've guessed much lower with the water damage. Would the taped-on corner piece hold up during a press, or would they just remove it entirely?

Thanks for the reply. Is it something that happens during printing or shipping or both? Do you know?

Hey all. Allow me to adopt a somber tone for a moment, in lament for a once-great comic book. Okay. Now let's play "best possible grade" with the following question; ALL things considered, could pressing really help? And in case you couldn't see it, the rear lower right corner is missing a piece of the cover while the lower left has a piece about twice as large attached only by three very thin slivers of tape. I'm new. I don't know nuthin' bout gradin' no comics, compared to the rest of you. (adopts Kirk's tone, holds out hands in supplication) Hang-on to being a serious grader for one minute longer... what's... your prognosis, Doctor? If the 10 point grading scale were converted to warp speeds, and if I had it pressed, could it even get beyond Impulse Drive?

This was the first thing I read when I got to the boards: "New members join the CGC boards everyday, but some just lurk around without saying too much." I dared to do more, and never did worry enough what the cool kids thought of me, lol. Oh well. Can't win'em all.

Hey all. Just joined, and wanted to hear some opinions about how grade might be affected by what I can only call "back cover rub". Forgive me, there's probably a technical term for it, but I've tried a couple of Google searches and couldn't find anything similar. I usually end up with CGC threads relating to excess "ink rub", and this isn't that. I'll post pics of the cover (Immortal Hulk 2 - GREAT run of comics btw, if you're a Hulk fan), the lower right rear corner, the upper rear spine, just above the lightning, and the upper rear center, just above the head of the character in the ad. My questions are, what do you call it, do defects in shipping count as "manufacturing" defects? And how will this affect grade? Thanks in advance for your guesstimates and help!

Hey all, I'm Dave and I'm dipping my toes back into comic collecting after a long hiatus. I also have trouble with short messages (sorry in advance for that, but it's an OCD thing, I can curb it when I try). Anyway, my story, for anyone interested - I grew up picking random Marvel and DC comics off of a rotating rack while my dad stopped for cigarettes and Johnny Walker at the local convenience store in the 70's. I remember having the original Silver Surfer and Star Wars runs, the giant-sized Superman/Spider-Man epic, and I literally read them until the covers fell off, lol. In the 80's, a buddy in grade school kept bringing his G.I. Joe comics to class, and I went bananas for them (plus the commercials, toys, and cartoons). I yapped until my parents caved and took me to the nearest comic book shop (about 45 minutes from our home - we lived in the "boonies" at the time), and not wanting to make a habit out of the trip, they caved again when I suggested buying a subscription. I still have almost all of them after issue 11, and eventually got to buy some back issues, but man were they abused, lol. My friend and I would chuck them across the room to each other as we caught up on issues we hadn't read, or traded them out to each other - no concept of future value. That led to subscriptions to Superman and Batman comics (got in right after Crisis, when John Byrne started his run on Supes, and then Batman a couple of issues before Year One). They quickly got into frustrating "crossovers" at the time, which led to subscriptions to Action Comics and Detective Comics (THANK YOU Mom & Dad!!!), so I'd get at least 2/3rds of those stories, and by the time I could drive myself to the comics shop to pick up the stragglers, I was spending my money on DC Star Treks, a few Marvel issues here and there, learning about bags and boards, general comic collecting, and I started taking better care of my collection. Sadly, the variant craze kicked in, and being a lower-middle class kid, I quickly went broke trying to get my hands on all the covers to McFarlane's Spider-Man, Legends of the Dark Knight, and Jim Lee's X-Men, wrongly believing they'd be worth the price eventually. At the time, to me, they were the crowned jewels of my collection. But aside from a few random trips to comics stores here and there in my travels as an adult, I pretty much gave up the habit when I left for college and got into movies. Still, I had two long boxes that traveled with me from the deep south where I grew up to Miami where I went to school, and out to California where I lived off and on for 12 years. I drove them - and the rest of my stuff - across the country at least four times. During one trip, we went through a deep, punishing rain where you could barely see the road, with wind gusts so strong they would've blown us off the road if not for all my junk weighing us down, then a moderate rain hovered over us for two states after that. When I got to my destination and finally unpacked a day or two later, I found a hole in the tarp covering my stuff, and my most valuable long box was sitting in a pool in the back of my truck, soaking in about 4 inches of rain water. Although another long box was saved, and though many in that first one were bagged and boarded, the rain got in anyway. I lost nearly a whole run of Gold Key Star Treks, about a hundred DC Star Trek issues, the original Dark Knight Returns 1st prints (and this was back when they were HOT), the Electra saga, an imported Miracle Man set, and so many more. Just... heartbreaking. After that I barely touched my collection for 20 years. Once in a while, I'd dust them off and do an inventory, checking the issue number against the value in an Overstreet guide. By then I'd realized that modern comics just didn't have any real value. Then recently, I got a free month of DCU online, and found myself forsaking everything else to catch up on comic runs through the miracle of online reading. It was awesome, but it REALLY made me miss having the books in my hand. So I went through what was left of my collection again, hoping that my bagged and boarded comics were all Near Mints... not a chance. Instead I found bags that were yellowing, temperature changes and humidity in the deep south had caused a lot of warping and/or spots to form, and although the bags took the brunt of the yellowing effect of time (I didn't know you were supposed to change out the bags every five years), most were read and/or re-read and loved to the point that they had multiple spine breaks, dings, dents, little tears, an occasional circular cup stain, etc. That was kind of heartbreaking too - I had some GREAT books that were finally showing some value after 20-plus years lugging them around - only to find that a huge percentage were, at best, dollar bin "readers". But it's not a completely sad story - I also found a few gems: a pristine New Mutants 98 was sitting there - un-bagged for YEARS - yet needing little more than a press to remove one dent. After the two Deadpool movies, I couldn't believe the value. The Incredible Hulk 377 with Professor Hulk... a few years earlier it was worth $6 bucks, mint. Suddenly the copy I had was selling at over a hundred (and mine WAS Near Mint)! 1st Jason Todd pre-Crisis, 1st Carnage, the Spider-Man Wedding Issue (both covers), Gold Key Star Trek #1 (which even at 3.0 is worth a hundred bucks - more than I paid for the whole series once upon a time). Out of 550 comics I found about 15 whose value landed in the hundred dollar range - not much for 20-plus years of storage, but a few others, like New Mutants 98 were worth a bit more, plus I found about 25-30 books in the twenty-to-sixty dollar range, possibly waiting for the moment someone gives them a nod on the big screen. No quality Gold or Silver Age values sadly, but... for as I went through them with an increasing understanding of the strict nature of professional grading, I was considering just taking them to that same local comic shop and selling the whole lot for $150 bucks (I doubted they'd pay a $1 a book - I MIGHT have gotten $200). So here I am, trying to grade those few gems, plus a few more I picked up on eBay recently (I'm going nuts for Immortal Hulk right now), and hoping that some will look great on my wall and take me back to that rotating rack where my Dad would point at and say, "Why don't you go pick out a few" while he flirted with the girl at the counter and took care of his own fix. Others I'd like to sell (if they be worthy), to potentially fund a new and improved comic book habit. I've been reading various CGC threads for about two months now, as I Googled questions about grading and details on damage - how dings, dents, folds, internal wear, manufacturing defects, etc. all affect grading, and I'm just super-excited to be here. So even if nobody talks to me from this point on, I just wanted to tell my little story and say THANKS for all the advice you've collectively given to other people; whether you know it or not, people are reading your responses, laughing (and sometimes crying) with you, and generally learning a lot about comics and the professional grading experience. I've missed so much in the last 20 years - I can't BELIEVE the artwork now!!! Stunning. I don't know about this 100 different variant covers nonsense, but there's no arguing that most of them look amazing (the "virgin" concept with no intrusive titles or writing is wonderful). Its kind of ironic though, that I got out when the variants were driving the industry into the ground, and now I'm coming back when people are wondering if it's happening all over again, but even if my books all come back as 5's or 6's, I'll be THRILLED just to get some of them slabbed and graded for no other reason than to have them on my wall. I'm also grateful to DCUniverse.com for sparking the interest again. I didn't think I'd like the live action Titans, but WOW. I'll re-up again when the full Doom Patrol is available. Can't wait for Swamp Thing... and access to so many comics!!! It's a NICE feature. I felt like a kid again, only I was getting to read all the stuff I never could afford before, and a lot that I've missed over the years. Great service. But unlike some folks here, I'm still on a tight budget, so getting my books graded is - while fun - a nerve-wracking affair. I'd like to think it may be possible to boost my income a little from time to time with a few smart purchases, so if anyone's into flipping and shipping, I'd love to know more. Anyway, sorry for the novel... truly psyched to be here. I have a TON questions before I send in my first set in, and pictures to boot. Hope there are many more sets to follow. If not... well... I'm just jazzed about being back in the comic zone. Thanks for all you do, CGC!