scburdet

To paraphrase Yogi Berra: "A 5.0 ain’t worth a 10.0 anymore"

I've clearly spent too much time here b/c seeing another PGM of this book got me to go out & find a copy. Pretty happy with its condition. It looks better than my graded Savage Tales 1, so I have a good idea of the floor, but lets see what you think.

5.0/5.5

Technically, a manufacturing defect, so impact on the overall grade should be minimal. No 9.8, but ≥9.2

3.5, maybe a grade higher if grime comes off with C/P

4.5/5.0

From my limited experience, I think you risk damaging this one with a press if the staples are still attached to the cover. I concur with the 3.5/4.0 range

I see the crease too. So, 5.0±0.5

4.5 unless the grime can be removed from the back cover. Maybe a grade bump with C/P

looks like a sub crease too. I think that accumulates to the 4.5/5.0 range

My first instinct was 6.0, but bump it up one or 2 for GA

That tanning inside the back cover is severe. I can see it elsewhere too, but not as bad. That's a killer IMO. Along with the creases 5.0/5.5. It presents well, and would look find in the holder, but they're pretty unforgiving of discoloration issues.

7.0/7.5

2.0/2.5

2.5

I can see a 7.5 after pressing. Looks like a spine roll

I'll be right there with you if they bring in Mick Zeck. IDK if they've ever had him in for a private event. Hasn't happened in the last +1 year. B/c I was curious, I got my copies out. I actually have a direct & a newsstand (no recollection how this happened). Both of mine have a similar corner ding. I'd say my direct is close to or worse than yours & my newsstand is maybe a hair better. With that information, I searched through recent ebay listings/sales. In the CGC 9s out there, I don't see the corner issue as a super common issue scanning ~20 books. I saw one 9.6 that *might* have a minor ding like our books. There were a few 9.2s & 9.4s with them. Of course, I saw some 9.2s & 9.0s that looked to have nearly perfect corners. I'm not that interested in spending all night entering registry numbers into the CGC website, so I'll just have to assume those had some other issue that's not that obvious at first glance. I think we should always think of the grades as having uncertainty, even when they're slabbed, especially in the grades that are only separated by 0.2. It's just can't be an exact science, which is one reason I wouldn't pay the premium to get a 9.8

We've definitely seen some inexplicable grades in both directions. When they're higher, we often don't know why b/c there aren't any notes. I wouldn't submit this one expecting better than a 9.4. I've had several with square corners & no noticeable defects still come back at 9.4.

9.6 possible when pressed.

9.2. I think the corner is going to keep at the low end. It looks like "regular" blunting to me

seems fair to me, 1.8

2.5

I still remember seeing Mile High ads in the 80s (maybe early 90s?) were 181 was listed as $20-50. If only I'd had a source of income in those days.

it screams "book I would initially undergrade in a CGC board contest & then overcorrect by a least 2 grades knowing my propensity to undergrade GA books" My thought is that this got a GA allowance. It is >75 years old after all.

Of course, we all know that the real first appearance is in FOOM 2. At least it looks like CGC started acknowledging the ad on the label at some point. I assume it's the older slabs that don't have it. Both these books w/ads have some FMVs on GoCollect that don't actually look consistent with for sell and sold prices on ebay