evolpe79

Got my final raw book to send out to CGC for signatures and grading today. It was advertised as mint and I have to say I am very happy with it. So I don't know why I am putting it on here for you all to kill my buzz. In person, I slid my finger down the front and back spine to feel for dents and nicks. Felt only one on the back cover. Very minor and not color breaking. Please let me know if you find anything I didn't see. If this isn't a solid 9.8 candidate, I don't know what is. High res pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fodPyzHFLJmhp2Tm7

What I'm saying is it must not really be a nick. The paper is likely smooth but no ink was laid down. It's likely not a handling defect but a production defect which they don't count against the grade. I still wouldn't buy the book and I'd choose a different one to buy.

It can only hurt my wallet.

spine wear is what has me thinking 9.6 too. I just checked the listing and they listed it as NM/NM+. I was hoping they were under grading it. I can still hope I get a nice surprise from the graders when it comes back. Do you think I should have it pressed? If the one dent comes out and all that is left of the defects is in the spine, could it help my chances at a 9.8? Or do you think the spine wear is too severe to make a 9.8 within itself?

Hi Guys, I bought this raw copy on eBay as it looked mint in the pictures. It still appears that way to me, but wanted to run it by the experts on these boards. The only defects I see is the minor issue with the top corner of the spine, there's a single tick that is small and doesn't appear to be color breaking (hard to tell with white ink) and there is very faint spine wear. I have books at a 9.8 with this degree of spine wear and the corner issue. Link to high res photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AggQR3sN5Torvs716 Thanks in advance! And once I get this back I will post the grade.

I had a Web of Spiderman with two white dots that looked like nicks. Apparently it was 2 spots where ink was never laid down on the page. Technically, it wasn't a flaw so it didn't affect the grade. I returned the book as I wanted a better looking copy of the book.

So, the history of the post is I got the book and noticed the damage to the lower left corner. I wasn't sure if it was damaged or not so I looked up 9.8s on eBay and they all had a line at the bottom left corner. I thought it was a production defect, so I posted the scans. I later found out the line was part of the cover design and not a defect. I edited the subject of the post to notify people not to grade the book as, like you said, it's not worth slabbing. I'm working on returning the book or putting a claim in with USPS. Since I can't delete the post I thought updating the subject of the post would have resulted in graders ignoring the post.

Oh, I know. I think this is a 9.4 at best with that issue.

I have a video if that would help.

Jerk.

** Update ** The front cover design has a white line by the corner that could appear to be a crease in pictures. The damage to my book apparently occurred during shipping and it happened to be in the place where the white line is which caused the confusion. I ordered Venom 3 SDCC variant to have Cates and Stegman sign at their upcoming CGC event. It came with significant damage to a corner. I checked 9.8s for sale on eBay and they all had the same issue. It's impossible to see if the damage to the 9.8s are are bad as the damage done to mine. The seller said he never opened the book and besides the corner, I only see 2 small ticks. If anyone knows about any damage forgiveness CGC gives the book when grading it, I'd love to know. If the damage isn't going to be disregarded, there's no way this book is worth being signed and graded. Thanks in advance for any and all input. Link to high res pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/tPfL2CzbyTpsJgTw9

Just got this in the mail today. Bought it on eBay. Seller claimed "NM/MT", which is 9.8, correct? It's borderline based on what I've learned so far from you guys. The defects I found are all on back cover. Also, while the corners look bad in the scans, they look crisp to the naked eye. Definitely no worse than some of the books I already have slabbed at 9.8. I'm looking to set this aside in my pre-screen pile if it's close. Link to high res scans: https://photos.app.goo.gl/MTjcuSdiQVoeA6pB6

Not perfect, but I'm still proud of 13 year old me for keeping it in that good of condition during a time when mint copies of books weren't as popular. AND, because I was frickin' 13! Ha ha Thanks for the look over!

Yeah, I have a few slabs in front of me and I don't see how it's possible to swap anything in or out of it without there being evidence of tampering, if it's even possible. I think the white spots on the book is a production defect and not wear. It's either white ink or an area where ink didn't hit the paper. I think that should disqualify it for a 9.8 but apparently CGC disagrees and allows it. I guess they see it as in 9.8 condition as it was produced, regardless if it was produced correctly.

Thank you for taking the time to analyze this. I agree with all your observations. It's clean with regard to ticks and color breaks, but the wear is definitely there.

High res photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/LJJib3gviAYe6K8M8 This is probably the best condition book I found in my collection from 1995. Would love to know what the experts think.

High res photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/4wx2kyCNNJHpRypK6 I only see minor ticks and minor spine wear.

Google photos link to High res pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/dE1vdMHqg9jGNwKC9 I think it needs to be cleaned, but other than that, looks pretty good

Someone did tell me about 75% of the comics in a box have some kind of damage. That's a crazy high percentage.

Yes, the white cover does make it difficult for sure. Regarding the dirt marks... I don't see any when I look at the book. Can you tell me where you think you see the dirt marks so I can take a closer look?

I agree, those stress marks are substantial and I couldn't see them in the scan provided as part of the eBay listing. Thank you for you input.

Finally something to have hope in. But the book is new, so it would be sad if it weren't a contender. Thanks guys!

Thanks Josh! I too was thinking 9.4 because of the spine wear. Regarding glossy versus matte... I have no idea. I noticed gloss on the cover and called it that. Haha. What do you think about Google Photos as an alternate to uploading photos? I feel like the photos I can post on there really allow you to zoom in on the books. You may actually be able to zoom in more than what a grader would detect. Not sure though.

This is a brand new book. If it isn't a 9.8, I give up! Ha ha. Last post for the day. I promise. Link to google photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bS1VxQHaXZomoTcH8

I've had this book since I was a kid back in 1994. I really wanted it to be a 9.8 so I can have some pride in a 13 year old me for keeping the book in good shape, even though these issues could have been evident when I bought it back in 1994 as I wasn't looking to find 9.8 books. However, looking at the high res scans I see some issues with the back cover but none really with the front cover. There's also minor spine wear along the spine. I have a grade in mind but want to see what others think. Link to google photos. https://photos.app.goo.gl/2N1J67AkMCJVENLM7