zzutak

@CGC Mike  The first column of your spreadsheet (the cumulative score column) is missing.  And the 11 drop-outs should probably be deleted altogether.  A corrected post would be much appreciated.  Many thanks! 

I always go into this event expecting to see 2~4 WTF grades.   And I'm seldom disappointed.   

Good eye. 
A similar metamorphosis took place with Book #15 (Junie Prom #6).

Then:

On 1/28/2024 at 6:20 AM, CGC Mike said:

Moderate finger bends on cover

Stain left top of back cover

Now:

On 2/6/2024 at 5:09 PM, CGC Mike said:

Junie Prom Comics #6

Stain left top of back cover

Small crease right bottom front cover breaks color

Moderate crease upper left back cover

Light tears to cover

"Moderate finger bends on cover" somehow morphed into a "Moderate crease upper left back cover" -- a flaw that nobody (as of this moment) has been able to point out.  And did we really need to be advised, up front, that this book has a stain at the upper left edge of the back cover (a blemish that is totally obvious in the scan)?

Junie Prom #6: Moderate crease upper left back cover

Somebody out there lend a brother a hand and show me what the heck is being flagged in this note.  I see a moisture stain (with a tideline and mildew), and I see a faint shadow along the upper left edge, but my old eyes can't find even a small crease (let alone a "moderate" one). 

On 2/6/2024 at 9:44 AM, comicsbuysell said:

I asked for tips on technique. Not tips on what I should work on.

On 2/6/2024 at 1:39 PM, Tubthumper82 said:

It looks like Mar was written for March.

I don't think so.  This issue has a Feb cover/publication date, and handwritten (or stamped) arrival dates typically predated the cover date by two months.  Now, if you can convince me that the inked lettering includes a distributor code and a December date such as "12/29" ......

On 2/6/2024 at 10:02 AM, CGC Mike said:

Still waiting on grades from ......

Your Round 2 bloodbath may have something to do with this. 

Agreed.  Trimming is an automatic "no go" for many/most.  That being said, there is absolutely a market out there for trimmed GA and SA specimens.  Here's a link to 350+ CGC-certified trimmed specimens that have been sold by Heritage over the years.  Pick the books that are most like yours (in terms of era, grade, and importance), and then run the numbers.  

A high-res scan would be useful to those whose advice you seek.  Grader notes seldom list all blemishes/flaws.  And I've been around here long enough to have seen several of the newer posters describe an arrival date as a "scribble in ink" (which it definitely is not). 

On 2/3/2024 at 10:48 AM, apocalypse76 said:

In the future, it would be nice if the books that were selected for grading didn't have major defects that you can't see in the scans.
I would suggest that the notes include the approximate length of the split if there is doubt about whether it can be seen and also whether a staple is completely detached when that is not obvious because that is another defect that can sometimes be very difficult to accurately assess in a scan but has a major impact on the grade.

Two friendly and totally non-confrontational comments re these suggestions:

1. Vintage comics (especially "Atomic Age" comics from the 1950s) often suffer from blemishes that are not apparent in flat front/back cover scans, including such defects as spine splits, toning/tanning to the inside covers, and partially/fully detached covers and/or centerfolds.  An award-winning grader needs to know how to account for these flaws -- both by themselves, as well as in combination with other defects.
2. @CGC Mike does not grade the selected comics.  In fact, I strongly doubt that he's ever had a chance to view anything other than the same digital scans he provides to us.  The data he's able to provide to us are limited by the detail present in the archived grader notes -- and I've never personally seen grader notes where the length of a spine split was quantified (2", 3.25", etc).

No matter how much we're told, our precision will be limited by the simple fact that one simply cannot grade a book without holding it in hand! 

Díck Swan: Comic World (1969)

Some of the old-timers around here no doubt know Díck well.  In 1969, when Díck was just 15, he opened one of the country's very first comic shops: Comic World in San Jose.  He later became a co-owner of the Comics & Comix retail chain and sole owner of Big Guys Comics in Mountain View.  One of the hobby's true good guys.  Here's a more recent pic:

On 1/30/2024 at 12:23 AM, MarkFaust said:

I've seen COUNTLESS universal grades for sale that have signatures on the inside cover. 

It's not the signature that makes this book eligible for certification with a Qualified Grade.  It's the paper/sticker affixed to the inside front cover. 

On 1/29/2024 at 12:19 PM, Kamenliter said:

Seems it might get a 1.8 based upon the size and these examples. 

Probably not.  Your book has quite a few additional defects -- like a once-detached cover (which is why the extra post-production staples were added), considerable cover wear, and a bunch of tape.

A 2.5" by 1" piece out of the front cover does not, by itself, warrant a grade of 0.5 PR.

On 1/29/2024 at 7:34 AM, Kamenliter said:

Would this come back as a qualified or restored if submitted?

Tape and added (post-production) staples are not considered restoration.  Hence, in the absence of color touch etc, my best guess would be neither.  I believe CGC would treat this book as an unrestored copy with a missing 2.5" by 1" piece at the top-left corner and award it an appropriate a Universal Grade.  I'm basing this opinion on the dozens of books that have been certified as having an incorrect back cover (which is definitely a more substantial "incorrect" piece added).  Here are just a few examples: