How does bindery tears affect grade?

[minutekev@50]

Have we talked about this before? Specifically, I'm talking about bindery tears on late Silver Age and early Bronze Age books...what's CGC's position? I know Overstreet states that on Golden Age books, a bindery tear of 1/4 is allowable and on later books a bindery tear of 1/16 is allowable in 9.4?

[drbanner]

Have we talked about this before? Specifically, I'm talking about bindery tears on late Silver Age and early Bronze Age books...what's CGC's position? I know Overstreet states that on Golden Age books, a bindery tear of 1/4 is allowable and on later books a bindery tear of 1/16 is allowable in 9.4?

 

I believe CGC's position mirror's Overstreet's and have seen numerous examples of high grade books with obvious tears. Someone showed a scan just the other day where the tear was obvious (the paper was sticking out) and the book was either a 9.4 or 9.6. Production defect...no big whoop!?!?

[minutekev@50]

That may have been the Conan 24 I showed which was a 9.6 and had two very obvious bindery tears...

 

I've got two books with bindery tears I'd like to submit: a DC Special No.11 (just bought this weekend. Beautiful book with an Adams cover) and a Batman 237 (Adams Reaper cover).

 

Just trying to get a guestimate of what to expect.

 

[drbanner]

Cool books...those DC "folded" giants (48/52/64 pagers and "Dollar Comics") are tough to find without the bindery tears, especially the Dollar Comics as the cover stock was a little lighter than the earlier Giants. Anyhowser, I think CGC approaches small bindery tears like that pretty consistently...good luck, let us know how they turn out!

[Darthdiesel]

bindery tears vs spine splits what's the difference?

[drbanner]

bindery tears vs spine splits what's the difference?

 

Same as the difference between bends and non-color breaking creases!?!?

 

Actually, a couple differences come to mind:

 

1) Spine splits are typically vertically straight up/down the spine while bindery tears are formed by the stress of folding, so the "tear" typically wraps around to the front and/or back;

 

2) bindery tears are production-related defects, spine splits usually occur post-production;

 

3) Spine splits are typically much longer, and could affect the entire length of the spine (bindery tears are typically less than 1/4"); and

 

4) Spine splits are common on books with cream/tan/brittle covers.