Is this a 9.0?!?

[buttock]

From the latest Heritage auction.

 

[143ksk]

Well, the easy answer is "Yes! It says so on the little blue label"

 

The more serious answer is that I think its within the boundries of what I've come to expect from a CGC GA 9.0. That being said, I think it's definitely at the low end of those boundries. All the GA books I've submitted to CGC that have come back 9.0 have been nicer than that More Fun, but I've gotten some 8.5s that were not as nice. So, I think it's in the ballpark. But..."Buy the book, not the grade" should be everybody's mantra. At this point, the major value to me (when buying) of CGCs service is the restoration check, not the number grade.

 

Steve.

[buttock]

It's got stains on the cover!!! There are stains on the back cover also.

[143ksk]

 

 

Yeah, I have to agree with you. I hadn't noticed the thing by the "S" in comics. I think some of the defects on the cover (such as the black stuff by the issue number) are printing defects, but there's definitely enough problems that I think it was overgraded. Especially given that the spine and extremities aren't that fabulous either.

 

Steve.

[burntboy]

definitely not a 9.0 in my opinion.

 

having said that, i think there is an overall general feeling that CGC looks at GA/SA/BA/Moderns a bit differently, with the "softest" treatment given to the GA, which are, after all, approx 60 years old. (pretty sure this topic has been beaten to death elsewhere).

 

but it's still a beauty for it's age.

[jduran1]

That is a 1941 book. Look at the colors on the cover. It looks like it was printed yesterday. Very NM looking when you think about it. 9.0 NM- is appropriate IMO.

I have seen 9.6s with ticks like that on the spine.

[RTBrandy]

Apparently Golden books are graded by different standards than Moderns/Bronze.

 

I'd say 7.0 on it

[garthgantu]

Yes, GA books get some leeway from CGC, no question. However, I'd say that's at least a VF+ 8.5, and VF/NM 9.0 is not outside the realm of realisticness (just coined a new word!).

- the 'blemish' running through the 'S' in 'comics' may be on the slab..?

- the 'stains' you're seeing could well be production errors, at least most of them

- dirt, at least in reasonable quantity, doesn't seem to affect grade as much as you might expect

 

All in all, a very tight, solid 60-year old book with nice QP. I've not seen a 9.6 with that much spine damage, but a 9.0, definitely.

[143ksk]

Speaking of 9.0s, did you see the Wonder Woman #1 in the Heritage Signature auction? Check out the lower right hand corner. YUCK!

[dc eng]

I agree that this isn't a VF/NM 9.0 book, at least, not when you're trying to grade it based on what the Overstreet Grading Guide writes. It has too many obvious flaws and if it were a Silver Age book or newer, you know it would be downgraded to the 4.5 range at the highest.

 

I don't visit these boards that frequently, so the subject might've been discussed elsewhere, but I think CGC is not looking at grading comic books from the standpoint of physical condition alone. That is, how this book rates when compared to a prototypical perfect 10.0, fresh from the printing press. Most of us traditionally tend to think of a grade as simply a measure of physical perfection in a comic book. The more imperfections and defects it has, the lower the grade.

 

It appears that CGC generally looks at grading that way too, but also adds in factors such as desirability/collectibility, scarcity, age, and so forth. Thus, the older Golden Age comics will generally get what appears to be favorable treatment in their grades. So, looking at it this way perhaps the term 'grade' will eventually be replaced by a word reflecting its collectibility.

 

Going from traditional letter grades (MT, NM, etc.) to strictly numeric grades in the holders and in grading discussions seem to possibly reflect this thinking too.

 

Being that you are regulars here, please enlighten me if I am off-base. Or, if there is a thread that discusses this interesting topic, point me to it.

 

Thanks.

Daniel