Call me old fashion, but when buying a raw book at a Con ...

[MCMiles]

I remember looking through a pretty expensive book at a high profile dealer's booth. I tend to do this with dealers who's grading may not be as tight as I'd like. Thank god I did because I saw that the centerfold was detached at the bottom staple, lowering the grade below what they had on it. Another good reason to open up a book is to look for interior tanning, tape, staining of any kind, or tears.

 

Yep, interior tanning is reason enough on it's own to take every book out. Way to many people don't accurately down grade for this IMO.

[DrWatson]

Even if you feel like you trust the dealer, a book can't be accurately graded through the bag/mylar. For very small purchases I might skip taking them out under time constraints.

 

Also, you never know, you could buy a book and the wraps were put back together in the wrong order.

[BaltimoreLauren]

Hey, not if you trust the dealer. Most of those guys that carried the vintage books were solid guys.

 

I inspect the insides of most big books I purchase.

 

I'm pretty sure most don't check every book.

 

+1

 

If I know and trust the dealer, chances are I will not open the book up. In fact, very rarely will I open up a book to inspect it, unless I'm paying more than $50 on it.

[comicparadox]

I saw a guy at a show last weekend tell someone with whom he had no experience, "I don't need to take it out, I trust you."

 

Ridiculous.

 

I don't think it's ridiculous at all. I was the buyer, the seller was someone who I have been told is reputable, or at least he looked reputable. Plus, almost all of the comics he had for sale were in plastic, so I know they are well taken care of.

 

It was a really rare book, one I have hardly ever seen, since it was from the Copper Age, so I didn't want to offend the seller. Next time I might see that same seller, and he'll remember me and offer me a great deal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not.

[VintageComics]

Even if you feel like you trust the dealer, a book can't be accurately graded through the bag/mylar. For very small purchases I might skip taking them out under time constraints.

 

Also, you never know, you could buy a book and the wraps were put back together in the wrong order.

 

This happened to me.

 

[greggy]

Duh....always

[thehumantorch]

Duh....always

 

+1

[Monstro]

Any book over $40 I will take out of the bag. I haven't always. I was burned on an $100 Amazing Adventure #11 at the Baltimore show 3 years ago. The bc had a large piece missing/torn off.

 

I ended up selling it at the first VCC for $30.

[scottish]

NOW the advice to check for MVS and such comes out? Where were all you people years ago?

[rodan57]

I don't know if I can trust a dealer to share the same aesthetics as I have.

 

How off-white need the paper be before I don't like a book? Will a crooked partially detatched centrefold staple bother the dealer? What is there is no rust on the staples but some minor pitting has begun? Will the dealer see or catch that pin hole mid way up the spine?

 

There are a myriad of imperfections that I can live with in a 7.5 -- but a book can fairly be graded a 7.5 with defects that I don't want as part of my collection.

 

I don't think a dealer has the time to inspect a book the way a collector does before entering it into their collection.

 

 

[Comicdey]

Always look

 

The few times I haven't a defect is found later on the back or interior.

 

I bought a high dollar book from a reputable dealer a few months back via the mail, but had to return it when I did a page count and found the centerfold missing.

 

It happens

[silverseeker]

I don't know if I can trust a dealer to share the same aesthetics as I have.

 

How off-white need the paper be before I don't like a book? Will a crooked partially detatched centrefold staple bother the dealer? What is there is no rust on the staples but some minor pitting has begun? Will the dealer see or catch that pin hole mid way up the spine?

 

There are a myriad of imperfections that I can live with in a 7.5 -- but a book can fairly be graded a 7.5 with defects that I don't want as part of my collection.

 

I don't think a dealer has the time to inspect a book the way a collector does before entering it into their collection.

 

This pretty much sums up why I look at every book as well...I've seen many fairly-graded (even under-graded) books with defects that bother me...

[tylerdurden-migration]

I always look inside the book now

 

had a coupon cut in my ASM 14 that I didnt know about until about 14 years after purchase

 

I had never bothered to actually open the book all that time

[Comicdey]

Is the asm 14 missing a upcoming issue ad?

[rob_allan]

I made a rather large purchase at the con and the inside of the book was actually what sold it for me.

 

But I have impulse bought at cons before, truthfully. Never yet regretted it but that's more luck than skill.

 

-Rob-

 

Was it THE book you were there looking for?

 

 

Indeed it was! Not a bad way to reboot the collection. It's funny because I wasn't sure from the obvious cover defects I was going to jump on it, but it'll look beautiful in a mylar and the interior was really nice for the grade. I have no question I'll be reading it again and again.

 

-Rob-

[joeypost]

As a rule of thumb, it is best to check everything about the book. If a dealer is unwilling to let you see a book out of the bag...it is time to shop elsewhere.

[Dick Pontoon]

(thumbs u Yup. Even if its a cheap book I'll check. If I later found something missing, stained or damaged, it would be like throwing $10, $20 or whatever straight in the trash.

 

I almost never have a dealer not let me look, although a few months ago a local guy wouldn't let me open some inexpensive upper mid-grade SA Marvels. I was really surprised and kept walking. I found out later another forumite picked up some that had back cover stains.

[Rich_Henn]

I've made the mistake of not checking far too many times.

Always look at it front to back, especially if it's an expensive one.

[CKB]

(thumbs u Yup. Even if its a cheap book I'll check. If I later found something missing, stained or damaged, it would be like throwing $10, $20 or whatever straight in the trash.

 

I almost never have a dealer not let me look, although a few months ago a local guy wouldn't let me open some inexpensive upper mid-grade SA Marvels. I was really surprised and kept walking. I found out later another forumite picked up some that had back cover stains.

 

Hey just stop drooling on the books and GoldenAgeCollectibles and I will be happy to let you look through them....

[tigers comics]

Has anyone ever been to a LCS were the owner would buy and sale comics without ever checking the inside of the comics