Graded GA Archie Comics in Short Supply

[Holmes]

Just a heads up, There is an Archie #50 up on Ebay. The seller is calling it VG/F but as you can see that is VERY wishful thinking. It is a 3.0 at best BUT for anyone looking for a copy in this grade jump in! Remember this is always a tough one to find

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Archie-50-cover-G-G-interior-VG-FN-1951-No-Resv-/140489249808?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b5cfd410

 

As for ME I jumped in on a nice #45 to upgrade my copy. Wish me luck!!

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250742123457&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

[chezhead]

I'm still waiting for books that I subbed in mid September, so Christmas may be a bit iffy.

 

I just got my slabs back yesterday. I have to admit they came back rather quickly via registered mail. Shipped out on the 9th, recieved on the 13th.

 

I really like the look of them in a slab. Especially that Archie #50 6.0 (thumbs u

[Holmes]

I'm still waiting for books that I subbed in mid September, so Christmas may be a bit iffy.

 

I just got my slabs back yesterday. I have to admit they came back rather quickly via registered mail. Shipped out on the 9th, recieved on the 13th.

 

I really like the look of them in a slab. Especially that Archie #50 6.0 (thumbs u

 

Outstanding! It generally does take about 4 days to get from FLA to here in NY.

[143ksk]

I'm still waiting for books that I subbed in mid September, so Christmas may be a bit iffy.

 

I just got my slabs back yesterday. I have to admit they came back rather quickly via registered mail. Shipped out on the 9th, recieved on the 13th.

 

I really like the look of them in a slab. Especially that Archie #50 6.0 (thumbs u

 

You should post some scans.

[VintageComics]

I'm still waiting for books that I subbed in mid September, so Christmas may be a bit iffy.

 

I just got my slabs back yesterday. I have to admit they came back rather quickly via registered mail. Shipped out on the 9th, recieved on the 13th.

 

I really like the look of them in a slab. Especially that Archie #50 6.0 (thumbs u

 

Outstanding! It generally does take about 4 days to get from FLA to here in NY.

 

Depends on the shipping method you choose. They will only ship to Canada via Fed Ex and it's here in 1-2 days.

[chezhead]

I'm not good at scanning slabs, advice needed i guess. KK has a stain on BC, looks like an 8 right? #49 OC 4.5, IC 7.0. Here you guys go:

 

 

 

 

[lotemo]

Nice books!

 

It's a shame about the Archie #6 being brittle. It presents nicely.

 

I'd love to have that KK #1. Mine is much lower grade. That issue has the Archie characters inside congratulating Katy on her new magazine. Of course, they're drawn by Woggon so they look kind of funny.

[143ksk]

 

I'd love to have that KK #1. Mine is much lower grade.

 

I don't even have a copy

[Holmes]

They really lkook GREAT! I lust after that #49 quite a bit!

[chezhead]

Thanks guys. Got very lucky to find 49 and 50.

 

Do you guys have any tips for scanning slabbed books.

 

I don't know how to get them in focus. Is it impossible due to the newer slabs being placed on an angle?

[Holmes]

If your scanner is a flatbed then it should be fine. I was able to scan some of my new slabs pretty easily. Maybe you can adjust the DPI setting on your scanner for a higher resolution. That would be my first try!

[chezhead]

If your scanner is a flatbed then it should be fine. I was able to scan some of my new slabs pretty easily. Maybe you can adjust the DPI setting on your scanner for a higher resolution. That would be my first try!

 

its not the DPI setting, i had that set at 600.

 

Its a canon 8.5x11 scanner. The issue seems to be that it can't focus on the entire slab. It only gets some parts in focus. And the newer slabs are in deeper wells where the comic is slabbed at an angle.

 

Do you guys think its the scanner or the way CGC slabs comics now?

[Doohickamabob]

its not the DPI setting, i had that set at 600. Its a canon 8.5x11 scanner. The issue seems to be that it can't focus on the entire slab. It only gets some parts in focus. And the newer slabs are in deeper wells where the comic is slabbed at an angle. Do you guys think its the scanner or the way CGC slabs comics now?

 

I have an HP scanner so I don't know how yours works, but if I were you, I would go into the scanner settings and try tweaking anything that sounds like it could help. The one setting that has become a real issue for my HP scanner is "Sharpening." That is, I usually find that it's better to turn all the sharpening off.

 

As for the CGC comics being slabbed at an angle, that sounds like a huge factor. As an alternative, consider a high-resolution photograph of the entire slab. You'll want to have multiple light sources, and if using a flash you'll need to photograph at a slight angle to avoid glare. A lot of people don't like/trust photos as much as scans, but you can't please everybody.

[Holmes]

its not the DPI setting, i had that set at 600. Its a canon 8.5x11 scanner. The issue seems to be that it can't focus on the entire slab. It only gets some parts in focus. And the newer slabs are in deeper wells where the comic is slabbed at an angle. Do you guys think its the scanner or the way CGC slabs comics now?

 

I have an HP scanner so I don't know how yours works, but if I were you, I would go into the scanner settings and try tweaking anything that sounds like it could help. The one setting that has become a real issue for my HP scanner is "Sharpening." That is, I usually find that it's better to turn all the sharpening off.

 

As for the CGC comics being slabbed at an angle, that sounds like a huge factor. As an alternative, consider a high-resolution photograph of the entire slab. You'll want to have multiple light sources, and if using a flash you'll need to photograph at a slight angle to avoid glare. A lot of people don't like/trust photos as much as scans, but you can't please everybody.

 

Agreed. As you have an 8 1/2 X 11 scanner bed you could not get the entire slab scanned in one pass anyway. I have the same issue, though my scans are sharp the bottom of the slab gets chopped off.

[VintageComics]

Do you guys have any tips for scanning slabbed books.

 

I don't know how to get them in focus. Is it impossible due to the newer slabs being placed on an angle?

 

The problem you are having is directly related to the type of scanner that you are using, unfortunately.

 

The type of bulb and where the scanner's focal point is set to from factory is what affects the scan quality. There is really nothing you can do.

 

I owned a Canon scanner and got rid of it for the same reason.

 

Some Canon scanners will work but I don't know which models.

 

I do know that I have never had a problem with an HP scanner, whether legal size (so that the slab sits flat on the glass) or regular size (where the slab only partially sits on the bed).

 

There are a few threads about the subject in Comics General that you might want to look at if you know how to use the search function.

 

Hope that helps.

[RareHighGrade]

I do know that I have never had a problem with an HP scanner, whether legal size (so that the slab sits flat on the glass) or regular size (where the slab only partially sits on the bed).

 

There are a few threads about the subject in Comics General that you might want to look at if you know how to use the search function.

 

Hope that helps.

Roy, how do you eliminate the glare spots at the top and bottom of the scan when you use your HP scanner? I just got an HP scanner and don't know how to fix the problem, assuming it can be fixed.

[VintageComics]

I do know that I have never had a problem with an HP scanner, whether legal size (so that the slab sits flat on the glass) or regular size (where the slab only partially sits on the bed).

 

There are a few threads about the subject in Comics General that you might want to look at if you know how to use the search function.

 

Hope that helps.

Roy, how do you eliminate the glare spots at the top and bottom of the scan when you use your HP scanner? I just got an HP scanner and don't know how to fix the problem, assuming it can be fixed.

 

That is something that can't be eliminated completely.

 

What seems to happen is that whenever the interior well curves away or towards the bed of the scanner the light catches it and refracts.

 

On Silver Age books it's more common towards the edges. On the fat Golden Age books, because the well is so much thicker you usually have a little more curve or wave and it can be prominent throughout the entire book.

 

You can experiment by using a few different methods to try and either eliminate or reduce the glare. This stuff has worked for me.

 

1) try flipping the book upside down on the bed when scanning. The light sometimes seems to affect the slab in one direction and not the other.

2) if you have glare in the center of a book you can sometimes eliminate it by applying hand pressure into the center of the book to smoothen the waves out. I scan all of my books with my lid open so I am able to do this without worrying about the white background or the lid being down.

3) I run all my scans through Photostudio 5.5 which is a picture editing software. I find that the "auto enhance" feature which also helps slightly.

 

There are other models that make decent scans that board members have recommended including Epson and Microtek models.

 

Keep in mind that the desktop laptops are very efficient machines but they're not actually made for CGC slabs so some models will work better than others.

 

Generally, the more you spend, the better quality machine you *should* have so that is usually why those large, "in office" floor model printer/scanners make decent scans from what I understand.

[Holmes]

As you can see from this scan the image comes slightly out of focus. I can generally clean that up with PhotoShop but I suspect the fact that the slab is too long and the lid to the scanner does not close all the way has something to do with it as well.

 

 

About the only thing that can be dine is to take high pixel photos with a digital camera. If you do this I strongly suggest using a tripod for the camera and of course not use the flash.

[Holmes]

Well I FINALLY got a slabbed Archie #49 to go with the #48!

 

 

It sure took long enough! It popped up on Ebay today and I jumped right on it. I sure hope it was someone from the boards!

 

I said it before and I'll say it again...these books are SO tough to find in nicer grades!

 

Mitch

[143ksk]

Nice book. Congrats (thumbs u

 

Illustrating what the market is like, I listed my Archie 36 CGC 7.0 on Comiclink this weekend and it sold in about half an hour. By contrast, the two Western Penn SA Archies I listed took a whole day to sell