Who is so Desperate?

[sfilosa]

Saw this in Heritage's auction.

 

Look at the guide price and what the bid is up to before any reserve.

 

Does CENTERFOLD DETACHED and SLIGHTLY BRITTLE PAGES make NO DIFFERENCE?

 

Captain America #37

[PovertyRow]

Slightly Brittle Pages? A 6.0 to boot? ::sigh:: Brittle are about the worst two syllables you can hear as regards a comics longevity. I can't conceive of a FINE with even slight brittleness to the pages.

[Fan4Fan]

Well, if you never take it out of the holder...

 

The cover still looks pretty nice!

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

[Doug014-migration]

I can't conceive of a FINE with even slight brittleness to the pages.

 

Me neither...I thought books with brittle pages were automatically downgraded to Fair. I guess that I'm mistaken though...

[nearmint]

What a beautiful cover though.

 

I once had a Golden Age Action with Light Tan pages. Once I started to see paper flecks collecting on the bottom of the CGC holder, I decided I needed to upgrade.

[sfilosa]

The book LOOKS great. My comment was really, why is the bidding already at GUIDE VALUE for a FINE copy?

 

While this book probably sells for overguide even in Fine condition, should it sell for guide with a the Centerfold detached AND Slightly Brittle Pages?

[PovertyRow]

I can't conceive of a FINE with even slight brittleness to the pages.

 

Me neither...I thought books with brittle pages were automatically downgraded to Fair. I guess that I'm mistaken though...

 

or only slightly mistaken!

[nearmint]

The book LOOKS great. My comment was really, why is the bidding already at GUIDE VALUE for a FINE copy?

 

While this book probably sells for overguide even in Fine condition, should it sell for guide with a the Centerfold detached AND Slightly Brittle Pages?

 

Not sure I understand your question. If the centerfold was attached and the book had nice pages, CGC would grade this book a 9.2, maybe even a 9.4. Apparently, they feel the noted defects only bring the grade down to 6.0. Why is it strange that the bidding has reached guide value for a book that often sells for over-guide prices?

 

Granted, I wouldn't grade the book a 6.0 with those problems, but some collectors accept CGC's grading as absolute, and believe it will stand the test of time. I suspect it's one or two of those collectors that are bidding up the book.

 

I don't buy Timelys, but that's a classic Cap cover that would sell for several thousand dollars if the quality of the interior matched the quality of the exterior. I'm not surprised that someone would want that book in their collection(just not me!).

[sfilosa]

You made a very good point.

 

I didn't realize that those defects were actually factored into the grade. But based on the scan, the book does look much nicer than a Fine.

 

Still, don't like the idea of slightly brittle pages as that means there are probably chips missing in the interior.

[nearmint]

It does make me wonder how they're defining "slightly".

[Mephisto]

What a beautiful cover though.

 

I once had a Golden Age Action with Light Tan pages. Once I started to see paper flecks collecting on the bottom of the CGC holder, I decided I needed to upgrade.

 

My Tec 91 is like that. I really like that book and paid under guide for it, so until I find a copy with nice eye appeal and better PQ for a decent price it's good enough for me.

[nearmint]

I've always really liked that 'Tec #91 cover.

[Timely]

I'm glad I got my 8.0 copy with little to no premium.

 

Timely

[Dr_Neff]

It's beyond me how the cover can be SOOOOOOOOOOOO nice, when the interior is so brittle..... MARRIED COVER? Proves the point that it is better to submit GA books (overgraded) as opposed to MA comics (undergraded) remember that Action # 1 2.5 ??

[drbanner]

It's beyond me how the cover can be SOOOOOOOOOOOO nice, when the interior is so brittle..... MARRIED COVER? Proves the point that it is better to submit GA books (overgraded) as opposed to MA comics (undergraded) remember that Action # 1 2.5 ??

 

Do you collect Timely's? "Timely Tan" is a defect problematic with them, and 2 of the 3 copies of this book sold on Heritage had "CR/OW" pages. The quality of the cover stock was much better than the quality of the interior paper (recycled WWII paper stock used?), so you often see great looking Timely's with poor interior paper quality. I wouldn't mind owning this Cap at the right price, it would go well with this one...another great looking cover (Tennessee copy?) with "slightly brittle pages."

 

[fantastic_four]

Not sure I understand your question. If the centerfold was attached and the book had nice pages, CGC would grade this book a 9.2, maybe even a 9.4.

 

CGC usually gives the Qualified grade to books with detached centerfolds, so I suspect you're right, the major deduction is for the brittleness then the detached centerfold. I did once see a Universal 9.4 with a detached centerfold ( http://apps.heritagecomics.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=807&Lot_No=5212&src=pr ), but I'm convinced that it must have been an error on the part of the encapsulator and that they meant for it to get the Qualified label because the vast majority of 8.0 or better books with detached centerfolds get that.

 

The highest grade I've seen besides this book with "slightly brittle" pages was an All-Star #8 CGC 6.5 which had a lot more noticable wear than this Cap book does; it look to be around 7.0/7.5 from just based upon the cover defects visible on the scan. I've heard someone else say they've seen a book as high as 7.0 with slightly brittle pages, but I've not been able to confirm that.

[Dr_Neff]

error would be with graders, encapsulators have no say regarding lables or anything.

 

All my timelys have nice pages even if the covers are less than kind. Remember that dude that took all the warehouse find covers and matched them up to coverless books?

 

I have seen many copies with " Timely Tan" but heard a rumor that it was a regional phenomenon.

 

I had a fire damaged Cap 1 that still had nicer pages......

[nearmint]

but I'm convinced that it must have been an error on the part of the encapsulator and that they meant for it to get the Qualified label because the vast majority of 8.0 or better books with detached centerfolds get that.

 

 

I have an Action #58 that I believe would have received an 8.0, perhaps even an 8.5, but for a detached centerfold. It received a universal 7.0. I had it graded quite some time ago, so it's entirely possible that CGC would give it a qualified grade today.

 

Which raises an interesting question. As a buyer, what's more attractive, a qualifed 8.0, or a universal 7.0? I think I'd take the universal, as a qualified grade gives no indication of what the universal grade would be. It's vague, and makes the buyer work harder to determine the true value of what they're buying.

 

I'm not sure I like the idea of the qualified label to begin with, but if there must be one, than I suggest this....CGC should state the universal grade alongside the qualified grade on qualified labels. Only then will buyers know what they're getting.

[Zonker]

Slightly Brittle Pages? A 6.0 to boot? ::sigh:: Brittle are about the worst two syllables you can hear as regards a comics longevity. I can't conceive of a FINE with even slight brittleness to the pages.

 

I think Slightly Brittle Pages is a CGC 'term of art'--meaning they use it as a Paper Quality rating less than Off-White, Cream, Tan, etc. Of the 4 CGC books I've bought & cracked, my Worlds Finest 7 had the label notation "Slightly Brittle Pages." I was expecting to find flakes coming off the interior pages-- Believe me, I've bought quite a few raw Golden Age books with that situation, and yah, it's not purty. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised-- no page flaking, certainly not at all brown, paper quality roughly 'average' for Golden Age. Nothing to write home about, but no real problem from my point of view.

 

Now a CGC Brittle Pages label notation is likely another animal altogether.

 

Any other slab-crackers out there who can confirm this?