Least Favorite Flaw / Defect on a Book

[adamstrange]

My least favorite flaw on a book is perfection. If you have a nice G/VG run of a title going, then get a VF fill, it makes all your other books look like .

I've dedicated my life to the safe removal and storage of these pernicious pests.

[PreHero]

Great thread - I had thought starting a similar thread a while back, but got too lazy to make a list of defects. Also, it's interesting on how different people's opinions can be - at least one item on your defect list would actually be a non-defect for me!

 

I prioritized my least desirable defects based upon the adverse impact to the preservation of the book itself - the flaws that will accelerate the deterioration of the book (i.e. destroy paper) are top of my list!

 

1. Brittle Pages: this is far and above the worse defect (to me) - the book is nearing end of existence.

2. Rusty Staples: this is a distant second, but for the same reason - the rust is breaking down the staples and doing same to paper.

3. "Browning" Tape: Old tape that turns the paper brown and brittle (see #1) is a no-no.

4. Hole(s) Punched: I don't mind a small bug hole, but avoid books with hole punches - they are incomplete to me (probably all in my head).

5. Loose Centerfold: I will gladly buy a book with a loose centerfold, if price is right or the book is rare. If not handled/stored properly, a loose centerfold tends to get frayed along the edges.

 

If it had been in the poll, Water/Mositure Damage would've been #4 on my list. Most of the others don't bother me too much - they might affect the appearance of the book, but aren't generally a danger to the structure. Depending upon the grade, edge tear/staple tear/spine roll/spine split (minor) are just part of a lower to mid grade book (VG to F).

 

The "defects" I actually like are date stamps and some names on cover. I know there are two camps on this topic, so it's just a matter of what you do/don't like (I'm willing to buy those otherwise high grade books with date or name on cover at a discount ).

 

All that being said, I do have a books in my collection with one or more of my top five least favorite defect, and they'll probably stay there, since I'll not be able to find and/or afford a nicer copy!

 

[Yannis]

Re-gloss is one of my least favorites. It doesnt feel right touching a cover after that is done. Brittle and trimming are givens of course to probably everyone.

[Mac Man]

I only voted for two (Brittle pages and animal / bug chew) because the defects that really bother me weren't listed.

 

1. Missing pages (including the front and/or back cover).

2. Cut coupons--only ones that affect the story. The ones that don't I actually love actually help make the book affordable.

3. Fragile covers--as PointFive pointed out. When I don't feel like I can safely handle a book, that can be a real turn off for me.

 

All of the others simply make the book more affordable. Beat but complete and I'm a happy camper!

[Old Fashion PB and J]

My least favorite are.

 

Missing pieces/pages. Either one is a bummer.

Brittle pages.

Something eating a book

water damage

Rusted staples.

 

I chose misalligned on the poll. That is not as bothersome. But a few of my personal choices were not availble.

 

 

[Old Fashion PB and J]

I only voted for two (Brittle pages and animal / bug chew) because the defects that really bother me weren't listed.

 

1. Missing pages (including the front and/or back cover).

2. Cut coupons--only ones that affect the story. The ones that don't I actually love actually help make the book affordable.

3. Fragile covers--as PointFive pointed out. When I don't feel like I can safely handle a book, that can be a real turn off for me.

 

All of the others simply make the book more affordable. Beat but complete and I'm a happy camper!

I have seen your collection Sell me that effing Tec already

[october]

I only have two flaws that really and truly bug me, and I absolutely won't buy a book with either.

 

- Brittle pages

 

- Staple pops

 

I will even take incomplete books if the price is right. I know, I know, it doesn't make sense that I won't take a book with a popped staple and will take a book missing a centerfold, but there it is.

[nearmint]

I try not to buy books that bedrock read on the crapper.

[G.A.tor]

I try not to buy books that bedrock read on the crapper.

I try not to krap on books bedrock reads

[showcase22gr1959]

Re-gloss is one of my least favorites. It doesnt feel right touching a cover after that is done. Brittle and trimming are givens of course to probably everyone.

 

+ 1, also for me...heavy re-glossing definitely makes a book look very generic.

[nearmint]

I try not to buy books that bedrock read on the crapper.

I try not to krap on books bedrock reads

 

Just joshin'.

[generic user]

I only voted for two (Brittle pages and animal / bug chew) because the defects that really bother me weren't listed.

 

1. Missing pages (including the front and/or back cover).

2. Cut coupons--only ones that affect the story. The ones that don't I actually love actually help make the book affordable.

3. Fragile covers--as PointFive pointed out. When I don't feel like I can safely handle a book, that can be a real turn off for me.

All of the others simply make the book more affordable. Beat but complete and I'm a happy camper!

 

(thumbs u

[Mac Man]

I only voted for two (Brittle pages and animal / bug chew) because the defects that really bother me weren't listed.

 

1. Missing pages (including the front and/or back cover).

2. Cut coupons--only ones that affect the story. The ones that don't I actually love actually help make the book affordable.

3. Fragile covers--as PointFive pointed out. When I don't feel like I can safely handle a book, that can be a real turn off for me.

 

All of the others simply make the book more affordable. Beat but complete and I'm a happy camper!

I have seen your collection Sell me that effing Tec already

 

More like

 

 

 

[FlyingDonut]

I LOVE date stamps and (neat) names on covers.

[Offbeat Archives]

I LOVE date stamps and (neat) names on covers.

 

Make that 2 of us. If placed unobtrusively they really add to a book for me.

[Ted Knight]

It's funny how much things have changed. When I was a kid collecting comics, writing on a cover (even date stamps) was very much rejected by my peers. In fact, even though Overstreet routinely stated that arrival dates didn't effect condition grading, everyone of us disagreed. And names... well that was just about as bad as somebody taking a ball point pen and putting mustaches on characters on the front cover. A book like that would drop 3 grade points, easy.

 

But some things change over time. I imagine that as more and more comics become brittle, that too, will become more acceptable.

 

Still, I think the market will always pay a very large premium for the freshest and cleanest example of a comic that looks like it just came off the printers press, without secondary interventions. My

[jerome34]

Now that you have gotten a more inclusive list of flaws, why not start a new poll of flaws?

 

It would also be nice if the people answering the poll could rank order the flaws.

[Junkdrawer]

Apologies if this has already been done here before. I'm just curious how this shakes out. Increasingly, I notice that this varies a fair amount between collectors and even between now and 20 years ago.

 

Pick 5 of the following as "deal-breakers" for you to buy a book, assuming you have a reasonable chance at another copy without these issues. We're looking for the worst of the worst here. Thanks in advance for your participation.

I cant believe that an edge tear bothers nobody.

[spillred]

Apologies if this has already been done here before. I'm just curious how this shakes out. Increasingly, I notice that this varies a fair amount between collectors and even between now and 20 years ago.

 

Pick 5 of the following as "deal-breakers" for you to buy a book, assuming you have a reasonable chance at another copy without these issues. We're looking for the worst of the worst here. Thanks in advance for your participation.

I cant believe that an edge tear bothers nobody.

 

More likely we all found 5 defects that bother us more than edge tears

[EJR]

for me brittle pages would be least favorite defect. with brittle pages the whole book is disintegrating before your eyes! I had that happen with a Superman #5 in my collection. it really made me pay alot more attention to page quality.