Now, Here's a good one for you all! Giant Size Man-Thing #1 1974

[divad]

 

 

 

Description: Giant Size Man-Thing #1 from August 1974, with beautiful, supple white pages, featuring an awesome Man-Thing vs. The Glob cover and art by Mike Ploog, with a fantastic story by Steve Gerber. This issue also contains a Steve Ditko classic fantasy reprint from Amazing Adult Fantasy #11, and not one, but two Jack Kirby classic fantasy reprints from Strange Tales Annual #2 and Tales of Suspense #15. Absolutely killer stuff!

 

This book is from my personal collection, purchased by yours truly in the Summer of 1974. It's everything you want in a high-grade comic book -- EXCEPT for: significant chipping. This is one unbelievably beautiful, read-once book. The book has these defects: 1) there is significant chipping to the top edge and the lower left spine corner; 2) there is a very light 1/8" crease to the lower right corner of the front cover; and 3) there are distributor banding marks at the top and bottom edges. The book is flat, tight and near-perfectly cut with tremendous newsstand cover gloss and brilliant inks. It is complete and intact, with no tears, and no writing. The page quality is outstanding: supple and bright white in color.

 

How do you grade this one?

 

As always, please comment in addition to assigning a grade, thanks.

[FFB]

Anywhere from 5.0 to 5.5.

[deathlok]

This book is from my personal collection, purchased by yours truly in the Summer of 1974. It's everything you want in a high-grade comic book -- EXCEPT for: significant chipping. This is one unbelievably beautiful, read-once book. The book has these defects: 1) there is significant chipping to the top edge and the lower left spine corner; 2) there is a very light 1/8" crease to the lower right corner of the front cover; and 3) there are distributor banding marks at the top and bottom edges. The book is flat, tight and near-perfectly cut with tremendous newsstand cover gloss and brilliant inks. It is complete and intact, with no tears, and no writing. The page quality is outstanding: supple and bright white in color.

 

I liked the Cap's and the TOD's you had up in the other threads. This book is one for the dollar bin at LCS. Too many flaws on a low valued book. I would say about 4.5.

[rjpb]

3.5, but that's just me - chipping on a silver age is bad enough, but on bronze it's a big eyesore no matter how nice the rest of the book. Cool cover though. I have a Giant-Size Man-Thing that's a 10, but it's not a comic book.

[ft88]

The Glob Strikes again.....Never gets old

[divad]

This book is from my personal collection, purchased by yours truly in the Summer of 1974. It's everything you want in a high-grade comic book -- EXCEPT for: significant chipping. This is one unbelievably beautiful, read-once book. The book has these defects: 1) there is significant chipping to the top edge and the lower left spine corner; 2) there is a very light 1/8" crease to the lower right corner of the front cover; and 3) there are distributor banding marks at the top and bottom edges. The book is flat, tight and near-perfectly cut with tremendous newsstand cover gloss and brilliant inks. It is complete and intact, with no tears, and no writing. The page quality is outstanding: supple and bright white in color.

 

I liked the Cap's and the TOD's you had up in the other threads. This book is one for the dollar bin at LCS. Too many flaws on a low valued book. I would say about 4.5.

 

Yeah, but as a collector, I eat books like this up! There are a lot of defects, but it's a great comic! 10 times the book a so-called strict FN or FN/VF copy of this book!

 

Oh, and I have quite a few more High Grades I will be posting for opinions - This is for feedback, to sharpen grading skills, and to air out collector sentiment..

 

"Grading is like playing the scale - you must be able to play it down as well as up!"

[divad]

Anywhere from 5.0 to 5.5.

 

FFB,

Technically I agree, but as a collector I would take this copy over a strict FN/VF 7.0 copy, any day of the week.

 

As a speculator, I wouldn't touch it, but hey it's all about fun! (isn't it?)

[FFB]

Anywhere from 5.0 to 5.5.

 

FFB,

Technically I agree, but as a collector I would take this copy over a strict FN/VF 7.0 copy, any day of the week.

 

As a speculator, I wouldn't touch it, but hey it's all about fun! (isn't it?)

 

You mean because of the price discount? How much more expensive is a F/VF copy? Maybe a dollar or two?

[divad]

Anywhere from 5.0 to 5.5.

 

FFB,

Technically I agree, but as a collector I would take this copy over a strict FN/VF 7.0 copy, any day of the week.

 

As a speculator, I wouldn't touch it, but hey it's all about fun! (isn't it?)

 

You mean because of the price discount? How much more expensive is a F/VF copy? Maybe a dollar or two?

 

Prices/schmices, I mean because it's a nicer book, to hold, to read, to own! Imagine this was a AF #15. . . .then how would you feel about it?

[deathlok]

Anywhere from 5.0 to 5.5.

 

FFB,

Technically I agree, but as a collector I would take this copy over a strict FN/VF 7.0 copy, any day of the week.

 

As a speculator, I wouldn't touch it, but hey it's all about fun! (isn't it?)

 

You mean because of the price discount? How much more expensive is a F/VF copy? Maybe a dollar or two?

 

Prices/schmices, I mean because it's a nicer book, to hold, to read, to own! Imagine this was a AF #15. . . .then how would you feel about it?

 

...imagine it was Spawn #1 how would you feel about it? How in the world can you compare an AF#15 to GSMT#1?

[divad]

death,

 

I'm not comparing the two issues at all, what I am saying is that although grading is supposed to be objective and technical, and not subjective, different issues in the same condition will warrant different opinions.

 

I picked this book to make a point, or rather to see how many of you out there, get it, or care to get it. . .

[NewtSamson]

I picked this book to make a point, or rather to see how many of you out there, get it, or care to get it. . .

 

I get it.

I'd say this comic would grade any where from a 4.5 to a 5.5, but without counting those defects it looks like a pretty solid tight book. I appreciate you scanning one of your lower graded comics. I think it's very pretty even with what's wrong with it

[FFB]

Anywhere from 5.0 to 5.5.

 

FFB,

Technically I agree, but as a collector I would take this copy over a strict FN/VF 7.0 copy, any day of the week.

 

As a speculator, I wouldn't touch it, but hey it's all about fun! (isn't it?)

 

You mean because of the price discount? How much more expensive is a F/VF copy? Maybe a dollar or two?

 

Prices/schmices, I mean because it's a nicer book, to hold, to read, to own! Imagine this was a AF #15. . . .then how would you feel about it?

 

Personally, chipping bothers me. I find it a lot more distracting than stress marks or creases. But that's just me.

[divad]

 

Personally, chipping bothers me. I find it a lot more distracting than stress marks or creases. But that's just me.

 

Chipping is . . . as chipping does!

[deathlok]

death,

 

I'm not comparing the two issues at all, what I am saying is that although grading is supposed to be objective and technical, and not subjective, different issues in the same condition will warrant different opinions.

 

I picked this book to make a point, or rather to see how many of you out there, get it, or care to get it. . .

 

I understand the point you were attempting to make. However the issue you chose to make it with doesn't make sense. I would be very surprised if anyone bought this issue in this condition for their collection. Someone would only pick it up as a reading copy. Which doesn't make sense to evaluate it's grade. I mean you could spend a few dollars more and get a better looking reader's copy that would also be a nice collection copy.

[divad]

death,

 

I'm not comparing the two issues at all, what I am saying is that although grading is supposed to be objective and technical, and not subjective, different issues in the same condition will warrant different opinions.

 

I picked this book to make a point, or rather to see how many of you out there, get it, or care to get it. . .

 

I understand the point you were attempting to make. However the issue you chose to make it with doesn't make sense. I would be very surprised if anyone bought this issue in this condition for their collection. Someone would only pick it up as a reading copy. Which doesn't make sense to evaluate it's grade. I mean you could spend a few dollars more and get a better looking reader's copy that would also be a nice collection copy.

 

I respectfully disagree.

[deathlok]

death,

 

I'm not comparing the two issues at all, what I am saying is that although grading is supposed to be objective and technical, and not subjective, different issues in the same condition will warrant different opinions.

 

I picked this book to make a point, or rather to see how many of you out there, get it, or care to get it. . .

 

I understand the point you were attempting to make. However the issue you chose to make it with doesn't make sense. I would be very surprised if anyone bought this issue in this condition for their collection. Someone would only pick it up as a reading copy. Which doesn't make sense to evaluate it's grade. I mean you could spend a few dollars more and get a better looking reader's copy that would also be a nice collection copy.

 

I respectfully disagree.

 

okay

[jimm94]

It's all about technical grade vs. emotional grade (desire/want) vs. eye appeal (presentation).

 

You have to ask yourself, "How desirable is a book given its' age and significance?" Well it's not particularly old, and it's only real claim to fame in comicdom is bearing a highly unfortunate title. So, it's kind of at a disadvantage from the start in terms of emotional grade. The major technical issue (chipping) dimishes the eye appeal, therefore the emotional grade for the book, in my opinion, goes down.

 

A person is more likely to overlook the flaws on a book they want really badly because their emotional attachment to owning a copy is already so high. By the same token, a person who already owns a comic might be equally attached and eager to defend it. That's why most collectors wouldn't care about the chipping if it were an AF15.

 

I hear what your're saying about it being superior in other respects to F/VF copies, but the eye appeal of the chipping makes it a deal breaker as the "keeper" example in a high grade bronze collection. Having said all that BS, I would buy it from you if it wasn't chipped, because the title makes me giggle every time I say it out loud.

 

Thanks for sharing this with us. Good thread!

[divad]

It's all about technical grade vs. emotional grade (desire/want) vs. eye appeal (presentation).

 

You have to ask yourself, "How desirable is a book given its' age and significance?" Well it's not particularly old, and it's only real claim to fame in comicdom is bearing a highly unfortunate title. So, it's kind of at a disadvantage from the start in terms of emotional grade. The major technical issue (chipping) dimishes the eye appeal, therefore the emotional grade for the book, in my opinion, goes down.

 

A person is more likely to overlook the flaws on a book they want really badly because their emotional attachment to owning a copy is already so high. By the same token, a person who already owns a comic might be equally attached and eager to defend it. That's why most collectors wouldn't care about the chipping if it were an AF15.

 

I hear what your're saying about it being superior in other respects to F/VF copies, but the eye appeal of the chipping makes it a deal breaker as the "keeper" example in a high grade bronze collection. Having said all that BS, I would buy it from you if it wasn't chipped, because the title makes me giggle every time I say it out loud.

 

Thanks for sharing this with us. Good thread!

 

Now, HE gets it! Great post

[davidking623]

5.0

 

For the what is super bad looking corner on lower left corner and the Marvel chipping at the top also for the minor crease on lower right!

 

Davidking623

 

P.S. Its really hard for me to not have the book in front of me while I type this like the professional graders do!