Sweetness and Sadness from Sarasota

[namisgr]

Just got back from Sarasota a shipment of 21 of my best Silver Age Marvels. Once again, I have found the experience both pleasurable and extremely painful. From the 21, I managed one top census grade, but also two PLODs and a qualified. Also many books that were a grade lower than I expected, and only one that came in a grade higher. They are absolutely brutal on very small and shallow non-colorbreaking indents in high grade books.

 

Among the pleasures:

 

And a top census grade:

 

 

And, finally, the oft-dreaded, always-devastating, never-delectible, questionably-detectable:

 

Who wants to revel in my pleasure and wallow in my pain with me???

[sfilosa]

Nice books.

 

Please share your grades on the other books and if possilbe what you thought they would be graded at. Also, on your PLOD's did you have any suspicions (i.e. might or might not be color touch), or were they a complete surprise (had a few myself).

 

Also, I agree, that non-color breaking creases can be a killer.

[deathlok]

That ASM Annual #5 is a great cover. That's a great score. The PLOD's are painful.

[namisgr]

On your PLOD's did you have any suspicions (i.e. might or might not be color touch), or were they a complete surprise (had a few myself).

 

There was reason to be suspicious of the ASM 48, but the ASM 18 is another story, and without someone showing me the evidence directly, I am skeptical that the book really has the micro-touch-up (hey, I'm a scientist, and we work with data, not the opinions of others, no matter how expert!).

 

I'll post a couple of the other books and grades for ya later, Steve.

[burntboy]

well, i think the title of the thread says it all

 

i, too, feel that non color-breaking indents get hit very hard considering you can hardly see them and so little of the book is compromised in any way. oh well, who ya gonna call???

 

nice 9.6 there, BTW. i've never had one of my originals grade that high and suspect that none ever will, so i'll never know that thrill..........

[namisgr]

That ASM Annual #5 is a great cover.

 

It looks to me like this cover is something of a swipe of the opening credits from the old TV show of the '60s, Time Tunnel. Always loved stories with time paradoxes, and that show was filled with them, along with the usual monsters from the past and aliens from the future.

[deathlok]

That ASM Annual #5 is a great cover.

 

It looks to me like this cover is something of a swipe of the opening credits from the old TV show of the '60s, Time Tunnel. Always loved stories with time paradoxes, and that show was filled with them, along with the usual monsters from the past and aliens from the future.

I almost bought a Time Tunnel comic one time, although I have never seen the show. It's that swirling vortex that always makes for a unique cover.

[namisgr]

BB, only one of the 21 books was an original buy off the rack. One of my biggest disappointments, a Spidey 100 in perfect shape (I thought) that they killed down to a 9.0 from a couple of nutsac creases on the front and back covers. The surprise downgrade seems to hurt even more when you're the original owner, no? Whatcha gonna do, other than crack it back out?

 

Your fabulous early silver collection certainly is nothing for you to be modest about, even if it is lacking an ultra-rare grade! Now if I could just get you to consider offers that are just a tad below your asking price...

[fantastic_four]

One of my biggest disappointments, a Spidey 100 in perfect shape (I thought) that they killed down to a 9.0 from a couple of nutsac creases on the front and back covers. The surprise downgrade seems to hurt even more when you're the original owner, no? Whatcha gonna do, other than crack it back out?

 

You could call for grader's notes. If by "nutsac creases" you mean what people often refer to as "printer's creases," i.e. the creases that were present in the paper prior to the inks being applied, then we have seen several examples of 9.6s and 9.8s posted in these forums with SIGNIFICANT printer's creases that have led many of us to speculate that CGC doesn't downgrade for them below the 9.9 level. I believe that either Greggy or Delekkerste sold another forum member a CGC 9.8 Bronze comic that had a printer's crease that extended all the way from the spine over to the right edge...

[namisgr]

That is exactly what I am referring to, FF, production creases introduced either before or after printing (I can't tell which). Maybe there is something else imperceptible to me that caused the ding, but the creases are the only thing apparent on repeated inspection.

 

More of the sweet and sometimes sour served Sarasota-style: Of the 21 books, 6 came back with grades one unit below expectation, and 2 graded out two units below. Interestingly, the surprises include books purchased over the years from at least 5 leading dealers, ones typically (and, I think, appropriately) cited on these boards as being among the most reliable and tightest graders.

 

SOUR: (Northland copy, sold as VF/NM by a dealer who, along with me, missed the detachment of page 15)

 

SWEET: (belongs in the Ditko versus Romita thread, as proof positive that Romita had a way with the young ladies)

[sfilosa]

Ouch, the FF #13 really hurts.

 

I wonder if a restoration expert could reattach the page in a way that would not get the qualified grade.

 

You also might want to send the ASM #18 and trying to have the color touch removed since it is "very small". Even if the book dropped to a 9.0 or a 8.5, it would probably be worth it.

 

Post a big scan of the ASM #100 since printer creases should have NO EFFECT on the grade.

[Murph]

I don't know that printer's creases should have no effect on the grade to everyone, it doesn't seem to matter to CGC though.

 

Brinn

[COI]

I know how you feel. I've only sent in a few small batches, usually between 5-10 books. My first batch was the worst. Out of 6 books submitted, I got 2 purple label 9.2's(from 1969!), and book I thought was 9.6 come back as 9.2, and a book I thought was 9.4 come back as an 8.5. The other 2 were dead on, but I learned the realities of restoration the hard way. I also learned to have a sharper eye when pre-screening, and I've done much better since. Ironically enough, the people I've sold raw books to have had more luck than I have had submitting my own.

[uclapeterg]

I've gotten only one qualified book (no restored yet ) and it was a Fantastic Four 15 (page missing too - something's up with early FF's!).

[blowout]

That Spidey #11 is a sweet book. Thanks for sharing.

[burntboy]

Ouch, the FF #13 really hurts.

 

I wonder if a restoration expert could reattach the page in a way that would not get the qualified grade.

 

 

my sentiment, exactly - a real tough book in grade and it misses a 9.0 by a hair and gets "Qualified" - DAMN!!!!

 

does the qualified label remove any numerical downgrade?? (ie., no drop from a 9.2 to an 8.5 because of the loose page ,or can you get slammed twice??)

 

i'll never completely understand "Qualified" labels.........

[sfilosa]

does the qualified label remove any numerical downgrade?? (ie., no drop from a 9.2 to an 8.5 because of the loose page ,or can you get slammed twice??)

 

i'll never completely understand "Qualified" labels.........

 

 

Very good question (that I don't know the answer to).

 

It's almost similar to a tear seal. The glue in theory would not prevent the tear from looking any worse than without the tear (only prevents the tear from worsening). So if the tear is already factored into the grade, it seems that it's possible to remove the glue WITHOUT downgrading the book.

[drbanner]

does the qualified label remove any numerical downgrade??

 

Yes. There was a Q6.0 AF 15 discussed a while back that was missing like 10 pages...

[burntboy]

BB, only one of the 21 books was an original buy off the rack. One of my biggest disappointments, a Spidey 100 in perfect shape (I thought) that they killed down to a 9.0 from a couple of nutsac creases on the front and back covers. The surprise downgrade seems to hurt even more when you're the original owner, no? Whatcha gonna do, other than crack it back out?

 

Your fabulous early silver collection certainly is nothing for you to be modest about, even if it is lacking an ultra-rare grade! Now if I could just get you to consider offers that are just a tad below your asking price...

 

i've had a couple of knockout surprises so far. i have one that came back a 4.0 and i thiought it was a candidate fior at least an 8.0. never got the graders notes on that one but i should post it someday and see what the boards think of it.

 

and as i said before, non color-breaking creases seem so bad because half the time i don't even see them until i inspect the book closer because of a surprise grade. these guys don't miss much.

 

what books are you interested in?? the spidey's up on Pedigree are all still there...........

[tth2]

and as i said before, non color-breaking creases seem so bad because half the time i don't even see them until i inspect the book closer because of a surprise grade. these guys don't miss much.

 

All you have to do is hold a raw book up to the light and all of the non color-breaking creases, dents, etc will become very apparent. CGC is doing the right thing by grading down for these. This is one reason I've always thought that grading via a scan is a futile exercise, no matter how big or detailed the scan, because most such imperfections can't be picked up.