I won a Heritage comic with undisclosed tape

[bobpfef]

I recently won a copy of Dell's first Giant comic, Walt Disney's Christmas Parade #1 on Heritage.

 

I've wanted this for awhile, it has the first Barks story I ever read in it (and still one of my favorites, the panel with the fighting steam shovels will always be one of the coolest things I've seen) but it goes for big bucks in nice shape so I bid on this low grade copy and won it. So I was reading it last night (btw, if any one can find the Goofy in the hidden picture page in the middle of the book PLEASE let me know where it is, I can't find it and neither could my kids ) and I noticed that there I some tape on the inside front cover. Neatly done, but there.

 

Now, I DON'T want to return the book. I am happy with the price I paid for it even WITH the tape on it, but I wish they would have noted that in the auction description. It makes me wary of bidding more serious money on ungraded books in their auctions. I suspect this was just an honest mistake and the book probably only got a quite once over because it was low grade, but still, it is a bit of a concern.

 

Has anyone else had problems like this with Heritage before. Is this just a one time fluke?

 

[Silver Surfer]

I guess technically they could say that small bits of tape on GA books are not considered to be restoration in CGC eyes. However, they should have disclosed that there was tape on the book and I'm sure that you could return it for a refund if you asked.

[jimm94]

Hi Bob,

 

As a GD copy, tape repair would be allowable in grade and Heritage would technically not be under obligation to disclose it as restoration. It's unfortunate that they didn't, however, and I agree it would have been nice to know it was there before bidding.

 

Give them a call or send an email, and I'll bet they be willing to make it up to you next time around. I had a minor issue with a book from the same auction, and they were very responsive to my comments.

[rob_react]

Archival tape or regular tape? If it's regular tape on a low grade book, it's not really restoration. Tape is a defect that's causing more harm to the book than any good it may be doing.

[oldmilwaukee6er]

I won a copy of Homegrown Funnies (R. Crumb Underground comic) on Heritage that was described as a 1st print and CLEARLY STATED in the indica that it was a 5th printing. I sent the book back and got refunded (~$17...a good price for a 1st, but waaaay too much for a 5th) but for all my fighting... I was never refunded my cost to ship the book back to them. Arrrggghhh. I musta called their offices a dozen times.

[mrwoogieman]

Hey that's the same story I read this weekend! I don't have the original issue, however, so I can't help you on the 'where's Goofy' pages, but I agree, the story is a classic.

 

BTW, mine was found in an old hardbound book called the Smithsonian Comic Book on Comics or something like that. It has one or two stories from a bunch of different Golden Age comics, like a sampler of sorts. The selections had to be of characters that originated in comic books, however. Included were the first Superman story from Action 1, first Batman from Detective 27, a couple of cool Jack Cole Plastic Mans, a couple of Stanley's Little Lulus, CC Beck Captain Marvel stories, a Wolverton Powerhouse Pepper, Walt Kelly Pogo story, etc. Plus the book had a page or two history about the artist and the characters.

 

Who knew that Jack Cole was from my hometown of New Castle, PA, or that he committed suicide at 40?

[Zonker]

and I noticed that there I some tape on the inside front cover. Neatly done, but there.

 

 

Both povertyrow and I have remarked at different times about the lunacy of the way tape is treated. Scotch tape is not restoration in CGC's eyes. Indeed, as Rob mentions, it degrades the paper every day it stays on the book. So it's a defect, allowed by Overstreet up through Very Good condition.

 

On the other hand, archival tape is non-acidic, is removable, and usually improves the structural integrity of the book. But it is restoration, so gets the dreaded Purple Label.

 

At least CGC always discloses the presence of tape on books they grade (including Blue-labelled ones).

 

I certainly agree Heritage should have disclosed this particular defect, since many of us particularly avoid taped books. But it's not really 'undisclosed restoration,' but instead 'insufficient disclosure of particular defects in a low-grade book.'

[bobpfef]

Okay, I guess I assumed tape was restoration, as it was there holding the chips on the corner of the cover on, and holding the cover to the rest of the book. It is regular scotch tape, so I guess from what I have read that is just a defect allowed in this grade and so doesn't have to be disclosed. I think that is sort of lame, as that tape will bleed through the cover over time and make the book even worse, and that is something I would have liked to have known before bidding, as there was no way of telling that from the scan or the item description.

 

Oh well, live and learn. I am still happy with the price I paid. I saw a few copies at the Chicago con in about the same condition for about three times the price I paid. Of course, those didn't have tape

[sfilosa]

Like you said, they probably didn't look at the book very long.

 

Heritage is very responsive if you have a problem. But basically, just like any dealer would say, return the book for a refund if you don't want it.

[bobpfef]

Hey that's the same story I read this weekend! I don't have the original issue, however, so I can't help you on the 'where's Goofy' pages, but I agree, the story is a classic.

 

BTW, mine was found in an old hardbound book called the Smithsonian Comic Book on Comics or something like that. It has one or two stories from a bunch of different Golden Age comics, like a sampler of sorts. The selections had to be of characters that originated in comic books, however. Included were the first Superman story from Action 1, first Batman from Detective 27, a couple of cool Jack Cole Plastic Mans, a couple of Stanley's Little Lulus, CC Beck Captain Marvel stories, a Wolverton Powerhouse Pepper, Walt Kelly Pogo story, etc. Plus the book had a page or two history about the artist and the characters.

 

Who knew that Jack Cole was from my hometown of New Castle, PA, or that he committed suicide at 40?

 

Yes, that is where I first read the story myself. I had taken that book out of the library as a youngster and that Barks story has always stuck with me. Also the Lulu, the Plasticman's and the Giggle Gangle story. Heck almost everything in that book is classic. I poured over that for hours on end. A few years after that I began buying superhero comics and started to look down of those comics I had loved in the Smithsonian book as just "kiddie" stories. Took me a few years to realize that those stories really were just as wonderful to an "adult" reader as they were when I was 10.

[PUNYHUMAN]

Have any of you guys ever tried to remove tape off any of your books??

What could you use ,how can one do it ,without damage to the comic,or in the end I guess send it to a pro who does this kind of work!!

[143ksk]

I certainly agree Heritage should have disclosed this particular defect, since many of us particularly avoid taped books. But it's not really 'undisclosed restoration,' but instead 'insufficient disclosure of particular defects in a low-grade book.'

 

I agree completely. Tape, like detached covers, clipped coupons, etc. is often a "make or break" type of defect and, as such, should be disclosed on any grade book IMO.

 

I personally hate tape and have only 2 books in my collection that have it. Both are awaiting upgrades BTW.

 

Still, that book looks like a nice reader, Bob. Very cool book