ROUND 8 : Contest

[burntboy]

Also, regarding the SS #8, other then spine wear (none of it major, but made more noticable by the black parts of the cover and huge scan), what else keeps this from being a VF?

 

List of defects on the SS #8;

 

-Abraded top and bottom left corners.

-At least 8 spine stresses on front cover, most break color worse around both staples.

-Fingerprint stains (black) in the letter F of 'Surfer'.

-Minor blunting on top and bottom right corners.

-Multiple spine stress along back of spine.

-Light soiling on back cover.

 

A book with this number of defects is a 7.0 at best by Overstreet standards, and since these are the standards CGC claims to base their grading criteria on, an 8.0 is an overgrade.

 

Blowout; maybe you should be having this discussion with Newt!!!

 

afterall he won the old grading contest on his own and is supposedly 8 for 8 so far in this contest. perhaps he could tell you why the books were graded the way they were.

 

personally, i was thinking a 7.0 - 7.5 on this book and we went with the team average around 7.5. i can hardly argue over a one grade difference. i STILL believe the big scans exacerbate the defects.............

 

AND, the bottom line here is that the contest is to guess what CGC would grade the book. after 7 rounds we should all have learned something by now...............IMO.

[Tango 'n Cash]

I have been reading through this grading comments and it looks like you need to be good at determining what grade CGC gives the books.

 

This is a far different skill than being a grader of comics.

 

Just my 2-cents.

[sfilosa]

I have been reading through this grading comments and it looks like you need to be good at determining what grade CGC gives the books.

 

This is a far different skill than being a grader of comics.

 

Just my 2-cents.

 

Actually all I care about, and probably most of us, is how CGC WILL GRADE THE BOOK.

 

There are plenty of things that CGC does not downgrade for (or as much as I would). I have said these before:

 

1) Production Defects

2) Yellowing

3) Dust Shadows on Back Cover

4) Distribution Ink

5) Date Stamps / Arrival Codes

 

Therefore, all I try to do is be an ACCURATE GRADER (not STRICT) based on CGC Standards.

[sfilosa]

Also, regarding the SS #8, other then spine wear (none of it major, but made more noticable by the black parts of the cover and huge scan), what else keeps this from being a VF?

 

List of defects on the SS #8;

 

-Abraded top and bottom left corners.

-At least 8 spine stresses on front cover, most break color worse around both staples.

-Fingerprint stains (black) in the letter F of 'Surfer'.

-Minor blunting on top and bottom right corners.

-Multiple spine stress along back of spine.

-Light soiling on back cover.

 

A book with this number of defects is a 7.0 at best by Overstreet standards, and since these are the standards CGC claims to base their grading criteria on, an 8.0 is an overgrade.

 

 

Basically, the spine stress is the real defect. Once a book is in the clear VF range, a little rounding / abrading of corners (but no corner creasing) probably is a non-factor. Also, as I have said many times, soiling / dirt on the back cover is a NON-FACTOR. I have LOTS of 9.2-9.4 with dirt on the back cover.

 

Regarding the spine stress, I have shown examples of many BLACK SPINE books that have multiple stress lines and the books grade 9.0 or 9.2. Black Cover / Black Spine books seem to be graded a little more leniently regarding spine stress.

 

I don't make the standards (and don't always agree with them). But, I do know how to apply them.

[Tango 'n Cash]

Actually all I care about, and probably most of us, is how CGC WILL GRADE THE BOOK.

 

Sure I just meant that the ability to guess the cgc grade doesn't automaticaly mean your an excellent raw grader. Or viceversa.

[The Brain]

Actually all I care about, and probably most of us, is how CGC WILL GRADE THE BOOK.

 

Sure I just meant that the ability to guess the cgc grade doesn't automaticaly mean your an excellent raw grader. Or viceversa.

 

HEY BELATTED "WELCOME TO THE BOARDS!!!"

[drbanner]

I don't make the standards (and don't always agree with them). But, I do know how to apply them.

 

Do you feel CGC applies their standards correctly/consistently on every book they grade? That appears to be your position here.

 

Unfortunately, they don't, and there are instances of them not doing so in this very contest as illustrated by Nikos' comment (the only person that has seen the SS 8 in person) that he feel this book overgraded. I don't see how you can say that the spine stresses on this book make it an 8.0 and everything else is irrelevent...the top of the spine is basically worn away (see the back cover scan)!!

[blowout]

I don't make the standards (and don't always agree with them). But, I do know how to apply them.

 

Judging by your comments in this thread, I am not sure that you do know how to apply them.

[blowout]

And just for the record, I don't really want to get into an argument about who can grade and who can't.

The problem with the contest so far, is that some books have been inconsistently graded by CGC, and to win the contest you basically have to 'guess the grade' rather than correctly apply the grading standards.

[Stark This-migration]

And just for the record, I don't really want to get into an argument about who can grade and who can't.

The problem with the contest so far, is that some books have been inconsistently graded by CGC, and to win the contest you basically have to 'guess the grade' rather than correctly apply the grading standards.

 

How do you get involved in this contest and when does the next one start?

 

I totally agree with the inconsistant grades. Primarily noticable in Silver Age books. To me it seems as though "Keys" are graded more favorably then non-key books. Just my opinion from the books that I have sent in or have bought already slabbed.

[sfilosa]

I don't make the standards (and don't always agree with them). But, I do know how to apply them.

 

Judging by your comments in this thread, I am not sure that you do know how to apply them.

 

Just what is that suppose to mean?

 

I have submitted around 15-20 books to CGC myself and I can honestly say that every book came back no more then one increment away from my grade, EXCEPT a few GA books that actually came back two increments higher (and regardless of what CGC says, I do believe they are more lenient on older books then newer books). The last three I submitted, came back two 9.4's and one 9.6's (and all the books were 1963 or early). I remember letting the forum members grade the books and almost everybody was WAY TOO LOW.

 

Also, did you read the graders notes. Wear at all four corners and spine dings (they didn't say anything about the fingerprint which might just be something on the case). Therefore, unlike most books, it appears that all the defects that would downgrade a book, could be seen in the scan.

 

But I will say, if the grade of this book came back as a 7.5, I wouldn't have disagreed at all.