Cover Creases. Effect on Grade?

[shred2001-migration]

Hello everyone. This is my first post. I expect a little rousing but that's OK ):

 

I do hope some of you will be kind enough to give a new guy that's struggling & just got 14,000 comics thrown into his house a fighting chance. This has been an overwhelming experience to say the least...

 

So, I'm learning about this grading stuff & it seems very subjective to some extent.

 

My big question today is, what to Cover creases, of each size, do to the grade, of different comics through gold, silver, bronze & modern age?

 

Evidently there are differences in aspects of how some comics are judged for grading, in part dependent, on what time frame they are from.

 

One of the books I have is AMS #49 as you can (I hope) see here: http://pinterest.com/pin/431782682994795248/

 

What would people grade this covey at and why?

 

Thanks in advance to all. Even the hazers

 

[Tony S]

Grade - 5.5 (Fine minus)

Why? Because that is what it looks like to me ... The crease at the top right FC corner is the first defect that catches your eye. It's a moderate size crease. If the book was absolutely perfect otherwise, your top grade on the book with that defect alone is probably 7.5 But there is a small tear at the bottom of the spine and some small to moderate color breaking spine stress lines along the spine of the book. Overall, a book that has just a bit to much wear for a solid 6.0

 

You don't picture the back cover - and it has to be factored into the overall grade as well.

 

Overstreet sells a grading guide, you need to go buy one and start there. It's full of pictures and examples of different defects and affect on grade. Third edition is most current, but even a second edition would get you going in the right direction. Catch one on eBay cheap.

 

If you are only wanting to sell the books - and you are thinking about using eBay - you might consider taking 7-8 pictures of each book and saying "please look at the pictures. I don't know how to grade". I personally dislike this approach to selling - but it would be refreshing knowing at least one person on ebay was being honest about it. Usually sellers saying this have bought and sold comics for years, know how to grade but just want to avoid any arguments on grade.

 

Good luck and welcome to the boards.

[BlowUpTheMoon]

Welcome to the Boards. Tony gave good advice.

 

Lots of beneficial knowledge is archived here.

[comicjack]

Good advise so far you have one tough road ahead with that amount ,creases of most kind front or back cover will bring abook to a 6.0 fine in most cases good luck on your new full time grading job

[Jaws1965]

Agreed on grade offered above.

 

If this comic is representative of the 14,000 in your new collection, then you're still a fortunate guy! A 5.5 ASM 49 is nothing to sneeze because it is still a $35-$40 comic to the typical collector. There is a huge segment of the hobby that doesn't sweat CGC comics and high grades. They'd rather fill a hole in their collection, even if it's with a comic that's seen a lot of love over the years! The challenge is finding these folks, but they are out there.

[shred2001-migration]

Thank you All!

 

What a nice way to be welcomed in.

 

Let me tell you guys, the last few weeks of my life have been a CRASH COURSE in comics.

 

Saying as I am not a comic guy, (I hope saying this here is not a "cardinal sin" and if so, please forgive my ignorance. I'm just being honest & don't mean to offend) I never even though about them before and am selling them off.

 

The thing is I want to KNOW what I'm talking about and deal with people honestly. I also don't want to be taken advantage of. Both I think all of you can understand.

 

Tony, I actually have been REALLY, working hard on this grading thing and have in fact been using "The Official Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide" very closely.

 

I did put this book up for sale where you were talking about with 3 pictures. Front (The one you saw) centerfold & back cover. I though it was a 6 overall but hey, 5.5 is pretty close and if I was only off that far starting out. I doubt you would be offended if you saw what I said in the description so here's is exactly how I described it following the OOCBGG list of grading guidelines:

 

BINDERY/PRINTING: The binding looks very good with very little wrong other than super minor chips & there are no printing defects I find.

 

COVER INKS/GLOSS: 3% reduction in reflectivity.

 

COVER WEAR.: Minor

 

CREASES: on the top right side of the cover from 7/16" down to 3/16"

 

SOILING STAINING: Has minor discoloration & light foxing with no staining

 

DATES/STAMPS: None

 

SPINE ROLE: None

 

SPINE SPLIT: One at the boom left about 1/8"

 

STAPLES: Original & Sliver. The bottom Staple is slightly off center.

 

STAPLE TEARS: Up to 1/16"

 

RUST MIGRATION: None

 

STRESS LINES: 5 stress lives up to 3/8"

 

CORNERS: Bottom right corner is Sharp. Bottom left corner has a 1/16" tear/abrasion, Top right corner slight abrasion. Top left corner blunted Sharp.

 

CENTERFOLD: Tight & Intact

 

INTERIOR TEARS: One from what looks like printing machine mark on the centerfold page shown in one this items pictures.

 

PAPER QUALITY/COLOR: Slightly tan getting close to tan

 

ACID ODOR: None

 

MISSING PIECES: None

 

MATURE REPAIRS: None

 

COUPON CUT: None

 

READABILITY: Perfect readability and the interior pages are still 95% supple.

 

BlowUpTheMoon, Thanks for the responce!

 

Comicjack: Thank you too and and yes... full time job it is!

[shred2001-migration]

Oh Jaws 1965: Thank you too! I though the book is worth exactly what you said.

 

I have to say, there is so mach about all of this that seems very subjective. So far I have sold about 1000 of the collection off and have met many comic enthusiasts.

 

Some were not so nice, but over all they were really nice and helpfull people. They sort of look at me like:

 

"I'd kill to be this guy! Look at all of the comics! I'd kill myself if I were this guy. OMG you poor B...."

[Tony S]

Nice description. You should post up your eBay ID. People here buy books...

[shred2001-migration]

Tony,

 

Thanks!

 

I guess posting my ebay ID is not direct selling would posting it be pushing the limits of forum rules, or just flat out breaking them? I want to make friends here and don't want to make the moderators want to ban me:)

 

I'll re-read the forums user agreement. I have been on a number of forums through the years and respect the way one is expected to conduct themselves.

 

Thanks again for the kind words.

 

Guy

 

 

 

[DR.X]

I don't know if this has been mentioned but make sure you count pages to make sure each book is complete. This can get tricky especially with the Golden Age books that have different numbers of pages.

 

Make sure there are no cut-outs or clipped coupons. Writing or filled in puzzles and games also have to be accounted for. Use the Grand Comic Data base when in doubt. Another valuable tool.

 

 

http://www.comics.org/

[shred2001-migration]

DR X,

 

Thanks.

 

It hasn't been mentioned in this post until you said it, but yes I do look at every page for the very things you pointed out. In "The Official Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide", that I have read now many times, explicitly explains the importance of that. However, I don't know to put the number of pages in the comic in a description.

 

I'll go check out The Grand Comic Data Base right now.

 

Thanks for the tips!

[JollyComics]

Yeah, practices will make you a good grader. Just practice and practice until you are familiar with the grading system. Also you can always look at those CGC copies and learn why those books were graded by CGC. You can always compare them to your books. Hope it will help.

[shred2001-migration]

Cavetechdiver,

 

Thanks. That's actually exactly what I do. I look at CGC graded comics online and at local comic stores. I'm getting the general gist but the tough parts for me so far are:

 

1. External things like the shine of the covers and understanding exactly what they should look like depending on a comics age, vs. it's origional condition when it was made.

 

2. Internal pages. I can't find much information I really clearly understand about that part to this point. This like little tears that are 1/16" or where printers made dents and holes.

 

I'm working on it...

[JollyComics]

Speaking of the external things like the covers, it depends on how much wear and tear on the cover just like a car - wear and tear phrase as you know.

 

The gloss on the cover is either shiny/wet like a nice shiny car paint or dull and loss of color like a lemon car. That is how I learn from my experience upon grading (this is my fifth year). More wears and tears on the cover will affect the grade.

 

The internal pages are extremely important. Make sure all pages are accounted for. Also make sure all pages are original. CGC graders will know any page or wrap were replaced with the page or wrap from other copy that would be called "married pages" that results the green or purple label.

 

Like Dr. X mentioned, make sure there is no clip out or missing page. If there is any tear, fold page or detached at either staple (detached centerfold), that would affect the grade. You will see the CGC copies with the labels say INCOMPLETE. Just like the car's exterior. Most car buyers prefer the clean and odorless exterior so the comic collectors always demand for either Off White to White Pages or White Pages.

 

Now, you have the great opportunity to learn how to grade those 14,000 copies. Perfect opportunity for your practice in grading. Have fun!!! (thumbs u

[rjpb]

Shred2001

 

Looks like you are taking the desire for accuracy in grading very seriously, and if your initial assessment on the Spider-man was 6.0, you are already ahead of half the graders on ebay, and even a few on these boards. In addition the thoroughness of your description of the flaws in combination with pictures, makes listing an actual grade superfluous. Sounds like you've done your research on approximate value as well.

 

I'd suggest listing some of your books in the for sale thread here on the boards, you'll save the ebay fees and while at times it can seem like everybody is looking for bargain, plenty of stuff sells for what it would on ebay or more.

[shred2001-migration]

JollyComics,

 

That's a really good way to explain things. Thanks! honestly, in the comics I have, I have have yet to find a missing page and I seriously doubt any were ever doctored or restored.

 

21 years ago when these comics were taken out of the comic book store they came from when it closed, I don't think people saw them as very collectable at that point yet because there are about 0.5% silver aged, 50% bronze, 49.5% modern aged comics in the lot. They are MUCH older now and as with anything collectable, age generally creates more interest & rarity as time goes on and more things get destroyed.

 

rjpb

 

Thanks! I really have been working HARD on grading. It's nice to see that in a place where people know what they are talking about, they like that I'm trying to catch up and learn.

 

Also, thanks for telling me about the "For Sale" thread! This is definitely a VERY unique forum. Most forums would never allow such a thing.

[Mike's Rack]

This might help

 

http://www.e-bigs.net/

 

and you can always post and read up in the PGM forum

[shred2001-migration]

Mike's Rack. Thank you! Cool Link.

[the blob]

"Overstreet sells a grading guide, you need to go buy one and start there. It's full of pictures and examples of different defects and affect on grade. Third edition is most current, but even a second edition would get you going in the right direction. Catch one on eBay cheap."

 

Probably a good idea, because the grading definitions in the regular overstreet can be very confusing...read iterally, you can have a book that is falling apart in the 5.0 - 6.0 range.

 

i'd also ponder picking up some cheap slabs if your 14,000 books tends to be 60s and 70s stuff and you're going to turn this into a side business selling them off. i got some late 60s/early 70s books in slabs for under $10 each hunting around (books that guided for that much and the slab was just a waste of money for whoever did it). dunno if that's still possible with shipping and all that, but it was good for seeing how cgc graded books in the 5.0 - 8.0 range as, at the time, i was only collecting slabbed GA books and CGC applied (applies?) different criteria to them.

 

 

[shred2001-migration]

The blob,

 

Thanks!

 

If you look back through this thread, you'll see I have mentioned owning & using the Overstreet Grading Guide a few times. It's very good but there missing bits of information. It's very detailed on the covers, but not as detailed on internal pages. That's why I Am here... to learn the finer points from people that know and are not biased buy being in front of me trying to talk me down for a comic.

 

There's a lot to this. I want to knew what I'm talking fluently about so I can treat people fairly.

 

This is not going to be a side business as far as I can see. There's a lot of work in it. Too much. When the comics I have are all gone, at this point, I plan to walk away and hopefully put smiles on a lot of faces before I do.