A fine line on the spine

[mickhavoc-migration]

Hey all,

 

I like to collect modern comics. I'm usually able to find pretty nice copies that look great - the colors, no corner bumps, etc. But, almost all of them have one thing in common: a color-breaking stress line on the spine from top to bottom.

 

Assuming everything about the comic is perfect except for this, how would you grade this comic?

 

I see this so often, and the Googles couldn't give me a straight answer.

 

Thanks!

[cpannell]

Do you have a scan of a cover that shows this type of defect? Pictures always help when trying to answer a grading question. And in general, the more stress lines coming in from the spine, the lower the grade.

 

[BarryAllen]

Based on the pictures, I would say you have a solid 0.5-9.9. Should settle somewhere in there.

 

 

[DR.X]

Scans are way to small for an accurate evalutation.

[mickhavoc-migration]

Is this big enough?

 

[mickhavoc-migration]

 

 

Here's cover...pretty nice except for that ding in the lower left.

 

 

And here's the spine...what I was talking about in general. I know it's from reading, but it drives me crazy.

 

 

[Lost]

Welcome to the boards Mic....your book has about 3 solid spine stresses. From my experience here is my advice assuming all else on a comic is perfect except for the spine-

 

9.8 - no real spine stress at all

 

1 extremely minor spine stress you can barely even see would be a 9.6.

 

2 almost imperceptible spine stresses 9.4

 

1 very small but noticeable spine stress 9.2

 

This book would be in the 3 kinda noticeable spine stresses and a small jagged corner on the front cover. I'd give it a modern CGC 8.5 without really seeing the back.

 

Oh to answer your question....That's called the spine and will be in varying levels of splitness no matter what grade. Its part of the manufacturing of some books when you fold pieces of paper together. I didn't even consider it a defect since I';ve seen it on a lot of modern books....what the heck do I know though!

 

[BarryAllen]

looks like it got stacked under something heavy or improperly pressed...

[mickhavoc-migration]

Thanks guys for your help!

 

This always seems to be the gotcha in eBay sales.

 

[Lost]

let me just reiterate. When comic books get transported in heavy piles or stacks. The weight of the other books may cause this splitting effect so its already there on many comic shop copies depending on the paper that was used and how it was transported.

 

People aren't trying to screw you 'cause it is quite common and again, I really didn't know what you were complaining about because most collectors accept this manufacturing defect and CGC does too. You must be a very uncompromising collector. Congrats....

 

You have to have a Heritage auction account to see this but when you click on the enlarged version you can see the white from the comic book split on a CGC 9.8 for a Deadpool #1 I know because my NM copy has the same thing. Check it out so you can stop feeling victimized. :-D

 

http://comics.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=111022&lotNo=12114#Photo

[mickhavoc-migration]

Thanks for the input, Atlas.

 

My limited experience with CGC submissions is that this is the deciding factor between grades for moderns. I don't pay for grading notes, so my conclusion is an inference based on a pattern of what often separates great grades and disappointing ones.

 

I appreciate an established collector giving me some input. I'm sure you probably deal with a lot of unhappy people paying for advertised grades that end up significantly lower than promised.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lost]

Thanks for the input, Atlas.

 

My limited experience with CGC submissions is that this is the deciding factor between grades for moderns. I don't pay for grading notes, so my conclusion is an inference based on a pattern of what often separates great grades and disappointing ones.

 

 

 

Thanks and knowledge is power! I definitely think you should look horizontal more than vertical. The horizontal lines that you seemed to miss from the example in this post weighed down your book way more than the vertical spine did. This is probably the reason you didn't get a clear answer from your original question since nobody understood why you were counting that as a defect.

 

I mean ONE spine tick takes a MINT book down to 9.2 imagine the 3 in your example...

[MR SigS]

 

 

 

If EVERYTHING else were perfect, this would still prevent higher than 9.6 IMHO

[Lost]

 

 

 

If EVERYTHING else were perfect, this would still prevent higher than 9.6 IMHO

 

Did you check out my HA example?

[MR SigS]

Nope