Reproduction covers? Where do you find them?

[Illustrious]

Once you feel one of Fedoraman's covers you can instantly tell it's a reproduction

 

...and by that time the Ebay transaction is complete, and the headaches begin.

 

So you would go on eBay, and buy a high dollar, ungraded key that looks dead mint from the exterior, and not think it might be too good to be true?

 

If I saw any book like this with not a hint of age or wear anywhere, I would know better:

 

 

 

Do you have a photo of the AF #15 you bought that you thought was legit?

[mackenzie999]

 

So you would go on eBay, and buy a high dollar, ungraded key that looks dead mint from the exterior, and not think it might be too good to be true?

 

 

 

Do you have a photo of the AF #15 you bought that you thought was legit?

 

This was not one of Fedoraman's covers, and it had been roughed up to about a 4.0 or so...I might have a copy somewhere, I'll have to dig a bit (this was back around '07-08 I believe). Price was $1,500, and I agree I should have known better, although in the back of my mind I always figured if it went south I could chargeback or something. Getting my money back was a bit more difficult than I expected, but I eventually won out. This was one of my very first comic purchases after selling my collection back in 1980, and my Ebay BS detector wasn't as finely honed as the average forumite here.

 

Edit: Hah! Just noticed a boardie selling a coverless AF15 for $1,500 here. Guess if I was patient I would have got my money's worth. At the time coverles copies were estimated at $500-600 I think.

[Illustrious]

I do recall the uproar a few years ago when CGC briefly graded reproduction covers as if they were part of the books overall grade. Only a few books were graded this way, but this book in particular was sold to an unknowing buyer after it had been purchased and there were large threads about it here on the boards. I know there were 2-3 threads about this, but I can't locate them at the moment:

 

[mackenzie999]

That could be it but I'm not sure. It certainly wasn't slabbed at the time, but I recall it wasn't chipped and the corners had similar dings. Be funny if it was though. One thing I've learned from this board is that none of us really own these books, we are just temporary custodians of them. How many threads do you see someone saying "my old copy!"

[AGGIEZ]

Taking tape out of the equation, I still don't understand how the cover is attached without removing the original staples...

 

Anyone care to explain?

[rjpb]

It's somewhat amusing that anyone would value an CGC NG book with a repro cover less if the label were purple instead of blue. The closer one gets to POOR, the less resto should matter anyway. If you have a book with pieces missing, scribbles on the cover, generous use of tape, or lots of tears and creases, what's a little glue, color touch or even trimming? When you get below 2.0, a book's value is in it's relative affordability and/or scarcity in any grade, or for use as parts in what would end up being a restored book. While those that purchase super-low grade books, still have an individual preference for some flaws over others, they are all still damaged books.

 

 

An issue I have with even slabbing repo cover books, is that it obscures the main indicator of value for a coverless comic; the condition of the outer wraps.

[Illustrious]

Taking tape out of the equation, I still don't understand how the cover is attached without removing the original staples...

 

Anyone care to explain?

 

If you use the book's original staples, and don't replace them or clean them, you will get a blue NG. On a CGC book with a cover, if you clean or replace the staples CGC will give it a qualified green label. Since a coverless copy is not aplicable for a qualified grade, you will get a purple label if you clean or replace the staples when attaching a repro cover. A while back I was bidding on a pure yellow label NG TOS 39 w/repro cover that was signed by Stan Lee, so those types of NGs are out there as well.

 

My TEC #29, TEC #33 and Action #10 coverless copies are all going to be leafcasted and washed, so when I attach the the covers to those and get it slabbed it will be a purple NG. On the other hand, my coverless All Select #1 has no restoration done to the pages, and the cover will be attached with the original staple, and I won't attempt to clean the staple, so when I slab it it will be a blue NG.

[mackenzie999]

Why slab a coverless comic at all? I would think the beauty of a coverless gem is that you can fully enjoy reading it without sweating bullets about maintaining condition. If you've attached a repro cover you already know the answer to the resto question. I guess if you have an entirely slabbed run and you want it to fit in with the others..?

[Illustrious]

You want it to fit in with the others..?

 

To me, it's partly this and the fact that a slab is the best protection. Also having all the added info on the label when showcasing the comic is a plus to some people.

[Semicentennial]

I do recall the uproar a few years ago when CGC briefly graded reproduction covers as if they were part of the books overall grade. Only a few books were graded this way, but this book in particular was sold to an unknowing buyer after it had been purchased and there were large threads about it here on the boards. I know there were 2-3 threads about this, but I can't locate them at the moment:

 

 

Holy . The person who bought it must have been pretty upset at this. Looks like they sold it 5 days later at a $500 loss.

[Captain Canuck]

How is a missing cover considered a NG? I can understand if pages are missing, but a missing cover doesn't affect the story. Shouldn't the book at max receive a 0.5 since the whole book is there, but incomplete.

[Semicentennial]

How is a missing cover considered a NG? I can understand if pages are missing, but a missing cover doesn't affect the story. Shouldn't the book at max receive a 0.5 since the whole book is there, but incomplete.

 

I'd assume its because it was part of the original book and without it it isn't complete. The cover is the single most important aspect of the grade.

 

Does anyone know the copyright laws regarding reproducing GA covers? I had a cover reproduced at a Staples about a year ago. The cover came out perfect and it even looks pretty authentic. The copyright laws I read says that the copyright extends 70 years after the death of the creator however for photography, under the Berne Convention, it is 25 years from the date it was created. Now I'm sure the person who helped me with my cover at Staples was probably new and just let what I did slide but would reproducing a cover be in violation of the copyright law? I read something about being able to claim Fair Use for the reproduction but can't seem to find where I read that from.

 

Anyone know the answer to this?

[The-Collector]

I do recall the uproar a few years ago when CGC briefly graded reproduction covers as if they were part of the books overall grade. Only a few books were graded this way, but this book in particular was sold to an unknowing buyer after it had been purchased and there were large threads about it here on the boards. I know there were 2-3 threads about this, but I can't locate them at the moment:

 

 

Holy . The person who bought it must have been pretty upset at this. Looks like they sold it 5 days later at a $500 loss.

 

Why does a repo cover have wear on it? Was the whole thing a facsimile or just part of it?

[Illustrious]

Why does a repo cover have wear on it? Was the whole thing a facsimile or just part of it?

 

The repro cover had wear printed on it. I also remember Matt Nelson used to do cover reproductions at Classics, and the AF #15 covers he did had wear like this printed on them. He doesn't have that service listed anymore now that he moved into CCS. There was a list of about 20 covers he could do, and that service came with cleaning and attaching it to the interior.

[Artboy99]

Why does a repo cover have wear on it? Was the whole thing a facsimile or just part of it?

 

The repro cover had wear printed on it. I also remember Matt Nelson used to do cover reproductions at Classics, and the AF #15 covers he did had wear like this printed on them. He doesn't have that service listed anymore now that he moved into CCS. There was a list of about 20 covers he could do, and that service came with cleaning and attaching it to the interior.

 

I don't like that at all. If you are putting a repro cover on a book it should be a "mint" cover. Anything less suggests trying to pass it off as a real cover in my opinion.

[Captain Canuck]

I rather have my repro cover match the condition of the book, otherwise it looks weird. I don't want it to look too obvious that it is a repro cover. Just like on a car, if you get in an accident and get a new front end, if the front has a new paint job and the rest is left as with its tired paint job, it looks off, doesn't match. Matt will still attach covers if you send him one with your book.

[The-Collector]

Why does a repo cover have wear on it? Was the whole thing a facsimile or just part of it?

 

The repro cover had wear printed on it. I also remember Matt Nelson used to do cover reproductions at Classics, and the AF #15 covers he did had wear like this printed on them. He doesn't have that service listed anymore now that he moved into CCS. There was a list of about 20 covers he could do, and that service came with cleaning and attaching it to the interior.

 

I don't like that at all. If you are putting a repro cover on a book it should be a "mint" cover. Anything less suggests trying to pass it off as a real cover in my opinion.

 

I have a book done by Matt. I don't think an experienced collector would mistake it for a real cover. It is done well enough so that the book feels much better with it on but not so well that it is fraudulent. Though you might be able to pass it off to a novice.