PGM Nel Regno di Topolino #31 (1937)

[vaillant]

Little by little I would like to scan my collection of italian 1930s-40s Disney books.

This has been the first title of the period that I started to collect. I was 16 and it was really thrilling to get books from the 1930s which were already pretty scarce.

 

In grading these one must take into account that the cover paper was not glossy like those of US comic books, rather an uncoated porous, fibrous paper, sort of light cardboard, which gives the impression of some wear even when it is new (and thus even apparent spine wear due to handling was there from the beginning).

For some time (some of the early issues(, the cover paper stock was a bit glossy, but most aren’t, and by this issue it was uncoated.

 

This issue has a crease the same as a subscription crease, minor wear but overall nice. What do you think?

 

 

[backtomarvel]

Love these boards and thanks for sharing a book I've never seen before!

 

Main problem I see is the damage on the back due to the equivalent of a subscription crease you described, what appears to be a one-inch crink in lower corner of the spine and some kind of fingerprint-like soiling on the back.

 

It's hard to grade via scan without having handled a book with a cover of the material you describe and my lack of experience at grading golden age books. That said ... 5.0, possibly higher if it was in my hand?

 

Curious how you would grade it when all of us have had a crack at it.

 

Awesome book and thanks for sharing it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[vaillant]

Love that you appreciate it – I am intentioned to share a lot more… I have about 40 of them (series lasted 95 issues). (thumbs u

 

Knowing how spine "wear" was a bit part of the manufacturing process on those (due to the quality of the paper) I’d say the front cover is definitely midgrade, but the crease on the BC is quite bad (not noticeable on the FC, anyway).

On the back cover there’s general dirtiness/dust, as the paper was porous and absorbed it – such thing would have not happened to a US comic with a coated paper cover.

 

What is fascinating is precisely learning to grade these, as we have no standards here and I’m trying to apply the US ones knowing how these books are made.

[vaillant]

For comparision:

 

Examples of two back covers from the "glossy covers" period – these were more similar to US books, but still a bit of cardboard like paper:

 

 

[rjpb]

3.5

[Philreal]

4.0-4.5. Cool to see your personal collection claudio!

[timfinz]

thanks Claudia. I'm of the opinion that the front cover is more important than the back cover in most cases. For that reason I'm thinking 5.0 for this book. (thumbs u I think CGC might hit it harder though I wouldn't think it necessary.

[timfinz]

We're you really 16 in 1930???

[Artboy99]

3.5

 

this

[timfinz]

3.5

 

this

Yeah I think this is probably the more realistic grade! But nothing wrong with being overly optimistic now is there?!....or is there?!

[vaillant]

I honestly think it’s better than a 3.5 simply because of the reasons I described. These are structurally VERY different from comic books, and in hand the book looks great except the back cover. The general wear you see is something which belongs even to the higher grade copies.

 

And… no, I wasn’t 16 in 1930 but I have a friend that was (turning 99 years old next year, he’s my "idol"). Joe Simon would have about the same age if still alive, or maybe he’d be turning 100…