How does a book's cut, centering and wrap affect your buying decision?

[Ken Aldred]

I pass on books with miscuts or wide and / or uneven miswraps, and badly mispositioned staples. I primarily collect fairly common BA books and so I can wait.

 

However, I do quite like a very narrow, even white line at the front, such as...

 

 

 

FF 67 is a book I struggle with, because as you said it's common to find copies with very poor presentation- and as it's now being speculated upon my interest in having a fugly copy has declined even further.

[chrisco37]

Yep. I'd have no problem with that Batman 251.

[Jeffro.]

I really wish that CGC figured miscuts and miswraps into their grades. Nothing uglier than seeing a comic with a NM or better structure and a huge fugly diagonal miscut or wrap.

[Jeffro.]

 

However, I do quite like a very narrow, even white line at the front, such as...

 

I like a narrow white line as well. Not so enamored with a front to back miswrap though.

[passion4comics]

I rather have a perfect aligned 9.6 than a cockeyed 9.8. There was an ASM 55 9.8 with staples on the front cover; pass. That recent Marvel Spotlight 5 in 9.8; pass.

 

A THIN white line is OK. It can't be too uneven. Staples on the front are a deal breaker. Stray marks (examples) that "S" on the front of the Flash 110 in 9.0 would drive me nuts. There is a Flash 105 in 8.5 on EBay now that someone put an "X" over the issue number. That would drive me nuts too. If I owned that Silver Surfer 1 in 9.8 that someone once posted a photo of, I would need to ramp up my meds.

 

I'm OCD so anything drives me nuts.

 

Registration, staple placement, and page color mean a lot. Many times it means more than the grade.

[Kevin.J]

I would like it all to be perfect, however, if I dont have it, I'll take it if its all that I can find

[oakman29]

I would like it all to be perfect, however, if I dont have it, I'll take it if its all that I can find

 

Are you sure we don't have the same mother? I could swear we think more alike than ever.

[Kevin.J]

I would like it all to be perfect, however, if I dont have it, I'll take it if its all that I can find

 

Are you sure we don't have the same mother? I could swear we think more alike than ever.

 

Brother

[oldbsturgeon]

I don't think I should show anyone the books I have. They are fine for me, but I think everyone would consider them garbage. they are all 9.6 or 9.8 and white pages, so I can't complain too much and I like them and that's the important thing I guess

[zosocane]

The answer is, "it depends."

 

If it's a book that is not hard to find, e.g., anything published in or after 1966, I want OW/W or WHITE and I want perfect centering.

 

If it's a "tough" book or a key/semi-key, it then becomes a function of the pricing. If I see, e.g., an ASM 9 with WHITE pages that is uncentered or miscut, I would still be interested in the book.

 

 

[Jaylam]

I pass on books with miscuts or wide and / or uneven miswraps, and badly mispositioned staples. I primarily collect fairly common BA books and so I can wait.

 

However, I do quite like a very narrow, even white line at the front, such as...

 

 

 

FF 67 is a book I struggle with, because as you said it's common to find copies with very poor presentation- and as it's now being speculated upon my interest in having a fugly copy has declined even further.

 

I don't mind the thin white line as long as it's perfectly straight like your Batman there. However, I don't like it if the front cover is wrapped too much over to the back cover, even if it is straight. I just picked up this X-Men #54 that is similar to your Batman, but it's about as far as I'm willing to go with it wrapped as it is. It's very close to being perfectly straight and the white pages made it a go for me.

 

[Wally's Comics]

I joke with some local comic buds calling this the infamous "Landing Strip"...

 

I tell them "if you buy that book don't go any where near RDU or you'll have to duck and cover from air traffic"

 

 

 

Anyway, I have very few of QP issue books in my personal collection. I guess I have became more of a QP snob by being here over the past decade.

 

I usually will buy a book like the bad QP FF shown if I thought I could get a good deal and be able to flip it. But it would have to be a very good deal.

[David-Lance Roten]

When I'm buying sportscards, centering is my number thing to look for. But I can be a little lax there. Comics, not so much, unless the wrap is just really, really wild. Minor stuff I don't even care. Front facing staples don't bother me either. I'll add I'm not an investor, not looking to resell anything either. I am a collector only. If I were a buyer and seller, I would employ the same rules I did for sports cards back when I did sell, late 90's early 2k's. As close to perfect as possible.

[Supa-Bad-Mofo]

Front to back wrap is not a huge concern to me...a crooked wrap is more of a problem. That being said, if half of the front cover is on the back of the book, I would pass on it...unless the seller let me steal it or it was a major key. Back to front over wrap is not good when it's out of hand. The Bats book is great for me and I actually think that straight black line, that close to the fold, adds something to the book. Staple location doesn't really bother me, but if they are off spine, I'd rather have them on the back.

 

Over Wrap (front to back) This is a bit too much. I don't like it when the letters are cut off.

 

Front Staple (staple is clean and tight) Really doesn't bother me.

 

Back Staples and Straight Over Wrap (front to back) The back staples are fine. They don't bother me at all and do not come through the front cover. I didn't take a pic of the front, but this is about the max front to back over wrap I can handle. On the front, there are no missing or cut off letters and the edge is straight.

[Jaylam]

I think the front to back over-wrap is more of a problem on Marvel books that have the company logo/issue number/price box on the spine side. For DC's from the same era, it's just not as noticeable since they didn't crowd that info next to the spine. Not too bad on the earlier Marvel's before they moved all that info next to the spine. In the Bronze age, I hated the "Marvel Comics Group" banner across the top of the book. Totally ruined the aesthetics of the cover as far as I'm concerned and made mis-cut books all the more obvious . They ran their books that way for over ten years, argggghhh!!!!!

[Erndog]

I really dslike miswraps and the larger/wider the more I hate em. Especially the miswraps that aren't uniform down the spine.

 

Having said that, this particular book I would have no problem with:

 

 

 

 

To me, thats pretty uniform and doesn't detract from the cover/book at all.

[Darkowl]

What drives me nuts is when part of the front cover is visible from the back.

[oakman29]

Over Wrap (front to back) This is a bit too much. I don't like it when the letters are cut off.

 

Front Staple (staple is clean and tight) Really doesn't bother me.

 

Back Staples and Straight Over Wrap (front to back) The back staples are fine. They don't bother me at all and do not come through the front cover. I didn't take a pic of the front, but this is about the max front to back over wrap I can handle. On the front, there are no missing or cut off letters and the edge is straight.

Then you probably will never own a F.F. 48 then.