Size comparison on CGCed examples

[hammer-migration]

Anyone notice anything UNUSUAL about this Spiderman 1 CGC 6.5?

 

Spiderman 1 CGC 6.5

 

How about if compared to this CGC 4.5 Spiderman 1?

 

Spiderman 1 CGC 4.5

[Arty]

That CGC 4.5 seems to be 5mm wider than CGC6.5?

 

(that translates into 0.2 inches for non-metric people )

 

[blowout]

Since when does size matter?

[clobberintime]

Besides noting that the seller of the 4.0 thinks someone might pay $2000 for it, there is a lot less room at the top of the book if you look at the Code Stamp. Could lead to some thinking it was trimmed I guess. But that could not be the case as no mention by CGC or the dread purple label. I have always wondered how you can detect a very slight trim as many of the old books are not uniform. Maybe cgc runs a chemical test and can detect traces of scissor steel that is fresh - kind of like carbon dating. It must be something very sophisticated like that.

[blowout]

Povertyrow posted a detailed description of how to detect trimming a few months back. Can't remember which forum it was in (maybe GA?).

Do a search for 'how to spot restoration'. It was very informative.

[clobberintime]

I will have to look for that - I bet it is hard with those early Marvels though. On issues that I have mutiple high grades of, they are rarely the same in exact cover shape and placement.

[Arty]

How to spot restoration

[PovertyRow]

there is a lot less room at the top of the book if you look at the Code Stamp. Could lead to some thinking it was trimmed I guess.

 

It could indeed. but also check the bottom: there is more cover below the green text bar. Also note in the 6.5 (the one with more space above the code seal top right) that there is an angle to the cover cut and the bottom right has a lot less paper. This accounts for the extra space above the code.

 

The 4.5 seems to have a much better bindery trim. Wonder how it looked when new. Seems to be pretty nicely centered.

[Guest]

size does matter Blowout....

[hammer-migration]

Size DEFINITELY Matters!!! (see attachment)

 

But in the case of the Spiderman 1's, I'm amazed at how small the 6.5 is left to right. I've NEVER seen a #1 with the right edge that close to the green circle with the spine folded where this one is (the 'S' of the Spiderman logo positioned that close to the spine edge). It's approx. 1/4" shorter left to right than the 4.5 illustrating perfectly that SIZE comparison alone as a book to book indicator to determine trim CAN and WILL yield false positives. Marvel wasn't making heart valves with unforgiving tolerances to angstrom units. To them, they were disposable periodicals.

[Illiterati-migration]

Oh man... after seeing that picture, I've got only one thing to say:

 

"Please Hammer, don't hurt 'em!"

[PovertyRow]

But in the case of the Spiderman 1's, I'm amazed at how small the 6.5 is left to right.

 

Before you hammer note some details left to right on both. The higher grade book has less right and more on the left. And vice versa.

[hammer-migration]

The difference on the right edge measured from the perimeter of the green circle to the edge itself is negligibly slight (1/32nd to 3/64ths of an inch). The difference of the distance from the folding point of the spine (the apex) to the left-most edge of the Red Spiderman logo letter 'S' is HUGE and is nowhere NEAR offset or compenated for on the right side. The 4.5 is approx. 1/4 to 3/16ths inches SHORTER than the 6.5, left to right.

[COI]

Your lats are psychotic. You could probably glide right off of a building.

[PovertyRow]

The difference on the right edge measured from the perimeter of the green circle to the edge itself is negligibly slight (1/32nd to 3/64ths of an inch).

 

I agree - because of the off-centre cut that weights the upper right edge. Go to the bottom, where the trouble lies in the off-center, and compare the space from the quotation marks of "the" to the left edge. The lesser book has a heck of a lot more distance to the edge.

 

The difference of the distance from the folding point of the spine (the apex) to the left-most edge of the Red Spiderman logo letter 'S' is HUGE and is nowhere NEAR offset or compenated for on the right side. The 4.5 is approx. 1/4 to 3/16ths inches SHORTER than the 6.5

 

Actually, the 4.5 has MORE space between the spine and the logo (if you mean the logo is the phrase The Amazing Spiderman).

 

You may have simply gotten the two scans mixed up. I do that a lot!

[Guest]

good point...but they must have had SOME kind of quality control right? Maybe not 1/4 inch quality control, but beyond that.....at least I hope they did.

[sborock]

Marvel had very little QC at the pinting level

[Guest]

so the big question is......How do you know if the books have been trimmed or not?

[joe_collector]

A better question would be:

 

How can you tell if a book has been professionally trimmed, especially if the trimming took place decades ago?

[Guest]

Thats pretty much what I meant.....