X-Men 94...Help me assess the damage

[Schpee-migration]

After a 15 year break from collecting I cracked open my collection this week and took a look at what was my prized comic, X-Men 94. When I purchased this 20+ years ago it was one of the best copies I'd seen. Now, I'm afraid my 15 year break has taken its toll. Can you all help me assess how badly I'd be dinged on grading because of the discoloration which has appeared on the back cover. 7.5? Worse? The front remains in great shape, with just about a flawless spine. Inside pages are cream? (Is that the color given to the old news print look?) Anyhow...let me know what you think. Link to Hi-Res Scans of Front and Back

[Schpee-migration]

Here's the front. Any way to post a larger than 70k file to give better resolution?

 

(Don't bother with this attachment anymore. Use the hi-res link in the edited original post. Thanks!)

 

[Rickdogg]

Hey there,

 

we'll need some bigger scans with a nice resolution. It's too hard to see the flaws with those scans. If you need help hosting large images let me know and I will gladly help you out.

[Schpee-migration]

Rickdogg,

 

Thanks for the offer of help. I do have larger scans readily available. What should I do?

 

 

[Rickdogg]

Email them to me. Check your PM (Private message) which is the blinking envelope on the top left of your screen

[Rickdogg]

 

[uclapeterg]

I understand you needing help in grading this comic. I feel the front is at least a solid 8.5, but I have no idea how much the back cover impacts the grade.

[Schpee-migration]

Thanks Discountcomics for your take. Much appreciated. I've been searching high and low for graded copies in auctions that show the back, but can't seem to find a single one. The front easily beats 7.0/7.5s I've seen on a cover to cover basis; so, if the back cover is given 50% weighting in the grading (no idea) perhaps this would be the floor if those copies had cleaner backs than my book. Anyway...thanks for the input!

[thecomicsheet]

Anyone got the Grading Guide handy? Somewhere in there (I think) it mentions something about how the back affects the grade. The front of this book looks nice. I'd go at least 8.5 to 9.0 based on the scan. I would hazard maybe a 2.0 to 3.0 drop for moderate discoloration on the back. Personally I don't think it should take it all the way down to VG (4.0) but it definitely knocks it out of VF (8.0). (IMHO).

[Guest]

looks very nice....Im not sure how CGC will grade it though. Based on the front It looks like a 9.2-9.4...but the "soiling" on back might bring it to the 8.0 range.

[Schpee-migration]

Thanks thecomicsheet and Dungeon. I certainly feel STUPID for not having paid attention to the back of the comic for all these years. I guess a pretty face only goes so far if the caboose is in bad shape.

[Guest]

It still is a gorgeous, well centered book that you should be proud of. i dont think Mylar was available 25 years ago so i wouldnt beat yourself up too hard!

[OldGuy]

Has the book always looked like that (in the time you've had it)? Or did it get that day due to improper storage? If it was a storage issue, how was it stored?

[Schpee-migration]

Not sure. I've had it in a mylar sleeve (open top) with an acid free back, and stored in an acid free box pretty much since I got it. The discoloration was on the acid free back when I took the book out of the mylar last night. My only thought is some kind of humidity must have gotten in there at some point over the years (could it have somehow come from the acid free back?). The funny thing is I looked at some of my other books stored the same way and they did not have this issue. Maybe it was there from the beginning and I let my boyhood excitment of getting a copy with a sweet front prevent me from looking at the back to make sure it was good too.

[OldGuy]

I had some silver age X-Men stored in open top Mylars for about 15 years without a board. When I dug them out of their box a few years ago the top inch or so of all of the interior pages were a darker color then the rest of the page. The covers were all fine.

 

This may not have anything to do with your problem, but I use nothing but timelock mylars (closed top) now.

[forcomics-migration]

What are "timelock" mylars?

 

DT

[Guest]

sounds like freezing your books in Carbonite to me?

[scottish]

'Timelock' mylars have a semi-rigid 'flap' that fold over the top of the comic. It takes a skilled hand to put the comic in and take it out without damage.

[Schpee-migration]

I'm seeing a similar issue with other books I have in open topped mylar. Time to convert to sealed. At least I'm not alone.

[ninanina]

I can't remember the post, but Heritage had a comic graded 9.0 that had a back cover about as bad as yours. Therefore, I would assume the back cover wouldn't affect the grade by more than .5?

 

Guys (& Dungeon), can something be done to clean up the back cover on this comic without "restoration"? Kinda looks moldy and I might be concerned with it spreading and getting worse over time. Is there a possibility, that by removing the comic from the damaging environment that the mold will not get any worse? Seems to me that this comic would be worth a little clean up?