• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Color Flaking on Golden Age Books?

Started by Mr. Zipper,

12 posts in this topic

Mr. Zipper

Mr. Zipper

Posted
Posted

Over the years I've picked up a few Golden Age books and always loved having them in my collection. However, my focus was completing my Fantastic Four run. Now that that is done, I plan on focusing on some GA Actions and Supes.

 

So, this arrived in the mail yesterday. grin.gif

 

ActionComics053blog.jpg

 

The inside paper quality is excellent... almost white. The inside of the cover shows a halo of tanning/toning, but the paper is not brittle. While very carefully handling the book, a small fleck of color came right off in my hands (top edge above DC logo). All is did was [barely] touch it. After I made the scan, another very small color fleck came off on the right edge (behind soldiers knee.)

 

At this point I'm almost terrified to touch the book and was relieved that I got it back into the mylar with no further issues. I don't know if I just happened to hit 2 weak spots that were ready to go, or the ink around the entire edge is ready to go.

 

Bear in mind, the underlying paper is still there and the paper is not chipping... it's just color flecks coming off.

 

Is this color flecking issue common to GA books? And if so, how much does it detract from grade? (I bought this as a 6.0, and I hope it still is! confused.gif)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
thedude

thedude

Posted
Posted

First let me say it's nice to have a fellow collector who is currently collecting GA Actions and Supermans. That is the current focus of my collecting as well.

 

I haven't really had the same experience that you mentioned with color flaking, my guess would be that these pieces were ready to fall off, and you just happened to be witness to it...

 

I only have 5-6 GA books, and one thing I can tell you is they vary widely... I mean sometimes the cover will be perfect, but the pages will be brown, or vice versa, I once had a beautiful Superman #18 nice condition cover, and pages, but the inside cover was really brown, needless to say I got a refund... I felt that the brown cover would lead to brittleness down the road..

 

I would suggest that with a few more GA purchases you will find that each books condition is different and not all will have this problem...

 

I hope this experience hasn't put you off of collecting GA books...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mr. Zipper

Mr. Zipper

Posted
  • Author
Posted
First let me say it's nice to have a fellow collector who is currently collecting GA Actions and Supermans. That is the current focus of my collecting as well....

 

... I would suggest that with a few more GA purchases you will find that each books condition is different and not all will have this problem...

 

I hope this experience hasn't put you off of collecting GA books...

 

Thanks Dude!

 

No, it has not turned me off at all, but it has taught me that these books have to be handled with a whole new level of care. As I said, the book is structurally sound with very good paper quality... that's why I was shocked to see 2 small flecks come off simply because my finger lightly touched it. Looking at the original scan, I can see a tiny mark where one of the flecks came off, so perhaps it was ready to fleck off and I just happened to be there as you said.

 

Truth be told, I wouldn't have minded if the book had come with the flecks already off, I still think it's a solid 6.0 candidate. But what made it bad was that within an hour of me getting the book, it was in [slightly] worse shape than when it had arrived! foreheadslap.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites
thedude

thedude

Posted
Posted

It's still a nice book, still a 6.0 candidate in my opinion, those flecks are small, I understand your distress over them though, do you plan on submitting it to CGC ??

 

just curious.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mr. Zipper

Mr. Zipper

Posted
  • Author
Posted
It's still a nice book, still a 6.0 candidate in my opinion, those flecks are small, I understand your distress over them though, do you plan on submitting it to CGC ??

 

Probably not. I'm not much of a slabber. I like buying slabbed books, but I see little need to slab books that I plan to hold onto indefinately. I like looking through them, and I read the Superman story in the Action 53 last night. cloud9.gif

 

If I did send it in, my estimate is that it would get a 6.0, or no lower than 5.5.

 

What I could use are some Jumbo Golden Age Mylite2s and Full Backs. This book was too big to fit into my Silver/Gold Mylite2s. blush.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites
thedude

thedude

Posted
Posted

that's cool, I do a little of both with my books, I slab some, and don't slab some, depends on the book...but they also look nice in a Mylar with backing boards, I use two or sometimes 3 backing boards for extra stiffness... thumbsup2.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Larryw7

Larryw7

Posted
Posted

Zipper, the little color flecks falling off are fairly common to GA books, especially when you aren't used to handling them. They do require extra care compared to Silver and Bronze.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
drbanner

drbanner

Posted
Posted

Welcome to the world of GA defects, and why grading GA books is different from grading SA and BA books. As I've said before, GA books are not graded more leniently than SA and BA books, they're graded differently since the books were manufactured differently! thumbsup2.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mr. Zipper

Mr. Zipper

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Welcome to the world of GA defects, and why grading GA books is different from grading SA and BA books. As I've said before, GA books are not graded more leniently than SA and BA books, they're graded differently since the books were manufactured differently! thumbsup2.gif

 

Thanks for the info. I was wondering if these flaws were the Golden Age equivalent of "Marvel Chipping."

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Harvey Dude

Harvey Dude

Posted
Posted
I'm not much of a slabber. I like buying slabbed books, but I see little need to slab books that I plan to hold onto indefinately.

 

Given the delicate nature of these GA books, I actually like to slab them for the protective value offered. I just wish the slab design would be changed to mitigate SCS.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
drbanner

drbanner

Posted
Posted
I'm not much of a slabber. I like buying slabbed books, but I see little need to slab books that I plan to hold onto indefinately.

 

Given the delicate nature of these GA books, I actually like to slab them for the protective value offered. I just wish the slab design would be changed to mitigate SCS.

 

SCS should not be as significant problem on GA as the covers do not typically overhang the interiors like SA books do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Go to topic listing