Your Preferred Grade 3 3

[buttock]

8 minutes ago, sacentaur said:

Interesting time to be a high-grade collector. Conventional wisdom is that such books get locked into private collections, but then again as prices escalate books can be released into the market.

Not to be controversial, but pressing, dry cleaning, etc., seem to also be increasing the availability of books in grade.

Not the books I want 😭

[Cat-Man_America]

On 3/2/2019 at 8:24 AM, telerites said:

I would love to get as high a grade as possible but I don't buy the label.  I actually look for presentability in a book (which may vary from collector to collector) but since I am a completist, at times, I take what I can find sine many a GA book doesn't come around too often.

So much in this thread that I agree with in principle, but tend to ignore in practice.  I know there are folks here who scratch their heads about the way I collect, so here's a basic primer on what makes me Tick (Spoon!), collecting wise. 

As you succinctly stated, I don't buy the label.  Furthermore, as a picky collector I go out of my way to avoid certain labels, but occasionally purchase lower grade books (6.0 and above) that present well even with noticeable flaws. That said, in my book I consider 8.0 a borderline grade, not high.  

Some flaws I consider unacceptable in high grade books, such as rusty staples, non-distributor writing on books in ink, doodles, etc., but bookstore stamps that provide provenance are usually fine.  As a rule, I don't like pressing fragile GA books, but if done professionally without apparent manipulation, I'm okay with it.  Pro-restoration is on a case by case basis, ...it all depends on degree and what was done.

I don't like stains and chips, but top/bottom spine production chips are acceptable and very minor stains are okay.  Conversely, Newton Rings are an issue for me even though the wet, splotchy moire patterns don't damage books.  For those of us who consider presentation a crucial part of encapsulation, the corrective measures taken to fix NR (scoring the underside of the holder's plastic surface to lessen the Mylar contact) cause more problems than it resolves.

I'm not a completist.  As a collector, I'm less interested in acquiring runs than collecting HG books which satisfy my artistic aesthetics.  For instance, regardless of grade, I avoid GA covers that portray certain racial stereotypes, but I'm okay with war stereotypes (historically relevant patriotic propaganda is perfectly acceptable).

Even though I don't crack high grade books out of holders, PQ matters to me.  I rarely look at books graded below COW (poor PQ being a moo-t point, IMO)

Awhile back, MrBedrock referred to me as an oddball collector, ...and I don't disagree with the tall geek's point.  Perhaps we're all a little oddball in our uniquely individual collecting methods, tastes, likes, dislikes and even rationales for acquisition.

So, there you have it, ...or rather I did, as in way too much caffeine today. 

[circumstances]

On 3/3/2019 at 4:38 PM, sacentaur said:

Interesting time to be a high-grade collector. Conventional wisdom is that such books get locked into private collections, but then again as prices escalate books can be released into the market.

Not to be controversial, but pressing, dry cleaning, etc., seem to also be increasing the availability of books in grade.

Who does the best job of dry cleaning (like if you have a nice book with a dirty cover)? That would still get a blue label? I've never done it and I wonder who everybody would use nowadays.