PGM Freckles and His Friends 8 0

[gadzukes]

This came in the mail today.  I got lucky because there was NO CARDBOARD protecting it.    Whew, it didn't get damaged at all.

It looks better to me in hand than the photos I looked at when buying it.

Really nice spine, nice corners, a couple of light dimples and non color breaking creases that should press out nicely.

Interior pages look white to me.  The book seems fresh, not old.

[ThothAmon]

Pretty sweet. 8.0 because of discoloration?  I know what that brunette is thinking. 

[Deadpoolica]

7.0

[gadzukes]

15 minutes ago, ThothAmon said:

Pretty sweet. 8.0 because of discoloration?  I know what that brunette is thinking. 

When I saw the pics online I was thinking 7.0 to 7.5, but in hand it definitely feels 8.0ish to me with a chance at an 8.5 (after a press).

 

Edited April 27, 2020 by gadzukes

[comicginger1789]

1 hour ago, gadzukes said:

When I saw the pics online I was thinking 7.0 to 7.5, but in hand it definitely feels 8.0ish to me with a chance at an 8.5 (after a press).

 

Definitely. It is Golden Age, this looks like an easy 8.0-8.5...dare I say 9.0??? Yeah probably with those two spots in the corner and small crease near blondie's ankle but damn what a nice book!

[vheflin]

Does it smell like Edgar Church's basement?

[gadzukes]

2 hours ago, comicginger1789 said:

Definitely. It is Golden Age, this looks like an easy 8.0-8.5...dare I say 9.0??? Yeah probably with those two spots in the corner and small crease near blondie's ankle but damn what a nice book!

With a "proper" humidified pressing I see the dimples and small creases magically going away.

I'd be satisfied with an 8.0, but I have compared it to the 8.5 on the Heritage site, and I dare say mine os better.

https://comics.ha.com/itm/golden-age-1938-1955-/freckles-and-his-friends-8-standard-1948-cgc-vf-85-cream-to-off-white-pages/a/7212-96168.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515

[vheflin]

If the creases are pressed out, I'd say that goes into the 9s, maybe 9.4 even 9.6 there's only bit of dirt on bc and those tiny speckles on front.  Good luck finding a better copy.

It's much nicer than the Heritage 8.5 which is a crow w/shadowing.

Edited April 28, 2020 by vheflin

[gadzukes]

On 4/28/2020 at 7:42 AM, vheflin said:

If the creases are pressed out, I'd say that goes into the 9s, maybe 9.4 even 9.6 there's only bit of dirt on bc and those tiny speckles on front.  Good luck finding a better copy.

It's much nicer than the Heritage 8.5 which is a crow w/shadowing.

I agree that it's much nicer than the Heritage 8.5, but that 8.5 must have been graded at a "loose grading" time.  I'd never give that one an 8.5

[Black_Adam]

Had a Freckles and Friends #8 that came back as an 8.0 that didn't look as nice as this one will with a press and clean.

8.5   

[Qalyar]

I'm not as enamored of pressing as most folks these days, but even I would get this one pressed. It's tough to predict how well crease smoothing will take, but I think this book should deserve an 8.5 when all is said and done.

Comparing it to that Heritage copy does it a disservice, because there's no way that book deserved the grade it got. That dark strip at the top is exactly mirrored on the back cover, so if that's just a... really aggressive dust shadow, it penetrates all the way through the copy. Compare it to what probably is more normal dust shadow at the front cover right (near the "8"), which discolors the blue field but doesn't show up in any sense on the back cover. I'd look warily at the latter because it can indicate fiber degradation, but I can't believe they didn't ding the former much more harshly because it certainly does (in addition to being a large and unsightly defect).

[theCapraAegagrus]

8.0 IMO.