Loose flat gift inside Marvel UK book 0

[Vidar of Asgard]

Ok first post so please go easy! I’ve just pulled out my old copy of Star Wars Weekly 1 complete with thin card free gift x-fighter. I know the rules state this shouldn’t be included with submission, but there are CGC copies with the gift included (blue label). I really want mine graded with the gift. Am I right in assuming this gift is the exception, as it’s not bound to the book but is completely flat. Can I submit with gift? Thanks.

[Jennifer F.]

Good morning, 

Thanks for your message.  We wouldn't encapsulate anything that was not attached to the book so I don't believe we would have ever encapsulated a book that had the gift card just free floating inside the holder.  Do you happen to have a picture of one you have seen graded that you could send over to us for review?  

Thanks,

[Vidar of Asgard]

Thank you for responding. I was reading about the UK Star Wars Weekly 1 free gift specifically, on the CGC board. It’s the second image down in this link:

You can see the reference on the Blue label. I’d really like to submit this but don’t want to lose the gift. Thank you for your guidance.

 

[Jennifer F.]

Good morning,

Since we would not encapsulate anything that is not attached to the book we would not be able to encapsulate those with the book.  If you still wish to get the book graded then I would remove that before you send it to us to prevent anything from getting lost in the process.

Thanks,

[Vidar of Asgard]

ok, thank you for confirming that.

[Get Marwood & I]

2 hours ago, Jennifer F. said:

Good morning,

Since we would not encapsulate anything that is not attached to the book we would not be able to encapsulate those with the book.  If you still wish to get the book graded then I would remove that before you send it to us to prevent anything from getting lost in the process.

Thanks,

Good question @Vidar of Asgard 

Hello @Jennifer F., if you wouldn't mind, the image below suggests that CGC have in the past encapsulated the free gift for a copy of this comic:

My understanding is that this gift was not attached to the comic on release, just inserted inside.

I can understand why you would not encapsulate a gift that did not lay flat, and which would damage the comic, but what is the issue in this case where the gift is a flat sheet of card? If you do not include it you do, by definition, render it as incomplete. This seems unnecessarily unfair in this case. Is this something you would reconsider - the encapsulation of flat unattached items which are unlikely to damage the book they came with?

[Jennifer F.]

Ok, let me check with the graders to see if this was done in this case.  I'll get back to you ASAP. Thanksk!

[Get Marwood & I]

7 minutes ago, Jennifer F. said:

Ok, let me check with the graders to see if this was done in this case.  I'll get back to you ASAP. Thanksk!

[Jennifer F.]

Hi, it looks like it is just noted on the label that the card was included with the book but it was not encapsulated with it.  They advised that we would not encapsulate anything that is not attached to the book so we would not be able to do that, in this case.  

Thanks,

[Vidar of Asgard]

50 minutes ago, Jennifer F. said:

Hi, it looks like it is just noted on the label that the card was included with the book but it was not encapsulated with it.  They advised that we would not encapsulate anything that is not attached to the book so we would not be able to do that, in this case.  

Thanks,

My thanks to Get Manwood & I - just to clarify, when you say '..noted on the label that the card was included with the book..' Do you mean the submitter included it with the book? Sorry to appear pedantic but I don't want to submit the book if there's a risk I could loose the gift, but it's a big plus that the gift is included, so would want that mentioned on the CGC label at least. Thanks again.

[Get Marwood & I]

1 hour ago, Jennifer F. said:

Hi, it looks like it is just noted on the label that the card was included with the book but it was not encapsulated with it.  They advised that we would not encapsulate anything that is not attached to the book so we would not be able to do that, in this case.  

Thanks,

Thanks Jennifer. So, if I understand you correctly, you're are saying that the wording "Star Wars X-Fighter cut-out included" (see example below) is just to signify that the issue came with a cut out free gift originally, but that it is not present in the particular encapsulated copy. If so, this copy below should not have the free gift present, in line with your stated policy (unattached additions aren't encapsulated):

 

Why then does this further example below show also the wording "Star Wars X-Fighter cut-out included" but additionally:

1. It is marked 'INCOMPLETE'
2. It has a qualified label with a note that the cut-out is missing

 

Does that mean that the first Blue Universal Label copy is a mistake, and should be a Green Qualified with an appropriate label note, or that it could possibly actually contain the cut-out?

Mistakes are fine, they can happen, but, either way, I still feel that the cut-out could be encapsulated safely in this and similar cases 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

23 minutes ago, Vidar of Asgard said:

My thanks to Get Manwood & I - just to clarify, when you say '..noted on the label that the card was included with the book..' Do you mean the submitter included it with the book? Sorry to appear pedantic but I don't want to submit the book if there's a risk I could loose the gift, but it's a big plus that the gift is included, so would want that mentioned on the CGC label at least. Thanks again.

Sorry Vidar, I was typing as you posted. 'Manwood' is a great slip there, I like it 

Here is a further example of where it would be prudent I think for CGC to adopt a policy of encapsulating an original free gift where there is little to no danger of it affecting the slabbed comic - Blakes 7 #1:

 

The free gift here is a transfer - just a slip of paper. It is highly unlikely to damage the comic if it were encapsulated. Slabbing it as a complete entity retains the value - the book commands a much healthier price with the gift than without, so the slabbing policy actually destroys value in these instances (for those to whom it matters) and acts as a disincentive for owners to submit. 

 

[Vidar of Asgard]

Ha, yes sorry about that! I'm not sure we have a definitive answer here, and it does seem one may have been encapsulated with (or had the gift supplied) versus a green book without the gift that's listed incomplete. As you say it may just be a simple error or inconsistency, but as you, I feel it would be favourable to allow extras that fit within tight criteria to be graded. After all, the inclusion or omission of the gift has such a huge bearing on value. I suppose there is a chance that with the book sealed around something that is inconsistent with the book, plastic, thicker, different paper stock etc there's potential for 'cross-contamination' in bleed, adhesion, differing rates of degradation etc. But regardless, I'd be willing to take that chance, or maybe the gift could be sandwiched between two sheets of thin buffer material. I'm a little disappointed as I'm preparing my first batch of books for submission and wanted this book to be one of them.

[Get Marwood & I]

2 hours ago, Vidar of Asgard said:

I suppose there is a chance that with the book sealed around something that is inconsistent with the book, plastic, thicker, different paper stock etc there's potential for 'cross-contamination' in bleed, adhesion, differing rates of degradation etc. But regardless, I'd be willing to take that chance, or maybe the gift could be sandwiched between two sheets of thin buffer material. I'm a little disappointed as I'm preparing my first batch of books for submission and wanted this book to be one of them.

I think that risk exists already, as many collectors would leave the gift inside the comic if they had it sealed in a mylar. I know I did, for many years, and it had no bearing. Let's see if @Jennifer F. comes back with an update