Which Would You Choose 1 1

[blackterror]

Which copy would you choose?  I've had this idea for a topic for a long time.  Feel free to post comparison books and add to this thread.

I”ve had several top copy books recently surrender their spot – in no small part to the recently discovered Promise Collection.  My Exciting 36 to your left ending in #003 was recently usurped by a Comiclink 8.5 offering and tied by a  Heritage 8.0 offering.  The CL 8.5 copy is in the middle and the Heritage copy is to your right.

 

 Notice the CGC blue labels.  My book on the left has the truest scan.  The CL (middle) and Heritage (your right) scans are  juiced…especially the Heritage scan.  The CL 8.5, juiced or not, LACKS whiteness and brightness, nevertheless, CGC gave it the highest grade and whitest pages.   The CL 8.5 copy is also severely miswrapped.  The cover slogan is missing part of the “e” of “crime” and it has an ugly white strip from the back cover running down the spine.  As for the Heritage 8.0 copy on the right, it  has a badly mis-aligned cover with a hard upward slant and rounding to the bottom corner with paper loss.  In my opinion it’s unattractive in it’s presentation even though it is a super juiced scan.

Of course, there are many things to consider beyond cover presentation  - such as back covers, hidden defects, etc – but on face value - I prefer my book over the others.  I’m not saying my copy is the best – beauty is in the eyes of the beholder - I'm saying it is the book I prefer.  My copy – the 8.0 to your left – really pops and while it is not perfectly centered either - it is closer to ideal.  

Cover the CGC labels … which book do you prefer based on cover presentation?   As people often say, "Look at the book as well as the label." 

My book and it’s back cover are posted on my Exciting Comics facebook page.  When you get there - Like, Follow, and Share

https://www.facebook.com/excitingcomics1/

 

Edited May 31, 2021 by blackterror

[Artboy99]

your copy presents the best in my opinion.

[N e r V]

Your copy is better centered than the 8.5 but it’s not so bad it’s a deal breaker either so sorry but I’d go with white pages vs off white pages myself. The one thing that’s always hard though is the colors. My experience is Heritage is usually way over the top but Clink is often muted at times. Not true all the time of course but I’m more likely to be surprised with a Clink book looking better than the scan vs Heritage which always seem in full bloom…

Edited May 31, 2021 by N e r V

[lou_fine]

25 minutes ago, N e r V said:

Heritage which always seem in full bloom…

Set to the tune from Romeo and Juliet:  

A rose will bloom, it then will fade  

So does a book, so does a Heritage book.....

[Randall Ries]

Edited May 31, 2021 by Randall Ries

[tth2]

Definitely not the Heritage copy due to the crooked cut.

[catman76]

If I have three comics to choose from I'd need to compare the insides because that's the most important part so I can look at and read it. I'd pick whatever one had the best insides, that had the best printing job, best page quality etc and was the best for reading and showed the art the best.

[thehumantorch]

I'd take the comiclink copy

[Cat]

Yours presents the best, it's just a shame about the page colour. I'd really need to see inside the books to make a final determination. 

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

The second book sold last night in the Heritage weekly. The first one will hammer Friday as a part of the Promise Collection.

which would you choose?

Edited June 14, 2021 by GreatCaesarsGhost

[blackterror]

Hmmm this is a toughie. I have not checked the actual grades or paper quaility of these books ... I'm going just on your presentation.

At first glance I'd take the Promise Copy because I am very big on covers being correctly wrapped and staples being precisely on the spine.  The second copy is wrapped perfectly, but the staples on the front cover is a big no go for me, BUT >>>

I see the Promise copy has a bit of cover rotation toward the front showing white on the spine near the bottom of the front cover and I don't like that either, BUT >>>

The second copy although wrapped correctly - is slightly mis-folded so that the interior story paper to the outside cover edge is revealed near the bottom. - So that takes me back to the Promise Copy.

EXCEPT for the fact that the the Promise Copy has a color breaking crease on the front cover right corner in the black along with with nips and rounding on the top spine corner along and bottom outside corner - Ouch! 

On front cover presentation I narrowly choose the Promise copy because it's really all about the staples being on the spine for me.

Now let's look at the backs - Wow the second copy is whiter and fresher - but it's missing a bit of paper at the bottom and has a light sun shadow down the edge , but it really pops, so fresh.  The Promise Copy looks a little cooked and has more sunshadowing - the back of the second copy is just fresher and I dig that.  You will also notice the printing on the back of the second copy is more square and centered.  Both books have good color on the back - but the second copy just pops a little bit more.

On the back cover presentation I can live with the small amount of missing paper in the white border - I have got to go with the second copy on the back.

So what is my choice - the staples not being on the spine and showing on the front cover is a no go for me or at least enough to make the difference here - 

In a squeaker, I'm going with the Promise Copy.   

Move the staples on the second copy to the spine - which oddly enough would make no difference to the grade - and I would take the second copy hands down. 

Thanks for picking up this thread GreatCaesarsGhost - I like how you didn't reveal the grades of the books - so I could pretend that somebody is offering me both for free and I can have either one I want.  I sort of wish I hadn't read your intro as it may have influenced my thinking a tiny bit  - but I tried to stay neutral and in this instance I chose the Promise Copy anyway ... although I already regret my make believe decision (Smile!)  

If these books weren't free -  If there was a significant price premium for the Promise Copy, I would choose the second book in a blink!

Again, I love your post GreatCaesarsGhost - two really great books to consider and compare

Check out my facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/excitingcomics1/

Edited June 14, 2021 by blackterror

[vheflin]

4 hours ago, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

The second book sold last night in the Heritage weekly. The first one will hammer Friday as a part of the Promise Collection.

which would you choose?

I'll go with the Crowley book.  Back cover is whiter, pages look brighter.  The Promise has bindery tears, crease at top and lower right corner cut.

Will be interesting to see if the Promise copy gets a Promise premium.

edit: Crowley pages aren't brighter that's a shadow, they are worse than the Promise

Edited June 14, 2021 by vheflin
blind as a bat

[vheflin]

Oh, then there's this little problem with the Promise ...

Should be a 6.5.  Whoever got the Crowley got a much better book.

[southern cross]

I like mine better because it only cost $141 including tax.

My wallet likes it as well.

Seriously I'd probably go for the Crowley copy myself.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

Thanks for your thoughtful replies. I personally like the cover of the Crowley copy better. I actually like the staple placement only because it makes the book look unopened: those staples would have torn paper had it been read. But I get that the staple placement is more structurally correct on the Promise book. I think some of you have already peeked, but for those of you who did not, here is the great reveal . . .

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2021 by GreatCaesarsGhost

[ChillMan]

Think about it.  Be proactive.  Grading, auction, and dealing companies are smart and want MONEY.

They will produce 8.0 copies up the ying-yang, from out of nowhere.

Sell all your comics like that and invest in Church copies...or I predict current valid driver's licenses and passports of dead celebrities will be the next big thing.