Fantastic Four #1 - Need advice 1 1

[SuperDave08]

Hey gang.

 

Relatively new here... Collecting vintage comics & first appearances for around 2 decades with none really graded yet.   But I'm on the verge of sending in my first batch of my more valuable comics to be graded soon (probably not all at once).

 

This Fantastic Four #1, I picked up about 10 years ago.  It was for a decent price too, considering what they go for now.

It's obviously a great issue to own in any condition.   The biggest flaw I see is that someone wrote "FAN" in the quote from the Human Torch.

Was does that mean to my submission?  Is that considered restoration?  Am I better off trying to erase those letters or leaving them as is?   

Will 3 handwritten letters de-value & de-grade it a lot?

Will it be a forced purple label grade and be ineligible for blue label?

 

I don't plan on selling it.   I'm happy to own the book regardless of the condition.   Just wanted advice on how to submit it to CGC, if at all.

 

Thanks,

-SD

 

Edited July 15, 2021 by SuperDave08

[Finhead]

IMO because it's going over art/words that are already on the cover it will be regarded as "small amount of color touch" and Purple not blue. This will not effect the grade IMO just be restoration.

[Rockblazer]

Don't make the mistake I did about five weeks ago. I sent a JIM 85 in and forgot to write the magic letters on the outside of the box. On Walkthrough you need to write WK on the outside of the box to speed things up. On Express it's EX on the outside of the box. I sent in 95% of my high dollar books years ago before they were high dollar books so not used to these tiers. Called CGC and they said they won't look for my box and it will get in the proper pipeline when they open it. Which right now will be at least another 5 weeks.

[Albert Thurgood]

@SuperDave08 post this in the "Buddy, Can You Spare a Grade" forum so you can get some opinions about how this may be graded. I am guessing it would get a 4.5 Purple label.

[Terry JSA]

It’ll get a purple label just because there’s pen going over letters that’s already there which can be considered “small amount of color touch”

[SuperDave08]

1 hour ago, Terry_JSA said:

It’ll get a purple label just because there’s pen going over letters that’s already there which can be considered “small amount of color touch”

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone.   

Do I request purple label, or do I just send it in and they default purple label because they notice the touch-ups?

[Lightning55]

27 minutes ago, SuperDave08 said:

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone.   

Do I request purple label, or do I just send it in and they default purple label because they notice the touch-ups?

You would be the first person to EVER request the Purple Label of Death.  That's like requesting cyanide for lunch.

With the exception of Signature Series, you just submit it based on age and value.  CGC will determine what color label it receives - blue, green, or purple.

[SuperDave08]

7 minutes ago, Lightning55 said:

You would be the first person to EVER request the Purple Label of Death.  That's like requesting cyanide for lunch.

With the exception of Signature Series, you just submit it based on age and value.  CGC will determine what color label it receives - blue, green, or purple.

Ahaha.  I figured as much.  Didn't realize they can also decide/determine Green label.

For example, I have an AF15 that's missing the last ad page (non-story affected).

I've seen that as a blue label automatically graded as a 0.5 (regardless of rest of condition) because it's missing a page, but also as a green label graded (for example) a 2.5 because of it's actual condition (minus the missing page).

So if that's the case... how are some copies blue and some green if CGC decides and the sender does not?

[Lightning55]

I have never gotten a green label, so not speaking from experience there.  Say you have a signed comic from ages ago.  You can't get Signature Series because it has to be witnessed, too late for that.  It would normally get graded with its true grade but with a Green qualified label stating "wring on cover".  I have heard that you can request a blue label and take a hit on the grade due to the "writing".  But I have also heard that you can't, both responses from CGC customer service.  The truth, who knows.

[KCOComics]

4 hours ago, SuperDave08 said:

Ahaha.  I figured as much.  Didn't realize they can also decide/determine Green label.

For example, I have an AF15 that's missing the last ad page (non-story affected).

I've seen that as a blue label automatically graded as a 0.5 (regardless of rest of condition) because it's missing a page, but also as a green label graded (for example) a 2.5 because of it's actual condition (minus the missing page).

So if that's the case... how are some copies blue and some green if CGC decides and the sender does not?

I think in this scenario the default is Blue .5 and you could request a Green.

[Lightning55]

I would be surprised to see it get a Blue label at any grade since there is obvious light color touch on the front cover.  Sends it right to Purple, I believe..

[bb8]

I would send it to Matt Nelson or another resto remover and see if they can scrape off the pen marking. If you got a blue, even lower a point or so, the value would increase greatly. Might be able to remove the tape as well. At the least, I would pay the extra to have it evaluated for resto removal before slabbing.

[theCapraAegagrus]

14 hours ago, SuperDave08 said:

This Fantastic Four #1, I picked up about 10 years ago.  It was for a decent price too, considering what they go for now.

It's obviously a great issue to own in any condition.   The biggest flaw I see is that someone wrote "FAN" in the quote from the Human Torch.

Was does that mean to my submission?  Is that considered restoration?  Am I better off trying to erase those letters or leaving them as is?   

Will 3 handwritten letters de-value & de-grade it a lot?

Will it be a forced purple label grade and be ineligible for blue label?

It's restoration, and I would leave it as-is.

As far as grading goes, it's nearly a non-factor.

It'll receive a Restored label.

[Hulksdaddy1]

If that's the only area that has been "touched up," I'd, very neatly, just block out the "FAN" and fill it in. Might be controversial, but you're not really taking anything away from the presentation of the book, and a blue label would be worth it. You'd probably not really even notice it.

[Ze-man]

19 hours ago, SuperDave08 said:

Hey gang.

 

Relatively new here... Collecting vintage comics & first appearances for around 2 decades with none really graded yet.   But I'm on the verge of sending in my first batch of my more valuable comics to be graded soon (probably not all at once).

 

This Fantastic Four #1, I picked up about 10 years ago.  It was for a decent price too, considering what they go for now.

It's obviously a great issue to own in any condition.   The biggest flaw I see is that someone wrote "FAN" in the quote from the Human Torch.

Was does that mean to my submission?  Is that considered restoration?  Am I better off trying to erase those letters or leaving them as is?   

Will 3 handwritten letters de-value & de-grade it a lot?

Will it be a forced purple label grade and be ineligible for blue label?

 

I don't plan on selling it.   I'm happy to own the book regardless of the condition.   Just wanted advice on how to submit it to CGC, if at all.

 

Thanks,

-SD

 

There is resto in other places too, the top staples looks to be reinforced.  Something was done to the left of the Green hand, to the right of the word TIME. There's likely more in other places too, its typical to find more if something like re writing FAN, was done

Edited July 16, 2021 by Ze-man

[TC33]

Staple reinforcement looks to be tape, you can even see the interior tape stains bleeding through to the front cover in several spots, so that tape by itself would not give it a purple label unless there is additional rice paper/glue support I can't see.   Other than the lettering you mentioned, I do agree it has some slight black market next to the word Time, I even think the lower right corner has a bit of grey color touch as well as some type of marker near the spine by the monsters right arm that does not look like intentional restoration?   Regardless, I would send it into the resto removal department of CGC BEFORE they grade it to see if they can scrape that color touch off, it might hit the grade slightly, but the book will still be worth way more than in a purple label.   Might not be possible, but worth getting screened to find out.  Even in a purple label, its a great book to have that you probably got a steal on based on todays market value! 

[SuperDave08]

That is awesome feedback, great evaluation, keen eyes based on my single picture, and excellent advice.   Thanks to everyone who chimed in.

I am happy I discovered this forum prior to randomly sending books in.

 

Cheers, ya all.

 

PS: And yes, considering today's market, it was a steal, so I'm happy I got any copy of it while I was able to afford it.  I paid $1500 for it.   Right now, the cheapest one on eBay is a 0.5 that is missing 1/3 of the cover and is still listed for $9k.  

Edited July 17, 2021 by SuperDave08

[Finhead]

17 hours ago, SuperDave08 said:

PS: And yes, considering today's market, it was a steal, so I'm happy I got any copy of it while I was able to afford it.  I paid $1500 for it.   Right now, the cheapest one on eBay is a 0.5 that is missing 1/3 of the cover and is still listed for $9k.  

Ebay is not really the place to look for prices currently, they are all jacked up way above selling GPA. A restored FF#1 4.5 just sold on the forum in the last 24hrs for $7900

[Randall Ries]

As I look at restored books, I find the purple doesn't bother me as much as the level of restoration performed. This one would be "slight amateur restoration". I could live with that. I couldn't live with "Extensive Professional Restoration". But slight restoration doesn't bother me in the....er....slightest.

[SuperBird]

I'd have the tape removed and see if they can remove the writing without wrecking the book- though my communications experiences with CGC restoration team were... frustrating.