9.0 ASM 300 with a corner bend: a question 1 1

[lostboys]

 

I had this ASM 300 graded around 5 years back without a press and I'm thinking of doing a crack, press and regrade. 

So this bend in the pic is more noticeable on the back cover. It's the top corner, spine side. It does travel through all the pages and is extremely light on the front cover. There is no color break and it's a 9.0 with no other obvious major defects.

I don't want to go through the process if it only gets a bump to 9.2 so tell me what you think, please. Can I possibly get to a 9.4?

 

 

 

[James J Johnson]

On 11/4/2021 at 9:21 PM, lostboys said:

 

I had this ASM 300 graded around 5 years back without a press and I'm thinking of doing a crack, press and regrade. 

So this bend in the pic is more noticeable on the back cover. It's the top corner, spine side. It does travel through all the pages and is extremely light on the front cover. There is no color break and it's a 9.0 with no other obvious major defects.

I don't want to go through the process if it only gets a bump to 9.2 so tell me what you think, please. Can I possibly get to a 9.4?

 

 

 

IMHO, based on what I can see of the crimp from only one angle, I don't think you're going to get beyond 9.2 with this unless that is the only defect, aside from this defect the rest of the book is unflawed, and the crimp responds well to the press. 

[FFB]

On 11/4/2021 at 9:21 PM, lostboys said:

 

I had this ASM 300 graded around 5 years back without a press and I'm thinking of doing a crack, press and regrade. 

So this bend in the pic is more noticeable on the back cover. It's the top corner, spine side. It does travel through all the pages and is extremely light on the front cover. There is no color break and it's a 9.0 with no other obvious major defects.

I don't want to go through the process if it only gets a bump to 9.2 so tell me what you think, please. Can I possibly get to a 9.4?

 

 

 

That will probably press out nicely and I don't see what other defects would get it below 9.4.  What do the grader's notes say?

[lostboys]

On 11/5/2021 at 12:56 PM, FFB said:

That will probably press out nicely and I don't see what other defects would get it below 9.4.  What do the grader's notes say?

Ill have to get the number off the slab after work so I can search for the notes. It was graded so long ago that they are not readily available. From what I remember it was mostly finger bends. Ill post the grader notes asap. Oh and the pages are OW to W.

Im not sure if that affects the grade too.

 

Thanks.

Edited November 5, 2021 by lostboys
mispelling

[lostboys]

On 11/5/2021 at 12:56 PM, FFB said:

That will probably press out nicely and I don't see what other defects would get it below 9.4.  What do the grader's notes say?

Wow...so the graders notes dont even mention that corner bend unless im reading them wrong:

 

-Light creasing to cover

-Light scuffing to cover

-Light spine stress lines to cover

 

 

[djzombi]

On 11/5/2021 at 3:21 PM, lostboys said:

Wow...so the graders notes dont even mention that corner bend 

 

 

Often the notes will omit obvious flaws and only include the more subtle ones.  

[Artboy99]

On 11/4/2021 at 10:21 PM, lostboys said:

 

I had this ASM 300 graded around 5 years back without a press and I'm thinking of doing a crack, press and regrade. 

So this bend in the pic is more noticeable on the back cover. It's the top corner, spine side. It does travel through all the pages and is extremely light on the front cover. There is no color break and it's a 9.0 with no other obvious major defects.

I don't want to go through the process if it only gets a bump to 9.2 so tell me what you think, please. Can I possibly get to a 9.4?

 

 

 

will you be selling the book?

The reason I ask is because sending the book in for a press and then regrade it risks getting damaged, lost, stolen, a year to be graded, etc.

Otherwise I think it is possible to get a 9.4 if that crunch comes out. Difficult to see the other issues such as scuffing from the scan.

[lostboys]

On 11/5/2021 at 5:03 PM, Artboy99 said:

will you be selling the book?

The reason I ask is because sending the book in for a press and then regrade it risks getting damaged, lost, stolen, a year to be graded, etc.

Otherwise I think it is possible to get a 9.4 if that crunch comes out. Difficult to see the other issues such as scuffing from the scan.

I'm not gonna sell anytime soon. 

I'm thinking, maybe 10 years or so down the road, I'll fresh slab all my books (my collection isn't very large) and have a few pressed and re-graded in the process.

This ASM300 is my baby, my pride and joy. 

I didn't have any of my books pressed when I sent in my first ever batch and there are a few that, I think, could get a nice bump.

My ASM316 is a gorgeous 9.4 with pretty much identical grader notes to the 300.

Let me ask you...am I correct in thinking books should get a fresh slab every decade or so?

I change the bags/boards on my raws every 5 years or so. I figured slabs aren't much different.

[Artboy99]

On 11/5/2021 at 3:52 PM, lostboys said:

I'm not gonna sell anytime soon. 

I'm thinking, maybe 10 years or so down the road, I'll fresh slab all my books (my collection isn't very large) and have a few pressed and re-graded in the process.

This ASM300 is my baby, my pride and joy. 

I didn't have any of my books pressed when I sent in my first ever batch and there are a few that, I think, could get a nice bump.

My ASM316 is a gorgeous 9.4 with pretty much identical grader notes to the 300.

Let me ask you...am I correct in thinking books should get a fresh slab every decade or so?

I change the bags/boards on my raws every 5 years or so. I figured slabs aren't much different.

slabs are supposed to be permanent, no need to change.

[Randall Ries]

On 11/5/2021 at 5:52 PM, lostboys said:

I'm not gonna sell anytime soon. 

I'm thinking, maybe 10 years or so down the road, I'll fresh slab all my books (my collection isn't very large) and have a few pressed and re-graded in the process.

This ASM300 is my baby, my pride and joy. 

I didn't have any of my books pressed when I sent in my first ever batch and there are a few that, I think, could get a nice bump.

My ASM316 is a gorgeous 9.4 with pretty much identical grader notes to the 300.

Let me ask you...am I correct in thinking books should get a fresh slab every decade or so?

I change the bags/boards on my raws every 5 years or so. I figured slabs aren't much different.

I understand the paper they put in should be changed every 5 years or so. Plastic has an amazing way of maturing fruit and vegetables prematurely. I can't imagine having a book inside a plastic mausoleum for years can be great for the integrity of paper. No one seems to be complaining, though. The chief reason for changing out plastic bags is for that very reason. It just isn't good for paper.

[Randall Ries]

On 11/5/2021 at 3:21 PM, lostboys said:

Wow...so the graders notes dont even mention that corner bend unless im reading them wrong:

 

-Light creasing to cover

-Light scuffing to cover

-Light spine stress lines to cover

 

 

Was the crimp there when you sent it in? The stories I have read lately makes me wonder if CGC delivered the crimp.

[FFB]

On 11/5/2021 at 3:18 PM, Randall Ries said:

I understand the paper they put in should be changed every 5 years or so. Plastic has an amazing way of maturing fruit and vegetables prematurely. I can't imagine having a book inside a plastic mausoleum for years can be great for the integrity of paper. No one seems to be complaining, though. The chief reason for changing out plastic bags is for that very reason. It just isn't good for paper.

Microchamber paper does not need to be swapped out.  CGC used to claim that (I believe they no longer do), but there's no science behind it and Microchamber paper can absorb off-gassing for a very, very long time without losing effectiveness, according to the manufacturer's testing.  Think decades, not years.  

Also, Microchamber paper is not nearly as effective as people might think at preventing yellowing.  I've got books that had 3-5 sheets of Microchamber paper inside the book (inside front and back cover and at the centerfold on silver age and younger books, plus an extra 2 sheets about 1/4 of the way into the front and back of the books for Golden Age books).  These books were stored inside of a 4 mil E. Gerber Archive Mylar with a Full Back backboard (all archival quality) for about 15 years, and the inner pages still yellowed a surprising amount, especially along the top edge of the books, because the Mylars were open topped.  They were stored in Acid Fee E. Gerber boxes inside my closet in the dark, in proper storage conditions the entire time, and the box was almost never opened except maybe once or twice in 15 years.  In my observation, the Microchamber paper did absolutely nothing and was a complete waste of money.  

Meanwhile, 1980s-era Marvel books that were in regular polybags and non-archival backboards and stored in regular, acidic comic boxes were newsstand fresh, with perfect white pages after 15 years of storage when stored alongside the other Acid Free E. Gerber boxes.  Some of the back boards had yellowed a bit in a few cases, but not the books.  The books hadn't aged a bit.  The difference?  The polybags were taped shut.  

Back when I first transitioned all of my expensive books into Mylar and Full Backs, I had done a lot of research on conservation, preservation, etc., as well as listening to what other dealers had to say about their observations.  I think it was Bob Storms who said that in his experience, old polybags and standard backboards were just fine for storage, and even if the bags and boards yellowed and got cloudy with age, the books inside were well preserved.  I was somewhat skeptical at the time, but I definitely believe it now.  I've seen it first hand across thousands of books stored in identical conditions that most people would agree to be a proper storage environment (cool, dry, dark).  

I still use E. Gerber products for storage of expensive books, but now I put the book with a Full Back upside down in a Mylite2, bend the flap, and slide the Mylite2 flap-side down into a 4 mil Archive Mylar.  The few books I had stored this way did not age at all, which leads me to believe that the most important thing is to prevent fresh air flow from reaching the book, because the oxidation is the real problem.  

[Topnotchman]

The graders notes list has a lot of non pressable flaws.  The impact corner on the book looks over graded at a 9.0.  Maybe it’s a post grading defect?

[lostboys]

I don't know if this damage was pre or post grade but the book is too beautiful to say it's over graded IMO.

I didn't take pics of it raw or make any notes on any of em. I just sent em in.

I had a 9.6 Lethal Protector 1 with similar damage to the bottom corner.

Edited November 6, 2021 by lostboys

[joeypost]

Keep in mind grading has tightened up over the last 5 years. And if that corner crunch has any color loss associated with it, 9.0 would be the best you would get. 

[Randall Ries]

On 11/5/2021 at 10:14 PM, lostboys said:

I don't know if this damage was pre or post grade but the book is too beautiful to say it's over graded IMO.

I didn't take pics of it raw or make any notes on any of em. I just sent em in.

I had a 9.6 Lethal Protector 1 with similar damage to the bottom corner.

i keep forgetting you guys send in dozens or 100's at a time. Not something I would do being a non seller. It sounded like you are attached to this book and so thought you might know whether the corner had been dented in pre or post grading.

[James J Johnson]

On 11/5/2021 at 6:32 PM, Topnotchman said:

The graders notes list has a lot of non pressable flaws.  The impact corner on the book looks over graded at a 9.0.  Maybe it’s a post grading defect?

Must consider that this crimp goes cover to cover in a place that may be difficult the generate the right kind of pressure to remedy. 

[theCapraAegagrus]

On 11/5/2021 at 12:21 AM, lostboys said:

I had this ASM 300 graded around 5 years back without a press and I'm thinking of doing a crack, press and regrade. 

So this bend in the pic is more noticeable on the back cover. It's the top corner, spine side. It does travel through all the pages and is extremely light on the front cover. There is no color break and it's a 9.0 with no other obvious major defects.

I don't want to go through the process if it only gets a bump to 9.2 so tell me what you think, please. Can I possibly get to a 9.4?

Then do not crack, press, and resubmit.  It's a gamble.

[Motor City Rob]

I know you said there is no color break but from the picture it seems like it's definitely color breaking on the back cover. That being said, it can definitely be improved with a press but won't completely go away. Hard to say if the grade will improve without seeing everything wrong with the book, but good chance you will get to a 9.2 if some of the defects are pressable.

[Kevin76]

On 11/6/2021 at 1:30 PM, joeypost said:

Keep in mind grading has tightened up over the last 5 years. And if that corner crunch has any color loss associated with it, 9.0 would be the best you would get. 

Grading has tighten up so bad now that they hardly give out 9.8s anymore. Mint books are getting 9.4s and 9.6s with every book getting grader notes of "light bends"  and of course the phantom staining they seem to find that no one else can.