What are your thoughts on Checking Copies - should CGC acknowledge them? (POLL - CGC WILL BE SENT RESULTS, PLEASE VOTE!) 3 3

[Sauce Dog]

This is something that has been bugging me for awhile but only recently got to the point I think something should be done - and I would love to see if any other GA collectors feel CGC needs to correct this issue, as I feel these books are a unique part of the story of how comics were printed.

Currently Checking Copies are not recognized in any shape or form by CGC, however they have gone out of their way to recognize similar manufacturing copies such as the much used 'File Copy' designation and the less commonly seen 'Pay Copy'.

So what exactly is a Checking Copy?

Quote

Checking copies were intended for the editors or "checkers" of ad copy, in order to make sure all ad copy & placement was correct. Checking copies would often have check marks in pencil on each ad throughout the book when confirming that they were correct by staff/advertisers. They would also often have a CHECKING COPY stamp on the cover indicating it as such, and are different from 'File Copies' as they were used in the actual process of manufacturing the issue while File Copies & Pay Copies were mostly pulled after the production was complete. Spotting a checking copy is often very easy and not something that you will accidentally miss.

Checking copies were never meant for sale or circulation, only for the manufacturing process as a form of quality control. Thus, the ones that still exist today most certainly were FILED AWAY by either the printer, publisher, or the advertisers themselves...which is why I think they should have always been recognized as File Copies at the very least.

The only Checking Copies currently recognized in some way are those that come from a known pedigree, in fact if you look at many of the Crowley Copies you will see they are marked with giant Checking Copy stamps on the covers but CGC labels this pedigree not simply as Crowley Copy...but as a duel recognition of Crowley Copy/File Copy (which I think sets a good precedence on using the File Copy designation)
 

So what say you all? 

Edited July 11, 2022 by Sauce Dog

[Sauce Dog]

So many views yet nobody wants to vote? Come on people, I want your opinions - this is the Internet after all, where those are thrown around willy nilly all day

[MrBedrock]

Seems redundant since they already have a huge stamp on the front cover.

Sort of like the ridiculousness of putting "Tarzan" on this label...

 

[valiantman]

If "Checking copy" was acknowledged (and had a premium value), wouldn't a cheap red ink stamp and some checkmarks in pen throughout the book become an easy tool for scammers?

[Sauce Dog]

On 6/13/2022 at 2:59 PM, valiantman said:

If "Checking copy" was acknowledged (and had a premium value), wouldn't a cheap red ink stamp and some checkmarks in pen throughout the book become an easy tool for scammers?

Perhaps, but so would a cheap red rocket stamp or simply using a pencil to mimic any of the dozens of distinguishing marks for existing pedigrees, yet that hasn't been a problem so far with those (and honestly I don't see Checking Copy adding much value in of itself that would offset any value lost from the damage done by stamping and writing over interior pages would cause)

[Sauce Dog]

On 6/13/2022 at 2:48 PM, MrBedrock said:

Seems redundant since they already have a huge stamp on the front cover.

Sort of like the ridiculousness of putting "Tarzan" on this label...

 

CGC recognizing it would add legitimacy to the stamp (as otherwise it isn't anything different than marks done to a book by a third party after the fact).

That example book however makes sense to add Tarzan to the label as otherwise it would look like the label was for the wrong book (since the masthead no longer reflecting the actual comic series name, rather the feature character) - if anything I feel that label needs a more verbose description and not just the singular lonesome name in order to make it more useful.

[telerites]

It does have some provenance being checking copy and it certainly wouldn't bother me. I have the same feeling about Library of Congress copies.  I like stamps or designations (pedigree and such), even store stamps (as long as they are not too big like Bonnett's but I have several Bonnett's), even date stamps are cool to me. I know the thread isn't my party but here is a Library of Congress book I have.  Being an owner tends to give some bias with label designation being obvious like it is stamped on the cover where anyone could see, I am really don't care if it is noted on the label.

 

[MrBedrock]

On 6/13/2022 at 4:40 PM, Sauce Dog said:

That example book however makes sense to add Tarzan to the label as otherwise it would look like the label was for the wrong book (since the masthead no longer reflecting the actual comic series name, rather the feature character) - if anything I feel that label needs a more verbose description and not just the singular lonesome name in order to make it more useful.

I guess it would make sense to use the label to explain the history and contents of a book to someone who knows absolutely nothing about comic books. Placing Tarzan there on the label will certainly let non-collectors know that Tarzan is in this copy of Single Series #20. Heck, Maybe we should ask CGC to relabel the title as Tarzan since that is the most important part, and put Single Series #20 as the sidebar. That would really make it clear to non-collectors. Sort of like using the label to explain that the big stamp on the cover that says "CHECKING COPY" denotes that book as a checking copy.

[Jayman]

I want “Library of Congress”, “Copyright Deposit” and “Sample” on my label…

[Sauce Dog]

On 6/15/2022 at 8:35 AM, Jayman said:

I want “Library of Congress”, “Copyright Deposit” and “Sample” on my label…

That book did a pretty large tour of duty...could very well add 'File Copy' and perhaps another half dozen notes to it to be on the safe side

[valiantman]

On 6/13/2022 at 1:48 PM, MrBedrock said:

Seems redundant since they already have a huge stamp on the front cover.

Sort of like the ridiculousness of putting "Tarzan" on this label...

 

Tarzan makes sense as a CGC notation when you look at Single Series in the CGC Census.

http://cgcdata.com/cgc/search/title/:Single:Series:/desc/no/label/uni/orderby/year/

It's possible to know what's featured in each issue from CGC notation, rather than having to look them up individually.

[MrBedrock]

On 6/15/2022 at 3:34 PM, valiantman said:

Tarzan makes sense as a CGC notation when you look at Single Series in the CGC Census.

http://cgcdata.com/cgc/search/title/:Single:Series:/desc/no/label/uni/orderby/year/

It's possible to know what's featured in each issue from CGC notation, rather than having to look them up individually.

I can understand the need for notations when looking things up online without the book in hand, so I understand WHY "Tarzan" is printed on the label. But come on...you can't tell me that it doesn't look a little ridiculous when the title printed across the top of the book is so huge already. I show this book to folks in the shop and it never fails to get some response along the lines of "Tarzan? Well duh!"

[Timely]

On 6/15/2022 at 4:30 PM, MrBedrock said:

I can understand the need for notations when looking things up online without the book in hand, so I understand WHY "Tarzan" is printed on the label. But come on...you can't tell me that it doesn't look a little ridiculous when the title printed across the top of the book is so huge already. I show this book to folks in the shop and it never fails to get some response along the lines of "Tarzan? Well duh!"

This is also done on other titles in a similar vein, such as Four Color.

[valiantman]

On 6/15/2022 at 4:30 PM, MrBedrock said:

On 6/15/2022 at 3:34 PM, valiantman said:

Tarzan makes sense as a CGC notation when you look at Single Series in the CGC Census.

http://cgcdata.com/cgc/search/title/:Single:Series:/desc/no/label/uni/orderby/year/

It's possible to know what's featured in each issue from CGC notation, rather than having to look them up individually.

I can understand the need for notations when looking things up online without the book in hand, so I understand WHY "Tarzan" is printed on the label. But come on...you can't tell me that it doesn't look a little ridiculous when the title printed across the top of the book is so huge already. I show this book to folks in the shop and it never fails to get some response along the lines of "Tarzan? Well duh!"

CGC should have at least included the words "cover and story".   Tarzan cover and story.

CGC has used the phrase "cover and story" on their label notation for over 200 books from 1937 (Detective Picture Stories #5) to 1995 (Uncle Scrooge #295). 

They just didn't do it on Single Series. 

Edited June 16, 2022 by valiantman

[telerites]

On 6/15/2022 at 4:30 PM, MrBedrock said:

I can understand the need for notations when looking things up online without the book in hand, so I understand WHY "Tarzan" is printed on the label. But come on...you can't tell me that it doesn't look a little ridiculous when the title printed across the top of the book is so huge already. I show this book to folks in the shop and it never fails to get some response along the lines of "Tarzan? Well duh!"

I would have gone with Elmo Lincoln cover.

[adamstrange]

On 6/15/2022 at 5:30 PM, MrBedrock said:

I show this book to folks in the shop and it never fails to get some response along the lines of "Tarzan? Well duh!"

If you showed me that in the store, I'd be out the door with it so fast... 

[Sauce Dog]

While I know this poll was specifically about Checking Copies, if anyone has any other odd manufacturing/promotional books that don't appear often and are not recognized let us know (I know there are books stamped with 'promotional copy / not for resale' which are fairly common, but would love to know if there are any other marked books along these lines)

[Sauce Dog]

Would love to get more votes on this - please share your opinion on this! 

The more interest there is, either way, will help sway CGCs mind on making any label changes (which they have expressed openness towards when I contacted them about this). It's never a bad thing to have better label notes as well as possibly having more details tracked in GPA or other prices guides.

[Cat-Man_America]

Would this be considered a checking copy even though it also has polka dots...?   

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Cat-Man_America

[Captainwonder]

Seems odd they don’t count these! They are super cool 😎