PGM TOS #39 (1st Iron Man!) - UK Price Variant - Grade is in! 3 3

[Deutero]

Very pleased to have picked this up 

 

Couple of minor concerns though:

 

Does it look to anyone else like the cover might have been trimmed? I know manufacturing quality wasn’t great at the time so it might not be trimmed. The 1st page is similar but I’m not sure if that means it’s more or less likely that it has been trimmed.

There’s a 2nd set of staples that have been added (the ones you can see on the front and back cover). The original staples are in great condition so not sure why others would have been added. What’s the potential impact on the grade? I guess I could remove them and just have small holes instead but I think it’s highly unlikely I’d actually do this.

Overall what grade do you think this is?

Thanks in advance!

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by Deutero
Update

[Wipple]

Awesome pick up- I will say 4.5 and a 5.5 with a press.. You will also get a staples added non manufacturing notation.

[Deutero]

On 9/22/2022 at 6:35 PM, Wipple said:

Awesome pick up- I will say 4.5 and a 5.5 with a press.. You will also get a staples added non manufacturing notation.

Thanks, with that notation is it a blue label or would of be a green?

[Wipple]

On 9/22/2022 at 1:41 PM, Deutero said:

Thanks, with that notation is it a blue label or would of be a green?

blue

[scburdet]

If extra staples means you can get the book at an affordable price that's lucky b/c it still looks nice. 5.5±0.5. I doubt the high end, but wouldn't be totally shocked. 

Here's a somewhat recent discussion about extra staples: 

 

[MrRoboto]

I think the purpose of the staples was to marry this book with another. Likely the married page is that first one that looks different than the others. If that is the case, green label 5.0

 

If not, then 5.0 blue label. CGC phased out making extra staples green label.

[Deutero]

On 9/23/2022 at 6:54 PM, MrRoboto said:

I think the purpose of the staples was to marry this book with another. Likely the married page is that first one that looks different than the others. If that is the case, green label 5.0

 

If not, then 5.0 blue label. CGC phased out making extra staples green label.

That’s an interesting insight but I don’t think this is the case. The original staples are in very good condition and I don’t think they’ve been removed and reattached. They’re attached all the way through the comic including the cover.

At least I hope it isn’t the case 

[grebal]

Very nice copy - without the extra staples I'm at 5.5, maybe a chance at a 6.0.

With the staples (assuming no other hidden defects like detached parts) probably would guess in the 4.5 to 5.0, but I don't have good experience with that kind of defect.

[Galen130]

5.5 blue with staple notation.

[grendelbo]

On 9/22/2022 at 4:06 PM, scburdet said:

Here's a somewhat recent discussion about extra staples: 

 

I was thinking we discussed this in more detail recently but I can't find another forum topic on the subject. Maybe I'm thinking about another grading and restoration issue.

C&P for a 5.5.

I'd think about removing the staples if they're not integral to holding the book together. Not sure if I would do it but I'd think about it.

Thanks for sharing.

[Primetime]

4.0 - 4.5

[Deutero]

On 9/27/2022 at 1:52 AM, grendelbo said:

I was thinking we discussed this in more detail recently but I can't find another forum topic on the subject. Maybe I'm thinking about another grading and restoration issue.

C&P for a 5.5.

I'd think about removing the staples if they're not integral to holding the book together. Not sure if I would do it but I'd think about it.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks man, appreciate it.

I considered removing the other staples but have decided against it. I’m not brave enough!

[Qalyar]

On 9/27/2022 at 5:40 AM, Deutero said:

Thanks man, appreciate it.

I considered removing the other staples but have decided against it. I’m not brave enough!

I would never remove post-manufacturing staples. It doesn't make the defect disappear (okay, you don't have staples, now you have staple holes), and the potential to make things worse is high.

[Deutero]

On 9/28/2022 at 5:34 PM, Qalyar said:

the potential to make things worse is high.

This is exactly why I decided against it 

[Deutero]

@Wipple@scburdet@MrRoboto@grebal@Galen130@grendelbo@Primetime@Qalyar

 

I sent in 28 comics in my last submission and only posted 7 on here. I got some mixed results overall, I was sure my Secret Wars #8 was in the 9.0s and it came back an 8.0 but I also got a couple of 6.0s for some Silver Age goodies when I expected them to be around 4.0s! However this is the grade I was sweating on the most, especially whether it would get a Universal label!

 

3.5 Off White to White Universal

 

Grader's notes:

pg 1 reattached w/ extra stpls
2 staple(s) added after manufacturing
light staining to cover
moderate creasing to cover

 

Very happy!

[scburdet]

On 1/18/2023 at 12:48 PM, Deutero said:

3.5 Off White to White Universal

So I guess blue 3.5 rather than green with a higher grade? I've heard Secret Wars 8 is on the list of books that routinely comes back lower than people expect. Like CGC just sees too many of them & is extra critical.

[grendelbo]

On 1/18/2023 at 9:57 AM, scburdet said:

Like CGC just sees too many of them & is extra critical.

[Deutero]

On 1/18/2023 at 4:57 PM, scburdet said:

So I guess blue 3.5 rather than green with a higher grade? I've heard Secret Wars 8 is on the list of books that routinely comes back lower than people expect. Like CGC just sees too many of them & is extra critical.

I did wonder if it was something like that with my Secret Wars 8. Had it C&P and was sure it was a 9.0 minimum beforehand. Got a 8.0 and the only note was ‘light creasing to cover’.