The grade is in on (2) SM 300’s. Will the real 7.5 please stand up? 2 2

[RadishRadio]

Here’s a fun game. Which of these (2) 7.5’s is a 7.5? I have my answer but will reserve til opinions/grades are posted. Look these are 2 books currently listed on eBay. Please don’t comment that you can’t grade thru a slab, or that the pics are low res. There is plenty here to digest. If you don’t want to play don’t play. Books are posted front and back / front and back.

[LowGradeBronze]

It's the top one for me. Luckily it's also the one on which you can actually read the sig! Fun game, thanks for posting.

[RadishRadio]

No more takers? The answer imo is neither book is a 7.5!

The top book is clearly under graded. That’s a clean book, misses NM due to the scratch on the back. Even so you can’t go lower than 8 - 8.5. The second book may not even be a 7.0. The condition speaks for itself. The back spine is hammered and the front is butter-faced. You don’t want to see a hi-res of that one. I don’t have a dog in this hunt. Maybe trying to point out what everyone here already knows. I see far more grading consistency and consensus in this forum than what’s being produced for consumption. 
 

[LDarkseid1]

Based off the photos and grader notes, 7.5‘s, or at least in the ballpark seem appropriate to me. Not saying every book is 100% perfect, but overall I find CGC is very consistent. They’ll analyze books in considerably more detail then you have with these two issues. I mean your opinion aside, you didn’t even provide grader notes. Who are you to judge these two books against CGC, just based off two low res photos? There were defects in the grader notes on the first one you didn’t acknowledge. That’s why it is indeed tough to grade off general photos, and low res ones at that.

Grader notes for the 1st one:

Grader Notes

crease top of front cover
moderate scratch top of back cover
moderate spine stress lines to cover

Grader notes for the 2nd one:

Grader Notes

light creasing to cover
light scuffing to cover
light wear all corners of cover
moderate bends to cover
moderate spine stress lines to cover

Edited February 5, 2023 by LDarkseid1

[LowGradeBronze]

It's certainly true that most opinions offered on this forum are given with zero consideration to the insides of the book, which is where grading starts: At the centrefold. That in itself is a limitation but then to grade a book properly you need it in your not too sweaty hand. This forum is a good approximation if decent pics are available. 

[AJD]

Don't forget that CGC seems to downplay the effect of eye appeal relative to most of us collectors. I think of the CGC grade as a technical assessment of the book, and it's up to me to assess whether it's desirable. Of those two, I'd opt for the first one. I've been known to buy a lower grade book that presents better because that's what I value.

[Point Five]

I think 7.5 (from what I can see) is entirely appropriate for the first book. If I bought an 8.0 or 8.5 and it had a ginormous scratch on the back I'd be pretty unhappy. 7.5 feels right... basically, a near miss of VF range due to that defect.

The second book does look pretty worn for 7.5. Maybe 7.0 is closer to the mark.

I don't think we'll ever agree with *every single call* CGC makes, but by and large I think they get the big calls right.

 

[Comark]

The bottom book is clearly inferior.

Opine:

It should grade between 7 & 8 by pics.

The top book should be at min a point higher.

 

[grendelbo]

7.5 for the first book. The 2nd appears a grade or two lower.