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what is considered a "stain?"
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12 posts in this topic

I'll post a photo of the book in question, but I first wanted to know what the definition of a "stain is per CGC.  I sent in three key books and the one that I thought was the best condition, ironically, was graded at a 9.0 while the other two were graded at a 9.8 and 9.6 respectively.  Grader's notes mention a stain in the upper right hand corner of the book.  I stared at the area in question under different light sources, with and without a magnifier and have asked other people to look and I/we could not see a "stain."  There is no discoloration in the area; so, I'm stumped.  

Compared to other 9.0s (same book), mine doesn't have any of the apparent visible flaws that the others that I have looked at have.... in any event, thanks in advance!

thesharkman

Edited by thesharkman
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There's a small dime-sized moisture stain on the front cover of this book.  I'll give y'all until 12:00 Noon (Pacific) to find it.  At that point, I'll be back with the big reveal.  :hi:

SA131-85o.thumb.jpg.1c4ed8585851890383c5c89e548148fb.jpg

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Ok, here are the photos of the book in question.  Grader's notes stated there was a "stain" in the upper right hand corner of the book and I put a photo of that area in close up.  I can't see it.  My apologies for the quality of the photos. 

I guess what also gets me is that other 9.0s that I've looked at have soft corners, especially on the spine side, spine dings with missing color on the black line and are just not as crisp in appearance as mine =)

thesharkman

181corner.jpg

181full.jpg

Edited by thesharkman
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On 6/17/2023 at 8:04 AM, aardvark88 said:

Fingerprint, KFC grease, blood, iodine, ice cream stain?

I'll agree with all of those and I even watched the CGC "stain" video.  All of the stains that they show as examples, I agree, are detractors and are clearly visible  (water stains, rust, etc) on the examples of that are used in the video.  

thesharkman

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On 6/17/2023 at 1:02 PM, thesharkman said:

Ok, here are the photos of the book in question.  Grader's notes stated there was a "stain" in the upper right hand corner of the book and I put a photo of that area in close up.  I can't see it.  My apologies for the quality of the photos. 

I guess what also gets me is that other 9.0s that I've looked at have soft corners, especially on the spine side, spine dings with missing color on the black line and are just not as crisp in appearance as mine =)

thesharkman

181corner.jpg

181full.jpg

I would hazard a guess that it is possible the stain is only really visible from the inside front cover (but under certain light might come through to the front, but otherwise isn't obvious due to the rich vibrant inks in the area)

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On 6/17/2023 at 2:14 PM, Sauce Dog said:

I would hazard a guess that it is possible the stain is only really visible from the inside front cover (but under certain light might come through to the front, but otherwise isn't obvious due to the rich vibrant inks in the area)

Most likely the case. 

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Exactly!  (thumbsu

I rarely purchase slabbed books, but the SA #131 I posted earlier was offered to me at a very favorable price.  Brian Peets and I carefully examined the encapsulated book and the associated Grader Notes, and we both thought it was worthy of a resub.  So I cracked open the slab.  The minute I examined the inside front cover, I saw the small, light moisture stain.  :cry:  The resub didn't increase the grade, but it did magically improve the page quality from ow-wh to white.  lol  Let this be a lesson for anyone who believes that either (1) every blemish/defect is mentioned in the Grader Notes, and/or (2) the assessment of page quality is an exact science.  :foryou:

SA131-85o.thumb.jpg.c231a61c727ea3ceab1721ad19d956fa.jpg SA131-85n.thumb.jpg.36378e30a8373811e759a4272dfc7448.jpg

SA131a.png.1f6a12988920b3b6692dbbba4c4967e2.pngSA131b.png.3c3d40041498df0ff288e76664632a6b.png

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On 6/17/2023 at 3:06 PM, zzutak said:

Exactly!  (thumbsu

I rarely purchase slabbed books, but the SA #131 I posted earlier was offered to me at a very favorable price.  Brian Peets and I carefully examined the encapsulated book and the associated Grader Notes, and we both thought it was worthy of a resub.  So I cracked open the slab.  The minute I examined the inside front cover, I saw the small, light moisture stain.  :cry:  The resub didn't increase the grade, but it did magically improve the page quality from ow-wh to white.  lol  Let this be a lesson for anyone who believes that either (1) every blemish/defect is mentioned in the Grader Notes, and/or (2) the assessment of page quality is an exact science.  :foryou:

SA131-85o.thumb.jpg.c231a61c727ea3ceab1721ad19d956fa.jpg SA131-85n.thumb.jpg.36378e30a8373811e759a4272dfc7448.jpg

SA131a.png.1f6a12988920b3b6692dbbba4c4967e2.pngSA131b.png.3c3d40041498df0ff288e76664632a6b.png

Yet another example of why collecting White pages and eschewing Off-White to White is partially a joke.

Please ignore my signature for this post as it pertain to silver age as well as early bronze.

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On 6/17/2023 at 4:51 AM, thesharkman said:

I'll post a photo of the book in question, but I first wanted to know what the definition of a "stain is per CGC.  I sent in three key books and the one that I thought was the best condition, ironically, was graded at a 9.0 while the other two were graded at a 9.8 and 9.6 respectively.  Grader's notes mention a stain in the upper right hand corner of the book.  I stared at the area in question under different light sources, with and without a magnifier and have asked other people to look and I/we could not see a "stain."  There is no discoloration in the area; so, I'm stumped.  

Compared to other 9.0s (same book), mine doesn't have any of the apparent visible flaws that the others that I have looked at have.... in any event, thanks in advance!

thesharkman

A faint water stain could affect the gloss/sizing without affecting the colors. You would not be able to see it through a slab or even through a Mylar.

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