Atreyuuu Posted July 9, 2023 Share Posted July 9, 2023 (edited) First time posting, hopefully this google drive scan link works: https://drive.google.com/file/d/137z2KhyVFqsIXXyXB-DfrZKKMbjR_dbc/view?usp=sharing Edit: Adding pictures Edit 2: Adding closeups Edited July 10, 2023 by Atreyuuu Adding Pictures scburdet 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scburdet Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 You will get more traction post actual photos rather than external links. There also seem to be limits to the enlargements one can easily do in a Drive pdf. Looks like it could use a professional press to see if some of the waviness can be flattened out. Seems like there's a hard crease on the outer part of the inside front cover, but I can't see it on the outside. This is strange. A crease like that would cap this around 7.0. I think with proper TLC this could get to 6.0. Maybe 5.0/5.5 now Atreyuuu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scburdet Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 Think I can see the crease in the side-on shot. Amazing that the color isn't broken given what the reverse side looks like. I assume there hasn't been color touching. Someone would have to be really skilled to have it look so normal. Sticking with my grades. I'd definitely want a professional to give this a once over b/c it's a really nice looking copy. I'd happily take it off your hands for a crisp $20 bill. Atreyuuu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDarkseid1 Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 Top and bottom look suspect to me, possibly trimmed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atreyuuu Posted July 10, 2023 Author Share Posted July 10, 2023 @scburdet No color touching that we are aware of. @LDarkseid1 No trimming either that we know of. I'm told my deceased father-in-law was the single owner; bought when he was a teenage boy. He definitely wasn't the type to have anything graded or restored from his collection of many hundreds; of course we'll let the professionals review it at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDarkseid1 Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 (edited) On 7/9/2023 at 10:27 PM, Atreyuuu said: @scburdet No color touching that we are aware of. @LDarkseid1 No trimming either that we know of. I'm told my deceased father-in-law was the single owner; bought when he was a teenage boy. He definitely wasn't the type to have anything graded or restored from his collection of many hundreds; of course we'll let the professionals review it at some point. Yeah maybe it’s just that well preserved by a single owner, just looks too perfect. The sides appear almost perfectly manufactured to be as crisp as they are. But certainly could just be a very nice presenting copy. Only way to know would be to measure in person to fully confirm. After a pressing and assuming unrestored you have a beautiful copy on your hand. Edited July 10, 2023 by LDarkseid1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowGradeBronze Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 (edited) Looks like colour touch in the 1 of 12c. Something weird has been done to or has happened to this comic that so far, no one has mentioned. The extreme waviness across the surface (moisture ripple?) yet when viewed at an angle the book has obviously been pressed or flattened afterwards. There is a line pressed or flattened into the top edge from remedial action of some kind. This was a higher grade copy, suffered moisture damage and now flattened again certainly with regard to all four outside edges. Although the ripple across the surface remains strongly in evidence. The crease now heavily pressed into the corner is also evidence of amateur attention. I know this comic gets a bump at CGC for being a major (!) key but this copy won't grade higher than 3.5 or 4.0 in my eyes due to the moisture damage and attempts to remedy it. There is something unnatural about the way it presents. Unnaturally flat at the edges, yet strong moisture ripple across the surface. Has the present owner been experimenting on it? Would be a very expensive mistake. Edited July 10, 2023 by LowGradeBronze mysterymachine 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atreyuuu Posted July 10, 2023 Author Share Posted July 10, 2023 @LowGradeBronze No to experimenting. It's been sitting in a safe deposit box that hasn't been opened since 2019 (according to the bank sheet). We took possession about a week ago. The comic was first removed from the bag / binder sleeve today literally minutes before these pictures were taken. Put it in a new mylar bag afterward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atreyuuu Posted July 10, 2023 Author Share Posted July 10, 2023 I saw the line at the top; I'm thinking it may have come from the binder sleeve, it seems to have a downward pressing part at the top where it's marked in red in the pic below. The comic didn't seem to have what I would think is past moisture damage; but I'm definitely no expert on this stuff and have no idea how he stored it for the past 60 years prior to 2019. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowGradeBronze Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 Inside a binder sleeve in a safe deposit box. Unsupervised and unchecked over time the binder sleeve has not done the book any favours. I'm betting that's where the waviness has come from with fluctuations in humidity perhaps. bc and ThothAmon 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scburdet Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 On 7/10/2023 at 8:01 AM, LowGradeBronze said: waviness yes. a totally lost cause that should be sent to me to sit in my long box of shame timfinz and Atreyuuu 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timfinz Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 5.0 IMHO moisture damage appears to be present throughout the book. Definitely a canididate for CPR to get the grade bumps it deserves. Thanks for sharing this stunning book! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The-Collector Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 Looks restored to me. Large amounts of piece fill on the BC, tear seals FC top and BC left edge (they are not printers creases), piece fill in the areas where there would have been marvel chipping on the front right edge, heavily applied CT on the top FC (it looks like there is white paint on the top staple). Can you take very close up photos of the top front cover text around the letter A and the 12c price. Close enough to see the dot matrix. LDarkseid1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lninefingers Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 On 7/10/2023 at 2:02 AM, LowGradeBronze said: Looks like colour touch in the 1 of 12c. Something weird has been done to or has happened to this comic that so far, no one has mentioned. The extreme waviness across the surface (moisture ripple?) yet when viewed at an angle the book has obviously been pressed or flattened afterwards. There is a line pressed or flattened into the top edge from remedial action of some kind. This was a higher grade copy, suffered moisture damage and now flattened again certainly with regard to all four outside edges. Although the ripple across the surface remains strongly in evidence. The crease now heavily pressed into the corner is also evidence of amateur attention. I know this comic gets a bump at CGC for being a major (!) key but this copy won't grade higher than 3.5 or 4.0 in my eyes due to the moisture damage and attempts to remedy it. There is something unnatural about the way it presents. Unnaturally flat at the edges, yet strong moisture ripple across the surface. Has the present owner been experimenting on it? Would be a very expensive mistake. It's like someone stuck it in a book press, or under under something heavy. Even with the weird pressing, I still think this gets to at least a 5.0 because of how clean the edges and corners are. I'd bet purple label though. mysterymachine 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atreyuuu Posted July 10, 2023 Author Share Posted July 10, 2023 @The-Collector Added some closeups; not a pro at this, hopefully these help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysterymachine Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 On 7/10/2023 at 11:38 AM, Lninefingers said: It's like someone stuck it in a book press, or under under something heavy. Even with the weird pressing, I still think this gets to at least a 5.0 because of how clean the edges and corners are. I'd bet purple label though. This was my thought as well. It's obviously been amateurishly pressed at some time. Maybe the waviness was created by excessive heat? Still, it's a nice book, I will take the word of the owner that no other restoration has been done. I would give it a 5.0 maybe a 5.5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 On 7/10/2023 at 3:54 AM, Atreyuuu said: I saw the line at the top; I'm thinking it may have come from the binder sleeve, it seems to have a downward pressing part at the top where it's marked in red in the pic below. The comic didn't seem to have what I would think is past moisture damage; but I'm definitely no expert on this stuff and have no idea how he stored it for the past 60 years prior to 2019. How tight was this book in that sleeve? If it was in a binder, how many other books where in there and how do they look? Was there objects on top of it? A picture of the entire interior cover would help to show if any resto/color touch was done. Either way - great book -bc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeypost Posted July 11, 2023 Share Posted July 11, 2023 I agree. Something looks off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
