B-1 Restoration includes: spine split sealed to cover. Huh? - Resub returned with significant changes - Last Update 3 3

[awildhome]

Received my first Purple Label of doom . . . but I am not sure, exactly, what it means. I purchased the book (Marvel Super Special #1 KISS) from a friend, who purchased it new. He is not a comic book collector and would know nothing about 'restoration'. He was just an old KISS fan, like me. LOL. I had my own copy, but lost it during a move (argh!), so he was kind enough to sell me his. Book graded a 9.0 with White Pages - which is about what I expected. I most definitely did not expect a Purple Label. I inspected it prior to submission (more like read it and took a trip down memory lane) and did not notice anything odd. There was no tape or glue that I could see. I guess I'm a bit thrown off by the "sealed to cover" - sealed? It was complete and everything seemed normal. A really nice copy. Does anyone know, or have received, a purple label with this description who might know better what it means: Slight (B-1) Restoration includes: spine split sealed to cover.

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide.

Art

Edited December 29, 2023 by awildhome
Update Title

[Funnybooks]

pics?

 

[Lightning55]

The notes sound like they are referring to the spine being split and then an attempt to close up the wound. It didn't, unfortunately, state if it was at the top, bottom, at a staple, etc., or how it was sealed. Clear glue typically. 

[awildhome]

Thanks. When I receive the book back from CGC (tomorrow), I will try to take a look through the case to see if I can make any sense of it. My friend thought I was nuts when I asked, but assures me he did not try to 'fix' anything. I have no reason to doubt him, but CGC must have seen 'something'. I also broke another cardinal rule and did not take great pics. LOL.

[awildhome]

Could not tell from within the slab itself . . . but the slab was broken upon return in the lower left corner/side anyway.

After cracking - and to give kudos to CGC (aside from the aforementioned breakage) the magazine slab is pretty secure. Instead of five minutes to remove a book, it took about eight. 

I can see where a grader might think or suspect there was some adhesive - there is a small spine split upper cover. The cover itself is pretty heavy, so even though split, it wraps pretty tight. Just looking at it, or trying to gentle pull it up with the cover closed (not sure how to describe that test) does not work. But just a simple sliding of the finger to the edge of the split easily uncovers that there is no 'sealing' taking place. I put a few pics to illustrate. This will be going back at some point . . . hate to have to pay again, but this goes back to childhood memories and it is to stay with me till the end, so I want it to have the proper grade/slabbing.

Thanks to all who read and commented. I appreciate it as I continue to learn the deeper ins and outs of GCG.

Art

[awildhome]

Why is that? I want it preserved as best as possible from and accurately graded (as best as can be hoped, at least) for value from a certified grading company. After me . . . it passes along . . . where it goes from there, who knows. LOL.

[theCapraAegagrus]

On 7/31/2023 at 5:47 PM, Tons Of Style said:

Since you're not selling it, let the next owner slab it, as you'll be dead. Mylar and a Fullback is all you need right now.

CGC could be gone by the time this is passed on, too.

[awildhome]

As written above, the Marvel Comics Super Special #1 Kiss book was Cracked out of the CGC case . . . bagged, boarded and put back in the storage vault. Nothing else was done - nada - no cleaning, no pressing. I gave it some time before resubmission to CGC . . . my non-trusting nature showing its ugly head. Not that CGC has the time or inclination to see if a submitter has written/complained about a submission and then possibly resubmitted. The results:

1) Grading went from a ludicrous Purple 'restoration' to Universal Blue Label. That was the good news.

2) Grading went from a 9.0 to an 8.0. That's bad news but, frankly, I prefer the 8.0 Blue label to a Purple Label because the book should not have been Purple Labeled (though, this book is in fantastic shape and should be a 9.0 minimum).

3) Grading went from White Pages to Off-White to White. Huh? As with the first Purple Label grade (as I wrote in the posts above), I can theorize how it could have happened. My guess is - the grading did not take place until the last day to meet the current time frame (and, I know, CGC does not have to meet it) . . . book was quickly looked over - and the front cover opened. I'd bet that was as far as it went. For those who know, the inside cover first page of this book is a tannish paper (which can be seen in my earlier photos identifying the small cover split). The rest of the pages are as white as fresh fallen snow. I am not kidding - mint pages. Aside from the small spine split, this book is pretty fresh and clean. Pages are bone-white and colors super vibrant.

One has to ask . . . where did the first couple of graders (supposedly, books are looked at by multiple sets of eyes) see that the book had slight restoration/sealing to cover? The grade of 9.0 (due to the small split) with White Pages made sense. Upon a second set of professional graders eyes, the Slight Restoration was now magically gone - Purple turned to Blue - and the book went from a 9.0 White Pages to an 8.0 OW/White? No way. Then again, I had a Venom: Lethal Protector go from a 9.8 to a 7.5, so I guess anything is possible (yes, really. I have pics of that debacle as well - keeping it in the 7.5 slab as a goof to show side-by-side with one of the 9.8's). As 'The Big Guy' would say: Come'on Man! LOL.

I've been a collector for some 50 years . . . but only doing the grading/slab thing for a year - a newbie in that sense - mainly as a learning experience and to see where the hobby has gone. In large part it has been positive - I enjoy seeing some of my books slabbed/protected (though I am not sure how robust the 'protection' part is. I guess protected from possible handling wear - for folks that handle their books. Time will tell if there are any issues due to plastic leaching). The anticipation and then receiving a box of graded books back is certainly fun. However, I am on the fence about continuing the grading thing. In my relatively short time doing so, I have personally seen way too much inconsistency just within my few submissions. A couple times just outright ridiculous. I understand that can and does happen to a degree whenever human interaction comes to play. Given that reality, these are purported to be 'professional graders' - with more than one grader inspecting each book and then coming to a consensus. And this process is not inexpensive - both in time, money and potential for complete loss of a cherished collectible. I submitted the book written about in this post twice, at a cost of $100 ($50 each time) with vastly different results. Resub again? With my luck, it would come back a 9.2 White Pages . . . and a Purple Label. Ha. Not to mention the most recent reslabbing scammer (not CGC fault - but one can look to the holders as flawed and not really 'protected'), which has to make people purchasing big-dollar CGC slabbed books question what they bought and what does it do to potential investment or resale? For those of you I interacted with on these boards or have purchased comics from . . . Thank You! I appreciated your thoughtful comments and suggestions. I've learned a lot from you all and will likely still visit the boards from time to time. Who knows . . . the CGC slabbing bug may bite again at some point. Cheers!

[awildhome]

Oh, and yes, I know . . . I have to return the original cert to CGC to have it removed from the census.

[The Lions Den]

On 12/29/2023 at 10:39 AM, awildhome said:

As written above, the Marvel Comics Super Special #1 Kiss book was Cracked out of the CGC case . . . bagged, boarded and put back in the storage vault. Nothing else was done - nada - no cleaning, no pressing. I gave it some time before resubmission to CGC . . . my non-trusting nature showing its ugly head. Not that CGC has the time or inclination to see if a submitter has written/complained about a submission and then possibly resubmitted. The results:

1) Grading went from a ludicrous Purple 'restoration' to Universal Blue Label. That was the good news.

2) Grading went from a 9.0 to an 8.0. That's bad news but, frankly, I prefer the 8.0 Blue label to a Purple Label because the book should not have been Purple Labeled (though, this book is in fantastic shape and should be a 9.0 minimum).

3) Grading went from White Pages to Off-White to White. Huh? As with the first Purple Label grade (as I wrote in the posts above), I can theorize how it could have happened. My guess is - the grading did not take place until the last day to meet the current time frame (and, I know, CGC does not have to meet it) . . . book was quickly looked over - and the front cover opened. I'd bet that was as far as it went. For those who know, the inside cover first page of this book is a tannish paper (which can be seen in my earlier photos identifying the small cover split). The rest of the pages are as white as fresh fallen snow. I am not kidding - mint pages. Aside from the small spine split, this book is pretty fresh and clean. Pages are bone-white and colors super vibrant.

One has to ask . . . where did the first couple of graders (supposedly, books are looked at by multiple sets of eyes) see that the book had slight restoration/sealing to cover? The grade of 9.0 (due to the small split) with White Pages made sense. Upon a second set of professional graders eyes, the Slight Restoration was now magically gone - Purple turned to Blue - and the book went from a 9.0 White Pages to an 8.0 OW/White? No way. Then again, I had a Venom: Lethal Protector go from a 9.8 to a 7.5, so I guess anything is possible (yes, really. I have pics of that debacle as well - keeping it in the 7.5 slab as a goof to show side-by-side with one of the 9.8's). As 'The Big Guy' would say: Come'on Man! LOL.

I've been a collector for some 50 years . . . but only doing the grading/slab thing for a year - a newbie in that sense - mainly as a learning experience and to see where the hobby has gone. In large part it has been positive - I enjoy seeing some of my books slabbed/protected (though I am not sure how robust the 'protection' part is. I guess protected from possible handling wear - for folks that handle their books. Time will tell if there are any issues due to plastic leaching). The anticipation and then receiving a box of graded books back is certainly fun. However, I am on the fence about continuing the grading thing. In my relatively short time doing so, I have personally seen way too much inconsistency just within my few submissions. A couple times just outright ridiculous. I understand that can and does happen to a degree whenever human interaction comes to play. Given that reality, these are purported to be 'professional graders' - with more than one grader inspecting each book and then coming to a consensus. And this process is not inexpensive - both in time, money and potential for complete loss of a cherished collectible. I submitted the book written about in this post twice, at a cost of $100 ($50 each time) with vastly different results. Resub again? With my luck, it would come back a 9.2 White Pages . . . and a Purple Label. Ha. Not to mention the most recent reslabbing scammer (not CGC fault - but one can look to the holders as flawed and not really 'protected'), which has to make people purchasing big-dollar CGC slabbed books question what they bought and what does it do to potential investment or resale? For those of you I interacted with on these boards or have purchased comics from . . . Thank You! I appreciated your thoughtful comments and suggestions. I've learned a lot from you all and will likely still visit the boards from time to time. Who knows . . . the CGC slabbing bug may bite again at some point. Cheers!

Thank you for your observations about CGC; I'm sorry you had such an odd experience. If I may, I do have a couple of comments that I hope will shed some light on this subject...

1) That small spine split at the top is a pretty common flaw, and a split or tear of that length will almost always knock the grade down to the VF range, even if the rest of the book is beautiful. It's what I call a "typical" CGC grade.

2) I have to wonder if the book went through a different tier the second time. A different tier could mean completely different graders, which could explain the grade and page quality difference.

3) CGC isn't perfect, and things like this aren't all that uncommon. Sometimes graders will make mistakes, such as thinking there was a sealed spine split when that wasn't actually the case. It's pretty rare, but it does happen sometimes. But personally, I'd rather have an 8.0 blue label than a 9.0 purple. 

Last but certainly not least, you should be commended for your efforts. Your diligence led to what is very likely the correct outcome. Congratulations!  

Edited December 29, 2023 by The Lions Den