I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE???? 1 1

[nochips]

I picked up a collection of books, likely 200 or so. Half the books are missing most of the back cover and the last page of the book. Looks like the were cleanly cut with scissors. The books are complete, but the last page of the book and the back cover are 90% gone. How the heck do you grade this?? Thoughts?? And WHY would anyone do this?

 

Edited October 4, 2023 by nochips

[LDarkseid1]

Actually extremely easy to grade. They’re all .5’s. And the label for each would likely be detailed by CGC that 3/4th’s of back cover and back page missing. As far as why do it, an overzealous kid who’s biggest passion in life was trimming things 🤷. They likely became a hairdresser at an upscale salon.

Edited October 4, 2023 by LDarkseid1

[zzutak]

On 10/3/2023 at 7:21 PM, nochips said:

Looks like the were cleanly cut with scissors.

More likely, the paper was removed by tearing along a straightedge.

On 10/3/2023 at 7:21 PM, nochips said:

The books are otherwise complete.  but the last page of the book and the back cover are 90% gone.

Fixed. 

[The Lions Den]

On 10/3/2023 at 10:21 PM, nochips said:

I picked up a collection of books, likely 200 or so. Half the books are missing most of the back cover and the last page of the book. Looks like the were cleanly cut with scissors. The books are complete, but the last page of the book and the back cover are 90% gone. How the heck do you grade this?? Thoughts?? And WHY would anyone do this?

 

My thought is to enjoy them for what they are...reading copies. 

[Ride the Tiger]

I was kinda curious so I looked up Weird Worlds #24  on ebay to see what's on that inside of the back cover. Figured maybe there there's a pattern. There is a cut out coupon to send in if you want to get an at home job in radio - television. Could be the original owner sent in lots of those early ads. 

[nochips]

On 10/3/2023 at 10:51 PM, LDarkseid1 said:

Actually extremely easy to grade. They’re all .5’s. And the label for each would likely be detailed by CGC that 3/4th’s of back cover and back page missing. As far as why do it, an overzealous kid who’s biggest passion in life was trimming things 🤷. They likely became a hairdresser at an upscale salon.

LOL......

[nochips]

On 10/4/2023 at 6:14 AM, Ride the Tiger said:

I was kinda curious so I looked up Weird Worlds #24  on ebay to see what's on that inside of the back cover. Figured maybe there there's a pattern. There is a cut out coupon to send in if you want to get an at home job in radio - television. Could be the original owner sent in lots of those early ads. 

I have a few hundred like this. Nobody ordered that much junk, nobody! Never saw this before, a consistent removal of the back cover and sometimes the last page. So weird and the guy is long gone so nobody to ask.It's a mystery.

Edited October 4, 2023 by nochips

[flchris]

Could they be early "newsstands" that they got for free? Where a retailer would return a cut cover or page to the distributor for a refund to prove the comic was "destroyed" and not sold and then just did whatever they wanted with the rest of the book (usually give them away or trash them). So they'd just be readers for whoever got them...

(Used to work for a place that did it with magazines. We'd give the coverless magazines to anyone who wanted them but returned the covers to the distributor for a refund.)

Edited October 4, 2023 by flchris

[shadroch]

On 10/4/2023 at 4:14 AM, Ride the Tiger said:

I was kinda curious so I looked up Weird Worlds #24  on ebay to see what's on that inside of the back cover. Figured maybe there there's a pattern. There is a cut out coupon to send in if you want to get an at home job in radio - television. Could be the original owner sent in lots of those early ads. 

 

i wondered if the kid didn't fill out the coupons, and Mom cut the pages when she donated the books.

[JollyComics]

On 10/4/2023 at 6:42 AM, nochips said:

I have a few hundred like this. Nobody ordered that much junk, nobody! Never saw this before, a consistent removal of the back cover and sometimes the last page. So weird and the guy is long gone so nobody to ask.It's a mystery.

Few hundreds with 3/4 back cover missing?

The worst one I have seen was Josette Frank Collection. She kept the front covers only.  All front covers were simply ripped out and all stories and back covers were directly trashed.  Vincent Z of Comicconnect.com said she kept over 200 front covers but he picked 101 covers only for the auction. The rest was not worthy to make money.

Here is the link:

https://www.comicconnect.com/browse/?filtertype=&title=&issue=&comments=Josette+Frank+Collection&publisher_id=&genre=&creator=&pedigree=&min_grade=&max_grade=&listing_type=&grader=999&show_sold=1&button=&advanced_search_on=1&page=5

Edited October 4, 2023 by JollyComics

[Readcomix]

On 10/4/2023 at 9:26 AM, flchris said:

Could they be early "newsstands" that they got for free? Where a retailer would return a cut cover or page to the distributor for a refund to prove the comic was "destroyed" and not sold and then just did whatever they wanted with the rest of the book (usually give them away or trash them). So they'd just be readers for whoever got them...

(Used to work for a place that did it with magazines. We'd give the coverless magazines to anyone who wanted them but returned the covers to the distributor for a refund.)

This was my first thought too, though I’ve never seen return books where back covers were used. Usually it’s logos. Returns also wouldn’t necessarily explain the last page, unless maybe the guy doing the returns was careless?

We have as many surviving returns copies as we do because some retailers sent the tears in for return credit but then kept and sold the torn copies anyway, usually at a discount or in bulk to someone else.

Whatever the origin, which would be interesting to know, they are Poor/0.5 incomplete books. That said, if they’re all like that one (GA/pre-code with full front covers) I’d enjoy the heck out of them and then sell any non-keepers. They are affordable, presentable readable GA, which should fly out of here or any other venue, I’d think.

Edited October 4, 2023 by Readcomix
Typo

[Readcomix]

Missed the early post-code book; if that’s as new as they get, my assessment still stands. They’ll fly as affordable readers once you’re done with your non-keepers.

[nochips]

99% are post code..looks like 1959 and later.

[Readcomix]

On 10/4/2023 at 11:34 AM, nochips said:

99% are post code..looks like 1959 and later.

If your expectations are modest, I’d think those you want to sell will still move.

It seems like you mostly still have readability and presentation. A lot of folks can live with that if it’s cheap.

Edited October 4, 2023 by Readcomix

[nochips]

I plan to sell them here on the boards.

[Ride the Tiger]

Hey my photo didn't post. Here's the inside.

[Zonker]

On 10/4/2023 at 9:28 AM, shadroch said:

 

i wondered if the kid didn't fill out the coupons, and Mom cut the pages when she donated the books.

That makes the most sense.  The kid writes his name on the coupons, maybe with the intent of sending them in someday, or more likely just as an easy way to identify the comic books as his.  Then, years later whoever disposed of the comic books tore out the identifying information out of a concern for privacy.  We probably all know people who religiously shred any papers identifying the people or the address where the papers originated.

[shadroch]

On 10/4/2023 at 9:06 AM, Zonker said:

That makes the most sense.  The kid writes his name on the coupons, maybe with the intent of sending them in someday, or more likely just as an easy way to identify the comic books as his.  Then, years later whoever disposed of the comic books tore out the identifying information out of a concern for privacy.  We probably all know people who religiously shred any papers identifying the people or the address where the papers originated.

I hope it wasn't done recently.

[TheCollector2016]

Maybe the owner was also a vintage advertising collector? Or they worked in Radio-Television and thought the vintage advertising could be used for decor?

[LowGradeBronze]

What hasn't been mentioned is whether the missing last page affects story in any/many/all cases. If stories are complete and only text page/ad page(s) are missing, that would make a difference to desirability. Having a full front cover is a huuuuge plus.