Giant Size X-Men #1 Just Graded 9.9. It Begins..... 7 7

[namisgr]

On 3/28/2024 at 3:13 PM, Sigur Ros said:

It was definitely a gift, no matter who submitted it.

 

It's the staple under the cover and holding the interior pages together.  When it produces a bump on the cover surface, it's a production feature.

With that said, in looking through the Heritage auction archives at 9.8 copies, I certainly couldn't say that this copy looks nicer or sharper.  But I'm neither a professional grader or potentially subject to motivated grading.

Edited March 28 by namisgr

[BrashL]

On 3/28/2024 at 3:14 PM, Mr. Zipper said:

I think Option D is a giant leap and requires a lot of assumptions.

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. 

Sometimes, but sometimes not. We'll know in 6 months. What's the over under on Ultimate Fallout 4 9.9's discovered in that time?

[Stefan_W]

On 3/28/2024 at 4:15 PM, COI said:

I get that. Matt Nelson said that in a case like this, more people weigh in than is usually. His point was that decisions like this aren't made through the normal process because they're unusual. It's a major key, where the difference in grade could mean hundreds of thousand of dollars, and this is the first 9.9. I think it's more far-fetched to believe something like this would just go through the normal process.

Ok, so if the process is that it is flagged as a 9.9 candidate and then it goes to even more (or more senior) graders for confirmation how does this lead to more bias in the process? More graders seems like it would to lead to less bias, unless I misunderstand interrater reliability. 

[DC#]

They made the scale so it’s whatever they say it is - but does seem odd to call a book MINT if it has anything less than a perfect wrap.  There is a bronze Batman 9.9 for sale close by with a mis-wrap -  a Mint should not have such obvious visual issues 

[Sigur Ros]

On 3/28/2024 at 4:27 PM, namisgr said:

It's the staple under the cover and holding the interior pages together.  When it produces a bump on the cover surface, it's a production feature.

With that said, in looking through the Heritage auction archives at 9.8 copies, I certainly couldn't say that this copy looks nicer or sharper.  But I'm neither a professional grader or potentially subject to motivated grading.

Yes, I realize it's color rub over the staple but it's not a publisher defect, it's from the book being slid in and out from between other books, moving around in a box, etc.

The color is missing due to what happens after the manufacturing.

So it's either acceptable damage for a 9.9....or it's sloppy grading.

They won't say it's sloppy grading because of the press it's getting.  But that reason would make sense based on the examples we see in the QC thread for the past decade.

[BrashL]

On 3/28/2024 at 4:02 PM, Sigur Ros said:

Yes, I realize it's color rub over the staple but it's not a publisher defect, it's from the book being slid in and out from between other books, moving around in a box, etc.

The color is missing due to what happens after the manufacturing.

So it's either acceptable damage for a 9.9....or it's sloppy grading.

They won't say it's sloppy grading because of the press it's getting.  But that reason would make sense based on the examples we see in the QC thread for the past decade.

My much worse copy doesn't have any color rub there. What's interesting is there's another GSX 1 from the same submission with the same defect, likely from the two of them being packed together with other squarebounds in whatever collection these were in.

[COI]

On 3/28/2024 at 4:35 PM, Stefan_W said:

Ok, so if the process is that it is flagged as a 9.9 candidate and then it goes to even more (or more senior) graders for confirmation how does this lead to more bias in the process? More graders seems like it would to lead to less bias, unless I misunderstand interrater reliability. 

I don't know if it does or doesn't lead to more bias. My overall point is that the scenario you laid out is plausible, but equally plausible scenarios exist to explain why and how this copy ended up as the first 9.9 to be graded in close to 25 years. It's hard to ignore the great marketing opportunity to feed the modern 9.9/10.0 initiative by having a mega key from 1975 hit the 9.9 mark for the first time. It's a great way to usher in a new paradigm where 9.8 is no longer considered a sort of glass ceiling on submission expectations for moderns, coppers, or late bronze. Whether that's what is happening here or not, I don't think a tin foil hat is required to spot the marketing opportunity. 

[Ken Aldred]

On 3/28/2024 at 2:52 PM, BrashL said:

Looking at it a little closer on the hi-def scans. The bottom right front cover isn't perfectly aligned, you can see the interior pages. Not sure if that's a twisted spine or just the way it's in the case. Also, the upper right looks a little, idk bent or indented, certainly not a sharp edge.

Am I seeing things? Are these to be expected now for a 9.9? I'm seeing some YouTubers get surprising 9.8s for books with color-breaking spine ticks so I wonder if we really are looking at updated grading guidelines. 

I've seen a 9.8 with a spine that looked rougher than the one on my 9.0

Far from being perfectly flat and aligned.

Edited March 28 by Ken Aldred

[Sigur Ros]

On 3/28/2024 at 10:43 AM, SpineTic said:

 

How I feel whenever I see someone post this guy's videos...

 

[Chaos_in_Canada]

On 3/28/2024 at 5:05 PM, BrashL said:

My much worse copy doesn't have any color rub there. What's interesting is there's another GSX 1 from the same submission with the same defect, likely from the two of them being packed together with other squarebounds in whatever collection these were in.

CGC9.8 oww #4388239007, back cover is off centered,

CGC9.9 w #4388239006 still the best looking GS XM1.

https://www.cgccomics.com/certlookup/4388239007/

[LDarkseid1]

On 3/28/2024 at 1:41 PM, DC# said:

They made the scale so it’s whatever they say it is - but does seem odd to call a book MINT if it has anything less than a perfect wrap.  There is a bronze Batman 9.9 for sale close by with a mis-wrap -  a Mint should not have such obvious visual issues 

I mean they make it pretty clear 9.9's can have a slight miswrap, allowing for a very minor manufacturing defect, which is what that is. Hence the reason there's 10.0's. So not sure what the issue is. 9.9's allow it, 10.0's don't. Now if you see a 10.0 with that or any manufacturing defect, then we have a problem and a misgrade.

 

Edited March 28 by LDarkseid1

[Ryan.]

On 3/28/2024 at 1:40 PM, october said:

I know it was all the way back in the foggy days of 2022, but have we all forgotten the Clayton Crain acetate 9.9's and 10.0's? 

Not me, man. I haven't forgotten. I'll never forget. 

[shadroch]

Things like this make me wonder if CGC is in this to make money.

[BrashL]

On 3/28/2024 at 5:51 PM, shadroch said:

Things like this make me wonder if CGC is in this to make money.

I mean to be fair I feel like everyone on this board is too. I get the impression the ratio of people who submit books for resale vs people who would actually buy a CGC slab is like 80:1

[grendel013]

I think this book was swapped out with a 9.8.Zanello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Poekaymon]

Best I can say is it looks better than that Hulk 181 9.9.

[1950's war comics]

after it is sold, just taking it out of the box will drop it back down to a 9.8

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

On 3/28/2024 at 5:40 PM, Ryan. said:

On 3/28/2024 at 12:40 PM, october said:

I know it was all the way back in the foggy days of 2022, but have we all forgotten the Clayton Crain acetate 9.9's and 10.0's? 

Not me, man. I haven't forgotten. I'll never forget.

Neither will Crain.

Edited March 29 by onlyweaknesskryptonite
Photo added

[comeaux]

I smell Zanello or Terrazas 

[Artifiction]

On 3/28/2024 at 5:52 PM, Chaos_in_Canada said:

CGC9.8 oww #4388239007, back cover is off centered,

CGC9.9 w #4388239006 still the best looking GS XM1.

https://www.cgccomics.com/certlookup/4388239007/

9.9