2024 Grading Contest Spring Edition Season 3 (#10) Round 3 13 13

[Doctor Dositheus]

7 points. I didn't think that size chip out on the Flash could be over 7.0 but you live and you learn.

[Axelrod]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:11 PM, frozentundraguy said:

3 bulls and 3 points this round

Same!

[Cerebus3000]

2 bulls eyes and 3 points...somehow my best round. I was pretty sketchy on my Cap and SW grades.

[Sandflea]

Bulls on the Spidey 79 and the Next men; 1 off on the Flash, and 2 off on the Cap and SW... 5 pts

Was very interested with what the SW book with the rusty staples would grade...

[Kramerica]

2 Bulls and 5 points. It's against my religion for a book with both rusty staples in the process of migrating to get anything above a 6.0/6.5. 

[Axelrod]

The only one I felt completely helpless on was the Secret Wars.  I had zero clue how much of a hit a book that looked otherwise nice would take from just those staples.

I blind guessed 7.0

Edited May 1 by Axelrod

[jcjames]

On 4/30/2024 at 5:11 PM, grendelbo said:

3 bullseyes. Really missed the Flash. I had it as a 6.0.

5 points.

[Vince G]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:19 PM, Axelrod said:

The only one I felt completely helpless on was the Spidey.  I had zero clue how much of a hit a book that looked otherwise nice would take from just those staples.

I blind guessed 7.0

I agree.  I felt the staple rust and migration warranted a 6.0.  That's a pretty bad defect for a modern book.

[jcjames]

On 4/30/2024 at 5:16 PM, Cerebus3000 said:

2 bulls eyes and 3 points...somehow my best round. I was pretty sketchy on my Cap and SW grades.

[zzutak]

On 4/30/2024 at 5:00 PM, Cerebus3000 said:

what the heck is this?

Yeah, this stumped me as well.  It doesn't seem straight enough to be a color-breaking crease, it's too wide in spots to be a simple scratch, and it's wholly contained within the yellow portion of the coupon (so it's probably not scanner related).  I haven't seen this anomaly on other copies of this issue, so it's probably not a printing plate defect, and ink roller blemishes are generally not diagonal.

I have no clue, although it does not appear that CGC treated it as a defect deserving of a grade deduction.

++++++++++++

Correction: I just checked the two scans available on Heritage.  I was wrong above -- both Heritage copies have this same blemish!  So this could be a manufacturing defect common to most/all copies (in which case it probably would not warrant a grade deduction). 

Edited May 1 by zzutak
Added "Correction"

[Superman2006]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:11 PM, jcjames said:

8pts. 

I KNEW that SW8 was going to be an utter crime. 

I called it 6.0 for rusty staples that bleed even through from the cf to cover. Even if the rest of the book was 10 (which it wasn't), those staples and stains should never leave the midgrade range. 

Horrible. 

Ditto for me, 8 pts, knowing that the SW8 could kill my score. I graded it a 6.0 as well due to the horrendous looking staples / stains. I wanted to give it a 6.5 at first, but brought it down to a 6.0. I figured it would end up somewhere between a 4.0 and 8.0, so I split the difference.

[paqart]

2 buls-eyes and a total of 4 points. If only the other two rounds went as well. To have a shot at 6th, I may need perfect scores from now on.

[JollyComics]

On 4/30/2024 at 7:25 PM, paqart said:

2 buls-eyes and a total of 4 points. If only the other two rounds went as well. To have a shot at 6th, I may need perfect scores from now on.

All contests. There is only one perfect score. Maybe two.  Very pure 🍀 luck.

[WilliamLunt]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:21 PM, zzutak said:

Yeah, this stumped me as well.  It doesn't seem straight enough to be a color-breaking crease, it's too wide in spots to be a simple scratch, and it's wholly contained within the yellow portion of the coupon (so it's probably not scanner related).  I haven't seen this anomaly on other copies of this issue, so it's probably not a printing plate defect, and ink roller blemishes are generally not diagonal.

I think because it's contained wholly in the yellow section that it's just the interior back cover design visible. I'd need a copy of that book to confirm my  suspicion

[1Cool]

3 bullseyes and 1 off but the SW 8 was a complete guess at 7.0 so 3 points for the round.  I’ve seen perfect books get a 6.0 but the staples were very ugly.  I bet it would have gotten 7.0 or worse if it was visible from the outside.

[zzutak]

On 4/30/2024 at 5:28 PM, WilliamLunt said:

I'd need a copy of that book to confirm my suspicion

I just checked the two scans available on Heritage.  I was wrong -- both copies have this same blemish! 

[1Cool]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:38 PM, zzutak said:

I just checked the two scans available on Heritage.  I was wrong -- both copies have this same blemish! 

I looked and each of the high grade copies had that weird scratch mark on the back.  Sure made me take a few looks.

[Point Five]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:04 PM, CGC Mike said:

Secret Wars #8

Light spine stress lines break color

Light indent bottom front cover

Staple rust with stains at centerfold

There’s a lesson here. If you’ve ever been tempted to buy a CGC slab WITHOUT looking up the grading notes… maybe an ebay BIN OMG OMG gotta get it before anyone else does! — print up the grading notes to this Secret Wars #8 and post them on your wall.

8.0. Good grief.  

[ChrispyC66]

My very raw, very cranky reaction about the Cap book grade is 
I originally had it graded as a 9.0/9.2 and saw that 4” white line on the back cover and thought it was a crease and downgraded the book to a 7.0.

I think throwing in books with barely visible non-defects is screwed up, That book is unfair specimen and playing outside the margins 

This goes beyond guessing the grade and into “what’s the grainy white line on the back cover? Is it a 4” crease or did someone lose a string from their shirt when scanning the book?” 

Congrats to the players who missed the line and aced the grade on the book 

Edited May 1 by ChrispyC66

[Vince G]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:06 PM, Point Five said:

OK so how about 66th place. Any prize love there?

I'm fighting you for that spot.