X-Men #1 question 2 2

[Amir Steinberg]

Hi everyone, 

I am relatively new to CGC. 
I was hoping someone could help provide clarity. I have an x-men #1. The right corner of the cover is completely ripped. If I tape it back to the rest of the cover from the back side of the front cover (so that you cannot see the tape on the cover) will it get a Blue label (if all I use is tape)?  Please see the pictures. Thanks a lot!

Amir 

[zzutak]

Cellophane and Magic tape will eventually stain the paper, so use as little as possible. 

[grendelbo]

I'd tape it and expect it to come back from CGC as a 0.5.

[Sauce Dog]

You could tape it and get a universal, though a very low grade (0.5 I would guess for this one) which would then continue to degrade in the slab - slapping tape on a book just isn't a good solution ever.

I would recommend just investing a small bit of money to have it properly conserved (with someone like phantomrestoration.com ) and get it to maybe a 1.5 (or more, depending on work. Leaf casting just the cover would do wonders - it might even be possible to take this all the way to a 2.0/3.0 if you leaf cast the cover, as I had a book that ha similar work done and it ended up at a 3.5 and doesn't look as nice as your cover does). 

Edited April 16 by Sauce Dog

[Paul Kosnik]

On 4/16/2024 at 10:12 AM, Sauce Dog said:

You could tape it and get a universal, though a very low grade (0.5 I would guess for this one) which would then continue to degrade in the slab - slapping tape on a book just isn't a good solution ever.

I would recommend just investing a small bit of money to have it properly conserved (with someone like phantomrestoration.com ) and get it to maybe a 1.5 (or more, depending on work. Leaf casting just the cover would do wonders - it might even be possible to take this all the way to a 2.0/3.0 if you leaf cast the cover, as I had a book that ha similar work done and it ended up at a 3.5 and doesn't look as nice as your cover does). 

For what it's worth, i second @Sauce Dog here--please don't put tape on the book--it really does destroy paper over time but a proper conservation will actually be an investment as it will conserve the paper and give you a grade bump that will make it a wise investment.  Also seconding the endorsement of Phill over at Phantom Restoration.

[marvelmaniac]

Personally, I have no issues with tape and I have many books in the PR 0.5 to GD/VG 3.0 range that have tape, many of which I taped myself, no point in having a low grade copy fall apart even more each time it is touched/moved, the tape is not going to change the grade on these books. I would tape it from the inside, place it in a Mylite with an Acid Free Board and put it away with the other books in the collection.

https://www.lineco.com/document-repair-tape.html

Just so you are aware... Grading/Slabbing does not provide any more protection than a Mylite and Acid Free Board, slabs are not airtight nor are they UV protected and they must be stored in the same environmental conditions as raw books, constant temp/humidity, away from all UV light, away from all sources of heat and moisture, away from air vents and not stored in an unfinished basement/garage/attic.

On the other hand, having the book graded will prevent human hands from ever touching the book, it may (not always) prevent further damage, it may increase its value to potential buyers and may make it easier to sell should you decide to do that.

Unless the pages are brittle, IMO, this book is a...

1.0 FAIR (FR):  Back to Top
Shows heavy wear. Some collectors consider this the lowest collectible grade because comic books in lesser condition are usually incomplete and/or brittle. Cover may be detached, and inks have lost all reflectivity. Creases, tears and/or folds are prevalent. Corners are commonly rounded or absent. Soiling and staining is present. Books in this condition generally have all pages and most of the covers, although there may be up to 1/4 of the front cover missing or no back cover, but not both. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are more common. Spine roll is more common; spine split can extend up to 2/3 the length of the book. Staples may be missing or show rust and discoloration. An accumulation of staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown and may show brittleness around the edges but not in the central portion of the pages. Acidic odor may be present. Accumulation of interior tears. Chunks may be missing. The centerfold may be missing if readability is generally preserved. Coupons may be cut.