Question on ASM 139 CGC grade, Conserved? 3 3

[SomeGuyInTexas]

Just got notification that my ASM 129 has been shipped, and looking at the grade and grader's notes, I'm a little confused. It says "cover cleaned, interior lightened" and moderate stains on bottom-right front and left-top back cover. I got this in a lot of comics and none had been cleaned, lightened, etc. I wiped the cover down with white cotton rounds, rolled out some of the dents and creases, humidifier and pressed it. No lightening or "professional means" of cleaning. What am I missing here? Please help! I'm pretty confused here.

Edited May 29 by SomeGuyInTexas
White cotton rounds, not makeup remover pads

[SomeGuyInTexas]

Here are the scans of the slab. I don't know what moderate stains and moisture damage it refers too, so any clarification would be greatly appreciated!

[SomeGuyInTexas]

@CGC Mike Sorry to tag you on this, but it looks like you have all the answers here! Hoping you could help with my questions.

[CGC Mike]

On 5/29/2024 at 12:15 PM, SomeGuyInTexas said:

@CGC Mike Sorry to tag you on this, but it looks like you have all the answers here! Hoping you could help with my questions.

Hi

I will check with the graders and get back to you.  

Mike

[zzutak]

On 5/28/2024 at 5:52 PM, SomeGuyInTexas said:

I wiped the cover down with white makeup remover pads, rolled out some of the dents and creases, humidifier and pressed it. No lightening or professional means of cleaning. What am I missing here? Please help! I'm pretty confused here.

Respectfully, you may have answered your own question:

• "no ... professional means of cleaning" (Amateurs make "mistakes" that an experienced, skilled professional would not.)
• "makeup remover pads" (I've never before heard of these being used to dry clean a comic.  However, I do know that some brands contain crazy mixes of chemicals and/or various botanical oils.  No bueno.  )
• "humidifier" (Once again, amateurs make "mistakes" that an experienced, skilled professional would not.  If not properly controlled, steam can very easily turn into droplets of free water which can leave stains.)

[SomeGuyInTexas]

On 5/29/2024 at 11:34 AM, zzutak said:

Respectfully, you may have answered your own question:

• "no ... professional means of cleaning" (Amateurs make "mistakes" that an experienced, skilled professional would not.)
• "makeup remover pads" (I've never before heard of these being used to dry clean a comic.  However, I do know that some brands contain crazy mixes of chemicals and/or various botanical oils.  No bueno.  )
• "humidifier" (Once again, amateurs make "mistakes" that an experienced, skilled professional would not.  If not properly controlled, steam can very easily turn into droplets of free water which can leave stains.)

Thanks for the feedback @zzutak!

Regarding makeup remover pads, I was having a bit of cancer fog and couldn't remember the term "white cotton rounds" for some reason! I guess I use both terms interchangeably.

Regarding amateur mistakes, I don't consider myself a professional cleaner/presser, but I've done the same procedure on many of my books, some for grading & some left raw for my pc. My main concern was the category of "Conserved" when no cover cleaning or interior lightening was done. Unfortunately, I don't have the time, skill, or equipment to do an aqueous or uv light bath on my comics. 

I'm also concerned with the notes of stains on front and back, that I never saw before sending it in or in those scans of the slabs. I know the grading is a very subjective process, so it wouldn't surprise me if the grader saw something I didn't. I just wanted more clarification on what they saw, so if I was the cause of any of it, I wouldn't do it again, because this is one of the most valuable comics I've ever bought, but also the first submission I've ever received back as "conserved".

[zzutak]

On 5/29/2024 at 10:09 AM, SomeGuyInTexas said:

Unfortunately, I don't have the time, skill, or equipment to do an aqueous or uv light bath on my comics.

Fixed that for ya ...... unless, of course, you're not concerned with destroying the market value of your books by ensuring they will be certified as conserved or restored.  In any event, I hope you receive the clarification you seek.   

[topcat54]

Moisture damage looks like by Spidermans elbow.

Some think cotton is not abrasive but under magnifaction could it be?

[CGC Mike]

On 5/29/2024 at 12:15 PM, SomeGuyInTexas said:

@CGC Mike Sorry to tag you on this, but it looks like you have all the answers here! Hoping you could help with my questions.

From a senior grader:

the book exhibited signs of cleaning based on the whiteness of the cover/pages and the texture and smell of the paper. There may have been a couple of other indicators as well.

[joeypost]

Was it wiped down with more than water? 
 

Another possibility, although slim, is that a previous owned tried to clean it up and resulted in what the graders now see.