How can these books be just 0.5 grade apart? 1 1

[Tokyojoe90]

When I received the 5.5 slab back from CGC I was surprised by the grade thinking it would be higher... this week I saw a 5.0 of the same book and now I'm even more surprised. What do you think? Really just 0.5 between them??

[KCOComics]

I'm with you that the 5.5 looks way nicer. 

That said, 5.5 doesn't feel entirely inappropriate.  I'm guessing you didn't have it pressed? I can see some pressable defects. 

[LDarkseid1]

Would be great if you provided grader notes for a post like this, as it’s a bit tough to dictate grades this way. The 5.5 could very well have issues not easily seen just by looking at those photos.

Edited August 24 by LDarkseid1

[Tokyojoe90]

On 8/24/2024 at 2:13 PM, LDarkseid1 said:

Would be great if you provided grader notes for a post like this, as it’s a bit tough to dictate grades this way. The 5.5 could very well have issues not easily seen just by looking at those photos.

For the 5.0:

Grader Notes

piece out left bottom of back cover
stain right bottom of whole book
wear left top of back cover

 

 

For the 5.5:

 

Grader Notes

moderate creasing to cover
moderate finger bends on cover

 

 

 

[Tokyojoe90]

On 8/24/2024 at 10:31 AM, KCOComics said:

I'm with you that the 5.5 looks way nicer. 

That said, 5.5 doesn't feel entirely inappropriate.  I'm guessing you didn't have it pressed? I can see some pressable defects. 

It was pressed but CGC misplaced it for over a year before they were able to grade it

[LowGradeBronze]

Suddenly the 5.0 seems generous. If the 5.0 had been graded 3.5 for the stain and missing piece, would the 5.5 seem more reasonable? (I have to say the 5.5 appears harsh given the GA bump and the 5.0 seems generous but is perhaps in line with that same GA bump.)

[KCOComics]

On 8/24/2024 at 5:12 AM, Joe Fox said:

It was pressed but CGC misplaced it for over a year before they were able to grade it

Yikes. I would have expected those fingers bends and non color breaking creases to come out with a press. 

[Tokyojoe90]

On 8/24/2024 at 7:43 PM, KCOComics said:

Yikes. I would have expected those fingers bends and non color breaking creases to come out with a press. 

Indeed. I sometimes think about CPR but might not be worth it to maybe get a 6.0-6.5

[Sauce Dog]

Yeah that 5.5 looks MUCH nicer than my other 5.5 graded black covers (I have a Thing #15 in 5.5 that has notable color breaking creases along the entire spine and rusted staples alongside many other obvious visible defects) I would honestly have had your book pegged at at least a 6.0.

[The Lions Den]

The 5.5 looks like it has nicer paper quality as well...    

[thehumantorch]

I like the 5.0 more except for the nasty stain at the bottom that appears to go through the entire book.  Certainly the 5.5 looks like a nicer book.  The grader notes indicate finger bends on the 5.5 and that's likely what kept it down.   I'd  ask CGC why their pressing service failed to remove finger bends.

[buttock]

On 8/24/2024 at 10:40 AM, thehumantorch said:

I like the 5.0 more except for the nasty stain at the bottom that appears to go through the entire book.  Certainly the 5.5 looks like a nicer book.  The grader notes indicate finger bends on the 5.5 and that's likely what kept it down.   I'd  ask CGC why their pressing service failed to remove finger bends.

Yeah, if they lost it for a year they probably didn't press it with those grader's notes.  

[Tokyojoe90]

On 8/25/2024 at 1:53 AM, buttock said:

Yeah, if they lost it for a year they probably didn't press it with those grader's notes.  

It was pressed before it was submitted rather than have them do it and it sat somewhere in their buildings for over a year between being pressed/submitted and graded

[thehumantorch]

On 8/24/2024 at 1:53 PM, Joe Fox said:

It was pressed before it was submitted rather than have them do it and it sat somewhere in their buildings for over a year between being pressed/submitted and graded

Then I would talk to your pressor.  Who did you use?  If pressed incorrectly the book can sometimes revert to the pre press condition.  It also could have picked up handling damage if it was lost at CGC.  Perhaps they were using it as a coaster

[LDarkseid1]

On 8/24/2024 at 2:10 AM, Joe Fox said:

For the 5.0:

Grader Notes

piece out left bottom of back cover
stain right bottom of whole book
wear left top of back cover

 

 

For the 5.5:

 

Grader Notes

moderate creasing to cover
moderate finger bends on cover

 

 

 

Yeah I mean whoever you used for pressing, should have handled both of those defects. So the 5.5 really has potential for a decent bump, kiboshing this dilemma.

[Tokyojoe90]

On 8/26/2024 at 12:58 AM, LDarkseid1 said:

Yeah I mean whoever you used for pressing, should have handled both of those defects. So the 5.5 really has potential for a decent bump, kiboshing this dilemma.

Yes, it might get a bump but wasn't what I was asking. I'm wondering how these books are only 0.5 apart when the 5.5 presents so much better than the 5.0

[LDarkseid1]

On 8/26/2024 at 6:30 PM, Joe Fox said:

Yes, it might get a bump but wasn't what I was asking. I'm wondering how these books are only 0.5 apart when the 5.5 presents so much better than the 5.0

Because the defects holding it back from being higher are the kind more naked to the visible eye, but curable with a press. Take those two defects away, and you probably have like a 6.5-7.0ish.

[TC33]

I have cracked undergraded 4.0's, pressed many defects that make it look like a 6.0 and still gotten it back as a 3.5!  It all depends on who is grading.  I just got back a 3.0 grade on a book that looks 10X nicer than this ASM 50 book with literally no defects to mention, just minor wear, a couple very light corner creases (less than this one). Just sent it to a certified CGC dealer and he totally agreed with me! I think CGC likes the re-grading fees so they give out insanely low grades knowing we have to resubmit? There is some grader there at CGC that needs to be fired for grading books so far below everyone else it's embarrassing and destroying their reputation! I wonder if it's the same guy that is also destroying books in the grading process!  I have had perfectly fine/intact books come back with the entire spine split down to the top staple after their handling.  Another Avengers 4 8.5 I had a dealer resubmit that had a note to be very careful with the bottom staple that was a little soft.  They decided to look & handle it there extra hard after that note and popped the staple!  Now I have a 5.5 with a detached lower staple and CGC takes NO RESPONSIBILITY!  IF the major card grading company out there damages a card, they cover the damage and make restitution!  How the hell does CGC get away with destroying our books and causing thousands of dollars of damage to them with absolutely no restitution or sorry note or anything!  Seems like they should be insured for damage caused like this and it be a bare minimum to do so for even the most basic customer service! 

[Phill the Governor]

On 8/27/2024 at 4:15 PM, TC33 said:

I have cracked undergraded 4.0's, pressed many defects that make it look like a 6.0 and still gotten it back as a 3.5!  It all depends on who is grading.  I just got back a 3.0 grade on a book that looks 10X nicer than this ASM 50 book with literally no defects to mention, just minor wear, a couple very light corner creases (less than this one). Just sent it to a certified CGC dealer and he totally agreed with me! I think CGC likes the re-grading fees so they give out insanely low grades knowing we have to resubmit? There is some grader there at CGC that needs to be fired for grading books so far below everyone else it's embarrassing and destroying their reputation! I wonder if it's the same guy that is also destroying books in the grading process!  I have had perfectly fine/intact books come back with the entire spine split down to the top staple after their handling.  Another Avengers 4 8.5 I had a dealer resubmit that had a note to be very careful with the bottom staple that was a little soft.  They decided to look & handle it there extra hard after that note and popped the staple!  Now I have a 5.5 with a detached lower staple and CGC takes NO RESPONSIBILITY!  IF the major card grading company out there damages a card, they cover the damage and make restitution!  How the hell does CGC get away with destroying our books and causing thousands of dollars of damage to them with absolutely no restitution or sorry note or anything!  Seems like they should be insured for damage caused like this and it be a bare minimum to do so for even the most basic customer service! 

As long as you have photos of the books as they appear just before being sent in, CGC will pay the difference in value for damage caused on books (at least in my experience). Damage isn't common but it does happen. Despite issues, I like to use and continue to use CGC since they have a 100% track record as far as my own experience is concerned.

A call to customer service or help here from CGC Mike (I can't seem to find his exact user name but he's a great resource here on the boards acting on CGC's behalf).

[TC33]

On 8/27/2024 at 2:32 PM, Phill the Governor said:

As long as you have photos of the books as they appear just before being sent in, CGC will pay the difference in value for damage caused on books (at least in my experience). Damage isn't common but it does happen. Despite issues, I like to use and continue to use CGC since they have a 100% track record as far as my own experience is concerned.

A call to customer service or help here from CGC Mike (I can't seem to find his exact user name but he's a great resource here on the boards acting on CGC's behalf).

The dealer I used (comicpresser) seemed to think we were screwed and we just had to take the loss from the damage CGC caused?  I know he takes abundant before and after photos, so that should not have been an issue if CGC really covers their damage from handling?  The spine split from top staple to the very top of the book on a TOD 10 was undisclosed and I only noticed it after 6 months of deciding to crack it back open to see why the grade dropped instead of going way up.  I don't think my before shipping front cover pics show how the spine was perfectly intact before shipping, so I know I am screwed on that one. You would think graders would disclose this and be honest when they cause major damage like that and not hide it from the comic owner and their bosses, but apparently not based on my experiences and multiple others I have heard about.