• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

BIG PURCHASE NEED ADVICE

22 posts in this topic

Edgar Church or Curator copys are pedigrees.

Stan Lee books are NOT a pedigree they're called a provenance.

Nothing wrong in collecting provenance books.

 

grin.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Muad,

If this is the comic that you are referring to, better take a close look at this "8.0":

 

web page

 

1) handtrimmed on the right edge. The right edge arcs in severely starting from the point of the lower area of the comic code. Some Marvels are cut in this manner as I've heard it argued, but certainly not DCs. Try finding just 1 other example on Ebay of any midgrade 1955 to 1962 DC on Ebay (with slightly rounded corners) that has a similar right edge with all pages flush, front and back, that meet squarely on the reading edge in square bound fashion. The edge also exhibits "human hand"-cut tendencies. Waviness within the obvious arc, thusly: ( The left edge has no such lean or arc (a mirror of the right edge) to indicate that the book was "miscut" as such, by the manufacturer

 

2) The staples and their position within the paper appear strange. First off, their bend, placement, color, and "spin" (thickness/diameter) appear unoriginal. The comic has an appearance of those that have been dismantled, then reassembled.

 

3) An addendum to #2: By virtue of the top staple appearing to not be seated all the way through (indicating a "short or stunted" bend at the centerfold whereby the staple is closed tight, yet loose...not holding the paper tightly), the thickness of the pages, the distance to the centerfold indicates to me that the book has been pressed while dismantled, possibly cleaned and pressed.

 

4) Blue ink (bic-like blue color) pen-like mark positioned just to the right of the spine line level with G.L's mid back (this color blue is not approximated anywhere else on the cover)

 

5) The cover is slightly shifted upwards, very subtley to the top and yet the miscut of the right edge, cover and internal pages, lines up perfectly with no trace of misaligned shift that is so obvious at the bottom edge (note how the cover does not meet (extend to) the level of the end of the internal pages but stops just short of them. This would happen if the book were dismantled, pressed and/or cleaned and pressed, reassembled, then cut along the right edge, the cover shifting up slightly after assembly more than before assembly due to the loosened staple seating through the paper if left un-reinforced during assembly.

 

6)Curiously, the comic needed a fairly large spacer. Most DCs are much wider than Marvels, owing to the earlier production date. Very rarely do you see a Showcase between 1 and 25 that would need a spacer. While this in itself is not necessarily an indicator of trim (size), this last factor, coupled with the above observations would lead me to believe that the comic is not in it's original state.

 

7)The grade itself. I have seen many 8.0s in similar condition, all above remarks aside. I've seen a wide range of 8.0s that I would place grades of anywhere between 6.0 to 9.4 on. I'm sure we all have. In respect to this particular comic, even if you disagree with all of my above 6 remarks, personally, I'd hold off on this one and wait out a sharper, stricter 8.0.

 

BTW: He asked for help. He asked for a candid opinion. I offered mine. This is my opinion on this book to the best of my ability. I'd much rather talk about books, like my post here, than talk about adversity and argue with folks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites