Grading help?

[snizzenfixit]

I could use a little help grading a book. I am thinking 8.5 but my opinion may be tainted because I own the book. I want to send it to CGC but I also want to be sure it is worth sending. It is a rather large scan so dial up users may want to steer clear, but the scan is Here Thanks for any opinions you can offer.

 

Phil

 

[OldGuy]

Assuming the back cover is clean and the interior is intact I'd say 8.5 easy.

[Guest]

the two big problems are at the bottom staple and the lower rhc? Is that it?

[snizzenfixit]

the two big problems are at the bottom staple and the lower rhc? Is that it?

 

Yeah, that's it on the front, and the bottom corner doesn't look as bad in person as it does in the scan for some reason. The back cover has a very slight stacking wear near the spine but no creases or spine stress on the back.

 

Phil

 

[Guest]

okay then. Yeah, 8.5 looks about right.

[Guest]

Phil,

 

Any problems with the back cover?

 

Does the top left corner have a small thumb crease?

 

From what I can see, 8.5 is most likely. 8.0 is possible, and maybe a 9.0 if it's graded before lunch.

[snizzenfixit]

Does the top left corner have a small thumb crease?

 

No thumb crease but I see what you mean in the scan, don't know what that is but it doesn't show up under 5x magnification.

 

Any problems with the back cover?

 

Slight stacking wear near the spine as noted above, not a significant amount.

 

 

From what I can see, 8.5 is most likely. 8.0 is possible, and maybe a 9.0 if it's graded before lunch.

 

This is what I thought too and the 8.0 is what scares me. If the graders wife was uncooperative the night before I would hate for him to take it out on the next days grading

 

Phil

 

[Gorgo]

Phil, based on your scan & description, you're likely looking at an 8.5 to 9.0. I've had good breaks on some of these bronze books, including this one, where I received a 9.6 OW. Your's has the benefit of not having a transparent cover, as virtually all of these I've seen in higher grade have (including the 9.8 up on e-bay some time ago) have. Mine had a transparent cover (front & back), and since your's doesn't, I think you should stand a better chance of a 9.0.

[snizzenfixit]

Phil, based on your scan & description, you're likely looking at an 8.5 to 9.0.

 

That is what I was hoping for, I would be satisfied with 8.5, and delighted with 9.0 I will send it in for slabbing. Thanks everyone for your help.

 

Phil

 

[Polyphemus]

Just curious: Why are you sending it in?

[snizzenfixit]

Just curious: Why are you sending it in?

 

I have found through experience that any comic of value that is not slabbed will eventually fall in the litter box, or the toilet, or suffer some other horrifying disaster. Slabbing for me is mainly to protect the book.

 

Phil

[blowout]

................gorgo, do you think that cgc factors in cover tranparency into the grade?

................i ask this because, as you say, there was a recent 9.8 copy of this book on ebay with a VERY transparent cover.......

[The_Man_Of_Steel]

I'm NOT going to give my opinion just yet. Give me answers to the questions below, and I'll give you my opinon. Based on what I could see, here are the flaws I took note of.

 

1.) what is that mark next to the "N" of "Iron". Is it a crease? It appears to break color whatever it is.

2.) Looking at the front cover, the lower right corner appears to have moderate "blunting". Would that be accurate, or is it more like very tiny corner creasing?

3.) Looking at the front, the bottom staple I see what appears to be a couple of "spine stress" marks. Are they almost invisible or are they obvious?

 

OTHER QUESTIONS

 

4.) HOW ABOUT SURFACE WEAR? Scans really don't show surface wear, unless the book has an incredible amount of surface wear. I hold each of my books up to a light and look over the surface of the book carefully. Near Mint books have NO surface wear, and Very Fine books should have almost no surface wear.

 

5.) Based on the weight CGC gives the BACK OF THE BOOK (which I would agree with), are the "stacking" marks along the spine the only flaw looking at the back of the book? How would you describe them? Slight, Moderate, or Obvious?

[snizzenfixit]

1.) what is that mark next to the "N" of "Iron". Is it a crease? It appears to break color whatever it is.

 

Looks like a printing defect, no crease but a slight color change there.

 

2.) Looking at the front cover, the lower right corner appears to have moderate "blunting". Would that be accurate, or is it more like very tiny corner creasing?

 

I would call it blunting. Under 5x magnification it is difficult to spot.

 

3.) Looking at the front, the bottom staple I see what appears to be a couple of "spine stress" marks. Are they almost invisible or are they obvious?

 

Almost impossible to see without magnification but at 5x they are "slightly noticeable"

 

4.) HOW ABOUT SURFACE WEAR?

 

I see no surface wear, in fact it is nicely glossy

 

5.) are the "stacking" marks along the spine the only flaw looking at the back of the book? How would you describe them? Slight, Moderate, or Obvious?

 

Slight, they can be seen unaided, but are not what I would call significant in any way, and that appears to be the only flaw on the rear.

 

Phil

 

[Moriarty]

With defects noted and from scan, more likely to be a VF 8.0. Might be wishful thinking to expect anything higher IMO.

[murph0]

I own an IF 14 CGC 9.0 that looks a bit nicer then your book and has a tiny blue dot on the back cover otherwise back cover is flawless..anyways, based on my book versus yours..you have an 8.5

 

Brian

[The_Man_Of_Steel]

Based on your response, I would say an 8.5. However, based on the magnified scan, the spine stress appears to be more than slightly noticable (could be the magnification), and if that is the case then combined with the corner blunting and printing defect could bring the grade down to an 8.0. Oh yeah, I forgot to ask about page suppleness. If the pages are white, that could be the difference between an 8.0 and an 8.5. At any rate, you own a high grade copy of the 1st appearance of Sabretooth, Woverine's arch enemy. If I were you, I would NOT slab it, unless you are wanting to sell it, and even then I would "count the cost" first. I don't know what you paid for it, if anywhere near VF guide value, then selling it could be a gamble. If you are going to keep it, you might consider other options like putting it in a 2 mil Mylar (to seal it) and then into a 4 mil. Mylar (giving it rigidity).

 

Based on your post, I would say that you are an "honest" comic book grader. What do I mean? You realize that none of us are always consistant in our grading and sometimes "wishful" thinking can cloud our grading especially when it is a "tough call".

 

Anyway, thank you for valuing our opinions and giving them weight in your decision.

[Gorgo]

Blowout, getting back to you delayed here, had one of my staff get injured in the field today, dangerous line of work.

 

Regarding the transparency, I've observed several high grades with this, and based on this plus my own (which had the transparency), I'm confident having a non-transparent cover should help the grade. My assumption is based on common traits for books, like many others I see in identical grades (never off by .2).

[murph0]

I would agree if I thought CGC considered that into their grading. I personally do, as do many others, but there are also plenty that don't. Anyways, the 9.2's and up that I see are usually translucent..one of the 2 9.8's that have been on eBay was translucent.

 

Brian

[snizzenfixit]

Well, I got my 3 express submissions back today. The IF 14 was one of them, it graded

VF+ 8.5 Off-White Pages

 

Thanks for the help everybody, lots of good graders here.

 

Phil