Please help me grade this one!

[Shield]

I'm trying to decide if I should keep or return this one. Keep in mind it's a single staple WWII era book. Back cover is literally perfect, and pages are off-white. Still attached throughout.

 

 

 

 

[Shield]

I would love it if you could list your reasons why you are grading what it is.

 

 

By the way, here's the original EBAY auction I bought this book from:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2183926508

[ArAich]

From the auction listing: EXTREMELY TINY TOUCHES ON THE CORNERS WITH A 1/64 INCH CHIP BOTTOM CORNERS AND A VERY LIGHT COVER INDENTATION TOP RIGHT CORNER.

 

These are basically the reasons that I had checked VF+...

[Shield]

Thanks for your help so far...trying to decide if I want to return it or not, even if it's slightly (by 1 or .5) points overgraded. The seller has been really cool about the whole thing, and told me I could return if I wanted to. The problem I have is the fact that in this upper echelon of the grading scale is what dictates price. I.E. a VF/NM would fetch considerably more than a VF or VF+, much more of a difference than say a Fine + vs. a Fine.

 

However, this book simply doesn't exist above a Very Good that I've ever seen in all my years of collecting...therein lies my dilemna...

[sfilosa]

It looks very nice to me. CGC is much more likely to grade this book higher than a Silver-Age book.

 

Also, I slightly disagree that a GA VF/NM is worth significantly more than a VF or VF+. Like you said, these books are hard to come by in high grade. In most cases I would rather get a nice VF or VF+ copy than pay double for a VF/NM copy.

 

In Silver-Age, you are correct that a VF or VF+ is worth a lot less. Because most Marvels can be found in NM or at least NM-, books that don't have at least the NM in the label (i.e. VF/NM or better), just don't get as much collectors attention.

 

Unless you feel like you paid a huge premium (or it might have restoration), keep it.

 

 

[ghoulaid]

Nice looking copy. I can see how this would be a delimma. On one hand, it's possibly the nicest copy in existance or at least the nicest you'll ever own. None have been graded by CGC and your own experience tells you how rare it is in that grade. On the other hand you paid handsomely for it. It's only money (if you can spare it). I'd probably keep it and name my own price for it should I ever decide to sell. If you were looking to flip it soon - I'd return it. You never know, maybe Jack didn't see this auction but is willing to pay double for it?

[Shield]

It's funny that you mention Jack. He sent me a check last Friday for my other G/VG copy....

 

Jack and I sometimes get into bidding wars; luckily we're almost both finished with what we are collecting; at least for the same titles.

 

Thanks for everyone's feedback so far. Still undecided....!

[sfilosa]

Is there a very faint long crease on the top right hand side?

 

If so, you might not get a VF. I didn't see it the first time.

 

 

[Shield]

Yes, that is a very faint crease. I feel exactly as you do; how much does that knock off?

[sfilosa]

Because it breaks color (ever so slightly) and it is more than 1/4", I don't think you could get more than a Very Fine. Corner creases are one of those small flaws that gets a big downgrade.

 

I've had GA books were you can see a bend that long, that doesn't break color, and gotten a VF+ (plus had a few other flaws).

 

The color break might just do this book in.

 

Sorry.

 

[Warlord]

Nice looking copy. I can see how this would be a delimma. On one hand, it's possibly the nicest copy in existance or at least the nicest you'll ever own. None have been graded by CGC and your own experience tells you how rare it is in that grade. On the other hand you paid handsomely for it. It's only money (if you can spare it). I'd probably keep it and name my own price for it should I ever decide to sell. If you were looking to flip it soon - I'd return it. You never know, maybe Jack didn't see this auction but is willing to pay double for it?

 

 

Keep it. Keeeeeep iiiiiiiiiiiit! You know you want to!

[Shield]

Damnit! I came home and the comic looked at me and said "Keep me, you insufficiently_thoughtful_person! I'm the last of a kind in the shape! All my bretheren were destroyed in the paper drives and rotting in vaults my rich old men!"

 

So....we'll see.

[ArAich]

Damnit! I came home and the comic looked at me and said "Keep me, you insufficiently_thoughtful_person! I'm the last of a kind in the shape! All my bretheren were destroyed in the paper drives and rotting in vaults my rich old men!"

 

So....we'll see.

 

You didn't continue the conversation did you...

[Mushroom]

I gave it a VF....but look at that cover. It is very sweet. I would keep it given its' scarcity.

[Shield]

Damnit! I came home and the comic looked at me and said "Keep me, you insufficiently_thoughtful_person! I'm the last of a kind in the shape! All my bretheren were destroyed in the paper drives and rotting in vaults my rich old men!"

 

So....we'll see.

 

You didn't continue the conversation did you...

 

 

Oh sure...I always talk to my comics....except for the EC's...

[FlComicFan]

fn/vf 7.0 the slight dings/color flecks at top and bottom of the spine and the faint corner crease I dont think CGC would slab it higher maybe 8.0 at best but could also come back a 6.0 Nice book I havent see that one in a while and never that clean

[sfilosa]

In the Gerber guide, he shows the Mile High Copy. It looks sweet. Is that copy restored?

 

Which leads to a whole other question. Most of the books in Gerber's guide look to be very high grade. Where are all these books? I'm always suspicious when someone says highest grade in existence, because I still there are a few great collections that have not been graded.

 

What's everyone else think?

[tod09]

Totally agree that there are a lot of high grade collections that will never see the light of day at CGC. Many "well to do" collectors have all these super high grade books with absolutely no intentions of ever selling. If your never going to sell a favorite book(s) why get it graded? You risk transit damage, possible handling damage (while grading) and incur a grading fee. People get their books graded for a status symbol type of an effect. Even though they would never sell that certain favorite book they like to tell people they have that 9.8 whatever. These wealthy people with these fantastic collection don't need to brag about their high grade books, instead you have their Ferraris and multi-million dollar homes to do their bragging for them.

 

Tod

[ghoulaid]

In the Gerber guide, he shows the Mile High Copy. It looks sweet. Is that copy restored?

 

Which leads to a whole other question. Most of the books in Gerber's guide look to be very high grade. Where are all these books? I'm always suspicious when someone says highest grade in existence, because I still there are a few great collections that have not been graded.

 

What's everyone else think?

 

As a collector, I don't plan to have my books graded until I'm ready to sell (on my deathbed). I'm not saying I have the greatest or one of the greatest collections (I don't) but I DO have books that would be the highest graded copy if I submitted them. A great many super nice books are tucked away in collections for a long time.

[sfilosa]

That's what I thought. While I'm not saying there are twenty NM copies of all Golden-Age issues, there might be 10-20 VF/NM or better copies of a lot of GA issues that haven't been (and won't be for a while) graded by CGC.

 

Tons (and I mean tons) of books in the Gerber guide look much nicer than most of the books offered at auctions.

 

And another thing to think about is that the Gerber Guides don't include many of the newer pedigrees, such as White Mountain, Bethlehem, Spokane, Gaines, etc. which seems to be the ones for sale now. In other words, a lot of the nicer books in Gerber guide are not pedigrees (though obviously a lot are Mile High).

 

Just thought everyone should keep this in mind when buying the "Highest Graded Copy".