Slightly Rusted Staples on Golden Age books

[pennynike1]

I was about to purchase a CGC 8.0 book recently, but before I did, I called over to get the CGC notes. I was a little bit concerned because the staples appeared quite dark in the scans.

 

Does anyone have any thoughts about books that have been given a universal grade, but the CGC graders notes indicate "slightly rusted staples"? Any concern about the rust spreading over time to become fully rusted?

[showcase4]

does the label reference "slightly rusty staples", or was that just told to you over the phone?. If it is mentioned on the label, it could effect the marketability of the book if you bought it, and then at some point in the future decided to sell

 

 

...and to answer your question, some books do have worsening rust, especially if stored in poor conditions ( hot and humid ), and some other books will not have any change to the level of rust.....the result is not always consistant.

 

Steve

[The Black Hand ®]

I hate rusted staples. If the rust has spread to the paper and weakened them, you're doomed. If it's just on the outer part of the staple and is kept in a dry environment, then I've been told it's OK. I talked to a restorer on the phone once and he started to tell me about rusted staples but was very vague and said he wanted a sixty dollar consultation fee to finish the explanation. I avoid rusted staple if I can as well as restorers like that guy, but I collect lower grade books, so have had a few. What I really dislike is RS's on a high grade book.It just looks nasty.I use to remove them from books, but now I just leave them alone.

 

P.S. This is about the time that FFB would chime in with his vast knowledge....where is he?

[esquirecomics]

I hate rusted staples. If the rust has spread to the paper and weakened them, you're doomed. If it's just on the outer part of the staple and is kept in a dry environment, then I've been told it's OK. I talked to a restorer on the phone once and he started to tell me about rusted staples but was very vague and said he wanted a sixty dollar consultation fee to finish the explanation. I avoid rusted staple if I can as well as restorers like that guy, but I collect lower grade books, so have had a few. What I really dislike is RS's on a high grade book.It just looks nasty.I use to remove them from books, but now I just leave them alone.

 

P.S. This is about the time that FFB would chime in with his vast knowledge....where is he?

 

Shhh, don't say his name three times. We all know how that turns out!

[pennynike1]

does the label reference "slightly rusty staples", or was that just told to you over the phone?. If it is mentioned on the label, it could effect the marketability of the book if you bought it, and then at some point in the future decided to sell

 

 

...and to answer your question, some books do have worsening rust, especially if stored in poor conditions ( hot and humid ), and some other books will not have any change to the level of rust.....the result is not always consistant.

 

Steve

 

Steve, the CGC label does not have the "slightly rusted" label designation, however, on inspection, the staples are quite dark. I confirmed the slightly rusted staples via phone.

[Mr. Zipper]

From my personal experience and the anecdotal evidence I've heard from numerous collectors, proper storage conditions will arrest the spread of slight rust / tarnished staples.

 

Rust (iron oxidation) needs 2 "fuels" -- oxygen and moisture. Remove the moisture from the environment, and the oxidation does not have the fuel it needs to continue.

 

As an experiment, leave a nail out in the rain for a few weeks and it will start to rust. Then, bring it inside and dry it off. Leave it in a dry room. The rust will stop and the nail should stay in that state indefinately. A comic staple would be no different.

 

I stay away from heavy rust and/or rust that has migrated to the paper. But, if it's a small spot and it hasn't spread to the paper, I can live with it on a tough book.

[nearmint]

I owned this book raw for many years before getting it slabbed. The rust never got worse...

 

[ft88]

Generally speaking, if its a no reserve auction, you can get a book like the Action 66 above for a song compared to a similar book sans staple issue. I think of it similar to Light Tan to Off White pages. For some folks, its the kiss of death and others its not a big deal. As long as the book is a high dollar or difficult to find book, I'd try to snag it as long as the price was very good in your favor.

 

Ed

[pennynike1]

Thanks for the replies everyone. It appears that CGC is not as strict now-a-days regarding the rust designation as it was before. I own a CGC 8.0 copy of Dagar (pictured below) that did not receive a rusted staple desingation, despite the obvious rest evident on the bottom staple:

 

 

I believe the book I am currently interested in has rust on the interior part of the staples, as opposed to the outer(visible) part of the cover. In any event, the price is not exactly what I call favorable to the buyer. It is being sold for about double guide, but only slightly higher than it previously sold for on Heritage.

 

The reason I am still considering interest is due to the limited number of copies certified on the census, along with the fact that it has a nice Jack Kamen cover. Love the cover! Slightly rusted staples, not so much