This is actually an idea that is used on another comic book site. I like the idea of being able to help out people who maybe can’t decide what grade to give a comic, or have others help me if I am stuck on what grade I should assign a book. The only thing is not many people who populate that site participate to the point where it can be truly beneficial. Usually it is the same two or three people commenting which is great but I think with an enthusiast site such as CHU, a grading thread would do much better.
To test this out I have included a comic from a very hot title right now. The Eternals issue #10. For this I am looking to get more than grading advice. I bought the book as faded, but it isn’t. Apparently, the ink plate on Red and probably yellow were out or running low or out when the front cover was printed, so it is a misprint. Some people like these, some don’t. Along with some grading advice I would like to know opinions on if this “misprint” has any relevance or if it is just a dud.
The Blue and black inks are vibrant. there is almost full cover gloss and the pages are all secure and off white.
Go nuts, have fun, give unbiased opinions. No need to sugar coats anything. I got this for cheap so it is no big deal good or bad.
I have never seen this type of ‘misprint’ before. The first thing that catches my eye is the fact that the back cover has vibrant yellows and reds. Now, I have no idea how the printing process works, but, to me, it seems odd that back cover has these vibrant reds and yellows but the front lacks these colours. The front cover and back cover are on the same side of the paper stock, so it would seem to me that the front and back cover images should have been ‘printed’ at the same time, making it odd that the back image contains those vibrant colours that are lacking on the front.
Since you aren’t shoing them, what grade did you give the other 30 pages not showm?
Any cutouts, writing, Bob loves Mary, 4+5=11 stuff.
Are they centered and cut neat?
Do you have pages hanging off center from the rest or with undercut factory paper leftover? Internal corner folds?
If you turn the cover to the side under a light so you can see the gloss shine, is it smooth or does it look like 25 fingernails imbedded themselves into the finish? How about pock marks like it laid outside in some grit at a yard sale with heavier items on top?
Are all the pages tight, no extra staples?
There’s a lot more to grading a comic than what two scans show some of.
Your reds are about gone, your greens have faded and the yellows have dulled but only on the front side. Looks like it was in a display case under fluorescent lighting like my Firestorm #1 from the 70’s for years. Had the same look when I sold it. Direct sunlight would have wiped out the greens all the way down to grey in a short time. This looks more like a slower process from weaker lights like my display case victims. I’ve seen similar taped to the front of boxes also.
Also, if you look at it from a distance it looks like it had been in a bag with a big letter V written on the bag that protected a bit of the red in a V shape pattern or something had gotten on the book in a V shape. I can’t see the inside to see if there’s anything with a V shape and red on the inside of the cover bleeding thru.
From the other site that would have this most contributors would just post the front and back cover sometimes the centerfold and that was about it, so I just got used to that format of showing. I think most of those who would use this would probably do the same mainly due to the time it would take to scan the whole book. I could see some collectors with more high end books might be inclined to show covers and all pages which would be great!
The V that you are talking about does not show up on the interior pages or even the other side of the cover. All pages are cut straight with no tears, the centerfold is secure and there is no rust on the staples. Everything is complete and the pages are off white. The majority of the gloss on the cover is still there.
The only reason I was thinking this is a misprint is because the blues have not faded at all. I do have some comics that have faded, bought them as readers and pretty much all but the darkest of colors faded significantly. That doesn’t mean fading didn’t occur here and why I added this instead of a normal looking comic. Figured I could get some good incite as to the issues and learn a few things.
Yeah, I have no clue to how the printing process is done with comics or even if there are different methods today as opposed to decades ago. If it is just a faded book as opposed to a misprint that if fine. Always good to have readers, especially on books that are gaining some heat!
@rob92807…i would do more research on the fading that BJ mentioned with the fluorescent lighting. Perhaps fluorescent lighting only fades certain colours, thus leaving some colours faded and others not faded?
I was recently discussing s similiar topic with my ‘presser/cleaner’. I had brought him 2 newsstand Savage She-Hulk #1s. One copy had nice bright reds et al in the trade dress and such, while the other had what looked to be orangey faded red. When he looked at them he said that he did not think the orangey copy was faded, but a low ink well, as the greens, yellows and other colours seemed to match up on both copies. They are both out of my possession right now, as they are being pressed, but I will check out the back covers colours when I get them back in hand.
That very well could be true. I have heard fluorescent lighting is rough on Reds, but haven’t heard anything about them in regard to cooler colors. I always assumed it would be about the same, but I could be waaaay off with that assumption.
Fluorescent tubes can cover a wide range if not the entire range of outputs. When I owned a pet store we had all kinds of types that each pushed more of something than something else to achieve a different result. For instance, for reptiles that need UVB to help their bodies produce a Vitamin D3 precursor which they need to absorb the calcium and phosphorous they’re getting in their diet. Here’s a link to more info if you have a kid with a turtle or Iguana that isn’t doing so well. http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatreptileblog/2013/05/10/uvb-light-why-do-reptiles-need-it-and-which-uvb-bulbs-are-best/#.XM1U6XdFzcc
Some fluorescent’s were great for making the reds colors pop on fish, others gave a more natural look, some were great for plant growth which could also make algae grow terribly if used in the wrong conditions. I even had tanning bed bulbs that were fluorescent for my tanning bed in the 90’s. I’ve even read that the UV coating could be applied to sleeves to slide under almost any tube so we wouldn’t have to keep paying for bulbs over and over again but there’s no resale value in that for manufacturers so it isn’t pushed. I did have one company that sold plastic sleeves of differing colors to go over regular tubes for nice visual results.
When I took the little piece of paper off the front of the pack to sell the Firestorm set last month after maybe 4 years in the cabinet, the reds and such were still nice under the paper leaving a shape identical to the price tag with color on a faded book.
When we opened about 7 years ago a number of other DC titles got hit hard by the sunlight coming in directly from the display in the older building getting direct exposure. I go to a lot of trouble to cover the majority of the new stores windows with posters to block sunlight and those I have to now take and spray directly with a UV blocking clear coat to have them last maybe six months. Without it they bleach out in a month or two with reds and greens going fast frequently having no affect on the blacks and such. I’ve got to change out 25 or so posters again in the next two weeks before a yearly festival out front the 18th which means another 6 cans or so of spray paint needed.
As for the 2 covers only showing, the point was just that people put too much emphasis on grading based on a couple pictures when to get really accurate, you need to go over the whole book and the covers represent maybe 5 to 7% of a typical comic and even then we’re only seeing the outer half the covers and not the insides of the covers.
In general I don’t like assigning grades if I don’t have to without going thru a book and never over the telephone. Almost weekly people tell me how mint it is on the phone based on the criteria that it’s “been stored in a plastic bag”.
In general I try to under grade a bit to be safe and it tends to make a happy customer. The over picky think you nailed it and the rest feel they got better than advertised.
I love the idea. If people think this could end up being it’s own category we could make it happen. A section to post your books if you want opinions on it’s grade, etc.
@agentpoyo… Grading is always a topic for discussion given the nature of the hobby. However, I am not sure it would need its own category. I feel like if someone had a grading question, that they could simply post it in the ‘general’ category. I think that the forum should stay more condensed at first, while users get used to the format and layout. Add more categories as the user base grows and gets accustomed to the new online environment. M2c.
I also agree with keeping the categories more dense at first. When you start breaking off into too many categories, it does cause confusion.
I’d say yes, create a category if it becomes popular enough to warrant one. I guess I should have reiterated that with “this could end up”…
But yeah, I’d say asking for grade opinions could go into the Comics category, the Uncategorized even. That’s definitely the place if you’re just not sure of any topic you start.
I think its own category would encourage newer speculators to post pics of new books with 1 colour breaking tic on the spine asking what grade (its not 9.8, sorry). I feel that would not be something to encourage. Grading opinions, imo, are for older books (proven modern keys [eg. BA12, NYX3], copper, bronze…) and weird questions like @rob92807 intial question on his Eternals book with the odd colouring. I know that sounds kinda snobbish, but it is how i feel.
Over more than 40 years, I’ve graded books … I like to consider myself pretty good at it … the thing is, it is impossible to assign a grade to a book without physically holding in in your hand, tilting it to reflect light and observe defects, taking a look at the inside, and more … as a general guide, this link is a handy reference …
I always, always err on the conservative side … which may or may not reflect my political leaning …
Yeah, I’d agree. I’ve seen and bought what looked like great books off eBay cause the seller got all the right angles of the book and probably missed the flaws the book had. It’s rare I buy a book if they don’t claim it’s NM or so but I also don’t blame them either, since I don’t advertise a grade most of the time as well. With eBay’s new rules in place, it’s too easy for a buyer to claim a book isn’t NM and it’s a valid claim for returning.
In my opinion, mine are. Lol