Hi,

I got hold of an excellent copy of uncanny x-men 266 (gambits 1st appearance), it has white pages and as you can see a practically perfect cover (back cover is also the same quality) but only question mark I have is the bottom staple.
In the picture the top staple is dead flush in the center of the spine, but the bottom staple is not, it looks slightly out as if a bit loose. There's nothing wrong with it otherwise, the pages are bound firm as they should be and if you look inside, in the centerpage, the staple looks like the top staple i.e. normal

My question is, would this count as a popped staple? I know if it does then it cant be a good grade, but if it does not count as a popped staple, would it stop it from being an NM (or at very least an VFN/NM)?



Thanks for any help in advance

A popped staple is where the cover has become split around the staple, thus becoming detatched from the staple itself. That staple looks fine. These books were printed fast, so things like off-centered covers and imperfect staple alignment are more than common.
That book is beautiful, in my opinion. An easy NM, if not NM+

Ah thats good to hear...thanks for the help and clarifying a popped staple (excuse my nubeness )

More common comic collecting terms and their relative definitions can be found HERE on the CBCA website.

Beautiful book. Nice find.

+1

This is a sharp book. Just a little spine roll at the top. I'm thinking 9.4. It's nice.

Books an easy 9.2 maybe 9.4. Hard to tell with it in the bag.

Okay, here's my question (coming from someone with little to no experience in grading, but I am trying to learn how): So, you guys are saying 9.4, 9.2 by looking at the scan of the front cover; how much do you have to factor in the back cover and internal pages when grading a book? Stains, rips, color, etc.?

Thanks!

In my opinion, when it comes to grading, the back cover is just as important as the front cover. When it comes to appeal, however, the front cover is obviously more important since it's the part of the comic that you will see first.
For example, if the comic you have pictured above (UXM 266) has a huge piece (1" - 2") missing from the back cover, the grade would drop considerably (probably down to a Good or Good+) despite what the front cover looks like.
Likewise for the interior pages, although very small defects (like tiny ink blotches, very, very small tears on the page edges, dog eared corners that do not tear, etc.) are more often overlooked than they would be if on the front (or back) covers... especially on mid-grade or slightly higher books.

Like I said, this is just my opinion. All people will grade a tad differently than one another and give more weight to certain defects than others would based on personal preference, but I think I'm in the ballpark.

If you get the chance and haven't already, give this book a look:



I was able to check out a copy from my local library and look at it before I went and bought my own. It really helped me a lot when I started the grading part of my return to comic books.

I've been looking for that book (for a reasonable price), but I haven't been able to find it anywhere. Thanks for the response.

Those grading estimates are only based on what can be seen and so are just that.... estimates. For all anyone knows, the back cover could be torn off.

The real grade given by anyone who is grading a book properly is just as dependent on the back cover and interior pages as the front cover. A front cover often gives a good indication to the condition of a comic but sometimes it can be completely misleading.

I suppose, if I think about it, that all makes sense. Obviously, grading isn't totally objective and certainly open to some subjectivity. As stated I am a noob to grading books and still have a long way to go before I get a handle on it.

I am not a big CGC acolyte. However, I recently sent in a bunch of modern books for grading. They were all originally purchased by me, very gently read, then bagged, boarded and boxed. The majority of the books came back with much lower grades than I expected for what I "thought" were all 9.6 and above (given their pristine condition). Which is what prompted my original question (above) - just trying to get a better handle on all the factors involved in assigning a grade.

It takes a hell of a lot of practice to get good at grading and at the higher end of the grading scale, the flaws that can keep the comics from the highest grades are very subtle. A huge amount of submitters to CGC have had a big learning experience on their first attempt.

If you ever get the opportunity to go through a bunch of comics with an experienced grader, it will probably be a very worthwhile experience.

I'll say!


That would be an awesome experience. I am in Maine, I don't know when/if I would get that opportunity.

That would be an awesome experience. I am in Maine, I don't know when/if I would get that opportunity.[/quote]

Do you know of any comic dealers who are at all local to you? Getting to know one through buying comics from them might provide an opportunity to discuss grading with them.

Garry that is a great idea. Unfortunately, my favorite LCS is an hours drive from my home. So, I don't get there as often as I wish. That being said, I have a very good relationship with the shop owner and I'll bet I can work something out with him.

If I ever get out to Maine to visit my sister I'd love to meet up with a fellow CBCA member.

Just give me a heads up and it's a plan.

Where in Maine is your sister?

Portland. I haven't been out to see her ever since she moved. My twin and another sister moved to Boston recently so a visit to the Northeast is definitely a possibility.

I'm about 9 miles outside of Portland. So, if you visit make sure you let me know. It would be great to meet you in the flesh.