Spine stress lines spine and other pressing questions. Dry cleaning is a process used to remove dirt and pencil marks from both the interior and cover a comic book, particularly in the white areas of the comic. This damage usually results from someone poking the comic with a sharp object. Spine break a spine stress that has devolved into a tear usually through multiple wraps. Spine stress marks most often occur in otherwise like newnm comics and are the result of poor handling. The cgc comic book shop offer as well as full cgc grading and slabbing we. They also highly recommend that you wear gloves and never pick periodicals up by the stapled edge to avoid spine stress marks. I have bought some comics that were classified as nm, or even ones that are brand new out of the box at the lcs, that have what appears to be white linesfading stress marks not sure how to describe it on the spine. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. When it comes to comic storage, they advise changing up any plastic or cardboard used to be replaced every seven years or so.
Instead, gentle dry methods are used to remove as much dirt deposits from the book as possible. Regarding the spine stress, keep in mind that the book has some pressure on it in the slab, sometimes making the lines hard to see. One of the most important factors is first to count the interior pages. If exceptional in other areas, could have six of the following at least three must be 116 or less in size and the remaining must be must be 18 in size or less, small spine stress, slight corner blunting, miniscule tear, miniscule color flake. Instead, gentle dry methods are used to remove as much. Mar 27, 2020 spine stress bindery tears, small creases, folds, or tears under 14 inch running perpendicular to the spine spine roll, a curvature of the left edge of a comic toward the front or back, caused by folding back each page of the comic as it was read. This discoloration can be worsened by the storage condition of the comic. Not as easy to find in recent books as one might think.
A very fine books cover may have some slight surface wear. These are usually the result of comics having been in spinner racks. Spine roll a condition where the left edge of a comic curves toward the front or back, caused by folding back each page as the comic was read. Inspect it closely, making note of any of the following. Jan 19, 2017 this video explains how to identify spine stress on your books, how it can affect the grade of your book, how it is caused and how to prevent it. Jul 14, 2016 a very fine book may have folds or creases on the cover and some may break color. Any pictures you see of the pages etc were taken before getting the comic slabbed. Staples may be missing or show rust and discoloration. Even a simple tick along the spine puts you in jeopardy. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it.
As with grading all collectibles, there is a degree of subjectivity as there are many factors to consider and all of them must be weighed to determine an overall grade. Ccs offers its services in conjunction with certified guaranty company cgc, a leading thirdparty comic book grading service, creating a streamlined process. Mail your comics to abc comic book pressing po box 582226 elk grove ca 95758. If it is literally the only problem the book has i can see a 9. How do you know if a comic book is very fine condition. Still has sharp look, with nice bright color and gloss. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. Comics are best stored upright as this prevents spine roll, but if comics stored upright are allowed to slump, resulting in curving of the spine, stress lines result small creases projecting at right angles from the comics spine. Very slight staple tears and a few almost insignificant stress lines may be present. But the rawhide kid book just has spine stress and no pulling. Creasing or other damage on the spine left side of the comic usually from opening the comic.
This could have one major defect like a larger piece out of the cover, a long tear or a detached centerfold. Higher grade books will obviously see the most improvement after being pressed, simply because they usually have only minor defects noncolour breaking spine stress, dents, bends, etc. In this video youll see the before and after of some extreme cases of what comic book pressing can and cant fix. Some comics in good also have small holes that go through the entire book. Publication years range from 1970 until present day. I found the following website to be helpful in grading because it quantifies the defects for each grade.
Below we explain what each grade means as for the condition of the comic book. This video explains how to identify spine stress on your books, how it can affect the grade of your book, how it is caused and how to prevent it. The adventures of superman 1982, dc comic, golden book. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. Jul 27, 20 this is a tutorial on how to use nonrestorative techniques to improve the appearance of comic books. I am new to collecting comics and had some question about grading when it comes to the condition of the spine. Depending on which graded comic mystery box you order you might get a cgc or cbcs graded book between the grade of 5. Stress lines on the spine stress lines on the spine 2 2. I have enclosed grade notes which showed spine stress and breaks. In it, i walk you step by step through 27 comics at every grade level from 0. Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include.
It should have full, bright colors and gloss and no wear of any kind. But this cannot be a significant problem or the comic becomes a fair. Sell comic books online with dylan universe dylan teaches you about the comic book. Jan 26, 2017 comic books such as batman, superman and the avengers have become a common language in our culture. Spondylolysis defect or stress fracture of the pars interarticularis may be unilateral or bilateral most common location is l5 of the lower lumbar spine xrays. Sep 23, 2015 this will remove any oils from your hands, which can cause staining. If they are not too bad, the comic is still considered a fine. On the other hand, i have also seen amazing results after pressing and cleaning books in lower grades as well. Your mystery box might contain a variant issue comic book, signed comic, double signed comics.
This comic is definitely a read copy with handling wear, but can still be a very desirable copy. The color breaks should be no more than 14 inch and a fold that does not break color can be up to 3. First off, i do think that readers crease breaks color, forget that book. For your protection, this comic has been slabbed and graded by the cgc experts in florida universal slab in 9. Spine breaks greatly decrease the spine s structural integrity and are often found close to the staples. Im no professional but here is some self knowledge on how to fix comic book spine rolls feel free to leave comments or any tips that may help thanks for watching. A small horizontal rip in a comics cover that can usually be seen on both the front and the back. Josh is a cgc, cbcs dealer, and a cbcs facilitator. May have a few small stress marks on the spine or outer edge. What are the comic book grades sparkle city comics. This comic book will have at most a few very, very minor flaws. Tinytolarge bends on or along the spine of a comic book, that may or may not break color, usually resulting from mishandling. Nov 01, 2017 at this point, the comic book was probably read maybe 35 times, but is still in very good condition, has great eye appeal and is clearly stored properly.
Chuck rozanskis grading standards mile high comics. The universal slab implies the comic is complete and free of restoration. Beware if any older comic book is graded above this mark. This is the typical condition of a nice newstand mint comic book. If perfect in all other areas, could have five of the following must be 116 in size or less, small spine stress, slight corner blunting, miniscule tear, miniscule color flake. Comic books as a bridge to healing counseling today. There may be small creases on cover that break color, but the spine is still wellkept with only a few stress marks.
A spine split of up to 23 the length of the book, a missing back cover provided the front cover is still attached, severe water damage or residue damage, mold, and paper deterioration due to oxidation. Avery comic pressing professional comic book pressing. An incomplete book missing pages will have significantly less value then a complete. Ap, lateral, and oblique views scottie dog sign on xray fracture site is the collar seen on posterior. Remember, fingers leave oil and it cannot be erased. Personally, i think the best a book like that could get is a 9. A small color break usually located on the spine by the staples typically due from stress that is placed on the book when opening. Fingerprints on a black cover will be tough to remove. Nostomanias grading guide for comic books coin and comic. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. The learn to grade comic books course is the most comprehensive course of its kind. A defect of a comic book caused by improper storage that results in uneven pages and the bowing of the spine. If you reall are concerned, its kind of tough to flatten out the roll once the comic suffers from it, but for minor case all you have to do is stack a bunch of heavy book on top of the comic for a few days and leave it be. In my opinion, if there is even a single colorbreaking flaw along the spine, no matter how minor, then the book scores 9.
All writing is allowed except for excessive magic marker or writing on the story pages in such a way as to detract from the story. Spine stress lines comic book grading and restoration. However, please note that comic book grading is subjective and each grader might vary slightly on the grade they would give a comic. It has stress lines on the spine and creases from the opening and closing of the cover. An accumulation of staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as rust migration. Spine stress bindery tears, small creases, folds, or tears under 14 inch running perpendicular to the spine spine roll, a curvature of the left edge of a comic toward the front or back, caused by folding back each page of the comic. To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. Spine stressbindery tears, small creases, folds, or.
A small horizontal rip in a comics cover that can usually be seen. Cgc insider everything you ever wanted to know about comic. Comic grading, from bag and board grading to full cgc submission. Comics kept in damp environments like basements often degrade faster. Less obvious but equally important to the surface of the cover is the spine of the comic book.
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