Axelrod

I'm biased because I did well, but I really liked that there were several books in this particular contest with singular, notable defects, that challenged your ability to assess what that defect was worth, so to speak. As opposed to the ones where there are defects all over the book and who knows how much any one affects the grade. (note, I'm not saying that CGC themselves are correctly assessing what a defect should be worth, but, it is their own system) Thanks again, Mike!

Oh no. Just a happy dance. But I've at least got a shot, which has not been the case before.

You are not wrong. That was a real poser - especially coming after the rusty staple book where the rusty staples and associated staining apparently weren't viewed as a "major" defect. I ultimately decided that large and visible a crease had to be a "major" defect and called it a 7.0 One off on two other books as well, for a total of:

Don't get me wrong. Mike's emojis (and the apprehension prior to seeing them) terrify me too.

Coward!

Historically in these things, I have always had at least one bad round where: But now, for the first time, I'm like:

Idle question whether you cracked it out yourself and sent it in raw (possibly through a 3rd party presser) or just sent it in for "reholder", possibly with CGC in house press service?

Literally 25 people within 3 pts. of coveted 6th position!

At risk of being labeled sexist, can we have an empowered woman who is also sexy to look at? Can we cater to the male gaze just a tiny, little bit? I consider myself fairly liberal, and am against discrimination, and demeaning of women, and all those things. But, I mean, it's Red Freaking Sonja.

Well, on the plus side, those pages from the grading guide at least suggest that the grade didn't come completely out of the grader's ***, agree or otherwise disagree as we might. I would have said that was pretty "heavy" rust, and the paper migration looked pretty "significant" to me, though, sure, I guess it could have been even worse.

I would see this movie if it ever got made. I place the odds of it ever getting made (with Robbie staring, at least) as....low.

Wait, you want how old I am now? How about how old I was when I actually bought all my comics....

I would have called those staples a "major" defect all day every day. I think there is zero chance the book gets a grade like that if the defect was visible. Still surprised. Didn't CGC publish a grading guide recently? Were rusty staples not covered in it? Seems like this particular kind of defect ought to be easily quantifiable as far as "grade." Even moreso than a stain, which can be of so many varied sizes and locations and hues. I liked the book as part of this contest because it narrowly focused in on this one singular defect, so - theoretically - you could really see how CGC viewed such a defect. Unless, unfortunately, there's actually no standard and it's just how one individual grader feels about it....

Wasn't there, once upon a time, a thing about non-visible defects being notated on the Blue Label? I know they changed that a little bit ago so that not "all" defects would be notated anymore, but I thought these hidden defects would still be noted. So now nothing is noted anymore? And it's just "you can check the grader's notes."