ASM 39 and 40

[Smokinghawk]

What grades? Both are completely unrestored (I think I am the second owner ever on each!). No major flaws; minor blunting across top edge and a few marks on the corner of the 39. Otherwise, wear is quite minimal. Gloss is near-perfect. These are some of the nicest ungraded copies I've ever seen.

 

 

[fantastic_four]

The #39 looks around 7.5. The #40 looks 8.5 due to the slight creasing/tearing on the middle right edge, but it's hard to tell from the scan since the art on that issue often hides a lot. The odd thing about the 40 is that the top edge slopes at a different angle than the bottom edge, which is something I've personally never noticed on a comic before. Hopefully that's just a bad factory trim...I doubt somebody would trim it that badly by hand.

[Smokinghawk]

No, it's not trimmed. What you're seeing is the edge of the backer board behind it. The book is square and untrimmed.

 

Oh, and there seems to be a miscut at the halfway point of the bottom edge on the #40. I don't know why that's in the scan, because the actual book is straight across.

 

[Aces]

The bottom of the 40 looks funny.

 

Like the left half was trimmed...?

[Aces]

The book is OK then?

 

I've bumped the scanner before and have gotten pics like that.

[Aman619]

The 39 is weaker than the 40. That upper right corner alone is pretty dinged up.

[Tomega]

39 - 7.0

40 - 8.5

 

 

Of course, based only on front cover.

Tom

[murph0]

7.0 and 8.0 respectively.

 

Brian

[Smokinghawk]

The book is OK then?

 

I've bumped the scanner before and have gotten pics like that.

 

Not sure what happened, but that's why I made mention of it in my second post. The actual comic doesn't have any peculiar edges.

 

I agree that the 40 is better. They're BEAUTIFUL copies; the only damage anywhere is on the edges, and even that's slight (no tears, just bumps). That upper corner on the 39 gives me heartburn, though. It's not actually bent up; it's more like a spiderweb flaw in the color--tiny hairlike tendrils of misprint. But since it looks like the corner got bashed, it brings down the whole book.

 

 

[uluru]

39 - 7.5

40 - 8.5

 

[fantastic_four]

I agree that the 40 is better. They're BEAUTIFUL copies; the only damage anywhere is on the edges, and even that's slight (no tears, just bumps). That upper corner on the 39 gives me heartburn, though. It's not actually bent up; it's more like a spiderweb flaw in the color--tiny hairlike tendrils of misprint. But since it looks like the corner got bashed, it brings down the whole book.

 

I believe you're currently empathizing with the beauty of this Spidey 39 in a way that makes me continue to argue that the range of comics described as "high grade" should extend all the way down to 7.5 on the grading scale. Many 7.5 books can look really, really nice!

 

I see what you mean about the backing board exaggerating the slope of the bottom edge, although the book is still slightly miscut since the top and bottom edges line up in parallel with the top and bottom of the image (I was comparing the bottom edge to the backing board the first time I looked), but the left and right edges don't match up to be parallel with the left and right edges of the image. Very slight miscut, though, and is insignificant compared to the finger-crease on the reading (right) edge.

 

Any defects on the #40 besides the ones we've already pointed out?

[uclapeterg]

39 - 7.0

 

40 - 8.5

[Smokinghawk]

I agree that the 40 is better. They're BEAUTIFUL copies; the only damage anywhere is on the edges, and even that's slight (no tears, just bumps). That upper corner on the 39 gives me heartburn, though. It's not actually bent up; it's more like a spiderweb flaw in the color--tiny hairlike tendrils of misprint. But since it looks like the corner got bashed, it brings down the whole book.

 

I believe you're currently empathizing with the beauty of this Spidey 39 in a way that makes me continue to argue that the range of comics described as "high grade" should extend all the way down to 7.5 on the grading scale. Many 7.5 books can look really, really nice!

 

I see what you mean about the backing board exaggerating the slope of the bottom edge, although the book is still slightly miscut since the top and bottom edges line up in parallel with the top and bottom of the image (I was comparing the bottom edge to the backing board the first time I looked), but the left and right edges don't match up to be parallel with the left and right edges of the image. Very slight miscut, though, and is insignificant compared to the finger-crease on the reading (right) edge.

 

Any defects on the #40 besides the ones we've already pointed out?

 

No, no other real defects. The back cover is in comparable shape to the front. No missing pieces or tears.

 

I really like 7.5-8.5 books too because they look GREAT, but I can afford them.

 

I picked these up from my friend's dad when I was about 13-14, and he had them in his garage. He'd bought them to read. I've had them ever since, and I was wise enough to use real mylar for them, not 1980's polybags. I can't remember if he gave them to me or traded them for a lawn mowing or something, but I'm thrilled to have them. Like most comics, they;re much better "in person" than scanned.

 

[12c_Comic]

Whatever the grade would be they are classic covers by J.Romita ...

[garthgantu]

Like most comics, they;re much better "in person" than scanned.

 

Hrmm.... I would dispute this... I don't think "most" comics are much better in person - except for the fact that you can hold them and read them... Appearance/grade-wise, I find that more often than not, a hands-on inspection of a comic book will yield more defects, less structural integrity, and an overall lower grade.

 

Regardless, those are two pretty specimens...Based on what we can see, I give 'em

#39 = VF 8.0

#40 = VF+ 8.5

[supapimp]

ASM 39 - 7.0

ASM 40 - 8.0 due to BRHC rounding