HAS THIS BEEN RESTAPLED

[fbiagentcooper]

And is that CGC paper protuding from the behind the back cover. It's a beautiful book but is it too good to be true?

 

Great sized pics though.

 

Any help appreciated.

 

 

Fantastic Four #1

 

 

 

 

[greggy]

Based on the centerfold staple pics, it does appear that the book was disassembled at one time, as the staple prongs look too straight to have it happen during the production process. Also, there appears to be corresponding damage around the prong holes due to the reinsertion of the staples.

[fbiagentcooper]

Thank You Greggy. Yes it was the straightness of the staples which threw me as well and the fact that the ends of the staples overlap suggesting the have been bent (or rebent) by hand.

 

I do belive though that the seller is unaware of restoration if indeed that is the case. Im in two minds whether to take a risk on it but dread shelling out that kind of money for something to come back PLOD.

 

Ahhh the eternal dilemma of the raw book buyer.

[Ze-man]

Hard to say for sure based on photos, but it appears there are two different indentation marks where the staple rested against the interior which would lead one to believe the original staple was replaced with a different one.

 

Just a guess though

 

[PovertyRow]

Hard to say for sure based on photos, but it appears there are two different indentation marks where the staple rested against the interior which would lead one to believe the original staple was replaced with a different one.

 

Just a guess though

 

I noticed that as well. That would bother me more than the straightness of the staples.

[Count]

 

What if...Again just a what if the person who bought this book way back in the day straightened the staples as they were reading the comic? What I mean is the owner simply straightened out the staple prongs.

 

Would that classify as resto? How would that affect the grade of a book?

 

 

[VintageComics]

I can't see teh pic but some early SA marvel staples do look straight. In fact I have seen two different types of staples in one original book...two different colors and sizes. Remember folks, these were not the Mercedes Benz of comics...they were kit cars that were cobbled together for as low a cost as possible.

 

R.

 

 

[Dick Pontoon]

If resto is a concern, why are you even thinking of dropping more than 2k on a raw book you can't even inspect yourself? Don't mean to sound harsh, but that's

 

Also, I thought this seller had been discussed on the boards before but I could be wrong.

[awe4one]

The extra staple indent on the facing page would make me question it...

 

Jim

[whisp]

Looks like two different type of staples by the way they are folded. One of the staples overlaps more then the other staple which makes me think two different staplers. Colour of the staples looks different too.

 

[fbiagentcooper]

If resto is a concern, why are you even thinking of dropping more than 2k on a raw book you can't even inspect yourself? Don't mean to sound harsh, but that's

 

Also, I thought this seller had been discussed on the boards before but I could be wrong.

 

You are right, and the higher it goes - the less likely it becomes - but the stregth of the UK Pound against the dollar makes things like this too tempting, and he seems like a genuine seller.

 

[VintageComics]

Thanks Jim. I think that pic just about sums it up. That staple is either not original or no longer in the original position.

comparing top staples to bottom staples won't really give you any insight. When you guys get a chance start looking at your early 60's staples. They are all over the place in terms of size, color and positioning.

 

R.

 

 

[rodan57]

I can't see teh pic but some early SA marvel staples do look straight. In fact I have seen two different types of staples in one original book...two different colors and sizes. Remember folks, these were not the Mercedes Benz of comics...they were kit cars that were cobbled together for as low a cost as possible.

R.

 

Let's not ignore this post because I have seen the same. Judge staple replacement on possible reinsertion tears but be wary judging solely on different staple types.

[silverage12c]

Pretty risky venture, to spend this kind of money on a raw --- but, I'm not sure that the staple indents really prove anything. Looking at this picture again, I can clearly see the 2 indents. The lower indent is clearly from the right part of the staple which points "west" --- but the upper indent is less defined; could it be from the end of the left prong (the one that's pointing "east")? It does seem to line up that way. :shrug:

[Dark Knight]

Seems like the staples line up where the impressions are, but the question is regarding about the tear on the left staple area. It's hard to distinguish from the scans. Probably looking under the staples can give it away.

[VintageComics]

I'd probably lean towards something might have been done, but hard to tell without holding the book. The right side "impression" at the top of the pic definately has something that looks like two impressions, which would happend if a staple was moved/relocated. It's had to tell whether the shorter "impression" is not just something in the paper fibre.

I don't think you can use the "tear" on the left side of the staple as a clue to whether the staple was re-inserted as this kind of tear happens in normal production all the time.

 

R.

 

 

[Dick Pontoon]

If resto is a concern, why are you even thinking of dropping more than 2k on a raw book you can't even inspect yourself? Don't mean to sound harsh, but that's

 

Also, I thought this seller had been discussed on the boards before but I could be wrong.

 

You are right, and the higher it goes - the less likely it becomes - but the stregth of the UK Pound against the dollar makes things like this too tempting, and he seems like a genuine seller.

 

So taking the exchange rate into consideration, spending over 1k on a mail-order raw book makes more sense than spending over 2k?

[BrianR]

It looks like it may be a single impression. just the top and bottom diameter of the staple with a darker piece of paper pulp at the staple area creating an illusion.

 

 

[VintageComics]

That's what I was starting to see Brian. Again, maybe a 2nd pic from another angle would help. I've bought expensive books raw and come out both winning and losing. For the risk taker there is lots to be gained. I'd ask for more pics if you are serious. Just remember, if you lose...well....there's always next time.

 

 

R.

 

 

[BrianR]

Definitely a risk. I was blowing up the image adjusting colors etc. Here is the inversed pic. I seem to like doing this.This makes it look like the burr on the overlapped staple made the impression.