Comic Book Spine Realignment Therapy, turn your 8.5's into 9.2's!

[ItsJustRyan]

I saw that part. It's strange that may be the case. I guess if it's the highest graded it is in a class of its own. If this were any other card I don't think that would be the case.

[fantastic_four]

I saw that part. It's strange that may be the case.

 

Sounds like wishful thinking and/or pure hype-speak to me. I doubt he's right, but I certainly don't know cards well enough to say that with much certainty.

[THE_BEYONDER]

Hypnotised by your sig line...?

[Aces]

Now a big development: Notorious memorabilia dealer Bill Mastro has admitted to altering the most famous version of the card to better its appearance and increase its value. Within the hobby, some have believed for years that Mastro trimmed the edges of his card, which was later owned by Wayne Gretzky and now belongs to Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick. Kendrick bought the card for $2.8 million in 2011.

 

Mastro is currently trying to procure a federal plea agreement on charges that he used shill bidders in auctions to drive up prices and sold fake items — including a lock of Elvis Presley's hair and a 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings trophy, that are both believed to be fake.

 

Awesome. The Comic-Keys of the sports card hobby.

Makes one proud to be a collector knowing there are so many good people around looking out for the hobby(s).

*insert sarcasm gremlin here*

[rjpb]

I saw that part. It's strange that may be the case.

 

Sounds like wishful thinking and/or pure hype-speak to me. I doubt he's right, but I certainly don't know cards well enough to say that with much certainty.

 

I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that trimmed cards aren't looked at any more favorably than trimmed comics and I say that without knowing squat about sports card collecting.

 

I can't imagine it does much for PSA's reputation either.

 

I can just imagine the poopstorm if the 9.6 AF #15 that sold for over a million was revealed to have been micro trimmed.

[divad]

Couple of updates on the tape issue if anyone cares:

 

Per Paul, no announcement likely until "the summer" - read all about it.

 

Per Sparkle City - everyone else is doing it, and so are we.

 

 

Well, apparently you have to communicate a "drop-dead" date for the intended change in policy to your clientele in advance, grade all of the books that are already in the pipeline under the current policy, and then (and only then) apply the new policy . . . seems fair

[Silver Surfer]

Couple of updates on the tape issue if anyone cares:

 

Per Paul, no announcement likely until "the summer" - read all about it.

 

Per Sparkle City - everyone else is doing it, and so are we.

 

 

Doc thanks for pointing this out. I don't want to single out anyone but I see that Peewee22 put all the blame squarely on CGC which is a joke. This from a guy who swore off taping his newly acquired Whiz comics [and I quote]:

 

"Definitely getting it CGC'd. Yes, resto would improve the grade (taping it, cover reattachment, etc). No way dude. I want it all original. Could care less if it's the difference in a 1.8 or 2.0."

 

However 2-3 weeks later when it shows up graded and with tape on it:

 

"I thought about it over and over and asked a few people their thoughts.. The cover was totally detached and 90 percent split. A 2.0 looks much better than a 1.5 or 1.8. Sometimes to get along you have to go along"???

 

[Spiderphill]

Couple of updates on the tape issue if anyone cares:

 

Per Paul, no announcement likely until "the summer" - read all about it.

 

Per Sparkle City - everyone else is doing it, and so are we.

 

 

Doc thanks for pointing this out. I don't want to single out anyone but I see that Peewee22 put all the blame squarely on CGC which is a joke. This from a guy who swore off taping his newly acquired Whiz comics [and I quote]:

 

"Definitely getting it CGC'd. Yes, resto would improve the grade (taping it, cover reattachment, etc). No way dude. I want it all original. Could care less if it's the difference in a 1.8 or 2.0."

 

However 2-3 weeks later when it shows up graded and with tape on it:

 

"I thought about it over and over and asked a few people their thoughts.. The cover was totally detached and 90 percent split. A 2.0 looks much better than a 1.5 or 1.8. Sometimes to get along you have to go along"???

 

Now he's in the thread preaching no taping books. He ran out of books to make a profit on through tape I guess.

[ComicConnoisseur]

Couple of updates on the tape issue if anyone cares:

 

Per Paul, no announcement likely until "the summer" - read all about it.

 

Per Sparkle City - everyone else is doing it, and so are we.

 

 

Doc thanks for pointing this out. I don't want to single out anyone but I see that Peewee22 put all the blame squarely on CGC which is a joke. This from a guy who swore off taping his newly acquired Whiz comics [and I quote]:

 

"Definitely getting it CGC'd. Yes, resto would improve the grade (taping it, cover reattachment, etc). No way dude. I want it all original. Could care less if it's the difference in a 1.8 or 2.0."

 

However 2-3 weeks later when it shows up graded and with tape on it:

 

"I thought about it over and over and asked a few people their thoughts.. The cover was totally detached and 90 percent split. A 2.0 looks much better than a 1.5 or 1.8. Sometimes to get along you have to go along"???

 

Now he's in the thread preaching no taping books. He ran out of books to make a profit on through tape I guess.

I discovered over a year ago that if a golden age comic book was going for a low price on EBay it was most likely because that ga comic book had tape on it

It would work like this. I would go to golden age comics on Ebay,and notice that the ga comics had low prices,and sure enough it would say in the CGC label that it had tape on it. I wonder how many people didn`t notice that?

[ComicConnoisseur]

I saw that part. It's strange that may be the case.

 

Sounds like wishful thinking and/or pure hype-speak to me. I doubt he's right, but I certainly don't know cards well enough to say that with much certainty.

 

I'd say it's a pretty safe bet that trimmed cards aren't looked at any more favorably than trimmed comics and I say that without knowing squat about sports card collecting.

 

I can't imagine it does much for PSA's reputation either.

 

I can just imagine the poopstorm if the 9.6 AF #15 that sold for over a million was revealed to have been micro trimmed.

 

PSA the baseball card authority gave their stamp of approval that the holy grail of baseball cards was unaltered. I can`t think of a bigger blunder in the certified collectibles field, and you got think this was the one that was caught. Usually there is more than just one blunder.

[Mark Zaid]

As promised, I wanted to provide the Community with an update on where things stand following CGC/CCS's examination of a number of books that had undergone what has now been identified, or described, as a reverse spine roll technique. This issue has obviously been a source of controversy and concern and CGC/CCS viewed the situation with the utmost seriousness and sought to address it diligently and promptly.

 

Admittedly, knowledge of this technique was new to CGC. Prior to it being brought to CGC’s attention through the message boards, any grading of books that had visibly undergone the procedure were viewed as having a manufacturing issue, similar to minor mis-cuts, mis-aligned staples, uneven edge cuts and/or cover veins. These attributes are not typically penalized for books in the highest of grading categories. The spine defects, which had now been rolled out of sight from the front cover, generally accounted for the grade increase on books where it made a significant difference in appearance. It is also certainly possible that other improvements that were created through the application of normal pressing techniques may have contributed to a grade increase as well.

 

As far as our investigation has determined, the technique was performed by only one Member Dealer. Upon our request, CGC/CCS obtained and reviewed several books from this individual that exhibited a reverse spine roll from pressing. Now that CGC knows what to look for there are actually several telltale signs that will likely allow CGC to flag this type of pressing technique in the future. The most obvious and consistent sign is the fanned pages along the right side of the book. Sometimes the spine line is visible on the back cover once the spine roll is created and that line is shifted back. Other times, because the cover and interior pages are being displaced from their original position, the paper around the staple is stressed, causing a defect that looks very similar to an impacted staple. To further emphasis the difference between the two, it should be pointed out that front cover mis-cuts look nothing like the reverse spine rolls that have been exposed. Knowledge of the technique should allow CGC graders to routinely differentiate between intentional spine rolls and a normal mis-cut from the factory. For the record, none of the books reviewed by CGC showed evidence of having been disassembled.

 

In light of this new information, CGC is formally announcing a policy change with respect to its grading standards. From this point forward, CGC will treat reverse spine rolls as a defect to the same extent as it does with books that were damaged by improper pressing. How the determination of a reverse spine roll defect will impact the grade of a book will, of course, be determined on a case-by-case evaluation. Because these spine rolls are typically minor in scale, usually 1/8” or less, there will be little to no impact on lower graded books. The term “Reverse spine roll” will be added to the defect list for CGC graders, as well as to the grading notes if evidence of such is identified with a particular book.

 

It is the opinion of CCS that these reverse spine rolls can be removed through proper pressing in order to re-align the book's spine back to its original state. If you own a comic book that you believe exhibits this type of reverse spine roll and you would like it corrected, CCS, which has extensive experience in determining the difference between the two from years of removing natural spine rolls, is offering re-alignment for $12.00 per book, regardless of the value of the book. Of course, CCS offers no guarantee of the CGC grade outcome of any book that undergoes its procedures.

 

The reverse spine roll issue has opened up discussions within CGC regarding pressing in general and how it can impact grade determinations. Since the practice of pressing has become more transparent in the hobby, CGC has seen an influx of poorly pressed books submitted for grading. Because pressing can damage a book and lower its grade/value, CCS will soon publicly present information on the adverse effects that can occur through application of an improper pressing technique. Additionally, CGC will more closely examine books for poor pressing techniques when determining grades.

 

We wish to publicly thank and applaud those in our Community who helped bring this issue to light. The cooperative effort that occurred is a testament to the mutual and beneficial relationship that exists between CGC/CCS and this Community.

 

If you have any questions, please either post them here or contact me via PM or e-mail at Mark@MarkZaid.com. Thanks!

[Murphman13]

Thanks Mark. I believe many members here will want some more insight on this quote

 

The spine defects, which had now been rolled out of sight from the front cover, generally accounted for the grade increase on books where it made a significant difference in appearance. It is also certainly possible that other improvements that were created through the application of normal pressing techniques may have contributed to a grade increase as well.

 

It sounds like CGC was not giving the same weight of deductions for back cover defects. Will that stance be changed now?

 

 

[mycomicshop]

 

Thanks, Mark!

[ItsJustRyan]

Thanks Mark for the update.

 

It's good to know that shyster behavior is being identified to protect the integrity of the hobby.

 

Bravo

[Johnny U]

All around good news.

[MatterEaterLad]

[Manole]

[MusterMark]

Thank you.

 

[Jaded Savage]

What color label would a "reverse spine roll" receive and would it be noted on the label?

[Johnny U]

What color label would a "reverse spine roll" receive and would it be noted on the label?

 

+1 will it be noted on the label?