PGM: ASM 129 0

[conan09279]

Hi,

Let me know what you think. 

[adampasz]

8.85

(9.2 for the front. 8.5 for the back.)

[Ahsoka Tano Jedi Apprentice]

is there a slight spine roll showing on the back ?

[conan09279]

That's a good question. There is definitely an indentation. Here are some more pics.

[ADAMANTIUM]

I'm saying 8.0/8.5.....

Little spine roll, black like thumb print on back opposite spine, and two itty bitty spine tick

Edited January 20, 2018 by ADAMANTIUM

[STORMSHADOW_80]

8.5

[James J Johnson]

Is that a spot at midway along the left edge, back cover? Or a stain that transfers all the way through the cover to the inside?

[Bomber-Bob]

3 minutes ago, James J Johnson said:

Is that a spot at midway along the left edge, back cover? Or a stain that transfers all the way through the cover to the inside?

It looks like a stain, if so I think the book is down to 7.5 range.

[James J Johnson]

4 minutes ago, Bomber-Bob said:

It looks like a stain, if so I think the book is down to 7.5 range.

+1  But with that spine bend pressed out.  But even at 7.5, this is an exceptional copy. The production on 129s is among the top 10 worst produced books in the hobby. The quality control is off-the-chain on these. If it's not mis-bent, oddly placed staples, it's print lines, spots, production tears/chips on the bottom edge of the cover and pages, angle misfolds, miscuts, 9 out of 10 of these are downright ugly. This one is almost perfect from a production standpoint and super-rare. With it's great eye-appeal, it'll sell for a premium regardless of the grade. Most 9.0s and 9.2s won't look better than this one slabbed.

Edited January 20, 2018 by James J Johnson

[Glassman10]

If you look at the back interior at the spine, there's a run up shadow that suggests a spine roll that is not insubstantial. On the front, that same roll runs up to Spidey's foot under the price which suggests it's a major roll. There is indeed a stain on the back cover  near the "neighborhood ditch". There is something I don't understand about these pictures.  In the first shot, there is a straight up white from bottom to top and it goes right by the price corner. Then, if you look at pictures of the back cover, the cover color art is on the back as well. I can't quite see how that happens. Look at both the front and the back spines and tell me what you think you see. I simply don't get it.  I do think it  detracts from a high grade and can't be changed, pressed or anything else.

Now to put this in perspective, I owned two copies of this book and I bought both off the newsstand. Both were put away immediately. I never even opened them. When they went for a press and grade some 44 years later, I had two rather different results. The first, an 8.5 because of a stain about 1/8th inch round on the back cover,a little dot. It only got an 8.5.  The other was truly as good as it gets. Just nothing wrong. It got a 9.4. I had not actually noticed the little dot on the back and was bummed. I sold the 8.5 for $950. It resold shortly after that and I don't know it's status now.

So, based on what I see here, given the issues I see, it's a 7.5. Sorry to be so picky. It's certainly a nice book. 

Edited January 20, 2018 by Glassman10
closer inspecting leaves me confused

[apollobuzz]

My experience has been that stains get hammered.  I am at 7.0 at best.  But still a great book.

[conan09279]

All great observations - I now notice things I never paid attention to before.  Definitely helps in evaluating future books.  I really appreciate. 

[PopKulture]

What are boardies' experiences with distributor bleeds? You know those little inks that are painted on the edges of books that sometimes bleed onto the covers? My ASM 129 has THAT particular defect. Any ideas?

[Point Five]

Beautiful book and I don't see any spine roll other than from production. What I do notice are some tiny marks of color loss around Spidey's left foot and on his left arm. (I can't tell for sure, but I'd have some concern there could be a dot or two of color touch in those areas...the green and red areas look a bit mottled but not the black lines.) Would have to guess a strict 7.0, maybe 7.5, though it obviously presents better.

 

[Bomber-Bob]

4 hours ago, Glassman10 said:

There is something I don't understand about these pictures.  In the first shot, there is a straight up white from bottom to top and it goes right by the price corner. Then, if you look at pictures of the back cover, the cover color art is on the back as well. I can't quite see how that happens. Look at both the front and the back spines and tell me what you think you see. I simply don't get it. 

Glass, I think the white stripe you are referring to is from the backing board behind the book. 

[James J Johnson]

3 hours ago, PopKulture said:

What are boardies' experiences with distributor bleeds? You know those little inks that are painted on the edges of books that sometimes bleed onto the covers? My ASM 129 has THAT particular defect. Any ideas?

If scant, just a little bit at top and bottom, shouldn't affect the grade. Once that ink overhangs the cover, IMO, it should be a deductible factor dependent upon the amount present and how it impacts the appearance. Typically, the CGC is fairly liberally lenient on distributor ink. Now I'm not referring to that little usual stripe at the top edge, but I have seen some slabbed books with the ink literally saturating areas of the cover that IMO were not hit hard enough on the grade.

[Glassman10]

26 minutes ago, Bomber-Bob said:

Glass, I think the white stripe you are referring to is from the backing board behind the book. 

Thank you. I see what you are saying. If that's the case then the centering is simply not up to a good standard. I continue to see the other issues as bringing down the grade.  Pressing would help with the spine. 

[James J Johnson]

2 minutes ago, Glassman10 said:

Thank you. I see what you are saying. If that's the case then the centering is simply not up to a good standard. I continue to see the other issues as bringing down the grade.  Pressing would help with the spine. 

IMO, it's great centering for 129. Usually, these are seen with that wide, left border, a back cover wraparound like the illusion that the backboard is creating. And they're typically angled. IMO, this book presents better and is mechanically superior when the art of the front cover at least meets the fold of the spine and wraps slightly around. Less to go wrong visually, from the front cover perspective.

[Bomber-Bob]

1 hour ago, James J Johnson said:

IMO, it's great centering for 129. Usually, these are seen with that wide, left border, a back cover wraparound like the illusion that the backboard is creating. And they're typically angled. IMO, this book presents better and is mechanically superior when the art of the front cover at least meets the fold of the spine and wraps slightly around. Less to go wrong visually, from the front cover perspective.

Agreed but the centering, unless in an uber grade like 9.9 territory, is not a factor for CGC regarding the grade. This is why I am in favor of an eye appeal check mark on the label like their competition does. CGC may feel the eye appeal is obvious, bad centering is obvious, but in fact, it is oblivious to many. Some have eyes for only the grade.  Crazy.

[James J Johnson]

2 minutes ago, Bomber-Bob said:

Agreed but the centering, unless in an uber grade like 9.9 territory, is not a factor for CGC regarding the grade. This is why I am in favor of an eye appeal check mark on the label like their competition does. CGC may feel the eye appeal is obvious, bad centering is obvious, but in fact, it is oblivious to many. Some have eyes for only the grade.  Crazy.

Some care more about the label than the book. Some pay outrageously more for, choosing to add an inferior "9.2" over a superior 8.5, for the sake of registry points or bragging rights. Not wrong if that pleases them, but the higher label number doesn't always get you the better book. Most Church 9.0s will blow away non-Pedigree 9.4s visually, as an example. And this, IMO, is because we have a unilateral grading system based far too much more on cumulative defects than overall quality.

A grade number and letter for such grading intangibles as color would have been great, for instance, where a Church Mile high is an "A+" and that Journey into mystery 83 with the faded colors is a 'D'. Then you would have a combinatory, more comprehensive grade, like diamonds, one aspect for defect, and the other for a combo of storage, production, color, etc., i.e. overall quality.