Cover and interior mismatched?? 0

[twmjr1]

I've asked this on the general and GA forums, with no response. I have a book with a Speed Comics 14 cover and a Pocket Comics 2 interior. It's not a married cover, it's a manufacturing defect, I'm 100% certain. How common is this, particularly with GA books? How exactly does it happen? I was tempted to return the book, but I think it may be unique and that I'd be wise to keep it.

[James J Johnson]

5 hours ago, twmjr1 said:

I've asked this on the general and GA forums, with no response. I have a book with a Speed Comics 14 cover and a Pocket Comics 2 interior. It's not a married cover, it's a manufacturing defect, I'm 100% certain. How common is this, particularly with GA books? How exactly does it happen? I was tempted to return the book, but I think it may be unique and that I'd be wise to keep it.

I wouldn't return it. Send it in for grading. Let CGC verify and label it to be a manufacturing error if that's the case.

[Tony S]

The two books were published the same month - 9/41 - by Harvey Comics. They are both digest (100 page) size. So occasionally - more like rarely - manufacturing defects like this can occur.  Probably one print run stopped and the other started. And a few covers left over from the first print run. Or a few interiors left over when they switched covers. 

Quality control was more an idea than a reality when comic books cost 50 cents or less. Certainly when they were a dime. Some printing defects are very common and are undesirable to collectors. Spines not aligned, books poorly cut, staple(s) missing and registration (color in the right places) off. Other uncommon defects like the cover and interior mismatched or running out of one ink color are sometimes seen as kinda cool and collectible.  Just depends on the book. A Captain America 1 that had been printed missing red ink didn't sell for any sort of premium. I think it went a bit on the low side. It's one of the all time great covers so who wants to pay extra for one that looks awful?

So anyway, printing defects are generally common on old books and not worth any extra. But this would be a rather UNCOMMON printing defect and I would certainly keep it. Probably worth a small premium now, might be worth a larger premium later. 

Edited March 24, 2019 by Tony S