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Was this trimmed at the top? Showcase 55
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82 posts in this topic

Your book does raise an eyebrow due to the way the top edge is miscut, but that by itself can be inconclusive.

In this particular case, examine the top edge of the cover and the pages very carefully. One thing I see right away is what looks like a bit of distribution ink on the top edge of the book. That could be a good sign that it hasn't been trimmed. But regardless of that clue, carefully turn the book so the spine faces directly opposite from you and look at the top and bottom edges of the book. The pages on most Silver Age comic books (with the notable exclusion of square-bounds) should form a slight "V" shape at the top and bottom. If the pages appear to be evenly cut with no "V", that's one clue that the book could be trimmed. Often, trimming will be done both to the cover and pages, but sometimes only the cover will be trimmed. If this seems to be the case, closely examine the cover and page edges for tiny furrows and bumps caused from the book being trimmed during the manufacturing process---even super high grade copies will often display this feature. If the cover has been trimmed and the pages haven't, the tiny flaws on the cover edge or edges will usually be absent or not line up correctly. In other words, the tiny flaws on the edges of the cover should line up with the flaws on the edges of the pages. If they don't, that's another clue the book may be trimmed. It's tough to tell without actually seeing the book in person, but you can also give a shout out to some of the resident "paper masters" here on the boards...James J Johnson or Joeypost come to mind...

To assist in this endeavor, it would also be a good idea to take the book out of the bag...  :)

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16 minutes ago, The Lions Den said:

Your book does raise an eyebrow due to the way the top edge is miscut, but that by itself can be inconclusive.

In this particular case, examine the top edge of the cover and the pages very carefully. One thing I see right away is what looks like a bit of distribution ink on the top edge of the book. That could be a good sign that it hasn't been trimmed. But regardless of that clue, carefully turn the book so the spine faces directly opposite from you and look at the top and bottom edges of the book. The pages on most Silver Age comic books (with the notable exclusion of square-bounds) should form a slight "V" shape at the top and bottom. If the pages appear to be evenly cut with no "V", that's one clue that the book could be trimmed. Often, trimming will be done both to the cover and pages, but sometimes only the cover will be trimmed. If this seems to be the case, closely examine the cover and page edges for tiny furrows and bumps caused from the book being trimmed during the manufacturing process---even super high grade copies will often display this feature. If the cover has been trimmed and the pages haven't, the tiny flaws on the cover edge or edges will usually be absent or not line up correctly. In other words, the tiny flaws on the edges of the cover should line up with the flaws on the edges of the pages. If they don't, that's another clue the book may be trimmed. It's tough to tell without actually seeing the book in person, but you can also give a shout out to some of the resident "paper masters" here on the boards...James J Johnson or Joeypost come to mind...

To assist in this endeavor, it would also be a good idea to take the book out of the bag...  :)

Very helpful info.  I actually found glue at the staples and a tape.   I think something funny has been done with this.  The v shape is there.  And you are right about the distribution ink20190728_113653.thumb.jpg.6557377bec891dc71d44223892fecef0.jpgsc1.thumb.jpg.efbdcc11e85dc77db4029afe78bbee5e.jpgsc2.thumb.jpg.55f3a0a9f227b4eec1104c062a5560d1.jpg20190728_113525.thumb.jpg.316e1a374af6c37e1d43acbc90ee6940.jpg20190728_113525.thumb.jpg.316e1a374af6c37e1d43acbc90ee6940.jpg20190728_113638.thumb.jpg.b18e6edf55eed5800a1fd169c1bb9452.jpg

20190728_113653.thumb.jpg.6557377bec891dc71d44223892fecef0.jpg20190728_113525.jpg

Edited by Wolverinex
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1 minute ago, The Lions Den said:

Glue and tape are both clear signs the book has been tampered with, which always makes me wonder what else may have been done. I hope you can get your money back should you choose to return the book...  hm

I  know, me too. I will ask the seller.  Makes me worried about the other stuff I bought from him but don't see anything else off on those..

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2 minutes ago, The Lions Den said:

Glue and tape are both clear signs the book has been tampered with, which always makes me wonder what else may have been done. I hope you can get your money back should you choose to return the book...  hm

I guess, from now one I need to look at every raw silver age book I buy very carefully.  What do you usually check for?

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1 minute ago, Wolverinex said:

I  know, me too. I will ask the seller.  Makes me worried about the other stuff I bought from him but don't see anything else off on those..

Many times the seller can be unaware of restoration or even pages missing. I once had a reputable seller send me a reprint copy of an expensive book when I'd paid for an original...  lol 

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1 minute ago, The Lions Den said:

Many times the seller can be unaware of restoration or even pages missing. I once had a reputable seller send me a reprint copy of an expensive book when I'd paid for an original...  lol 

Yeah, I doubt he knew.   I assume restoration are most prevalent in silver and golden age books?

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4 minutes ago, Wolverinex said:

Yeah, I doubt he knew.   I assume restoration are most prevalent in silver and golden age books?

I've seen lots of things on Golden and Silver Age books, but it's amazing what people will try to get away with...   :screwy:

Edited by The Lions Den
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1 minute ago, The Lions Den said:

I've seen lots of things on Gold and Silver Age books, but it's amazing what people try to get away with...   :screwy:

Yeah, I guess I'll just read through the restoration thread that's stickeyed.  What do you find is the most common restoration?  color touch?

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8 minutes ago, Wolverinex said:

Yeah, I guess I'll just read through the restoration thread that's stickeyed.  What do you find is the most common restoration?  color touch?

Color touch and trimming are probably the two most common things, but tear seals and glue on the spine are pretty common, too. Staple cleaning or replacement is pretty common as well, although CGC didn't used to call that resto...

Edited by The Lions Den
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30 minutes ago, Wolverinex said:

I  know, me too. I will ask the seller.  Makes me worried about the other stuff I bought from him but don't see anything else off on those..

You may want to take another look at them if you have the opportunity. It's surprising how you can miss things when you're not really looking for them...  

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Just now, The Lions Den said:

I don't know anything about that manufacturer, but the 10x is what I've used for years...

Could I get a cheaper one like this?

 

https://www.amazon.com/SE-MJ37801L-Professional-Quality-LED-Illuminated/dp/B002E0MU7U/ref=sr_1_7?crid=4GN22485FEJD&keywords=belomo+10x+triplet+loupe&qid=1564341866&s=gateway&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sprefix=Belomo+%2Caps%2C317&sr=8-7#customerReviews

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4 minutes ago, Wolverinex said:

The one I use doesn't have any extra frills at all, but it works well. I usually shy away from things that have extra parts, but one with a good light doesn't seem like a bad idea...  (shrug)

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A trimmed top edge seems like a possibility. The top edge looks super crisp and appears to have no overhang at all. Unless an SA book is crazy high grade, it usually has a top overhang of about 1/16" or so, where the cover looks 'pushed in' a bit along the top edge with occasional color flakes or tiny tears.

If an overhang edge is hand-trimmed, it sometimes has slight waviness or imperfections to it. If those aren't visible to the eye, you could check that against the edge of a metal ruler or something else with a perfectly cut edge.

As Lion says, the book has work done to the staple areas so there's already some circumstantial evidence already that something is up. I'd just return it and not worry about it.

 

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17 minutes ago, Point Five said:

A trimmed top edge seems like a possibility. The top edge looks super crisp and appears to have no overhang at all. Unless an SA book is crazy high grade, it usually has a top overhang of about 1/16" or so, where the cover looks 'pushed in' a bit along the top edge with occasional color flakes or tiny tears.

If an overhang edge is hand-trimmed, it sometimes has slight waviness or imperfections to it. If those aren't visible to the eye, you could check that against the edge of a metal ruler or something else with a perfectly cut edge.

As Lion says, the book has work done to the staple areas so there's already some circumstantial evidence already that something is up. I'd just return it and not worry about it.

 

Excellent advice and observations. I agree 100%...  

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