• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Replaced Staple?
0

5 posts in this topic

Hello! I recently purchased this book off of eBay. It is a double cover. I was checking it for missing pages and I noticed that the two staples at the centerfold are different colors. Does this seem to be a replaced staple? Any insight will be greatly appreciated! :foryou:

Bottom Staple:

703AECA1-951F-45F2-8258-D0409912B5C6.thumb.jpeg.556fc6c46cb37370bf6e6c6d7654fe55.jpeg

Top Staple:

1BAEB2C1-C354-40EB-A292-F69067123177.thumb.jpeg.8c4ca1c3c89b695ba79863d802e7fc8a.jpeg

Bottom Staple:

B88359FD-151E-444C-9CC2-D1B593850D81.thumb.jpeg.f9fb7a58446e558f34cb5f5167e8fce3.jpeg

Top Staple:

D65703C9-C3C2-4EFB-942B-FA73AF842154.thumb.jpeg.59c806c45e35e1658fbce590ca611092.jpeg

Edited by Cydwarren
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎12‎/‎26‎/‎2019 at 9:34 AM, Cydwarren said:

Hello! I recently purchased this book off of eBay. It is a double cover. I was checking it for missing pages and I noticed that the two staples at the centerfold are different colors. Does this seem to be a replaced staple? Any insight will be greatly appreciated! :foryou:

Bottom Staple:

703AECA1-951F-45F2-8258-D0409912B5C6.thumb.jpeg.556fc6c46cb37370bf6e6c6d7654fe55.jpeg

Top Staple:

1BAEB2C1-C354-40EB-A292-F69067123177.thumb.jpeg.8c4ca1c3c89b695ba79863d802e7fc8a.jpeg

Bottom Staple:

B88359FD-151E-444C-9CC2-D1B593850D81.thumb.jpeg.f9fb7a58446e558f34cb5f5167e8fce3.jpeg

Top Staple:

D65703C9-C3C2-4EFB-942B-FA73AF842154.thumb.jpeg.59c806c45e35e1658fbce590ca611092.jpeg

Harvey Flash Gordon #1.  Nice book. Taking a closer look at this for you as soon as I can. Though unusual, not completely out of the question for Golden and Atomic age books to have two differently hued staples. That in itself is never conclusive as other factors must be checked. Will get back to you later, Cyd.

Interesting to note that there's a CGC gallery webpage that has the image of a different Flash #1 (Harvey, 1950) CGC graded 9.6 also with a double cover! Seeing this might lead one to believe that double cover production may have been more than a rare occurrence for this issue, or/and others printed and assembled the same month! Further research pending.

 

FlashGordon_1_9-6.jpg

Edited by James J Johnson
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, James J Johnson said:

Harvey Flash Gordon #1.  Nice book. Taking a closer look at this for you as soon as I can. Though unusual, not completely out of the question for Golden and Atomic age books to have two differently hued staples. That in itself is never conclusive as other factors must be checked. Will get back to you later, Cyd.

Interesting to note that there's a CGC gallery webpage that has the image of a different Flash #1 (Harvey, 1950) CGC graded 9.6 also with a double cover! Seeing this might lead one to believe that double cover production may have been more than a rare occurrence for this issue, or/and others printed and assembled the same month! Further research pending.

 

FlashGordon_1_9-6.jpg

Thank you for your reply! That’s impressive, identifying the book from just a few close up photos. I recently saw a low grade double cover of this issue sell on eBay. You may be on to something. I look forward to what you find out about the staples! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, Cydwarren said:

Thank you for your reply! That’s impressive, identifying the book from just a few close up photos. I recently saw a low grade double cover of this issue sell on eBay. You may be on to something. I look forward to what you find out about the staples! 

Cyd, I'm focusing more on whatever paper I'm able to see that surrounds the staples, outside and in, and although the staples' tone are dissimilar, I can't say that I can discover a telltale sign of staple replacement. This obviously isn't a case of someone removing the staples and adding a 2nd cover, all 4 holes and the page ends lining up perfectly; what would be the chances of that if an add on, right?

I don't see the type of tiny "rips" in the paper at the centerfold, where the staple tines would have to be pried up from the paper to be opened for withdrawal. There's some small degree in what could be considered an enlargement of the staple holes, possibly to facilitate a swap, but let's not lose sight of this being a double cover, an extra cover sheaf wrapped around so the entire dynamics of how the staples are seated on a book with the proper single cover and this one are going to differ slightly, since the machinery is calibrated to fold staples through a set amount of pages, adding another cover with increase tension, thus slightly change the seating at the staples.

All that technical jargon aside, what do I think? IMO, if this is submitted to CGC for grading, no staple swap. No sign of rust anywhere. No reason to swap a staple, unless the only one reason there could be for a non-original staple would be if there wasn't one there to begin with. That could only really be determined book in hand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What James said. The signs to look for on a "fake" double cover book don't include staples that have a slight color variation. The holes around the staples - both cover and centerfold -  look natural. The folding of the prongs looks nice and tight and the same both staples. 

It's not unusual for staples to have a some color variation on old books. The metal has had 70 years to oxidize and sometimes one staple tarnishes more than the other. I believe  you are good here. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
0