• 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.

How does different writing on cover affect grades?
1 1

11 posts in this topic

Aware of the way CGC treats unverified signatures on books, but I wondered how addresses on a books cover would impact the grade/label. See the example below...

Captain_Britain_10_A.thumb.jpg.e1a494c87a1b5493df07481e5c6b0cb7.jpg

It was common in the UK that newsagents would sometimes write the recipients address on a magazine/comic so the paperboy would know where to deliver said book and I recently picked up a high grade collection with this type of writing on almost all of the books.  Assuming a book was a 9.8 (noting this example isn't btw), with the writing, how would it affect the grade? Would it get a blue or purple label?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/8/2020 at 8:09 AM, Every Day A Story said:

Aware of the way CGC treats unverified signatures on books, but I wondered how addresses on a books cover would impact the grade/label. See the example below...

Captain_Britain_10_A.thumb.jpg.e1a494c87a1b5493df07481e5c6b0cb7.jpg

It was common in the UK that newsagents would sometimes write the recipients address on a magazine/comic so the paperboy would know where to deliver said book and I recently picked up a high grade collection with this type of writing on almost all of the books.  Assuming a book was a 9.8 (noting this example isn't btw), with the writing, how would it affect the grade? Would it get a blue or purple label?

Blue label as long as there's no resto or any other major problems. And it shouldn't affect the grade much at all. I've seen 9.6's with this type of pen writing. 9.8 may be a bit of a stretch, though...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keep in mind that some of the highest regarded pedigrees like the Edgar Church and Lamont Larson collections had writing on many copies, yet these remain so very desirable.  Recently I was listening to a collector who said he would never buy a comic with a date stamp.  So while you can't begrudge him his personal preference, it's been a pretty well established comics collecting consensus that markings do not necessarily exclude a book from a very-high grade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/3/2021 at 12:03 AM, Every Day A Story said:

Following up on this, I got clarity from Matt Nelson (via email related to another book) who confirmed that the highest possible grade is 9.6 for a book with writing on front or back cover, as it would preclude a book from obtaining a 9.8 grade

 
 

But for that writing to achieve a 9.6 it would have to be production/distribution related, right?

Or, rephrased, if a book had writing on either cover like a name, code, signature, etc., could it achieve a 9.6 or are we looking at something lower for an otherwise flawless book?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My understanding is that examples like the book in my original post above if of high enough quality otherwise would have a ceiling of 9.6. I have one book on its way back to me shortly that is subject to that (has same writing on the back cover and graded 9.6).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/2/2021 at 11:17 PM, grendelbo said:

But for that writing to achieve a 9.6 it would have to be production/distribution related, right?

Or, rephrased, if a book had writing on either cover like a name, code, signature, etc., could it achieve a 9.6 or are we looking at something lower for an otherwise flawless book?

Wow, how did all the pedigree books get higher than 9.6 with writing on the covers?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/18/2021 at 2:30 PM, mlovest said:

Wow, how did all the pedigree books get higher than 9.6 with writing on the covers?

I suspect that Pedigree books are exempt from the usual rules regards writing on covers due to that being the identifier generally for the pedigree. I might follow up with Matt Nelson to confirm.

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
1 1