How Do You Grade Tanning and Very Old Water Stains?

[Polyphemus]

I just got a bunch of books that in general are in really nice condition.

 

A bunch of them have water stains on the back cover or the back couple of pages. These stains clearly are many many years old and have dried out to the extent that you can't even feel that they were there.

 

Others have tanning/tanned borders on the back cover/pages.

 

Some of these are great books: i.e. Sub-Mariner #1 that would normally grade Fine+ but I don't know how to factor in the tanning. An ASM run of 12-20 centers that have this stain on the back cover that would normally grade F/VF...etc.

 

I definitely bought these with the intention of selling most of them so how do you list? Would I say "F/VF but for a small long since dried out water stain on back cover" or "VF except for tanned back cover?"

 

Any advice is appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Mitch

[murph0]

If it's an easily seeable water stain I'd drop the book a full grade. If it's there but hard to see probably 1/2 to full..if it's small quarter size or smaller and not too ugly..I'd only drop it a half.

 

Brian

[Rickdogg]

I would drop the grades just to be safe. I know CGC gives books with tanning on the back cover etc a full grade deduction. Of course it all depends, but I'd grade "raw" books conservatively to protect your feedback

 

 

[Guest]

If you plan on selling the books on Ebay scan both covers @ about 150 dpi and add to your auction. This should be clear enough for the buyer to make a good decision. Guide doesn't start talking about soiling or stains til around verygood+ . They would have to have some exceptional gloss and stress free spines to pull them up a grade.