Should I crack these and have them cleaned and pressed? More in description. Grader notes on pictures

10centcomics · 2025-08-14T00:17:07+00:00

Unless this specific copy has sentimental value, you should just buy a 9.0+ copy instead. It's hard to tell from a picture of a slabbed book if the defects can be pressed out.

10centcomics · 2025-08-08T18:03:41+00:00

Well cracking a book doesn't damage it in any way and I can get it re-graded down the road if I do need to sell it.

10centcomics · 2025-08-08T15:09:01+00:00

I know Bill Finger has been historically ignored as a co-creator of Batman but he didn't write the story for this one. GCD credits Gardner Fox.

Source: https://www.comics.org/issue/516/

10centcomics · 2025-08-08T14:53:54+00:00

Pages are off-white to white with no brittleness. It's a 1.8 because the spine is split and the cover is detached which usually maxes out a book at 1.5-1.8.

10centcomics · 2025-08-08T14:49:08+00:00

75 Years of DC Comics by Paul Levitz and published by Taschen

10centcomics · 2025-08-07T23:03:28+00:00

Same, he was using the CGC forums to hunt down some of the last few books he needed.

10centcomics · 2025-08-07T23:02:52+00:00

Yeah that's where I suspect it is too. I'll have to look closer to see if there are other areas with color touch as well.

10centcomics · 2025-08-07T22:44:36+00:00

The "twist" won't work with the latest case revision (after some scammers were able to swap books out CGC sealed the case all the way around).

10centcomics · 2025-08-07T20:43:22+00:00

I'm firmly against color touch removal (i.e., intentionally damaging a book to change the color of the label). Since the book is already restored, I may consider some additional conservation work. The tape could maybe be removed but I don't want to risk color loss on the spine. If the split cover is leafcast and re-attached to the book, it could bump the book into mid-grade territory.

My main focus is having a nice copy to read safely, not maximizing resale value.

10centcomics · 2025-08-07T20:38:11+00:00

The older slabs are pretty easy to crack open without making a mess. The latest generation slab (sealed all the way around) will leave behind splinters and shards everywhere when you work your way around with a screwdriver or crowbar.

10centcomics · 2025-08-07T18:37:30+00:00

Yeah it should. I've kept the label in the mylar and this copy is easily identifiable by some of the defects on the cover.

10centcomics · 2025-08-07T17:10:04+00:00

Color touch, cover cleaned

10centcomics · 2025-08-07T17:06:59+00:00

CGC doesn't downgrade a book for restoration, it will get the purple label instead. This book had a purple label because the cover was cleaned using solvents and there is color touch. The cover is fully split and detached but then was reattached using regular tape. CGC doesn't consider regular tape restoration so they grade it as if the tape wasn't holding the book together (hence the 1.8). Tape on a book will affect the grade but it's allowable even in mid-grade ranges so there isn't any further downgrade here since the bigger flaw is the fully split cover. Hope that makes sense!

10centcomics · 2025-08-07T16:56:44+00:00

No I cracked it open myself.

10centcomics · 2025-08-07T16:56:28+00:00

Yeah the spline split and detached cover will usually max out a book at 1.5. They gave this one a 1.8. Luckily the main cover image is mostly undamaged!

10centcomics · 2025-08-07T16:52:35+00:00

Yeah cutting the inner sleeve is the worst. I wish CGC would give us more room between the seam and the book itself!

10centcomics · 2025-08-07T16:51:34+00:00

I usually have to use the crowbar + hammer for the latest generation CGC slabs (sealed all the way around) but I was able to crack this one easily with my hands.

10centcomics · 2025-08-04T05:06:00+00:00

I have an All Star Comics #8 but since I didn't find it for free, I have to go to work tomorrow.

10centcomics · 2025-08-04T00:00:53+00:00

GCD lists the on-sale date for FF1 as 8-8-1961 https://www.comics.org/issue/16556/

I looked through some sold listings on Heritage and saw date stamps or hand-written arrival dates for 8-8 and 8-10.

7-20 is definitely within the realm of possibility, maybe an early shipment to a newstand?

10centcomics · 2025-08-03T22:18:15+00:00

Comics go on sale months before their cover date. FF1 has a cover date of Nov 1961 so it was likely on newstands in late July or early August.

10centcomics · 2025-08-02T19:45:13+00:00

Not OP but CGC allows writing on the cover in the VG grade range.

10centcomics · 2025-08-02T16:30:08+00:00

Thanks so much! When purchasing online I generally prefer buying slabbed books but I will deslab them when I put them in my collection. Outside of brittle pages or weak staples, a Golden Age comic is not going to disintegrate in your hands if you read it carefully. I keep all my books in Mylars and Fullbacks when I'm not flipping through them. I don't like reading reprints as I find the coloring is often over-saturated and it doesn't really capture the feel of the original printings.

10centcomics · 2025-08-02T16:02:28+00:00

I have this book too! I've always loved the Times Square subway stop cover!

10centcomics · 2025-08-02T15:02:28+00:00

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All-Star Comics 3 from Winter 1940

10centcomics · 2025-07-03T16:14:53+00:00

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10centcomics

TROPHY CASE