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Serious Collector
 
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Last Login: 2 days ago @ 6:04:29 PM
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| I've been wondering on this topic for a while but finally got off my *** to scan a recent comic that displayed what I have been seeing more and more commonly in newer books the past year. Something during the new printing process is creating minute dings/cracks along the spine. These are not usually visible unless you hold the comic up to the light and watch it reflect. Tell me I'm not alone in seeing these and what are you doing for grading with them? Below is a scan of Uncanny X-Men 511 that I picked up last week that has some of the more pronounced examples of this. Above the hand about 3/4 of the way up is the best example. There is another above the bottom staple as well. Above the cross on the spine is another one but it didn't come out that well in the scan. I have been weighting these like minor printing defects rather than true spine damage/creasing so far. Anyone else noticing this type of issue more and more and what do you make of it? 
What's in my long boxes? http://www.comicspriceguide.com/world/default.asp?m=icebreaka
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Administrator...You betcha, by golly!
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Considering that all the assembly lines use high-speed automated feeds in several areas of the process,,,I'll bet that's what's causing them... 
--Shadow
CPG Administrator (since 2003)10,962 posts BC. (Before Change)
Dedicated to the memory of Bill Johnson (wrjwrj)....comics were his friends... 
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?...The Shadow knows!
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Forum Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 10/12/2009 3:27:10 PM
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| My ex-brother in law has a small advertising company that produces everything from the supermarket weekly flyers on newsprint up to highend glossy pamphlets that are used by the local highend real estate firms. Rob has some moderately high end print equipment that requires computer control to adjust just about every part of the production. Our nephew is his production manager and while he's VERY versed on how production defects occur in the printing process. The diagonal creases you are seeing occur when the final fold process occurs just after staple binding, and just before the trimming process. Generally the progressive fold rollers are out of adjustment an ever so slight amount. The printing firm tries its best to minimize any printing flaws, but manual inspections are required to verify the flaws, and thousands of finished pieces may be boxed up before any rolling adjustments are made. Stephen is also a comic book geek like me.
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Serious Collector
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 2 days ago @ 6:04:29 PM
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Ah okay, confirms the suspicion I had. My main question to other graders out there though is what do you do with those? Give them the same weight as spine creasing? I think obviously not, but a perfect book with a minor bindery scratch like that, would it still be a 9.4?
What's in my long boxes? http://www.comicspriceguide.com/world/default.asp?m=icebreaka
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Enthusiast
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Last Login: 9/14/2009 3:04:11 AM
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Collector
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Your not alone i've been seeing these alot on my moderns and it has been making it difficult to pick out a good comic in my LCS
Are Arbitary Labels more important than the way we live our lives, what we're supposed to be more important than what we actually are?!
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