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(1) VG. Tales of the Teen Titans Annual #4 (1986, DC)
The items imaged are the actual items.
All comics come Bagged & Boarded. - We use brand new BCW Current Comic Backing Boards that are made from a full 24 point solid bleached sulfate, coated on one side with a buffered 3% calcium carbonate and are precision cut to size 6 3/4" x 10 1/2". Certified ACID-FREE - Independent Lab Tested.
*Packaging: To better ensure your comic books arrive to you free of damage during the shipping & handling process, extra care has been taken in packaging them. Provided below are some approximate details on how you will be receiving your comic books. - (1-3) Comic Books will be shipped securely wrapped in bubble wrap, between 2 corrugated cardboard pads, inside of a weatherproof poly-bag.
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- *Larger & International Packages will be packaged in a secure manner but may be sent using slightly different methods. The above may also vary with weight & thickness of combined items.
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Overstreet Gradierng Scale & Definitions:
- 10.0 GEM MINT (GM): An
exceptional example of a given book - the best ever seen. Only the slightest
bindery or printing defects are allowed. (Not with CGC though, perfect means
perfect.) Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high
reflectivity. Corners are cut square and sharp. Spine is tight and flat.
Staples must be original, centered and clean with no rust. Paper is white, supple and fresh. No interior autographs or
owner signatures.
- 9.9 MINT (MT): Near
perfect in every way. Only subtle bindery or printing defects are allowed.
("Subtle" as in nearly invisible, and CGC may not allow it for their
9.9 either.) Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high
reflectivity and minimal fading. Corners are cut square and sharp. Small,
inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable
as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Spine is tight and flat. Staples must be
original, generally centered and clean with no rust. Paper is white, supple and
fresh.
- 9.8 NEAR MINT/MINT
(NM/MT): Nearly perfect in every way with only minor imperfections that keep it
from the next higher grade. Only subtle bindery or printing defects are
allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high
reflectivity and minimal fading. Corners are cut square and sharp. Small,
inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable
as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Spine is tight and flat. Staples
must be original, generally centered and clean with no rust. Paper is white,
supple and fresh. Only the slightest interior tears are allowed.
- 9.6 NEAR MINT+ (NM+):
Nearly perfect with a minor additional virtue or virtues that raise it from
Near Mint. Only subtle bindery or printing defects are allowed. No bindery
tears are allowed, although on Golden Age books bindery tears of up to
1/8" have been noted. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright
with high reflectivity and a minimum of fading. One corner may be almost
imperceptibly blunted, but still almost sharp and cut square. Almost
imperceptible indentations are permissible, but no creases, bends, or color
breaks. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates
are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Spine is tight
and flat. Staples must be original, generally centered, with only the slightest
discoloration. Paper is (no worse than) off-white, supple and fresh. Only the
slightest interior tears are allowed.
- 9.4 NEAR MINT (NM):
Nearly perfect with only minor imperfections that keep it from the next higher
grade. Minor feathering that does not detract from the overall beauty of an
otherwise higher grade copy is acceptable for this grade. The overall look is
"as if it was just purchased and read once or twice." (If you're
careful with handling, there's no way to tell how many times a comic has been
read, or if unread, so don't always believe that 'unread' hype.) Subtle
bindery/printing defects are allowed. Bindery tears must be less than
1/16" on Silver Age and later books, although on Golden Age books bindery
tears of up to 1/4" have been noted. Cover is flat with (almost) no surface wear. Inks are bright with high
reflectivity and a minimum of fading. Generally well centered and firmly
secured to interior pages. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight
blunting permitted. A 1/16" bend is permitted with no color break. No
creases. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates
are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. No soiling,
staining or other discoloration apart from some slight foxing. Spine is tight
and flat. No spine roll or split allowed. Staples are generally centered; may
have slight discoloration. No staple tears are allowed; almost no stress lines.
No rust migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and
therefore has a missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can
be replaced on books up to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books
from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. Paper is
(no worse than) off-white to cream, supple and fresh. No hint of acidity in the
odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is firmly secure. Slight interior tears are
allowed.
- 9.2 NEAR MINT– (NM–):
Nearly perfect with only a minor additional defect or defects that keep it from
Near Mint. A limited number of minor bindery/printing defects are allowed. A
light, barely noticeable water stain or slight foxing that does not detract
from the beauty of the book is acceptable for this grade. Cover is flat with
(almost) no surface wear. Inks are bright with only the slightest dimming of
reflectivity. Generally well centered and firmly secured to interior pages.
Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A
1/16-1/8" bend is permitted with no color break. No creases. Small,
inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable
as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. No soiling, staining or other
discoloration apart from some slight foxing. Spine is tight and flat. No spine
roll or split allowed. Staples may show some discoloration. No staple tears are
allowed; almost no stress lines. No rust migration. In rare cases, a comic was
not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not
considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only
vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books
must have original staples. Paper is (no worse than) off-white to cream, supple
and fresh. No hint of acidity in the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is firmly secure. Slight
interior tears are allowed.
- 9.0 VERY FINE/NEAR MINT
(VF/NM): Nearly perfect with outstanding eye appeal. A limited number of
bindery/printing defects are allowed. Almost flat cover with almost
imperceptible wear. Inks are bright with slightly diminished reflectivity. An
1/8" bend is allowed if color is not broken. Corners are cut square and
sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted but no creases. Several lightly
penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable. No obvious soiling,
staining or other discoloration except for very minor foxing. Spine is tight
and flat. No spine roll or split allowed. Staples may show some discoloration.
Only the slightest staple tears are allowed. A very minor accumulation of
stress lines may be present if they are nearly imperceptible. No rust
migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and therefore
has a missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be
replaced on books up to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books
from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. Paper is
(no worse than) cream to off-white and supple. No hint of acidity in the odor
of the newsprint. Centerfold is firmly secure. Very minor interior tears may be
present.
- 8.5 VERY FINE+ (VF+):
Fits the criteria for Very Fine but with an additional virtue or small
accumulation of virtues that improves the book’s appearance by a perceptible
amount.
- 8.0 VERY FINE (VF): An
excellent copy with outstanding eye appeal. Sharp, bright and clean with supple
pages. A comic book is this grade has the appearance of having been carefully
handled. A limited accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed.
Cover is relatively flat with minimal surface wear beginning to show, possibly
including some minute wear at corners. Inks are generally bright with moderate
to high reflectivity. An unnoticeable 1/4" crease is acceptable if color
is not broken. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. No obvious
soiling, staining or other discoloration except for minor foxing. Spine is
almost flat with no roll. Possible minor color break is allowed. Staples may
show some discoloration. Very slight staple tears and a few almost very minor
to minor stress lines may be present. No rust migration. In rare cases, a comic
was not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not
considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only
vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books
must have original staples. Paper is (no worse than) tan to cream and supple.
No hint of acidity in the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is mostly secure.
Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.
- 7.5 VERY FINE– (VF–):
Fits the criteria for Very Fine but with an additional defect or small
accumulation of defects that detracts from the book’s appearance by a
perceptible amount.
- 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE
(FN/VF): An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively
flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor
bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, with
interior yellowing or tanning allowed, possibly including minor creases.
Corners may be blunted or abraded. Inks are generally bright with a moderate
reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. No
obvious soiling, staining or other discoloration except for minor foxing. The
slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color
break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a slight
accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. In
rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing
staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up
to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near
Mint. Mint books must have original staples. Paper is (no worse than) tan to
cream, but not brown. No hint of acidity in the odor of the newsprint.
Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.
- 6.5 FINE+ (FN+): Fits
the criteria for Fine but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of
virtues that improves the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.
- 6.0 FINE (FN): An
above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean
with no significant creasing or other serious defects. Eye appeal is somewhat
reduced because of slight surface wear and the accumulation of small defects,
especially on the spine and edges. A FINE condition comic book appears to have
been read a few times and has been handled with moderate care. Some
accumulation of minor bindery defects is allowed. Minor cover wear apparent,
with minor to moderate creases. Inks show a significant reduction in
reflectivity. Blunted corners are more common, as is minor staining, soiling,
discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A
minor spine roll is allowed. There can also be a 1/4" spine split or
severe color break. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears
and a few slight stress lines may be present, as well as minor rust migration.
In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a
missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on
books up to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine
to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. Paper is (no worse than)
brown to tan and fairly supple with no signs of brittleness. No hint of acidity
in the odor of the newsprint. Minor interior tears at the margin may be
present. Centerfold may be loose but not detached.
- 5.5 FINE– (FN–): Fits
the criteria for Fine but with an additional defect or small accumulation of
defects that detracts from the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.
- 5.0 VERY GOOD/FINE
(VG/FN): An above-average but well-used comic book. A comic in this grade shows
some moderate wear; eye appeal is somewhat reduced due to the accumulation of
defects. Still a desirable copy that has been handled with some care. An
accumulation of bindery defects is allowed. Minor to moderate cover wear
apparent, with minor to moderate creases and/or dimples. Inks have major to
extreme reduction in reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as
is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked
arrival dates may be present. A minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A
spine split of up to 1/2" may be present. Staples may show minor
discoloration. A slight accumulation of minor staple tears and an accumulation
of minor stress lines may also be present, as well as minor rust migration. In
rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing
staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up
to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near
Mint. Mint books must have original staples. Paper is (no worse than) brown to
tan with no signs of brittleness. May have the faintest trace of an acidic
odor. Centerfold may be loose but not detached. Minor tears may also be
present.
- 4.5 VERY GOOD+ (VG):
Fits the criteria for Very Good but with an additional virtue or small
accumulation of virtues that improves the book’s appearance by a perceptible
amount.
- 4.0 VERY GOOD (VG): The average
used comic book. A comic in this condition shows some significant moderate
wear, but still has not accumulated enough total defects to reduce eye appeal
to the point that it is not a desirable copy. Cover shows moderate to
significant wear, and may be loose but not completely detached. Moderate to
extreme reduction in reflectivity. Can have an accumulation of creases or
dimples. Corners may be blunted or abraded. Store stamps, name stamps, arrival
dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. Some discoloration, fading,
foxing, and even minor soiling is allowed. As much as a 1/4" triangle can
be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" square is also
acceptable. Only minor unobtrusive tape and other amateur repair allowed on
otherwise high grade copies. Moderate spine roll may be present and/or a
1" spine split. Staples may be discolored. Minor to moderate staple tears
and stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. Paper is (no
worse than) brown but not brittle. A minor acidic odor can be detectable. Minor
to moderate tears may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one
staple.
- 3.5 VERY GOOD– (VG–):
Fits the criteria for Very Good but with an additional defect or small
accumulation of defects that detracts from the book’s appearance by a
perceptible amount.
- 3.0 GOOD/VERY GOOD
(GD/VG): A used comic book showing some substantial wear. Cover shows
significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. Cover
reflectivity is very low. Can have a book-length crease and/or dimples. Corners
may be blunted or even rounded. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor
to moderate soiling is allowed. A triangle from 1/4" to 1/2" can be
missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" to 1/4" square is
also acceptable. Tape and other amateur repair may be present. Moderate spine
roll likely. May have a spine split of anywhere from 1" to 1-1/2".
Staples may be rusted or replaced. Minor to moderate staple tears and moderate
stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. Paper is (no worse
than) brown but not brittle. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple.
Minor to moderate interior tears may be present.
- 2.5 GOOD+ (GD+): Fits
the criteria for Good but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of
virtues that improves the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.
- 2.0 GOOD (GD): Shows
substantial wear; often considered a "reading copy." Cover shows
significant wear and may even be detached. Cover reflectivity is low and in
some cases completely absent. Book-length creases and dimples may be present.
Rounded corners are more common. Moderate soiling, staining, discoloration and
foxing may be present. The largest piece allowed missing from the front or back
cover is usually a 1/2" triangle or a 1/4" square, although some
Silver Age books such as 1960s Marvels have had the price corner box clipped
from the top left front cover and may be considered Good if they would
otherwise have graded higher. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are common
in Silver Age and older books. Spine roll is likely. May have up to a 2"
spine split. Staples may be degraded, replaced or missing. Moderate staple
tears and stress lines may be present, as well as rust migration. Paper is (no
worse than) brown but not brittle. Centerfold may be loose or detached.
Moderate interior tears may be present.
- 1.8 GOOD– (GD–): Fits
the criteria for Good but with an additional defect or small accumulation of
defects that detracts from the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.
- 1.5 FAIR/GOOD (FR/GD): A
comic showing substantial to heavy wear. A copy in this grade still has all
pages and covers, although there may be pieces missing. Books in this grade are
commonly creased, scuffed, abraded, soiled, and possibly unattractive, but
still generally readable. Cover shows considerable wear and may be detached.
Nearly no to no reflectivity remaining. Store stamp, name stamp, arrival date
and initials are permitted. Book-length creases, tears and folds may be
present. Rounded corners are increasingly common. Soiling, staining,
discoloration and foxing is generally present. Up to 1/10 of the back cover may
be missing. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are increasingly common in
Silver Age and older books. Spine roll is common. May have a spine split
between 2" and 2/3 the length of the book. Staples may be degraded,
replaced or missing. Staple tears and stress lines are common, as well as rust
migration. Paper is (no worse than) brown and may show brittleness around the edges.
Acidic odor may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Interior tears
are common.
- 1.0 FAIR (FR): A copy in
this grade shows heavy wear. Some collectors consider this the lowest
collectible grade because comic books in lesser condition are usually incomplete
and/or brittle. Comics in this grade are usually soiled, faded, ragged and
possibly unattractive. Cover may be detached, and inks have lost all
reflectivity. Creases, tears and/or folds are prevalent. Corners are commonly
rounded or absent. Soiling and staining is present. Books in this condition
generally have all pages and most of the covers, although there may be up to
1/4 of the front cover missing or no back cover, but not both. Tape and other
forms of amateur repair are more common. Spine roll is more common; spine split
can extend up to 2/3 the length of the book. Staples may be missing or show
rust and discoloration. An accumulation of staple tears and stress lines may be
present, as well as rust migration. Paper is (no worse than) brown and may show
brittleness around the edges but not in the central portion of the pages.
Acidic odor may be present. Accumulation of interior tears. Chunks may be
missing. The centerfold may be missing if readability is generally preserved.
Coupons may be cut.
- 0.5 POOR (PR): Most
comic books in this grade have been Sufficiently degraded to the point where
there is little or no collector value; easily identified by a complete absence
of eye appeal. Brittle almost to the point of turning to dust with a touch, and
usually incomplete. Extreme fading may render the cover almost indiscernible.
May have extremely severe stains, mildew or heavy cover abrasion to the point
that some cover inks are indistinct/absent. Covers may be detached with large
chunks missing. Can have extremely ragged edges and extensive creasing. Corners
are rounded or virtually absent. Covers may have been defaced with paints,
varnishes, glues, oil, indelible markers or dyes, and may have suffered heavy
water damage. Can also have extensive amateur repairs such as laminated covers.
Extreme spine roll present; can have extremely ragged spines or a complete,
book-length split. Staples can be missing or show extreme rust and
discoloration. Extensive staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well
as extreme rust migration. Paper exhibits moderate to severe brittleness (where
the comic book literally falls apart when examined). Extreme acidic odor may be
present. Extensive interior tears. Multiple pages, including the centerfold,
may be missing that affect readability. Coupons may be cut.
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