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ABOUT ME

I bought my first comic book in 1964 - Fantastic Four #30 - and I've been hooked ever since. I also grew up in a family of readers, nurturing my love of books. This store reflects my passion for both story forms. As a dealer, I strive to provide the qualities I myself expect, when looking to purchase items for my collections, e.g. large high resolution scans, grading according to accepted standards of the hobbies, and full disclosure of faults not evident in the scans. If you have any questions concerning an item, feel free to contact me, and I will be happy to provide more information, and additional scans, if needed.

BOOK GRADING GUIDE

Fine (FN) Virtually flawless with only the slightest defect visible upon close inspection. (I very rarely assign this grade.)

Near Fine (NF) Book looks "as new" but with slight flaws from shelving or handling. Pages may be slightly tanned. Spine and covers will be smooth, with no signs of creasing.

Near Fine minus (NF-)  Shows slightly more wear, such as lightly blunted corners, light edge dings, or a small area that is lightly scuffef, but still no reading crease on spine or cover.

Very Good to Near Fine (VG/NF) - Book may have flaws as with above grades, but with a very light spine or cover crease, as if book was opened once or twice but never finished.

Very Good+ (VG+) - An above-average used book. Shows obvious light wear, mild reading crease, slight spine slant, etc, but maintains nice eye appeal.

Very Good (VG) - Shows mild wear, one or more moderate reading creases, edge and corner wear, etc, tanned pages; may have mild spine slant; binding is solid and tight. Book still looks pretty good, "for its age."

Good (G) - Collector euphemism for "not so good." Moderate to heavy wear and creases; book is still intact, though cover may be loose at one hinge; no loose pages. Generally not "collectible" quality; desirable as a reading copy in order to avoid handling your nice copy.

Fair (Fr) and Poor (Pr) - Except in the case of very expensive or rare items, a book with enough faults to render it not collectible, with major points listed in the description.

COMICS GRADING GUIDE

Everybody says they follow strict Overstreet grading, yet it is obvious to anyone who has ordered from different dealers that everybody (especially many big-time dealers) does not. I am confident you will be satisfied with my grading, as I have submitted books for CBCS certification, most of which came back one notch higher (e.g. VF+ vs VF) than I graded them; and none ever came back with a lower grade than I had given. So, if you like the grades on comics you get from, say, Metropolis Comics or Newkadia, I dare say, you will love mine.

Near Mint (NM) - Only the slightest nicks, chips, or dings allowed, and no creases or spine ticks.

Near Mint- (NM-) - May have a couple of soft spine ticks that do not break the color, or a slightly bumped corner (but no "accordion pleats"). Some comics with super-gloss heavy stock covers may show some color cracking at the spine fold.

Very Fine to Near Mint (VF/NM) - May have a few non-color-breaking spine stress marks, slightly blunted corner(s), or a very light, small, corner crease. Pages may be off-white to slightly tanned. May have lightly bumped corner.

Very Fine (VF) - May have a few color-breaking spine ticks or stress marks. Some cover gloss may have faded. Spine may not lie perfectly flat, but will not have an obvious roll to it. Corners may be a little fuzzy, but not rounded, and may have a small (1/4 inch or less) crease. Only light wear around the staples. For me, a VF book looks almost new and unread at first glance, but on closer inspection reveals faults.

Fine to Very Fine (F/VF) - The book will obviously look used, at first glance, but still have very good eye appeal, with good gloss, minor creasing, lightly tanned pages, light surface wear, and little to no spine roll.

Fine (F) - An obviously read book, but still in above-average condition. The gloss is significantly reduced, the spine shows mild to moderate wear, with stress marks, edges may have small dings or tears, and there may be mild small creasing. There is some wear around the staples, but the cover is still attached by both.

F-
VG/F - tweener grades, indicating varying degrees of "better than VG." but "not quite Fine."
VG+ 

Very Good (VG) - Generally considered an "average used copy," with moderate wear, and larger and more creases. The cover and centerfold are still attached, though one staple may have "popped" through. A subscription crease may run vertically through the length of the book, and the pages may be moderately tanned. A small piece (1/8 to 1/4 inch) may be missing from an edge or corner. A coupon may be cut out, but should not affect the reading of the story. Some minor writing or drawing (filling in eyeballs, and such) may be present. May have small pice missing from cover or short spine split.

VG-
G/VG - more tweener grades.
G+

Good (G) - Heavy creasing, soiling, and edge, corner, and surface wear, with up to a 2-inch spine split. Larger piece, up to 1/2 inch or so, may be missing from cover or interior page. May show a damp stain, and have heavier writing or drawing on the cover. A generally unattractive copy, though, except for any cut coupons or missing pieces, is still intact.

Fair (Fr) and Poor (Pr) - Just bad, period. Unless it is a particularly expensive or rare item, a book in either of these conditions is of no collectible value.

SHIPPING POLICY

I do not use shipping fees as a profit center. Standard shipping is $3.95, and priority mail is $6.95, for up to 12 books or comics paid for in one payment and shipped as one order. For larger orders, additional shipping will be charged according to the incremental postage fees. All comics are bagged and boarded, and shipped in comic book flash mailers, which have corners that extend beyond the dimensions of the comics, to ensure your books arrive undamaged. All paperbacks, as well, come in polypropylene book sleeves, and are carefully packed in shippers ensuring safe arrival with no damage.

SATISFACTION GUARANTEE

My aim is for your complete satisfaction. If there is ever a problem with your order, please accept my apology and allow me to make things right with you. Any item is fully refundable within 10 days of the purchase date, hassle-free, as long as it is returned in the same condition in which it was sold. 

Thank you for visiting my store. I look forward to helping you grow your collection.

Ted