Question About Blue Ink Overspray

[pinkfloydsound17]

How often does this happen and how much does it hurt the value of a comic? I am looking at some very nice books at the moment but some of them have blue ink overspray on the top edge of the spine near the 20 cent price box. I am just curious if anyone can shed light on this little imperfection and how much it can degrade a book. Thanks!

[Jezebel Bond]

It's a flaw but the degree of flaw really depends on the degree of overspray. I've got a number of bronze age books with a hint of it along the spine or top edges, sometimes seeping onto a tiny part of the front/back cover. As long as it's not dripping all over the place it's fine with me...check out what this book scored....there's a hint of overspray at the top...

[Red Oak Kid]

That was something the distributors did when the comics were still bundled. The different colors of spray meant something to the distributors. It wasn't done by the printer so it isn't a printing defect. I have no idea how this might affect value. It does indicate that the comic was meant for newstand distribution and wasn't a direct sale copy.

[pinkfloydsound17]

Thanks for the info! I think I will definitely try to pick up these books either way...

[The Confessor]

That was something the distributors did when the comics were still bundled. The different colors of spray meant something to the distributors. It wasn't done by the printer so it isn't a printing defect. I have no idea how this might affect value. It does indicate that the comic was meant for newstand distribution and wasn't a direct sale copy.

Fascinating. I've always wondered why certain comics in my collection have that blue or red colouring on the top of the pages. Now I know! Thanks ROK.

[Red Oak Kid]

Someone here explained this in more detail several years ago. And it only means that at one point that comic was in the hands of a newstand distributor. It doesn't mean it was ever put out on the stands. A lot of comics went out the side door of the distributor's warehouse directly to comic book dealers while the distributor reported it as destroyed to the publisher.

[Richard Bishop]

Thanks for this information on this! A bunch of my early Luke Cage issues (2-14) have this, as do a good number of my Fantastic Fours from 125-145. I never realized this was as common as it apparently is, and that it doesn't really affect the value all that much (not that I'm in the market to sell those books), although it does make me wonder if a comic shop owner/employee who isn't aware of this could be persuaded to lower their price because of this defect.

[Red Oak Kid]

I seem to remember later in the 70s, some Marvel comics had a color block printed on the top of the first page that bled off the edge and was visible on top of the book. This was printed when the comic was printed and may have been a way of doing the same thing as the spray paint.