Weldon Owen
American Imagination
Pet rocks. The lunar module. Peanut butter. The cotton gin. Post-it notes. MTV. Celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s Declaration of Independence with this unique look at objects that celebrate America’s ingenuity, inventiveness, and imagination.
From the writing of the Declaration of Independence to the invention of the hula hoop, Americans have been innovating for 250 years. Our ingenuity and can-do nature has led to everything from the creation of frozen food to the mass-produced automobile, the lunar module, and beyond. In honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary, American Imagination celebrates the United States by looking at the story of our country not by historical events, but by the things we invented that made life easier, more enjoyable, and more efficient, and that changed the world.
Each year of our nation’s history, from 1776 to 2026, is highlighted by a single object invented during that year. Fascinating text gives insight as to why the object was created, and how; and timelines show how genres such as sports and technology developed over the years. From toys and games to machines that put us into space; from contributions that heavily influenced the zeitgeist to innovations in leisure and lifestyle and technological feats once thought impossible, this lavishly illustrated collection has something for everyone. It is the ultimate celebration of the American spirit.
A CELEBRATION of the United States’ historic contributions to art, science, lifestyle, entertainment, and more.
KEEN INSIGHT: Learn the inspiring stories behind some of the most cherished and important items invented in the US.
FOR ALL AGES: Readers of all ages and backgrounds will find something inspiring in these pages, whether your interest is in aerospace, fashion, cookware, or gaming.
UPC/ISBN: 9798886742640
Product Information
Due to the nature of collectible items and ever changing market demand, we are unable to cancel pre-orders on ratio variants and select other items (1 per store variants, exclusive covers, ect) for a refund.For preorders on regular open order comics (the majority of which are normally cover price), we can cancel preorders and refund with a store credit that can be used in our brick and mortar stores or at thirdeyecomics.com
If you have any shipping questions check out our Shipping FAQs here
You can contact us through our contact page! We will be happy to assist you.
Cover art for Comics on our website is provided to us at the time of solicit. While we do our best to keep these images up to date; some covers may be subject to change!
At Third Eye, we ship thousands of comics every week, and we know condition matters. Whether you're reading, collecting, or grading, we want you to feel confident when a Third Eye package arrives.
This policy outlines our standard for new release and shipped comics, and the industry-standard guidelines we follow.
OUR STANDARD
Books without a stated grade will be offered as Near Mint 9.4 or better. We do not guarantee 9.8 condition on any book unless specifically noted.
We use industry-standard grading guidelines from:
- CBCS Comic Grading Scale
- Overstreet Comic Grading Standards
- CGC grading standards
If you're new to comic grading, the resources above are a great place to start.
WHY WE DON'T GUARANTEE 9.8
Modern comic printing is an imperfect process. Books are printed in massive
runs, bound at high speed, and shipped in bulk to retailers. Even brand
new books off the truck will exhibit minor production characteristics,
and that's normal, and consistent with industry standards across every
retailer.
A 9.8 grade represents near-perfection, and the reality is that not every printed book qualifies for that grade no matter where you buy it from.
We can absolutely commit to NM 9.4 or better. We cannot commit to 9.8 on every book, because that's not how comics are made.
WHAT QUALIFIES AS NM 9.4
Per industry standards, a book may exhibit the following minor characteristics and still grade as Near Mint 9.4, as long as there's no accumulation of defects:
Bindery characteristics:
- Minor to moderate corner tears
- White edges along the spine (common on most modern printings)
- Covers slightly offset from interior pages (common on cardstock covers)
Printing characteristics:
- Slight color rub on back covers
- Small paper wrinkles present from the paper roll prior to printing
- Wavy paper texture from the printing process
Spine characteristics:
- 2-3 small color-breaking spine ticks
- Minor non-color-breaking spine dings
These are normal modern production characteristics, not damage from handling or shipping. They are present on books across the industry, regardless
of retailer.
OUR RETURN & EXCHANGE POLICY
We do not accept returns or exchanges on books that meet our NM 9.4 or better standard.
We will replace or refund:
- Books damaged during shipping (clear shipping damage, not pre-existing print characteristics)
- Books that fall below NM 9.4 standard (significant spine damage, major creasing, tears, etc.)
- Wrong cover or wrong issue shipped
For premium variants (1:25, 1:50, 1:100, 1:250, 1:500 incentive covers, signed editions, exclusive variants), we apply enhanced QC during pull and packing. If a premium variant arrives outside our standard, contact us within 7 days of delivery and we will work with you on a replacement.
QUESTIONS?
If you have questions about a specific book or want to learn more about comic grading, our team is happy to help. Reach out to service@thirdeyecomics.com.
We appreciate your trust in Third Eye Comics, and we're committed to delivering books that meet the standards both you and we expect.