pickycollector

Rig the challenge? I would expect and I am pretty sure that you would be honest enough to not lie about the pressing status of your books, right? This challenge can be done. We can discuss other terms if you want. We can use other's people books. We can use only expensive books so that there will be no temptation to add a little edge bend. I can do this challenge with any other presser. Some other anti-presser may want to take the mantle in my place if he's geographically nearer to your place. It is NOT impossible and you know it. You are right though. I will stop the debate here since you will never take this challenge. That is what I thought. You would have lost anyway. You just made my point. Anyone whom want to take such a pressing detection contest with me, just let me know. Have a great day everybody.

Finding high grade unpressed books has became quite a challenge though recently

Yes I do. Hope to do a rematch with a big one soon. People whom know me knows that I do like challenges.

Enough with words. Enough with affirmations. Enough with endless debates. Let's have some action with real books in our hands. Will you take the challenge?

I had experience and seen books from some that are considered the best in the pressing industry, and most with high grade books... We can argue and counter-argue and counter-counter argue for several posts and at the end of the day, we will waste each other time and will not change each other mind. Moreover, I have a life outside this forum and do not want to spend time or energy in an endless debate. However, I would propose you this: challenge me in a pressing detection contest! Meet me or have somebody meet me with about 100 raw books (more if you want) that are equally distributed by period, i.e. something like 25 GA books, 25 SA books, 24 BA books and 25 CA/MA books. Among them, you will select books that you know that have been pressed (by you or anyone else) and other books that you know that have NOT been pressed. I tell you that I will be able to detect the pressed books with a score of at least 95%. If not, I will eat my words and publicly apologize. If yes, you will. The only books that I probably will not meet a score of 95% are square-bounds, giant-size issues (like GS X-Men 1 or Silver Surfer #1-7) because those that I have seen, I could not tell for sure if they were pressed or not. I still have one raw GS Thor #1 pressed by somebody considered as one of the best pressers here that I still cannot see the difference. Square-bounds however represent probably less that 1% of the number of comic books, so there should be no more than that in the sample. But anything else with staples on spine, I can detect pressing easily. We can have a third party selecting the books if you prefer. We can record the event, have witnesses, etc. Distance can be a problem, of course, but there are comic cons with CGC booths every year in my town or nearer towns so it is feasible. That challenge applies to any presser here whom would be willing to take such a challenge with me. Even better, let's have a team of the five best pressers vs a team of five anti-pressers whom consider themselves excellent at detecting pressing and let's clear that question once for all !! Then we can disclose the results in the CGC Forum and the question will be finally solved, with statistics and scores displayed (Is SA more detectable than CA/MA?, which presser got the best result? etc.) You know what? I doubt any presser will take the challenge. They would lose. And more than just a bet... Even worst. And it is sad. Even if one takes the challenge and lose, and the result is displayed, I doubt it will change anything with the pressing industry. But at least, people will stop falsely saying that pressing is 99% undetectable... I challenge thee !!

Yeah, you may be right. The last time I did post about pressing was a long time ago, when pressing threads were flaming debates in the CGC Forum.

I totally agree with you and still try to own unpressed books but it is getting hard today. Chasing CGC books that have been graded before 2006 in order to have a lower probability of pressing reduces greatly the number of books available for me. Sometimes, I have no other choice than to buy a book graded recently because otherwise I would never be able to fill a hole in my collection (not too many left, fortunately). However, then I do not dare cracking the case as I fear I may discover that the book has been pressed inside so that is why I would try at the very least not to acquire books that are too obviously pressed i.e. avoiding those with extreme right-edge poke-through or avoid buying books from people whom are rampant pressers, etc. but auctions make it even more difficult today to know where the books are coming from and auctions have became ones of the best ways to get high grade books today.

That is so untrue. Pressing is detectable on a raw book, 95% of the time. You know it and I know it. I can easily detect if a book was pressed and I know other people who can do it as well. True, it is harder when the book is in a CGC holder, but once cracked, you can easily tell. Well, even when in a slab, sometimes, you can tell. And I do not press books nor did I seen thousands of pressed books either. Several years ago, I sent a few books to be pressed just to see the result and almost entered into the game but decided after a few "submissions" that I will not continue to do it because I did not like the practice nor do I like books that are so thin that I could use them as dental floss. Many people here wants us to believe that pressing is undetectable. Bull-s**t. They all want us to believe that and why? Because it is good for money. Period. Most people now do press or have their books pressed because otherwise "they would leave money on the table" as they say. I think it is a shame on this hobby. CGC says that they cannot detect pressing but I do not believe them. Press and submit or crack-press-resub are now the rules of the game. They probably would not be if CGC was able to recognize pressing and label a book as "pressed". Would such a book labeled as "pressed" sell as well as a non-pressed book? I doubt it. But now unfortunately it is embedded in the market and the practice is now generalized because most people wants to make as much money as possible. It is human nature. As a matter of fact, I consider micro-trimming even more difficult to detect than pressing. I will even say that if micro-trimming has been accepted by the industry a few years ago, many people today would micro-trim their books because "they would not want to leave money on the table". It has almost been the case until the Ewert scandal exploded in the market and did show the practice. I know that my post will probably have a lot of reaction but it will be a waste of time for me to debate any further into the subject. I tried in the past and it did not change anything. Pressing is now embedded in the industry and is now the normal rather than the exception. Unfortunate but true. Comics are now a commodity. Period.

Fixed that for you

Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu #1-33 + Special #1: $3,000 My personal run of this title. Almost all of them are are file copies that I bought from Todd Lange several years ago at multiples of Guide. Some of the books graded below 9.2/9.4 have non-color breaking "wave" in back cover that would easily press out if you are into that but they were originally released that way. Grades are as follow: #1: 9.0 #2: 9.2 #3: 9.2 #4: 9.6 #5: 9.2 #6: 9.2 #7: 9.6 #8: 9.0 #9: 9.2 #10: 9.2 #11: 8.5 #12: 9.0 #13: 9.6 #14: 9.2 #15: 9.0/9.2 #16: 9.6 #17: 9.6 #18: 9.6 #19: 9.2 #20: 9.6 #21: 9.6 #22: 9.6 #23: 9.6/9.8 #24: 9.6 #25: 9.4 #26: 9.6 #27: 9.2 #28: 9.2 #29: 9.6 #30: 9.4 #31: 9.6 #32: 9.4 #33: 9.8 Special #1: 9.2

Just received my Comiclink wins and among them is this very seriously under-graded (and unpressed) copy of FF #3 Perfectly centered and gorgeous colors on this classic cover. I did pay above GPA for this one but it did worth it. Looks better that another book graded 9.0 that I also did receive. Graders notes mention a light reader's crease as the main defect but it is hardly noticeable, I have seen worse in higher graded copies! Another fine example of "Buy the book, not the label". Best 7.0 I have ever seen and now all mine and saved from the pressers!

Psycho #19 is now yours

Marvel Preview #21 VF+ : $100 Would be NM- if not for stacking curve on right edge that does not break colors Moon Knight story that predates Moon Knight #1

All Star-Lord magazine appearances: $750 Grades are as follow: Marvel Preview #4: 9.2 (1st appearance) Marvel Preview #11: 9.2 (All Byrne art) Marvel Preview #14: 9.2 Marvel Preview #15: 9.2/9.4 Marvel Preview #18: 9.0/9.2 Marvel Super Special #10: 9.6

More coming up

Limited Collector's Edition #C-50 VF/NM : $80 Poster intact Very hard to find in high grade with poster intact

All-New Collector's Edition #C-53 VF+ : $40

Marvel Special Edition #1 NM- Marvel Special Edition #2 NM- Marvel Special Edition #3 NM- Marvel Special Edition Vol. 2 #2 NM All four Star Wars Treasuries for $300

Thrilling Adventure Stories #1 NM- Thrilling Adventure Stories #2 VF/NM (Neal Adams cover) Buy both for $70

Howard the Duck magazine #1-9 full run: $150 Grades as follow: #1: 9.0/9.2 #2: 9.4 #3: 9.6/9.8 #4: 9.2 #5: 9.4 #6: 9.4 #7: 9.4 #8: 9.4 #9: 9.2

Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu #1-33 + Special #1 : $3,000 My personal run of this title. Almost all of them are are file copies that I bought from Todd Lange several years ago at multiples of Guide. Some of the books graded below 9.2/9.4 have non-color breaking "wave" in back cover that would easily press out if you are into that but they were originally released that way. Grades are as follow: #1: 9.0 #2: 9.2 #3: 9.2 #4: 9.6 #5: 9.2 #6: 9.2 #7: 9.6 #8: 9.0 #9: 9.2 #10: 9.2 #11: 8.5 #12: 9.0 #13: 9.6 #14: 9.2 #15: 9.0/9.2 #16: 9.6 #17: 9.6 #18: 9.6 #19: 9.2 #20: 9.6 #21: 9.6 #22: 9.6 #23: 9.6/9.8 #24: 9.6 #25: 9.4 #26: 9.6 #27: 9.2 #28: 9.2 #29: 9.6 #30: 9.4 #31: 9.6 #32: 9.4 #33: 9.8 Special #1: 9.2

Weird Vol. 3 no 2 VF : $55 SOLD EC horror? Bwahhh, looks at this insane cover... Looks better but has non-color breaking stacking bend along the spine.

Psycho #18 VF+ : $110 SOLD Classic injury to eye cover. Not cheap but try finding a decent copy of this issue. Just try. Nearly impossible to find in high grade.

Psycho #19 VF/NM to NM- : $80 SOLD Origin Dracula. Hard to find in high grade.