prez

Conversely, people that think AoU was great are the same people that are calling 8.0 books 9.4 in the PGM forum.

At first, I thought she was pointing at a hickey...

Man, this is quite funny yet a little depressing

I wanted to give you kudos as well. I know sometimes we have gotten into some hot debates about the Fantastic Four reboot and Suicide Squad movies, but I do appreciate all the movie news you post here. (thumbs u I also appreciate the efforts of Bosco685, that said I still have no understanding of why some movies are a box office hit and others not. It isn't always quality of the film, case in point: Why is Iron Man 3 near the top of the list? It was a horrible movie. Just because you didn't like the film doesn't make it horrible. Did you like it?

This is quite interesting... Examples of comics in poly bags for 30yrs and both bags and boards remained in great shape. Maybe this guy lived in super ideal ambient condition. My own personal experience was quite the opposite. I remember replacing my comics' bags and boards back in 2006 and when I got back to collecting in the late 2013, bags and boards were wrinkled and discolored respectively.

I never read any of these stories. You're missing out. Read them!

Starting to. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sop=1&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&_ipg=50&_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=moon+knight+1+1980+nm Was there an announcement? Not sure what's the hype behind moon knight? Any suggested readings from MK fans (I have Marvel Unlimited)? I'm curious to learn more about this character.

That's a pretty ignorant take on Stan Lee's writing. Without Stan Lee spearheading the 60's, who knows what the comicbook landscape will looks like right now. He is definitely not Kirkman, Johns, nor Bendis but he sure did paved the way for today's greats.

What would lead you to believe that? While I suspect the Church collection certainly has more books that are NOT pressed than the average pedigree, it's certainly not true that every Church book has been untouched by pressing. I've never pressed a Church book, but I *have* pressed other pedigrees, and gotten some stellar results. Susan Cicconi, who doesn't press (by itself) anymore, and Matt Nelson (when he does the work himself) are the best pressers in the business. Am I one of the better ones? I just let my results speak for me. Why would you be offended at a comment that has nothing to do with you personally? You essentially said I didn't know what I was talking about a few posts back (You said "everyone knew" that the Church collection "wasn't pressed (common knowledge)"), and you didn't even understand what I was referring to (that is, the stacks Church himself put in the closet as a natural "press" job)...I didn't take offense to that, and it was aimed squarely at me. A professional is someone who earns a living from a specific activity. "Certification", while certainly nice, is not only not necessary, it's not possible in this field. I didn't say detecting *A* press is not possible. I said detecting press jobs reliably and consistently isn't possible. A (single) press job, especially on a poorly pressed book, can be fairly easy to determine. Good press jobs, however, are not, especially across multiple books. And that is precisely the problem. It isn't possible, so it's not going to happen. Have you ever pressed comics? Have you ever had comics pressed? Are you familiar with the process, and what is done? I suspect, from the conversation, you are not. You're talking to a presser who, unlike most pressers, will discuss this openly and honestly. You're talking to someone who agrees that, yes, pressing IS restoration...it's just market acceptable restoration, and doesn't need to be in the same category as additive or subtractive restoration, like color touch, tear seals, trimming, pieces added, and the like. Clearly, based on my record here at the CGC boards, "stigma" is one of the last things I worry about. If you could tell with ABSOLUTE (not just a "high level" of) accuracy that a book has been pressed...and not just put in a bag and board, sat in a stack for 40 years, put under dictionaries, or a cinder block, or whatever...then yes, I would have zero problem with that being on the label. But you cannot, because pressing isn't an additive or subtractive form of restoration, and you can have a book that mimics a very good press job (See: Edgar Church collection once more), that never saw a dry mount press. And because of that, what you're suggesting will never, ever happen, nor should it. Obviously, I'm no well versed in pressing. No interest as of yet. Man, you like those wall of text do you. Anyways, I'm a P.Eng so I had to shake my head when you called yourself a "Professional" - if you go by that definition, anybody who get paid for doing anything (whether they're good or not) will be considered as professionals. Professionals abide by a certain best practice and standards - at the very least a code of ethics. Anyways, good luck on your future endeavours. If I ever decide to get my measly collection pressed, I'll drop you a line. Thanks RMA.

1. You're incorrect. Several (most?) of the Edgar Church books that are now in slabs have been pressed. 2. I was referring to the "natural press" that the books had from being stacked in a closet for 30-40 years. That was, indeed, a "natural press", and it allowed for several of the books to be 9.6s and 9.8s without any additional work done to them. I'm not dismissing anything you've said. But what you're asking for isn't possible on any sort of legitimate scale. And, eventually, you will not encounter "unpressed" books in slabs outside of those slabbed in the early 00's. There's simply too much money involved for it to be otherwise. Gotcha on the Mile High collection. I thought they were pristine copies and were not pressed - kinda disappointing to be honest I can tell that you're passionate in pressing comics and you believe that you're one of the better ones if not the best out there. However, I'm not sure if you're using the word professional correctly. I hope the P.E./P.Eng's, M.Ds, etc who read your definition above did not find it offensive, because I kinda did. How can you conclude that detecting a press is not possible? Was enough effort exhausted to scientifically support this? My last question: If in the next two to five years, CGC has found a way to detect with high level of accuracy (within reason of course) pressing jobs on comics and decided to start labelling slabs accordingly or assigning a distinct colour on the label, would you be okay with this? Or worried of the stigma that this may cause?

+1 Say the pressers . . . Btw, to my knowledge, RMA doesn't press books himself, he says he submits pressed books. However fine a distinction between doing and endorsing may be. I have pressed books since 2010. And yes, I am a professional presser, so some may believe my view is biased...but having pressed several thousand books at this point, I've seen enough before and after to be able to make a good determination. There are clues....but they are only clues, and not anything concrete in any respect. Is there a certification process before you become a professional presser? Is there a standard, or code of ethics that you guys follow? Or you are just basing this from your personal experience? Btw, everybody knows that the Edgar Church's collection is not pressed (common knowledge) - not really a good example for comparison. Anyways, I expected some dismissal and push back from pressers here. I don't have anything against pressing comics. I just want to know whether the product I'm buying is of high quality or just "artificial". I think this is important to ensure the health of our hobby. Thanks RMA...

Nor is pressing or micro-trimming, but that hasn't stopped anyone. Point is, it's not necessarily just a hobby to everyone. I wonder at what point will pressing become frowned upon? To me it is restoration. I have several books that would be incredible if pressed but it just feels like restoration (and honestly I'm scared to take the chance and accidentally getting the book ruined). Pressing IS restoration. It is, however, what is called "market acceptable" restoration, which is why, like coin dipping, it doesn't get a purple label when done properly. \ I don't know of anyone using chemicals to press books. It's basically just heat, pressure, and water. Will this eventually have long term issues? Depends on the book and what's done to it. I have nothing against pressing. Hell, I am pretty sure that some of my decent well presenting books were all pressed However, after seeing a few weeks ago I believe that cgc should start disclosing pressing - start at the 10:34 mark. You'll see the guy talking about how the waviness came back after the book was pressed. I'm not sure if this an isolated incident or not but I think it is good business to be upfront with the paying customers. This guy (these?) frequently gives out false information, and people accept it as fact, with no one to challenge them (much like here, except the opportunity to challenge is a lot easier.) Example? In that video alone, this guy claimed that "Web of Spiderman #1 was one of the first appearances of the black costume." Well, I guess if you count the 25th or so as "one of the first", that might be true. Web #1 appeared a full year after ASM #252. And he doesn't just mention it once...he repeats the mistake multiple times. "Then you got all four of the first appearance of the black suit." Not correct. They say "He had four ongoing titles going on at the same time"...which isn't correct, and wouldn't happen until 1990. Unless you count Marvel Tales, which was a reprint title, Spidey had three ongoing titles throughout the 80's. And they frequently make mistakes like this. So, does paper have memory? Yes, it does. Do flaws "come back"? Yes, they do. However...when pressing is done PROPERLY (that is, NOT "quick pressed" or sped through any process at all), then those defects don't come back. But it takes time, and everyone wants their books back NOW NOW NOW!!!!! That's why these defects "come back." You can't stick a book in a press, squash it for a couple of minutes, and then it's done. That's not how it works. And...pressing, when done correctly, is not detectable in any reliable, consistent, meaningful way, so there's no way for CGC to put "pressed" on the label. There are CLUES that a book has been pressed (staples)...but they are only clues, and certainly not conclusive in any way that anybody could tell for sure, and then put on a label. Given that all pressers are not as good as you (and you're only one guy) and there a lot of them out there and few new ones that are likely setting their own shop in the background and there is no 3rd party quality control verifying that a book is "pressed properly", do you agree that CGC should at least consider disclosing whether a book is pressed on their labels to the best of their abilities? I'm sure CGC and their eagle eyed staff have graded enough books to tell whether they have been pressed or not - can't assume that they can't detect pressing because we don't know with 100% certainty what they actually do. I understand some pressers would submit books directly to CGC - that's a good start. If I'm dropping significant sum of money for a graded comic, I'd like to know and be informed (within reason) prior to making the purchase.

Nor is pressing or micro-trimming, but that hasn't stopped anyone. Point is, it's not necessarily just a hobby to everyone. I wonder at what point will pressing become frowned upon? To me it is restoration. I have several books that would be incredible if pressed but it just feels like restoration (and honestly I'm scared to take the chance and accidentally getting the book ruined). Pressing IS restoration. It is, however, what is called "market acceptable" restoration, which is why, like coin dipping, it doesn't get a purple label when done properly. \ I don't know of anyone using chemicals to press books. It's basically just heat, pressure, and water. Will this eventually have long term issues? Depends on the book and what's done to it. I have nothing against pressing. Hell, I am pretty sure that some of my decent well presenting books were all pressed However, after seeing a few weeks ago I believe that cgc should start disclosing pressing - start at the 10:34 mark. You'll see the guy talking about how the waviness came back after the book was pressed. I'm not sure if this an isolated incident or not but I think it is good business to be upfront with the paying customers.

Quick question: If the seller's return policy is "NO Return", what's keeping the buyer from going to paypal and file a dispute? Can sellers use the "No Return" disclaimer as a tool to fight off disputes? Thanks

Nickel and dime much???

If you're suggesting a "perfect storm," that suggest to me you want all of these things together. But you're unlikely to get #5 if #2 is already the case. Your best bet is recognizing that the team has talent which the collecting community hasn't fully recognized yet. Given the criteria, Outcast by Kirkman and Azaceta is one recent book that comes closest to filling the criteria. Speculators jumping on a low print run book, buying all copies they can see online, then hyping on their own websites creating desirability. Wash, rinse, repeat. The lemmings mentality and some just eat it up. examples? This one took 30 seconds. TB 45 When you say " hyping it up on their own websites" it sounds like you are taking about bloggers like comicsheatingup.net and others. Yes It only took you 30 seconds but to a link that actually might be relevant considering the pending Marvel reboot. That is not a good example. I don't see anything wrong with these listings. The book is a first appearance after all. Are these few seller hyping the book up or just listing based on info they gleaned from the websites you may or may not be referring to? I am not saying that what you suggest isn't happening but for the people who come here and are looking for information about modern books it would be nice to get an explanation as to what you are talking about. I was going to list some more examples, but I hate long winded paragraphs so all be brief. That TBolt 45 is a perfect example because they list it on their site and say it going to be hot. They then with NO data at all, to back up their pricing ask 400% over the going rate for the book when they list their copy/copies. Hoping a sucker will buy it them. Again no price data yet, and barely a glimmer of a trend. So the web site has a "vested interest" in hoping this book takes off. Why? because they already bought several copies and hope to sell them at a bloated price realizing their profit. Having a "vested interest" in a book is not wrong per say, but acting in a way that demonstrates collusion is quite a different thing. That's about the best explanation I can give you. I doubt you will agree, but it is what it is. I am quite sure I am not the only one that thinks and believes this. That ain't brief! Here's my attempt at a long winded paragraph, I'm not sure how listing an item on Ebay represents collusion. Again I am just a bit confused. When you say "website" are you talking about the three listings for TB 45 on Ebay because they are not promoting this comic, they are trying to sell it based on info they probably got from some spec page like Bleeding Cool. I agree that a page like Bleeding Cool, comicsheatingup.net and others might write an article about a comic that has quickly become relevant to expand readership but there is no proof that anyone is doing so to sell the speculative book at a bloated price. Buyers should do their own research and be wary of penny-comics but are ultimately responsible for their own wise or poor investments. If a book is meant to retain its value then it will, with or without bloggers or groups who write about the flavor of the day. I was just hoping you would provide some examples of the sources behind your " wash,rinse, repeat" theory not examples of those who are using the information they find on BC and then list the item on Ebay. Now if you could find an article where someone writes about TB 45 and then that same person immediately lists 10 copies on Ebay at 29.99 then we might have something to discuss! It will be time consuming to prove that one but I think it is possible.

You probably read an issue from the all-out war story line... That was pretty bad. Start from the beginning and you might enjoy it.

(thumbs u I entirely agree too. That's truly very sentimental, and I understand what you're saying . . . but Stan Lee is not your mother.

I agree, AoU was a buzz kill. There were a lot of empty seats on Friday. My sister went on to see it on Saturday and she noticed the same thing (she also found the movie a little boring). But as a marvel fan - I have to see the movie. Fortunately, I walked into the theaters with ridiculously low expectation and ended up enjoying the film

The movie was really good. Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas nailed their parts. The story was light and not convoluted - perfect way to introduce a character!

Not the best copy out there but it is mine! Classic Doom origin story and affordable way to own FF#5 (reprint inside)

I'd recommended this a million times before, but the optimal solution is: To have the creator sign a comic-sized piece of clear, flexible plastic/Mylar and have that encapsulated on top of the sealed and graded comic. Why not just have stan sign the slab with some sort of ink that does not come off slab material? oh sure, you won't be able to add $1000 to the price or whatever, but you'll know stan's signature is real and it won't screw up the book. if someone thinks that means you need a new slab, well i guess you can't please everyone. I think you just came up with a new service - Slabbing Slabs! This line of thinking is how you get paid the big bucks!

Man, I need a drink.

It will now