joe_collector

Where have you been for the past year? Living under a rock?

Now are we supposed to read this as he doesn't physically press the books, or he doesn't get them pressed by others?

Trust me, you don't want to see the "Before and After" photos I have. I'd post them just to start a real war, but I'm simply not that evil.

If this were a serious defect that raised its grade more than 0.2, then yes. If it was something like a minute paper impression (9.4 to 9.6) then probably not. The problem I have is that most of the press-work I've seen is from the first camp, to remove spine rolls, significant creases, not to mention the rampant "cleaning and pressing" of books with distributor ink. That's where the profit is, from taking an 8.0 to 8.5 book with a slight roll and a big splash of distro ink, all the way up to a CGC 9.4-9.6 with a bone-white cover. Anyone who's seen the "before and after" photos I have, would NEVER be a fan of pressing.

In your world maybe, but that's usually the half-assed response a dealer will spout to you. After all, it can't be collectors wanting a pristine book that hasn't had any "work" done to it, or investors wanting comics that won't be PLOD'ed 10 years from now, when the community decides pressing is resto, and detection techniques have improved substantially. No, it's gotta be us cheapos not wanting to pay "market prices" and fork over Guide multiples to dealers playing the press/resto game. That's really what it comes down to, dealers are worried that their "press for cash" scam will be uncovered and collectors, specs and investors will say that the jig is up. Personally, I don't see why anyone would choose a pro-pressed, pancaked POS CGC comic when pristine, unpressed and unrestored CGC comics sell for the same price.

I totally disagree with this statement, as it ignores the real reason why pressing is being so rampant: If you can get even a 0.2 CGC grade increase on a high-end book, that can potentially mean thousands of dollars in your pocket. Now let's take the same scenario with a raw book. You originally grade it a NM 9.4 and then press it into what you feel is a NM+ 9.6. Now do you really believe that selling it raw on EBay will increase the value thousands of dollars? I don't think the end price would move at all, as a raw NM is a raw NM, assuming a legit dealer, and all that time, money and effort would be wasted on a raw comic. In fact, most buyers wouldn't trust the NM grade, let alone a NM+ raw designation. Now contrast that with the spike in value from a AF 15 CGC 9.4 pressed to a CGC 9.6 resub and the financial windfall it presents. Pressing and other "non-detectable by CGC" restorative techniques follow the money, and those kinds of "press and win" returns are ONLY available on the CGC side of the equation. Now I'm not saying that raw books do not get pressed, only to say they are "as likely" to get pressed as CGC books is ludicrous. There is little profit in pressing raw books, as opposed to using pressing to get even a slightly higher CGC grade.

Nah, I'm keeping what I got, since I don't buy "non-essentials", but I am going to watch how the market progresses and see how far south prices run as "pressed high-grade" supply increases.

Yeah, well if I buy a set of VF/NM Bronze books for $2 a copy, then I'm not too worried about a few of them being "pressed". It's the "high dollar CGC crowd" that's gonna take the bullet.

"Patience is a virtue" rings true as well.

Like I said, I've taken myself out of the CGC market for at least the foreseeable future. If people are manufacturing CGC 9.4-9.8 copies on their book presses, I can't see me paying less now, than I will a year or two in the future. By that time, there will be multiple copies for everyone.

Sure, and not to mention all the ticked off people who submitted their "bought off the newstand copy", received a CGC 9.6, and are now forced to watch their comic become "common" as more 9.0-9.4 copies are pressed to higher grades. In many ways, this rampant pressing (and clean-and-pressing) has made a mockery of the CGC "high grade scarcity" business model.

Don't make me take out my longbox.....

I have a problem with supporting a business model where pressing is considered an ethical way to make money.

Glad to hear it, and I hope everyone goes "pressed or nothing" so I can snag books that actually have a spine.

Let me get this straight, you're HAPPY that someone pressed your books from a wrinkled 8.0 to a pristine 9.6, and you'd rather buy a pressed copy than a virgin, unnpressed and unrestored book? That's some whacky tobacky you're smokin'.

Not necessarily. I haven't bought a CGC comic since I really started thinking about the long-term implications of pressing, and I'm definitely taking a "wait and see" approach to this rampant "pressing for dollars". Instead I've been having some fun filling in my Bronze collection with various low-cost VF to NM raw copies. And yes (gasp), I actually get to read them before filing them away.

And I don't believe all forms of restoration can be determined.

Ummm, and what strange universe does this occur in? As you know, the problem is that a pancake-pressed CGC 9.0 sells for the same price as an unpressed/unrestored CGC 9.0. Which of those would you choose?

If you sell it as VF+ or send it to CGC and get an 8.5 grade, then yes. If you keep it forever and take it to your grave, then we could refer to it as "closet pressing".

To me, restoration always comes down to three factors: 1) The willful intent to improve a comic's appearance and condition. 2) A profit-based motive. 3) Subjecting the comic to specific procedures that could never be duplicated under normal use. Pressing fits all three, and anyone who equates "comic stacking" with heavy-duty pro pressing, has absolutely no clue. Unless of course, you regularly stack your comics to Jupiter.

Yeah, I remember this guy. He kept listing NM copies of FF 120-123, and they continued to sell at less-than market rates, which made me very suspicious, so I basically wrote the guy off.

You completed your 30-cent collection?

It's time for the long-awaited, much ballyhooed, JC Kudos Post. It takes a lot to get on this prestigious list, so don't be sad if your name isn't here: tkg2627/Vince: A couple of nice Byrne comic deals from a forum member who knows how to grade. Greggy/Greg: What can I say about this Forum Legend that hasn't already been said? The guy sells sweet books at fair prices, and knows how to pack. I'd buy from greggy even if he didn't include a free pair of short-shorts with every deal. comicwiz/Joseph: We did a fairly large (for frugal old me, anyway) transaction on some CGC Byrne X-Men and a few other Bronze books, and it was smooth with a capital S. Lighthouse: I had to buy a new bookshelf for all the TPBs I've purchased, and I've really enjoyed returning to some old classics. Great prices, great service, and wild selection! BlazingBob: This was from a while back, but Bob and I did a small deal on some nice Byrne/Bronze comics, and I'd buy more if he had them. Hint!

Ian, if what Metro is saying is true, and you're badmouthing and threatening them, take a deep breath and step back. The squeaky wheel does get the grease, but if all four axles are screeching and sparks are flying out, then it's usually time for a new car.