mike devon

31 minutes ago, Krismusic said:

yeah same I have some action figures Spiderman the animated series most of boxes are in decent condition but if they press and can look near perfect to display that might be cool... I know they aren't worth much but in a cool presentation with my comics/reprints I think it would be awesome.. 

Boxes can be transformed by being pressed.  I've had some amazing results.  Again the tricky bit is dismantling them in the first place.  I also do retouching which combined with pressing can give great results.

I wouldn't retouch a comic though its a completely different ballgame.

1 hour ago, Pontoon said:

I'm confused. In this thread, you're using Giles Hargraves at Asgard Comics in the UK to press comics:

But days later you've become an experienced presser using "proper conservator methods"?

Yep.  As I've mentioned quite a few times now I won't disassemble a whole book.  Giles presses whole books and as far as I understand it he doesn't disassemble them.

36 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

7.5-8.5 IMO.

Yeah - it would press very well I think.  I don't think its a high enough value book to bother though.

Bend on top right.  The blue there right on the bend is fractionally lighter - almost invisible but its there.

4 hours ago, aardvark88 said:

I am glad that you are using paper conservator methods. Probably easiest to buy $1 vintage low grade Disneys, Westerns and Bugs Bunny to practice on. Watch out for how the staples may pinch in on the 1st wrap if you are not dismantling.

Cheers.  I would only press wraps not whole books.  I don't need to practice I know how to do it. The suggestion was purely for fun it doesn't matter if no-one'sinterested.

Pressing can be a mixed blessing.  It can produce amazing results on old boxes that have warped but also if there are a lot of colour breaks in creases it can look odd. 

I think you've misread my post somewhat.  What method is there to disagree with..?   I didn't say how I do it.

I don't need to practice I'm trained to do this.

It was for fun more than anything - if anyone's got an old wrap thats a bit creased or water damage-wrinkly I can flatten it out.

I DON'T dismantle books in order to press them.  Too risky.

5 minutes ago, joeypost said:

This won't end well. 

It would be handy if someone could explain why this is seemingly a problem..?  Its only a suggestion.

Does anyone have a coverless book or maybe even single wrap that are creased or water damaged that they wouldn't mind an attempt to press..?

I know how to press paper correctly using a proper conservator method.  The reason I don't do it on whole books is the risk when disassembling/reassembling - the covers are easy to scratch with the staples.

A single wrap would be ideal.  If anyone's interested give me a shout.  No charge but acceptance of risk however slight.  That said I've done dozens of toy boxes with no problems and got fantastic results.

3 minutes ago, comicginger1789 said:

Humour aside, if I had a really old Golden Age or high value key, I would not have a problem marrying a cover or even pages from a beater copy onto a better copy to make it look nice. Even if the missing pages were just set inside the comic loose, I would be happy to know it is complete and I have the whole story. Same with a coverless book getting a cover that I just kept loose over the interior. 

Agree.  I guess on a million dollar book it would affect the value more..?  If I was paying a million I think I'd need the book to be as it was made.

24 minutes ago, The Lions Den said:

I don't think the extra staple holes would affect the grade much, IMO. Interior flaws aren't generally viewed as harshly as flaws on the cover, unless it relates to overall page quality. Of course, major interior problems (such as clipped coupons, missing pages or large pieces missing) can affect the grade dramatically.

And the white pages designation can mean a few different things, but it usually means there's no age toning or discoloration to the pages (even if the pages aren't actually bone white).  

Yeah - I think if the married wrap obviously didn't match that would harm the grade more.  Saying that wraps can vary anyway.

All depends on degree and buyer.

This is why I'm finding the whole grading/slabbing thing a bit wahey  IMHO a real eye candy book that technically loses on interior/back flaws etc is more desirable than a higher grade with a few visible cover creases etc - see what I mean..?

3 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

It still depends book-to-book, though. Would I want a restored copy of Spawn #1? Nope! Superman #1? Sure!

Yes totally agree.

32 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

Without a universal method to grading flaws, and no particular book, this is an exercise in futility.

"White pages" simply means 'in (roughly) same condition as printed'.

No I'm just asking the group how much married pages bother them.  For some apparently its not much and others wouldn't want the book.

6 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

That's not really the case. There could very well be PQ discrepancies.

We can't estimate how much this could affect the condition if we don't know the overall condition. There is no universal method to assessing a single defect.

Sure I've covered that:  'and the pages match' - no difference in pages apart from the 4 extra holes.

Agree there's no universal method but I'm just looking for opinions.

For me its mostly about the covers.  These things are generally slabbed so thats all you ever see + I just don't care as much about the interiors.  I don't understand interiors being described as 'white' - no silver age newsprint comic ever had white pages even when it was on the printing press.

9 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

Kind of an oxymoron, yes?

Can't really tell without seeing the book in question.

Post #10,000

No not oxymoron - its a job where you'd never know apart from the spare staple holes.  You'd have to make new ones in the wrap so the old holes would be there.  There is no particular book I'm just wondering:  what is people's default reduction in grade for married if its done very well.

Of course if the staples aligned and the pages match you'd never know.  Same if staples out but vertical - the spare holes would be hidden by the spine.

9 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

6.5 IMO.

Yeah seems to be 6.5 maybe 7.0.  I don't mind the grade really I just want to get a decent price for it if I sell.  I think its between 6.5 and 7.0 so I'd price it between I think.  Didn't buy it to sell but I'm trying to get a '1'.

On 9/28/2019 at 7:14 PM, Joe Ankenbauer said:

I'm sure some collectors do, but if you're selling, it's probably best that you inform the buyer that the book has been pressed. I sent some books to @joeypost and I received some higher grades than I would have gotten without pressing.

As for restored comics, it depends on the person and it depends on the type of restoration. Quite frankly, I don't understand how a book that is worth $1000 with a blue label is suddenly worth $200-$250 with a "small amount of color touch on cover." Yes, most collectors want blue labels. I purchased a Showcase #6 with a PLOD (small amount of color touch on cover), and I'm still happy with it. Showcase #6 was a hard book to find (at least for me it was), and I was happy to get a restored copy rather than not having a copy at all.

Of course, YMMV.

 

Joe

Yeah I'm a bit puzzled by the plunge in value for even pro and very light colour touch.

Hypothetical.  A married book where you can't tell it's been done except the staples on the new wrap were in a slightly different position so the 4 old staple holes are present.

How many grades would that drop the book..?

If it was a vertical difference and it wasn't the centrefold you wouldn't see it so assume its a slight horizontal difference.

Colan inking himself - very rarely happened.

I'd use Giles again.

Just now, Harry Lime said:

Didn't remove the NCB corner bend that I specifically asked him to remove. Basically spent £20 on a trip for my book to Wigan and back. Hope it saw the pier!

Well, the split looks a bit longer in the new photo, I'm not saying it is longer after the press, but it looks it, so I'm revising my initial estimate to a 6.5.

Was it a very severe bend..?  I can get rid of any bend on a disassembled book - my issue is getting the book apart and back together without causing damage.

This book sold at auction for about £240 ($300).  I dropped out of bidding as didn't think it was worth it.

2 hours ago, Harry Lime said:

I thought that as well.

I didn't really think it needed cleaning & pressing, I hope you haven't damaged it further.

I've used Giles before, being in the UK he's the only 'professional presser' we've got, and whilst he didn't damage the book I wasn't overly impressed with the job he did either.

The book has come back much better - 0.5 bump I think.  Split is the same.  Back way way cleaner.  Corner bend bottom right through entire book completely gone.  Stacking curl gone.  Pressing shouldn't damage a book unless it was in a bad state anyway.

How did Giles not impress..?

8 minutes ago, Point Five said:

If you're trying to sell it, your audience will prefer blue label and it presents beautifully. Just submit as is.

 

Cheers.  I don't know about submitting it - I like that you can actually inspect it and read it.  If I did try to sell it its so obviously unrestored I think I'd do ok on it raw.  Its really really obvious it hasn't been touched.

6 minutes ago, Point Five said:

6.5

 

So the tear is knocking $600 odd off the value.  Would it get a PLOD if I got it sealed up..?