Do You Want Fries With That?

[awe4one]

Hmmm... Maybe the books were never opened

 

90% of the comics I've bought from him over the years, and 100% over the last year, all have the stuck cover syndrome...

 

And there's a difference between comics that have never been opened, I've gotten hundreds from calm-mix, and peeling the cover from the front page...

 

Jim

[adamstrange]

 Originally Posted By: Ze-man

You say the spine discoloration is from a spine roll that was reveresed by pressing, but on this Spooky book there is an exact type staining, foxing on the top edge of the front cover that perfectly fits with most tanning or dust type shadows that hit 2 sides of a cover.<br /><br />How is this explained if the spine wear happened when it was rolled and the FC was not?<br /><br />Regarding who or why this person would press this book is beyond me, not only because of its low value, but because even if pressing it did help remove a spine roll, it left behind an ugly mess.<br /><br />I guess I am saying this might not be the best book to use as an example for detecting pressing.<br /><br />

 

The book was stored badly and the top and side tanning is a result of overhang due to the severe spine roll that was pressed out. I suspect the pages are quite yellowed...

 

As to why it was pressed? Who knows? Maybe an experiment to see what could be achieved that was inadvertently or stupidly later offered for sale...

 

And I didn't post the comic as an example for detecting pressing, only that raw comics are pressed. I nearly fell over laughing when I originally saw this comic offered and saved the pic...

 

Jim

Did you inspect this book in person or are you going by the scan?While the pressing scenario you suggest is possible, the scan is completely consistent with a dust shadow due to slightly off-center stacking of books and is something I've seen on a few hundred comics going back before the days of pressing. If the evidence were a scan of a low value Harvey book I wouldn't bet too much money on it being pressed.

[LordRahl]

I can't speak to whether or not HE presses books, don't know him. I know the source that those particular Sgt Fury's came from and they didn't need to be pressed. Especially if he was just selling them raw. Not like he was pressing to try and obtain a 9.8.

[awe4one]

I can't speak to whether or not HE presses books, don't know him. I know the source that those particular Sgt Fury's came from and they didn't need to be pressed. Especially if he was just selling them raw. Not like he was pressing to try and obtain a 9.8.

 

It's a shame then that they were...

 

Jim

 

[awe4one]

Did you inspect this book in person or are you going by the scan?

 

The scan and having multiple pressed low dollar Bronze books that were offered at the same time...

 

Jim

[Ze-man]

You say the spine discoloration is from a spine roll that was reveresed by pressing, but on this Spooky book there is an exact type staining, foxing on the top edge of the front cover that perfectly fits with most tanning or dust type shadows that hit 2 sides of a cover.

 

How is this explained if the spine wear happened when it was rolled and the FC was not?

 

Regarding who or why this person would press this book is beyond me, not only because of its low value, but because even if pressing it did help remove a spine roll, it left behind an ugly mess.

 

I guess I am saying this might not be the best book to use as an example for detecting pressing.

 

The book was stored badly and the top and side tanning is a result of overhang due to the severe spine roll that was pressed out. I suspect the pages are quite yellowed...As to why it was pressed? Who knows? Maybe an experiment to see what could be achieved that was inadvertently or stupidly later offered for sale...And I didn't post the comic as an example for detecting pressing, only that raw comics are pressed. I nearly fell over laughing when I originally saw this comic offered and saved the pic...Jim

Nevermind, I must have misunderstood you, I thought you owned the book and were basing your opinion through having the book in hand.To hard for me to make a valid opinion no matter what I think I may or may not see in a scan.Thanks for replying.

[adamstrange]

 Originally Posted By: DrWatson

To equate comic book pressing with those things you just listed is ridiculous.

 

Nobody's equating anything, just making a point.

 

I'm opposed to the rampant proliferation of greed in this hobby, of which unnecessary pressing for profit is a prime symptom. I see enough of that here in NYC. Comics are supposed to be my sanctuary away from all the petty douchebags I run into here and instead I find that there are more greedy and ethically-challenged people in our hobby than on Wall Street.

I've collected objects outside of comics and have family members that do as well. There is, unfortunately nothing about the situation in comics that makes it any more of rogue's nest than any other hobby. The greater the money at stake the more likely it is that people will look for an edge in their dealings with others. If there is any increase in unethical behavior (and I'm not convinced there is as it wasn't all sweetness and light prior to CGC) it's due the continued popularity of comics that causes collectors to pay substantially more for them than they used to. If you don't like atmosphere in comics then I don't have any other collectible area to recommend and can only suggest taking up hobbies that don't involve the collecting of things.

[MrBedrock]

 Originally Posted By: adamstrange

Did you inspect this book in person or are you going by the scan?

 

The scan and having multiple pressed low dollar Bronze books that were offered at the same time...

 

Jim

So clues from a scan can lead to 100% certainty that pressing has occurred! That is some gift that you have. Are you also the clairvoyant who chooses which books to feature on the Gallery of Disclosure?

[LordRahl]

So you are saying that he took a bunch of raw 9.4-9.8 $15-20 books. Pressed them and then sold them raw for $15-20. Seriously? Why would anyone do that?

[MrBedrock]

So you are saying that he took a bunch of raw 9.4-9.8 $15-20 books. Pressed them and then sold them raw for $15-20. Seriously? Why would anyone do that?

Because how else would you explain the global conspiracy that is pressing?

[awe4one]

So you are saying that he took a bunch of raw 9.4-9.8 $15-20 books. Pressed them and then sold them raw for $15-20. Seriously? Why would anyone do that?

 

Probably for the same reason he presses $3 books...

 

Jim

[awe4one]

 Originally Posted By: LordRahl

So you are saying that he took a bunch of raw 9.4-9.8 $15-20 books. Pressed them and then sold them raw for $15-20. Seriously? Why would anyone do that?

Because how else would you explain the global conspiracy that is pressing?

 

Have you have bought comics the seller has offered?

 

Jim

[awe4one]

Are you also the clairvoyant who chooses which books to feature on the Gallery of Disclosure?

 

Didn't take long for your bias to show...

 

Jim

[arexcrooke]

 Originally Posted By: adamstrange

Did you inspect this book in person or are you going by the scan?

 

The scan and having multiple pressed low dollar Bronze books that were offered at the same time...

 

Jim

Just to be clear YOU DONT OWN ANY OF THESE BOOKS you are just going off of a scan?In the immortal and very prescient words of Nick Complete and utter bollocks

[LordRahl]

 Originally Posted By: LordRahl

So you are saying that he took a bunch of raw 9.4-9.8 $15-20 books. Pressed them and then sold them raw for $15-20. Seriously? Why would anyone do that?

 

Probably for the same reason he presses $3 books...

 

Jim

I'm finding this extremely difficult to give any credence to. There was no profit for him in pressing those Fury's. Likely they were all better than NM anyways. Are you suggesting compulsive pressing disorder now? Regardless of whether it actually makes you any money or not.

[awe4one]

 Originally Posted By: awe4one

 Originally Posted By: adamstrange

Did you inspect this book in person or are you going by the scan?

 

The scan and having multiple pressed low dollar Bronze books that were offered at the same time...

 

Jim

Just to be clear YOU DONT OWN ANY OF THESE BOOKS you are just going off of a scan?

 

In the immortal and very prescient words of Nick

 

Complete and utter bollocks

I don't own this particular book...I own many other pressed books from the same seller. Including a dozen or so offered at the same time this one was offered...And just to be clear, this is not news to alot of Forum members here. We've discussed this seller for at least the last year or so...Jim

[awe4one]

I'm finding this extremely difficult to give any credence to. There was no profit for him in pressing those Fury's. Likely they were all better than NM anyways. Are you suggesting compulsive pressing disorder now? Regardless of whether it actually makes you any money or not.

 

If you can come up with a better reason why comics offered here for as low as a buck were pressed, I'm all ears...

 

Jim

[LordRahl]

Maybe they weren't and you just assume that they were based on the seller. For the record, the splash being stuck to the front cover does NOT mean that a book has been pressed.

[NewWorldOrder]

I have tried to up stain from these threads for a while, but I am just going to say so there is no confusion from anyone about where I stand on this issue.

 

Yes, I John Believe Pressing is not restoration in my opinion.

 

After hearing both sides of the argument I have concluded that pressing is okay with me!

 

I actually sent 1st ever order away my:

 

ASM 121 CGC 9.4

ASM 101 CGC 9.4

X-MEN #112 CGC 9.6

ASM #107 CGC 9.4

 

To get pressed! And unless any of them come back a 9.8 then I will not sell them.

 

Also to believe that all 8.5,9.0, 9.2, etc…..can be pressed with favorable next level of grading results is not accurate at all.

 

I just went threw all my 9.4 and 9.6’s issues which were like 50! And only 5 are good candidates to get pressed.

 

Any good grader should now relatively quick if there book is worth being pressed.

 

Come on guys pressing cant get out tears, color breaking creases, dents, lets be real here…..

 

[tb]

We've seen far too many examples on these boards of books that were "improved" in one way or another but are sitting in blue labels. Sorry but people paying these kinds of multiples for blue label high grade are suckers at this point given all the *fork* that's been's proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

I agree completely. As someone who placed a number of 5-figure bids on blue label books in last week's auction, I have no illusion that these books weren't pressed. Anyone who did would indeed be a sucker. After thinking long and hard about it, I've decided to accept pressed books as a market reality and pay exactly the same for them as I would for unpressed books in the same grade. If I only wanted books that were not pressed I would have to give up collecting high grade GA.

 

When I decide to sell them, I am going to make a S H I T load of money.

But that is not the reason that I had them pressed. You can continue to convince yourself that it is. But it ain't

 

Mr. Bedrock, I understand completely what you are saying here. Since you are paying for some of the top books in the hobby and noone can distinguish pressed books, you would be a fool not to get your own books pressed. Thanks for bringing some balance to a discussion that has been very one-sided so far. I can certainly also understand why nearmint chose to get some of his books pressed.

 

I've collected objects outside of comics and have family members that do as well. There is, unfortunately nothing about the situation in comics that makes it any more of rogue's nest than any other hobby. The greater the money at stake the more likely it is that people will look for an edge in their dealings with others. If there is any increase in unethical behavior (and I'm not convinced there is as it wasn't all sweetness and light prior to CGC) it's due the continued popularity of comics that causes collectors to pay substantially more for them than they used to.

 

If you don't like atmosphere in comics then I don't have any other collectible area to recommend and can only suggest taking up hobbies that don't involve the collecting of things.

 

The talk about ethics in the Silveracre threads surprised me. The premise for talking about ethics and morality is an established standard for what is right and wrong. As I see it, the bar for that standard is currently being set by people who get books pressed for a profit. By that standard, pressing is neither unethical nor immoral. It would be different if you were to claim that the ethical standard for the hobby is higher, but this is not my own experience.

 

In general, I think it is missing the point to talk about whether pressing or what Silveracre did was ethical or not: the real question is where the bar for the current standard in the hobby is set. If an action conforms to that, it is ethical, otherwise it is not.

 

While I may not personally like pressing or what Silveracred did, I wouldn't consider either below the established standards.