Manufactured Gold

[esquirecomics]

I'm with Brad on this one - the crack/press/resubmit game has been going on for quite some time, and by many more than one well-known dealer or collector. Lauterbach is a good guess in the present case, since he sells most of his stock via C-link, lives very close to the Blazing one, and is known to press books to improve their CGC grades.

 

I've weighed in already with my view that I believe the purchase/crack/press/resub/re-auction dance is done with great frequency by Heritage.

 

Moral? If you don't like buying high grade books that may have been pressed, then do not do business with Comiclink, Matt Nelson, Lauterbach, Pedigree and the other dealers and auctioneers that refuse of their own volition to disclose non-disassembly cleaning and/or pressing.

 

Wow, this stuff is blowing my mind. Do you seriously think this list of dealers who do not openly disclose pressing is comprehensive? It's fall far short. I think you're grossly underestimating how many people, both collectors and dealers, are involved in the crackout game. These people you list are very visible because they mainly operate through the internet, and it's all there for everyone to see. There are so many other people out there buying and selling books that you're not taking into consideration.

 

I don't see where he limits himself to only those he named above as individuals who allegedly engage in undisclosed manipulation of books. In fact, his language implicitly, if not explicitly, acknowledges the list is broader.

 

In any event, it does not matter if the list he cited is comprehensive or limited in nature. What is imperative is that anytime someone identifies an individual as engaging in whatever type of conduct is at issue that such characterization or allegation is accurate.

 

If the list is accurate than those engaging in whatever conduct might be at issue have no basis to complain and if there are consequences from those actions, so be it. Right?

 

And I am not talking about ethics or illegalities here in the slightest, nor even the question of morality. Let's look at it plain and simple. The RNC recently ran a television ad against Congressman Harold Ford as part of the Tennessee Senate race. The obvious objective was to support the *spoon* (what the heck, the boards won't let me write Rep - bublican? ) candidate. It likely had the opposite effect and led people to Congressman Ford rather than against him. Actions. Consequences.

 

By the way Matt, if you wish to add names to the list so that the appropriate individuals who are not as visible are taken into consideration, I am sure everyone here would be most grateful to you.

 

I think you're taking his quote too literally. The point I'm making is that, if someone plans to avoid dealers who may sell pressed books, then that person will run out of people to buy from.

 

I was not reacting to anything other than what you wrote Matt so there was nothing in namisgr's quotes/comments that I took issue with, or too literally interpreted, as far as I can tell.

 

With respect to whether buyers will run out of dealers to purchase from, with all due respect you continue to misdirect the issue. It is not about pressing (and, again, that is just one form of manipulation that is being addressed, it is not the end all to everything). It is about disclosure. Buyers, the number of which is unknown, are starting to turn away from dealers who refuse to disclose certain information. There are more than enough dealers, and I believe that number will grow, who buyers will unhesitatingly turn to who meet their needs and principles. Therein lies the consequence to the action.

 

True, there are certainly collectors out there who do not want to purchase a manipulated book whether they knew it or not. That group will run into a problem not necessarily with specific dealers but in general because the odds are we all have such books in our inventory and there is nothing to be done about it. The past is the past. All we can strive for is acknowledging what we know to permit informed decisions in the present and the future.

 

The whole crux of your arguement up to this point has been that pressed books are identifiable, or that willing disclosure will assure all pressed books in one's inventory will cover the bases. And this has been proven not to be possible.

 

I've never said anything of the sort Matt. You know that quite well having read and responded to my publised comments. Clearly identification of pressed books is a difficult problem. But that does not mean it is an insurmountable problem for some, and perhaps even many, books. There are countless examples where books have been correctly identified as having been manipulated, whether that be through methods of pressing, dry cleaning, resubbing or a combination of these and other means.

 

Nor am I clear as to what you are attempting to infer by your second clause. No one should ever be expected to disclose information they do not know, nor guess as to what might be. Honest and open judgments and conduct are all that can ever be expected.

 

Furthermore, Bob is the seller here, not the buyer. If the buyer has an issue, let him speak up. Otherwise, this is an issue from the other end of the transaction which has different implications. If Bob was aware of pressing, but chose not to do so because of his own reasons, he cannot get angry because someone bought books from Storms' inventory and got upgrades.

 

What if the person who bought these books was not from the "axis of evil," but rather some innocent collector? Does that change things?

 

So, you are saying Bob (or anyone else for that matter) has no right to be concerned, annoyed or even angry regarding what took place? Only the buyer of the books possess that right? That is quite a narrow interpretation of a community. I suppose simply because someone was robbed down the street from me makes no difference to how I feel about the safety of my community as the victim was not me?

 

To the contrary the victim was the community, and we are all entitled to raise this as an issue.

[Ze-man]

Wow, this stuff is blowing my mind. Do you seriously think this list of dealers who do not openly disclose pressing is comprehensive? It's fall far short. I think you're grossly underestimating how many people, both collectors and dealers, are involved in the crackout game. These people you list are very visible because they mainly operate through the internet, and it's all there for everyone to see. There are so many other people out there buying and selling books that you're not taking into consideration.

 

no offense, but you seem to be grossly underestimating how much this "game" bothers people once they are made aware of it.

 

i suspect most people don't care because most people have no freaking idea just what is going on

 

Why do you think I'm grossly underestimating how much it bother's people? What are you basing this on? I think I have a pretty good view of people's perception of pressing from where I sit, and I wholeheartedly disagree.

 

Way more people know about pressing today than a year ago, thanks in part to the boards, Scoop, GPA, and other outlets. Where is this groundswell that is talked about? How much more does the word have to be spread before you acquiesce?

 

if people aren't bothered by it, then why are the majority of dealers who do work (pressing) on books unwilling to disclose same?

 

apologies if this feels like a tu quoque direction of questioning

 

A very simple answer. They don't consider pressing to be restoration.

 

Even if people think pressing isn't a form of restoration. I still imagine they would like to know about it.

 

Don't you agree?

 

No easy way to say it, so I will just ask you. Why do you feel it is ok to NOT tell people openly that you pressed the book they are buying from you? Besides the money part, I really would like to know why you feel withholding information like this is in any way shape, or form...a good thing for the hobby

 

Eveyone else seems to think this way, why dont you?

 

Ze-

[qualitycomix]

You mean the guys benefiting from pressing and the non-disclosure of it don't consider it restoration. I see a fairly clear line of division between buyers and sellers on this area. A couple of exceptions, but still.....

 

 

also, got the label, Matt. Thanks.

 

No, that's not what I mean at all. Everyone I know that presses has no problem buying a pressed book. To me, that makes the system work. If they only sold pressed books, and refused the buy them, then you'd be right.

 

Great on the label! You'll send it to CGC, right?

 

They don't refuse to buy them because they know they can resell them without disclosure. That's what makes the system work.

 

It's a tougher road to buy a book, press it, certify it and then disclose it. You cut out some buyers that would normally want that book. But the tradeoff is that buyers develop a sense that they have a better sense of trust in a transaction with a dealer who does disclose regardless of whether it's restoration or not.

 

And Matt, I appreciate you coming on here and answering questions. I don't see many others coming on the forums to defend their business practices when it comes to disclosure at least not to this extent.

[FFB]

I'm with Brad on this one - the crack/press/resubmit game has been going on for quite some time, and by many more than one well-known dealer or collector. Lauterbach is a good guess in the present case, since he sells most of his stock via C-link, lives very close to the Blazing one, and is known to press books to improve their CGC grades.

 

I've weighed in already with my view that I believe the purchase/crack/press/resub/re-auction dance is done with great frequency by Heritage.

 

Moral? If you don't like buying high grade books that may have been pressed, then do not do business with Comiclink, Matt Nelson, Lauterbach, Pedigree and the other dealers and auctioneers that refuse of their own volition to disclose non-disassembly cleaning and/or pressing.

 

Wow, this stuff is blowing my mind. Do you seriously think this list of dealers who do not openly disclose pressing is comprehensive? It's fall far short. I think you're grossly underestimating how many people, both collectors and dealers, are involved in the crackout game. These people you list are very visible because they mainly operate through the internet, and it's all there for everyone to see. There are so many other people out there buying and selling books that you're not taking into consideration.

 

I don't see where he limits himself to only those he named above as individuals who allegedly engage in undisclosed manipulation of books. In fact, his language implicitly, if not explicitly, acknowledges the list is broader.

 

In any event, it does not matter if the list he cited is comprehensive or limited in nature. What is imperative is that anytime someone identifies an individual as engaging in whatever type of conduct is at issue that such characterization or allegation is accurate.

 

If the list is accurate than those engaging in whatever conduct might be at issue have no basis to complain and if there are consequences from those actions, so be it. Right?

 

And I am not talking about ethics or illegalities here in the slightest, nor even the question of morality. Let's look at it plain and simple. The RNC recently ran a television ad against Congressman Harold Ford as part of the Tennessee Senate race. The obvious objective was to support the *spoon* (what the heck, the boards won't let me write Rep - bublican? ) candidate. It likely had the opposite effect and led people to Congressman Ford rather than against him. Actions. Consequences.

 

By the way Matt, if you wish to add names to the list so that the appropriate individuals who are not as visible are taken into consideration, I am sure everyone here would be most grateful to you.

 

In your strained attempt to use yet another political analogy in relation to comic book collecting, you have obviously missed the point Matt was making -- that you and everyone else cannot "protect" yourselves from the crack-out game just by avoiding those few dealers who have been highlighted here. It is a false sense of security that is being created.

 

Unless, of course, you or others take the attitude of "What I don't know doesn't hurt me," in which case I have to ask what is the BFD about pressing anyway?

[esquirecomics]

Wow, this stuff is blowing my mind. Do you seriously think this list of dealers who do not openly disclose pressing is comprehensive? It's fall far short. I think you're grossly underestimating how many people, both collectors and dealers, are involved in the crackout game. These people you list are very visible because they mainly operate through the internet, and it's all there for everyone to see. There are so many other people out there buying and selling books that you're not taking into consideration.

 

no offense, but you seem to be grossly underestimating how much this "game" bothers people once they are made aware of it.

 

i suspect most people don't care because most people have no freaking idea just what is going on

 

Why do you think I'm grossly underestimating how much it bother's people? What are you basing this on? I think I have a pretty good view of people's perception of pressing from where I sit, and I wholeheartedly disagree.

 

Way more people know about pressing today than a year ago, thanks in part to the boards, Scoop, GPA, and other outlets. Where is this groundswell that is talked about? How much more does the word have to be spread before you acquiesce?

 

if people aren't bothered by it, then why are the majority of dealers who do work (pressing) on books unwilling to disclose same?

 

apologies if this feels like a tu quoque direction of questioning

 

A very simple answer. They don't consider pressing to be restoration.

 

Then why do some people care about pressing? Misinformed? Members of these boards are quite informed and yet a good number of them have made it perfectly clear they have an issue, though the levels of which may differ, with the conduct.

 

If those who buy and sell pressed books don't care about pressing, then no one loses their business by affirmatively disclosing the fact that a book has been pressed.

 

The true fact is that you and others know, or at least harbor concerns, you will likely lose some modicum of business, or garner less profit, if you disclose a book has been pressed. Therefore, this acknowledges that a segment of the community cares about the issue and its being intentionally hidden.

 

The sad truth is that with a little effort at education probably most people wouldn't care as much about pressing so long as they had the knowledge to render an informed decision at the outset.

 

I have said it before, and I will say it again, I would be happy to help facilitate that process and openly work with you to destigmatize restoration in general, and pressing specifically, whether or not it is restoration. Disclosure is the issue, not the conduct, at least to me.

[Matt Nelson]

Wow, this stuff is blowing my mind. Do you seriously think this list of dealers who do not openly disclose pressing is comprehensive? It's fall far short. I think you're grossly underestimating how many people, both collectors and dealers, are involved in the crackout game. These people you list are very visible because they mainly operate through the internet, and it's all there for everyone to see. There are so many other people out there buying and selling books that you're not taking into consideration.

 

no offense, but you seem to be grossly underestimating how much this "game" bothers people once they are made aware of it.

 

i suspect most people don't care because most people have no freaking idea just what is going on

 

Why do you think I'm grossly underestimating how much it bother's people? What are you basing this on? I think I have a pretty good view of people's perception of pressing from where I sit, and I wholeheartedly disagree.

 

Way more people know about pressing today than a year ago, thanks in part to the boards, Scoop, GPA, and other outlets. Where is this groundswell that is talked about? How much more does the word have to be spread before you acquiesce?

 

if people aren't bothered by it, then why are the majority of dealers who do work (pressing) on books unwilling to disclose same?

 

apologies if this feels like a tu quoque direction of questioning

 

A very simple answer. They don't consider pressing to be restoration.

 

wait wait wait wait. i never said anything about restoration.

 

if it's not restoration, if it is...doesn't matter one bit to me. truthfully, i could not care less one way or the other.

 

but it still needs to be disclosed. unless there's a stigma about pressing that for some reason, even though it's not 'restoration' still exists anyways, which is essentially a fancy way of dealers having their cake and eating it, too

 

To be blunt, they just don't care. I've talked to just about every dealer ad nausem about pressing, and even the ones who don't press don't think it's a big deal. I'm telling you, the climate on the boards does not reflect what's going on out there in the world of buying and selling.

[FFB]

You mean the guys benefiting from pressing and the non-disclosure of it don't consider it restoration. I see a fairly clear line of division between buyers and sellers on this area. A couple of exceptions, but still.....

 

Remember when I sold that FF#53 last year and disclosed pressing in the auction? It sold for just shy of a record price to a dealer. So apparently it isn't just collectors who are on the buying end of this, nor is it just dealers who are on the pressing end of this.

[Sal]

Wow, this stuff is blowing my mind. Do you seriously think this list of dealers who do not openly disclose pressing is comprehensive? It's fall far short. I think you're grossly underestimating how many people, both collectors and dealers, are involved in the crackout game. These people you list are very visible because they mainly operate through the internet, and it's all there for everyone to see. There are so many other people out there buying and selling books that you're not taking into consideration.

 

no offense, but you seem to be grossly underestimating how much this "game" bothers people once they are made aware of it.

 

i suspect most people don't care because most people have no freaking idea just what is going on

 

Why do you think I'm grossly underestimating how much it bother's people? What are you basing this on? I think I have a pretty good view of people's perception of pressing from where I sit, and I wholeheartedly disagree.

 

Way more people know about pressing today than a year ago, thanks in part to the boards, Scoop, GPA, and other outlets. Where is this groundswell that is talked about? How much more does the word have to be spread before you acquiesce?

 

if people aren't bothered by it, then why are the majority of dealers who do work (pressing) on books unwilling to disclose same?

 

apologies if this feels like a tu quoque direction of questioning

 

A very simple answer. They don't consider pressing to be restoration.

 

wait wait wait wait. i never said anything about restoration.

 

if it's not restoration, if it is...doesn't matter one bit to me. truthfully, i could not care less one way or the other.

 

but it still needs to be disclosed. unless there's a stigma about pressing that for some reason, even though it's not 'restoration' still exists anyways, which is essentially a fancy way of dealers having their cake and eating it, too

 

To be blunt, they just don't care. I've talked to just about every dealer ad nausem about pressing, and even the ones who don't press don't think it's a big deal. I'm telling you, the climate on the boards does not reflect what's going on out there in the world of buying and selling.

 

i can buy that. your time and responses are appreciated, even if our perspectives on the issue at hand differ

[mica]

You mean the guys benefiting from pressing and the non-disclosure of it don't consider it restoration. I see a fairly clear line of division between buyers and sellers on this area. A couple of exceptions, but still.....

 

Remember when I sold that FF#53 last year and disclosed pressing in the auction? It sold for just shy of a record price to a dealer. So apparently it isn't just collectors who are on the buying end of this, nor is it just dealers who are on the pressing end of this.

[FFB]

Wow, this stuff is blowing my mind. Do you seriously think this list of dealers who do not openly disclose pressing is comprehensive? It's fall far short. I think you're grossly underestimating how many people, both collectors and dealers, are involved in the crackout game. These people you list are very visible because they mainly operate through the internet, and it's all there for everyone to see. There are so many other people out there buying and selling books that you're not taking into consideration.

 

no offense, but you seem to be grossly underestimating how much this "game" bothers people once they are made aware of it.

 

i suspect most people don't care because most people have no freaking idea just what is going on

 

Why do you think I'm grossly underestimating how much it bother's people? What are you basing this on? I think I have a pretty good view of people's perception of pressing from where I sit, and I wholeheartedly disagree.

 

Way more people know about pressing today than a year ago, thanks in part to the boards, Scoop, GPA, and other outlets. Where is this groundswell that is talked about? How much more does the word have to be spread before you acquiesce?

 

if people aren't bothered by it, then why are the majority of dealers who do work (pressing) on books unwilling to disclose same?

 

apologies if this feels like a tu quoque direction of questioning

 

A very simple answer. They don't consider pressing to be restoration.

 

Even if people think pressing isn't a form of restoration. I still imagine they would like to know about it.

 

Don't you agree?

 

No easy way to say it, so I will just ask you. Why do you feel it is ok to NOT tell people openly that you pressed the book they are buying from you? Besides the money part, I really would like to know why you feel withholding information like this is in any way shape, or form...a good thing for the hobby

 

Eveyone else seems to think this way, why dont you?

 

Ze-

 

Kenny,

 

Don't confuse "a few people on a message board" with "everyone else."

 

Love,

 

Me

[Matt Nelson]

A very simple answer. They don't consider pressing to be restoration.

 

Based on your experience in restoration, do you consider things like erasure to be restoration?

 

If not, why?

 

If so, then would you disclose even if in a CGC holder?

 

I've always looked at this thing with a practical viewpoint. Anyone can erase something on a book, whether it's dirt, a date, or a pencilled "Larson." How can this be considered restoration? It's silly. Are all those erased Larson books restored? Of course not. So no, I don't think erasing is restoration.

[esquirecomics]

I'm with Brad on this one - the crack/press/resubmit game has been going on for quite some time, and by many more than one well-known dealer or collector. Lauterbach is a good guess in the present case, since he sells most of his stock via C-link, lives very close to the Blazing one, and is known to press books to improve their CGC grades.

 

I've weighed in already with my view that I believe the purchase/crack/press/resub/re-auction dance is done with great frequency by Heritage.

 

Moral? If you don't like buying high grade books that may have been pressed, then do not do business with Comiclink, Matt Nelson, Lauterbach, Pedigree and the other dealers and auctioneers that refuse of their own volition to disclose non-disassembly cleaning and/or pressing.

 

Wow, this stuff is blowing my mind. Do you seriously think this list of dealers who do not openly disclose pressing is comprehensive? It's fall far short. I think you're grossly underestimating how many people, both collectors and dealers, are involved in the crackout game. These people you list are very visible because they mainly operate through the internet, and it's all there for everyone to see. There are so many other people out there buying and selling books that you're not taking into consideration.

 

I don't see where he limits himself to only those he named above as individuals who allegedly engage in undisclosed manipulation of books. In fact, his language implicitly, if not explicitly, acknowledges the list is broader.

 

In any event, it does not matter if the list he cited is comprehensive or limited in nature. What is imperative is that anytime someone identifies an individual as engaging in whatever type of conduct is at issue that such characterization or allegation is accurate.

 

If the list is accurate than those engaging in whatever conduct might be at issue have no basis to complain and if there are consequences from those actions, so be it. Right?

 

And I am not talking about ethics or illegalities here in the slightest, nor even the question of morality. Let's look at it plain and simple. The RNC recently ran a television ad against Congressman Harold Ford as part of the Tennessee Senate race. The obvious objective was to support the *spoon* (what the heck, the boards won't let me write Rep - bublican? ) candidate. It likely had the opposite effect and led people to Congressman Ford rather than against him. Actions. Consequences.

 

By the way Matt, if you wish to add names to the list so that the appropriate individuals who are not as visible are taken into consideration, I am sure everyone here would be most grateful to you.

 

In your strained attempt to use yet another political analogy in relation to comic book collecting, you have obviously missed the point Matt was making -- that you and everyone else cannot "protect" yourselves from the crack-out game just by avoiding those few dealers who have been highlighted here. It is a false sense of security that is being created.

 

Unless, of course, you or others take the attitude of "What I don't know doesn't hurt me," in which case I have to ask what is the BFD about pressing anyway?

 

Thank you Mr. Defender of those engaged in repetoire with me. I can always count on you to intervene and spell it out the real trurth for everyone.

 

It is not about protecting oneself from a select group of dealers. It is about highlighting certain affirmative conduct and the consequences that can arise therefrom. It is about education and informed decisions. Read my follow-up post as there is no way the results of the conduct can be avoided nowadays, but the conduct can be addressed if that is what someone wishes to do.

 

As far as the "What I don't know doesn't hurt me", that mantra belongs to those who repeatedly argue, such as CGC, that if pressing cannot be identified on a book what's the big deal. Somehow I don't think that view can be ascribed to me. But by all means Scott, please do use your logic to figure out a way that it can be.

[Red Hook]

You mean the guys benefiting from pressing and the non-disclosure of it don't consider it restoration. I see a fairly clear line of division between buyers and sellers on this area. A couple of exceptions, but still.....

 

Remember when I sold that FF#53 last year and disclosed pressing in the auction? It sold for just shy of a record price to a dealer. So apparently it isn't just collectors who are on the buying end of this, nor is it just dealers who are on the pressing end of this.

 

I do remember. It sticks out because of the rarity of a sale like that. If you had the data to prove a trend, then I think it would be of more significance. As for now....I have to categorize it under "isolated incident".

 

But...to take it further.....I think your sale proves at least the possiblity that disclosure may not be as harmful to the bottom line as most sellers fear.

[qualitycomix]

I think it's interesting. I thought the idea of barcodes on the interior paper that can only be made visible under ultraviolet light would be a great solution to the resub problem. The response I saw was that no one wanted the books to be touched. But they don't mind their books being put into a press?

 

I think that if most buyers and sellers don't mind their books being put into a press, then they wouldn't mind the barcode idea. But maybe the correlation isn't there?

[esquirecomics]

Wow, this stuff is blowing my mind. Do you seriously think this list of dealers who do not openly disclose pressing is comprehensive? It's fall far short. I think you're grossly underestimating how many people, both collectors and dealers, are involved in the crackout game. These people you list are very visible because they mainly operate through the internet, and it's all there for everyone to see. There are so many other people out there buying and selling books that you're not taking into consideration.

 

no offense, but you seem to be grossly underestimating how much this "game" bothers people once they are made aware of it.

 

i suspect most people don't care because most people have no freaking idea just what is going on

 

Why do you think I'm grossly underestimating how much it bother's people? What are you basing this on? I think I have a pretty good view of people's perception of pressing from where I sit, and I wholeheartedly disagree.

 

Way more people know about pressing today than a year ago, thanks in part to the boards, Scoop, GPA, and other outlets. Where is this groundswell that is talked about? How much more does the word have to be spread before you acquiesce?

 

if people aren't bothered by it, then why are the majority of dealers who do work (pressing) on books unwilling to disclose same?

 

apologies if this feels like a tu quoque direction of questioning

 

A very simple answer. They don't consider pressing to be restoration.

 

wait wait wait wait. i never said anything about restoration.

 

if it's not restoration, if it is...doesn't matter one bit to me. truthfully, i could not care less one way or the other.

 

but it still needs to be disclosed. unless there's a stigma about pressing that for some reason, even though it's not 'restoration' still exists anyways, which is essentially a fancy way of dealers having their cake and eating it, too

 

To be blunt, they just don't care. I've talked to just about every dealer ad nausem about pressing, and even the ones who don't press don't think it's a big deal. I'm telling you, the climate on the boards does not reflect what's going on out there in the world of buying and selling.

 

It is not the views of the dealers that matters. It is the views of the collectors/buyers.

 

BTW Matt, I do wish to acknowledge my appreciation for your participation in this discussion.

[Red Hook]

[Flaming_Telepath]

Matt,

 

Your continual promotion of pressing as 'acceptable to the majority' will never carry any credibility whilst you still refuse to proactively disclose any work undertaken on a book in your auctions.

 

If, as you claim, it's only a few malcontents on these boards who would ever have an issue with the art of pancaking, you can do without their bids on your auctions, surely?

 

BTW, I used to buy from you. I never will again.

 

Because you press? No.

 

Because you refuse to proactively disclose? Absolutely.

[Matt Nelson]

Wow, this stuff is blowing my mind. Do you seriously think this list of dealers who do not openly disclose pressing is comprehensive? It's fall far short. I think you're grossly underestimating how many people, both collectors and dealers, are involved in the crackout game. These people you list are very visible because they mainly operate through the internet, and it's all there for everyone to see. There are so many other people out there buying and selling books that you're not taking into consideration.

 

no offense, but you seem to be grossly underestimating how much this "game" bothers people once they are made aware of it.

 

i suspect most people don't care because most people have no freaking idea just what is going on

 

Why do you think I'm grossly underestimating how much it bother's people? What are you basing this on? I think I have a pretty good view of people's perception of pressing from where I sit, and I wholeheartedly disagree.

 

Way more people know about pressing today than a year ago, thanks in part to the boards, Scoop, GPA, and other outlets. Where is this groundswell that is talked about? How much more does the word have to be spread before you acquiesce?

 

if people aren't bothered by it, then why are the majority of dealers who do work (pressing) on books unwilling to disclose same?

 

apologies if this feels like a tu quoque direction of questioning

 

A very simple answer. They don't consider pressing to be restoration.

 

Even if people think pressing isn't a form of restoration. I still imagine they would like to know about it.

 

Don't you agree?

 

No easy way to say it, so I will just ask you. Why do you feel it is ok to NOT tell people openly that you pressed the book they are buying from you? Besides the money part, I really would like to know why you feel withholding information like this is in any way shape, or form...a good thing for the hobby

 

Eveyone else seems to think this way, why dont you?

 

Ze-

 

Ze, everyone else does not think this way. That's the biggest misconception going on here.

[mica]

I love disclosure.

[esquirecomics]

You mean the guys benefiting from pressing and the non-disclosure of it don't consider it restoration. I see a fairly clear line of division between buyers and sellers on this area. A couple of exceptions, but still.....

 

Remember when I sold that FF#53 last year and disclosed pressing in the auction? It sold for just shy of a record price to a dealer. So apparently it isn't just collectors who are on the buying end of this, nor is it just dealers who are on the pressing end of this.

 

So what?

 

For one thing, this would be more impressive (at least on an anecdotal level) if the book had been sold to a collector rather than a dealer. According to Matt, no dealers care so this sale was irrelevant.

 

In any event, if this transaction is to be interpreted as meaning anything, it could then be argued that the concerns about disclosure are not accurate. So then what is the big deal about disclosure?