Manufactured Gold

[infinite_comics-migration]

There are all kinds of people buying these books who know the rules of the game...

 

Do you know of any rules of the game that the people of the General Board don't? I know of these, are there any others? "Pressing, Dry Erasure, Staple Replacement, and Disassembly and Reassembly of a Comic Book are not Restoration."

[THE_BEYONDER]

 

And here again, is a chance to think outside the box. I think the following is a credible scenario....

 

1. Matt Nelson (as an example only) presses a book and offers it for sale.

2. In his auction, he discloses the fact that he himself did the work and he offers a 100% lifetime

guarantee on his work. He also carefully explains that the book was originally a toughly graded

9.4 and he applied some gentle localized pressing to help it reach it's current 9.6 grade.

3. The buyers looking at his auction receive all the available info on the book, are comfortable

bidding on the book, are assured that the work was done by a leading expert....and the book

returns a comfortable profit to Matt.

 

Result? Matt's happy. The buyer is happy. The "vast minority" who wish not to add pressed books to their collections can safely pass the auction by. The hobby is a better place for a more open transaction. And the blocks have been knocked out from under any conspiracy theories.

 

Unless there is an attempt at a real solution, I don't think this controversy is going away soon.

 

 

 

I still want to hear why this solution wouldn't work, or at least be the best one offered. Actually, it's the only solution I've heard other than "stop collecting".

 

Matt.....what about this wouldn't work for you? You'd have a distinct leg up on other sellers because as a recognized restoration expert, you're work would be an assurance to most potential buyers and not a concern.

 

What concerns me is the work of the backroom pressers, the dealers who do it at home and are far from knowledgeable about the longterm affects of their work.

 

 

Also, I'd love your comments on the posts above.

 

I'm not interested in doing that. Why doesn't someone else submit books to me for pressing, and do that himself?

 

Maybe because nobody else here is claiming that no-one in the 'real world' gives a good about whether a book has been pressed or not?

 

Y'know...money where your mouth is, and all that...

 

Again Nick, it's you guys who want it. You put yer money where your mouth is, do y'know wha' I mean?

 

And I'm not the only person claiming this. But try convincing you of that....

 

Kinda hard to disclose pressing upfront if one doesn't engage in the practice.

[Red Hook]

No, Matt.

 

The bottom line here is that until one of the high volume, high profile pressers starts advertising the fact that their books are pressed, then the claims that no one cares can only be seen as self-serving pablum.

 

It's clear that you obviously think it's risky from a financial standpoint to do it.

 

I agree. I think it would be financial suicide.

[awe4one]

I'm not interested in doing that.

 

Of course not. Wouldn't want people to know the info right off the bat...make them work a bit for the info...

 

Great customer service you have going there...

 

Jim

[Matt Nelson]

I think you guys are forgetting that it's you who wants to do this, not me. In fact, Brent, you're the perfect person for the job since you're doing this already. Gather up a batch of books and let 'em fly.

 

Well, that's turning it on its head a touch.

 

I think that the point is, Matt, that you personally don't want to do it.

 

If you truly believe the claims that you've made in this thread regarding public perception of pressing, why wouldn't you?

 

What possible reason could you have?

 

Well of course I don't want to do it. I have nothing to prove.

 

I know what I know from doing comics full-time. I talk to dozens of people a week, and I follow the market very closely. I don't need to do this to prove my point. I've offered my opinion on these boards, and you guys can take it or leave it.

 

If you want to do the experiment, any one of you is capable.

[THE_BEYONDER]

I think you guys are forgetting that it's you who wants to do this, not me. In fact, Brent, you're the perfect person for the job since you're doing this already. Gather up a batch of books and let 'em fly.

 

Well, that's turning it on its head a touch.

 

I think that the point is, Matt, that you personally don't want to do it.

 

If you truly believe the claims that you've made in this thread regarding public perception of pressing, why wouldn't you?

 

What possible reason could you have?

 

Well of course I don't want to do it. I have nothing to prove.

 

I know what I know from doing comics full-time. I talk to dozens of people a week, and I follow the market very closely. I don't need to do this to prove my point. I've offered my opinion on these boards, and you guys can take it or leave it.

 

If you want to do the experiment, any one of you is capable.

 

[awe4one]

Well of course I don't want to do it. I have nothing to prove.

 

Has nothing to do with having something to prove and everything to do with you being forthright about the product you sell...

 

This isn't about you...it's about the service you provide your comics buying customers...

 

Jim

[Matt Nelson]

No, Matt.

 

The bottom line here is that until one of the high volume, high profile pressers starts advertising the fact that their books are pressed, then the claims that no one cares can only be seen as self-serving pablum.

 

It's clear that you obviously think it's risky from a financial standpoint to do it.

 

I agree. I think it would be financial suicide.

 

That's bull. The seller is irrelevent in the matter. I thought this experiment was about whether disclosed pressings sold for the same or less. Sounds to me like you're trying to lure me into some lame-azz trap to proclaim that yes! I will get less for my books if I disclose!

 

Brad, you made your mind up about me and pressing a long, long time ago. You are not interested in my opinion or any experiment. You just want to see me fail. That's a sucky feeling, let me tell you.

[Aces]

All the more reason why CGC should stop and run in the other direction instead of joining promotional forces with an expert restoration artist, as they did with the launch of the Central Valley Collection. It looks bad. Actually, it looks terrible in my opinion.

 

http://www.comicpedigrees.com/central-valley.htm

 

http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=13242&si=121

 

What is it that troubles you? That the ones that could be improved, were improved, prior to slabbation, (Just made that word up, thought it sounded cool), and received a blue label?

Too late if you are going for a custom title...

 

I'm shocked this thread hasn't been locked yet.

[Matt Nelson]

I'm not interested in doing that.

 

Of course not. Wouldn't want people to know right off the bat you know...make them work a bit for the info...

 

Great customer service you have going there...

 

Jim

 

Well Jim, as usual you want everything handed to you on a silver platter. You want Borock at your door in a police uniform, and now this. Please go educate yourself on these matters and then present some useful information, instead of bashing everyone else.

[Matt Nelson]

Yeah, does anyone else notice that my diehard fans are all posting right now! Every single one of them! Talk about the deck stacked against me....yikes

 

Hey, speaking of which, where's my fav fan, Mark???

[Matt Nelson]

Okay, it's been real. I gotta run. Check back later for more abuse.

[THE_BEYONDER]

I'm still trying to figure out if you have me on ignore...or if you're just ignoring me.

[Flaming_Telepath]

No, Matt.

 

The bottom line here is that until one of the high volume, high profile pressers starts advertising the fact that their books are pressed, then the claims that no one cares can only be seen as self-serving pablum.

 

It's clear that you obviously think it's risky from a financial standpoint to do it.

 

I agree. I think it would be financial suicide.

 

That's bull. The seller is irrelevent in the matter. I thought this experiment was about whether disclosed pressings sold for the same or less. Sounds to me like you're trying to lure me into some lame-azz trap to proclaim that yes! I will get less for my books if I disclose!

 

Brad, you made your mind up about me and pressing a long, long time ago. You are not interested in my opinion or any experiment. You just want to see me fail. That's a sucky feeling, let me tell you.

 

I too made my mind up regarding pressing some time ago, Matt. I contend that it's restoration (returning something to a prior state - Oxford English Dictionary) and I also contend that the marketplace in the main does NOT embrace pressed books, but rather has them foisted upon them, often without awareness (where in your auction listings does it say 'e-mail me to find out if this particular book has been pressed'?).

 

You dispute this and have told us that nobody cares and that pressed books are the future.

 

But you do not have the gumption to prove your point, even though you have got everything to prove, as you have not a single jot of empirical data to support your assertions.

[Foolkiller]

No, Matt.

 

The bottom line here is that until one of the high volume, high profile pressers starts advertising the fact that their books are pressed, then the claims that no one cares can only be seen as self-serving pablum.

 

It's clear that you obviously think it's risky from a financial standpoint to do it.

 

I agree. I think it would be financial suicide.

 

That's bull. The seller is irrelevent in the matter. I thought this experiment was about whether disclosed pressings sold for the same or less. Sounds to me like you're trying to lure me into some lame-azz trap to proclaim that yes! I will get less for my books if I disclose!

 

Brad, you made your mind up about me and pressing a long, long time ago. You are not interested in my opinion or any experiment. You just want to see me fail. That's a sucky feeling, let me tell you.

 

Matt -- generally I am on your side, but I disagree with the fact that there's nothing for sellers to gain here. I don't think you have to "prove" anything. But... look, people will continue to talk more and more and more. There's at least some minor action being taken. The dealers are at least concerned enough to be talking about it at cons and off the boards and amongst themselves. Now, if it's true you guys don't care, then answering the points here on the boards is kind of a waste of your time. You may as well adopt the point of view that nobody cares what these guys think, they're all clueless, and keep plowing ahead.

 

But that's not what's going on -- and you can see it when you talk to dealers at shows. They are paying attention.

 

Saying there's nothing to prove is like when defendants claim they have an affirmative defense in a criminal trial but say, well I have nothing to prove, the burden is all on the prosecution. Sometimes it helps to put the defense on, and other times it helps to say absolutely nothing at all. Where the defense goes south is when they start talking and say the wrong thing, and instead of going full on, decide to make a few comments but never truly complete their defense.

 

Translation, if you believe in your point of view, I'd either stop talking now and let the endless debate continue that goes nowhere with no teeth -- or stick it to the other side and prove that pressing does not bother the bulk of customers out there, disclosed or undisclosed.

[Flaming_Telepath]

Yeah, does anyone else notice that my diehard fans are all posting right now! Every single one of them! Talk about the deck stacked against me....yikes

 

Hey, speaking of which, where's my fav fan, Mark???

 

Yeah, it's strange how nobody is running to your defense?

 

Where's 'the vast majority of collectors' when you need them?

[OldGuy]

Yeah, does anyone else notice that my diehard fans are all posting right now! Every single one of them! Talk about the deck stacked against me....yikes

 

Hey, speaking of which, where's my fav fan, Mark???

 

Yeah, it's strange how nobody is running to your defense?

 

Where's 'the vast majority of collectors' when you need them?

 

Trick or treating in their Star Wars costumes?

[THE_BEYONDER]

[Flaming_Telepath]

Yeah, does anyone else notice that my diehard fans are all posting right now! Every single one of them! Talk about the deck stacked against me....yikes

 

Hey, speaking of which, where's my fav fan, Mark???

 

Yeah, it's strange how nobody is running to your defense?

 

Where's 'the vast majority of collectors' when you need them?

 

Trick or treating in their Star Wars costumes?

 

Well, I hope they made sure that they cleaned and pressed them before going out...

[OldGuy]

Yeah, does anyone else notice that my diehard fans are all posting right now! Every single one of them! Talk about the deck stacked against me....yikes

 

Hey, speaking of which, where's my fav fan, Mark???

 

Yeah, it's strange how nobody is running to your defense?

 

Where's 'the vast majority of collectors' when you need them?

 

Trick or treating in their Star Wars costumes?

 

Well, I hope they made sure that they cleaned and pressed them before going out...

 

Everyone is doing it. This is just one more thing to add to the list of things that everyone does and no one cares about other then a few whack’os on this BBS.