How in the world did this go unnoticed???

[MrBedrock]

In the end, the hobby to me has always been what I make it. (thumbs u

(thumbs u

[Dale Roberts]

You might wanna dial that back to 2005 for any effectiveness.

 

Maybe, but although possible, the probability of getting a pressed book in a CGC holder in 2005 is much less than today.

 

 

Thousands and thousands and thousands of book were pressed before 2005, including many pedigree books.

[Foolkiller]

You might wanna dial that back to 2005 for any effectiveness.

 

Maybe, but although possible, the probability of getting a pressed book in a CGC holder in 2005 is much less than today.

 

 

Thousands and thousands and thousands of book were pressed before 2005, including many pedigree books.

 

exactly.

[theVisitor]

 

With so many sweet books coming to market these days, I'm often tempted to bid on some of these books at auction. But, it's gotten to the point where I just have to assume the book has been manipulated to reach its maximum potential by the seller (and I subsequently lose all interest). I mean, since there's basically no downside to it (negligible time, cost, risk of damage and negative stigma), I'm sure even books with defects that can't be pressed out are regularly thrown under the press in the off-chance that the book just gains a more flattering appearance post-flattening.

 

I still don't understand how a book that has achieved its high grade through artificial manipulation can be considered the equal of a book that was cherry-picked off the stands (or even the printing press, like the Gaines EC file copies) and studiously well preserved by its owner(s) over years and decades. The sad thing is, even the aforementioned Gaines File Copies have been pressed. I mean, how absurd is it that Bill Gaines cherry-picked the best copies of his books and preserved them for decades, only to have some greedy snot press his Mad #1. That is just disgusting - how can anyone think that this is what the hobby should be about?

 

And we all know that Church books have also been pressed (apparently the rich history and lore behind those books wasn't enough for some people, they had to press the hell out of those too), as well as many copies of the top Silver Age books, mere pawns in some twisted opera of greed and ego. Instead of being revered, respected and accepted for what they were, their owners had to throw them under the iron too for the shot at the 0.2 bump.

 

This hobby truly deserves everything that's coming to it.

 

(thumbs u

[pickycollector]

You might wanna dial that back to 2005 for any effectiveness.

 

Maybe, but although possible, the probability of getting a pressed book in a CGC holder in 2005 is much less than today.

 

 

Thousands and thousands and thousands of book were pressed before 2005, including many pedigree books.

 

exactly.

 

Even if it's true that there were thousands then, it was still a minority and it is still much less than today which was my point exactly.

 

[jordanscott]

Graceland was not what I was expecting but still a very enjoyable half day doing all the tours and touristy bits and bobs.

 

Hope you enjoy it.

[KingOfRulers]

I have a message for this entire thread, from TupennyConan (he's out sculking around the tennis courts today):

 

[DrWatson]

Incidentally, Chrome is flying over from Belgium this year and we are going on a two week road trip. Washington DC and Graceland should be fun as I have never been there. Imagine that, I have been to Mexico, Central America, Canada, England and Europe but I have never visited the nation's capital or the birthplace of Elvis.

 

Well that's me out of the closet

You make it sound so nasty.

[Rocketeer]

How would you feel an impact? You wouldn't. That's like saying if one collector goes out do you feel one? It's a cumulative effect. Are you feeling an impact now that sullypython is selling? Or bronzebruce? If enough collectors leave, you see softening of prices because there are fewer and fewer big buyers to absorb some of the books.

 

The concern, if you like playing on the super high end, is one of why do it if it's not unique.

 

 

...Good point Brian,...the best thing I ever did was to step away from the hobby for a few years to get a better perspective of what it meant to me and why I started in the first place,....now I could give a rats arse about slabbed high grade,...I buy the books that make me happy and comics are back to a hobby that I can enjoy, rather than a contest I could never win,....it was very liberating to sell my slabs,...I maybe spend 1/20th a year of what I used to spend say 8-10 years ago and I get a thousand times more satisfaction out of it,....I don't know who here originally coined the phrase here long ago, but it never rang truer than now,...."Buy the book , not the label",...we are all responsible for the prevalence of pressing, by demanding higher and higher grade books,...not to say that books were never pressed before CGC, but their presence in the market just made the whole thing explode outward an upward like a mushroom cloud,...there is no doubt in my mind that we are destrying our own hobby,...

[DrWatson]

...I buy the books that make me happy and comics are back to a hobby that I can enjoy, rather than a contest I could never win...

Amen to that, brother.

 

The comic hobby is a lot like sex. If you aren't enjoying it, you're doing something wrong.

[sborock]

My point is many of us love the comic books, and they will always have some sort of value. There will always be a market. It could be, probably will be a much softer market, but that doesn't bother me.

These three sentences are more profound than anything else posted in this thread.

 

Very true! (thumbs u

[Dale Roberts]

You might wanna dial that back to 2005 for any effectiveness.

 

Maybe, but although possible, the probability of getting a pressed book in a CGC holder in 2005 is much less than today.

 

 

Thousands and thousands and thousands of book were pressed before 2005, including many pedigree books.

 

exactly.

 

Even if it's true that there were thousands then, it was still a minority and it is still much less than today which was my point exactly.

 

Not really, since many more books have been graded since 2005 than were graded before 2005. Many books are getting graded today that would never have been graded before, simply because the pressing made it worthwhile to do so.

[VintageComics]

Incidentally, Chrome is flying over from Belgium this year and we are going on a two week road trip. Washington DC and Graceland should be fun as I have never been there. Imagine that, I have been to Mexico, Central America, Canada, England and Europe but I have never visited the nation's capital or the birthplace of Elvis.

 

Well that's me out of the closet

 

I wasn't invited?

 

[VintageComics]

 

The comic hobby is a lot like sex. If you aren't enjoying it, you're doing something wrong.

 

This is worth quoting.

 

[THE_BEYONDER]

Many books are getting graded today that would never have been graded before, simply because the pressing made it worthwhile to do so.

 

 

[VintageComics]

My point is many of us love the comic books, and they will always have some sort of value. There will always be a market. It could be, probably will be a much softer market, but that doesn't bother me.

These three sentences are more profound than anything else posted in this thread.

 

This sums up the hobby.

 

Nicely said Mike.

 

(thumbs u

[Davenport]

...the best thing I ever did was to step away from the hobby for a few years to get a better perspective of what it meant to me and why I started in the first place,....now I could give a rats arse about slabbed high grade,...I buy the books that make me happy and comics are back to a hobby that I can enjoy, rather than a contest I could never win,....it was very liberating to sell my slabs,...I maybe spend 1/20th a year of what I used to spend say 8-10 years ago and I get a thousand times more satisfaction out of it,....I don't know who here originally coined the phrase here long ago, but it never rang truer than now,...."Buy the book , not the label",...we are all responsible for the prevalence of pressing, by demanding higher and higher grade books,...not to say that books were never pressed before CGC, but their presence in the market just made the whole thing explode outward an upward like a mushroom cloud,...there is no doubt in my mind that we are destrying our own hobby,...

The point you make gets very little discussion. Those who do love comic books, if they step back and look around like you did, have more alternatives than ever before in the history of the medium to enjoy themselves.

 

It's obvious today's small community is hopelessly split down the middle over book tampering, so I'm guessing the next generation will determine how it goes. Maybe they'll get excited over modern workshops producing visual effects to influence grade certification professionals. Or maybe they wont.

 

Time will tell, but they'll be awash with alternatives. Even so, there will always be chromium-motivated style collectors, with holder Labels supplying the chrome. But that has more to do with comics as a Label-delivery-system, and there's zero way to predict how popular it will be.

 

[pickycollector]

Not really, since many more books have been graded since 2005 than were graded before 2005.

 

True, but it does not change the fact that there is still more pressed books today than in 2005 due to the increasing number of pressers and pressing threads. More people learn about pressing today due to an increasing number of pressing threads in this Forum and more people do press today due to an increase number of documented sales of some books that were clearly resold with huge profit just because that they have been pressed. That was not as significant before as it is now.

 

 

Many books are getting graded today that would never have been graded before, simply because the pressing made it worthwhile to do so.

 

Sad but so true

[arexcrooke]

Unfortunately this has put the group in a[nother] no-win situation.

 

If the group accepts Brent's venture, it loses the respect of people who apparently had some measure of respect previously.

 

If the group takes some sort of action against Brent, then it's proven the assertions of some of its critics -- it's a bunch of intolerant anti-pressers whose only goal is to smite pressing from the face of the Earth.

 

[arexcrooke]

I'm sure Marnin wouldn't mind me quoting him but this is from the NOD boards:

 

"We don't profess that manipulating books is wrong, we make collectors aware of the many "treatments" being performed to comic books without disclosure. Then it is up to each individual to decide for themselves".

 

Steve B, isn't it your position on books you have sold in this forum that you won't actively disclose if a book has been pressed or not?

Ask Marnin about pressing many of the Mass Ped books dinkus