How in the world did this go unnoticed???

[lookwhoitis]

Not a conspiracy, but self involved vainglorious poster decided their contributions to this regurgitation of the past was relevant.

 

Well, that's a shame. This thread could use a cool soundtrack.

 

Lebowski's avatar is the shizzle

[lookwhoitis]

can someone please pm me scans to Huge Chest Girl #39?

[lookwhoitis]

For you hippies out there

 

 

Rusted Root is cool (thumbs u

 

 

I bout sheeit in my britches when i found out you dug Phish by reading some of your posts the other day! (i was at 2 of the NYE shows)

 

 

[lookwhoitis]

I <3 comics

 

I cant believe I read this whole thread...

 

Sometimes, I get a guilty conscience, and since I'm not Catholic and can go confess, I read pressing threads...

 

Now that I am done I am going to go read a comic book

 

Godspeed 'Trooper!

 

 

[Flaming_Telepath]

CGC would go out of business with spending they $$$ needed to detect it.

 

Maybe the people who don't like pressing, can take up a collection of say.....$500,000 and give it to CGC, so they don't go out of business when they do what you want.

 

This got lost in the mix somewhat, but I thought I'd highlight it.

 

Steve, we've always been told that pressing is impossible to detect by CGC. Others (myself included) have not been entirely convinced that this is the case.

 

Are you now suggesting that pressing is impossible to detect at a cost-effective level?

[Flaming_Telepath]

I agree on more consistent grading. Ever since F_T has told me how his grading is consistent, I've been unable to find a reason as to why CGC's isn't. Maybe F_T is just one of those rare people who excel at something, or maybe he has a system that works really well.

 

F_T likes to think he's fairly decent at grading but in terms of consistency, he's helped by a number of factors that anyone and everyone can adopt.

 

In the last six years, I don't recall grading a book (that I've subsequently sold) anywhere other than at my desk here in my study. For six years, I've had exactly the same chair, desk, warmth and lighting. I've processed books in exactly the same way, checking them out in exactly the same order; page count, internal flaws, page quality, resto check, defects/grade. I've always made sure that I'm very unlikely to be interrupted/distracted. I've also set it up so that I can have a good few hours grading, rather than doing a book here and there. You get into a rhythm and can 'zone' to a degree.

 

Of all of these factors, I'd say that lighting is the most important. I have a 60w angle-poise lamp on the ledge behind my monitor...no other lights are on in the room. This is angled over the screen, but down so that the light isn't in my eye but rather creates a pool of light on the desk surface. The book is held into this pool of light at an angle. If you're not grading this way, I'd seriously recommend you start. (thumbs u

 

Another thing to bear in mind is that, unlike CGC, the same guy's been doing the grading here for the last god-knows-how-many-years. Whilst I am certain that CGC have laid-down grading parameters that they work within, there's got to be a bit of subjective wiggle room and this wiggle room can swing from lax to ruthless on certain defects dependent upon the grader. This could account for a good & solid 8.5 being a 8.0 one day and a 9.0 the next.

[MCMiles]

This thread officially jumped the shark at 7:36 last night.

[Lebowski]

Not a conspiracy, but self involved vainglorious poster decided their contributions to this regurgitation of the past was relevant.

 

Well, that's a shame. This thread could use a cool soundtrack.

 

Lebowski's avatar is the shizzle

 

[DrWatson]

This thread officially jumped the shark at 7:36 last night.

Oh really!?! You think it took that long? This thread took home the award with the first post:

 

[Monstro]

Gary,

What I just dont understand, and the point that you continually bring up, is how you can see something wrong with someone buying a book, crack/press/resubing it, and then making money off it is wrong.

And not just wrong but an offense that is intolerable.

I see very little difference with it than a dealer buying books from anyone else at a lower price than they intend to sell it.

And the people who are selling the CGC books that are being CPRd are probably more in touch with the practice than the people who are selling their books to you, me, Bob, or anyone else at wholesale prices.

The indignation on your end just baffles me to no end. The uproar you got in over the FF 112 still amazes me, especially as how the FIRST SELLER OF THE BOOK didnt find anything at all wrong with it.

 

No Gary, I dont think you are a dishonest swindler and I apologize if that came across that way. I have never heard anything but good about your business and your dealings with others. So, if I have offended you on that, then I apologize.

 

Well thats an easy one. In one case you are manipulating the book, the other you are not.

[Theagenes]

What exactly am I biased about? I want to improve the hobby. I see major problems in this hobby regarding grading, undisclosed restoration, Ebay, privately owned auction houses, conventions as well as CGC.

 

I don't feel that it's CGC's job alone. I happen to think that's what NOD was set up to do. If I'm wrong than I guess NOD is just all about disclosure of pressing. Which is NOT what I think it's intent solely was.

 

Who would you like to lead the drive to better this hobby?

 

Or would you prefer that we continue to post threads like we've done for almost 10 years since this forum board started.

 

I'm all ears.

 

 

 

 

Bob, thank you for your suggestion - I like it.

 

I didn't think Bob was criticizing NOD at all. I took it as a legitimate suggestion and personally I think it's a great idea. Bob is right - that is exactly the type of thing a collector's organization should be doing.

[Mr. Zipper]

What exactly am I biased about? I want to improve the hobby. I see major problems in this hobby regarding grading, undisclosed restoration, Ebay, privately owned auction houses, conventions as well as CGC.

 

I don't feel that it's CGC's job alone. I happen to think that's what NOD was set up to do. If I'm wrong than I guess NOD is just all about disclosure of pressing. Which is NOT what I think it's intent solely was.

 

Who would you like to lead the drive to better this hobby?

 

Or would you prefer that we continue to post threads like we've done for almost 10 years since this forum board started.

 

I'm all ears.

 

 

 

 

Bob, thank you for your suggestion - I like it.

 

I didn't think Bob was criticizing NOD at all. I took it as a legitimate suggestion and personally I think it's a great idea. Bob is right - that is exactly the type of thing a collector's organization should be doing.

 

(thumbs u Sage advice noted here as well.

[VintageComics]

Of all of these factors, I'd say that lighting is the most important. I have a 60w angle-poise lamp on the ledge behind my monitor...no other lights are on in the room. This is angled over the screen, but down so that the light isn't in my eye but rather creates a pool of light on the desk surface. The book is held into this pool of light at an angle. If you're not grading this way, I'd seriously recommend you start. (thumbs u

 

Nick, thanks for the insight.

 

That is exactly the way I graded my books for years.

 

I also used a 60w bulb. I found that if the light was too bright (100w +) you can actually miss defects from too much light and if the light is too dark, obviously you will miss defects.

 

 

[tth2]

I think I'm always going to side with property rights.

 

In the Bizarro World of the Anti-Pressers, such things don't apply.

Don`t be asinine, George. You know full well that in the Real World, there are no absolute unfettered property rights either.

 

If you`re really trying to paint anti-pressers as anti-capitalists or anti-property rights, Gene and myself are most definitely not going to make very good poster children!

[Flaming_Telepath]

I think I'm always going to side with property rights.

 

In the Bizarro World of the Anti-Pressers, such things don't apply.

Don`t be asinine, George. You know full well that in the Real World, there are no absolute unfettered property rights either.

 

If you`re really trying to paint anti-pressers as anti-capitalists or anti-property rights, Gene and myself are most definitely not going to make very good poster children!

 

Quite.

 

[sborock]

CGC would go out of business with spending they $$$ needed to detect it.

 

Maybe the people who don't like pressing, can take up a collection of say.....$500,000 and give it to CGC, so they don't go out of business when they do what you want.

 

This got lost in the mix somewhat, but I thought I'd highlight it.

 

Steve, we've always been told that pressing is impossible to detect by CGC. Others (myself included) have not been entirely convinced that this is the case.

 

Are you now suggesting that pressing is impossible to detect at a cost-effective level?

 

I believe with the science we have today, many things are "possible". Problem is we need time and $$$ to do that. I am taking a guess, but if we can test DNA and such, I am thinking, if a great amount of money was spent, it is possible.

[sborock]

I agree on more consistent grading. Ever since F_T has told me how his grading is consistent, I've been unable to find a reason as to why CGC's isn't. Maybe F_T is just one of those rare people who excel at something, or maybe he has a system that works really well.

 

F_T likes to think he's fairly decent at grading but in terms of consistency, he's helped by a number of factors that anyone and everyone can adopt.

 

In the last six years, I don't recall grading a book (that I've subsequently sold) anywhere other than at my desk here in my study. For six years, I've had exactly the same chair, desk, warmth and lighting. I've processed books in exactly the same way, checking them out in exactly the same order; page count, internal flaws, page quality, resto check, defects/grade. I've always made sure that I'm very unlikely to be interrupted/distracted. I've also set it up so that I can have a good few hours grading, rather than doing a book here and there. You get into a rhythm and can 'zone' to a degree.

 

Of all of these factors, I'd say that lighting is the most important. I have a 60w angle-poise lamp on the ledge behind my monitor...no other lights are on in the room. This is angled over the screen, but down so that the light isn't in my eye but rather creates a pool of light on the desk surface. The book is held into this pool of light at an angle. If you're not grading this way, I'd seriously recommend you start. (thumbs u

 

Another thing to bear in mind is that, unlike CGC, the same guy's been doing the grading here for the last god-knows-how-many-years. Whilst I am certain that CGC have laid-down grading parameters that they work within, there's got to be a bit of subjective wiggle room and this wiggle room can swing from lax to ruthless on certain defects dependent upon the grader. This could account for a good & solid 8.5 being a 8.0 one day and a 9.0 the next.

 

Some great points on how to grade! (thumbs u

[blazingbob]

While I agree with Nick I would like to add another "trick" I was shown over the years. After grading a lot of books your eyes tend to get lazy. You minimize your personal perk list of acceptable defects. So what I suggest you do is turn the book over upside down. Look at it right to left instead of left/right. Grade the back cover as strictly as you would if you were looking at the front cover. Turn the book over and do the same thing. I think you will find that you will see different things while grading that you normally wouldn't spot. Nick is also correct about lighting. I find that without the right lighting you tend to miss the non-color breaking color creases.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[tth2]

I think I'm always going to side with property rights.

 

In the Bizarro World of the Anti-Pressers, such things don't apply.

Don`t be asinine, George. You know full well that in the Real World, there are no absolute unfettered property rights either.

 

If you`re really trying to paint anti-pressers as anti-capitalists or anti-property rights, Gene and myself are most definitely not going to make very good poster children!

 

Quite.

Well, Gene more than me. I lead a pretty ascetic life.

[Flaming_Telepath]

While I agree with Nick I would like to add another "trick" I was shown over the years. After grading a lot of books your eyes tend to get lazy. You minimize your personal perk list of acceptable defects. So what I suggest you do is turn the book over upside down. Look at it right to left instead of left/right. Grade the back cover as strictly as you would if you were looking at the front cover. Turn the book over and do the same thing. I think you will find that you will see different things while grading that you normally wouldn't spot. Nick is also correct about lighting. I find that without the right lighting you tend to miss the non-color breaking color creases.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Spot-on!

 

I also spin the book around...and sometimes find a world of hurt that I didn't previously catch.

 

Another thing is taking limited breaks. I'm a smoker, so it works for me to play one CD (about 50-60 mins), then take myself off to the back of the house and have a cigarette. Break is usually 7-10 minutes and this is just about right to remain fresh.