Red Hook Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 CGC claims, or implies that they can tell the difference between professional and amateur pressing. Someone correct me if I am wrong. It has been stated that a book that is flat as a pancake and has a "crushed flat" look to the spine, is at the very least a pressing suspect. Once, it's in the slab, it's harder to tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_collector Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Is it possible to pick out which of the 5 on the table are the pressed comics just by viewing them? If this were a serious defect that raised its grade more than 0.2, then yes. If it was something like a minute paper impression (9.4 to 9.6) then probably not. The problem I have is that most of the press-work I've seen is from the first camp, to remove spine rolls, significant creases, not to mention the rampant "cleaning and pressing" of books with distributor ink. That's where the profit is, from taking an 8.0 to 8.5 book with a slight roll and a big splash of distro ink, all the way up to a CGC 9.4-9.6 with a bone-white cover. Anyone who's seen the "before and after" photos I have, would NEVER be a fan of pressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze-man Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 That's where the profit is, from taking an 8.0 to 8.5 book with a slight roll and a big splash of distro ink, all the way up to a CGC 9.4-9.6 with a bone-white cover. Anyone who's seen the "before and after" photos I have, would NEVER be a fan of pressing. Thx Red, JC As seen in this thread alone, this topic is a firestorm , with no end in sight. As a buyer, do I care if a 8.5 was cleaned up, spit polished and pressed to a 9.2? I am not sure, if I did not know and was ignorant as to it being done, then I assume I would be happy with my 9.2, but if I then sent that in to CGC and it was in some way deemed a plod, then thats where the rub is. Without a clear cut defination of C and P, what are we supposed to do? Sellers are not at fault then for not disclosing this info to buyers since it is not deemed resto ? yet??? Buyers should then not care if it was done since it is not considered restoration ?yet? Yikes, I think I will back away slowly from this thread , slowly and not make eye contact with the beast that this topic has become .. Oh crud.. it sees me .. Run Away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfilosa Posted April 1, 2004 Author Share Posted April 1, 2004 At this point, CGC doesn't note a book if it's only been pressed. If you don't like pressed books, stop collecting (because their out there). What CGC has done for the hobby is great. For the first time, I can honestly buy a book and then if I need sell it, HAVE ZERO FEAR that I am NOT MISREPRESENTING the item. Said another way, I buy a Blue Label (or even Purple Label) CGC 9.4 book, and I'm going to sell a Blue Label CGC 9.4 book. As we saying in the business world, "It is what it is". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awe4one Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 If you don't like pressed books, stop collecting (because their out there). That great! Just run collectors off if they don't want to "join the club" and condon questionable and possibly unethical tactics in this hobby. Really great! I on the otherhand would like to see this hobby grow, not shrink due to collector and dealer greed.... What CGC has done for the hobby is great. For the first time, I can honestly buy a book and then if I need sell it, HAVE ZERO FEAR that I am NOT MISREPRESENTING the item. So screw personal responsibility even if you suspect pressing? What pray tell are you going to tell the potential buyer if he asks if the book's pressed? So if I buy that trimmed blue labeled Batman #11, it's OK to sell to another unsuspecting buyer even though I know it's trimmed, all because CGC missed it? Trying to cut your losses by using CGC as an excuse for ignorance lumps those sellers with the worst in this hobby. "It is what it is" indeed.... Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Hook Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Hi Steve, Let's just say for the moment, that I am not a PRESSING LOVER! I would rather not buy a book that has been pressed from an 8.0 to a 9.2. Say (just theoretically) that you are the seller, and you did indeed send the book in for professional pressing. Say I send you a question-to-the-seller email asking you if the book has been pressed. Do you hesitate at all to answer truthfully, or do you just say FOAD? Steve, you're ducking my question.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 That great! Just run collectors off if they don't want to "join the club" and condon questionable and possibly unethical tactics in this hobby. Really great! They've probably already joined the club. Pressing has been around forever, not all pressed books are in CGC holders. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfilosa Posted April 1, 2004 Author Share Posted April 1, 2004 Man, I'm taking a beating here. To answer questions: 1) If I knew for a fact that a book was professionally pressed and someone asked me if it was pressed, I would say yes. Simply because I DON'T LIE. 2) I don't consider Pressing Restoration, based on MY Criteria what Restoration is. At this time, CGC is in agreement with me (or at least implies agreement with me by not noting it on the Label). So why would I want to IMPROVE a SYSTEM that is in agreement with my philosphy of Restoration. I WOULDN'T. 3) I don't believe for a minute that NOT DISCLOSING PRESSING will be the downfall of CGC (and therefore reduce the value / premium given to the CGC books I own). Just the way I see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garthgantu Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Sfilosa: if CGC maintains its current policy, and people keep turning mid-grade books into high grade, slabbed books, you don't think that hurts the value of your existing collection at all? I don't see how that could be, unless a corresponding influx of new buyers materializes to shore up demand when supply increases...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrcomics Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Man, I'm taking a beating here. To answer questions: 1) If I knew for a fact that a book was professionally pressed and someone asked me if it was pressed, I would say yes. Simply because I DON'T LIE. 2) I don't consider Pressing Restoration, based on MY Criteria what Restoration is. At this time, CGC is in agreement with me (or at least implies agreement with me by not noting it on the Label). So why would I want to IMPROVE a SYSTEM that is in agreement with my philosphy of Restoration. I WOULDN'T. 3) I don't believe for a minute that NOT DISCLOSING PRESSING will be the downfall of CGC (and therefore reduce the value / premium given to the CGC books I own). Just the way I see it. Perhaps your words have been heard... This ASM #1 CGC 9.4 is a PLOD that lists the cover as being pressed and cleaned apparently as part of the resto linky-dinky-do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze-man Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Perhaps your words have been heard... This ASM #1 CGC 9.4 is a PLOD that lists the cover as being pressed and cleaned apparently as part of the resto linky-dinky-do That 9.4 sure has some beat up looking spine corners (UL, and LL) Still a very nice book, but a 9.4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rip Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 CGC will note the cleaning if it was a non dry clean process (meaning chemical), or if the book was disassembled. Pressing will be noted also, if the book was disassembled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfilosa Posted April 1, 2004 Author Share Posted April 1, 2004 Perhaps your words have been heard... This ASM #1 CGC 9.4 is a PLOD that lists the cover as being pressed and cleaned apparently as part of the resto Cleaning is restoration (according to CGC). It pretty much seems that when they say cover cleaned they include pressed. I have yet to see PRESSED only on a label. And CGC's "Rule" so to speak is that PRESSING is OK as long as the cover is not removed. Also: Will people stop thinking that EVERY Fine or Very Fine comic book can bePRESSED into a Near Mint. 99% of the defects on books (especially on Silver-Age and up), are color breaking and therefore PRESSING will have no affect on the grade. For Golden-Age, because of the paper stock it is more likely to have a non-color breaking creases. And when I do get overgraded unslabbed books from dealers / sellers, the most common defect they don't downgrade for are non-color breaking creases. So I'm already paying for the grade the book will be in, if it was pressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE_BEYONDER Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 The truth is a pressed 9.4 is INDENTICAL to a Non-Pressed 9.4. Am I to infer from this statement that you believe that a pressed 9.4 is EQUAL to a non-pressed 9.4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FFB Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 That is the book I tried to buy from Metro, but they had already sold it to this guy!!! God damn flippers!!!! Man, I'm taking a beating here. To answer questions: 1) If I knew for a fact that a book was professionally pressed and someone asked me if it was pressed, I would say yes. Simply because I DON'T LIE. 2) I don't consider Pressing Restoration, based on MY Criteria what Restoration is. At this time, CGC is in agreement with me (or at least implies agreement with me by not noting it on the Label). So why would I want to IMPROVE a SYSTEM that is in agreement with my philosphy of Restoration. I WOULDN'T. 3) I don't believe for a minute that NOT DISCLOSING PRESSING will be the downfall of CGC (and therefore reduce the value / premium given to the CGC books I own). Just the way I see it. Perhaps your words have been heard... This ASM #1 CGC 9.4 is a PLOD that lists the cover as being pressed and cleaned apparently as part of the resto linky-dinky-do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FFB Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 Two things: A) I seem to recall that Metro had it graded as a raw 9.2 on their site, before they submitted it to CGC after the current seller bought it. Nice to see that Metro's raw grading is tight and accurate. B) This book had its cover removed as part of the cleaning and pressing, or it had a wet cleaning. If it were just pressing without disassembly and/or dry cleaning, it would not have received the PLOD. Perhaps your words have been heard... This ASM #1 CGC 9.4 is a PLOD that lists the cover as being pressed and cleaned apparently as part of the resto linky-dinky-do That 9.4 sure has some beat up looking spine corners (UL, and LL) Still a very nice book, but a 9.4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FFB Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 As Rip said, dry cleaning is not considered restoration by CGC. Only "wet" cleaning with solvents, aqueous solutions, etc. Cleaning is restoration (according to CGC). It pretty much seems that when they say cover cleaned they include pressed. I have yet to see PRESSED only on a label. And CGC's "Rule" so to speak is that PRESSING is OK as long as the cover is not removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supapimp Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 how much vince selling it for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FFB Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 I think it went for $6,000 IIRC. how much vince selling it for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supapimp Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 hopefully you'll find a nice copy at the wonder con. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
