The BIGGEST problems in the hobby right now

[Mister_Comics]

So comics that have tape on them and are graded will deteriorate while in their slab. Just wonderful. Another reason why I stopped slabbing my books. Makes no sense to slab a book with tape on it if its grade will be changing from bad to worst.

 

There is a solvent that removes tape off of stuff. I used it on a few comics and it worked just fine. One of the books I had graded (Strange Tales #101) that had the tape removed using this solvent got a blue label with a note saying "sticky residue on back cover". Thats were the tape was. Label didn't mention the tear on back cover which I thought was the bigger problem. At least it didn't get a purple label.

 

 

[BEAUMONTS]

Yes, in an era in which comics are being encased in plastic so they can't be read, pancaked until there are barely any old ultra high grade books left with spines as fresh as when they came off the rack, collected as if they are covers only, collected for their investment potential only, submitted for third party grading so often that increasing numbers of them sport labels they don't deserve, sold at auctions under closed bidding systems that don't identify the bidders and also don't protect them, bought solely for their structural grade and not also the beauty of their eye appeal,

 

and at a time when the new comic print market shrinks every year as it approaches an inexorable marginalization if not outright death,

 

it's all about the tape.

 

Post of the Year

+1 (thumbs u

[VintageComics]

Is there a link to this statement by CGC? My wife says she'd like to see it.

 

Jeff might have a better recollection than I do as he was sort of spearheading the discussion.

 

 

[Transplant]

The problems will really start when money no longer exchanges hands. As long as a market exists and people are willing to get their fix: collectors, dealers, flippers, pressers, rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, -kickers and Methodists will spend money to buy the best possible books, or the books with the greatest potential.

 

When that well dries up all the tape, pressing or color touch in the world will help it.

So since you're one of the beneficiaries and participants in what's going on, am I correct to interpret what you're saying as:

 

"I know the golden goose is on life support, but as long as it's still alive, I'm going to keep squeezing it to get as much gold out of it as I can before it kicks off."

Subtle as always Tim.

[Chespirito]

The problems will really start when money no longer exchanges hands. As long as a market exists and people are willing to get their fix: collectors, dealers, flippers, pressers, rustlers, cut throats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers and Methodists will spend money to buy the best possible books, or the books with the greatest potential.

 

When that well dries up all the tape, pressing or color touch in the world will help it.

 

You made my smile go from ear to ear...

[drbanner]

The BIGGEST problem in the hobby right now is the increasing % of books being bought by dealers and flippers for re-sale and profit, and the decrease in the % of books being bought by collectors to place into their long-term collections. I see books posted for sale on Clink, here, ebay, etc.,. all the time that were seemingly just purchased.

 

I don't see this as much of an issue with fresh collections or "new" books being brought to market, but rather when someone pays top dollar at a high profile auction and the book is almost immediately put up for sale. These hot potatoes need to eventually land in someone's collection for a healthy hobby, and not passed around by a constant stream of middlemen, each extracting their pound of flesh with the flip.

 

But certainly, the BIGGEST problem in the hobby now is not tape. Tape was a chronic issue in our hobby in the 20th century though, around the same time that the Overstreet contained a discussion of having your collections bound in a book as a means of preserving them. That turned out well!

 

[Treco]

The biggest problem with comic collecting now is that we all grew up....

My 10 year old son doesn't give two about anything other than simply reading the comic. I love that.

[Spiderphill]

The BIGGEST problem in the hobby right now is the increasing % of books being bought by dealers and flippers for re-sale and profit, and the decrease in the % of books being bought by collectors to place into their long-term collections. I see books posted for sale on Clink, here, ebay, etc.,. all the time that were seemingly just purchased.

 

I don't see this as much of an issue with fresh collections or "new" books being brought to market, but rather when someone pays top dollar at a high profile auction and the book is almost immediately put up for sale. These hot potatoes need to eventually land in someone's collection for a healthy hobby, and not passed around by a constant stream of middlemen, each extracting their pound of flesh with the flip.

 

But certainly, the BIGGEST problem in the hobby now is not tape. Tape was a chronic issue in our hobby in the 20th century though, around the same time that the Overstreet contained a discussion of having your collections bound in a book as a means of preserving them. That turned out well!

 

Can't really get mad at people trying to flip books. It's CGCs fault to an extent. They are so inconsistent with their grades. I see the same books in higher grades. Its so bad there's a few members who constantly sell books they resubbed. When they make a sales thread I venture through eBay, heritage, comic link, ect and find the book in its previous state. Nothing is changed appearance wise except old label 9.0s sitting in a 9.6 with ugly corners. Sad really.

[Davenport]

Is there a link to this statement by CGC? My wife says she'd like to see it.

Link : "Some repairs remained acceptable to collectors and were "grandfathered," such as tape."

 

Learn it. Love it. Live it.

[silverweb]

I hate tape stains. But if they are out of sight or on the back, it is less disturbing to me

[sterlingcomics]

Is there a link to this statement by CGC? My wife says she'd like to see it.

Link : "Some repairs remained acceptable to collectors and were "grandfathered," such as tape."

 

Learn it. Love it. Live it.

 

"While we believe that tape should never be used on a comic book for any reason, our hobby has accepted that people used tape to keep comic books from falling apart. This measure was taken even before comics became collectibles. In the early days of fandom, some sellers stated that tape was not a defect and some collectors even accepted tape on mid grades. CGC will downgrade for tape, as we consider it a defect no matter why or when it was added."

 

[ComicConnoisseur]

Is there a link to this statement by CGC? My wife says she'd like to see it.

Link : "Some repairs remained acceptable to collectors and were "grandfathered," such as tape."

 

Learn it. Love it. Live it.

 

"While we believe that tape should never be used on a comic book for any reason, our hobby has accepted that people used tape to keep comic books from falling apart. This measure was taken even before comics became collectibles. In the early days of fandom, some sellers stated that tape was not a defect and some collectors even accepted tape on mid grades. CGC will downgrade for tape, as we consider it a defect no matter why or when it was added."

 

Everytime I see a good fair price for a semi-key CGC Golden Age book I look closely, and notice the reason why is because tape was added.

[VintageComics]

That's not always true. It always depends on the book.

 

The main problem with the hobby is that everyone can comment on it on an internet chat forum and for the most part there is relatively little accountability and lots of rivalrly and politics.

 

Globalization, marginalization, reiteration, regurgitation, ostrasization, tupennynation, relativation, pownization and egomation.

 

The internet will be the down fall of it all and ironically enough will also be reaponsible for the fresh new start.

 

 

[seanfingh]

 

Great post!

[sterlingcomics]

That's not always true. It always depends on the book.

 

The main problem with the hobby is that everyone can comment on it on an internet chat forum and for the most part there is relatively little accountability and lots of rivalrly and politics.

 

Globalization, marginalization, reiteration, regurgitation, ostrasization, tupennynation, relativation, pownization and egomation.

 

The internet will be the down fall of it all and ironically enough will also be reaponsible for the fresh new start.

 

 

My friend is also my enemy. Or my enemy is also my friend.

[Mister_Comics]

That's not always true. It always depends on the book.

 

The main problem with the hobby is that everyone can comment on it on an internet chat forum and for the most part there is relatively little accountability and lots of rivalrly and politics.

 

Globalization, marginalization, reiteration, regurgitation, ostrasization, tupennynation, relativation, pownization and egomation.

 

The internet will be the down fall of it all and ironically enough will also be reaponsible for the fresh new start.

 

 

For a second there I thought John Lennon was back reciting his Give Peace A Chance song.

[VintageComics]

Great post!

 

Cool start, bro.

 

 

[aggr1103]

Is there a link to this statement by CGC? My wife says she'd like to see it.

Link : "Some repairs remained acceptable to collectors and were "grandfathered," such as tape."

 

Learn it. Love it. Live it.

 

If its considered a defect, why does it improve grades?

[Kevin76]

The problem is what do you do with all of the books which are already out there.

 

 

Don't buy them.

[VintageComics]

Is there a link to this statement by CGC? My wife says she'd like to see it.

Link : "Some repairs remained acceptable to collectors and were "grandfathered," such as tape."

 

Learn it. Love it. Live it.

 

A more accurate way of saying it is that it was considered a repair for decades and nobody really considered it restoration because it generally doesn't increase the appearance of a book (or more accurately, it's generally apparent that tape is on the book as there is no deception involved).

 

If its considered a defect, why does it improve grades?

 

If I had to guess (not being an actual grader) I'd say because often times it's impossible to know what was under the tape before it was applied (was the spine split or is the tape there incidentally and not repairing anything - which happens sometimes, if not often).

 

So generally speaking tape is downgraded for, but within the context of the book that is currently sitting in front of them since they don't know what the book was like before the tape was applied.