Metropolis (accidentally) discloses they press comics on their website

[Boozad]

Otherwise it would be great if they told us which ones they press so I don't waste money doing it.

 

If the book doesn't have any pressable defects, don't waste your money pressing it.

 

To the questioning boardie, pressing can take away non-colour breaking defects only, plus some surface dirt.

 

Pressing can take away colour breaking creases too you know. It just doesn't put the ink back.

[Tony S]

Or you could just buy comics because you like them.

 

Yep, sure could. Players require game-fodder fans provide. Can't get to the 'cash out' win part without first doing 'acquisition'. Gotta get pieces somewhere.

 

You're just describing every business model, everywhere.

 

Supply, demand, supply, demand - ad nauseum.

 

Except you're leaving out that tiny "alter" phase, between supply & demand.

 

Don't forget Ewert was the quintessential Gamer. Sat at the big table with the big boys. "Charter Member" and all that.

 

It wasn't that he altered his wares, it's that he included a technique that wasn't sanctioned.

 

If he had stayed in the sandbox provided, he's still be celebrated today. Still have a "good eye", still be a "good guy", with drool-worthy wares for all.

 

Alas, poor Ewert! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow

of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath

micro-trimmed his comics a thousand times;

and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is!

 

How cool is this? Poetry. I'm pretty sure this is the first thread I've ever read with poetry.

[VintageComics]

Except you're leaving out that tiny "alter" phase, between supply & demand.

 

Every middleman or supplier has an "alter" phase before moving a product from wholesale to the general public. Sometimes it's as simple as changing a label on a product to repackage it. Other times, the actual product is changed. It's still just simple business. You're just putting an emotional spin on it, which doesn't happen in regular business but does in hobby related businesses.

 

It wasn't that he altered his wares, it's that he included a technique that wasn't sanctioned.

 

The "technique that wasn't sanctioned" (which happens to be trimming) was not sanctioned by the majority of the hobby. You forgot to mention that.

 

 

[Lunchbox-migration]

CGC helped build a whole side industry based on their stance of not caring about pressed comics.

 

Oh, don't be fooled, CGC cared about pressed comics since day one - they just didn't care to try to detect pressing. After it was established as "ok" through backdoor "acceptance", CGC actively encouraged pressing instead of being indifferent about it. This was part of their business plan, to open PCS (Paper Collectibles Services) and rake in some pressing profits. Luckily, the Hobby shouted it down and PCS was forced to close its doors.

 

Imagine where this hobby would be if only CGC had taken the high road on such matters...

[Davenport]

CGC helped build a whole side industry based on their stance of not caring about pressed comics.

 

Oh, don't be fooled, CGC cared about pressed comics since day one - they just didn't care to try to detect pressing. After it was established as "ok" through backdoor "acceptance", CGC actively encouraged pressing instead of being indifferent about it. This was part of their business plan, to open PCS (Paper Collectibles Services) and rake in some pressing profits. Luckily, the Hobby shouted it down and PCS was forced to close its doors create a marketing partnership, shifting that enterprise to Dallas.

 

Imagine where this hobby would be if only CGC had taken the high road on such matters...

Fixed.

[Lunchbox-migration]

:thumbsup:

[seanfingh]

 

The "technique that wasn't sanctioned" (which happens to be trimming) was not sanctioned by the majority of the hobby. You forgot to mention that.

 

 

Pressing was not sanctioned by a majority of the hobby either. Not by a long shot.

[Tony S]

Except you're leaving out that tiny "alter" phase, between supply & demand.

 

Every middleman or supplier has an "alter" phase before moving a product from wholesale to the general public. Sometimes it's as simple as changing a label on a product to repackage it. Other times, the actual product is changed. It's still just simple business. You're just putting an emotional spin on it, which doesn't happen in regular business but does in hobby related businesses.

 

 

There you go again. Talking all sensible and practical instead of letting your emotions

 

As a dealer, even if all you do is buy in bulk (say someone's entire collection) and resell individual issues you are still altering what you bought. Hopefully adding value for the next customer.

 

[Tony S]

 

The "technique that wasn't sanctioned" (which happens to be trimming) was not sanctioned by the majority of the hobby. You forgot to mention that.

 

 

Pressing was not sanctioned by a majority of the hobby either. Not by a long shot.

 

I don't know if it's possible to know how the majority of the hobby felt or feels because:

 

This group on the boards represents a very advanced - but also very tiny - portion of collectors. Believe it or not - the vast majority of people that collect comics:

 

1) Don't own any CGC graded books

2) Have never heard of pressing - accept perhaps between a couple of dictionaries

 

 

[VintageComics]

 

The "technique that wasn't sanctioned" (which happens to be trimming) was not sanctioned by the majority of the hobby. You forgot to mention that.

 

 

Pressing was not sanctioned by a majority of the hobby either. Not by a long shot.

 

Pressing is documented to have been done a decade before CGC ever opened up. Likely even earlier. It was advertized in OSPG ads, it was done by some dealers to Pedigree collections and it has been done in varying degrees to our own personal books whether it was professionally pressed, mom's clothing iron was used (I know I probably tried this as a 10 year old kid) or a stack of Encyclopedias.

 

Pressing has been around for as long as paper has been around. It has just evolved the way all things do over time. Parchment was pressed 1000's of years ago. Why not comics today?

 

And just so it doesn't fly under the radar, even freshly published books are heated and pressed during the publication process. That means that every bit of paper that every comic has been printed on ever has been heated and pressed.

 

It's for all of the above reasons that it's disingenuous to call it a "CGC cover up".

 

Borock even came on and stated that it wasn't built into the CGC model at the outset.

 

Pressing may not have been "sanctioned by everyone" but it wasn't blacklisted the way trimming was, which is really a more accurate way of it.

 

 

[BlowUpTheMoon]

A pressing thread!

 

Wednesday is the new Friday!

[Davenport]

Pressing is documented to have been done a decade before CGC ever opened up. Likely even earlier. It was advertized in OSPG ads,

(thumbs u

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

A pressing thread!

 

Wednesday is the new Friday!

 

I'm watching carefully to see if there is enough emotional pressure built up after the wells were pumped dry.

 

We may need to resort to fracking.

[VintageComics]

There you go again. Talking all sensible and practical instead of letting your emotions

 

 

I know I've relayed this story several times in the past year but using a real world example I feel it very accurately portrays how some collectors might feel:

 

True story:

 

A company needs a special resin for their project to work.

 

They order the resin from a 2nd company who is an international commodities dealer.

 

That 2nd company finds and orders the resin from a 3rd company who happens to be in the same building as the 1st company that initially needed the resin. They are only a few floors apart.

 

The 2nd company buys the resin from the 3rd company and have it shipped to their offices only to ship it off back to the 1st company who placed the initial order and charge them a tidy but fair profit for the resin.

 

Should the company buying the final product be outraged if they find out that the resin they needed was only a few floors away and much cheaper?

 

Food for thought.

[VintageComics]

Pressing is documented to have been done a decade before CGC ever opened up. Likely even earlier. It was advertized in OSPG ads,

(thumbs u

 

Fair enough.

 

As a 15 year old kid when that guide came out I didn't have an opinion on the matter.

 

Slavery has become illegal, trimming is frowned upon greatly and pressing is a split camp.

 

Things change over time.

 

 

[seanfingh]

 

Yes. This thread needed a pressing - slavery analogy!

[Dick Pontoon]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My first post with the new facepalm; must have been subconsciously waiting for the right moment.

[VintageComics]

Yes. This thread needed a pressing - slavery analogy!

 

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

Public opinion changes as the public becomes more educated. That was my real point, in case anyone missed it.

 

No offense intended to anyone.

 

 

[BlowUpTheMoon]

My first post with the new facepalm; must have been subconsciously waiting for the right moment.

 

I still haven't used the facepalm yet. Seems too easy.

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

Yes. This thread needed a pressing - slavery analogy!

 

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

Public opinion changes as the public becomes more educated. That was my real point, in case anyone missed it.

 

No offense intended to anyone.

 

 

I was confused.

 

I thought you meant slavery became illegal when you were 15.