When did pressing a comic before every sub become the norm?

[slym2none]

 

 

 

-slym

[VintageComics]

 

The difference (and the fact) is that books are being pressed and unpressed involuntarily, using natural processes, during their entire lives to varying degrees with very attention being drawn to it. The same cannot be said for trimmed, colour touched, pieces added, etc by the way.

 

Pressing is a darn near invisible process most of the time, and completely invisible much of the time, that happens in varying degrees naturally and yet now, a line is being attempted to be drawn in the sand at one of those degrees when money becomes involved.

 

I'm a believer in "natural" pressing of a book based on how its stored/climate through its life but many have jumped on that and said it was IMPOSSIBLE to match what a press does. I always forget about all of the scientists we have on the boards. I'd love to know if it is possible for a book stored for X years under condition X with X amount of weight on it, would it yield the same results as a dry mount press.

 

My point was not that nature absolutely duplicates what a dry mount press does (unlikely, although I suppose it could).

 

My point was that pressing (and unpressing - because both sides of the coin are worth discussing) happens in varying degrees - from imperceptible to down right hard core pressing gone badly, and If it happens incidentally it's not a big deal. The opposition to pressing is really only over the books where people are doing it for profit.

 

That sort of line in the sand creates a mob mentality towards pressed books that is more of an emotion reasoning than a logical one, and creates all sorts of gaps in logic causing the baby to be thrown out with the bathwater.

 

For example, original owner books can have the gap at the center fold missing, (being pressed out naturally as it often happens on older books) but people will pass on those books because it looks like what most people think a pressed book looks like.

 

 

[letsgrumble]

As a collector with an interest in high-grade bronze-age books, I’m finding that more and more dealers/sellers are pressing books prior to making them part of their “high-grade” inventory (I’m talking, for example, bumping up a FN/VF book to a VF/NM -- possibly not high enough a grade to make it worthwhile submitting to CGC to turn over a profit -- but good enough to squeeze a $20 bill out of a buyer instead of a $5 bill). I don’t necessarily have a problem with pressing a book, but there’s some badly cooked flapjacks out there and that my bug-a-boo. Someone thinking their half-baked work is worth the extra coin. While I’ve only read pages here and there in this thread, and since bent staples and flattened gutters were already mentioned, there’s also the over-application of moisture when using a dry-press. The interior paper inks bleed through the paper on the front and back covers making, in my opinion, a mess. I’ve seen this far too often of late.

 

(see photos – sorry these are not as clear as I had hoped).

 

 

The inks from the back interior page ad bleeds into the white back cover, producing a pinkish colour.

 

 

I have some other books where the ads bleed through the front cover, making me think that it was better left unpressed or at least given to someone who knew what they were doing.

[comix4fun]

As a collector with an interest in high-grade bronze-age books, I’m finding that more and more dealers/sellers are pressing books prior to making them part of their “high-grade” inventory (I’m talking, for example, bumping up a FN/VF book to a VF/NM -- possibly not high enough a grade to make it worthwhile submitting to CGC to turn over a profit -- but good enough to squeeze a $20 bill out of a buyer instead of a $5 bill). I don’t necessarily have a problem with pressing a book, but there’s some badly cooked flapjacks out there and that my bug-a-boo. Someone thinking their half-baked work is worth the extra coin. While I’ve only read pages here and there in this thread, and since bent staples and flattened gutters were already mentioned, there’s also the over-application of moisture when using a dry-press. The interior paper inks bleed through the paper on the front and back covers making, in my opinion, a mess. I’ve seen this far too often of late.

 

(see photos – sorry these are not as clear as I had hoped).

 

 

The inks from the back interior page ad bleeds into the white back cover, producing a pinkish colour.

 

 

I have some other books where the ads bleed through the front cover, making me think that it was better left unpressed or at least given to someone who knew what they were doing.

 

 

 

I've seen the same phenomenon on lots of books that weren't pressed where the interior is almost visible through the front or back cover or there's color transfer onto the inside of the covers.

 

 

[VintageComics]

Reds bleeding through is a very common defect on books. I don't think it's caused by pressing as I've seen it very often on books that were not pressed.

 

It's probably due to storage conditions more than anything else.

 

I think someone should be outraged.

 

 

[kimik]

If they are white cover bronze age books then it could have happened as a result of the original printing and binding and not a press. Batman #332 is a book that comes to mind where almost every copy I have purchased in OO collections over the years has that issue (inner ink bleedthrough) as well as ink transfer from the copy above/below it in the stack at the printers.

[kimik]

 

The difference (and the fact) is that books are being pressed and unpressed involuntarily, using natural processes, during their entire lives to varying degrees with very attention being drawn to it. The same cannot be said for trimmed, colour touched, pieces added, etc by the way.

 

Pressing is a darn near invisible process most of the time, and completely invisible much of the time, that happens in varying degrees naturally and yet now, a line is being attempted to be drawn in the sand at one of those degrees when money becomes involved.

 

I'm a believer in "natural" pressing of a book based on how its stored/climate through its life but many have jumped on that and said it was IMPOSSIBLE to match what a press does. I always forget about all of the scientists we have on the boards. I'd love to know if it is possible for a book stored for X years under condition X with X amount of weight on it, would it yield the same results as a dry mount press.

 

My point was not that nature absolutely duplicates what a dry mount press does (unlikely, although I suppose it could).

 

My point was that pressing (and unpressing - because both sides of the coin are worth discussing) happens in varying degrees - from imperceptible to down right hard core pressing gone badly, and If it happens incidentally it's not a big deal. The opposition to pressing is really only over the books where people are doing it for profit.

 

That sort of line in the sand creates a mob mentality towards pressed books that is more of an emotion reasoning than a logical one, and creates all sorts of gaps in logic causing the baby to be thrown out with the bathwater.

 

For example, original owner books can have the gap at the center fold missing, (being pressed out naturally as it often happens on older books) but people will pass on those books because it looks like what most people think a pressed book looks like.

 

 

True enough. I am just going through a 3200+ book collection that the OO had stored and not touched since 1994. The books were bagged, but not boarded, and jammed tight into long boxes. As a result, the books are super tight and flat.

 

This is great, as I have not seen so many NM or better Canadian newsstand copies in one collection to date.

[DiceX]

As a collector with an interest in high-grade bronze-age books, I’m finding that more and more dealers/sellers are pressing books prior to making them part of their “high-grade” inventory (I’m talking, for example, bumping up a FN/VF book to a VF/NM -- possibly not high enough a grade to make it worthwhile submitting to CGC to turn over a profit -- but good enough to squeeze a $20 bill out of a buyer instead of a $5 bill). I don’t necessarily have a problem with pressing a book, but there’s some badly cooked flapjacks out there and that my bug-a-boo. Someone thinking their half-baked work is worth the extra coin. While I’ve only read pages here and there in this thread, and since bent staples and flattened gutters were already mentioned, there’s also the over-application of moisture when using a dry-press. The interior paper inks bleed through the paper on the front and back covers making, in my opinion, a mess. I’ve seen this far too often of late.

 

(see photos – sorry these are not as clear as I had hoped).

 

 

The inks from the back interior page ad bleeds into the white back cover, producing a pinkish colour.

 

 

I have some other books where the ads bleed through the front cover, making me think that it was better left unpressed or at least given to someone who knew what they were doing.

 

That's natural and is in no way caused by pressing.

 

 

[letsgrumble]

As a collector with an interest in high-grade bronze-age books, I’m finding that more and more dealers/sellers are pressing books prior to making them part of their “high-grade” inventory (I’m talking, for example, bumping up a FN/VF book to a VF/NM -- possibly not high enough a grade to make it worthwhile submitting to CGC to turn over a profit -- but good enough to squeeze a $20 bill out of a buyer instead of a $5 bill). I don’t necessarily have a problem with pressing a book, but there’s some badly cooked flapjacks out there and that my bug-a-boo. Someone thinking their half-baked work is worth the extra coin. While I’ve only read pages here and there in this thread, and since bent staples and flattened gutters were already mentioned, there’s also the over-application of moisture when using a dry-press. The interior paper inks bleed through the paper on the front and back covers making, in my opinion, a mess. I’ve seen this far too often of late.

 

(see photos – sorry these are not as clear as I had hoped).

 

 

The inks from the back interior page ad bleeds into the white back cover, producing a pinkish colour.

 

 

I have some other books where the ads bleed through the front cover, making me think that it was better left unpressed or at least given to someone who knew what they were doing.

 

 

 

I've seen the same phenomenon on lots of books that weren't pressed where the interior is almost visible through the front or back cover or there's color transfer onto the inside of the covers.

 

 

I agree that the transferred inks can naturally bleed through the front and back covers and in a relatively short time if not stored properly. It is however more pronounced on books that I know have been pressed (poorly) or have the trademarks of being pressed, i.e. flattened to oblivion. If I wasn't about to crash out right now, I would provide more visuals to substantiate my outrage.

 

[DiceX]

As a collector with an interest in high-grade bronze-age books, I’m finding that more and more dealers/sellers are pressing books prior to making them part of their “high-grade” inventory (I’m talking, for example, bumping up a FN/VF book to a VF/NM -- possibly not high enough a grade to make it worthwhile submitting to CGC to turn over a profit -- but good enough to squeeze a $20 bill out of a buyer instead of a $5 bill). I don’t necessarily have a problem with pressing a book, but there’s some badly cooked flapjacks out there and that my bug-a-boo. Someone thinking their half-baked work is worth the extra coin. While I’ve only read pages here and there in this thread, and since bent staples and flattened gutters were already mentioned, there’s also the over-application of moisture when using a dry-press. The interior paper inks bleed through the paper on the front and back covers making, in my opinion, a mess. I’ve seen this far too often of late.

 

(see photos – sorry these are not as clear as I had hoped).

 

 

The inks from the back interior page ad bleeds into the white back cover, producing a pinkish colour.

 

 

I have some other books where the ads bleed through the front cover, making me think that it was better left unpressed or at least given to someone who knew what they were doing.

 

 

 

I've seen the same phenomenon on lots of books that weren't pressed where the interior is almost visible through the front or back cover or there's color transfer onto the inside of the covers.

 

 

I agree that the transferred inks can naturally bleed through the front and back covers and in a relatively short time if not stored properly. It is however more pronounced on books that I know have been pressed (poorly) or have the trademarks of being pressed, i.e. flattened to oblivion. If I wasn't about to crash out right now, I would provide more visuals to substantiate my outrage.

 

 

A complete and absolute misconception. Unless someone dunked your book in turpentine before they smashed it, I'll call wildly_fanciful_statement.

 

 

[comix4fun]

As a collector with an interest in high-grade bronze-age books, I’m finding that more and more dealers/sellers are pressing books prior to making them part of their “high-grade” inventory (I’m talking, for example, bumping up a FN/VF book to a VF/NM -- possibly not high enough a grade to make it worthwhile submitting to CGC to turn over a profit -- but good enough to squeeze a $20 bill out of a buyer instead of a $5 bill). I don’t necessarily have a problem with pressing a book, but there’s some badly cooked flapjacks out there and that my bug-a-boo. Someone thinking their half-baked work is worth the extra coin. While I’ve only read pages here and there in this thread, and since bent staples and flattened gutters were already mentioned, there’s also the over-application of moisture when using a dry-press. The interior paper inks bleed through the paper on the front and back covers making, in my opinion, a mess. I’ve seen this far too often of late.

 

(see photos – sorry these are not as clear as I had hoped).

 

 

The inks from the back interior page ad bleeds into the white back cover, producing a pinkish colour.

 

 

I have some other books where the ads bleed through the front cover, making me think that it was better left unpressed or at least given to someone who knew what they were doing.

 

 

 

I've seen the same phenomenon on lots of books that weren't pressed where the interior is almost visible through the front or back cover or there's color transfer onto the inside of the covers.

 

 

I agree that the transferred inks can naturally bleed through the front and back covers and in a relatively short time if not stored properly. It is however more pronounced on books that I know have been pressed (poorly) or have the trademarks of being pressed, i.e. flattened to oblivion. If I wasn't about to crash out right now, I would provide more visuals to substantiate my outrage.

 

 

 

I hope you can because that book looks like a bunch of $3 books I've owned for 30 years that no one would ever imagine pressing.

[letsgrumble]

As a collector with an interest in high-grade bronze-age books, I’m finding that more and more dealers/sellers are pressing books prior to making them part of their “high-grade” inventory (I’m talking, for example, bumping up a FN/VF book to a VF/NM -- possibly not high enough a grade to make it worthwhile submitting to CGC to turn over a profit -- but good enough to squeeze a $20 bill out of a buyer instead of a $5 bill). I don’t necessarily have a problem with pressing a book, but there’s some badly cooked flapjacks out there and that my bug-a-boo. Someone thinking their half-baked work is worth the extra coin. While I’ve only read pages here and there in this thread, and since bent staples and flattened gutters were already mentioned, there’s also the over-application of moisture when using a dry-press. The interior paper inks bleed through the paper on the front and back covers making, in my opinion, a mess. I’ve seen this far too often of late.

 

(see photos – sorry these are not as clear as I had hoped).

 

 

The inks from the back interior page ad bleeds into the white back cover, producing a pinkish colour.

 

 

I have some other books where the ads bleed through the front cover, making me think that it was better left unpressed or at least given to someone who knew what they were doing.

 

 

 

I've seen the same phenomenon on lots of books that weren't pressed where the interior is almost visible through the front or back cover or there's color transfer onto the inside of the covers.

 

 

I agree that the transferred inks can naturally bleed through the front and back covers and in a relatively short time if not stored properly. It is however more pronounced on books that I know have been pressed (poorly) or have the trademarks of being pressed, i.e. flattened to oblivion. If I wasn't about to crash out right now, I would provide more visuals to substantiate my outrage.

 

 

 

I hope you can because that book looks like a bunch of $3 books I've owned for 30 years that no one would ever imagine pressing.

 

You'd be surprised.

[VintageComics]

I agree that the transferred inks can naturally bleed through the front and back covers and in a relatively short time if not stored properly. It is however more pronounced on books that I know have been pressed (poorly) or have the trademarks of being pressed, i.e. flattened to oblivion. If I wasn't about to crash out right now, I would provide more visuals to substantiate my outrage.

 

 

It's most likely that the inks were bleeding before the books were pressed.

 

 

[Bomber-Bob]

As a collector with an interest in high-grade bronze-age books, I’m finding that more and more dealers/sellers are pressing books prior to making them part of their “high-grade” inventory (I’m talking, for example, bumping up a FN/VF book to a VF/NM -- possibly not high enough a grade to make it worthwhile submitting to CGC to turn over a profit -- but good enough to squeeze a $20 bill out of a buyer instead of a $5 bill). I don’t necessarily have a problem with pressing a book, but there’s some badly cooked flapjacks out there and that my bug-a-boo. Someone thinking their half-baked work is worth the extra coin. While I’ve only read pages here and there in this thread, and since bent staples and flattened gutters were already mentioned, there’s also the over-application of moisture when using a dry-press. The interior paper inks bleed through the paper on the front and back covers making, in my opinion, a mess. I’ve seen this far too often of late.

 

(see photos – sorry these are not as clear as I had hoped).

 

 

The inks from the back interior page ad bleeds into the white back cover, producing a pinkish colour.

 

 

I have some other books where the ads bleed through the front cover, making me think that it was better left unpressed or at least given to someone who knew what they were doing.

 

 

 

I've seen the same phenomenon on lots of books that weren't pressed where the interior is almost visible through the front or back cover or there's color transfer onto the inside of the covers.

 

 

I agree that the transferred inks can naturally bleed through the front and back covers and in a relatively short time if not stored properly. It is however more pronounced on books that I know have been pressed (poorly) or have the trademarks of being pressed, i.e. flattened to oblivion. If I wasn't about to crash out right now, I would provide more visuals to substantiate my outrage.

 

 

Wow, I've seen this and never realized it could have something to do with pressing. FYI, you will not get much support from the Boards on the topic of bad pressing. I would love to see some more visuals, post 'em!

[DiceX]

As a collector with an interest in high-grade bronze-age books, I’m finding that more and more dealers/sellers are pressing books prior to making them part of their “high-grade” inventory (I’m talking, for example, bumping up a FN/VF book to a VF/NM -- possibly not high enough a grade to make it worthwhile submitting to CGC to turn over a profit -- but good enough to squeeze a $20 bill out of a buyer instead of a $5 bill). I don’t necessarily have a problem with pressing a book, but there’s some badly cooked flapjacks out there and that my bug-a-boo. Someone thinking their half-baked work is worth the extra coin. While I’ve only read pages here and there in this thread, and since bent staples and flattened gutters were already mentioned, there’s also the over-application of moisture when using a dry-press. The interior paper inks bleed through the paper on the front and back covers making, in my opinion, a mess. I’ve seen this far too often of late.

 

(see photos – sorry these are not as clear as I had hoped).

 

 

The inks from the back interior page ad bleeds into the white back cover, producing a pinkish colour.

 

 

I have some other books where the ads bleed through the front cover, making me think that it was better left unpressed or at least given to someone who knew what they were doing.

 

 

 

I've seen the same phenomenon on lots of books that weren't pressed where the interior is almost visible through the front or back cover or there's color transfer onto the inside of the covers.

 

 

I agree that the transferred inks can naturally bleed through the front and back covers and in a relatively short time if not stored properly. It is however more pronounced on books that I know have been pressed (poorly) or have the trademarks of being pressed, i.e. flattened to oblivion. If I wasn't about to crash out right now, I would provide more visuals to substantiate my outrage.

 

 

Wow, I've seen this and never realized it could have something to do with pressing. FYI, you will not get much support from the Boards on the topic of bad pressing. I would love to see some more visuals, post 'em!

 

Nobody reads my posts.

It's fictitious. The boogeyman. Santa Claus. It's not true.

 

 

[HarrisonJohn]

That color bleed is common in books that have been stacked together in storage a long time ("warehouse find"), the same books will also look very flat.

[VintageComics]

Wow, I've seen this and never realized it could have something to do with pressing.

 

 

It doesn't have anything to do with pressing. I've seen literally 1000's of pressed Bronze books and they do not have this phenomenon. Just go through Stephen Ritter's booth (who was partnered up with Matt Nelson) and try to find 1% of the pressed books with this phenomenon. You won't.

 

This is a problem with storage and not related to pressing.

 

If I'm not mistaken, comic book inks are oil based, so that means that they are not water soluble, meaning water moisture can not make them run.

 

That's why Dice mentioned the solvent a few posts back.

 

FYI, you will not get much support from the Boards on the topic of bad pressing.

 

You will get more information regarding pressing on this board than on any other forum (from all perspectives) because you like have the greatest concentration of educated collectors and dealers on this forum that you are likely to find on the internet.

[jimbo_707]

Wow, I've seen this and never realized it could have something to do with pressing.

 

 

It doesn't have anything to do with pressing. I've seen literally 1000's of pressed Bronze books and they do not have this phenomenon. Just go through Stephen Ritter's booth (who was partnered up with Matt Nelson) and try to find 1% of the pressed books with this phenomenon. You won't.

 

This is a problem with storage and not related to pressing.

 

If I'm not mistaken, comic book inks are oil based, so that means that they are not water soluble, meaning water moisture can not make them run.

 

That's why Dice mentioned the solvent a few posts back.

 

FYI, you will not get much support from the Boards on the topic of bad pressing.

 

You will get more information regarding pressing on this board than on any other forum (from all perspectives) because you like have the greatest concentration of educated collectors and dealers on this forum that you are likely to find on the internet.

 

If it's a problem with storage, what storage conditions could cause it?

 

Improper temperature and humidity?

 

After all, nobody stores their comics in acetone.

 

Pressing could mimic those improper storage conditions briefly, right?

 

What if somebody heated the book to 350 F instead of 180-220?

 

It's not inconceivable to me that pressing could cause that defect.

[MagnusX]

[font:Book Antiqua]

Wow, I've seen this and never realized it could have something to do with pressing.

 

 

It doesn't have anything to do with pressing. I've seen literally 1000's of pressed Bronze books and they do not have this phenomenon. Just go through Stephen Ritter's booth (who was partnered up with Matt Nelson) and try to find 1% of the pressed books with this phenomenon. You won't.

 

This is a problem with storage and not related to pressing.

 

If I'm not mistaken, comic book inks are oil based, so that means that they are not water soluble, meaning water moisture can not make them run.

 

That's why Dice mentioned the solvent a few posts back.

 

FYI, you will not get much support from the Boards on the topic of bad pressing.

 

You will get more information regarding pressing on this board than on any other forum (from all perspectives) because you like have the greatest concentration of educated collectors and dealers on this forum that you are likely to find on the internet.

 

If it's a problem with storage, what storage conditions could cause it?

 

Improper temperature and humidity?

 

After all, nobody stores their comics in acetone.

 

Pressing could mimic those improper storage conditions briefly, right?

 

What if somebody heated the book to 350 F instead of 180-220?

 

It's not inconceivable to me that pressing could cause that defect.

 

Wow..![/font]

 

 

[David-Lance Roten]

I haven't had any of my comics pressed. If someone is selling a book and tells me it's pressed I move along and wait for another. Where and who I buy from on a regular basis there are no pressed comics to worry about. I collect Golden Age - late 80's and I like the character/provenance non pressed books have. I can however see the other side of the coin. If pressing a book can get a .5 to full point bump and give someone a chance to make money in a sale, I say go for it. I'm just in this for my personal collection. Not to sell. So a slight bump or more value from a slight bump means nothing to me