Would you purchase a restored book?

[fantastic_four]

a beautiful copy of a certified KEY SA book. bet you got it for squat!?!?!

 

I paid $250. I figure it was around a VG or FN prior to the restoration.

 

 

that's a lot of resto for an amateur, but it presents very well.

 

RARELY do I see a book taken from the 5.0 range all the way up to 9.4. I rather like the work, but I know many people who are discriminating about restorative techniques prefer less intrusive methods than the restorer on this one did. The piece replacements are fairly limited and seem to have been mostly done to make the edges and corners EXTRA-sharp.

 

 

do you also have a HG unrestored copy in your FF collection?? i think this is the FF edition that has topped out at 9.0, so far??

 

I was the underbidder on the last 9.0 copy that was on ebay a few years ago, so no, I don't have another copy. Given how hard to find the issue is, I'm relatively satisifed with this copy and doubt I'll pay multiples of guide for a 9.0 just because it's rare. 9.0 isn't the top copy...there is one unrestored copy higher at 9.4.

[garthgantu]

FF, that's an incredible bargain, and I wouldn't be surprised if your copy appreciates almost as quickly as an unrestored copy in the same condition. (Largely because yours has a lot more "room to move" and I'm not talkin' about SCS )

 

Personally, I don't mind restoration much, as long as it's disclosed and preferably professionally done.

 

I'm convinced that 10 or so years from now, restored books - especially GA and SA keys - will make large gains as far as value. The accessibility of an unrestored copy of say, Showcase 4 in any grade above GD is pretty minimal even now - in ten years, only the very deep-pocketed collector will be able to afford any unrestored copy of that and many, many other books.

 

As comics become more established as important pieces of Americana, they'll be given more leeway from a restoration standpoint, just as many categories of antiques and museum-quality objects d'art already are given.

[FFB]

a beautiful copy of a certified KEY SA book. bet you got it for squat!?!?!

 

I paid $250. I figure it was around a VG or FN prior to the restoration.