Have you bought trimmed comics?

[Santos208]

Just wondering if you guys like and buy trimmed comics. Personally I haven't and won't ever buy one, unless the seller doesn't inform me of it and if I don't see the trim myself. This is why I think sometimes is good to buy slabbed older key books to insure they haven't been trimmed.

 

Anyways what do you think about trimmed comics??

Just cursious, I've seen a few trimmed comics on ebay that still sell for high cash, why? I have no idea

[MK Ultra]

I guess it would depend on how much was trimmed, and how expensive the book. If I had my way of course I would want as nice as possible.

[oakman29]

I view it as destruction,and would never buy a book that was trimmed.

[Dr Chaos]

I returned a copy of X-Men 40 that I bought from ebay because I suspected it had been trimmed.

 

In addition to potentially destroying the book, trimming is considered a form of restoration.

 

While restored books can still be collectible (I remember a restored copy of Superman 1 at NYCC I wish I could have afforded) there is a logic behind the pricing (discount vs regular copy in grade) that I don't want to take the time to learn.

 

I try to avoid restored books altogether for that reason.

[vaillant]

If a book is rare, and priced accordingly, I would buy it just to have it.

 

But it’s a thing I generally have done (rarely) for italian comics of the 1930s, because when trimmed means they were generally from a bound volume, and thus very, very nice compared to untrimmed copies which, because of the poor paper, are often pretty worn out.

 

For comic books, I think it could make sense just if you want a copy for cheap of a book that would be very expensive otherwise: they should not definitely be treated like they are "restored" books, no matter what one might say: trimming is mutilation, and there is quite a difference when it is deliberately done to "improve" a book…

 

My example pointed to books that rather were previously bounded, and then detached without damage: very slight trimming on all sides, and often very nice copies, but of course there must be quite a price difference.

[vaillant]

In addition to potentially destroying the book, trimming is considered a form of restoration.

 

Yes, while it is not.

 

I try to avoid restored books altogether for that reason.

 

This is a generalization which does not make sense: problem is related to the fact CGC labeled "restored" a super-wide gamut of books, from minimal fix-ups to full professional restoration. There is obviously a huge case-by-case difference, and it would be good to have it stated on the label, instead of simply saying "Moderate" or "Extensive".

[passion4comics]

Then can someone explain micro-trimming. To keep the books shape, the person would need to precisely cut each page not to give it that chopped look. That's a LOT of work for some of the books that surfaced later that were suspect. You would need to be spot on with every page cut too.

[BarryAllen]

Have bought and sold trimmed comics on this site. ALWAYS important to disclose it, but it is just another consideration factor.

 

 

CGC notes it, but does not specifically categorize it as restoration (i.e. trimming alone does not obtain a purple label). However, most (NOT all) trimmed books that I have seen slabbed have tended to include additional restoration (color touch, tear seals, etc).

 

 

I personally don't think trimming is bad (evident because I own and have sold trimmed comics), it really isn't all that far away from "pieces added." However, this is just my opinion and I am over-simplifying it.

 

 

If you don't like trimming, that's fine. If you are okay with it, that's fine too. People buy all kinds of things for all kinds of reasons.

 

 

However, like everything else, it comes down to the book. People on here will say this to death: "buy the book, not the grade."

[JAM_NYC]

Have bought and sold trimmed comics on this site. ALWAYS important to disclose it, but it is just another consideration factor.

 

 

CGC notes it, but does not specifically categorize it as restoration (i.e. trimming alone does not obtain a purple label). However, most (NOT all) trimmed books that I have seen slabbed have tended to include additional restoration (color touch, tear seals, etc).

 

 

I personally don't think trimming is bad (evident because I own and have sold trimmed comics), it really isn't all that far away from "pieces added." However, this is just my opinion and I am over-simplifying it.

 

 

If you don't like trimming, that's fine. If you are okay with it, that's fine too. People buy all kinds of things for all kinds of reasons.

 

 

However, like everything else, it comes down to the book. People on here will say this to death: "buy the book, not the grade."

Is that true? I feel like I've seen PLODs with just trimming noted. I've also seen that blue label with trimming noted, but I thought that was a QC issue?

[romanheart]

I am hearing different things in this thread. I always thought a trimmed comic by CGC was considered restoration.

 

I personally wonder how good CGC is at discovering trimmed comics, particularly when it comes to distinguishing them between comics that have been badly miscut at the time of printing.

[miraclemet]

Have bought and sold trimmed comics on this site. ALWAYS important to disclose it, but it is just another consideration factor.

 

 

CGC notes it, but does not specifically categorize it as restoration (i.e. trimming alone does not obtain a purple label). However, most (NOT all) trimmed books that I have seen slabbed have tended to include additional restoration (color touch, tear seals, etc).

 

 

I personally don't think trimming is bad (evident because I own and have sold trimmed comics), it really isn't all that far away from "pieces added." However, this is just my opinion and I am over-simplifying it.

 

 

If you don't like trimming, that's fine. If you are okay with it, that's fine too. People buy all kinds of things for all kinds of reasons.

 

 

However, like everything else, it comes down to the book. People on here will say this to death: "buy the book, not the grade."

Is that true? I feel like I've seen PLODs with just trimming noted. I've also seen that blue label with trimming noted, but I thought that was a QC issue?

 

I've owned one of those (where the only work was a trim job.

 

It got a purple label

It got an "apparent" note for its grade (Apparent 9.0)

and it got a "TRIMMED" note on the right

 

It did not get an Amateur/Professional note

It did not get a Slight/Moderate/Extensive note

 

So while it's in a purple "restored" label, it doesnt get any of the other restored notation, cause its not really restored., its defaced.

 

 

[Truce-migration]

I am hearing different things in this thread. I always thought a trimmed comic by CGC was considered restoration.

 

CGC considers it destruction, but it's put in a Purple label to make things easier.

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

I just posted a blue label noting trimming the other day. It happens.

 

I'll see if I can find it.

[miraclemet]

I just posted a blue label noting trimming the other day. It happens.

 

I'll see if I can find it.

 

think there were some GA books that got to reside in Blue labels in the past...

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

I just posted a blue label noting trimming the other day. It happens.

 

I'll see if I can find it.

 

think there were some GA books that got to reside in Blue labels in the past...

 

Yeah, it's up to CGC discretion.

 

Here's the post.

 

LINK

[miraclemet]

Have bought and sold trimmed comics on this site. ALWAYS important to disclose it, but it is just another consideration factor.

 

 

CGC notes it, but does not specifically categorize it as restoration (i.e. trimming alone does not obtain a purple label).

 

That's incorrect.

 

 

see above, unless it's a GA book (and even that's at their discretion), trimmed books get a purple label.

[shadroch]

I don't particularly like trimmed books and would not trim one myself, but will buy one if it is disclosed and the price is right.

[miraclemet]

I've bought a trimmed slab, when I was looking to fill a hole in my collection and the book was priced at, if I remember right, about 20% of what the blue label would have cost.

 

Felt bad for the seller cause he had bought it for about 5x what I paid him for it (it was Already slanted and disclosed even!) don't think he understood the market reaction to trimmed books.

[cheetah]

I've bought a number of trimmed books, just never intentionally. CGC puts a lot of effort into detecting trimming nowadays.

[Larryw7]

I used to buy books from Danny Dupcak back in the eighties, so of course I've purchased trimmed books. I have a Captain America 27 that has a trimmed centerfold and it doesn't bother me at all. I also had a really nice ASM 6 that was trimmed; it was hardly noticeable. For certain books I wouldn't care, especially GA keys like Batman 1, Tec 31, etc.