Answer from CGC.........

[PovertyRow]

Pressing is restoration.

 

 

I concur.

 

(Well, this should increase my popularity rating.)

 

I've been saying that a bazillion times here - well - a lot anyway. BUT - and it is BIG BUT - Pressing is as much restoration as anything else considered Restoration (and I maintain that if you use a finger curl to "uncurl" a wave it is not restoration) but it seems the perception of restoration is selective.

 

If one FEELS it is OK it is NOT restoration. I think this is - well - foolish to be pleasant.

 

The whole Pressing issue has dominated the restoration talk. Why? Because it is the one form of restoration that is acceptable to some people and, since it is acceptable to them - it seemingly cannot be restoration.

 

This perception rubs my rhubarb more than any other topic here. Because pressing often cannot be detected after the fact, it can't be restoration? I find this absurd. What if you had the book pre and post pressing? Could compare it side by side? See the extent of improvement that much pressing can impart?

 

But I think the real bottom line is that the concept of restoration has gotten such a bad name that knee-jerk reactions come into play.

 

I will say it yet again: Don't trash restoration because of the jerks who suckered people into buying books with undisclosed restoration because the buyer wasn't informed enough to discern the restoration. Understand restoration: what it entails and what it includes. Learn about it. Try it for yourself (on junk books). Get to know how to identify it.

 

For better or worse, we are no longer involved in a hobby where an ad that says (like they sometimes used to) "All books in Good - Mint condition" is ok. We are no longer involved in a hobby where a 3X split between Good and Mint is the norm.

 

And we are - to our detriment - no longer involved in a hobby where the proof of restoration by a major restorer like Susan or Matt or Tracey carries no value.

 

Restoration has earned such a bad reputation that a restorative process like pressing is not seen as restoration by many and books that ARE restored professionally are glommed in with such "techniques" as Magic Marker color touch.

 

Learn restoration. Learn how to identify it. The folks that can are not gods. They just put time into it. So if restoration bothers you put a little less time in tracking The Spectre's timeline or all the appearances of an electric chair and spend more time hands-on.

 

Now go flame me! I deserve it.

[FFB]

Michelangelo used paint to create masterpieces. I painted my bedroom last week. I am Michelangelo.

 

You are making one of the classic blunders! The first is "never get involved in a land war in Asia." The second is "...never go up against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line."

 

And almost completely unknown is this..."Never confuse the tools with the talent!"

 

Funny my girlfriend calls me The Michelangelo of the bedroom

 

Michaelangelo was homosexual. I don't think you can take your girlfriend's statement as much of an endorsement.

[FFB]

Michelangelo used paint to create masterpieces. I painted my bedroom last week. I am Michelangelo.

 

You are making one of the classic blunders! The first is "never get involved in a land war in Asia." The second is "...never go up against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line."

 

And almost completely unknown is this..."Never confuse the tools with the talent!"

 

Funny my girlfriend calls me The Michelangelo of the bedroom

 

Considering he was gay...... maybe that's NOT a compliment.

 

Dammit, you beat me to it.

[THE_BEYONDER]

 

Have you ever thought that many dealer's and collector's that press books don't want it to become public knowledge because if everyone was doing it, it might just level the playing field and take profit out of their pockets? I know a few very big players that feel this way and would like me to keep my mouth shut about the pressing of comics even though it has been done by many major players for thirty years. These people are not hypocrites, they are hobbyists and business people. Most GA books and some SA books I bought early on were pressed and I could tell later as my eye got better because the way they were pressed was nowhere near the level of professional pressing as today, so you could see the color breaking lines that were very flat. As time went on, I only bought books that were pressed correctly. Many people did not know, those of us that did, did not care as long as the book looked natural. Same way I feel about it today.

 

And let's no forget 99% of the books sold are not CGC'd. Do people really believe that people aren't pressing raw books to sell raw? Most dealer's know that if a book was pressed INCORRECTLY not to send it to CGC. If people have bought over 100 Pre-76 books over the last few years or longer, they own some pressed books.

 

[Norrin_Radd]

Michelangelo used paint to create masterpieces. I painted my bedroom last week. I am Michelangelo.

 

You are making one of the classic blunders! The first is "never get involved in a land war in Asia." The second is "...never go up against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line."

 

And almost completely unknown is this..."Never confuse the tools with the talent!"

 

Funny my girlfriend calls me The Michelangelo of the bedroom

 

Considering he was gay...... maybe that's NOT a compliment.

 

Dammit, you beat me to it.

 

[FFB]

The whole Pressing issue has dominated the restoration talk. Why? Because it is the one form of restoration that is acceptable to some people and, since it is acceptable to them - it seemingly cannot be restoration.

 

(snip)

 

But I think the real bottom line is that the concept of restoration has gotten such a bad name that knee-jerk reactions come into play.

 

I will say it yet again: Don't trash restoration because of the jerks who suckered people into buying books with undisclosed restoration because the buyer wasn't informed enough to discern the restoration. Understand restoration: what it entails and what it includes. Learn about it. Try it for yourself (on junk books). Get to know how to identify it.

 

(snip)

 

Restoration has earned such a bad reputation that a restorative process like pressing is not seen as restoration by many and books that ARE restored professionally are glommed in with such "techniques" as Magic Marker color touch.

 

Learn restoration. Learn how to identify it. The folks that can are not gods. They just put time into it. So if restoration bothers you put a little less time in tracking The Spectre's timeline or all the appearances of an electric chair and spend more time hands-on.

 

 

Amen, Mike!

[DiceX]

Toilet paper is pressed.

[PovertyRow]

Toilet paper is pressed.

 

Well I am completely shocked at this response. Dice, you can claim credit for single-handidly driving me from these boards.

 

This is my last post. Thanks a lot!

[DiceX]

Well I am completely shocked at this response. Dice, you can claim credit for single-handidly driving me from these boards.

 

This is my last post. Thanks a lot!

 

FDQ!

[PovertyRow]

Well I am completely shocked at this response. Dice, you can claim credit for single-handidly driving me from these boards.

 

This is my last post. Thanks a lot!

 

FDQ!

 

I am NOT a F Drama QAueen! How DARE you!

 

Yet again you have driven me from the boards. This is my last post!

[DiceX]

Well I am completely shocked at this response. Dice, you can claim credit for single-handidly driving me from these boards.

 

This is my last post. Thanks a lot!

 

FDQ!

 

I am NOT a F Drama QAueen! How DARE you!

 

Yet again you have driven me from the boards. This is my last post!

 

Mine too. I'm protesting your protest.

[PovertyRow]

Well I am completely shocked at this response. Dice, you can claim credit for single-handidly driving me from these boards.

 

This is my last post. Thanks a lot!

 

FDQ!

 

I am NOT a F Drama QAueen! How DARE you!

 

Yet again you have driven me from the boards. This is my last post!

 

Mine too. I'm protesting your protest.

 

Oh yeah???!!! Well

 

AND

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[egambart-migration]

I disagree - I believe pressing is not a form of restoration, it is more what the pressing is doing for the Hobby. A pre-named Ebay seller's last 20 listings in various Silver & Bronze-Age titles are all 9.8 - With all due respect that is just not posssible, no matter how astute the seller . The fact that this seller over the past year or so has had so many more 9.8 's than numerous larger dealers, spending infinitely more in advertising for books, suggest to me that this seller has a 'trick' .Anyone who deals in high-grade Silver & Bronze-Age books, and regularily submits to CGC all agree this is just not possible.

 

So morally if, as I asserted that "pressing is not a form of restoration". then I am not slandering this seller, as he is doing nothing wrong. CGC's stance on this is clear - However, we all know that somehow it marrs the integrity of high-grade and previously slabbed books, and many feel that if it becomes commonplace then they might as well throw away their 9.4 Silver-Age - which would be perceived as we now perceive 8.5 - alright but not ideal.

 

The cynic would say that those concerned about the amount of 9.8 's reflected on the CGC Survey is only a money thing - But it's actually not - Collectibles are by their nature based on scarcity. When the scarce becomes the commonplace it belies the whole nature of the word - and this does greatly affect our hobby.

 

There is absolutely no doubt that a 'good' restoration expert is able to detect pressing. What I suggest is that a detected pressed comic has a qualifying remark as such on its blue label - I think most of us would be happy then

[PovertyRow]

What I suggest is that a detected pressed comic has a qualifying remark as such on its blue label - I think most of us would be happy then

 

I have also said this for the time I have been here.

 

Make one label color. Put any findings on the label. Leave it up to the buyer to make their determination based on the findings. Do not segregate books with label colors.

 

I believe pressing is not a form of restoration

 

Pressing encompasses many processes from the most benign to dismantling of a book. When you say " I believe pressing is not a form of restoration", how do you define pressing?

[blowout]

What I suggest is that a detected pressed comic has a qualifying remark as such on its blue label - I think most of us would be happy then

 

I have also said this for the time I have been here.

 

Make one label color. Put any findings on the label. Leave it up to the buyer to make their determination based on the findings. Do not segregate books with label colors.

 

I don't care what color the label is, as long as we have full disclosure of any findings CGC make. All the average buyer asks for is the ability to make an informed choice.

[PovertyRow]

All the average buyer asks for is the ability to make an informed choice.

 

Blowout, I think the average buyer looks at label color.I also think the average buyer wants a nice, consistent blue label colletion (except for the yellow sig-series collectors, of course).

 

I think the average buyer knows squat about restoration beyond what they have heard in passing or on a message board - but no real life experience.

 

I honestly think the average buyer has, as I said tonight and often in the past, a knee-jerk reaction to the concept of restoration and actually has little or no real knowledge of it.

 

(Oh yeah! I am SO glad they dropped the star ratingt for individulas!)

[greggy]

Well I am completely shocked at this response. Dice, you can claim credit for single-handidly driving me from these boards.

 

This is my last post. Thanks a lot!

 

FDQ!

 

I am NOT a F Drama QAueen! How DARE you!

 

Yet again you have driven me from the boards. This is my last post!

This is my penultimate post!

[PovertyRow]

Well I am completely shocked at this response. Dice, you can claim credit for single-handidly driving me from these boards.

 

This is my last post. Thanks a lot!

 

FDQ!

 

I am NOT a F Drama QAueen! How DARE you!

 

Yet again you have driven me from the boards. This is my last post!

This is my penultimate post!

 

Of COURSE one of my posts would be your penultimate post, greggerosity! I mean, why state the obvious!

 

 

 

[egambart-migration]

"how do you define pressing"

 

Pressing to me is applying a form of pressure to make the book appear more square and flat.. To me 'restoration' is the application of something foreign to correct a perceived flaw - including something temporary, like a chloride steam to whiten pages. In the old days pressing was usually quite obvious, and usually results in the book looking like it is thinner. It was never an issue in the past, but if CGC's position does not change quickly I suggest buying as many slabbed 9.4 keys as you can and waiting for the new Company.........

[PovertyRow]

Pressing to me is applying a form of pressure to make the book appear more square and flat..

 

OK - so is heat involved in pressing? Humidity? What tools are used in pressing? How are the cover inks prevented from being harmed in the process? How arfe the staples protected? Is the book kept whole or dismantled?