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So is pressing comics a common practice nowadays?

Started by mosconi,

67 posts in this topic

mosconi

mosconi

Posted
Posted

Hi everyone, just getting back into the comic collecting hobby after several years away, so apologize if this question has been asked many times before. I was aware of pressing when I took my hiatus, but thought it was generally frowned upon by most collectors.

 

So has this thought process changed? Are most dealers looking to press suitable books and are collectors not concerned if their CGC books have been pressed? And lastly, what are the tell tale signs a book has been pressed? Can you tell from a photo, or do you have to have the book in hand? Sorry again for all the questions, just trying to get re-educated on this subject after many years away :blush:

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redknight99

redknight99

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Posted

Coming from a relative newbie but a long time enthusiast. Pressing is a common practice for that it bumps up the grade for monetary values (for the most part). So I would say Yes it is a common practice. Moreover, its not consider restoration so most people don't mind it. But sellers for the most part, Aside from this Forum, usually don't disclose that information.

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steveinthecity

steveinthecity

Posted
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Pressing is becoming more common, although there's differing opinions as to whether or not pressing constitutes resto, or is even appropriate at all. As far as "tell tale" signs of a book being pressed, I'm not at all certain that's possible when seeing a book for the first time, except in those instances where a book has been improperly pressed.

 

There's dozens and dozens of pressing related threads on the boards available should you want to hear all the arguments pro and con.

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Bomber-Bob

Bomber-Bob

Posted
Posted

If you've been away from the hobby for a while, it has changed dramatically in the past few years.

Yes, pressing is common. Too common,with many books being pressed over and over again. While once only done by a handful of professionals, many now own their own press.

There is a now a lot of manipulation going on, creative uses of the press. To mention a few we have spine realignment, that is where the edge of the book, by the spine, is folded back onto the Back cover. This is primarily done to 'hide' spine ticks.

The staple tuck, where the staple is 'pushed' into the book, mostly done to hide staple tears.

The 'uber' press, a very aggressive press with high heat and humidity resulting in the cover actually shrinking, exposing the paper on the right edge.

A good press is difficult to detect. A bad press is easier to spot, sometimes painfully obvious, especially when the spine is as flat as a communion wafer.

Welcome back to the hobby!

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mosconi

mosconi

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Thanks!! Really appreciate the info! I took my break shortly after the Ewert fiasco about 7 years ago. So I take it many high end dealers that do this to valuable books are not disclosing since there's no incentive to do so? Are there any well known/discussed threads where a high dollar book was damaged due to terrible pressing results?

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steveinthecity

steveinthecity

Posted
Posted
Thanks!! Really appreciate the info! I took my break shortly after the Ewert fiasco about 7 years ago. So I take it many high end dealers that do this to valuable books are not disclosing since there's no incentive to do so? Are there any well known/discussed threads where a high dollar book was damaged due to terrible pressing results?
Here's one example: Torn about this AF15 .
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HighStakesComics

HighStakesComics

Posted
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Yeah, that was a tough break on that AF 15. I just took a one grade hit on an HOS 92 I tried to upgrade. Oh well. It's part of the game. Life goes on. Some days you're the dog and some days you're the hydrant.

 

And to the OP, welcome back to the hobby! Comics are still as awesome as ever!! Trimming is now and always will be considered the most damning type of resto BTW.

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joeypost

joeypost

Posted
Posted
Thanks!! Really appreciate the info! I took my break shortly after the Ewert fiasco about 7 years ago. So I take it many high end dealers that do this to valuable books are not disclosing since there's no incentive to do so? Are there any well known/discussed threads where a high dollar book was damaged due to terrible pressing results?
Here's one example: Torn about this AF15 .

 

I just read the thread and I have a theory that the spine split before the book was even pressed.

It most likely happened during the hydration process that can also result in the spine splitting further.

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Hero Restoration

Hero Restoration

Posted
Posted
Thanks!! Really appreciate the info! I took my break shortly after the Ewert fiasco about 7 years ago. So I take it many high end dealers that do this to valuable books are not disclosing since there's no incentive to do so? Are there any well known/discussed threads where a high dollar book was damaged due to terrible pressing results?
Here's one example: Torn about this AF15 .

 

I just read the thread and I have a theory that the spine split before the book was even pressed.

It most likely happened during the hydration process that can also result in the spine splitting further.

 

Yeah, too much hydration, which I believe is also the cause related to the other links of damaged books.

 

Here is another:

 

cgc resub ... comes back with DETATCHED cover?!?!

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MusterMark

MusterMark

Posted
Posted
Thanks!! Really appreciate the info! I took my break shortly after the Ewert fiasco about 7 years ago. So I take it many high end dealers that do this to valuable books are not disclosing since there's no incentive to do so? Are there any well known/discussed threads where a high dollar book was damaged due to terrible pressing results?

 

Also, do keep in mind, that while the spine re-alignment/staple-tuck/uber-press etc do happen, they are very infrequent when compared with the "good" pressing. It's like the news - lots and lots of "good" things happen every day but we don't hear about them, and the few majorly bad things are what get on the news. :)

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

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As I've said in a few other places, I don't believe the covers are shrinking in these instances...but that the interior pages are getting humidified and expanding, as they have no sizing to control fiber expansion. This is an easy thing to reproduce.

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mysterio

mysterio

Posted
Posted
As I've said in a few other places, I don't believe the covers are shrinking in these instances...but that the interior pages are getting humidified and expanding, as they have no sizing to control fiber expansion. This is an easy thing to reproduce.

 

Joey tried to reproduce this and wasn't able to, at least not that I saw reported. Have you reproduced this effect?

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted
As I've said in a few other places, I don't believe the covers are shrinking in these instances...but that the interior pages are getting humidified and expanding, as they have no sizing to control fiber expansion. This is an easy thing to reproduce.

 

Joey tried to reproduce this and wasn't able to, at least not that I saw reported. Have you reproduced this effect?

 

Yup.

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joeypost

joeypost

Posted
Posted
As I've said in a few other places, I don't believe the covers are shrinking in these instances...but that the interior pages are getting humidified and expanding, as they have no sizing to control fiber expansion. This is an easy thing to reproduce.

 

Joey tried to reproduce this and wasn't able to, at least not that I saw reported. Have you reproduced this effect?

 

If it is just a hydration issue this should be easily reproduced by aggressively hydrating the book with or without an associated pressing. Maybe just placing the book in a cold press would do it. I don't overhydrate books, if anything I tend to be ultra careful when hydrating any book.

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mysterio

mysterio

Posted
Posted
As I've said in a few other places, I don't believe the covers are shrinking in these instances...but that the interior pages are getting humidified and expanding, as they have no sizing to control fiber expansion. This is an easy thing to reproduce.

 

Joey tried to reproduce this and wasn't able to, at least not that I saw reported. Have you reproduced this effect?

 

If it is just a hydration issue this should be easily reproduced by aggressively hydrating the book with or without an associated pressing. Maybe just placing the book in a cold press would do it. I don't overhydrate books, if anything I tend to be ultra careful when hydrating any book.

 

I was referring to the experiments you did to try to replicate the Cole Schave books. If I remember correctly a Thor from the correct timeframe was donated for the experiment. Did you only hit that book with high heat, or did you also ultra hydrate then too?

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mysterio

mysterio

Posted
Posted
As I've said in a few other places, I don't believe the covers are shrinking in these instances...but that the interior pages are getting humidified and expanding, as they have no sizing to control fiber expansion. This is an easy thing to reproduce.

 

Joey tried to reproduce this and wasn't able to, at least not that I saw reported. Have you reproduced this effect?

 

Yup.

 

Before and after pics?

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joeypost

joeypost

Posted
Posted
As I've said in a few other places, I don't believe the covers are shrinking in these instances...but that the interior pages are getting humidified and expanding, as they have no sizing to control fiber expansion. This is an easy thing to reproduce.

 

Joey tried to reproduce this and wasn't able to, at least not that I saw reported. Have you reproduced this effect?

 

If it is just a hydration issue this should be easily reproduced by aggressively hydrating the book with or without an associated pressing. Maybe just placing the book in a cold press would do it. I don't overhydrate books, if anything I tend to be ultra careful when hydrating any book.

 

I was referring to the experiments you did to try to replicate the Cole Schave books. If I remember correctly a Thor from the correct timeframe was donated for the experiment. Did you only hit that book with high heat, or did you also ultra hydrate then too?

 

I was aggressive with the hydration...but maybe not enough. I did press using temperatures a lot higher than usual. I will try another book by spraying water (gasp) onto the book and the interior pages.

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