Are Restored Books Really Such a Bad Thing??

[The-Collector]

There's nothing wrong with them, but I'm sure you can understand the increased demand for an unrestored example over a restored one of the same grade.

 

+1 They will never be the same price but maybe the current discount is a bit too steep.

[Azkaban]

Some minimal resto doesn't bother me at all, depends on what it is. I don't like any trimming at all.

[Gotham Kid]

Restored books suck. No collection should have any. If your hoard is infected, send them to me. I dispose of them properly

 

[DougC]

I don't mind restored books but I also disagree with how CGC defines it sometimes. I have a hulk #5 in a purple label because at some point in history a green felt marker bled on the white area. There is no restoration aspect to this but because a green ink mark is on the cover it now has "color touch" amateur restoration.

[Hammerhead]

I don't mind restored books but I also disagree with how CGC defines it sometimes. I have a hulk #5 in a purple label because at some point in history a green felt marker bled on the white area. There is no restoration aspect to this but because a green ink mark is on the cover it now has "color touch" amateur restoration.

 

It is not even over a green area?? Do you have a scan/pic? I would disagree with this too if that is the case. It would be no different then having a date or name written in.

 

So to make sure I understand you correctly, there is green ink on a white area only? That is not restoration that is a comic with writing on it.

 

[chrisco37]

I don't mind restored books but I also disagree with how CGC defines it sometimes. I have a hulk #5 in a purple label because at some point in history a green felt marker bled on the white area. There is no restoration aspect to this but because a green ink mark is on the cover it now has "color touch" amateur restoration.

 

It is not even over a green area?? Do you have a scan/pic? I would disagree with this too if that is the case. It would be no different then having a date or name written in.

 

So to make sure I understand you correctly, there is green ink on a white area only? That is not restoration that is a comic with writing on it.

 

Someone was trying to sneak an additional Hulk on to the cover.

[DougC]

It is not even over a green area?? Do you have a scan/pic? I would disagree with this too if that is the case. It would be no different then having a date or name written in.

 

So to make sure I understand you correctly, there is green ink on a white area only? That is not restoration that is a comic with writing on it.

 

I had to dig it out again and the picture is huge so use caution:

 

 

 

 

The green in the word bubble bleeds through. Label reads "Restoration includes: small amount of color touch on cover. (Tape on interior cover)"

 

This is an extreme low grade copy with no other color touch on cover vice the green. I called in 4+ years ago to see if CT was missed in another part of the book (it was not). IIRC the reasoning was that it affected the presentation and could cover a defect; the green does cross over into the edge of the word bubble and meets the black, though it does not cover up or help restore anything. I have argued this before a couple times and finally let it go (maybe not ), for what I have in the book I will have no problem with RoI if I ever sell it.

[Dano]

I'll never knowingly buy a trimmed book.

 

Dan

[comicjack]

Trim bothers me but the rest is just part of making the past survive.

[shadroch]

I prefer color touch to trim, but in the end its about obtaining books at crazy discounts .I've seen the gap close quite a bit lately. books that went for 20% of guide are now hitting 65-70%. Some of my best flips have been restored books. Certain audiences hate them, others don't mind them.

[David-Lance Roten]

I don't mind restoration on big keys,like Detective 27,Action 1 and such. I just don't know about common books like DS 169.

 

But with that said I wouldn't dismiss anyone's desires to collect what they wish.

 

 

Agreed

[the blob]

some of it is overreacting. i sold a DD 1 that apparently had a tiny tear seal on the back that i did not see (and must have been done pre-1995 as that is when i got the book), the buyer did not see and our resident presss-ologist here (not that he was paid to look for one, but if it was obvious i'd think he would spot it) did not see. it came back a 3.5 from CGC, purple. of course, had the tiny tear NOT been sealed and allowed to be a tear it would have come back a 3.5 blue from CGC or if there was an equivalent amount of shmutz on the back cover somewhere it also would have been a 3.5 blue.

 

so, i think it is a bit hysterical and silly that the 3.5 PLOD in that instance should be "worth" half as much or whatever as a 3.5 blue when the "resto" had absolutely no impact on the grade, was minimal, did not involve chopping off part of the book, etc.

[MatterEaterLad]

some of it is overreacting. i sold a DD 1 that apparently had a tiny tear seal on the back that i did not see (and must have been done pre-1995 as that is when i got the book), the buyer did not see and our resident presss-ologist here (not that he was paid to look for one, but if it was obvious i'd think he would spot it) did not see. it came back a 3.5 from CGC, purple. of course, had the tiny tear NOT been sealed and allowed to be a tear it would have come back a 3.5 blue from CGC or if there was an equivalent amount of shmutz on the back cover somewhere it also would have been a 3.5 blue.

 

so, i think it is a bit hysterical and silly that the 3.5 PLOD in that instance should be "worth" half as much or whatever as a 3.5 blue when the "resto" had absolutely no impact on the grade, was minimal, did not involve chopping off part of the book, etc.

 

The value disparity between Blue and PLOD is wonky.

 

I have an AF 15 with a divot on the bottom back cover. It basically looks like someone took an Xacto and trimmed a 1/2" crescent. It's PLOD, but if I let rats chew that much of the cover it'd be Blue.

 

The buyer will ultimately decide the value, but the PLOD is such a turn-off for some that it limits the pool of interested collectors.

[MatterEaterLad]

On the flip-side, I've bought several keys with minor color-touch, had it removed, and resubbed for Blue. Sometimes it's a great way to get a bargain.

[nearmint]

Does anyone know how CGC would grade a pintouch of CT covered over with silver sharpie?

 

If the color touch has bleed through, I doubt covering it with a silver sharpie would help.

[BarryAllen]

[comix4fun]

 

 

It's good that you're pacing yourself. No rush.

[bluechip]

I wish someone would ask GCG about this-if covering small dots of CT with silver sharpie would get universal this could really help a lot of people-it's so unfair such a small dot drops value so dramatically

CGC doesn't set prices, the market does.

 

If CGC wrote "this book sucks because some creep did color touch on it" you could still say that CGC doesn't set the market. But it wouldn't change the fact that such a label aims to set buyer opinions on the book. And buyer opinions impact the market.

 

While CGC doesn't say "this book sucks" they do say that books they put in purple labels are to be considered less valuable (read the back of the label)

 

And they do say that they determine which books are called restored based on their perception of the intent behind, say, a dot of color touch (a dropped market on supe's face -- blue label; a dot of black marker carefully placed against a black field -- blue label).

 

Now, whether CGC thought it would get this much out of hand (or, more likely that they thought it would stay this out of hand) I cannot say.

 

But the price disparity is not simply a case of uncontrollable and unforeseen market forces. CGC itself acknowledged that and has tried to address it with the conserved label.

 

[bluechip]

On the flip-side, I've bought several keys with minor color-touch, had it removed, and resubbed for Blue. Sometimes it's a great way to get a bargain.

 

It's a bargain that depends on a novice having incomplete information Suppose it was some little old lady whose son touched up the book in 1962 and now she's selling it to buy her heart medicine. But she doesn't have the information that a sly dealer has that the value destroying dot of black can easily be removed. She is led to believe it's irretrievably devalued. Hardly seems like the purple label protected her. Instead, it was a device that got used against her.

 

 

[kav]

Does anyone know why they considered green marker on white CT?