Detroit Trolley Collection

[nearmint]

The other thing is that....what sense does it make to go into great detail about exactly what your security measures are? Leave them guessing, I say.

 

Maybe he's actually doing squat! But potential restorers wouldn't be sure. Might be enough to slow 'em down anyway.

 

You might be right. But I won't buy without knowing what his security measures are. I won't take the chance that there might be repercussions if I send the book to CGC.

[Ze-man]

But potential restorers wouldn't be sure. Might be enough to slow 'em down anyway.

 

 

 

Yeah.. True... But potential customers might also stay away. If they are not privy to what was exactly done to the books to Safeguard them.

[Red Hook]

Well, hopefully Marnin will say something about what hasn't been done to them....like marking them. I would find it suprising if a dealer like Marnin who has taken a purist's stance on the evils of pressing would turn around and place a mark on a book in any way, visible or invisible.

[drbanner]

But potential restorers wouldn't be sure. Might be enough to slow 'em down anyway.

 

Yeah.. True... But potential customers might also stay away. If they are not privy to what was exactly done to the books to Safeguard them.

 

I know I won't buy any without knowing what "safeguards" are in place! And if he's not telling potential customer what the safeguards are, what's the point?

 

Chances are I won't buy any of them anyway b/c with the prices he puts on raw books...although my Spidey 5 did come from him many moons ago.

[Ze-man]

This line in his statement is what reads wrong to me..

to protect the integrity of these books from ever being compromised by various undisclosed methods

 

 

To me that sounds like he is saying it will not be possible to alter the books.

 

 

 

Should'nt it read like this?

 

While the inegrity of the books COULD still be compromised.. at least it will be easier to discern what was done to them down the road.

 

 

That is if I understand his original intent.. which I do not.. so why am I even still talking?

 

 

Ze-

 

 

Or perhaps he will just make the buyer sign a form stating he will not restore/press the books.And if he resells the books he must first inform Marnin he is relisting it.

And if they do not sign... then NO SOUP FOR YOU..!

 

[DiceX]

Well, hopefully Marnin will say something about what hasn't been done to them....like marking them. I would find it suprising if a dealer like Marnin who has taken a purist's stance on the evils of pressing would turn around and place a mark on a book in any way, visible or invisible.

 

Why am I getting a mental image of Jim Jones?

[awe4one]

Maybe there's a way to determine pressing if you have before and after high def pics of the paper fibers?

 

Jim

[nearmint]

Well, hopefully Marnin will say something about what hasn't been done to them....like marking them. I would find it suprising if a dealer like Marnin who has taken a purist's stance on the evils of pressing would turn around and place a mark on a book in any way, visible or invisible.

 

What concerns me about his quote is that he leads us to believe that he's implemented some impenitrable safeguard against undisclosed pressing. Simply scanning the books, and I assume making those scans available on his site for all time, wouldn't accomplish that goal. What about buyers down the road who aren't aware of his site, or that the book they're buying is even from the Detroit collection? How does it help any of us if we're buying the book at a con, where we can't make a comparison to the books on his site, rather than buying it on an online auction?

 

Scans alone will not "protect the integrity" of these books. That's why it becomes easy to theorize about other possible safeguards.

[OldGuy]

I'll email him and ask him.

 

What?! And bring actual facts into this discussion? Freak.

[awe4one]

Scans alone will not "protect the integrity" of these books. That's why it becomes easy to theorize about other possible safeguards.

 

First off let me say I don't have a clue what safeguards Marnin is talking about...and since others are speculating...

 

Why can't there be a definitive "survey" of a comic? How far the staples are down the spine, a meticulous registering of defects, high rez scans, color/gloss/paper comparisons, etc...

 

With regards to GA comics, the limited amount of copies out there and those existing in nicer condition should allow for collectors to narrow down a comic's movement and, possibly, detect unnatural changes...

 

Jim

[nearmint]

I'll email him and ask him.

 

What?! And bring actual facts into this discussion? Freak.

 

I hope he responds, and in a constructive way. His emails are often...colorful.

[DiceX]

I'll add a few ideas...

 

1) He's putting some sort of GPA tracking chip on the books.

 

2) He's using "The Club".

 

3) He's applying a fine coating of plastic explosives to the book. When it's pressed, it will explode, killing the person responsible.

 

4) He's finally lost his friggin mind, and has nothing better to do.

 

[Jokerman]

When you click on the "PRESS FREE ZONE" logo that shows up when you're looking at a book that qualifies, this pops up...

 

 

"This new PRESS FREE logo ensures that ComicCollectors.net / CollectorsAssemble.com is firmly aware of the lineage of this specific comic book, and that it has NEVER been altered, compromised, nor recreated to a higher grade through the process of Undisclosed PRESSING RESTORATION."

 

 

No mention of Magic Markers or embedded micro-chips, just ComicCollectors.net word....

 

 

Joker..

[nearmint]

Here's my prediction. Although his statement suggests something new and mind-blowingly inventive, he's probably just keeping hi-res scans on file.

 

Awaiting his response to my email.

[nearmint]

When you click on the "PRESS FREE ZONE" logo that shows up when you're looking at a book that qualifies, this pops up...

 

 

"This new PRESS FREE logo ensures that ComicCollectors.net / CollectorsAssemble.com is firmly aware of the lineage of this specific comic book, and that it has NEVER been altered, compromised, nor recreated to a higher grade through the process of Undisclosed PRESSING RESTORATION."

 

 

No mention of Magic Markers or embedded micro-chips, just ComicCollectors.net word....

 

 

Joker..

 

Kinda makes you wonder about all those books on his site that DON'T have the Press Free Zone logo.

[DiceX]

When you click on the "PRESS FREE ZONE" logo that shows up when you're looking at a book that qualifies, this pops up...

 

 

"This new PRESS FREE logo ensures that ComicCollectors.net / CollectorsAssemble.com is firmly aware of the lineage of this specific comic book, and that it has NEVER been altered, compromised, nor recreated to a higher grade through the process of Undisclosed PRESSING RESTORATION."

 

 

No mention of Magic Markers or embedded micro-chips, just ComicCollectors.net word....

 

 

Joker..

 

That's a bold statement.

I sure hope it never bites him in the [#@$%!!!].

[Darthdiesel]

2) He's using "The Club".

 

when I lived up in NYC, I had one, used one and every car on my block as well had some similar anti-theft device, immobilizing the steering wheel. And I drove a crahpy Chevy Spectrum then. down here in VA, no one's got one much less heard of one. I have it in my car more for use as a billy club for motorists in a state of road rage

 

4) He's finally lost his friggin mind, and has nothing better to do.

 

[Ze-man]

From what I read.. he is only putting the PFZ label on books from his own personal collection, or if he can verify the books lineage?.. am I right on that point?

 

Which to me still leaves a HUGE grey area... did he buy all those books off the rack?

Do the people really know for sure the history of the book before they bought it?

 

Kinda hard to imagine all that many books really being able to be stamped with the PFZ icon with 100% certainty

 

Ze-

[FFB]

Here's my prediction. Although his statement suggests something new and mind-blowingly inventive, he's probably just keeping hi-res scans on file.

 

Awaiting his response to my email.

 

That'd be pointless, since a lot of the surface indentations and thumb dents that disappear from a press job aren't visible in a scan anyway. It's like taking picture of your living room to prove that no one has ever farted in there.

[Sal]

bah.

 

obviously, the statement in question was merely nothing more than marketing pablum, with nothing behind it other than that which the reader puts in to it.

 

adding anything to the book to detect future resto is alteration. any slabbing of the book to ensure non-violation of the book's chastity is anathema to the raw collector. any scanning of the book, along with meticulous measurements and notes becomes useless the second the book is sold to a person who doesn't know either where said info is located or possessing the means to get to it.

 

this is a lot of circular discussion, which is great, but until the guy says anything to the contrary, i'm thinking this is all just hype machine at work