Comic Racks - Restored vs Unrestored 0

[Doktor]

Comic Racks - Restored vs Unrestored

So this is something that's been in the back of my head for the past 24 hours after seeing the thread about the 1940's comic rack someone found at a flea market or antique shop or whatever:

I know that with the comic market, that PLOD is a death knell. But does the same apply to comic racks? Would you pay more or less for a comic rack if it was completely original but rusted & with missing bits or welds broken? or would you prefer a restored unit that has maybe had some wire work fixed or replaced? A weld repaired? Has been sanded down & repainted to give it that "brand new in the pharmacy or grocery store" look?

I'm of the opinion that as long as the unit itself is not a modern reproduction and the plates or signage are original, that any repair or restoration would be ancillary. And the only way I'd care is if the fully-original one that hasn't been repaired or restored was in equally good condition. But I'd absolutely prefer the one that isn't rusted or that presents better. Regardless of how much labor someone put in to fix it up & make it look good. I mean, I wouldn't even want an old rusted one even if it's completely original cause I want to stick my comics on it for display. I'd much prefer the restored shiny clean one for that.

Now the question is, am I in the minority here? Does condition trump originality? Or does the original unit, as long as it's complete-ish or functional, trump condition?

[CAHokie]

1 hour ago, Doktor said:

Comic Racks - Restored vs Unrestored

So this is something that's been in the back of my head for the past 24 hours after seeing the thread about the 1940's comic rack someone found at a flea market or antique shop or whatever:

I know that with the comic market, that PLOD is a death knell. But does the same apply to comic racks? Would you pay more or less for a comic rack if it was completely original but rusted & with missing bits or welds broken? or would you prefer a restored unit that has maybe had some wire work fixed or replaced? A weld repaired? Has been sanded down & repainted to give it that "brand new in the pharmacy or grocery store" look?

I'm of the opinion that as long as the unit itself is not a modern reproduction and the plates or signage are original, that any repair or restoration would be ancillary. And the only way I'd care is if the fully-original one that hasn't been repaired or restored was in equally good condition. But I'd absolutely prefer the one that isn't rusted or that presents better. Regardless of how much labor someone put in to fix it up & make it look good. I mean, I wouldn't even want an old rusted one even if it's completely original cause I want to stick my comics on it for display. I'd much prefer the restored shiny clean one for that.

Now the question is, am I in the minority here? Does condition trump originality? Or does the original unit, as long as it's complete-ish or functional, trump condition?

I imagine a lot of it would have to do with the quality of restoration.  Was it restored by a guy with a can of Rust-Oleum or someone that really knows what they are doing? When I first saw that thread, I immediately though of how awesome a restoration those guys could do that have their own show and used to do things on Pawn Stars with old gas pumps and other metal objects.  That would be worth good money because they go in great detail to replicate original.  

[Patriot6]

1 hour ago, Doktor said:

Comic Racks - Restored vs Unrestored

So this is something that's been in the back of my head for the past 24 hours after seeing the thread about the 1940's comic rack someone found at a flea market or antique shop or whatever:

I know that with the comic market, that PLOD is a death knell. But does the same apply to comic racks? Would you pay more or less for a comic rack if it was completely original but rusted & with missing bits or welds broken? or would you prefer a restored unit that has maybe had some wire work fixed or replaced? A weld repaired? Has been sanded down & repainted to give it that "brand new in the pharmacy or grocery store" look?

I'm of the opinion that as long as the unit itself is not a modern reproduction and the plates or signage are original, that any repair or restoration would be ancillary. And the only way I'd care is if the fully-original one that hasn't been repaired or restored was in equally good condition. But I'd absolutely prefer the one that isn't rusted or that presents better. Regardless of how much labor someone put in to fix it up & make it look good. I mean, I wouldn't even want an old rusted one even if it's completely original cause I want to stick my comics on it for display. I'd much prefer the restored shiny clean one for that.

Now the question is, am I in the minority here? Does condition trump originality? Or does the original unit, as long as it's complete-ish or functional, trump condition?

For me, I would like a newer looking unit and wouldn't even want to put any collectables on an old rusty rack or on my flooring for that matter. For those reasons I believe it would be simpler and cheaper to just buy a repro. and essentially have the same thing minus all the headaches. I guess what I'm getting at is that for this particular item, it being original isn't necessary like it would be say with a collector car. I don't collects comic racks, I collect comics and comic related items and if I had a rack in my space, I would prefer it to look nice. 

[FineCollector]

The same argument goes for comics as anything else: wear and tear tells a story which shouldn't be covered up, but if an item is in such disrepair that it can't be used for its intended purpose anymore, you may as well restore it.

[entalmighty1]

7 minutes ago, Patriot6 said:

For me, I would like a newer looking unit and wouldn't even want to put any collectables on an old rusty rack or on my flooring for that matter. For those reasons I believe it would be simpler and cheaper to just buy a repro. and essentially have the same thing minus all the headaches. I guess what I'm getting at is that for this particular item, it being original isn't necessary like it would be say with a collector car. I don't collects comic racks, I collect comics and comic related items and if I had a rack in my space, I would prefer it to look nice. 

I managed to get an old rack at a flea market for next to nothing ($80), and it's got some rust issues.  I plan on sanding and painting the entire thing, just because I don't want my books in a rusty rack, as others have said.  I don't think I'll hurt the value of the rack at all, even with my amateur restoration efforts.  Now that I think about it, I don't think I'd care if I hurt the value of it.  I love the look of it and think it was a great find.  :shrug:

 

 

[Artboy99]

21 minutes ago, entalmighty1 said:

I managed to get an old rack at a flea market for next to nothing ($80), and it's got some rust issues.  I plan on sanding and painting the entire thing, just because I don't want my books in a rusty rack, as others have said.  I don't think I'll hurt the value of the rack at all, even with my amateur restoration efforts.  Now that I think about it, I don't think I'd care if I hurt the value of it.  I love the look of it and think it was a great find.  :shrug:

 

 

I love this style of rack. It folds up, and displays beautifully.

Here is mine:

 

[Artboy99]

24 minutes ago, FineCollector said:

The same argument goes for comics as anything else: wear and tear tells a story which shouldn't be covered up, but if an item is in such disrepair that it can't be used for its intended purpose anymore, you may as well restore it.

I am in this camp.

As to the rack in question if I owned it, I would look into getting it professionally restored ( depending on cost)

[Quicksilver Signs]

25 minutes ago, entalmighty1 said:

I managed to get an old rack at a flea market for next to nothing ($80), and it's got some rust issues.  I plan on sanding and painting the entire thing, just because I don't want my books in a rusty rack, as others have said.  I don't think I'll hurt the value of the rack at all, even with my amateur restoration efforts.  Now that I think about it, I don't think I'd care if I hurt the value of it.  I love the look of it and think it was a great find.  :shrug:

 

 

I also have one of these. I hang mine on the wall rather than use the A-frame legs  Has rust on the sign but not really concerned about it

[Michelangelo]

could those racks hold CGC slabs?

That would be awesome

[Artboy99]

15 minutes ago, Michelangelo said:

could those racks hold CGC slabs?

That would be awesome

mine does

[comicwiz]

This question is most important if you are valuating a display piece, especially if it's a replacement cost scenario.

A person looking at such a purchase from a practical/functional standpoint won't care if it's been restored, as long as the restoration isn't done poorly, and I guarantee you budget is important to such a buyer.

I don't believe a comparison to classic cars, motorcylces or any "rusty gold" is a fair one because there are buyers for such items even in a state we would all probably think they'd be nuts to want to own. The difference is there is an aesthetic aspect in "rusty gold" ojbects for display that doesn't require it to be accessorized to be functional.  Rust on a tin litho oil or car sign, a rusty old Harley or Indian, or even a rusty Apache truck will carry a market appeal that might not be understood by most, but if you have a rusted comic rack and can't place comics on it for fear of them getting rust transfer marks on the comics or the bags, it's appeal drops to zero.  Seeing an empty comic rack to me is about as sad as knowing someone with immense talent and creativity can no longer practice their art/craft because of onset illness.

As a personal property appraiser, I can tell you there are instances where leaving an item as is can mean the difference between selling it or sitting on it forever. While it does largely depend on the context and the piece in question, there are definitely situations where people will not want something that's been restored, and it's not always the case they are adverse to "restoration", but rather that they wanted their go-to restoration guy do the work.

Edited March 21, 2017 by comicwiz

[Doktor]

44 minutes ago, FineCollector said:

The same argument goes for comics as anything else: wear and tear tells a story which shouldn't be covered up, but if an item is in such disrepair that it can't be used for its intended purpose anymore, you may as well restore it.

I disagree. I think with something like this, getting it looking as close to original condition is far more important than it actually being original. Unless you're adding a significant amount of new bits or unoriginal bits, even if that means some sanding & painting.  (then again, I don't really get the objection that collectors have with married copies of comics as long as the condition isn't affected by uneven staples or uneven wraps where the married pages/cover stick out or don't match up.) But fixing a weld or sanding it down & painting it up nice & clean or polishing up the original plates/signs is not even the tiniest problem.

I also don't see the comic market & the comic rack market as even slightly similar. One is a collectable while the other is essentially a piece of furniture. Vintage furniture, but still furniture.

[Michelangelo]

Consider the same question regarding classic cars from the 50's, 60's or 70's. 

It doesn't hurt the value to drive a restored car. 

I'd rather drive a restored 1968 Ford Mustang than a rust bucket

[Doktor]

3 minutes ago, comicwiz said:

As a personal property appraiser, I can tell you there are instances where leaving an item as is can mean the difference between selling it or sitting on it forever. While it does largely depend on the context and the piece in question, there are definitely situations where people will not want something that's been restored, and it's not so much they are adverse to "restoration", but rather that they wanted their go-to restoration guy do the work.

But what's preventing them from still taking it to their "go-to restoration guy" even if it's already been restored?

Now that I think about it though, I think some degree of similarities to the vintage furniture market might be at play here. Certainly a pristine unrestored piece carries probably more value than a restored piece, but would a superior presenting piece of restored vintage furniture be more sought after? IMO, yes. But that might be a personal bias of caring far more about presentation & condition than originality.

[comicwiz]

2 minutes ago, Doktor said:

But what's preventing them from still taking it to their "go-to restoration guy" even if it's already been restored?

Now that I think about it though, I think some degree of similarities to the vintage furniture market might be at play here. Certainly a pristine unrestored piece carries probably more value than a restored piece, but would a superior presenting piece of restored vintage furniture be more sought after? IMO, yes. But that might be a personal bias of caring far more about presentation & condition than originality.

There are certain restorative techniques that you can no longer perform to retain the original patination once it's been painted.

[comicwiz]

35 minutes ago, Michelangelo said:

could those racks hold CGC slabs?

That would be awesome

I have both those A-frame racks shown here. I haven't tried putting slabs in them, and the pocket openings could probably be bent to accomodate, but my thought is it would depend on the period of rack. My Dell spinner rack takes slabs no problem, but it's a GA rack, whereas most of the A-frame racks like the ones seen above are from the late 60's - mid to late 70's.

Edited March 21, 2017 by comicwiz

[Doktor]

2 minutes ago, comicwiz said:

There are certain restorative techniques that you can no longer perform to retain the original patination once it's been painted.

Fair enough. I'll take your word for it, but I wouldn't see how the option of going back to bare metal isn't available anymore. It's not like it didn't start as bare metal & had some different finish applied or treatment done to the generate a finish. It's probably fairly rare that that isn't still an option for something like a comic rack. It's nothing but bent-to-shape metal wire, welds & a finish of some sort with some signage folded onto it. Going back to bare metal would seem to still be an option if refinishing with some special technique is necessary.

[Michelangelo]

If one were to want to buy a comic rack, what would a target price be? (assuming it's not restored and has expected signs of wear and aging)
What's considered too much? I've seen a couple 60's racks go on eBay for around $250 

Edited March 21, 2017 by Michelangelo

[Doktor]

11 minutes ago, Michelangelo said:

If one were to want to buy a comic rack, what would a target price be? (assuming it's not restored and has expected signs of wear and aging)
What's considered too much? I've seen a couple 60's racks go on eBay for around $250 

Really depends on where you go. I got mine for a steal. Picked it up for less than $50 on LetGo or one of those apps. The base needed sanding & re-painting because it was a little beat up, but it was complete. A washing took care of the grime on the rest of it. But normally? I'd say you'd probably be looking in the $200-400 range.

[Michelangelo]

Thanks. This one was advertised as a wall mount, which I think is really awesome.

By removing the stand and adding the hose clamps, it's another way to display the books.

Edited March 21, 2017 by Michelangelo