Why is a Blue label better than a Purple?

[Mr. Zipper]

I will agree that the Purple Label has a stigma.

 

The problem is there is no difference between RESTORATION and CONSERVATION...

 

True. But even further, it's troublesome that books with the slightest amount of work (pinhead sized color touches) are put under the same umbrella as books that have large portions of the cover recreated, etc.

 

Ironically, the same people that argue that the Purple Label plays no role in stigmatizing, are the same people that think ALL restored books are "Frankenbooks" and wouldn't touch ANY restored book with a 10 foot pole. Would they feel so strongly against resto if the same book was in a blue label with a note that said "Tiny dot of color touch" or "1/4 inch tear seal?" I doubt it.

 

So much for NOT stigmatizing...

[awe4one]

Ironically, the same people that argue that the Purple Label plays no role in stigmatizing, are the same people that think ALL restored books are "Frankenbooks" and wouldn't touch ANY restored book with a 10 foot pole.

 

Come-on now...if your argument for the elimination of purple labels has devolved into making statements like this then you really have a weak foundation to stand on...

 

Jim

[action1kid]

True,but a book with just a pinhead of color touch should not be priced in the class of a totally unrestored book either.....

 

there are an enormous amount of golden age comics that are restored[especially keys..and that is the reason for the elimination of the plod. even the heralded mile high collections top 10 books,5 of the top ten have resto...allstar 3...adv40...bat1......supes1...cap1.....the all star 3,supes1, are already in blue holders..

[uclapeterg]

I think the market dictates the selling price.

 

For example, I can almost guarantee that a SP notation will sell for a whole lot more than EA (extensive amateur) although I don't have figures to back me up.

[jbud73]

I will agree that the Purple Label has a stigma.

 

The problem is there is no difference between RESTORATION and CONSERVATION. CGC does a nice job of spelling out what has been done to the book, but should a book with a TEAR SEAL really be lumped in with a book that has a small color touch and pieces replaces (and maybe even minor trimming). Yes, I haver seen that amount of restoration get a Slight Professional Restoration notation.

 

Say both books are Restored CGC 9.0.

 

Without the tear seal the first book might STILL have been a CGC 9.0 while the second book could easily be only a CGC 7.0.

 

Yet they both get PURPLE LABELS and SLIGHT PROFESSIONAL RESTORATION and have a stigma attached to them.

 

Which is exactly why I would like to see a scale for scoring restoration introduced and further a dual designation of the ACTUAL (pre-resto opinion on grade) and the APPARENT post-Resto opinion.

[SignatureSelect]

I have a question if they are doing this blue label for restored books. Could they make a signature series label that is simular Have it still be yellow but just Have a restoration rank aswell. so restored books that get signed for the signature series program don't get nailed with a restored label and no authentication for the autograph. That seems like a double whammy to me. So if CGC would do something simular to the new blue label idea for yellow labels aswell so restored books still get a signature series note along with a restoration note I would consider supporting this new trend otherwise I say it is the worst idea in the history of comics. Infact I say change all the PLOD's to GLOD's with restoration notes that would make more sense that making them blue.

[Aman619]

I wouldnt agree that it was created to become a scarlet letter. It just BECAME one to many people. But its a solid majority of us that see purple and steer clear. One of CGCs main missions was to separate the unrestored book sfrom the restored ones. The purple label is fully consistent with that mission, is it not?

 

Who says that was the mission? It was never their mission to convince people to steer clear of restored books. It was their mission to certify books, grade books, detect and note restoration found on books, and then seal them forever away in Barex.

 

I got that idea from your statement:

My opposition to the PLOD is that it was a stupid idea from the beginning to create a scarlet letter for restored books

 

'''...a stupid idea to create a scarlet letter..." I read that as you saying there was intent to stigmatize, as in a mission (your word). Wasnt the intent of the original 'Scarlet Letter' to cause shunning???

 

No, the idea was to make restored books easy to differentiate from unrestored books. There is more than one way to skin a cat, as the saying goes, so it isn't like they HAD to use the purple label. They chose to, and now we've seen what are apparently unintended consequences where it appears that CGC is making value judgments about the desirability of books by not just noting restoration on the label in a conspicuous manner, but also by using a different color label. Whether you agree or not that the purple label causes additional stigma beyond the mere presence of restoration, it is indisputable that a significant part of the market does agree. CGC's plan to use one color label and just make the restoration disclosure larger and more visible is a good step toward making sure that any stigma on these books is the result of the restoration and not because of the label.

 

while i hear what you are saying, it just sounds like Chicken and egg - - - what came first? the stigma, or the label, or the stigma of the label...

 

but it sounds like Steve is leaning your way... we'll just have to see.

[uclapeterg]

I agree. Is there really proof that customers aren't willing to pay for restored books strictly because there is a purple label or because they don't like restored books? And I agree with JC when he says that since CGC has caused an explosion in the values of HG books, but that hasn't happened for restored books. Maybe restored books were overvalued to begin with?

[joe_collector]

And I agree with JC when he says that since CGC has caused an explosion in the values of HG books, but that hasn't happened for restored books. Maybe restored books were overvalued to begin with?

 

Nope. In both the coin and sportscard areas, restored items are viewed with disdain by the SPECULATOR community (i.e. the ones driving the insane price spikes) and this has nothing to do with label colors. Prior to a slabbed invastion, restored collectibles are not over- or under-valued, they just are.

 

Specs want "investment quality" copies, which naturally must be both pristine and unrestored. Putting a blue label on a restored comic will just make the specs confused and even more nervous at who the heII is running CGC.

[Aman619]

JC, youre doing fine on this purple v blue thing. Dont blow it bringing in the "speculators" angle as usual and going off the deep end.

[FFB]

JC, youre doing fine on this purple v blue thing. Dont blow it bringing in the "speculators" angle as usual and going off the deep end.

 

Are you kidding? He's been off the deep end since he got here.

[uclapeterg]

JC, youre doing fine on this purple v blue thing. Dont blow it bringing in the "speculators" angle as usual and going off the deep end.

 

Are you kidding? He's been off the deep end since he got here.

 

Is there anyone here who hasn't gone off the deep end? Please point him/her out to me.

[FFB]

JC, youre doing fine on this purple v blue thing. Dont blow it bringing in the "speculators" angle as usual and going off the deep end.

 

Are you kidding? He's been off the deep end since he got here.

 

Is there anyone here who hasn't gone off the deep end? Please point him/her out to me.

 

Me. I am at all times a paragon of good sense and even-temperedness.

[sterlingcomics]

no. CGC made the decision to use diferent colors because many collectors (most?) want no part of restored books. I dont see why they need to change now. Blue means unrestored. Purple means restored. Its not hard and doesnt need to be 'fixed' for clarity. Its clear as a bell.

 

Clarity in the Chaos. It's not complicated. At all.

[awe4one]

Ah...another poll to be manipulated...

 

Jim

[joe_collector]

JC, youre doing fine on this purple v blue thing. Dont blow it bringing in the "speculators" angle as usual and going off the deep end.

 

 

I believe that speculators are responsible for at least some of the price spikes we've seen since CGC started up, and I think you'd be pretty naive to believe otherwise. And that speculators gravitate to the very best, unrestored, pristine copies is common knowledge.

 

Do you really disagree with this?

[VintageComics]

 

COPYCAT!!

 

 

[action1kid]

IT dosnt take Enstein to figure that people who only collect unrestored are going to want the plod to stay and people who collect restored are going to want the plod to go....so there are interests that will clearly affect objectivity....

[joe_collector]

IT dosnt take Enstein to figure that people who only collect unrestored are going to want the plod to stay and people who collect restored are going to want the plod to go....

 

Actually, I'd say it's the people who SELL (or currently own raw with the intention to sell CGC'd in the future) that are screaming at CGC to get rid of the PLOD.

 

IOW, big dealers.

[Sal]

if you can get data that shows that Restored prices have held steady through the inception of CGC, only looking stigmatised comparitive to the insane multiples of guide garnered by HG blue slabs, i think you would really be able to eliminate a large percentage of the "Pro-all blue slabs" contingent's argument