So what exactly is the problem with cleaning or restoring a comic? 1 1

[LowGradeBronze]

I feel this thread is not complete without the botched restoration of the Ecce H O M O (won't let me use that word,) fresco, sometimes referred to as the hedgehog Jesus:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23683976

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by LowGradeBronze

[Mokiguy]

Apparently some of you misunderstood what I said. I thought I was clear. There is discussion about bad restorations, and I said cleaning or restorations that can't even be detected by the average person. So bad restorations is not at all what I wanted to discuss.

Also it was said by some that an un restored car is worth more than a restored car. That really is a matter of debate, since it's just about impossible to find a 60 year old un restored car in factory or showroom condition. You might be able to find a pretty nice 57 chevy, but never as nice as a perfectly restored 57 chevy. So if you were to use the same sort of scale on a car as on comics, your near perfect 57 chevy unrestored would be a 7.5 to 8.5 and your restored 57 would come in at a 9.8. I get it that having a untouched 7.5 comic over a restored 7.5 comic might be what you want. But if you could have a 9.8 that was restored so well that you couldn't tell, why does it matter? That was the point.

In coins I have seen some that you could examine a hundred ways to Sunday, and never see a cleaning that a TPG says is there. So the value is reduced because they said it was cleaned on the label. That's my point. If it takes forensics to see a defect, then why does it matter.

[Lazyboy]

On 6/9/2023 at 8:41 AM, Mokiguy said:

I've never quite understood the problem that TPG's and many collectors have with a nice looking comic.

What's the "problem" that TPGs have? Isn't it their job to identify the comic book and what it's been through (damage or repair)?

[rumrunner71]

On 6/9/2023 at 2:22 PM, Mokiguy said:

Apparently some of you misunderstood what I said. I thought I was clear. There is discussion about bad restorations, and I said cleaning or restorations that can't even be detected by the average person. So bad restorations is not at all what I wanted to discuss.

Also it was said by some that an un restored car is worth more than a restored car. That really is a matter of debate, since it's just about impossible to find a 60 year old un restored car in factory or showroom condition. You might be able to find a pretty nice 57 chevy, but never as nice as a perfectly restored 57 chevy. So if you were to use the same sort of scale on a car as on comics, your near perfect 57 chevy unrestored would be a 7.5 to 8.5 and your restored 57 would come in at a 9.8. I get it that having a untouched 7.5 comic over a restored 7.5 comic might be what you want. But if you could have a 9.8 that was restored so well that you couldn't tell, why does it matter? That was the point.

In coins I have seen some that you could examine a hundred ways to Sunday, and never see a cleaning that a TPG says is there. So the value is reduced because they said it was cleaned on the label. That's my point. If it takes forensics to see a defect, then why does it matter.

I feel like you got some good answers here: the impact of mass production in driving demand for originals, the perfection of "imperfections," the stigma of the PLOD, the sense that repairs are not original, etc. There were also some who said resto doesn't impact their decisions that much. I'm not sure that everyone misunderstood you. You got some solid responses. What else are you hoping to hear?

Edited June 10, 2023 by rumrunner71

[Gaard]

I was one of those kids way back when) who took markers to those ugly spine bends to make my comics look better. Still have some of them. Do I care that they aren't worth as much as those that I didn't take a marker to? Nope.

It's not always about money.

[MikeTheSpike]

I think there's a huge difference between "cleaned" and "restored" so you can't just lump them in together. I don't think anyone would object to cleaning with a pad to remove surface dirt. That's a far cry from, say, reconstructing a corner.

Edited June 10, 2023 by MikeTheSpike