My pressing experiment

[Timulty]

Cowering in fear. Plus, I think he is Italian. That's supposed to be Mussolini you Big Girly Carlislian Git. I guess, a college education these days, isn't all that hot.

[tth2]

Personally, a VF/NM copy that is 100% in its original unadulterated state is worth more to me than a slabbed 9.0 book with a blue label with comments like: slight amount (whatever that means) of glue and color touch.

I don't think any collector would disagree with you on the above statement, even FFB. All things equal, collectors would prefer the "purer" book. The more difficult question is would you prefer a VF/NM 100% unadulterated book over a 9.2 or 9.4 blue label book with comments?

 

If Overstreet and CGC ever reconcile, I agree that we’ll at least have one consolidated opinion, but if they end up agreeing that a VF/NM can have (for instance) a different book’s staples in it, be color touched, pressed, and have glue on it, I for one will feel like I’m not getting the advertised item or that for which I am paying.

Isn't that why CGC notes things like color touch or glue on blue label books, so that you WILL know what you're getting? I think for staple replacement they seem to be tougher than Overstreet, as they PLOD replaced staples. Pressing, of course, is another issue entirely and one that has been beaten to death on these boards but which has not swayed CGC's opinion in the least.

[LearnedHand]

The more difficult question is would you prefer a VF/NM 100% unadulterated book over a 9.2 or 9.4 blue label book with comments?

 

No question - I would prefer the untouched VF/NM. The higher grade blue label book with CT and glue means I will be paying significantly more for something less. If you can tell me that the color touch can be removed from the 9.2 and that I will be left with a book that is better than the untouched VF/NM (meaning it would still be a 9.2), then I would consider the 9.2 with color touch. Otherwise, I’d be throwing money away.

 

Isn't that why CGC notes things like color touch or glue on blue label books, so that you WILL know what you're getting?

 

Sort of. I would say consider the following and tell me if you still feel the same: The label will point out that the book has color touch and glue, that's true. Blue label, however, connotes "unrestored." Thus, if I buy blue label, it’s clear that I’ll be paying unrestored prices – no dealer would dream of selling a blue label for anything less. And keep in mind that the unrestored price on a book with glue and CT is for the grade with the glue and CT (meaning a 9.2 might be a 9.0 without the enhancements). So the question really is - are you okay with paying a premium (over what you would pay for the same book before CT and glue) for the blue label with CT and glue noted?

 

I sort of see the blue label with notes about CT and glue as marketing – a way to help promote high prices on questionable books (plus, it helps promote the fiction of a larger population of untouched books in high grade). I haven’t done the research, but is there any distinction in prices realized for blue labels with CT and glue versus blue labels with no CT or glue?

 

Finally - I keep seeing this in posts...what the does "PLOD" mean?

 

LH

[tth2]

Isn't that why CGC notes things like color touch or glue on blue label books, so that you WILL know what you're getting?

 

Sort of. I would say consider the following and tell me if you still feel the same: The label will point out that the book has color touch and glue, that's true. Blue label, however, connotes "unrestored." Thus, if I buy blue label, it’s clear that I’ll be paying unrestored prices – no dealer would dream of selling a blue label for anything less. And keep in mind that the unrestored price on a book with glue and CT is for the grade with the glue and CT (meaning a 9.2 might be a 9.0 without the enhancements). So the question really is - are you okay with paying a premium (over what you would pay for the same book before CT and glue) for the blue label with CT and glue noted?

 

I sort of see the blue label with notes about CT and glue as marketing – a way to help promote high prices on questionable books (plus, it helps promote the fiction of a larger population of untouched books in high grade). I haven’t done the research, but is there any distinction in prices realized for blue labels with CT and glue versus blue labels with no CT or glue?

 

Finally - I keep seeing this in posts...what the does "PLOD" mean?

 

LH

PLOD means "Purple Label of Doom/Death", i.e., a book identified by CGC as restored.

 

Has anyone ever researched whether blue label books with tiny glue/color touch noted on the label have in fact realized the same prices as comparable grade "clean" blue label books?

[OldGuy]

 

 

What is that Nazi doing under the desk

 

He sure do got a purty mouth.