Would you buy a ratty unrestored 2.0 vs a nicely restored 6.5? I don't get it? 2 2

[Mokiguy]

I guess I'm just a simple man with simple pleasures, and before I go on with my spiel, I should say that of the nearly 500 silver age DC's I now own, none are graded, and I like it that way. But with that being said, here is my thought process that brought on this post from me this morning.

I have a difficult time understanding why somebody would rather have say a 2.0 ratty but original book over a 6 or 7 restored if the restoration is so good that only an expert would ever notice? I get it that most folks wouldn't want to see amateur restoration on their comic that's noticeable to anyone, but if done in such a professional manner that in all respects it looks UN-restored or even UN-conserved, then why not?  I realize that it must be a real bummer sending in a book to CGC and then getting back the dreaded "PURPLE LABEL OF DEATH" ....... eek!!!!! So if you sent it in and it took an expert eye with whatever forensics they employ to determine that it has been restored, why should that matter enough for them to give it the death label.

I've been watching YouTube videos on comic restoration/conservation, and it seems to be a game being played where the restorer/con-server tries to do a good enough job on whatever they are doing to the book that it gets past the graders. So what does that mean? Well to me it seems to say that there are some graded books that people own that have been restored or conserved and it was good enough to fool the graders, and it was good enough to fool you, after all you own it and are none the wiser and only the original con-server/restorer knows. Like that old commercial from the 60's for Clairol hair color that asked, "does she or doesn't she, only her hair dresser knows for sure" And that gets me back to my original thought about buying a nice conserved/restored vs a known original but low grade.

Perhaps it's money that's the culprit. I imagine that if you are buying books as an investment and intend to have them professionally graded, and are then surprised by that purple label, it very well could matter. Maybe because I collect for the pure enjoyment and financial gain from the books I like to buy has little to do with my fun little hobby. I have no intention of ever getting any of mine graded .................... and perhaps that's why I don't completely understand.

[MAR1979]

There are no wrong ways or right ways to collect!  Although collecting methods can easily affect fiscal success. 

Edited November 4, 2023 by MAR1979

[MattTheDuck]

Like you, I'm a raw book collector.  I have a few dozen slabs of key books or books important to me or whatever but I've never had a book slabbed and might never do so. 

I realize this isn't really what you're asking, but I would choose "neither" between a ratty 2.0 and a professionally restored 6.5.  I don't buy restored books in any case, but with so many nice unrestored copies available of almost any Silver Age book you'd care to name, why would I?  If restored books are your jam, more power to you.

[shadroch]

Different strokes for different folks.  I'm thankful my collecting taste are not everyone's—less competition.

[Artboy99]

Then there are those who buy the restored book and further destroy it to chase a blue label number to "realize the full potential of the book".

 

Edited November 4, 2023 by Artboy99

[marvelmaniac]

I only collect raw books and out of my 2000 book collection I have 342 books that I have graded between PR 0.5 and GD- 1.8, I also have 10 remainder copies and 1 coverless book (Sad Sack Comics 1 - 1949)

I collected on a budget and I am a completist, so finishing runs to my cutoff point for that title was my goal, so if the two books mentioned were my choices, whichever book is less money is the way I would go.

I had no problem buying this TTA 35 about 20 years ago that is obviously restored.

 

 

[Grendel72]

On 11/4/2023 at 11:17 PM, Mokiguy said:

Perhaps it's money that's the culprit. I imagine that if you are buying books as an investment...Maybe because I collect for the pure enjoyment and financial gain from the books I like to buy has little to do with my fun little hobby.

You answered your own question for the large part. It's nice to know that what you own is valuable. How much that matters varies person to person.

[fast eddie]

Hmmmmm....... for higher value books I have no problem with well-done restoration,,, that being said,, I avoid trimmed books completely. I collect for the enjoyment,,,,,and after 40 years,,,I still love the hobby,,,although the rising values have put a damper on my journey,,,, I'm quite happy with my collection,,,even if my family don't quite understand it. I suppose "understanding" is secondary to "appreciating" when it comes to yours ,,,,,or my collecting hobby. 

[Yorick]

On 11/4/2023 at 8:48 AM, Artboy99 said:

Then there are those who buy the restored book and further destroy it to chase a blue label number to "realize the full potential of the book".

 

restored + restored = unrestored.

[Dr. Balls]

I love restored books! At least, Golden Age ones. I don't think I'd mess with restored Silver Age unless it was a big time key issue. If a 2.0 blue label was the same price as a 4.0 purple label, and the 4.0 looked nicer, I'd buy it. For the most part, I buy the book, not the label - what looks the nicest on my wall for my price point is my goal.

However, sometimes you don't have a choice. I have some hammered low grade books that just don't turn up for sale, so I buy what I can when I can. I have raw books and am a raw collector, but I prefer my Golden Age CGC graded simply because I don't want to be surprised with missing pages or resto after I've already bought it. Not that CGC is perfect, but in my end of the pool, I'm pretty sure it's a pretty safe assumption that they've graded my book right.

[Point Five]

Agree with the points made already. Adding to all this, many a comic collector has unknowingly paid big bucks for restored books and gotten burned... that happened in the 80s, the 90s and is likely happening right now on ebay even as I type this. So for those folks, restoration has an even more painful stigma attached to it... it's something they want to eliminate from their collection, not usher any more in.

Similar to Dr. Balls above, I don't like restoration on silver-to-copper books, but am fine with well-done resto on gold books which are pricier & harder to find. This stuff is very subjective of course.

 

[PovertyRow]

On 11/4/2023 at 8:36 AM, MAR1979 said:

collecting methods can easily affect fiscal success. 

That should be the title of a Ken Talk!

[MAR1979]

On 11/16/2023 at 1:47 PM, PovertyRow said:

That should be the title of a Ken Talk!

Had to google that. Thanks.

 

 

[PovertyRow]

On 11/16/2023 at 11:22 AM, MAR1979 said:

Had to google that. Thanks.

 

 

It is unfortunate that the name "Ken" is becoming more associated with a male "Karen" meaning a self-absorbed self-privileged person rather the the name of a series of lectures (Ken Talks)by experts in many fields!