Mending tissue and detached covers 1 1

[Mokiguy]

Curious as to what the community thinks of mending tissue.

First of all let me start by saying I collect raw, and generally non key issue DC silver age (also some early pre bar code) bronze comics for my own enjoyment, and I never intend to have any professionally graded or for that matter probably ever sold. So none of this is about high dollar books or investment. But with that being said, some day I'm going to kick the bucket and someone will inherit my collection and I'm curious as to whether I'd be helping or hurting my collection. Out of the 500+ collection I have accumulated so far, I have about a dozen that have either a cover detached at one or both staples. So on these covers that have gotten a bit ragged around the staples, ragged enough to detach, I was thinking that if I carefully folded and ironed out the ragged parts and put a 1/2 inch wide strip of mending tape only along the inside of the cover, then removing the staples and re-attaching the covers would be a nearly invisible repair and would make an older comic with a ragged detached cover kind of whole again. And that leads to my question: how does the community look at repairs such as this, and if these were more valuable books that would someday be graded, how will third party TPG's look at this?

[marvelmaniac]

Removing the staples and ironing the cover may create more damage then the defects you are attempting to repair.

I have lots of low grade books that I have used tape or glue to either hold them together or prevent the damage from getting worse and my books are also being left to my Son/Daughter. I did this to prevent pieces from falling off when/if these books are handled again. I have done other things to assist my heirs in selling and understanding comics after they receive the collection when I am gone.

For the most part on lower grade books (VG 4.0 and lower) using tape/glue will not affect the grade, the book will be graded for the defect that is trying to be covered up. On higher grades (VG/FN 5.0 and up) repairs such as this will affect the grade. If they are low grade keys/higher dollar books and are going to be sold sometime in the future by your heirs, they would be easier to sell without any repairs being done, some folks despise tape and other forms of restoration/conservation.

I have books were the cover is detached and split, I taped the spine split and used Zip Dry Glue to reattach it, the books are already a PR 0.5/FR1.0/FR/GD 1.5 so doing that will not affect the grade at all.

https://www.amazon.com/Lineco-Archival-Document-Repair-Tape/dp/B000P8FT2G?th=1

https://www.amazon.com/BEACON-Fast-Drying-Paper-Glue-Wrinkle-Resistant/dp/B000YQI21O/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2A1ZIPYNE3ISC&keywords=zip%2Bdry%2Bliquid%2Bglue&qid=1705510142&s=arts-crafts&sprefix=zip%2Bdry%2Carts-crafts%2C409&sr=1-4&th=1

If you do the repairs you have mentioned and the books were sent in for grading to CGC, they would probably receive a Restored Purple Label which will kill the value of the book unless it is already a very low grade book then it may still get a Blue Universal Label, the repair may or may not be mentioned on the label or in graders notes.

Purple label is called/referred to as PLOD by collectors, "Purple Label Of Death" since the value drops dramatically.

Basically this is a personal choice, however, for the most part, folks will tell you to leave them alone, store them in the proper bags/boards (Mylites and Acid Free) and in the proper environment and conditions to prevent further damage.

Here is an example, this Daredevil 1 I found at one of the LCS's in the area about 20-25 years ago for $50.00 had the cover falling apart, to prevent it from getting worse I used tape  to prevent further damage, the book was already a PR 0.5 so the choice was tape the cover or allow small pieces to fall off when handled and tears to get worse, I chose tape.