A Very Pressing Matter...

[The Charlton Guy]

Step right up folks, don't be shy!


It's the


#woohoo#COMICS CORRAL PRESSING THREAD! #woohoo#


Please check in and place your Vote in the Pressing Poll
#rofl#and let the heads roll!! #rofl#

[UnlimitedRealities]

**Signs in at the desk, takes his seat, and sits quietly, hands folded over his pen and notebook, waiting to be edjumacated**

[The Charlton Guy]

Comm'ere...have a seat...

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/the-charlton-guy/thunderbird.gif

I'll tell ya all abouts it...

[The Charlton Guy]

"What's that?"

"A new Pressing Thread at The Corral?"

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/the-charlton-guy/bananadan7uo.jpg

"Don't tell Katie! I'll be right there!"

[The Charlton Guy]

"WE'RE READY MR. CEEGEE!!"


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/the-charlton-guy/estonia/1-school.jpg

[UnlimitedRealities]

**Raises Hand**

So, when I'm pressing my books with my Oreck Steam iron, should I use the Low steam or High steam setting?

[The Charlton Guy]

"Is he really going to do it Bruce?"


"Is C.G. really going to start his
very own Pressing Thread?"


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/the-charlton-guy/Bruno20y20Ricardo.jpg


"Yes Dick...it's a pitiful but dangerous thing."


"It's a plot that needs to be stopped dead
in it's tracks before it makes headway and
clutters the internet beyond recognition."


"To the Batcave! Quick!"

[silverbug]

I don't get it... Maybe someday I'll jump on board this "Comic Book" Bandwagon.

[jaeldubyoo]

What do you think this is, the CGC boards?

[oxbladder]

Well .. option 3 is kind of close ... I would prefer my books not pressed but I am not opposed to pressing. Of course it is restoration and should be disclosed.

I am opposed to it not being considered restoration even though it happens naturally in storage. I also think, like any other resto, it should not be applied to most books above 8.0 (heck there are not many 6.0 -7,5's that truly require restoration for the sake of preservation that is).

I also think that almost every one would feel ripped off if they found out a book they paid a certain value for was lower grade and cheaper at a certain point. I guarantee most of those folks that respond "pressing does not bother them or think it is restoration" would be pissed to no end too.

Heck isn't that what CGC was created for? To help prevent this undisclosed restoration crap?

IMO pressing is way overblown. It is a shame to hear of some pretty nice books getting pressed but if people want to do it I cannot stop them. What concerns me is not thinking it is restoration and worthy of mentioning to consumers. However, it is not only pressing that is being removed as a restorative procedure ... and that concerns me far more ... that and the fact that it appears to be all greed driven and not really to help preserve the life of books.

/rant

[UnlimitedRealities]

OK, CG, I sat patiently, waiting with the rest of us US Americans, waiting for maps to an education about pressing to benefit Africa and Iraq and such as. It is my belief that without your input fish may not be able to coexist peacefully with humans. The fate of the comics world and such as depends on your enlightenment of us. *smiles vacantly*

[The Charlton Guy]

It is my belief that without your input fish may not be able to coexist peacefully with humans.

They never have and they never will.

[lspooz]

waiting with the rest of us US Americans, waiting for maps to an education about pressing to benefit Africa and Iraq and such as. It is my belief that without your input fish may not be able to coexist peacefully with humans. The fate of the comics world and such as depends on your enlightenment of us. *smiles vacantly*

Already an oldie but a goody (LOL)

My biggest problems with professional/mechanized pressing (particularly with involvement of heat/disassembly/humidity changes) is that like most crimes INTENT is key. Most pressing (from tight but otherwise proper, conservation-minded storage) is a minor and presumably harmless effect of overfilled long boxes, whereas disassembly/cleaning/pressing/reslabbing for higher sale prices is NEVER intended to benefit a comic. The strongest argument against it from a museum/conservationist POV is possible long-term damage to the fragile paper/ink medium.

Geez, long rant

[UnlimitedRealities]

Well, I guess that's it then.

Seriously though, all Miss South Carolina/W hybrid speaches aside.

I've personally never had any restoration done to a comic, and probably would not, unless I thought it was really necessary to save a nice key. However, this is not because I am necessarily opposed to restoration, more that I'm not really condition minded. Would I prefer a nice book to a ratty worn one? Of course. Will I discard a comic because the cover fell off? Absolutely not. I even have poor moderns I can't bring myself to throw away. I just love comics.

That being said, I was suprised by the last option in your poll, and have been waiting, hoping you would elaborate. It seems obvious to me that pressing should be disclosed, and that it is over used by less than honest sellers to squeeze a few extra dollars from their sales, but how is it bad for the comic?

Feel free to elaborate as to why the mention of certain restoration services gives you indigestion, too.

[The Charlton Guy]

My biggest problems with professional/mechanized pressing (particularly with involvement of heat/disassembly/humidity changes) is that like most crimes INTENT is key. Most pressing (from tight but otherwise proper, conservation-minded storage) is a minor and presumably harmless effect of overfilled long boxes, whereas disassembly/cleaning/pressing/reslabbing for higher sale prices is NEVER intended to benefit a comic. The strongest argument against it from a museum/conservationist POV is possible long-term damage to the fragile paper/ink medium. Geez, long rant



Not nearly as long as elsewhere...the CGC Board is having a Pressing Thread Marathon...thus my reluctence to chime in here. It has all been hashed over ad nauseum elsewhere. I figured, hey! Why not jump on the bandwagon? Then decided that listening to the band is a lot more fun than riding sometimes.

But you hit the nail right on the head as far as I'm concerned.

The people (like Matt Nelson) who are doing large scale "conservation", hundreds or maybe even thousands of books a year, are playing with fire.

The methods are reckless, the effect of chemical cleaning (wet or dry) and heat pressing on the paper and ink is un-proven over time, and I believe will ultimately lead to accelerated breakdown of already fragile, important and valuable pieces of comic book Americana.

What bothers me the most though, is that the word is that this trend seems to be accelerating, with new, would-be "conservationists" taking up their scalpels and cleaning solutions so that more and more and more books are losing their unalterted status. This is particularly troubling when it is done purely to bump the book up a half to one point in grade, with the prime motivation being profit. And don't even get me going on disclosure...

Soon there won't be many un-altered high grade books left at this rate.

Just leave well enough alone. These books are precious. Regardless of condition.

[UnlimitedRealities]

disassembly/cleaning/pressing/reslabbing for higher sale prices is NEVER intended to benefit a comic.

When done for higher sale prices, I would agree. But what about cleaning and pressing (no slabbing, ick) with the intention of removing a nasty spine roll and a few stains, on a book intended to remain in a personal collection? Would you still feel that wasn't intended to benefit the comic?

[UnlimitedRealities]

Soon there won't be many un-altered high grade books left at this rate.

Just leave well enough alone. These books are precious. Regardless of condition.

I understand you're point, especially with unnecessary work done to high grade books. How do you feel about, say, a professional rice paper resto of a completely split cover?

[The Charlton Guy]

When done for higher sale prices, I would agree. But what about cleaning and pressing (no slabbing, ick) with the intention of removing a nasty spine roll and a few stains, on a book intended to remain in a personal collection? Would you still feel that wasn't intended to benefit the comic?

I don't think you're asking me, but hey! That's never stopped me before! :lol: (Co. TwitchyLips Productions, 2007)


Obviously, some books will benefit from professional restoration. I am not against professional restoration if the intent is to conserve, preserve or repair a book. Nothing wrong with that, if needed.

But lets take a pretty solid Golden Age book. Say a Superman #17 (one of my favorite covers, with Hitler and Hirohito). I happen to have had one of these once. A solid VG copy from a one-owner collection. There was nothing wrong with this book. Yes, it had some minor surface soiling. It had some small corner creases. It had a touch of spine roll. It was not entirely flat. But it was from a one-owner collection and the damned thing was over 60 years old!

Why mess with it? I could never bring myself to alter a piece of history like that. If it didn't need it.

Now say the light soiling had been ball point pen scribblings. Say the small corner creases had been large. Say the spine roll had been a split spine or a detached cover. Say it had a few torn interior pages. Would I have dished out a couple of hundred bucks to fix it up? Probably.

But I was perfectly happy with this VG copy. It was a sweet book and a real piece of history.

But there are those who crave the high grade, above all else. I confess to being one of them, at least in large part. There is nothing like a shining, gleaming, heavens-parting high grade Golden Age of Silver Age book in my book, but I would rather have that VG copy of Superman #17 back ANY DAY than to pay the same price for a restored VF copy. The age and wear and "integrity" is of as much importance to me as the appearance or apparent grade.

So as much as I seek out and crave those shinin' NM beauties, I am happy to "settle for" a book with real character.

[UnlimitedRealities]

Cool, I'm right there with ya.

[AceVentura]

The problem with pressing is that most pressing leads to other tweaking. Cleaning, dismantling, restructuring, angled micro-trim, etc. and make no mistake about it, scads of books with these alterations abound in super high grade CGC slabs as has been demonstrated many many times by before and after photos. That's how they GOT the 9.0+ labels.

My stand on resto is the same as CG's. He's 100% correct. If you have a nice presentable book, what does it matter if it has a mild 1/8" spine roll?

Of course, from a financial standpoint, if you own both a grading service and auction house these items, 10 minutes of your resto expert employee's time will turn that item into a 200% profit. That's how you fill your coffers.

[rowand]

Heat plus paper equals browning and brittleness. Maybe not today but soon and for the rest of time!

[jaeldubyoo]

Add moisture to the equation. Heat and moisture are two things to fear when dealing with paper. These are the two essential elements in pressing. Yeah, you have to wonder about the long-term effects as opposed to the short-term gain. It seems to me most most people who have their comics pressed do not care after it is sold.