Manufactured Gold

[Aman619]

looking at the before and after pics, even after 3 years of seeing this stuff and talking about it and reading other opinions on the subject - - - I STILL cant fathom how when faced with evidence of work performed to improve these books' grades (and NOT for conservation), that we all cannot agree that these books have been restored. I just scratch my head at the exception "dry non-disassembly pressing" gets. I mean just LOOK at these pictures! Hasn't the book ben restored to an earlier uncreased state?

 

At this point, I would settle for an hobbywide agreement that its Restored ONLY when caught! Whoever did it. Let the chips fall where they may. In this way CGC would be off the hook for not discovering it.

 

Sorry. I know Im drifting back years on this subject and we have all moved onward... but - - cmon!

[backtomarvel]

The emporer has no clothes.

[esquirecomics]

This makes me feel so !!!!

[Red Hook]

looking at the before and after pics, even after 3 years of seeing this stuff and talking about it and reading other opinions on the subject - - - I STILL cant fathom how when faced with evidence of work performed to improve these books' grades (and NOT for conservation), that we all cannot agree that these books have been restored. I just scratch my head at the exception "dry non-disassembly pressing" gets. I mean just LOOK at these pictures! Hasn't the book ben restored to an earlier uncreased state?

 

At this point, I would settle for an hobbywide agreement that its Restored ONLY when caught! Whoever did it. Let the chips fall where they may. In this way CGC would be off the hook for not discovering it.

 

Sorry. I know Im drifting back years on this subject and we have all moved onward... but - - cmon!

 

I know how you feel.

[THE_BEYONDER]

I don't understand. Did CGC miss the tear?

[Guest]

I don't understand. Did CGC miss the tear?

 

 

The tear.

 

....the cleaning,

 

.........the resto work...

 

They missed everything but the cheque!

[Red Hook]

.... but sad.

[MasterChief]

In her article The Restoration of Comic Books: 1982-2002, noted restoration expert Susan Cicconi wrote: “I truly feel that once you remove staples from a comic book, you are altering the book; therefore I would consider this restoration. ...Noticing that staples have been removed from a comic book will always open a book up to suspicion as to whether anything else may have been done to the cover or interior pages.”

 

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More Fun Comics #71

 

Displaying a book-length reading crease, off-centered staples, and an accumulation of other noticeable defects, this well-used copy of More Fun Comics #71, graded Very Good/Fine (5.0), realized an auction price roughly 88 percent of the advertised Overstreet Very Good (4.0) value.

 

Six-months later, a second auction re-listed the More Fun copy.  Exhibiting evidence of reading crease realignment to the cover spine axis, lateral leftward movement in staple placement, and a noticeable increase in edge color flaking, the re-certified copy carried a universal color-coded label with a 5.5 grade notation.  At auction close, the manufactured copy sold for approximately 142 percent of its original auction value.

 

Publicly auctioned again in 2005, the manipulated version bore a third certification label with another new serial number; however, this time the book displayed no appreciable evidence of treatment.

 

Currently, both serial numbers imprinted on the second and third CGC labels are searchable in the Collectors’ Society certification database. The second number (0072797004) needs to be deleted to reflect an accurate population report.

 

Certification/Resale Provenance:

 

 

Resources:

 

The Official Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide, Second Edition

More Fun Comics #71 (5.0)

More Fun Comics #71 (5.5)

More Fun Comics #71 (5.5) (Third serial number)

 

Images:

 

 

 

[burntboy]

another interesting example - recent sub looks like it's been cleaned, pressed and had spine roll removed. i think visually it looks considerably better than the .5 grade bump.....but i suspect that all of the vertical spine stress is still there, just on the spine edge now, where it's not easily seen................

[backtomarvel]

This is the best example yet to show me restoration.

 

Was never sure what people meant by "spine roll," but now I see it: The staples are removed, the comic "realigned" to put the staple holes on the spine and then staples are replaced. That sound right?

[Davenport]

Amazing stuff and so interesting.

 

That's one bizarre looking bottom staple in the huge 5.5 scan. Thin, and looks like it's almost gnawed through.

 

Plyer teeth, maybe? Instead of needlenose maybe they used vice-grips.

 

[Comicdey]

I sometimes wish I was a comic restorer....it would give me an opportunity to make money on the side when I wasn't working on other peoples books.

 

By the way, this is a fascinating thread and the documentation is mind blowing.

 

Great job guys.

[Ze-man]

I sometimes wish I was a comic restorer....it would give me an opportunity to make money on the side when I wasn't working on other peoples books.

 

By the way, this is a fascinating thread and the documentation is mind blowing.

 

Great job guys.

 

I agree, keep going Chief. This stuff never gets old.

 

Hope you find the time to post more in the future. I for one will be watching.

 

Ze-

[Red Hook]

One of the Best Threads of the Year.

[infinite_comics-migration]

This is the best example yet to show me restoration.

 

Was never sure what people meant by "spine roll," but now I see it: The staples are removed, the comic "realigned" to put the staple holes on the spine and then staples are replaced. That sound right?

 

This site has some visual examples. What it might not show is a fanning of the pages that usually occurs in conjunction with spine roll, and usually seen best from the back of the comic.

 

http://www.e-bigs.net/freetool.php

[MasterChief]

another interesting example - recent sub looks like it's been cleaned, pressed and had spine roll removed. i think visually it looks considerably better than the .5 grade bump.....but i suspect that all of the vertical spine stress is still there, just on the spine edge now, where it's not easily seen................

 

Yes, I agree.

 

It’s interesting to note the additional defects in the treated copy, caused, no doubt, by the work performed. Perhaps the compounding of defects prevented the awarding of a higher grade.

 

I am of the opinion the book was completely disassembled, each folio pressed separately, reassembled, and then pressed intact a final time in order to achieve the result.

 

Thoughts?

[backtomarvel]

This is the best example yet to show me restoration.

 

Was never sure what people meant by "spine roll," but now I see it: The staples are removed, the comic "realigned" to put the staple holes on the spine and then staples are replaced. That sound right?

 

This site has some visual examples. What it might not show is a fanning of the pages that usually occurs in conjunction with spine roll, and usually seen best from the back of the comic.

 

http://www.e-bigs.net/freetool.php

 

Thanks! Great site ... I'm goign to try it to grade a book or two of mine tonight, too.

[FFB]

This is the best example yet to show me restoration.

 

Was never sure what people meant by "spine roll," but now I see it: The staples are removed, the comic "realigned" to put the staple holes on the spine and then staples are replaced. That sound right?

 

Could be, but this can also be done on books less severe spine roll without disassembling the books.

[FFB]

another interesting example - recent sub looks like it's been cleaned, pressed and had spine roll removed. i think visually it looks considerably better than the .5 grade bump.....but i suspect that all of the vertical spine stress is still there, just on the spine edge now, where it's not easily seen................

 

Yes, I agree.

 

It’s interesting to note the additional defects in the treated copy, caused, no doubt, by the work performed. Perhaps the compounding of defects prevented the awarding of a higher grade.

 

I am of the opinion the book was completely disassembled, each folio pressed separately, reassembled, and then pressed intact a final time in order to achieve the result.

 

Thoughts?

 

Probably true, but impossible to be certain without seeing the staple tines at the centerfold.

[MasterChief]

 

 

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Sensation Comics #35

 

Certified by CGC in 2002, this copy of Sensation Comics #35 with a double cover was assigned a grade of VF/NM (9.0) and encapsulated with a Qualified label. A descriptive notation marked its green label that read “Interior and exterior cover switched. (1st cover 9.0 interior cover 7.0)".

 

The green-labeled copy listed at auction in August of 2003 with a simple text description mentioning its qualifiers. Six individuals participated in the bidding and the item sold for $776.

 

Four months following the auction, CGC re-certified the copy. The book received a new grade of NM (9.4) printed on a blue Universal label with a text notation of “1st cover 8.0 interior cover 9.4". No comment mentioned the book’s disassembly or the switching of the covers.

 

The new blue-labeled copy premiered at auction on April 4, 2004. Advertised with a focus on its ranking as the “nicest that CGC has certified to date”, three bidders drove the final hammer price to $1380.

 

As of August 21, 2006, the new version of Sensation Comics #35 maintains its status as the highest graded copy to date on the CGC Census. The original version (0055957020) is no longer searchable in the population database.

 

Certification/Resale Provenance:

 

 

Resource Links:

 

The New Pressing Project Results

Sensation Comics #35 Double Cover (9.0)

Sensation Comics #35 Double Cover (9.4)

 

Images: