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Why Pressing ISN'T Restoration
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Here why I don't consider pressing restoration.

 

The main logical reason people say pressing is restoration is that it takes a DEFECT (i.e. a non-color breaking crease), and through pressing, improves the appearance of the book (removing the non-color breaking crease so it is invisible to the naked eye).

 

To counter that argument, I have always deemed Restoration to be adding or subtracting material from a book to improve the appearance. Pressing doesn't add or subtract material.

 

That still isn't good enough for the PRESSING Fanatics.

 

So!!!!

Example:

 

1) You take a book out of it's mylar. While putting the book back into the mylar, a corner gets caught and is COMPLETELY bent back.

 

2) Once you see the book in the mylar, you see the folded corner and obviously can now see the pages at the corner. Of course this looks TERRIBLE.

 

3) You take the book back out of the mylar and FLIP the CORNER PIECE back down. This probably leaves a small crease line at the corner but of course the appearance of the book looks a lot better than when the corner was folded back.

 

IS THIS RESTORATION?

 

I'm sure EVERYONE of us has done that before, and would do it again in a heartbeat.

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3) You take the book back out of the mylar and FLIP the CORNER PIECE back down. This probably leaves a small crease line at the corner but of course the appearance of the book looks a lot better than when the corner was folded back. IS THIS RESTORATION?

 

Nope. The reason is that the position of the fold is not the issue. The issue is the CREASE. And you know what? Folding that crease back to center actually increases (pardon the pun) the damage. In paper there is (or at least used to be) a gauge for brittleness where the number of times a piece of paper can be folded back and forth (your corner example is great for this) until the corner "breaks off". Each successive fold and refold further impacts the structure of the ppaer (negatively). So your gently unfolding the corner actually does so a tad more damage. But it is not restoration, because it is the crease itself that would need to be restored. smile.gif

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To me, restoration always comes down to three factors:

 

1) The willful intent to improve a comic's appearance and condition.

 

2) A profit-based motive.

 

3) Subjecting the comic to specific procedures that could never be duplicated under normal use.

 

Pressing fits all three, and anyone who equates "comic stacking" with heavy-duty pro pressing, has absolutely no clue. Unless of course, you regularly stack your comics to Jupiter.

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To me, restoration always comes down to three factors:

 

1) The willful intent to improve a comic's appearance and condition.

 

2) A profit-based motive.

 

3) Subjecting the comic to specific procedures that could never be duplicated under normal use.

 

Pressing fits all three, and anyone who equates "comic stacking" with heavy-duty pro pressing, has absolutely no clue. Unless of course, you regularly stack your comics to Jupiter.

 

BINGO!! That's when I start getting pissed off! That is wrong! Although, it's hard enough to prove motives and intent in a court of law.......

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To me, restoration always comes down to three factors:

 

1) The willful intent to improve a comic's appearance and condition.

 

2) A profit-based motive.

 

3) Subjecting the comic to specific procedures that could never be duplicated under normal use.

 

Pressing fits all three, and anyone who equates "comic stacking" with heavy-duty pro pressing, has absolutely no clue. Unless of course, you regularly stack your comics to Jupiter.

 

Okay, I am wondering about this one.

 

I purchased a "U" shaped Journey Into Mystery 85 on e-bay. I bought it knowing it looked horrible in the scan. Someone jammed a pile of comis in a small box that was too narrow width wise so it developed a distinctive "U" shape which was very evident in the scan. It did, however, have no creases. So, I took an iron to it one page at a time and turned it into a VF+.

 

Is this considered "pressing"?

Edited by ninanina
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Is this considered "pressing"?

 

If you sell it as VF+ or send it to CGC and get an 8.5 grade, then yes.

 

If you keep it forever and take it to your grave, then we could refer to it as "closet pressing". grin.gif

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I purchased a "U" shaped Journey Into Mystery 85 on e-bay. I bought it knowing it looked horrible in the scan. Someone jammed a pile of comis in a small box that was too narrow width wise so it developed a distinctive "U" shape which was very evident in the scan. It did, however, have no creases. So, I took an iron to it one page at a time and turned it into a VF+.

 

Is this considered "pressing"?

 

Yes, and what you did is closer to "pro" pressing than using hundreds of pounds of pressure. Actually, you've just inspired me to experiment with an iron! I considered it once but never went through with it.

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Yes, and what you did is closer to "pro" pressing than using hundreds of pounds of pressure. Actually, you've just inspired me to experiment with an iron! I considered it once but never went through with it.

 

The funny thing is, the more people try to convince me Pressing is Restoration (and therefore a NO, NO), the more I want to send my books to a professional to IMPROVE the APPEARANCE of my books, so that I MAY PROFIT MORE, when I Sell them.

 

And I'm not joking. blush.gif

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I purchased a "U" shaped Journey Into Mystery 85 on e-bay. I bought it knowing it looked horrible in the scan. Someone jammed a pile of comis in a small box that was too narrow width wise so it developed a distinctive "U" shape which was very evident in the scan. It did, however, have no creases. So, I took an iron to it one page at a time and turned it into a VF+.

 

Is this considered "pressing"?

 

Yes, and what you did is closer to "pro" pressing than using hundreds of pounds of pressure. Actually, you've just inspired me to experiment with an iron! I considered it once but never went through with it.

 

I recommend practising on your expensive copies. That way, when your ready to do the moderns, you'll know what your doing. grin.gif

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I'm not all that familiar with the whole pressing thing but if I had a choice between, say a 8.0 unpressed book, or a 9.0 pressed book for the same price, then I'll take the pressed book anyday. This is assuming of course that no "restoration" is visible. I don't care how they do it, professionally or otherwise, but if it looks good, and does not contain any artificial elements, then it just does not bother me. There may be exeptions to this rule, but I am generally speaking.-----Sid

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I purchased a "U" shaped Journey Into Mystery 85 on e-bay. I bought it knowing it looked horrible in the scan. Someone jammed a pile of comis in a small box that was too narrow width wise so it developed a distinctive "U" shape which was very evident in the scan. It did, however, have no creases. So, I took an iron to it one page at a time and turned it into a VF+.

 

Is this considered "pressing"?

 

Yes, and what you did is closer to "pro" pressing than using hundreds of pounds of pressure. Actually, you've just inspired me to experiment with an iron! I considered it once but never went through with it.

 

I recommend practising on your expensive copies. That way, when your ready to do the moderns, you'll know what your doing. grin.gif

 

14_4_101.gif To quote That 70s Show..........BURN

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I'm not all that familiar with the whole pressing thing but if I had a choice between, say a 8.0 unpressed book, or a 9.0 pressed book for the same price, then I'll take the pressed book anyday.

 

Ummm, and what strange universe does this occur in?

 

As you know, the problem is that a pancake-pressed CGC 9.0 sells for the same price as an unpressed/unrestored CGC 9.0.

 

Which of those would you choose?

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BINGO!! That's when I start getting pissed off! That is wrong! Although, it's hard enough to prove motives and intent in a court of law.......

 

This really leaves me scatching my head.... and in no way am I pointing my finger at you redhook; rather, this whole argument about presssing and intent -- when did the problem with pressing ever become one of intent?? CGC can detect pressing -- this is not an issue for debate. Comment the PRESS on the label and leave it to the buyer to decide whether this is something they want to own. I just don't understand how this ever became an issue of intent.

 

Specifically for the reasons that JC stated, this whole pressing issue should be reexamined by CGC. Personally, I believe they should comment that the book has been PRESSED. By doing this, we nip the problem at the bud. Then we might rid two things from developing; i) the possibility that dealers/collectors jumping on the pressing bandwagon, performing bad press jobs, will contribute to the problem of a bad press reverting; and ii) accurately guage how much of a problem a comment that states "PRESSED" on the label will have on a collectors purchasing patterns. After all, there should be plenty of collectors like FF that don't really about buying a PRESSED book, but for the folks like myself, perhaps we would like to be able to make a more informed choice.

 

If by devine and greater wisdom, a collector decides to stack their books to Jupiter, and that collectors books get the PRESSED treatment on the CGC label, well then maybe that collector should look into storing their comics in a long box like everyone else. Who the heck stacks their books a la Church anyway??

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