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There's a Restored 9.4 Tec 33 Blowing up on Ebay

Started by Jaydogrules,

895 posts in this topic

*matterus023*

*matterus023*

Posted
Posted

Now I have a personal collection, getting much more into art (or at least trying) and love the collecting of comics on a whole. Buying, selling, collecting, displaying just the usual :-)

 

Again, sometimes we can get very focused on things that we may not particularly like or do ourselves and can make it personal. I find with comics especially, probably because they are a nostalgic thing, conversations can get hot and heavy.

 

I think it's great that you got into collecting and even more great that you're not from this side of the pond but actually got into it while living in Europe.

 

Matt seems to have found a niche for himself (and similar to an idea that I actually had years ago about helping restored books achieve higher grades but never followed through with) but technically he isn't doing anything wrong.

 

I just think that some people (purists) won't agree with it from the philosophical point of view that even restored comics need to look and feel like restored comics.

 

But if you want a gorgeous looking book, he's nailed it.

 

 

I don't mind really people getting,lets say passionate about their hobby but personal is another subject.

 

Well I just fell into it by chance. Was Christmas shopping and saw a volume of the walking dead (fan of the show) for around £10 and thought I would check online to see if I could get it a tad cheaper. Then I saw a copy of WD 1 sell for $10k. Presume it was a 9.9 thinking about it. This initially made me think wow $10k for a comic. Oh what little I knew at that point lol

 

Bought a few WD's for £50 and haven't looked back since. Tried to research like mad, talk to others and absorb as much info as I could. Now have the added probem that I actually ike the damn things and have an addiction ha

 

I have spoke with many people privately about restored comics and like you point out it brings a mix bag of emotions up and feelings towards it. As no one is forced to buy a comic then it doesn't matter what opinion's people have on it. Not to me anyway

 

There is still no evidence that these comics in question do not have a natural feel but lets not get into it again lol

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Sqeggs

Sqeggs

Posted
Posted

Now I have a personal collection, getting much more into art (or at least trying) and love the collecting of comics on a whole. Buying, selling, collecting, displaying just the usual :-)

 

Again, sometimes we can get very focused on things that we may not particularly like or do ourselves and can make it personal. I find with comics especially, probably because they are a nostalgic thing, conversations can get hot and heavy.

 

I think it's great that you got into collecting and even more great that you're not from this side of the pond but actually got into it while living in Europe.

 

Matt seems to have found a niche for himself (and similar to an idea that I actually had years ago about helping restored books achieve higher grades but never followed through with) but technically he isn't doing anything wrong.

 

I just think that some people (purists) won't agree with it from the philosophical point of view that even restored comics need to look and feel like restored comics.

 

But if you want a gorgeous looking book, he's nailed it.

 

 

I'm not sure this discussion actually was all that hot and heavy, at least by the standards of some discussions we've had on the boards.

 

For me, the interesting thing is how much restoration can be done to a book before one or both of the grading companies will decline to grade it. I think the suggestion was made that CGC had declined to grade some (many? all?) of these books. An interesting development if true.

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VintageComics

VintageComics

Posted
Posted

I'm not sure this discussion actually was all that hot and heavy, at least by the standards of some discussions we've had on the boards.

 

I was thinking more towards the rude PMs he said he received.

 

But I agree, we've seen some pretty traumatic meltdowns. lol

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Johnny545

Johnny545

Posted
Posted

I think the suggestion was made that CGC had declined to grade some (many? all?) of these books. An interesting development if true.

 

This is the most interesting piece of information/speculation in this thread.

 

If confirmed it speaks volumes about what is being done and the risks of lending credibility by assigning these books not just a grade, but a very high grade.

 

If you go to logical extremes as some noted, one could chemically wash out a TEC 26 and meticulously recreate a TEC 27, aside for labor costs you've got a 50-100X return.

 

You've destroyed a TEC26 and diluted the value of other restored TEC27's.

 

This is an extreme example, but if so much work is done you can't tell what if anything is original that is a huge problem and opens up the possibility for all manners of terrible things.

 

There are armies of skilled artists in China painting copies of complex masterworks. There was a very good 60 minutes on this.

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/art-of-the-forger-60-minutes-profiles-master-of-fake-paintings/

 

The paintings are made for hundreds and sold for low 4 figures because the labor is so cheap.

 

Slippery slope...

 

With the contacts here it could be confirmed whether CGC refused to grade these books and in the interests of the industry and people bidding on these books it should be.

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*matterus023*

*matterus023*

Posted
Posted
I predict a certain notorious ebay seller and destroyer of comics is reading this and we will see some of these showing up in all_things_comics listings.

 

Now this is an ebay seller who does deserve some grief. You can do what you want to a comic once you own it but the grades they give to some of their comics is laughable. Early on I got caught out buying some of those '9.6' grades they give to comics that would struggle to reach an 8.0. They know plenty of amateurs starting will buy comics that are well overgraded. In the short time I have been collecting it has got worse and worse on ebay

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igb-migration

igb-migration

Posted
Posted

Well hello everybody! I am Emily Meyers, and Matthew Meyers is with me - husband and wife team of restoration company IGB - Investment Grade Books out of Philadelphia Pennsylvania. New here so we'll try and keep up... Some friends mentioned there was meaty discussion re: our work, particularly the Tec 33, so we will try and contribute to clear up all of your questions. For those who support, thanks! And those who don't, we'll do our best to be transparent and hope you don't beat us up too badly!

 

Ok, the Tec 33 was a CGC 6.0 A-3 when we acquired it. It is not a Pedigree, we know. It is recognized as a Biljo White copy, I'll post a pic of the stamp (if I can figure out how to upload), and CBCS identifies this in their grader's notes. The book was a fairly easy fix to get to a 9.4. We de-acidified and mended each wrap to bring it to White. The major problem was the spine - again I will try and attach scans of the original book in a few minutes.. So we replaced the spine with rice paper, methyl cellulose and cellulose powder, re-created the art along the spine (by hand) with acrylic over methyl. The only other color touch on the cover is found at the lower and upper right corners - small amount to clean them up. The back cover ad spread was perfect, so all we did was touch up the spine and edges. This book has a beautiful interior cover, minor color blend along edges, I'll try and post pic after spine replacement and before pressing.

 

The book lays flat, feels natural, opens easily and lays flat when open, no thickness, no cockling, no warping.

 

We use only professional, archival, conservation level materials. We don't use Xerox. In fact we constantly remove Xerox from previously restored books. We only restore previously restored (irreversible) books, with the occasional 1.0 Blue. Whenever possible we reverse previously trimmed books. We disclose every aspect of each specific restoration to Steve Borock and CBCS prior to grading. They receive a detailed pdf with image progressions and explanations of all techniques. For an official, unbiased answer to any question regarding our books, we encourage people to call Steve Borock and the team at CBCS.

 

We don't currently grade with CGC, though we use to. When we did, they always graded our books and graded them very high - I will post a few of our key books in CGC slabs.

 

We don't grade as much with CGC currently because we don't want our proprietary techniques in the hands of CCS - the industry leader and our direct competition. Though we'd like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Paul and Matt Nelson for their guidance in our early days - we wouldn't be grading as high without their tremendous support! They were tough with us and said: you can't have a book feel this way, etc. As hard as it was to hear some of their critiques, we took note of everything they said and devoted ourselves to doing better, lighter work. But never has our work been photocopy or fake. Matt is a very gifted artist and that's why we don't need to use photocopy in place of lost or damaged art. And the pixelated effect on the Hulk; that was me (Emily), by hand, with acrylic and a 0/20 round detail brush. 30+ hours of work and I have the carpal tunnel to prove it - We don't take short cuts. Also, we don't have clients, therefore we can devote 100 hours to a book if that's what it takes. Most restorers don't have that luxury.

 

We have found that CGC and CBCS grade almost identical. I will also post the same AF15 graded by both companies last winter - both CGC and CBCS graded it 9.4.

 

I also saw people mentioned the 9.8 Hulk on CC - I will post before and after scans. It started as a CGC 8.0 B-2.

 

Sorry longwinded but a lot to cover! Fire away, kick our asses but please be gentle! We hope you see that we love what we do and look forward giving the community some beautiful books for years to come.

 

Emily & Matt

 

 

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ThothAmon

ThothAmon

Posted
Posted
Well hello everybody! I am Emily Meyers, and Matthew Meyers is with me - husband and wife team of restoration company IGB - Investment Grade Books out of Philadelphia Pennsylvania. New here so we'll try and keep up... Some friends mentioned there was meaty discussion re: our work, particularly the Tec 33, so we will try and contribute to clear up all of your questions. For those who support, thanks! And those who don't, we'll do our best to be transparent and hope you don't beat us up too badly!

 

Ok, the Tec 33 was a CGC 6.0 A-3 when we acquired it. It is not a Pedigree, we know. It is recognized as a Biljo White copy, I'll post a pic of the stamp (if I can figure out how to upload), and CBCS identifies this in their grader's notes. The book was a fairly easy fix to get to a 9.4. We de-acidified and mended each wrap to bring it to White. The major problem was the spine - again I will try and attach scans of the original book in a few minutes.. So we replaced the spine with rice paper, methyl cellulose and cellulose powder, re-created the art along the spine (by hand) with acrylic over methyl. The only other color touch on the cover is found at the lower and upper right corners - small amount to clean them up. The back cover ad spread was perfect, so all we did was touch up the spine and edges. This book has a beautiful interior cover, minor color blend along edges, I'll try and post pic after spine replacement and before pressing.

 

The book lays flat, feels natural, opens easily and lays flat when open, no thickness, no cockling, no warping.

 

We use only professional, archival, conservation level materials. We don't use Xerox. In fact we constantly remove Xerox from previously restored books. We only restore previously restored (irreversible) books, with the occasional 1.0 Blue. Whenever possible we reverse previously trimmed books. We disclose every aspect of each specific restoration to Steve Borock and CBCS prior to grading. They receive a detailed pdf with image progressions and explanations of all techniques. For an official, unbiased answer to any question regarding our books, we encourage people to call Steve Borock and the team at CBCS.

 

We don't currently grade with CGC, though we use to. When we did, they always graded our books and graded them very high - I will post a few of our key books in CGC slabs.

 

We don't grade as much with CGC currently because we don't want our proprietary techniques in the hands of CCS - the industry leader and our direct competition. Though we'd like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Paul and Matt Nelson for their guidance in our early days - we wouldn't be grading as high without their tremendous support! They were tough with us and said: you can't have a book feel this way, etc. As hard as it was to hear some of their critiques, we took note of everything they said and devoted ourselves to doing better, lighter work. But never has our work been photocopy or fake. Matt is a very gifted artist and that's why we don't need to use photocopy in place of lost or damaged art. And the pixelated effect on the Hulk; that was me (Emily), by hand, with acrylic and a 0/20 round detail brush. 30+ hours of work and I have the carpal tunnel to prove it - We don't take short cuts. Also, we don't have clients, therefore we can devote 100 hours to a book if that's what it takes. Most restorers don't have that luxury.

 

We have found that CGC and CBCS grade almost identical. I will also post the same AF15 graded by both companies last winter - both CGC and CBCS graded it 9.4.

 

I also saw people mentioned the 9.8 Hulk on CC - I will post before and after scans. It started as a CGC 8.0 B-2.

 

Sorry longwinded but a lot to cover! Fire away, kick our asses but please be gentle! We hope you see that we love what we do and look forward giving the community some beautiful books for years to come.

 

Emily & Matt

 

Thank you for your post. Should set a lot of minds to rest. Although if you have read the entire thread there have been allegations of shill bidding. Any response from the seller's? Thanks.
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igb-migration

igb-migration

Posted
Posted

To ThothAmon,

 

We sold an AF15 earlier this fall, thought a bunch of bidders with low feedback were fake, so we deleted bids on last day, ended up losing a lot - confused buyers. Found out later they were legit. At same token we've had 3000 positive feedback buyers win and not be able to pay. So you never know. As far as we are aware looks legit, most are repeat buyers in the bid cue.

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Red84

Red84

Posted
Posted
Well hello everybody! I am Emily Meyers, and Matthew Meyers is with me - husband and wife team of restoration company IGB - Investment Grade Books out of Philadelphia Pennsylvania. New here so we'll try and keep up... Some friends mentioned there was meaty discussion re: our work, particularly the Tec 33, so we will try and contribute to clear up all of your questions. For those who support, thanks! And those who don't, we'll do our best to be transparent and hope you don't beat us up too badly!

 

Ok, the Tec 33 was a CGC 6.0 A-3 when we acquired it. It is not a Pedigree, we know. It is recognized as a Biljo White copy, I'll post a pic of the stamp (if I can figure out how to upload), and CBCS identifies this in their grader's notes. The book was a fairly easy fix to get to a 9.4. We de-acidified and mended each wrap to bring it to White. The major problem was the spine - again I will try and attach scans of the original book in a few minutes.. So we replaced the spine with rice paper, methyl cellulose and cellulose powder, re-created the art along the spine (by hand) with acrylic over methyl. The only other color touch on the cover is found at the lower and upper right corners - small amount to clean them up. The back cover ad spread was perfect, so all we did was touch up the spine and edges. This book has a beautiful interior cover, minor color blend along edges, I'll try and post pic after spine replacement and before pressing.

 

The book lays flat, feels natural, opens easily and lays flat when open, no thickness, no cockling, no warping.

 

We use only professional, archival, conservation level materials. We don't use Xerox. In fact we constantly remove Xerox from previously restored books. We only restore previously restored (irreversible) books, with the occasional 1.0 Blue. Whenever possible we reverse previously trimmed books. We disclose every aspect of each specific restoration to Steve Borock and CBCS prior to grading. They receive a detailed pdf with image progressions and explanations of all techniques. For an official, unbiased answer to any question regarding our books, we encourage people to call Steve Borock and the team at CBCS.

 

We don't currently grade with CGC, though we use to. When we did, they always graded our books and graded them very high - I will post a few of our key books in CGC slabs.

 

We don't grade as much with CGC currently because we don't want our proprietary techniques in the hands of CCS - the industry leader and our direct competition. Though we'd like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Paul and Matt Nelson for their guidance in our early days - we wouldn't be grading as high without their tremendous support! They were tough with us and said: you can't have a book feel this way, etc. As hard as it was to hear some of their critiques, we took note of everything they said and devoted ourselves to doing better, lighter work. But never has our work been photocopy or fake. Matt is a very gifted artist and that's why we don't need to use photocopy in place of lost or damaged art. And the pixelated effect on the Hulk; that was me (Emily), by hand, with acrylic and a 0/20 round detail brush. 30+ hours of work and I have the carpal tunnel to prove it - We don't take short cuts. Also, we don't have clients, therefore we can devote 100 hours to a book if that's what it takes. Most restorers don't have that luxury.

 

We have found that CGC and CBCS grade almost identical. I will also post the same AF15 graded by both companies last winter - both CGC and CBCS graded it 9.4.

 

I also saw people mentioned the 9.8 Hulk on CC - I will post before and after scans. It started as a CGC 8.0 B-2.

 

Sorry longwinded but a lot to cover! Fire away, kick our asses but please be gentle! We hope you see that we love what we do and look forward giving the community some beautiful books for years to come.

 

Emily & Matt

 

 

Very impressed with your professional response and transparency. I think you just won over a lot of people.

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