Spine Roll Removal

[ecfanman]

I have an expensive golden age comic that would look much nicer (and probably grade higher) if it had a spine roll removed. I would like to get this done (professionally) before I sent it in to CGC to get graded. However, I am concerned about receiving a "purple" label. I have heard different things about whether CGC considers pressing (or spine roll removal) restoration. If it makes any difference, the book is not a high grade book (probably a G/G+ that would move up to a VG/VG+).

 

So my question is:

 

Are there guidelines to when CGC considers pressing to be restoration?

 

Anyone have recommendations on who to use for this service? Particularly someone who nows CGC guidelines and would stay within the CGC guidelines, if there are any.

 

Any one use Matt Nelson of Classic Conservations in Dallas?

 

ECFANMAN

[fantastic_four]

My best guess is that CGC won't give it the purple label, but I would recommend calling them and asking; they're highly likely to give you the answer to your question. Check out this post from Steve Borock earlier this year where he addresses your exact question:

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=comicgen&Number=103875#Post103875

 

The reason I recommend calling is because it's not clear to me from Steve's post what they do when they can detect the press. It sort of sounds from his words like they'll give it a Universal label if the press is professionally done and a purple label if it isn't, but that could be wrong.

[buttock]

That's something that can be done fairly easily and inexpensively by any professional. My only recommendation is don't try it yourself. I tried that on a book once and split the centerfold!

[nochips]

It's impossible to detect a good press. A bad press looks like a spine roll so, they treat it as such. They can't really tell. I have had books pressed and they look great, others are so screwed up the press did nothing to really improve them at all.

 

Post a picture, I know a person who can remove it, let's see what your talking about.

[gary_crites-migration]

I read somewhere( (on this board) that you have to remove the staples to do a "Professional" job.

If that is the case, doesn't CGC consider a book with the staples removed restored?

[mrwoogieman]

Matt Nelson from Classic Conservation did a bang-up job on my More Fun Comics #73.

[Arty]

I'd really like to see after and before pics of spine roll removal.(or any restoration)

 

I'd be surprised if there isn't a single person on boards who's taken pictures of his restored books this way.

 

 

 

 

[mrwoogieman]

Actually, Classic Conservations does a 'before' pic which is given to you with the restored book and also provides a detailed key to all of the resto work done to the book. My MFC73 was not simple spine roll removal, but was much more involved. The issue I sent Matt was actually an unrestored CGC Fair 1.0 cover detached (since removed from the census), and when Matt was done it looked like a Fine or so. After failing to meet the reserve on ebay, I traded it to a guy in Germany for $1,500 worth of unrestored Timelys (CapAm 24, Marvel Mystery 40 and 51, and Kid Komics 2).

[garthgantu]

Interesting... but from what I know of comic resto, it sounds like the work done on your MFC73 to bump it from a FR (1.0) to a FN (6.0) must have cost at least $500, possibly closer to $1,000 ...?

 

In answer to the other question about staples, my understanding is that as long as you don't replace the staples, but instead use the original staples after pressing, it's basically impossible to determine that the staples were ever removed...

 

[mrwoogieman]

Yes, Gar, it was quite a bit of $$$ for the work, but it was necessary in this case; HTF key book (first Aquaman AND first Green Arrow) cover detached, tape all over the first wrap, big name scrawled in pen on the cover logo, dirty, etc. But, off-white pages and complete interior.

 

Essentially, I received the unrestored Timely's for just over half of their OS guide by forking out for the resto on the MFC73 (in which I had an investment of $0, having sold other books from the collection in which I acquired it, covering the entire cost of purchasing the collection). Trading a restored book for unrestored (especially war-time Timelys at a significant discount from guide) was an easy decision for me.