A pressing question...10707
 Forum Crier
|
OGJackster private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I'm getting a batch of books together to get graded. The time frame is around the 60's to the 80's. Then I started thinking, should I just get all of them pressed? Of course, it would cost more but in the long run it would probably be worth it. Except for obvious reasons like when the slab/press costs more than the value of the book, why not alway get them pressed when a large percentage of the time all it does is increase the condition and value of the book? Thoughts? |
||
| Post 1 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
|
manfred_spain private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Not having seen the books in question, I would agree that defaulting to pressing everything makes good sense. It's a relative minimal cost versus the increase in value it can bring to the books. | ||
| Post 2 • IP flag post | ||
 I live in RI and Rhode Islanders eat chili with beans.
|
esaravo private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @OGJackster - IMO pressing and cleaning will probably make just about any book look at least a little better (cleaner with fewer wrinkles, bends, bumps, dents, etc). However, it won't always improve the grade, especially on books with color-breaking defects. I think it is worth it on books in higher grades with defects that can be pressed out. On lower graded books, or even many mid-grade books that are not very expensive, it is probably not worth the time, effort, and money involved. And only you can decide if its worth it to you. | ||
| Post 3 • IP flag post | ||
 If the viagra is working you should be well over a 9.8.
|
xkonk private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I've started sending everything with press screen. Like @esaravo said they books will probably look better with a press regardless, but the screen (at least at CBCS) says they'll only press it if they think the grade will increase. That gets you the value side. Plus, I figure if they decide not to press a book or two I send in that basically pays for the cost of screening. | ||
| Post 4 • IP flag post | ||
|
Forum Crier
|
OGJackster private msg quote post Address this user | |
Here are a few I will most likely send in...   |
||
| Post 5 • IP flag post | ||
|
Collector
|
cyrano0521 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| For now, find a local presser; no shipping and no 4-5 month long backlog | ||
| Post 6 • IP flag post | ||
 CBCS Boomhauer
|
HeinzDad private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I’ve been messing around with the process a bit. Whether I’ve improved the grades of anything remains to be scene. With that being said I’ll vouch for @esaravo in that they look better anyway. | ||
| Post 7 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
|
doog private msg quote post Address this user | |
| If I slab it it gets pressed | ||
| Post 8 • IP flag post | ||
 CBCS broke up with me over Facebook.
|
CFP_Comics private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Local might no be experienced or reputable. Go with someone who has a long and reputable history of working on books. | ||
| Post 9 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
|
Drogio private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The only time I don’t press is when (a) I need them turn d around quickly and (b) when I absolutely know that it won’t help the grade. Otherwise it’s worth $$. |
||
| Post 10 • IP flag post | ||
 COLLECTOR
|
shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user | |
| 1. Press all the things. 2. Never let the “guy with a press” anywhere near your books. (Coz someone like @CFP_Comics will have to un-press it)  |
||
| Post 11 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
|
Darkseid_of_town private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I guess the thing I could add is this...and most people miss it. You are speaking about pressing, but cleaning goes hand in hand with that and books that age all are dirty and need cleaned up. I can tell you that they all have a built up residue of soiling, oils and so forth on the cover that can be somewhat removed and make the books look much better. Even if you dont see much for pressable flaws, remember if you have it graded and slabbed, you just sealed that book in with all that accumulated soiling and handling from years of time.If they are books I plan to keep , that is important to me ...but if my only goal is slab and sell, perhaps best to have a screen run and only fix the ones that will see a grade movement | ||
| Post 12 • IP flag post | ||
 I'm good with splotches.
|
Nuffsaid111 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Love that Peanuts Four Color 1st print | ||
| Post 13 • IP flag post | ||
 Masculinity takes a holiday.
|
EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Let me represent the pessimistic point of view. Mainly because I think that unless you have unlimited funds, there may be better ways for you to invest your money. My presser rejects about 60% of the books that I ask him to look at for pressing. And I can typically predict which books he will reject. He looks at two things, 1) can I improve the value enough and 2) can I make it worth slabbing. Meaning, can pressing and slabbing increase the value by the $45 or so that it will cost to press and slab. For example, he would only press a Booster Gold #1 if he thought there was a good chance of getting to 9.8. Getting from 7.0 to 9.4 would not be good enough, because I would have to slab it to get true 9.4 prices and the value simply isn't there. So let's say you press and slab 10 books. That's about $400 you are going to have tied up in those books. Money you could have spent on more books! I personally would enjoy walking around a convention with $400 in my pocket much more than I would enjoy having 10 non-key books slabbed. I don't know the value of the Peanuts books, but of the Tales To Astonish books I would say that only the number 90 could possibly justify that kind of investment, unless you truly expect 9.2 or above on the other books. I'm sorry I can't get a good idea of condition from the photos. If you look up the TTA books on Ebay past sales, nobody is buying them slabbed, the one slabbed 6.5 went for like $19. I just want to caution you because some of the books look like books that I sent in before I knew any better...and ended up selling for not much more than I could have gotten before investing $45. For Clean, press and Slab to work out you need one of two things, either A) the book is quite valuable in all grades, or B) the book is already in very nice shape and takes big jumps in value for each tier that it improves. |
||
| Post 14 • IP flag post | ||
|
Forum Crier
|
OGJackster private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Nuffsaid111 Thanks, I have all 3 Four Colors and the first 4 Gold Keys. | ||
| Post 15 • IP flag post | ||
|
Forum Crier
|
OGJackster private msg quote post Address this user | |
@EbaySeller So it sounds like $45 is the magic number. It's not like I'm new at this, I just haven't had any books slabbed for many years  |
||
| Post 16 • IP flag post | ||
|
Masculinity takes a holiday.
|
EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by OGJackster Well I'm just assuming: silver age slab + pressing + shipping and insurance= approx $45. My simpleton rule of thumb for pressing: If I can see the flaw without my reading glass, pressing won't fix it. If I can only see it with my reading glasses, pressing will probably work. |
||
| Post 17 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
|
Arak private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by EbaySeller I really like that *smile* when I was a young the military told me I had 20/15 vision, shoot I didn't know you could get better the 20/20 Now day I sit at a work station and have to have one of those big circle magnifying lights https://www.amazon.com/Brightech-LightView-PRO-Magnifying-Magnification/dp/B016LTTS8S/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=Brightech+LightView+PRO+-+LED+Magnifying+Glass+Desk+Lamp&qid=1576046350&sr=8-5 I actually like it a lot, I see better then I ever did |
||
| Post 18 • IP flag post | ||
|
Collector
|
Darkseid_of_town private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I think you are blurring two ideas together here Ebayseller. He stated he was already planning to slab these books, then asked what about pressing and so forth. I think you have to determine the why before determining the what...if you are simply wanting to flip them fast, why bother with any of it? If you are wanting to hold them for your PC or speculate on them over a few years time, sure why not press and clean them up...but even then only slab the ones that are worth the effort.For me at least, slabbing is preparing a book for market, unless you wish to display it, have it verified for restoration and trimming, or prefer slabbing as your archival method.Again a lot hinges on the why before you determine the what... I am at a stage collecting where I need to stop onloading multiples of silver and key books and begin the process...sorting what is going to stay, what is not necessary and can be culled out..... Anything I slab will be pressed, anything I keep raw, will be sold as is for someone else to decide. For me it has become diverting funds from buying dozens of books a month to planning what to have graded, verified, etc. and spending that way....goals |
||
| Post 19 • IP flag post | ||
|
Masculinity takes a holiday.
|
EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Darkseid_of_town Fair enough. You're right, if you are going to slab, then go ahead and press, particularly if they are screened for pressing. It also gives you peace of mind. Lord knows I often wonder "what if" about the many books that I had slabbed before pressing was available to me. |
||
| Post 20 • IP flag post | ||
|
Masculinity takes a holiday.
|
EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
| One other thought OGJackster, if it's not about selling and you just want to improve the presentation of your collection, Maybe just get some new poly bags and Gold/Silver size 4 mil Mylar sleeves and see if that doesn't scratch the itch for about $2.00 a book. Once I double bag my books in poly and Mylar, I don't even want to slab them. | ||
| Post 21 • IP flag post | ||
 Suck it up, buttercup!!
|
KatKomics private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Arak 45 and apparently I still have 20/15...my optometrist said he only ever saw a handful of people with eye sight that good and 1 was an Olympic marksmen. Guess I should have been a contract sniper or something rather than a boring accountant!! |
||
| Post 22 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
|
BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @EbaySeller @Darkseid_of_town Both of you make very valid points. If I am sending it in then it gets pressed. I like to send books in that will have a FMV of at least $100. I also have to like the book and it has to be somewhat desirable. | ||
| Post 23 • IP flag post | ||
|
Collector
|
BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I also wanted to add that I tried selling some slabbed books here on the forum to pay for more books that I want to send out. However I am surprised that there was no interest and 3 of the books are in the top 20 Bronze Age books according to Gocollect. With me covering the shipping, the books I posted for sale are under FMV prices. So this makes me ponder the thought that maybe I should not send anymore in. It actually bums me out to say this though. What do you guys think? Maybe I am just in a mood. |
||
| Post 24 • IP flag post | ||
|
Collector
|
Darkseid_of_town private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Had you tried pricing them outside gocollect to get see if the prices are realistic? I see people with sales threads over and over who use Gocollect pricing and their books sit and sit because in quite a few cases the pricing just isn't accurate in the app...often by the factor of 25 percent or more. Not saying this might be the case with your own books, but it is worth checking an alternate source, be it finished sales on ebay, what MCS is getting for the same book in grade or perhaps even using GPA, to get some form of cross reference. Gocollect is very popular and I expect much of it is because people enjoy the idea their books are worth than they might be. But to sell the comics might require being more aggressive... |
||
| Post 25 • IP flag post | ||
|
Masculinity takes a holiday.
|
EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by BrianGreensnips I had the same experience, the one sales thread I attempted pretty much died the minute I put it up. The one irregular forum member who said they would buy one of my listings actually never responded to my PM. I think the reality is that, since we are members of a slabbing forum, most of us are only interested in buying opportunities well below fair market value, either raw or slabbed. Maybe we will pay FMV for the occasional hard-to-find book or speculation book. |
||
| Post 26 • IP flag post | ||
|
If the viagra is working you should be well over a 9.8.
|
xkonk private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @BrianGreensnips you have to remember that you're advertising to a bunch of collectors. If the books aren't rare or sharp, chances are that folks here already have them or don't want them. And if someone is interested, they have to have not just blown their budget on something else. Speaking only for myself, you posted a couple books that I wouldn't mind owning, but am not so interested that I want to pay a reasonable price for them (and I've already blown right through my budget for... I think next year, maybe the one after). I imagine that others are in a similar boat. |
||
| Post 27 • IP flag post | ||
|
Forum Crier
|
OGJackster private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I think I'm shying away from selling some of my books because it just sounds like a pain in a$$ to box them up and mail them lol! | ||
| Post 28 • IP flag post | ||
|
Collector
|
BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Darkseid_of_town @EbaySeller @xkonk All good points. You have given me some different ways to look at it. Thx. | ||
| Post 29 • IP flag post | ||
 It was a one trick pony show but always hilarious.
|
GAC private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by BrianGreensnips @BrianGreensnips GoCollect uses actual CGC sales data from multiple sales sources like eBay, HA, ComicLink and Comic Connect so the data is sound. A GoCollect subscription gives you much better insight as well. I've sold a ton of stuff on here and other platforms using the GoCollect data. Subscription is inexpensive as well. I highly recommend it. |
||
| Post 30 • IP flag post | ||
This topic is archived. Start new topic?