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Copper's Heating/Selling Well on Ebay
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18,721 posts in this topic

Gotcha on the Mile High collection. I thought they were pristine copies and were not pressed - kinda disappointing to be honest :)

 

What would lead you to believe that? While I suspect the Church collection certainly has more books that are NOT pressed than the average pedigree, it's certainly not true that every Church book has been untouched by pressing. I've never pressed a Church book, but I *have* pressed other pedigrees, and gotten some stellar results.

 

I can tell that you're passionate in pressing comics and you believe that you're one of the better ones if not the best out there.

 

Susan Cicconi, who doesn't press (by itself) anymore, and Matt Nelson (when he does the work himself) are the best pressers in the business. Am I one of the better ones? I just let my results speak for me.

 

However, I'm not sure if you're using the word professional correctly. I hope the P.E./P.Eng's, M.Ds, etc who read your definition above did not find it offensive, because I kinda did.

 

Why would you be offended at a comment that has nothing to do with you personally? You essentially said I didn't know what I was talking about a few posts back (You said "everyone knew" that the Church collection "wasn't pressed (common knowledge)"), and you didn't even understand what I was referring to (that is, the stacks Church himself put in the closet as a natural "press" job)...I didn't take offense to that, and it was aimed squarely at me. :D

 

A professional is someone who earns a living from a specific activity. "Certification", while certainly nice, is not only not necessary, it's not possible in this field.

 

How can you conclude that detecting a press is not possible?

 

I didn't say detecting *A* press is not possible. I said detecting press jobs reliably and consistently isn't possible. A (single) press job, especially on a poorly pressed book, can be fairly easy to determine. Good press jobs, however, are not, especially across multiple books. And that is precisely the problem.

 

Was enough effort exhausted to scientifically support this?

 

My last question: If in the next two to five years, CGC has found a way to detect with high level of accuracy (within reason of course) pressing jobs on comics and decided to start labelling slabs accordingly or assigning a distinct colour on the label, would you be okay with this? Or worried of the stigma that this may cause?

 

It isn't possible, so it's not going to happen. Have you ever pressed comics? Have you ever had comics pressed? Are you familiar with the process, and what is done? I suspect, from the conversation, you are not.

 

You're talking to a presser who, unlike most pressers, will discuss this openly and honestly. You're talking to someone who agrees that, yes, pressing IS restoration...it's just market acceptable restoration, and doesn't need to be in the same category as additive or subtractive restoration, like color touch, tear seals, trimming, pieces added, and the like. Clearly, based on my record here at the CGC boards, "stigma" is one of the last things I worry about.

 

If you could tell with ABSOLUTE (not just a "high level" of) accuracy that a book has been pressed...and not just put in a bag and board, sat in a stack for 40 years, put under dictionaries, or a cinder block, or whatever...then yes, I would have zero problem with that being on the label.

 

But you cannot, because pressing isn't an additive or subtractive form of restoration, and you can have a book that mimics a very good press job (See: Edgar Church collection once more), that never saw a dry mount press.

 

And because of that, what you're suggesting will never, ever happen, nor should it.

 

Obviously, I'm no well versed in pressing. No interest as of yet.

 

Man, you like those wall of text do you. Anyways, I'm a P.Eng so I had to shake my head when you called yourself a "Professional" - if you go by that definition, anybody who get paid for doing anything (whether they're good or not) will be considered as professionals.

 

Professionals abide by a certain best practice and standards - at the very least a code of ethics.

 

Anyways, good luck on your future endeavours. If I ever decide to get my measly collection pressed, I'll drop you a line.

 

Thanks RMA.

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Obviously, I'm no well versed in pressing. No interest as of yet.

 

But that doesn't prevent you from arguing about the details of the process anyway...?

 

hm

 

Interesting.

 

Man, you like those wall of text do you. Anyways, I'm a P.Eng so I had to shake my head when you called yourself a "Professional" - if you go by that definition, anybody who get paid for doing anything (whether they're good or not) will be considered as professionals.

 

I'm not sure why you are going out of your way to be purposely dismissive.

 

That is correct...anybody who convinces people to pay them for doing anything is a professional at that activity. If they aren't good....people won't be paying them for long, will they...?

 

Professionals abide by a certain best practice and standards - at the very least a code of ethics.

 

That is your definition. It is not, however, a standard definition:

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/professional

 

Professional

 

noun

 

: someone who does a job that requires special training, education, or skill

 

: someone who is a member of a profession

 

: someone who is paid to participate in a sport or activity

 

: someone who has a lot of experience or skill in a particular job or activity

 

 

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If you're looking on eBay, it would be classified as a Bronze Age (1970-83). It was released June '83. (Can't wait to hear how I'm wrong about this one)

 

You're not wrong, just misinformed, as virtually no one adhered to the more-recent OS change when the dealers moved up the BA date to 1984 (Secret Wars??? :insane:), wanting to turn "worthless early-Copper" into "valuable high-grade late-Bronze" - that was *before* Copper took off and I bet they regret that stupidity now.

 

I would estimate the majority of informed, longtime collectors would select 1979-81 as the End of the Bronze Age and 1981-82 as the Start of the Copper Age.

 

There are just too many seminal books (Warrior Magazine, Love & Rockets, Marvel Graphic Novels, Pacific, etc.), events (New EiCs at Marvel/DC, creator royalties/ownership), changes (no more cartoon books, horror comics/reprint titles all cancelled, Warren/Spire/Harvey shuts down, Contest of Champions starts mini-series wave), etc. for Bronze to go too far out of 1981.

 

All this. Plus, when I was buying comics at the time--early '80s--I already knew the Bronze Age had already ended.

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A professional is someone who earns a living from a specific activity. "Certification", while certainly nice, is not only not necessary, it's not possible in this field.

 

---------------------

 

there are certifications available for paper conservation. although i suppose pressing probably isn't conservation and a certification would hardly make a lot of sense to do one specific thing (pressing).

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I don't think it really matters in this day and age. Just get rid of the Age labels.

^^

 

1980s comics come from the 1980s. What's copper got to do with it? (shrug)

 

Would you consider comic books an artform? I would. Most forms of art that come to mind (art itself, architecture, etc..) are defined in periods for many reasons; ie. social class, economy of the time, typology, etc...

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I don't think it really matters in this day and age. Just get rid of the Age labels.

^^

 

1980s comics come from the 1980s. What's copper got to do with it? (shrug)

 

Would you consider comic books an artform? I would. Most forms of art that come to mind (art itself, architecture, etc..) are defined in periods for many reasons; ie. social class, economy of the time, typology, etc...

 

But many types of art styles existed concurrently - for example Art Deco and Surrealism both occurred at the same time in the 1920's.

 

So, by that same rational, could Bronze and Copper both exists at the same time? hm

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I don't think it really matters in this day and age. Just get rid of the Age labels.

^^

 

1980s comics come from the 1980s. What's copper got to do with it? (shrug)

 

Would you consider comic books an artform? I would. Most forms of art that come to mind (art itself, architecture, etc..) are defined in periods for many reasons; ie. social class, economy of the time, typology, etc...

 

But many types of art styles existed concurrently - for example Art Deco and Surrealism both occurred at the same time in the 1920's.

 

So, by that same rational, could Bronze and Copper both exists at the same time? hm

 

If the ages are defined by style or content, absolutely, and different titles could have different breakpoints as the "feel" changes. If eras are defined strictly by time, then probably not.

Edited by mysterio
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I don't think it really matters in this day and age. Just get rid of the Age labels.

^^

 

1980s comics come from the 1980s. What's copper got to do with it? (shrug)

 

Would you consider comic books an artform? I would. Most forms of art that come to mind (art itself, architecture, etc..) are defined in periods for many reasons; ie. social class, economy of the time, typology, etc...

 

But many types of art styles existed concurrently - for example Art Deco and Surrealism both occurred at the same time in the 1920's.

 

So, by that same rational, could Bronze and Copper both exists at the same time? hm

 

If the ages are defined by style or content, absolutely, and different titles could have different breakpoints as the "feel" changes. If eras are defined strictly by time, then probably not.

I believe that beginning with the 1980s, you got that "80s vibe" as a result of the whole culture of the 1980s.

 

We've already given a "Bronze Age" label to the 1970s, because you could say the same thing for the 1970s... but if we're going to keep reaching for labels, we might as well go with the one that also sets the time, "1980s". Otherwise, we might agree on a label (Copper) but we won't agree on a time (approximately the 1980s)... and we're left trying to explain the Copper label in terms of both time and content/style. 1980s comics generally do have a different "feel" than 1970s and 1990s, so there's really no need to say more. "1980s comics" is a thing, in terms of time of course, but also in terms of content/style, etc.

 

The changing of decades signals "something new" (or at least an attempt to change directions) in terms of culture... and it reflects in the comics. "1990s comics" sees the launch of Spider-man #1, X-Men #1, etc., publishers like Image, Valiant, etc., and the implosion in the middle of the decade with serious market downturn that doesn't really rebound in the 1990s.

 

"Ultimate" became a thing in 2000, and the 2000s are a decade generally identified with "Ultimate-style" (many successful) attempts to reboot titles (both major companies). Batman Hush storyline in early 2000s as well. Yes, you can point to Heroes Reborn in 1998, but "2000s comics" is a good approximation of that content/style. You also get nearly exclusive digital coloring with the 2000s, clearly reflected in the "Ultimate" lines. You also get all of the early walking dead (Walking Dead #1 - #68) if you talk about "2000s comics".

 

By the end of the 2000s, we're heavy into the movies and tv shows and the first five years of the 2010s have generally been connected with small screen, big screen, and all rumors of both. 2011 is the full DC reboot... and the first half of the decade has been signficantly impacted by that.

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Question for you Copper gurus...... I just picked up the following book in a small collection and I know it's not common and isn't cheap in the OPG. I'm thinking of pressing and slabbing it and putting it up for auction. The corners are razor sharp and the cover has only a couple of very light dents. My question is would it be worth the trouble if it comes back a 9.4 or 9.6 ? GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

 

 

DSCN1507%202.jpg

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Thanks, friend. I'm a little out of touch with the more obscure stuff, even though some of my favorite comics ever came from the Copper Age. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

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