Jim, I wish i knew you first hand. What a joy it would be to have you as a mentor and be the Master's Apprentice! I suppose all the video content you provide us will have to do, so thank you for that, Sir!!
Another excellent job Jim! These are my favourite kinds of videos from you. It's great to see your procedure in real time and we get to see the improvements as you make them. It builds up the drama for the end when the viewer tries to guess what grade would be. Fantastic job with this ASM 129 and congrats on the grade!
Thanks for sharing Jim! Once again your patience pays off and shows in the finished work. I really appreciate the small cautionary tips to remember outside of the usual cleaning/pressing methods. Great work!
I really enjoy the unboxing of your CGC submissions , and now I am really interested in content like this. As so as you start up your course on how to clean and press comics, I want to sign up. Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and very eager to learn!!!
Superb grade. You are the Odin of improving comics, sir. A question… how much do you charge for your services for this particular book and all the work you put into it?
Thanks for the walk through video that’s awesome. I was surprised to hear you say you press a book 10-20x. I’ve been pressing for about a year and I think 4x is the most I’ve pressed a book. I keep getting 9.4 and 9.6’s and getting frustrated. Maybe I just need to up the amount of times I’m pressing a book. Thanks
Congrats Jim! When I first saw the thumbnail I thought you were going to be working on the actual Ideal Bread Evel Knievel comic book which I have. At any rate, this is awesome.
@@ImproveCollectingComics I think it was the thumbnail of the back that threw me off. Either that or my desktop buffered to where you had flipped it over.
I sent a 129 off to CGC to be graded about 9 years ago. It came back an 8.0 but at the time I knew nothing about cleaning and pressing. I want to crack the case and work on it and resubmit but I haven’t got my nerve up yet. Thanks for the awesome video
I also have an 8.0 ASM129 that was graded several years ago and was not cleaned and pressed. Someday I will crack it,clean it, and press it. But only after I have lots of practice on non grail books. Good luck to you on yours.
Send it to a presser but be careful lots of hacks out there. The 2 I say are magic pressing and Avery pressing. I’ve used both and great. Avery takes longer as he has a huge client list so I use magic now and it’s been great. I just got back a 9.8 superboy 9 DC Universe logo I had as a 9.4 but he got me a 9.8
Great book! I picked one of these up back in the early 80s for about $5 when you sent a check to store and eventually got the item within 3-6 weeks. Sadly, I traded this off with many other very key books before the comic boom of the mid 90s. Yes, I do regret doing this with this book and many of the others that would be worth a very large sum in slab grades. Ugh
Humidity kills my pressing needs where I live now. Humidity in my office is always around 65-75. I remember pressing books during a time when the humidity was around those numbers and my books came out rippled and extra wavy. I purchased a Hygrometer and was told that 50-60 is the best to press books.
As always, amazing stuff, Jim. Question... Why use the short/small chamfered board rather than the larger one that fits under the full cover? I have both and have tried both but am unsure why I wouldn't use the larger one.
Such a fun video. Congrats on the 9.4! The tack iron part is interesting as I haven’t tried that. The make up pads seem to bring the gloss up. If you glide over a cover before and after, you can feel the lack of friction after using it. The Transformer books I mentioned a few videos back look to be 9.4s as they sit. After watching this 9.6-9.8s are possible.
Hey Jim. Have you noticed any damage to books due to shaken comic syndrome or book warped inside of the slab? I just got my first order ever sent of 6 books back. All 6 books you can tell are warped inside the slab. 5 of the 6 have damage some more than others. This is very disappointing. I'm curious if there are more people out there with issues but are not looking for it so it gets overlooked.
Just curious as to what made the book a 9.4 , it seems like this would be the type of book someone would buy and crack thinking they could get a higher grade, I’m sure glad I went through this process with you , you are quite meticulous.
I don't do it as a business, but I'd have to charge something like $1,000 just to make enough to money for it to be worthwhile. I doublt anyone would pay that unless it's a grail
Your left sleeve rubbing against the comic while trying to remove the fingerprint seems like an unnecessary risk. Also, dont your hands get sweaty with those type of gloves? I would have sweat dripping out after a while. Probably better to wash and dry hands good and not use gloves. Then it would also be easier to turn pages without damage.
Yah, I use a magazine backboard and on the area I'm not working on so that my arm won't be on the book. The gloves are a good thing. I usually have gloves on myself. Sweat will not overflow out of the glove. 😂
@@stonyonekenobi exactly. He's mentioning sweat in gloves. He probably is one of those guys that sweats profusely just walking to the mailbox and thinks everyone is like him. Lol. The gloves jim uses are surgical nitrile gloves. They are perfect because he can easily flip through the book and it's protected. Jim has a great track record with pressing so not sure why this guy thinks he knows better.
You call this a grail comic and you’re handling the book’s spine like it’s under a 5.0 grade 😂 … drinking game - watch this video again but take a shot of booze every time a thumb gets on or almost on the spine!
@@ImproveCollectingComics If I go to my LCS and they hold the book on the spine with their thumbs, I tell tell them I’m grabbing a fresh one from the shelf without spine stress lmao. I’m sure you have leeway as you’re already pressing the book, it’s just my OCD that see’s everything.
A very cool and incredibly helpful video. Thanks so much for sharing. What a nice gift to the community.
Jim, I wish i knew you first hand. What a joy it would be to have you as a mentor and be the Master's Apprentice! I suppose all the video content you provide us will have to do, so thank you for that, Sir!!
Wow, thanks.. I appreciate the kind words!
Another excellent job Jim! These are my favourite kinds of videos from you. It's great to see your procedure in real time and we get to see the improvements as you make them. It builds up the drama for the end when the viewer tries to guess what grade would be. Fantastic job with this ASM 129 and congrats on the grade!
Please do more of these from the start to finish videos. Love it and thank you.
I plan to, thanks!
Good work.
Thanks for sharing Jim! Once again your patience pays off and shows in the finished work. I really appreciate the small cautionary tips to remember outside of the usual cleaning/pressing methods. Great work!
Awesome job Jim. Can’t wait for the next one.
Awesome grade. I really enjoyed watching the entire video. I guess I have stayed nerdy.
Thanks. Been waiting on this since December
Sorry for the delay, these are very time consuming and difficult to make
More videos like this! And more videos of your unboxings! More everything 🎉
A brilliant video. So informative. Every detail is important. Jim, thank you for being so generous with your time and talents.
Thanks for the kind words. These vidoes are so tough to make. I spent twice as much time filming and editing as it took to CPR the book! lol
Great to watch a master at work. great video
You are truly a master of your craft. Awesome job!
Thank you! Cheers!
Love your videos! Absolutely so helpful and I learn so much every video. Thanks for these!
I really enjoy the unboxing of your CGC submissions , and now I am really interested in content like this. As so as you start up your course on how to clean and press comics, I want to sign up. Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and very eager to learn!!!
Awesome, thank you!
Great video Jim!! Thanks for sharing your tips!!
Been looking forward to a video like this. Thanks. Keep up the great content.❤
Great grade. Good job. 👍🏼
Great video man .. appreciate all you do !
Great stuff...
"...out of Evel Knievel's rektum"
Yeah I guess it could have been worse lol
or maybe Thrue Dan's rektum? Rektum? Damn near killed em. LOL
Superb grade. You are the Odin of improving comics, sir.
A question… how much do you charge for your services for this particular book and all the work you put into it?
Thanks for the walk through video that’s awesome. I was surprised to hear you say you press a book 10-20x. I’ve been pressing for about a year and I think 4x is the most I’ve pressed a book. I keep getting 9.4 and 9.6’s and getting frustrated. Maybe I just need to up the amount of times I’m pressing a book. Thanks
It's rare to go more than 5, but some books it's safer to press and press and press rather than using a tack iron/ball bearing
Congrats Jim! When I first saw the thumbnail I thought you were going to be working on the actual Ideal Bread Evel Knievel comic book which I have. At any rate, this is awesome.
Thanks! I hadn't heard of that book, very cool stuff
@@ImproveCollectingComics I think it was the thumbnail of the back that threw me off. Either that or my desktop buffered to where you had flipped it over.
Love the video. Can you show what your stack looks like when you press? Thank you!
🔥 Awesome, gorgeous book ❤
What a great video and book
Nice job!
I sent a 129 off to CGC to be graded about 9 years ago. It came back an 8.0 but at the time I knew nothing about cleaning and pressing. I want to crack the case and work on it and resubmit but I haven’t got my nerve up yet.
Thanks for the awesome video
I also have an 8.0 ASM129 that was graded several years ago and was not cleaned and pressed. Someday I will crack it,clean it, and press it.
But only after I have lots of practice on non grail books.
Good luck to you on yours.
Send it to a presser but be careful lots of hacks out there. The 2 I say are magic pressing and Avery pressing. I’ve used both and great. Avery takes longer as he has a huge client list so I use magic now and it’s been great. I just got back a 9.8 superboy 9 DC Universe logo I had as a 9.4 but he got me a 9.8
@@Caseshells123 Thanks for the information. It's good to know about reliable pressers.
Great book! I picked one of these up back in the early 80s for about $5 when you sent a check to store and eventually got the item within 3-6 weeks. Sadly, I traded this off with many other very key books before the comic boom of the mid 90s. Yes, I do regret doing this with this book and many of the others that would be worth a very large sum in slab grades. Ugh
Humidity kills my pressing needs where I live now. Humidity in my office is always around 65-75. I remember pressing books during a time when the humidity was around those numbers and my books came out rippled and extra wavy. I purchased a Hygrometer and was told that 50-60 is the best to press books.
Great work, the company called Hobby Town sells the Hanger 9
They seem to be 100% out of stock :(
I had a piece of hair that wasn’t mine under the cover . It looked like an embossed cover after a press 😂 took forever to get out
Aw geez.. been there done that, it sucks
Great video! I’d love to know how many hours (minus pressing) a restoration like this can take. Maybe include that in a future video? Thx again!
A CPR timeframe can vary wildly, one like this is probably 4-6 actual man hours
Do you let the press cool completely before remiving the book? That might help the creases from reverting.
Yes, I let books sit there overnight, sometimes longer
As always, amazing stuff, Jim. Question... Why use the short/small chamfered board rather than the larger one that fits under the full cover? I have both and have tried both but am unsure why I wouldn't use the larger one.
No matter the placement of the staples, I find the full board just won't sit as snug as I need it to
@@ImproveCollectingComics Gotcha. Will give the short board another try for comparison. Thanks.
9.6 it can get
Such a fun video. Congrats on the 9.4! The tack iron part is interesting as I haven’t tried that. The make up pads seem to bring the gloss up. If you glide over a cover before and after, you can feel the lack of friction after using it. The Transformer books I mentioned a few videos back look to be 9.4s as they sit. After watching this 9.6-9.8s are possible.
Hey Jim. Have you noticed any damage to books due to shaken comic syndrome or book warped inside of the slab? I just got my first order ever sent of 6 books back. All 6 books you can tell are warped inside the slab. 5 of the 6 have damage some more than others. This is very disappointing. I'm curious if there are more people out there with issues but are not looking for it so it gets overlooked.
Yes! I've been seeing this, crazy! I have a bunch of books coming back soon, I'll do a video if they are warped. Fingers crossed they aren't
@@ImproveCollectingComics It has me second guessing sending more in. Had to send 3 books back. Hoping they do the right thing and fix them.
Just curious as to what made the book a 9.4 , it seems like this would be the type of book someone would buy and crack thinking they could get a higher grade, I’m sure glad I went through this process with you , you are quite meticulous.
I think it gets 9.6 maybe 15% of the time. The owner didn't want to resubmit though
How much would a service like this cost ?
I don't do it as a business, but I'd have to charge something like $1,000 just to make enough to money for it to be worthwhile. I doublt anyone would pay that unless it's a grail
tour de force
What stack do you use when pressing?
It changes and I am still experimenting. Lately, it's 1 sheet of 65lb cardstock under each cover, and the magazine board in the center. That's it.
You don't add moisture to whole book when pressing?
Usually just the covers
What is the most times you've pressed a single book?
I am not sure on the number, it isn't 20.. I was exagerating, although that would be fine. Probably 12 if I had to guess?
Have you really pressed a book up to 20 times?
It's possible, although 10 is probably more accurate. The point is that pressing (correctly) is the safest way to repair a comic.
I could just shoot myself for not buying that copy back when it was $2. 😅
I hate cleaning yellows...
Agree.. it comes off very easily
Your left sleeve rubbing against the comic while trying to remove the fingerprint seems like an unnecessary risk. Also, dont your hands get sweaty with those type of gloves? I would have sweat dripping out after a while. Probably better to wash and dry hands good and not use gloves. Then it would also be easier to turn pages without damage.
Oh come on. Lol
Yah, I use a magazine backboard and on the area I'm not working on so that my arm won't be on the book.
The gloves are a good thing. I usually have gloves on myself. Sweat will not overflow out of the glove. 😂
With the success we've all seen Jim have, I feel we can safely say, he knows what he's doing.
How is your back sitting in that chair giving advice. You make an awesome Monday morning QB
@@stonyonekenobi exactly. He's mentioning sweat in gloves. He probably is one of those guys that sweats profusely just walking to the mailbox and thinks everyone is like him. Lol. The gloves jim uses are surgical nitrile gloves. They are perfect because he can easily flip through the book and it's protected. Jim has a great track record with pressing so not sure why this guy thinks he knows better.
You call this a grail comic and you’re handling the book’s spine like it’s under a 5.0 grade 😂 … drinking game - watch this video again but take a shot of booze every time a thumb gets on or almost on the spine!
Strange that you say that, because I handle books infinitely more carefully than 99% of people out there. It must be a trick of the camera.
@@ImproveCollectingComics If I go to my LCS and they hold the book on the spine with their thumbs, I tell tell them I’m grabbing a fresh one from the shelf without spine stress lmao. I’m sure you have leeway as you’re already pressing the book, it’s just my OCD that see’s everything.