Services There's no denying that a comic book's grade is one of the most important aspects of collecting. The highest graded comics are worth the most, and they give collectors a great feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. But very few comics have survived the ravages of time unscathed. After all, they're just made of paper, and poorly made at that! Bill Sarrill in the late '90s And so for years, collectors have tried to improve the grade of their comics. The first attempts made use of tape, glue, markers and pens, which is now considered very crude and unsafe. By the late 1970's restoration techniques had finally advanced to a professional level thanks to pioneer Bill Sarill, who is considered the father of comic book restoration. Techniques continue to evolve as technology advances and market trends change each decade. Can you believe it?  Only three grades! Grading has also continued to evolve. Beginning with a diminutive 3-point scale in 1970, the comic book grading scale eventually expanded to seven points, split grades, and eventually the 25-point scale we currently use. Because restoration and grading are inextricably linked, their evolutionary paths run parallel. Grading leads, and restoration adjusts itself accordingly. The advent of third-party grading has caused a laser-beam focus on grading the past several years, particularly for the high grade comics. And as a result, comic book improvements have become quite varied and complex. They can no longer be classified as simply "restoration." Conservation, pressing, restoration removal, and re-creation each represent new fields that cater to different aspects of improving a comic book's grade. So the question is, which services are appropriate for your comics? We'll figure that out next by establishing what grade range each service is designed for. Here's an overview: Pressing One of the most popular services used by our clients today, pressing is best utilized for high grade, unrestored comics. Pressing is not considered restoration, and is used to remove light defects to make a high grade even higher. The age of the comic does not matter, and because of the low cost of pressing, the comic's value does not have to be high for the service to be beneficial. Conservation Another low-cost service, conservation best suits lower to mid grade comics in the GD to VF range. Its main goal is to rid a comic book of harmful agents (tape, glue, stains, mold), and improve the appearance and desirability through light restorative techniques such as cleaning and rice paper repairs. Comics older than 1964 are the best candidates for conservation, although there are exceptions. Value is not a significant factor due to the low cost of conservation. Restoration The eldest of the services offered, restoration targets low grade comics in the FA to GD+ range. It's purpose is to maximize the grade of a comic by utilizing our unique process of piece replacement, grafting, and color matching. Because the restoration process can be time-consuming, its cost is usually higher than pressing and conservation…but the results are eye-popping. The best candidates for restoration are pre-1960 comics with a current value of $1000 or more. There are a small number of '60s comics that can benefit from restoration as well. Re-Creation This service is strictly for coverless comics, particularly the key issues like Spider-man #1, Superman #1, and Marvel Comics #1. We attach exact replicas of covers onto these coverless comics, each cut to fit the comic perfectly. Many collectors purchase coverless key issues because of their affordability. This service allows the comic to appear complete without the collector having to pay thousands more for a real cover. Removal Sometimes unnecessary restoration is found on high grade comics, such as a spot of color touch or glue. Because this can hurt the value of a high grade comic, we offer this restoration removal service. Great caution must be exercised when choosing the right candidates, though. Original Art In addition to comic books, we also treat original art. Our cleaning and pressing process allows for safe removal of creases, bends, folds, yellowing, stains, and dirt. Bring your art back to life with a very simple and affordable process. Stat re-creations also available.