Restoration Service Utilizing every technique we have developed over the last decade, we're able to offer you the best restoration service in the industry...and even the best advice as to when you should not restore. Because restoration can be a costly, time-consuming process, it's imperative that the right books are chosen for this service. Click to Enlarge Batman #3 before and after restoration. Despite the severe damage to the spine and the long horizontal tear, the high value and black cover make this a good restoration candidate. Cost to restore: $900. Many restored books have suffered in value of the past several years, while others skyrocketed. How did this happen? Restoration is certainly one of the most misunderstood areas of the marketplace; dealing with restored comics demands a strong grasp of not only grade, value and demand, but also an understanding of what restoration can and can't do for any given book. Determining good restoration candidates involves envisioning an apparent grade, estimating the extent of work and cost, and calculating value and demand--all before the work has even begun! The truth is as many as 50% of comics submitted to us for restoration are turned down because the work is either unnecessary or detrimental to its value. So let's establish some guidelines that will aid you in finding the appropriate candidates. Value - This is one of the most important factors in determining whether restoration is feasible. Because the average cost of restoration can be high (anywhere from $300 to $1,000 and up) the comic must be valuable enough to absorb this cost. The more the restoration costs, the higher value the book must be. The recommended starting point is a pre-restored value of at least $1,000. Extent of work - Moderately restored comics are worth more than extensively restored ones, but extensive restoration jobs cost more to do. This inverse relationship must be carefully considered when evaluating a comic for potential restoration. As the grading standards for restored books continues to evolve, this aspect of restoration will become even more significant. Click to Enlarge Amazing Fantasy #15 before and after restoration. This was a 'return' copy which had its masthead torn off and returned for credit when it did not sell on the newsstand. Because the book was otherwise VF, restoration cost was not extreme, and the end result was a very high apparent grade. Cost of restoration: $650. Apparent grade - The higher the apparent grade, the more desirable and valuable the book will be. But remember that a comic's restorability depends on its original state, and how well its defects can be repaired. While many extensively restored comics may bring about VG guide, the ones that grade apparent 8.0 or higher have been setting record prices.   Demand - Because restored books serve as a cheaper alternative to high grade unrestored books, it only makes sense that fewer unrestored copies of a book in existence will increase demand for restored copies of that same book. An extreme (but very illustrative) example of this would be Suspense Comics #3. Because this is a very high demand book, and it's almost non-existent in high grade, the pool of available copies tend to be either restored or low grade. This drives the price of restored copies up past normal levels. Inversely, Silver Age comics are quite common in most grades, and restored copies of these books sell for less than average. Restorability - Before any of the above factors are taken into consideration, it must first be established if the book is even restorable. While most any defect can be fixed, there are some that are just not worth attempting. The number one defect to avoid is brittle pages. Missing pages or covers can only be replaced if other copies are on hand to swipe from (or if you use our Re-creation service). Excessive paper loss, such as several inches of bug chew through a book, or massive color loss from water damage or wear can be too costly to repair. Comics in Poor condition are usually not good candidates. An example of a good restoration candidate would be a Batman #1 in GD that has off-white pages, and exhibits a spine split, a small piece out of the bottom corner, a mid-size stain back cover, and some light color loss to the edges. These defects are all easily repairable, which means a smaller restoration bill. Given the structural integrity of the book, it should restore to a fairly high grade of 7.0 - 8.0 with moderate work. The book is not brittle, and its grade falls within the recommended range. Because the restoration cost would not be excessive ($700), and Batman #1 is clearly worth over $1000 in any grade, the decision to restore is an easy one. Click to Enlarge Captain America #1 before and after restoration. This copy needed a lot of TLC, and resultantly cost a substantial amount to restore. But given the high value of Cap #1, even an extreme job like this was worth it. Cost of restoration: $1500. An example of a bad restoration candidate would be a Spider-man #1 in GD that has off-white pages, and exhibits excessive creasing and color loss, moderate marvel chipping along the right edge, and a strip of tape along the spine. These defects are difficult or time-consuming to repair, particularly the tape removal and color touch. Because of the heavy creasing, the book will probably not restore higher than 6.0 with extensive work. Even though the page quality is nice and the grade falls within the recommended range, the restoration cost is excessive ($1,000) compared to the value of the book after restoration ($1,200). We would recommend against restoring this Spider-man #1.   The main reason we stay ahead of the competition is our attention to detail. Our number one goal is to make sure each collector is happy with the work performed. To achieve this goal, we back up every single job with this guarantee: if you're not happy with any detail of restoration we perform (within reason), we will correct it for you free of charge, up to one year after initial completion. Restoration is more of an art than a science, and we understand that each collector may have something specific in mind when they open their package. We want every single person to be not only satisfied, but thrilled with the results. Click to Enlarge Suspense #3 before and after restoration. The cover exhibited only a moderate amount of damage to the edges, and yet this book is the perfect restoration can- didate; because of its extremely high demand, there is little price resistance for restored copies. Cost of restoration: $750.  Each restored book comes with a certificate of disclosure that contains specific information outlining each repair performed, and features "before" pictures with a diagram showing location of work. Our certificate, the most comprehensive in the industry, is the ultimate builder of buyer confidence should you ever decide to sell your book. Our rates are $75 per hour. If you've got a comic you'd like to inquire about restoring, it is best to email us a full scan of the front and back cover (preferably 300 dpi, 50% size). Based on this, we can quickly determine the book's potential as well as a ballpark cost. You're also welcome to email us links to ebay auctions or books for sale; we're fairly quick in our response. If you don't have scanner capability, please mail us the comic for an evaluation by going to our submission section here.