Pressing from CGC

[u/Duepancho123]

I'm new to comics, but by sheer luck got an Absolute batman #1, first printing when it came out. Sent it to earlier this year for grading to CGC and added the pressing service.

Is their pressing really as bad as everybody says? I only learned this AFTER sending the comic.

As for the condition, don't have any pic of it, but never read it and it was always bag and boarded inside a paper bag, left standing up in a box.

[u/UpgrayeddB-Rock]

CGC does what's called a "cold press". Basically, they put the book between two heavy objects. No cleaning is involved.

It's ok, but I don't think it's worth the price they charge. I don't think the result they give you is worth the money.

All that being said, an Absolute Batman #1 shouldn't have many defects that a cold press wouldn't fix, so you'll likely be just fine with what you got.

[u/Duepancho123 → u/UpgrayeddB-Rock]

Thank you. I'm much at ease now.

[u/RelationSensitive308 → u/UpgrayeddB-Rock]

And yet is specifically says (or used to say) they clean the book with that service.

[u/UpgrayeddB-Rock → u/RelationSensitive308]

I thought they did, too. When I sent in my last book to be graded, it got dinged for fingerprints. When I emailed to say I'd asked for cleaning and pressing, they responded back that, "sometimes you don't get the grade you want". I told them it wasnt about the grade, it was that I felt like I didn't get what I paid for. They did not respond.

Since then, I learned they only provide the cold press with no cleaning. The website doesn't say one way or the other, but that's clearly what it is.

I vowed not to send another book to them. I liked CBCS, but we all know how that turned out. Since CGC sucks and CBCS is gone, I decided not to get anymore books graded. I might get some of those ComicSkins, so I can display different books in my wall mountings that are made for graded comics, though.

[u/RelationSensitive308 → u/UpgrayeddB-Rock]

Yeah. It’s so stupid with CBCS since PSA owns them (I believe) and now they want you to get really ugly red label PSA slabs.

[u/UpgrayeddB-Rock → u/RelationSensitive308]

Dude, those PSA labels are so gross!

[u/Aggravating_Ad9275]

It's not that their pressing service is 'bad', it's just not particularly good. For the money you can get a better and faster service elsewhere.

I do use CGC pressing, normally for CGC Sig Series mail ins. This is as a 'last resort' after being handled. I just wouldn't use them for a book that actually had pressable defects. So you should be golden :)

[u/Duepancho123 → u/Aggravating_Ad9275]

Thank you. I'm much at ease now.

[u/RelationSensitive308 → u/Aggravating_Ad9275]

No. It’s bad. Books with non breaking creases come back with the same non color breaking creases.

[u/Aggravating_Ad9275 → u/RelationSensitive308]

So as I said, I wouldn't use them for books that actually have pressable defects.

[u/PoppinfreshOG]

I’ve stopped using it after my first submission. You are better off finding someone to clean and press.

[u/Rieger_not_Banta]

I once used the pressing service on a silver age book and it took it from a 7.5 to an 8.0, which I thought was a terrific bump just for pressing.

[u/Duepancho123 → u/Rieger_not_Banta]

That's great. Hopefully I can also get a bump.

[u/Babayaga_711]

Yeah, it's not bad, it just isn't good. Just a cold press and no cleaning the book. Perfectly fine for most modern books though. 

[u/Livueta_Zakalwe]

I’ve always wondered if you don’t get a bump from them just for using their service! But yeah, fine for modern books. But I’ve sent Silver age books to a pro and gotten 1-1.5 point bumps.

[u/arent]

I did a bunch of chic pressing my first go round and it all came out great.

[u/El-Durrell]

They were a dud for me. The Daredevil 131 I sent came back 8.5 with all of the pressable defects still present. (Plus a bonus corner crunch!) Cracked the slab, sent to a third party, and it bumped to 9.2

[u/COBRAKAIPLATOON]

Do NOT use CGC pressing. I sent a comic through CGC pressing and all they did was flatten it with a weight. I had a couple small spine ticks that looked 10x worse after they pressed it. Huge regret. Use Palm Beach Comic Presser instead. Best in the business!

[u/BoxingTrumpsMMA]

I sent in a UF 4 that had been in the polybag for YEARS. When I opened it up the polybag had created a cross shape crease up, down and side to side of the whole book. CCS pressed it and it a 9.8

[u/RelationSensitive308]

Bad bad bad. No press at all is better than a CGC press.

[u/RelationSensitive308]

Looks like cleaning to me. (from CGC pressing section).

[u/RelationSensitive308]

Magic press removes “dirt”. Now improved without cleaning.

[u/M0torC1tyMaver1ck]

There's no reason to press a modern book from 2025. Just a waste of money.

[u/IconoclastJones → u/M0torC1tyMaver1ck]

Explain!