Piece Replacement
A few things a collector can look for when trying to detect if any pieces have been replaced.
Comic Book Daily
Discussing the minutiae of comic book collecting.
Comic Book Daily
Discussing the minutiae of comic book collecting.
Tag restoration
Read MorePiece Replacement
Staple Manipulation
A book might have its staples restored – either through cleaning or outright replacement.
Trimming
Trimming is easily the most difficult form of restoration to detect, at least with any degree of certainty.
Halftone patterns and overpainting
But more than a quick glance at almost any comic book cover in existence will reveal that all the blue’s, red’s, green’s and especially grey’s are far more than a simple blotch of colour on paper.
Blacklights
While some evidence of restoration can be revealed by viewing a book in natural daylight and using a magnification loupe, my favourite tool in detecting restoration (both amateur and professional) is my UVA blacklight.
Detecting Restoration: Color Touch
Detecting Restoration - a "how to" for the convention goer. Spotting color touch.
Restored Grade CGC
The thought of Restored Grade , also known as the dreaded "Purple Label", has been known to make an avid comic collector or two, shudder, when they receive the assigned grade on a CGC submission. Nothing makes you want to raise your fist to the heavens , and scream NOOOO!!! like getting a great grade only to have the dreaded purple label.