There’s a perception amongst comic book dealers and collectors that pressing low-grade comics “isn’t worth it.” That is, the benefits of pressing comic books that are roughly below the grade of 4.0/VG don’t outweigh the costs of pressing. I can safely say that such a perception is, in many cases, a misconception!
As is often the situation, the cost/benefit analysis can’t be accurately applied to all low-grade comics. The costs and benefits of comic pressing need to be considered on a case-by-case basis. Certainly, even those who subscribe to the idea that pressing low-grade comics “isn’t worth it” would likely believe that pressing a low-grade Action Comics #1 would be worth it as even a 0.5 grade bump would net a financial return far outweighing the pressing cost.
However, let’s not use a grail such as Action Comics #1 as an example. Let’s come back down to Earth, and look at a commonplace key: X-Men #94. It’s a popular must-have for any X-Men fanboy (such as myself). The X-Men #94 pictured below is a great example as to the extent which low-grade comics can benefit from being pressed. The only portion of the comic book where the “before and after” differences can be seen is in the spotlighted area, but it should be understood that the rest of the comic book enjoyed the same level of improvement that’s seen within the spotlighted area. The appearance of the entire book improved immensely.
“Did the technical grade of the X-Men #94 improve with the press?” That’s the question everyone will ask as a way to determine if the press was “worth it”. My opinion is that the technical grade did improve by 0.5, but even if it didn’t improve the technical grade whatsoever, the eye appeal absolutely skyrocketed! The book was a mangled, ripply mess prior to being pressed. Now, while still being low-grade, it is clean, presentable, and attractive.
Perhaps a surge in eye appeal won’t make a beneficial difference if the goal was simply to send the book to CGC for grading and then sell it online (as a scan might not show the unappealing ripples and bumps). For anyone hoping to sell this X-Men #94 in person at a comic convention (whether CGC graded or raw), the benefit gained by pressing it cannot be understated. The horrendous ripples and surface wear would be clearly visible to anyone holding the book in-person at a convention. Selling the book will be far easier now, as any collector that is in the market for a low-grade X-Men #94 for their personal collection will be attracted to a clean example, and not put-off by an ugly wreck.
Do you have any low-grade comic books that could use a press to improve their eye appeal? If so, visit my “Contact” page to send me a message and setup your submission: https://comicpressing.com/contact/
