Please be sure to read The Comic Doctor’s Term and Conditions before making your submission:

Simply put, pressing is the application of even heat and pressure in order to attempt the removal of imperfections in cards. A collector will have his/her cards pressed to try and improve the overall appearance of the card, and in doing so, its value.

Dry cleaning is a process used to remove dirt and pencil marks from both the interior and cover of a card, particularly in the white areas. Dry cleaning means just that: no liquids (including water, peroxides, and/or solvents) are introduced during cleaning. Instead, gentle dry methods are used to remove as much dirt deposits from the card as possible. Dry cleaning will not remove tanning, stains, pen or marker, sun shadows, or foxing.

Here is a quote from Tracey Heft from Eclipse Paper Conservation from 2014:

“…While there are no specific studies on comics, there is past research data regarding similar 20th-century papers and inks. This data shows that there is a measurable correlation between exposure to heat and humidity and the effect on paper.

Effective pressing requires comics to be subjected to low levels of controlled heat or humidity. Applying the available data on newsprint and color inks, we suggest that the remaining lifespan of printed newsprint is reduced 57 days during pressing. This same data suggests that newsprint has a useful lifespan of approximately 50 years. The age and condition of the comic should be considered when applying this data, but assuming a comic which is 30 years old has 20 years of lifespan remaining, pressing reduces this by .008% (57 days.) A comic which is 45 years old has 5 years of lifespan remaining; pressing reduces this by .03% (57 days.)

In comparison, storing a typical book in an improper, uncontrolled environment may affect useful life at a rate of approximately 2% per year loss, if not more. To clarify the extremity of this, consider our useful lifespan of 50 years is reduced by an entire year for each year it is neglected, giving it a total of only 25 years of useful life if subjected to poor storage. It is well known that proper and controlled storage can ultimately extend the lifespan of any book, pressed or not – improper storage will ensure or accelerate the destruction of paper.

The assumption of a 50-year lifespan is problematic because it applies to newsprint alone; comic covers are a much higher quality paper and the book is treated while still assembled, so this will mitigate the effect of pressing, but there is no data for this kind of composite result. A typical comic collection is now in a controlled (if not ideal) environment, and it is not unusual to find comics well past 50 years in very nice condition, and with continued conscientious storage books may still double that lifespan. In this case, pressing may reduce a still remaining 50-year lifespan by only .003% (less than 4 months of a 100 years total useful life.) This ideal example, and any other pressed comic book, is far more affected by future storage and handling than by its one-time pressing treatment.”

Heft, Tracey. “Is Pressing Safe?” Eclipse Paper Conservation. Allwebco Design & Hosting, 2010. May 1, 2014. http://www.eclipsepaper.com/pressing.htm

Yes, we do submit cards to PSA as an authorized dealer. Please select the grading options in the online submission forms. We currently do not submit to CGC for cards, but that may change in the future.

A typical dry clean and press job will take approximately 24-48 hours. If more significant dry cleaning, humidification, or a second pressing is required, the turnaround time will obviously be longer. If card is heavily soiled, cleaning can oftentimes be quite time-consuming and require much more attention.

If you are however inquiring specifically on how long your submission will take, it depends on the time of year and how busy we are. We conduct our services on a first-come, first-served basis but aim to move quickly to ensure everyone’s books are addressed in a timely fashion. Please ask us directly about turnaround times.

Once you have decided to submit your cards, please click on the “Submit Now” button on the website and complete one of two submission forms: Bulk Submission (a 20 card submission form, no less and no more) or Standard Submission (value max tier and upwards). Once done, please ensure your cards are dropped off at The Comic Doctor HQ or shipped to us in a timely manner so we may start processing your submission.

If you prefer to pre-screen your cards before submission, please book an appointment to do so.